7.07 am Saturday 25 December 2010 AEDST
up until 2 am this morning wrapping; if retail sales are down it isn't my fault.
drank a mock mai tai while wrapping:
1 litre pineapple juice
1/2 cup grenadine
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon almond essence
juice 1 juicy lime
about 1 litre of ice
to garnish:
lemon verbena or mint large sprigs
maraschino cherries
cold sparkling mineral water
straws
mix all of above in 2 litre mixing jug, placing ice in first and then pouring other ingredients over.
mixing shouldn't be necessary.
serve in large ie at least 400 ml glass, placing a small sprig of lemon verbena and 2 (I had 3) maraschino cherries. I started out drinking this straight, then cut it 50/50 with cold sparkling mineral water. I ended up stirring the ice melt in after I had finished up the mineral water (a 750 ml bottle). got clearer as ice melted.
my ice was from some I bought at the BP at Mt Lambie en route to Bathurst for an afternoon's christmas shopping and I had a big lump about 1 litre in size.
it was best after a couple of hours, when the almonnd extract kicked in (still no orgeat syrup and Monin don't list it on their Australian web site).
there are recipes for home made orgeat and marischino cherries (although they only have a three week refrigerator life span. I'll try because it is cherry season here.) on the chow.com site; this has various other syrups which I am interested in and good cocktail recipes which I would like to try.
I was going to add a little St Germain but decided not to (had too much wrapping) ; I added some elderflower cordial, bought earlier in the year at the Orange Markets, about 50 mls after I had had the first couple of drinks; not certain that this helped.
chow.com is recommended, has good photos and videos, but you might have to wade through a lot of americanisms. it seems to be mainly out of the west coast/texas but also has some contributors from Chicago, New York and maybe mid West.
merry christmas. wrap in moderation.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
... rained in ...
Tuesday 14 December 2010 10.28 pm AEDST
started raining lightly, was very tired and lay down, got up to close car, garage, toolshed, cottage and for Nigella and Cheese Slices; watched Nigella (can a christmas party be made up of glazed petit sausages, litttle meat balls in tomato sauce, gingerbread (sans icing) and seasonal coloured jelly beans with pink processo flavoured with ? Chambord ???????); kitchen sluttiness is one thing but poor menu planning is another :: time to call in the caterers, honey.
watched some of Cheese Slices, this was about truffled cheese in Piedmont; poor doggies didn't get any, even though they found them.
was more interested in reading about white charcoal and japanese knives at Chef's Armoury on Botany Road, Roseberry (NSW), mentioned in this weeks Good Living (online version, not same as weekly edition, a newsprint magazine lift out every Tuesday in SMH. has local foodie news, recipes, product reviews and lots of ads. now on holiday until 18 Jan 2011. why do they go on holiday just when everyone has time to read them beacuse they're on holiday; television and radio also closing down until late Jan/early Feb and leaving us with rerebroadcasts of rebroadcasts and 48 hour marathons of Top Gear old series; already filling staellite waves with reruns of 4 year old Great British Chefs).
now raining lightly and cool breeze through mosquito screen ( determined mosquito could knock to verandah in microseconds). hope rain disappears in morning so can finish off front lawns (now high alpine meadows full of yellow flowers). yawn.
started raining lightly, was very tired and lay down, got up to close car, garage, toolshed, cottage and for Nigella and Cheese Slices; watched Nigella (can a christmas party be made up of glazed petit sausages, litttle meat balls in tomato sauce, gingerbread (sans icing) and seasonal coloured jelly beans with pink processo flavoured with ? Chambord ???????); kitchen sluttiness is one thing but poor menu planning is another :: time to call in the caterers, honey.
watched some of Cheese Slices, this was about truffled cheese in Piedmont; poor doggies didn't get any, even though they found them.
was more interested in reading about white charcoal and japanese knives at Chef's Armoury on Botany Road, Roseberry (NSW), mentioned in this weeks Good Living (online version, not same as weekly edition, a newsprint magazine lift out every Tuesday in SMH. has local foodie news, recipes, product reviews and lots of ads. now on holiday until 18 Jan 2011. why do they go on holiday just when everyone has time to read them beacuse they're on holiday; television and radio also closing down until late Jan/early Feb and leaving us with rerebroadcasts of rebroadcasts and 48 hour marathons of Top Gear old series; already filling staellite waves with reruns of 4 year old Great British Chefs).
now raining lightly and cool breeze through mosquito screen ( determined mosquito could knock to verandah in microseconds). hope rain disappears in morning so can finish off front lawns (now high alpine meadows full of yellow flowers). yawn.
Monday, December 13, 2010
... snowed under ...
i'd update a bit more frequently if i didn't get caught in blooger/google's infinite loop sign in; each time i have to work out how to get out of it and sign in here; i think that this is because i am signed into gmail under my other user names.
email status:
mac.com mail has been online again for a few days; i am monitoring gmail and forwarding anything that comes in to mac.com and replying through mac.com (ad cetra ad nauseating etcetra);
email's working but i'm not (actually i am):
there is a 2 to 3 day turn around on most email at the moment; i am wrapping, shopping and mowing (and sitting down because i am still dizzy quite a lot) and otherwise away from email (and blogger, although infinite loop has been a real drag (doesn't help when you're dizzy; also to and fro email is the flavour of the month and it gets, well, complicated, as they say; i've also started reusing my cpap machine and have started sleeping longer (and on foggy/cloudy mornings sometimes don't wake until 7.15 am ish although was up at sparrow (jenny wren and husband around here) fart yesterday, which was bright and sunny (today has been grey and cool and is now, now that i have got petrol from Lithgow to make two stroke, thundery). i don't think that the lawn likes being cut.
otherwise tsunami continues and i am, i speak metaphorically, clinging to a very soggy bent palm tree occupied by a breakfasting monkey (papaya and banana) who is very annoyed and demanding that i depart immediately and where is blooody management when it's needed; bloody tourists have their own place and pleese git there right now (monkey has for some reason mixed south african/hindu gentleman accent). am trying to point out impossibility of this as tsunami continues breaking (so far longest ever recorded). ho ho bloody hum.
was going to do my day starting maybe 8 December but this has turned into my week and shortly will be my fortnight. don't think eleanor roosevelt had these problems.
ipod, at suggestion of technical advisor, has been put off until new model announced maybe in February; iPad funds have been spent on chistmas present for mother in Queen Street (Woolahra, there is no other (except of course in Brisbane and Auckland but they don't quite have the same expenditure opportunities as the 2025 postcode zone)).
kindle australian charger has arrived; otherwise no sign; false alarm last week with large USPS bag, which contained two books from guys at Baked, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
fat boy Ralph is enroute from Price USA agent since early am yesterday. am making do with sunday afternoon's nautica, cutter and buck and gazman (said to be capri pants but more like long shorts) from big boy's store at Skygardens.
new pitt street mall, with gap arrived and zara coming, is complete fizzle with many potential buyers on sunday afternoon but nothing for them to buy.
lpq definitely not up to Brussels standard, but better than any competition except maybe cheese sit up counter at DJ's Market Street (highly personal preference; cheese plate is casual anytime meal of choice).
back soon, maybe sooner if it rains.
email status:
mac.com mail has been online again for a few days; i am monitoring gmail and forwarding anything that comes in to mac.com and replying through mac.com (ad cetra ad nauseating etcetra);
email's working but i'm not (actually i am):
there is a 2 to 3 day turn around on most email at the moment; i am wrapping, shopping and mowing (and sitting down because i am still dizzy quite a lot) and otherwise away from email (and blogger, although infinite loop has been a real drag (doesn't help when you're dizzy; also to and fro email is the flavour of the month and it gets, well, complicated, as they say; i've also started reusing my cpap machine and have started sleeping longer (and on foggy/cloudy mornings sometimes don't wake until 7.15 am ish although was up at sparrow (jenny wren and husband around here) fart yesterday, which was bright and sunny (today has been grey and cool and is now, now that i have got petrol from Lithgow to make two stroke, thundery). i don't think that the lawn likes being cut.
