Editorial
They say that you should "re-invent yourself" 2-3
times in your life, and by re-invent they mean not just a new job or even a
new town, but an entirely new career.
I've done a heck of a lot of jobs in many towns and even countries,
but I can probably lay claim to two major re-inventions. My first life in photography
doesn't really count because that was my first major vocation, but around 1980
I re-invented myself as an electronics engineer, well I wasn't an engineer to
start with, more a technician, but I learnt and at some point reached hardware
engineer level. That morphed into software engineer, kind of a gradual half
re-invention.
In the early 90s I did a another half re-invention, I was
still working as a software engineer but started a sideline as a large-format
black and white landscape photographer. This almost became a re-invention as
I was earning money from this pastime, had a small gallery from which to sell
my images, sold from my web site etc. I think that before too long that might
have become a full re-invention in itself, but a mid-life crisis beat me to
it.
In the late 90s I got sick of the rat race, sold everything,
build a motorhome, and re-invented myself as a nomadic photographer. That particular
incarnation lasted for about 15 years, 20 really as although we've been living
on the block for many years now we still have the motorhome and untill recently
I still considered that we are nomadic.
But, although more traveling is on the cards I am now thinking
that it's time for another re-invent, you've seen the work I'm doing both in
and on my workshop, but what you haven't seen is the 100s of hours of Youtube
videos I watch, almost entirely of people making things. Of course I've always
made things but I love the idea of being a "maker" to use the current
parlance.
I'll always take photos and may even still do some electronics/programming,
but I think my next "life" will as a maker of things, primarily out
of steel and wood.
Till next time then, and
remember,
Don't
Dream it, Be it!
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Thu 29 Aug 2019
I get a phone call from the manager of the Gin Gin Courthouse gallery today,
it's a personal matter, not about the gallery but during the course of the conversation
I mention that I'm "between jobs" and she says I am welcome back at
the gallery.
I think this is something worth considering as I did enjoy my time there.
Tue 27 Aug 2019
Bob and Jackie arrive. They are long time friends from Grafton that have finally
decided to do the big trip around Oz, and one of their first stops is our place.
Fri 30 Aug 2019
One inch of rain today. In general the country really needs it but personally
we have plenty of water and it just means more work for me keeping the grass
down.
Sun 1 Sep 2019
A few years ago a friend (Glen) and I walked from my place into Gin Gin along
the Gin Gin creek, a distance of about 16k.
At some point towards the end of the walk we encountered a huge fig tree and
figured that it would make a great subject for a photo.
Well Glen and his wife (Caroline) have been staying for the weekend and towards
the end of today we decided to go and see if we can find the tree.
We didn't have much time so walked for just half an hour up from the bridge,
we found this tree but are both pretty sure it's not the one we saw all those
years ago.
Still it is quite spectacular. We both took a couple of happy snaps but the
light was crap, I'll have to revisit another day at a better time.
  
It's worth a revisit though, and maybe an expedition further into the darkest
depths of the Gin Gin creek in search of the monster fig.
Tue 3 Sep 2019
It's been over a week now since I passed the forklift course and not one sign
of any work from the labour hire people. The odd thing is that they told me
before that they won't pay for a course unless I actually have a job offer that
is contingent on a qualification for a particular skill. So the implication
is very strong that, given that they just paid for the course, they have a job
for me.
But it seems not.
I even rang a couple of times and was just told that they will put me forward
for any positions that come up.
What the heck?
Truth is I've done the math and a job 80 kilometres away in Bundaberg (the
most likely scenario) is hardly worth having, with all the associated expenses
like fuel, wear on the car, taxes, lost pension etc I would wind up working
for five days a week and only getting paid for one of them.
What's the point? Especially at my age when I'm not looking for advancement
or to even hang around a job for long. I'll be on the aged pension in 10 months
and wouldn't plan to work a day passed that date. Maybe the prospective employers
I've spoken to think the same thing.
So while I'm in town I drop into the gallery to check out who's working on
what days and see how I would fit in. Apparently the manager was all excited
at the thought of me returning, mostly I think because I'm the only one that
can handle hanging the exhibitions every month.
I think this will be the way to go, I'm not committed yet but can see myself
being back at the gallery within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile I've volunteered
to help with the hanging this thursday and friday.
While in town I photograph the Anglican church for a friend whose father was
a priest there many years ago.
 
Sun 8 Sep 2019
I'M THOR

No not that one.
I climbed Mt Walsh yesterday with Glen and Caroline and man my legs are thor
today.
It's a very worthwhile climb/walk and I think I'll do it again, maybe on a
day when there's not so much polution from SEQ fires and dust storms.
I piked out and decided to save on the weight of my cameras, but the phone
did a reasonable job I think.
   
It's worth a return trip or two though, maybe even an overnighter because I
think that the light on the mountain side would look real nice in the evening
and morning.
Thu 12 Sep 2019
A neighbour had 12 short lengths of 75x75 RHS but he needed 8 long lengths.
So I did the cut and shut, it was nice to do a bit of fabricating for a change.
 My MIG lives up near the roof and can run along the purlin on a small beam
monkey. That keeps it clear of the job.
 The job all tied up ready to deliver tomorrow.
Sun 17 Sep 2019
I decide to drive home from the range via Bundaberg and get a few photos of
the town buildings
 The Bundaberg Post Office is quite a nice-looking building.
    A scene on the Burnett River.
1909150A4N0148_HDR
 There is a quite distinctive water tower in east Bundy.
 
