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Sun 02 Jan 2022

Back down to the Biggenden range today. The Biggenden Pistol club is an SUQ (Shooters Union of QLD) club and they don't care if you are vaccinated or not.

They seem like a good bunch and I already know a few of them as like me they are refugees from the APRA club that used to shoot here.

I take my time getting home as I'm always on the hunt for photos these days.

I've been driving passed this old shed for years and always intended stop and take a photo but never have. So today I finally stop, after all who knows how long it will be standing.

Fri 07 Jan 2022

Eidsvold club actually refunded my $20, that will help with the $50 SUQ pistol club fees. Yes I'm now a member of SUQ pistol club, that allows me to shoot at any SUQ range which includes Biggenden, so I don't need to also sign up with the Biggenden club but I think it's fair to do so if I'm using their facilities a lot.

Sat 08 Jan 2022

Yay, after looking for years I finally snagged a map cabinet. These things are as rare as rocking horse shite and last about 10 minutes on the market place. Apparently two blokes rang just seconds after I said I'd buy it, they offered more money as well but the seller kept to his word. (Thanks Bill)

I wasn't going to pick it up until the weekend, but decided to go on Friday despite a forecast of rain. It did pour down briefly but man I'm glad I did go in, there was huge flooding this morning and now the road is cut.

Also to clear the rubbish from the trailer I had to go to the tip first, I'm glad I did that as well because after rain the mud in a rubbish tip smells just God awful, but it was dry early in the day.

As for the pine "sleepers", I'm weaning myself off Bunnings, got these from Mitre 10. A more pleasant atmosphere I think and they were cheaper as well.

Sat 08 Jan 2022

That was yesterday, today I put those sleepers to use.

Those sleepers in the trailer yesterday have been deployed...as a bench-height garden bed. Initially for some plants (Malabar spinach) a friend (Cristel) gave me a while back but others will be added soon. All part of my drive to become less dependent on the system.

Plus I laid some of those pavers I got a week or so back, mostly because the ground here is quite muddy at present. Oh, and waddaya think of my Stanley cordless drill? I have a few of them but this is the best one.

The spuds are doing OK.

Thu 13 Jan 2022

Just some nice light on the house this afternoon.

Sat 15 Jan 2022

I've started a small compost pile as an experiment. Another part of our continuing push to be just a little less dependent on the outside world.

It's really not big enough to generate the required heat I think, but we'll see how it goes.

Thu 20 Jan 2022

I guess I'll have to put some dirt in here one day.

The spuds are still doing OK, but we've been here before, they can look great on top but there's nothing underneath. We'll see.

Sun 23 Jan 2022

Back to the Biggenden Pistol club then I have a couple of hours to kill before a camera club meeting in Gin Gin.

One thing I hear a lot is "I don't have time to take photos."

Well I submit that you almost certainly do have time.

I had a club meeting just outside Biggenden today. It's roughly an hour's drive there and of course the same back.

That's a total of two hours in which I got these photos (and others), no Pulitzer prize winners for sure, but pleasant enough images I think, most of which are good enough to catalogue and post on my web site.

Get out there even if just for an hour or so, the images will present themselves if you look.

Wed 26 Jan 2022

A few years ago a lot of trees in the district got brewer's droop, even some quite large ones just lay over and went to sleep.

I haven't seen it happen for ages now until today I notice this little one just outside the workshop.

I've tied it back to one of its mates, hopefully in time it will be OK.

The Malabar spinach is doing well, I'll have to plant it properly before it gets too entwined.

There we go, hopefully it will like the new dirt.

Thu 27 Jan 2022

All those new pavers and what to do with them? Well much as I hate re doing work I think 20 of the old ones can be pulled up and relayed in the workshop.

Every time we get a heavy rain it flows through into here which makes the area pretty unusable. I will fix the problem one day but meanwhile the pavers will fix the symptoms.

Sat 29 Jan 2022

To get the paver area level I had to remove some dirt, well actually a useless mix of dirt and stones and woodchip. In the past I would have just used it for fill or something but we need clean dirt for the spuds so I rig up a sieve.