otherwise tsunami continues and i am, i speak metaphorically, clinging to a very soggy bent palm tree occupied by a breakfasting monkey (papaya and banana) who is very annoyed and demanding that i depart immediately and where is blooody management when it's needed; bloody tourists have their own place and pleese git there right now (monkey has for some reason mixed south african/hindu gentleman accent). am trying to point out impossibility of this as tsunami continues breaking (so far longest ever recorded). ho ho bloody hum.
was going to do my day starting maybe 8 December but this has turned into my week and shortly will be my fortnight. don't think eleanor roosevelt had these problems.
ipod, at suggestion of technical advisor, has been put off until new model announced maybe in February; iPad funds have been spent on chistmas present for mother in Queen Street (Woolahra, there is no other (except of course in Brisbane and Auckland but they don't quite have the same expenditure opportunities as the 2025 postcode zone)).
kindle australian charger has arrived; otherwise no sign; false alarm last week with large USPS bag, which contained two books from guys at Baked, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
fat boy Ralph is enroute from Price USA agent since early am yesterday. am making do with sunday afternoon's nautica, cutter and buck and gazman (said to be capri pants but more like long shorts) from big boy's store at Skygardens.
new pitt street mall, with gap arrived and zara coming, is complete fizzle with many potential buyers on sunday afternoon but nothing for them to buy.
lpq definitely not up to Brussels standard, but better than any competition except maybe cheese sit up counter at DJ's Market Street (highly personal preference; cheese plate is casual anytime meal of choice).
back soon, maybe sooner if it rains.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
... xmas is coming ...
was coming like waves of gentle inbound tide; now in full tsunami force and crashing inland with vengance. caught only half way to high ground, as usual. every thing in place but assembly still required, and caught as by blizzard (that would be nice but flood much likelier).
... Pearl Harbor outranks mai tai
10.06 pm Wednesday 08 December 2010
We always forget about that pesky international dateline, maybe because we are still primarily anglo centric.
The Japanese attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor was at about 7 am on Sunday 7 December 1941 Hawaiian time, which would have been ? around 3 am in the morning on Monday 8 December 1941 in eastern Australia.
So here is a Pearl Harbor cocktail from : http://cocktails.about.com/od/vodkadrinkrecipes/r/pearl_harbor.htm
Would think calls for a pretty paper parasol.
Was in 1966 on overcast day at Pearl Harbor; didn't seem place for cocktails.
Simple, but think I still prefer mai tai.
We always forget about that pesky international dateline, maybe because we are still primarily anglo centric.
The Japanese attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor was at about 7 am on Sunday 7 December 1941 Hawaiian time, which would have been ? around 3 am in the morning on Monday 8 December 1941 in eastern Australia.
So here is a Pearl Harbor cocktail from : http://cocktails.about.com/od/vodkadrinkrecipes/r/pearl_harbor.htm
- 1 oz melon liqueur = midori
- pineapple juice
- maraschino cherry for garnish
- pineapple chunks for garnish
Preparation:
- Pour the vodka and melon liqueur into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
- Fill with pineapple juice.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry and pineapple chunk on a cocktail skewer.
Was in 1966 on overcast day at Pearl Harbor; didn't seem place for cocktails.
Simple, but think I still prefer mai tai.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
...... behold and there was restart, and email flowed ...
07.57 am Wednesday 08 December 2010
software update, some bits I wanted, forced restart (Illustrator and Acrobat uncooperative as ever) and then email from last few days flowed into Mail.
Now, and probably ever after, will have to keep monitoring gmail, previously only used as online back up for email.
Gmail is pain in neck to log into as sometimes just takes me to bloggger.
Ho ho hum.
software update, some bits I wanted, forced restart (Illustrator and Acrobat uncooperative as ever) and then email from last few days flowed into Mail.
Now, and probably ever after, will have to keep monitoring gmail, previously only used as online back up for email.
Gmail is pain in neck to log into as sometimes just takes me to bloggger.
Ho ho hum.
Monday, December 6, 2010
how to make a mai tai
oops; had saved this as draft and forgotten to post::
you might need this; know I do.
recipe from Cocktails.About.Com, commentary mainly mine.
light rum = white bacardi
dark rum = bundy (op for preferance) in original circa 1944 would have been either cuban or from trindad locally available here would be Captain Morgan or Mountgay (but you'll need a fancy liquor store like Dan Murphy's local pub won't do)
orange curaco = tautology; all curaco is orange flavour; use it if you've got it or can find it; Cointreau or Grand Marnier instead. Prefer Cointreau myself for drinking, GM for cooking. Don't use blue coloured stuff!!!!
maraschino cherries = turn up on Colesworth's/IGA but not so far Aldi shelves at this time of year; maybe good bottle shop; caters suppliers. Knew I should have bought 1 kg jar from Essential Ingredient in Orange; would probably have seen me out as they are basically inert and indesructible.
orgeat syrup = almond, barley and lemon syrup, can still be obtained in Monin range some supermarkets but delis or caters suppliers (Chef's Warehouse, Essential Ingredient) better bet, isn't used in modern version; can recreate by adding a (very) few drops of almond essence to about 500 ml of lemon cordial or better, lemon barley water cordial. Australian world has largely lost taste for bitterish almond flavour (if it ever had it) more popular with Europeans.
lime = consider using Sicilian lime juice in green limeish shaped bottles (used by Nigella) and sold at Harris Farm if limes are more than about 50 c each; also roll on chopping board if using real thing to break up internal segments before squeezing (old foodie trick).
This is circa 1944 rummy original version as served in Trader Vic's Oakland, California:
old fashioned glass = 300 ml tumbler please, and don't forget little paper parasol but no fruit bits.
Pass out to memories of Frannie Halcyon Day, a great (fictional) supporter of San Francisco branch of Trader Vic's and mai tais.
you might need this; know I do.
recipe from Cocktails.About.Com, commentary mainly mine.
light rum = white bacardi
dark rum = bundy (op for preferance) in original circa 1944 would have been either cuban or from trindad locally available here would be Captain Morgan or Mountgay (but you'll need a fancy liquor store like Dan Murphy's local pub won't do)
orange curaco = tautology; all curaco is orange flavour; use it if you've got it or can find it; Cointreau or Grand Marnier instead. Prefer Cointreau myself for drinking, GM for cooking. Don't use blue coloured stuff!!!!
maraschino cherries = turn up on Colesworth's/IGA but not so far Aldi shelves at this time of year; maybe good bottle shop; caters suppliers. Knew I should have bought 1 kg jar from Essential Ingredient in Orange; would probably have seen me out as they are basically inert and indesructible.
orgeat syrup = almond, barley and lemon syrup, can still be obtained in Monin range some supermarkets but delis or caters suppliers (Chef's Warehouse, Essential Ingredient) better bet, isn't used in modern version; can recreate by adding a (very) few drops of almond essence to about 500 ml of lemon cordial or better, lemon barley water cordial. Australian world has largely lost taste for bitterish almond flavour (if it ever had it) more popular with Europeans.
lime = consider using Sicilian lime juice in green limeish shaped bottles (used by Nigella) and sold at Harris Farm if limes are more than about 50 c each; also roll on chopping board if using real thing to break up internal segments before squeezing (old foodie trick).
This is circa 1944 rummy original version as served in Trader Vic's Oakland, California:
- 1 oz light rum
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz orange curacao
- 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
- 1 oz dark rum
- maraschino cherry for garnish
Preparation:
- Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
- Shake well.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice.
- Top with the dark rum.
- Garnish with the cherry.
More modern version, Pineapple juice version of the Mai Tai:
triple sec = maybe unobtainable; use cointreau or grand marnier (actually saw on shelf of liquor store in Katoomba yesterday) (ie Tuesday)
grenadine = try and get real one, not artifical; does exist at good bottle shops; make real pink lemonade with leftovers; is made from highly filtered pomegranates; POM juice not acceptable subsitute
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 1/4 ounce lime juice
- 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 1/2 ounces orange juice
- 1 dash of grenadine
- 1/2 ounce dark rum
- maraschino cherry for garnish
- Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
- Shake well.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice.
- Top with the dark rum.
- Garnish with the cherry.
