Summer Lingers

The last two days have been warm here with low 30's recorded both days. The pool is a pleasant 26 degrees or so and very welcome when I return from my 10k bike ride most mornings.

I did my Skype presentation at the Computer Club on Saturday morning. I took our laptop to ensure there weren't any more hiccups like I had when previously using the Club's laptop. All was going smoothly until the internet connection dropped and took about 5 minutes to reset. But we got there eventually.

The cider I had brewing had waited long enough to be bottled so that was done this morning. I use glass bottles for cider and I have to manually apply a "cap" to each stubby. There is a bit of a knack to using the capper and it usually takes me a few goes to get back into the swing of things. But with over 50 caps to be administered you get plenty of time to get back into practice! Now we have to wait about 3 months before it can be enjoyed. That is not the best photo of me I guess!

The first quote for the new blind to go across the far end of the pergola was received today. I spent a bit of time telling the guy how we unfunded retirees had been hit hard by the financial crisis but I think it all fell on deaf ears when I read his quote. But it was worth a try. Two more quotes will come in tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow will be packing day getting ready for 2 weeks down in Melbourne. The expected temperature for Melbourne on Wednesday was 19 when I looked the other day! We had 19 overnight recently, the coolest night so far for 2009! Melbourne however is expecting mid 30's on Tuesday with strong winds. The fires from 2 weeks ago continue to burn down there and tomorrow's windy and hot weather will be a long day for everyone.

Insomnia Cure

Not a lot is happening still! The weather is warm and pleasant, nights are extremely comfortable and plenty of breezes are keeping the weather ideal. Humidity remains well within normal ranges and not a factor. The air conditioner hasn't been on for a couple of weeks now.

Just reading this post will be a great cure for your insomnia!

We have an issue with the pavers around the pool. It appears we have a crook batch with the surface wearing off the paver allowing the aggregate to show through. This only occurs on many of the pavers in the open air, those under the pergola are perfect. The company we bought them through is back to the manufacturer looking for a remedy. One way out is for the pavers to be resurfaced. It is the aesthetics of the paver which is the problem, not splitting or anything nasty like that. I expect this to be a long and drawn out process.

Recently I bought (and then returned) an Image and Slide Scanner. It did not want to work too well on my Vista PC. Yesterday I ordered this one through another company. The beauty of this one is it does not need to be attached to a PC to work, therefore the need for the software to work harmoniously with the PC system is not an issue. This unit saves the scanned image onto a 'card' which can then be saved to your PC. Like many people our age, we have millions of slides which now can be easily scanned into the PC for easy access.

Several representatives from awning suppliers in our area will be visiting our place early next week to give us 'quotes' for a blind to block off the end of the pergola

All Quiet On The Sunshine Coast

There isn't a lot of news about at the moment. The weather has been very pleasant with a wonderful north easterly breeze most afternoons. Temperatures range between minimums of low 20's and maximum temps around 28 or so. Some cloud keeps the sun away but it is warm enough to keep the pool at about 26 most days. The humidity is down too making everyone more comfortable.

Our neighbours next door (on the right as you face our house) have moved out to take up employment managing an Accommodation Park on the south side of Brisbane. They left Monday evening.

Trish and I watched the "Oscars" which we enjoyed. We had seen most of the movies so felt we had some added insight into what was happening. I still think the best film was "Changeling". Last night I watched "The Wrestler" which I enjoyed too.

Trish is at Stitchery this morning and has a medical appointment early this afternoon.

We are flying down to Melbourne on Wednesday March 4th to celebrate Trish's birthday. We will be there for a couple of weeks, returning here on March 18th.

I am almost ready to bottle a batch of Apple Cider. I usually do cider in stubbies and they are drying now.

I have been asked to have another go at my presentation on Skype for the Computer Club on Saturday morning. I will be taking Trish's laptop with me so I know I have a machine which will work properly (even though it may be a little slow).

Our home is extremely close to the house next door (on the left facing our home). Unfortunately it is a rental property and the real estate agent has put young families in there as the two most recent tenants.

We are thinking of putting a full length canvas blind across the end of the pergola to give us a little more privacy than what we currently have. I have discussed prospective tenants with the Agent and she has agreed to be more careful in selecting appropriate tenants and now appreciates our position. This is the 'end' we intend to make more private.

Cloudy and Mild Sunday

It is the rainy time of the year here so the showery weather we are getting today is to be expected. It is about 28 outside with a glorious breeze blowing through the house. It is a shame the breeze doesn't get into the Computer Room but the ceiling fan is whirling above as I type. We have had a couple of short sharp showers today. It is humid but the breeze makes it a very comfortable day indeed.

I was able to bottle another brew this morning to replenish supplies.

This morning these two Pee Wees were making a heck of a racket on the clothes line in the backyard. Then there was a magpie sitting on the pool fence and this disgusting creature swimming around in the pool (see below)! So I am not sure what the Pee Wees were cross with, the cane toad or the magpie. Cane Toads were introduced to eat insects (cane beetle) which were attacking the sugar cane many years ago. Now the cane toad itself is a declared pest. It is poisonous if eaten by other animals.

The cane toad has now passed away unfortunately, blunt instrument trauma I think is the name for its method of death.

2" In An Hour

The recent weather here has been very tropical, hot and humid. The humidity usually leads to heavy tropical rain. Yesterday was a stinker with temperatures in the back yard heading towards the mid 30's (90's Lou Ann). Our small backyard doesn't get too much of a breeze. The air con ran for much of the afternoon. The pool was the place to be though at about 27 degrees. Then at about 5:30 pm the clouds began to roll in. The camera tends to automatically lighten dark shots so it was much darker than this snap shows!

The satellite TV went off, the clouds being too thick to allow any signal through. And then down came the rain. I managed to sneak out and check the total at about 7 pm and there were 50mls in the gauge. The pool was almost overflowing!

Much of yesterday was spent reformatting Trish's laptop. After a couple of false starts it took me somewhere between 5 and 6 hours to do. It now loads in about 2 and a half minutes compared to the 10 minutes it used to take!