I need sand to lay the new paver on so go down to the creek to get some. On the way back I also collect a couple of buckets of cow poo for the garden.

Sun 30 Jan 2022

This is where the first batch of the new pavers is going, but I need more sand.

Yesterday I tried a new (to me) section of the creek but there wasn't a lot of sand there and it was really a bit fine for this purpose.

So I go back to my old favourite spot.

There's plenty here and it's nice and course. Interesting how the sand is quite different just a few kilometres up stream.

Mon 31 Jan 2022

The first of the new paving jobs is done, I'm quite happy with it.

This used to be my beer-o'clock chill-out area but I haven't sat out here for some time now. Anyway I have a new idea for that, time to tart up the area under the awning on the other side of the living room.

I think you will agree that it looks pretty ordinary at present.

Wed 01 Feb 2022

It's taken a few hours but I've got rid of all the junk, leveled the area, and placed a couple of pavers to get my spacing.

Time to rock and roll, but I'll need a lot more sand.

Thu 03 Feb 2022

By beer o'clock I've laid enough tiles to set up a chair.

How good is listening to the rain on a tin roof while watching the Australian bush with your afternoon beer after a hard day's paving when 6 emus stroll passed?

Not much of a photo but it took me some time to get the only camera not locked away and it wasn't fitted with a long lens. You can make out dad and 4 of the young ones, the fifth was behind that tree.

They would have come closer but my car and trailer were parked on the track and that caused them to detour, on previous occasions they have walked right passed us though.

Note to self, always keep a couple of cameras to hand.

Sat 05 Feb 2022

Up at 5AM to drive into Bundaberg to pick up a concrete laundry tub I bought from a mate two weeks ago.

These things are bloody heavy so I push it into the laundry area on rollers.

Sun 06 Feb 2022

I joined the Miriam Vale pistol club today, well I got the paper work to fill out and will actually join next time I go I suppose.

I decide to drive home via Rosedale again, last time I was here I thought there could be a few photos to be had and I was right.

I like the look of the church and while scoping it out a lady asks what I'm doing. There are a few people milling around as the service has just ended and she says she can introduce me to the priest. I agree and after a brief chat he reopens the building so I can photograph inside as well.

Then I head down Rosedale R and turn west onto Monduran Rd which takes me back to the highway and home.

Mon 07 Feb 2022

So whad ya do today Rob?
I moved a rock.
All day to move one rock?!
Well yeah, but it was a big rock.

The pavers are mostly laid under the awning and I'd like to make a rockery there as well. Some of it was done a couple of years ago but it was always a bit of a half-arsed attempt, time to do something nice if I can.

Starting with this big rock as a feature.

It takes all day but by using various combinations of ground anchor, come-along, the car, and Tirfor winch I get the big bugger in place.

 Just one spike of the 16 I have for my ground anchors.

There's still a lot to do but I'm getting there.

Comments

Date  ::	24 Apr 2022
Name  ::	Kevin K
Location  ::	Canada
Comment  ::	Dun Buildin? Who are you trying to fool mate? Good to see all that work going on, wish I could be there to contribute., it looks great. Even better would be beer o'clock and watching the emu's clomp past, snakes I'd leave to you. I hope you and Chris keep on enjoying the block, her not leaving there for a year or more, yep, I love that thought. Not missing out on anything here in the human-sphere. All the best from the north country. KK
Date  ::	25 Apr 2022
Name  ::	GRAYnomad
Comment  ::	Hi Kev, well ya gotta keep busy eh? Just today I thought of an extension to the workshop I really want to stop building house stuff though and get back to my walking tracks and other hobby jobs like the camper fitout. I'm going somewhere in June and it will be bloody cold (well by our standards, not yours) so at least I need to get the diesel heater fitted by then. So far we are still happy to stay here on the block, no big travel plans but it would be nice to get back down south for a few weeks. We'll see.

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