Pass out to memories of Frannie Halcyon Day, a great (fictional) supporter of San Francisco branch of Trader Vic's and mai tais.
... in all sizes
07.20 pm Monday 06 December 2010
out and about in Oberon: paper shop, big supermarket, bakery (I wasn't going to but I did and regretted it), electronics/video store (almost forgot; had to return videos on seven day hire; screach of brakes, fast 45 degree rear park (this horrible system will be end of car one day, if not of me)).
Target (or similar) clearly sells size 0 (or 1 or 2) baby overalls in marpat! Have seen very well built baby being (wo)manhandled by mother, also of good proportions, into/outof baby vehicle wearing these fairly repellant items.
Do they also provide grenade shaped baby bottles? Potties made from helmets?
Consider this very inappropriate design for infant or indeed any civilian clothing. Try denim and embroidered yellow duckies, please.
Visit to Oberon main event of day; back to loll on sofa, cottage still looking as though has been venue for christmas bash of cadre of very ungruntled junior elves eager to wreak revenge on property of Claus Inc for real or imgained ill treatment by Claus, Herr or Claus, Frau or more senior elvings (no doubt with unmentionable practices). Significant consumption of mai tais appears to have taken place with usual result.
Later in afternoon assembled, with some difficulty, cheap solar lighting in coloured shove in version, flimsy looking nylon Chinese style lanterns with which I have draped tree by gate and more sturdy version of impaler style in stainless steel (the box is quite definite) which will use to provide glimmers of light around courtyard entrance to cottage. Lit up well enough in gloom of cottage but light vanished outside. Will use more to create firefly analogue (no fireflys hereabouts or indeed in any country area I have ever visited in Australia; have only seen as part of Obon revellers kit at Kyoto Station in August 2006) effect by placing under trees along road fence. Now full of greenness; mid summer just around corner. Solar lighting only just coming on now with fall of darkness (07.36 pm AEDST). Foggy and light rain with local temperature (gauge on verandah) at 13/14 C. Neighbour to north (only neighbour) could be heard mowing lawn during day of patchy sunshine; I as ever was having down day and will live with consequenees of unmown lawn later in rainy week.
Consider to be like dishes in sink of cottage; will eventually get done in fit of energy with much boiling water from kettle, eco detergent and eucalyptus oil (wish this still came in 5 litre containers, as I can once recall it doing) and scrubbing with Japanese oval brush made of some natural brushy stuff (hundred yen store in Clarence Street, Sydney; sometimes in back aisles of health food stores; great scubability; pleasure to use (occassionally); recommended). In meantime planet will continue spinning while I nap and yawn and read (and blog).
Ho hum. Must consider (as I have been) ride on lawn tractor (no, not mower; real repellant noise making tractor thing). There will be more on this subject.
out and about in Oberon: paper shop, big supermarket, bakery (I wasn't going to but I did and regretted it), electronics/video store (almost forgot; had to return videos on seven day hire; screach of brakes, fast 45 degree rear park (this horrible system will be end of car one day, if not of me)).
Target (or similar) clearly sells size 0 (or 1 or 2) baby overalls in marpat! Have seen very well built baby being (wo)manhandled by mother, also of good proportions, into/outof baby vehicle wearing these fairly repellant items.
Do they also provide grenade shaped baby bottles? Potties made from helmets?
Consider this very inappropriate design for infant or indeed any civilian clothing. Try denim and embroidered yellow duckies, please.
Visit to Oberon main event of day; back to loll on sofa, cottage still looking as though has been venue for christmas bash of cadre of very ungruntled junior elves eager to wreak revenge on property of Claus Inc for real or imgained ill treatment by Claus, Herr or Claus, Frau or more senior elvings (no doubt with unmentionable practices). Significant consumption of mai tais appears to have taken place with usual result.
Later in afternoon assembled, with some difficulty, cheap solar lighting in coloured shove in version, flimsy looking nylon Chinese style lanterns with which I have draped tree by gate and more sturdy version of impaler style in stainless steel (the box is quite definite) which will use to provide glimmers of light around courtyard entrance to cottage. Lit up well enough in gloom of cottage but light vanished outside. Will use more to create firefly analogue (no fireflys hereabouts or indeed in any country area I have ever visited in Australia; have only seen as part of Obon revellers kit at Kyoto Station in August 2006) effect by placing under trees along road fence. Now full of greenness; mid summer just around corner. Solar lighting only just coming on now with fall of darkness (07.36 pm AEDST). Foggy and light rain with local temperature (gauge on verandah) at 13/14 C. Neighbour to north (only neighbour) could be heard mowing lawn during day of patchy sunshine; I as ever was having down day and will live with consequenees of unmown lawn later in rainy week.
Consider to be like dishes in sink of cottage; will eventually get done in fit of energy with much boiling water from kettle, eco detergent and eucalyptus oil (wish this still came in 5 litre containers, as I can once recall it doing) and scrubbing with Japanese oval brush made of some natural brushy stuff (hundred yen store in Clarence Street, Sydney; sometimes in back aisles of health food stores; great scubability; pleasure to use (occassionally); recommended). In meantime planet will continue spinning while I nap and yawn and read (and blog).
Ho hum. Must consider (as I have been) ride on lawn tractor (no, not mower; real repellant noise making tractor thing). There will be more on this subject.
Email trouble; alternative email address
My mac.com email address, which has worked fairly well since I started using it full time in May 2009 is having trouble.
Can't work out whether this is at computer level (nothing arriving, not keeping copies of sent messsages), Telstra G3 level (as erratic as ever, but basically works), or mac.com/me.com.
Maybe they want me to change over to me.com address, but that doesn't seem to make much difference.
Mail still seems to be arriving at me.com website and I can see it online; maybe a few semi-junk have been lost in last 24 hours – hard to say; Sunday pm/Monday am is quiet time for semi-junkers.
Please use alternative email address: harry.dickinson.jnr@gmail.com
Still having a bit of trouble with gmail interface; have been using it as back up of mac.com email for more or less this situation and have let a lot of junk backed up. Now going through and deleting.
Printing email from me.com horrible experience; had to print one tonight for my mother and ended up using gmail as me.com was off in cyberspace doing who knows what (? singapore slings at local apple store).
Can't work out whether this is at computer level (nothing arriving, not keeping copies of sent messsages), Telstra G3 level (as erratic as ever, but basically works), or mac.com/me.com.
Maybe they want me to change over to me.com address, but that doesn't seem to make much difference.
Mail still seems to be arriving at me.com website and I can see it online; maybe a few semi-junk have been lost in last 24 hours – hard to say; Sunday pm/Monday am is quiet time for semi-junkers.
Please use alternative email address: harry.dickinson.jnr@gmail.com
Still having a bit of trouble with gmail interface; have been using it as back up of mac.com email for more or less this situation and have let a lot of junk backed up. Now going through and deleting.
Printing email from me.com horrible experience; had to print one tonight for my mother and ended up using gmail as me.com was off in cyberspace doing who knows what (? singapore slings at local apple store).
Sunday, December 5, 2010
... Millthorpe battleground
05.53 am Monday 06 December 2010 AEDST
Didn't make 8 am departure; I was behind schedule.
We did get to Millthorpe about 09.45 am. Temperature cooled down to about 18 C from Canowindra's sunny/patchy cloud 21 C. Drove through quite pretty rural country along Belabula Way to Mandurama, then onto Mid West Highway and then off again over back roads, some unsealed (wish Google maps would show this) to Millthorpe entering via railway underpass on south side.
All creeks very high and signs of flooding along creek beds.
Morning humid and cloudy, top of Mt Canobolas clouded out.
Many birds and many rabbits; also many different combinatons of roadside grasses and flowers.
Overtaken on Belabula Way by carful of young rural idiots in older model white 4 wheel drive ute with red P plates (supposedly limited to 80 km) who immediately increased speed to about 130 km on overtaking. They also squashed small tortoise who was crossing road (I had gone over, not squashed). Small, oval dinner plate sized tortoises quite often seen crossing roads around watery areas. Also often seen squashed, as are young Echidnas.
Apart from young idiots almost no traffic on roads until closer to Millthorpe.