Then on my way home I drop into the Bingera mill. I hate the place with a passion
but that said there would have been some good photo opportunities there had
I stayed. So I poke around for a while, with just my phone for a camera, I was
going to take a real camera but thought it would be too obvious.
I worked boiling the sugar in the vacuum pans, totally crap job but interesting
hardware.
  Number 2 vacuum pan. The numbers on these pans indicate tonnes of sugar and you can see the level through the portholes.
 Number three pan from number 2.
 Detail of number 3 pan.
 Number 9 pan, this is the big one, capable of holding up to 200 tonnes.
 The control room.
 Get the date on this piece of equipment, 1900.
 Another part of the plant.
And finally look at this photo, a panorama of the back side of pan number 9.

Check
out this hires version in a new window/tab.
The quality is not fantastic as I used my phone, but I still think it's fascinating.
Go full screen for best results.
Tue 24 Sep 2019
I go to open a door in the workshop today and it won't open. Looking up I see
a python coiled up at the top.
I tug harder, the door opens and the python falls to the floor. So far so good,
but there are TWO of them and the other one starts heading onto my shelves.
I don't want either of them inside the room so grab #1 and drag it out, then
grab #2 that had by this time got itself entrenched in the shelf so I have to
pull real hard to get it out.
I pick the other one up by the tail and proceed to take them outside, but it's
a bit hard keeping an eye on two bitey ends at once so I drop them, grab both
just behind their heads, and walk off into the bush to release them.
One tries to coil around me a bit but by and large they are both fairly placid.
After a 100 yards or so I let them go, yeah I know, not far enough and they
will come back, but I have things to do.
Sat 29 Sep 2019
We had the first QMAC Wide Bay "hammer in" on Sunday. A really good
turnout and it looks promising for those of us in the Wide Bay area that want
to practice the ancient craft of blacksmithing.
       1909290A4N0198
 
For more information check out the Queensland Metal Artisans Collective (QMAC)
- Wide Bay's Facebook
page.
Sat 5 Oct 2019
So today I go into the shed to get a shovel, as is my custom I look up to where
my possum mate usually lives with a view to giving him a tickle behind the ears
(he's very tolerant).
But no possum, and in his place are two pythons.
NOT AGAIN.
Are they the same ones as the other day? I dunno, one is about the same size
but the other seems to be a lot smaller, so maybe this is a different pair.
Dozen madder, they have to go and this time I'll take them a few kilometres
away so they don't come back.
Trouble is they are both entwined around various boxes and stuff on a shelf
up near the ceiling. I get the smaller one out pretty easily but the big fella
has no plans to leave. I grab his tail to stop him going deeper into the junk,
then his head emerges from around some boxes and I grab that as well.
Now what?
The problem here is that between the two scaly ends there is a shelf and several
boxes, not to mention about 9-10 feet of writhing snake.
There's no way I can pull him out head first, he's just too entrenched, and
anyway he has a clear preference for retreating back into the boxes, so best
to let him go that way and try to extract him tail first.
Now with these guys it's a good idea to hold on to the bitey end, so I release
the tail and let him take my hand backwards behind a box to a point where I
can reach around and change grip to my other hand. As one hand is right up behind
his head the other of course has to grip about a hand's width further back,
this opens up the chance of him turning his head around and having a go and
I can't see a thing as it's all happening behind the box.
Anyway all's well and I repeat this grip swap 2-3 times until finally the snake
has fallen for my cunning plan and he's backed out enough for me to yank him
clear and drop him into a garbage bin with his friend.
What a shit fight.
I drive them down to the creek and let them go, they don't seem keen to leave
the bin at first but eventually slide off into the long grass.
    No I didn't get bitten, just lost some bark in the scuffle.
Now where was I? Oh that's right, I was fetching a shovel.
PS. Is my possum OK or did he become snake food? I don't know, I saw no possum-sized
bulge in either reptile and it's not uncommon for my little mate to go walkabout
for several days.
But it's a heck of a coincidence that the snakes were shacked up in exactly
the same spot. Maybe they could just smell the possum and planned an ambush
on his return. Or maybe they did get him a few days ago.
I will only ever know one way if he turns up, and never know the other way.
EDIT in December: Possum is back, he disappeared for ages but is back in residence
now. Must have broken up with his girlfriend and moved back home.
Sun 6 Oct 2019
I went get a brushcutter to clear some of the long grass, and after a short
time fuelling it up I look to see if my possum has returned. Well cut off me
legs and call me shorty, there's ANOTHER BLOODY PYTHON in residence.
No way I could get as it had already mostly disappeared into the boxes and
other crap, but from what I saw it's a large as the big one I evicted yesterday.
I place an empty garbage bin at the ready, I'll get him one day.
Later.
Got him...the third snake that is.
It wasn't as large as the big one yesterday but nearly, and a LOT more feisty.
He came back on me a couple of times until I managed to grab it's neck.
Oh well, another trip down to the creek. I hope this is the last one for a
while.
  
I don't think I've ever been two faced but I came close today.
After a long hot day pulling lantana, brushcutting and evicting pythons I was
pretty tired but it wasn't quite beer o'clock so I thought that I'd fire up
the chainsaw and dice up some fallen timber into rounds for the fire.

After maybe half an hour doing this on a steep slope I stood back to get my
breath, slipped on a rock and came down face first with the chainsaw under me.
The chain was running slowly at the time but the action of falling caused my
right hand to move back and this in turn caused my index finger to move back
which in turn caused the saw to go to full revs.
The chain clipped my visor but luckily I was able to hold myself high enough
to be out of harm's way and not get my face cut in two (two faced...get it.
Stick around, I'm here all week).
Righto, NOW it's beer o'clock.
Comments
Date :: |
23 Apr 2020 |
Name :: |
Tony G |
Location :: |
Liverpool NSW |
Comment :: |
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Date :: |
23 Apr 2020 |
Name :: |
GRAYnomad |
Comment :: |
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