Fair amount of activity in lower Millthorpe but market turns out to be at School on road from Orange at top of town. Had expected it to be in main streets or in front of railway station. Easy parking. Crowd mixture of yokel peasantry (wearing Target marpat* pants and shorts) and urban sophisticates from Millthorpe, Bathurst and Orange (wearing either quasi RM Williams and boat shoes or lycra rich semi sporting gear). many black fleece sleeveless vests in evidence, ubiqutous symbol of rural middle class (have several myself, fortunately for public a bit too snug for public wear).
Market in school ground shelter (now ubiquitous in Australian schools) is overattended and understocked. Unsatisfactory experience over bacon, egg and suasage roll, this combination being locally unheard of although standard at nearby Orange and Bathurst markets. Foood of supermarket origin rather than free range organic. No where to sit and eat (standard local market experience). No coffee in any form. Screaming adults, about raffles. Lolly fueled jet propelled school children. Ugly.
School ground well kept and pretty although we are surprised to see three demountables along edge of school green and no evidence of class room air conditioning. Had thought demountables now all vanished and air con becoming standard (as it should be; still remember Queensland fan only school experience and afternoon persperation making writing in excercise books impossible).
There were two demountables at Young yesterday but these were in front of large two storey block of classrooms under construction (must be unpleasant in demountables during construction work hours; not possible to keep noise down on construction sites).
Escape experience at school for coffee at La Boucherie. Many people about. La Boucherie overwhelmed by volume but we sit at end of big table, me with old out of print book on Edna Walling gardens which includes her own black and white photos and some pages ripped out of Home Beautiful circa 1983 with ? reprints of her columns. Includes tip on making stones out of rough home made cement for those who have trouble getting rocks for gardens (ie, me), which I copy onto back of bill from Canowindra motel. Coffee, very welcome, and toasted day old croissant, better than it sounds, ultimately arrives.
Then off to local shoppes. During course of all this stories about flooding in Millthorpe village on Wednsday afternoon emerge. There is visual evidence of this in amount of soil and sand across roads and various lots of twigs in low lying areas. Also true story of markets comes out.
Markets actually cancelled on Saturday. What we had attended was emergency Garage Sale organised by school on cancellation of market. Markets were to be held on oval, next to police house adjacent to school but too wet. Blayney Council would not allow to take place in drier streets or, as is traditional, in tarmacadamed yard in front of station because of cost of public liability insurance.
Heroic effort by school, although not much appreciated by me; feel cancellation at last moment a mistake as very many people turned up; markets should have been relocated to church and community halls in village. Fairly certain could have been relocated to Orange and that Orange market people would have provided emergency assistance, but no doubt local politics and feelings involved. Local market attending populace hardy stock and unlikely to be put of by a bit of rain and mud.
Millthorpe stores crowded to overflowing. We eventually leave as temperature rises to about 26 C and sun comes out at about 1.30 pm. Back to Hampton via Bathurst just after 3 pm, temperature at about 18 C, with cooling breeze. Lawn bad, but not quite at elephant eye level. Unpacking, resting, snacking, internetting, dvd watching and to sleep at about 11.30 pm. Temperature has fallen by then to customary 12 C, so back to preferred climatic conditions.
This morning cold and misty, temperature a bit above 12 C according to thermometer by front door on west verandah. Looks like overcast drizzly day, not ideal for lawn mowing. However Mt Washington must be conquered as there is huge pile of weekend clothes as well as Thursday's awaiting processing.
*marpat is the technical name for camouflage (from MARine PATtern), much beloved of chain store clothing buyers. the best was at one point considered to be from South Africa with colours of grey and lilac. Australia has dessert colours, ochres, yellows and olives. there are many designs and they change often. not certain whether term applies only to US patterns and their derivatives but UK has also used for long time and Australia's no doubt has descended from there.
Didn't make 8 am departure; I was behind schedule.
We did get to Millthorpe about 09.45 am. Temperature cooled down to about 18 C from Canowindra's sunny/patchy cloud 21 C. Drove through quite pretty rural country along Belabula Way to Mandurama, then onto Mid West Highway and then off again over back roads, some unsealed (wish Google maps would show this) to Millthorpe entering via railway underpass on south side.
All creeks very high and signs of flooding along creek beds.
Morning humid and cloudy, top of Mt Canobolas clouded out.
Many birds and many rabbits; also many different combinatons of roadside grasses and flowers.
Overtaken on Belabula Way by carful of young rural idiots in older model white 4 wheel drive ute with red P plates (supposedly limited to 80 km) who immediately increased speed to about 130 km on overtaking. They also squashed small tortoise who was crossing road (I had gone over, not squashed). Small, oval dinner plate sized tortoises quite often seen crossing roads around watery areas. Also often seen squashed, as are young Echidnas.
Apart from young idiots almost no traffic on roads until closer to Millthorpe.
Fair amount of activity in lower Millthorpe but market turns out to be at School on road from Orange at top of town. Had expected it to be in main streets or in front of railway station. Easy parking. Crowd mixture of yokel peasantry (wearing Target marpat* pants and shorts) and urban sophisticates from Millthorpe, Bathurst and Orange (wearing either quasi RM Williams and boat shoes or lycra rich semi sporting gear). many black fleece sleeveless vests in evidence, ubiqutous symbol of rural middle class (have several myself, fortunately for public a bit too snug for public wear).
Market in school ground shelter (now ubiquitous in Australian schools) is overattended and understocked. Unsatisfactory experience over bacon, egg and suasage roll, this combination being locally unheard of although standard at nearby Orange and Bathurst markets. Foood of supermarket origin rather than free range organic. No where to sit and eat (standard local market experience). No coffee in any form. Screaming adults, about raffles. Lolly fueled jet propelled school children. Ugly.
School ground well kept and pretty although we are surprised to see three demountables along edge of school green and no evidence of class room air conditioning. Had thought demountables now all vanished and air con becoming standard (as it should be; still remember Queensland fan only school experience and afternoon persperation making writing in excercise books impossible).
There were two demountables at Young yesterday but these were in front of large two storey block of classrooms under construction (must be unpleasant in demountables during construction work hours; not possible to keep noise down on construction sites).
Escape experience at school for coffee at La Boucherie. Many people about. La Boucherie overwhelmed by volume but we sit at end of big table, me with old out of print book on Edna Walling gardens which includes her own black and white photos and some pages ripped out of Home Beautiful circa 1983 with ? reprints of her columns. Includes tip on making stones out of rough home made cement for those who have trouble getting rocks for gardens (ie, me), which I copy onto back of bill from Canowindra motel. Coffee, very welcome, and toasted day old croissant, better than it sounds, ultimately arrives.
Then off to local shoppes. During course of all this stories about flooding in Millthorpe village on Wednsday afternoon emerge. There is visual evidence of this in amount of soil and sand across roads and various lots of twigs in low lying areas. Also true story of markets comes out.
Markets actually cancelled on Saturday. What we had attended was emergency Garage Sale organised by school on cancellation of market. Markets were to be held on oval, next to police house adjacent to school but too wet. Blayney Council would not allow to take place in drier streets or, as is traditional, in tarmacadamed yard in front of station because of cost of public liability insurance.
Heroic effort by school, although not much appreciated by me; feel cancellation at last moment a mistake as very many people turned up; markets should have been relocated to church and community halls in village. Fairly certain could have been relocated to Orange and that Orange market people would have provided emergency assistance, but no doubt local politics and feelings involved. Local market attending populace hardy stock and unlikely to be put of by a bit of rain and mud.
Millthorpe stores crowded to overflowing. We eventually leave as temperature rises to about 26 C and sun comes out at about 1.30 pm. Back to Hampton via Bathurst just after 3 pm, temperature at about 18 C, with cooling breeze. Lawn bad, but not quite at elephant eye level. Unpacking, resting, snacking, internetting, dvd watching and to sleep at about 11.30 pm. Temperature has fallen by then to customary 12 C, so back to preferred climatic conditions.
This morning cold and misty, temperature a bit above 12 C according to thermometer by front door on west verandah. Looks like overcast drizzly day, not ideal for lawn mowing. However Mt Washington must be conquered as there is huge pile of weekend clothes as well as Thursday's awaiting processing.
*marpat is the technical name for camouflage (from MARine PATtern), much beloved of chain store clothing buyers. the best was at one point considered to be from South Africa with colours of grey and lilac. Australia has dessert colours, ochres, yellows and olives. there are many designs and they change often. not certain whether term applies only to US patterns and their derivatives but UK has also used for long time and Australia's no doubt has descended from there.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
... warm to hot, high cloud, slight chance of cherries
06.32 am Sunday 05 December 2010 AEDST
cherries achieved, much better than Bathurst/Orange/Oberon damp wet little squibbs; farmers market like all held at schools – not great (maybe this is rememberance of drinking hot little bottles of milk at 10.45 am in the damp heat of Edge Hill State School in Cairns in the early 1960's), Young busy but not exactly en fete. very hot (28 C) and humid by our standards.
travelled via Cowra (Santa's arrival day) and Greenthorpe, having to use high level second turn off from Cowra because of flooded creek. evidence of floods – willows washed away and vegetation around creeks flattened for several metres on each side, water still high. Saw Iandra from road (also known as Mt Oriel Homestead, original 1900's home of the Mr Greene of Greenethorpe, built in German suburban style ie like a Peter Behrens house circa 1905 of reinforced concrete; great location on small rise with extensive views around countryside).
Greenthorpe village more run down than website suggests. mainly pretty country en route to Young.
Shopped nicer boutiques of Young with mild success, back to Cowra via Grenfell (petrol and ice block stop), then after a little indecision about Japanese Gardens (no; too hot at 29 C) back in 20 minutes to motel in Canowindra for afternoon nap from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Drive back through cold front, temperature in rain belt drops from 29 C to 19 C but vanishes in sight of communications tower just south of Canowindra and temperature back to 28 C, with sunshine.
Return to Cowra for dinner, chat in amiable wine store (opposite Woolworths in a lane; better access than dreadful Coles car park used earlier for spring water and cookies pick up) then to Neila.
Meal elegantly cooked and very efficiently served but not a success; flavour palate, as suspected, not ours, maybe a little sophisticated or a little off key.
room rather crowded, can hear too much of neighbours conversations (local floods, local real estate, christmas parties, travel in Scandanavic, cruises) most tables seemed to have very large supplies of beer and wine; local males obviously demand pre meal beer even in good restaurant, just as observed in Tasmania a few years ago.
don't mind beer but don't think is sympathetic to carefully cooked food of this kind and don't think is good idea before the heavy shiraz style wines many are drinking and that are traditionally produced locally.
we drink local 2006 Muylan Viognier, could have been a bit colder, but oaky complexity good match for cured trout and green mango salad, kingfish with cumin, green apple and culiflower (me) and duck breast confit with kim chi and carrots and pumpkin puree.
then warm vanilla risotto with violet jelly and white chocolate ice cream (me) and gingerbread with butterscotch ice cream (my mother) – quick sip assures that oaky complexity not a great match for puddings.
Neila is a good restaurant, maybe a bit noisy and crowded, possibly great if you can tune your tastebuds to flavour profiles used. Recommended if you are in area.
a few photos to upload when back at Hampton.
now to Millthorpe.
Back at Hampton usual photo problem with blogger:
should be but have loaded in roughly reverse order (eeeek!)
Photo 1 = Santa at Rose Gardens, Cowra;
Photo 2 = Santa mounts Imperial Hotel, Brisbane Street, Cowra
Photo 3 = LJ Hooker Young
Photo 4 = Library, NSW Government Offices, Young
Friday, December 3, 2010
... on the edge of disaster
we are in Canowindra (my pronunciation is incorrect, much to my mother's pleasure – although closer than hers. wikipedia entry's pronunciation a bit better: canowindra actually on deciphering mine isn't that far out).
sun out at Hampton yesterday while loading car. grass promises to be as high as an elephant's eye (from Oklahoma the musical not state) with just a little bit of sunshine. packing although only for two nights, turned into a panic pack where I piled every conceivable clothing combination into large back pack like laundry bag. unfolded, which I paid for this morning when getting dressed and ironing on regulation barely useable motel ironing board (with fold up ski jump like attachment, a new feature). usual budget iron with impossible water inlet. only one useable plug (which also does duty for microwave, toaster, kettle - although this banished by me to bathroom basin side). another plug is on opposite wall between queen and single beds, maybe for vacuum, although now with my travelling radio which is on floor with antenna extended so as to catch signal of ABC FM from Mt Canobolas, on whose western slopes we are, at 200 metres.
downhill 40 minute trip from Orange, followed as usual by boot biting country cretin in Toyota branded 4 wheel drive, probably inevitable Land Cruiser but just might have been Prado. road has double white (I still nearly always say yellow, although these banned in NSW at Victorian insistence several decades ago). speed limited to 80 km then 90 km; beige coloured car overtook as soon as broken lines and 100 km area reached, followed by large shiny white Holden/Falcon ute both immediately increasing to real country speed limit of 130 km. road wasn't in that great a condition. country beginning of real sheep and wheat with rolling hills, isolated clumps of trees and distant hills in blue. drop from Orange at about 900 metres to here, about 200 metres.
we are only a few km from flood water's and today's trip to Young will neccesitate detour via Grenfell because of floodwaters. overcast and humid in low 20's here this morning. yesterday sunny with high cloud and humid until about 4 pm when cloud lowered and filled sky.
town is usual country grid with wide streets and less usual narrow winding main street (Gaskell Street but called "Bendy" Street locally). big modern museum with fish fossils. several art galleries and several more recent boutiques in main street; otherwise contains necessary elements of life mixed with empty shops. shops some still in use mixed with empties on several other parrallel streets to east of main. largish but abandoned railway area. kate, owner of bendy street emporium, the best of main street store, kindly arranged table for us at taste of canowindra, a wine tasting restaurant on ferguson street. more of that later. now to Young.
07.56 am AEDST Saturday 04 December 2010
sun out at Hampton yesterday while loading car. grass promises to be as high as an elephant's eye (from Oklahoma the musical not state) with just a little bit of sunshine. packing although only for two nights, turned into a panic pack where I piled every conceivable clothing combination into large back pack like laundry bag. unfolded, which I paid for this morning when getting dressed and ironing on regulation barely useable motel ironing board (with fold up ski jump like attachment, a new feature). usual budget iron with impossible water inlet. only one useable plug (which also does duty for microwave, toaster, kettle - although this banished by me to bathroom basin side). another plug is on opposite wall between queen and single beds, maybe for vacuum, although now with my travelling radio which is on floor with antenna extended so as to catch signal of ABC FM from Mt Canobolas, on whose western slopes we are, at 200 metres.
downhill 40 minute trip from Orange, followed as usual by boot biting country cretin in Toyota branded 4 wheel drive, probably inevitable Land Cruiser but just might have been Prado. road has double white (I still nearly always say yellow, although these banned in NSW at Victorian insistence several decades ago). speed limited to 80 km then 90 km; beige coloured car overtook as soon as broken lines and 100 km area reached, followed by large shiny white Holden/Falcon ute both immediately increasing to real country speed limit of 130 km. road wasn't in that great a condition. country beginning of real sheep and wheat with rolling hills, isolated clumps of trees and distant hills in blue. drop from Orange at about 900 metres to here, about 200 metres.
we are only a few km from flood water's and today's trip to Young will neccesitate detour via Grenfell because of floodwaters. overcast and humid in low 20's here this morning. yesterday sunny with high cloud and humid until about 4 pm when cloud lowered and filled sky.
town is usual country grid with wide streets and less usual narrow winding main street (Gaskell Street but called "Bendy" Street locally). big modern museum with fish fossils. several art galleries and several more recent boutiques in main street; otherwise contains necessary elements of life mixed with empty shops. shops some still in use mixed with empties on several other parrallel streets to east of main. largish but abandoned railway area. kate, owner of bendy street emporium, the best of main street store, kindly arranged table for us at taste of canowindra, a wine tasting restaurant on ferguson street. more of that later. now to Young.
07.56 am AEDST Saturday 04 December 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
flood of misinformation
I'm not the only person who thinks that the flow of information about the closure (which it appears never happened) of the Great Western Highway in Bathurst because of the rising waters of the Macquarie River was badly handled.
Bathurst's daily paper, The Western Advocate, has two stories on its website this morning: Traffic chaos reigns in rain and Flood of misinformation (there are several other flood stories).
No one knows who started the closure of road at 3pm story, but it was certainly in wide circulation in down town Bathurst on Wednesday afternoon.
There is now a local police information line for road closures in the central west: 1800 227 228. I'll be trying it later this morning to check on the state of roads for our trip to Canowindra (via Orange). The Belabula River peaked at 5.1 metres at 10 am (not earlier, as I was told).
The GWH at Bathurst is apparently back to four lanes, so the trip may not be too bad.
A squelchy weekend ahead.
Bathurst's daily paper, The Western Advocate, has two stories on its website this morning: Traffic chaos reigns in rain and Flood of misinformation (there are several other flood stories).
No one knows who started the closure of road at 3pm story, but it was certainly in wide circulation in down town Bathurst on Wednesday afternoon.
There is now a local police information line for road closures in the central west: 1800 227 228. I'll be trying it later this morning to check on the state of roads for our trip to Canowindra (via Orange). The Belabula River peaked at 5.1 metres at 10 am (not earlier, as I was told).
The GWH at Bathurst is apparently back to four lanes, so the trip may not be too bad.
A squelchy weekend ahead.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
... foogy with a slight chance of iPad
07.25 am Thursday 02 December 2010 AEDST
about 10 C with foog (now my preferred spelling); not raining but well maybe raining lightly (it looks very damp out there).
looking at websites re central west flooding; SES is hopeless – not updated much; RTA much better with livetraffic maps you can pick your betes noir and will plot route for you (not avoiding and doesn't seem to like motorways). slow to load on very average 3G (it's back) connection.
problems in area we're going to are GWH at Kelso and flooding 20 km north of Young on Olympic Way. might be able to avoid both by going cross country: to Eglinton; can maybe avoid Young flooding at Bendick Murrell by going via Greenthorpe. edgy that system doesn't bother with minor roads. same problem with Belubula Way from Mandurama to Canowindra. also will still get traffic pile up into Kelso on GWH before can make turnoff.
on to phone motel, tourist offices, rta reports at 09.00 am.
have decided on iPad (will end up later buying MacBook Air, but several budgetery periods might pass by. Dick Smith in Bathurst have at $50.00 off like black friday sale price on apple; listened in on sales pitch yesterday afternoon to a rural macophile and semi non believer wife; store guy about 80% there, didn't warn them to turn off 3G and wifi when not required to conserve battery.
will probably buy from them next week; Target at Lithgow doesn't stock nor does K Mart Katoomba; wary about buying from little apple dealer in arcade off Katoomba Street (main street) as they probably won't have in stock model I want (64gB – don't know how I will use, so will go for biggest as price differential over expected 24 month life isn't much) and probably talk me into lower gB model. will be quicker to order from apple store online. so am considering this but would like to be able to say 'I bought this from you' if problem arises. so nearest reliable dealer = DSE Btahurst (also this in mall with big Woolworths, Harris Farm, Howards Storage and kitchen shop that I usually use).
chance of iPad today maybe not very high.
about 10 C with foog (now my preferred spelling); not raining but well maybe raining lightly (it looks very damp out there).
looking at websites re central west flooding; SES is hopeless – not updated much; RTA much better with livetraffic maps you can pick your betes noir and will plot route for you (not avoiding and doesn't seem to like motorways). slow to load on very average 3G (it's back) connection.
problems in area we're going to are GWH at Kelso and flooding 20 km north of Young on Olympic Way. might be able to avoid both by going cross country: to Eglinton; can maybe avoid Young flooding at Bendick Murrell by going via Greenthorpe. edgy that system doesn't bother with minor roads. same problem with Belubula Way from Mandurama to Canowindra. also will still get traffic pile up into Kelso on GWH before can make turnoff.
on to phone motel, tourist offices, rta reports at 09.00 am.
have decided on iPad (will end up later buying MacBook Air, but several budgetery periods might pass by. Dick Smith in Bathurst have at $50.00 off like black friday sale price on apple; listened in on sales pitch yesterday afternoon to a rural macophile and semi non believer wife; store guy about 80% there, didn't warn them to turn off 3G and wifi when not required to conserve battery.
will probably buy from them next week; Target at Lithgow doesn't stock nor does K Mart Katoomba; wary about buying from little apple dealer in arcade off Katoomba Street (main street) as they probably won't have in stock model I want (64gB – don't know how I will use, so will go for biggest as price differential over expected 24 month life isn't much) and probably talk me into lower gB model. will be quicker to order from apple store online. so am considering this but would like to be able to say 'I bought this from you' if problem arises. so nearest reliable dealer = DSE Btahurst (also this in mall with big Woolworths, Harris Farm, Howards Storage and kitchen shop that I usually use).
chance of iPad today maybe not very high.
... and floood with that ?
it's my typing which is errattic, not my spelling.
Wednesday 01 December 2010 08.04 pm
the 9 am ABC radio news (Claassic FM version) had as a minor story residents of Central West NSW villages affected by flood : Georges' Plains evacuated and nearby Perthville sandbagged.
These are very own own back way villages which we would have driven through en route to Canowindra (think carefully before you say it out loud – it's "Ka nun dra" : they'll think you're a German paratrooper dressed as a nun*) on Friday morning, to stay for two nights for the Young Cherry Festival.
Now, 09.32 pm after reappearance of coq au vin (darker, drier) and with drumstick classique coming to room temperature at bedside, the lovely folks at telstra are playing merry hell with modem: now 2g connection, now unconnected, now back to normal. maybe I haven't told them how much I love working with them. No one's offering me any NBN. I'd love it.
didn't expect this to affect me, however down hill through Raglan and straight into slowly moving traffic backed up past Littlebourne Street (road from O'Connell, Tarana Valley and Oberon ie our back way to Bathurst) and fruit stand.
slowly across road between Bunnings area and town; no sign of horsies who usually live there; flood water up into centre lane, traffic driving on stripy painted median area.
all under police control with traffic cones. late into Bathurst; usual retail scramble ie Discount Daves, coffee stop in Keppel Street (today 20th anniversary of BRAG building), Woolworths, kitchen store, Harris Farm, Dick Smith, Aldi, Post Office, ABC Shop (in local bookstore in Howick Street).
Later part of this was to background rumour that Great Western Highway had been closed at 3 pm by flooding at Kelso and that road through The Lagoon and road to Eglinton (thence Turondale/Sofala onto Ilford and back south via Castlereagh Highway [this is road to Mudgee in other direction]. asked each person I dealt with and got different answer but all agreed Kelso (Evans) bridge closed and road to Eglinton closed (there is a road from Eglinton to Kelso which would allow me to come out on GWH at lights at Kelso pub, a few hundred metres up from flooding)[called Eleven Mile Drive].
contemplated either staying overnight at motel in Bathurst or driving to more salubrious Orange.
finally ended up in McDonald's car park watching traffic very slowly moving in direction of Lithgow; rang NRMA Bathurst office who said they didn't really know and gave me RTA Road Closures 131700. rang this and listened through menus to Western NSW report with no mention of Macquarie River, at end offered option of operator, got quite quickly to operator, who read me a notice about Bathurst they had just received which stated that traffic was going through GWH in two lanes but with severe delays (could see this for myself).
drove out of car park, into lower George Street and went until I found end of queue just in from roundabout where Gordon Edgell (yes Edgell's comes from Bathurst) bridge traffic enters town. Edgell bridge is low level and was well under muddy swirling fast moving water and many inhabitants of Bathurst out taking photos from higher up in riverside park. got back into queue about 03.57 pm. a bit later truck cut in from side street and had logo and frequency of Bathurst radio station on back. had been listening to what I gradually realised was station in Orange so tuned into 1503 AM (had been on FM) and got little bits of news. obviously flood levels were going up and down around the town. eventually, about 4.45 pm, was onto GWH driving through flood waters which were over road (police at side watching) when radio said Bathurst Regional Council and police were urging motorists to use Eleven Mile Drive, which had reopened, as GWH alternative. should have trusted instincts that Elginton would still be reachable and road to Kelso open.
all this with fairly sunny skies and temp in car reading 29 C. traffic to bathurst backed up to Mobil Service Station in Raglan. back up into hill country. grey misty cloud returned around Meadow Flat. temperature down to 16 C. on to Rydal Road and fog from just after Martins Road, temperature down to 14 C. back to Hampton at 05.44 pm, foggy and 12 C. aparently rain had stopped mid afternoon but no sun.
road at Kelso must have been fully closed at some point; radio said that at one point in afternoon, traffic Bathurst bound was backed up to Glanmire which is about 5 km east of Raglan on GWH and is where GWH descends from mountains for run across plains to Bathurst, about 15 km west.
now question of Canowindra/Young trip. flood warning for river at Canowindra. motel looks at river and is called Riverview. bridges at Canowindra to Cowra and into town from Mandurama, selected route, are low level. may be accessible via Orange Grenfell Road around west side of Mt Canobolas. worried about Canowindra/Cowra/Young route on Saturday morning as Lachlan River (Cowra on) is also affected.
ho hum. much telephoning in morning.
Madam Head Gardner wants much staking and tying tomorrow, as owing to rain there is an outbreak of droop amongst plant community.
ho hum. this is how days go.
and so to bed at 10.20 pm AEDST.
* did any German paratrooper's dress as nuns ?; surely their boots would have given them away :: Lobb hob nailed versus Hermes button ups? and Hugo Boss versus Lanvin for robes. a quick google says not; just a June 1940 canard; however in June 1944 the invading Amis in Normandy were confused by the different costumes of the various nunly orders.
Wednesday 01 December 2010 08.04 pm
the 9 am ABC radio news (Claassic FM version) had as a minor story residents of Central West NSW villages affected by flood : Georges' Plains evacuated and nearby Perthville sandbagged.
These are very own own back way villages which we would have driven through en route to Canowindra (think carefully before you say it out loud – it's "Ka nun dra" : they'll think you're a German paratrooper dressed as a nun*) on Friday morning, to stay for two nights for the Young Cherry Festival.
Now, 09.32 pm after reappearance of coq au vin (darker, drier) and with drumstick classique coming to room temperature at bedside, the lovely folks at telstra are playing merry hell with modem: now 2g connection, now unconnected, now back to normal. maybe I haven't told them how much I love working with them. No one's offering me any NBN. I'd love it.
didn't expect this to affect me, however down hill through Raglan and straight into slowly moving traffic backed up past Littlebourne Street (road from O'Connell, Tarana Valley and Oberon ie our back way to Bathurst) and fruit stand.
slowly across road between Bunnings area and town; no sign of horsies who usually live there; flood water up into centre lane, traffic driving on stripy painted median area.
all under police control with traffic cones. late into Bathurst; usual retail scramble ie Discount Daves, coffee stop in Keppel Street (today 20th anniversary of BRAG building), Woolworths, kitchen store, Harris Farm, Dick Smith, Aldi, Post Office, ABC Shop (in local bookstore in Howick Street).
Later part of this was to background rumour that Great Western Highway had been closed at 3 pm by flooding at Kelso and that road through The Lagoon and road to Eglinton (thence Turondale/Sofala onto Ilford and back south via Castlereagh Highway [this is road to Mudgee in other direction]. asked each person I dealt with and got different answer but all agreed Kelso (Evans) bridge closed and road to Eglinton closed (there is a road from Eglinton to Kelso which would allow me to come out on GWH at lights at Kelso pub, a few hundred metres up from flooding)[called Eleven Mile Drive].
contemplated either staying overnight at motel in Bathurst or driving to more salubrious Orange.
finally ended up in McDonald's car park watching traffic very slowly moving in direction of Lithgow; rang NRMA Bathurst office who said they didn't really know and gave me RTA Road Closures 131700. rang this and listened through menus to Western NSW report with no mention of Macquarie River, at end offered option of operator, got quite quickly to operator, who read me a notice about Bathurst they had just received which stated that traffic was going through GWH in two lanes but with severe delays (could see this for myself).
drove out of car park, into lower George Street and went until I found end of queue just in from roundabout where Gordon Edgell (yes Edgell's comes from Bathurst) bridge traffic enters town. Edgell bridge is low level and was well under muddy swirling fast moving water and many inhabitants of Bathurst out taking photos from higher up in riverside park. got back into queue about 03.57 pm. a bit later truck cut in from side street and had logo and frequency of Bathurst radio station on back. had been listening to what I gradually realised was station in Orange so tuned into 1503 AM (had been on FM) and got little bits of news. obviously flood levels were going up and down around the town. eventually, about 4.45 pm, was onto GWH driving through flood waters which were over road (police at side watching) when radio said Bathurst Regional Council and police were urging motorists to use Eleven Mile Drive, which had reopened, as GWH alternative. should have trusted instincts that Elginton would still be reachable and road to Kelso open.
all this with fairly sunny skies and temp in car reading 29 C. traffic to bathurst backed up to Mobil Service Station in Raglan. back up into hill country. grey misty cloud returned around Meadow Flat. temperature down to 16 C. on to Rydal Road and fog from just after Martins Road, temperature down to 14 C. back to Hampton at 05.44 pm, foggy and 12 C. aparently rain had stopped mid afternoon but no sun.
road at Kelso must have been fully closed at some point; radio said that at one point in afternoon, traffic Bathurst bound was backed up to Glanmire which is about 5 km east of Raglan on GWH and is where GWH descends from mountains for run across plains to Bathurst, about 15 km west.
now question of Canowindra/Young trip. flood warning for river at Canowindra. motel looks at river and is called Riverview. bridges at Canowindra to Cowra and into town from Mandurama, selected route, are low level. may be accessible via Orange Grenfell Road around west side of Mt Canobolas. worried about Canowindra/Cowra/Young route on Saturday morning as Lachlan River (Cowra on) is also affected.
ho hum. much telephoning in morning.
Madam Head Gardner wants much staking and tying tomorrow, as owing to rain there is an outbreak of droop amongst plant community.
ho hum. this is how days go.
and so to bed at 10.20 pm AEDST.
* did any German paratrooper's dress as nuns ?; surely their boots would have given them away :: Lobb hob nailed versus Hermes button ups? and Hugo Boss versus Lanvin for robes. a quick google says not; just a June 1940 canard; however in June 1944 the invading Amis in Normandy were confused by the different costumes of the various nunly orders.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Foogy, froggy, rainy with a touch of christmas ::
07.27 am Wednesday 01 December 2010 AEDST
Have abandoned longish rambling entry detailing Monday's activities (only a trip to Oberon and falling asleep on cottage sofa).
It was clear on Sunday evening but then started raining and has been foggy with rain ever since. Seems to have been about 59 mm since Tuesday 9 am as far as I can work out (how I work this out was part of length of abandoned post).
Weather readings for Lithgow, Oberon and Katoomba all come from Mt Boyce weather radar, just off Great Western Highway a bit west of Blackheath (opposite Weber's Nursery for anyone who knows the area; it's hidden amongst the trees on the edge of the Megalong Valley escarpment).
There's no weather station at Hampton and I'm not smart enough to properly read old rain gauge left on tannelised timber castle (that I would like to dismantle) left by previous owners, which sits behind garage.
It's just cold, foggy (visibility comes and goes), the frogs are politely croaking (not tropical frogs, here), rain, rain, rain with no sign of break.
Weather forecast is rain into next week although temperatures, now about 10 C, going up into low twenties in middle of day. Great for wrapping christmas presents, now all mainly bought and wrapping paper and garnishments as well. Lousy for lawn; my concern about lawn is widely shared :: everyone is worried about their lawn and how it is likely to suddenly spring to knee height as soon as any sun appears.
Finished November with two presents wrapped, a personal record.
Volvo was serviced at Blackheath yesterday.
This was all day event so had car places loaner car for $15, a very new Mazda 2, covered with their logo.
Breakfast and christmas shopping at Whisk and Pin Cafe in Medlow Bath, K Mart trolley full, 100 yen store in Katoomba main street (Katoomba Street) not finding what I was looking for, Leura garden centre (chat about big terracotta pots on order, xmas tree options (want 2 metre blue spruce, only 2 metre norway ie green available, french melon varieties – more of this, then out to Leura kitchen shop, stationery shop, skipped bookstore and xmas shop (too narrow, too crowded), snack at Cafe Madeline then to Wentworth Falls and Jackman's art supplies, post office to post xmas cards started by my mother on Monday, into a local frock shop for a stocking stuffer white plastic reindeer broach (my Mother doesn't read this), to Lillianfels for afternoon tea, call from car place about needing to replace all tyres (no surprise; price of $235 each was pleasant surprise as Sydney friend who visited last week had paid $700 for one on her BMW the day before her visit), fell asleep on Lillianfels lounge chair, to Blackheath through fog to pick up car, booked in for rego/green slip check on 07 February 2011 (first entry in their 2011 book), stop at Veggie Patch for mushrooms, back through fog and rain to Hampton, fell asleep before dinner, coq au vin for dinner, bed and sleeplesness and finally asleep with bedside lamp and radio on waking as 6 am news finished to Emma Ayres chirps.
07.48 am Wednesday 01 December 2010 AEDST (will post and return to enter links)
Have abandoned longish rambling entry detailing Monday's activities (only a trip to Oberon and falling asleep on cottage sofa).
It was clear on Sunday evening but then started raining and has been foggy with rain ever since. Seems to have been about 59 mm since Tuesday 9 am as far as I can work out (how I work this out was part of length of abandoned post).
Weather readings for Lithgow, Oberon and Katoomba all come from Mt Boyce weather radar, just off Great Western Highway a bit west of Blackheath (opposite Weber's Nursery for anyone who knows the area; it's hidden amongst the trees on the edge of the Megalong Valley escarpment).
There's no weather station at Hampton and I'm not smart enough to properly read old rain gauge left on tannelised timber castle (that I would like to dismantle) left by previous owners, which sits behind garage.
It's just cold, foggy (visibility comes and goes), the frogs are politely croaking (not tropical frogs, here), rain, rain, rain with no sign of break.
Weather forecast is rain into next week although temperatures, now about 10 C, going up into low twenties in middle of day. Great for wrapping christmas presents, now all mainly bought and wrapping paper and garnishments as well. Lousy for lawn; my concern about lawn is widely shared :: everyone is worried about their lawn and how it is likely to suddenly spring to knee height as soon as any sun appears.
Finished November with two presents wrapped, a personal record.
Volvo was serviced at Blackheath yesterday.
This was all day event so had car places loaner car for $15, a very new Mazda 2, covered with their logo.
Breakfast and christmas shopping at Whisk and Pin Cafe in Medlow Bath, K Mart trolley full, 100 yen store in Katoomba main street (Katoomba Street) not finding what I was looking for, Leura garden centre (chat about big terracotta pots on order, xmas tree options (want 2 metre blue spruce, only 2 metre norway ie green available, french melon varieties – more of this, then out to Leura kitchen shop, stationery shop, skipped bookstore and xmas shop (too narrow, too crowded), snack at Cafe Madeline then to Wentworth Falls and Jackman's art supplies, post office to post xmas cards started by my mother on Monday, into a local frock shop for a stocking stuffer white plastic reindeer broach (my Mother doesn't read this), to Lillianfels for afternoon tea, call from car place about needing to replace all tyres (no surprise; price of $235 each was pleasant surprise as Sydney friend who visited last week had paid $700 for one on her BMW the day before her visit), fell asleep on Lillianfels lounge chair, to Blackheath through fog to pick up car, booked in for rego/green slip check on 07 February 2011 (first entry in their 2011 book), stop at Veggie Patch for mushrooms, back through fog and rain to Hampton, fell asleep before dinner, coq au vin for dinner, bed and sleeplesness and finally asleep with bedside lamp and radio on waking as 6 am news finished to Emma Ayres chirps.
07.48 am Wednesday 01 December 2010 AEDST (will post and return to enter links)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Much malling and technobabble
After the tank crisis, the resolution of which will take some time, we went yesterday (Sunday 28 November, Australian time) a malling – to Westfield Penrith and Westfield Bondi Junction.
We had to take Clarice the Reindeer's (whom you will shortly meet) red an white polka dot dress, as we couldn't get it on her, back to the bear shop.
It is the right dress; Clarice may be a little overstuffed; and they immediately asked for her, but we had not thought to bring her. The doh of the day.
Then, after being stopped in St James Road for an unannounced and very bedraggled St Andrews Day parade moving it's way up Macquarie Street to Hyde Park (it was raining lightly) (and I badly needed a facility at that point, water torture being at it's daily peak), on to the Australian Museum Shop, with a parking space just outside Sydney Grammar next door (the parking fairies were in a good mood), for a few items from their catalogue which fell out of the SMH into my lap last Monday. These were needed for presentation on Sunday 12 December.
Thence to Bondi Junction, which was in turmoil. As we had planned, we ultimately ended up in the Valet parking area, although not without crawling along two levels down and then up the spiral car ramps. We presume that as it was a warm rainy day, the whole eastern suburbs choose the mall over the sands. Valet is just about worth the $15 they charge for the convenience, especially when parking is in short supply.
I got what I came for at Kikki K, an unplanned cookie icing kit at Wheel & Barrow, a Weekend FT at the newsagents and a couple of other items from L'Occitane as well as a chat about machines at Nespresso (I have wanted for some years one of their machines that fits in a travel case; I have a Nespresso Cube still in storage. My inability to decide on which type of espresso machine, or whether I need one at all, is still around (there will be a future post about this)),
I didn't get any budget tinsel or a tawdry plastic wreath to decorate the front gate. David Jones trim a tree section was understaffed and I waited and waited, not liking either their tinsel or over full wreaths or their christmas paper selection. This will be a K Mart or Bathurst purchase this week.
I was again pestered about closing my store account and having only a DJ's Amex card, to which I responded with a very vehement "No". This has become a nasty feature of any personal encounter with DJ's which must be annoying a lot of their customers.
I had a snack at Le Pain Quotidien on Level 4, my mother walking past and not seeing me, but ended up exhausted and late for our 3. 20 pm meeting on Level 1 outside David Jones. Then a quick moment in the knife shop.
My mother wanted to try a fish restaurant in Bourke Street, Surry Hills called The Battery and is part of the St Margaret's complex (former woman's hospital now apartments and shops) and is owned by the people who have Catalina in Rose Bay, but it was closed and parking was in very short supply (we didn't have the SMH Good Food Guide in the car for consultation – another poor preparation).
Finally back to Hampton with some usual inner west traffic snarl, a stop at the M4 Caltex (delicious life saving Berocca in a cup), an accident on the M4 at Eastern Creek and finallt back to Hampton at about 7.30 pm.
A dinner of coollish weakish Milo (need more), a salty roll and heavy butter from our morning coffee and bun stop at Schwarz's internetting (Price USA quote and bank transfer, phone still in car so had to redo SMS confirmation on transfer as phone was wedged between front passenger seat and door (I had thrown it back in on getting out and it had bounced).
Technobabble:
iPad vs MacBook Air
I think I need one of these for next years 33 return trips to AGNSW lectures at 1-2pm Thursdays (and techno envy has always been a problem).
I ordered a 6" Kindle from Amazon last week for train trip (and beach trip) reading purposes, but it will take a week or so to arrive.
All of these are undoubtedly time/money sinks of first order.
I do like to have two computers around (JUST IN CASE), and would like to have something set up in cottage for email/internet (email optional but I need Google at my fingertips; skipped the iPhone thing and am still using ancient Motorola; foolish cost/benefit analysis has overlooked that I am going to spend just as much on iPad/Air Book; do have new Telstra pre paid still unconnected (Samsung same as my mother's, recommended as a good connector for country reception; not connected because I am wary of advice about transfer of stored telephone numbers of which I have no back up).
Have always wanted MacBook Air, but first model under spec d. Very much like 12 inch form factor (loved and used to breaking point my 12 inch Titanium MacBook although have come to be fond of this 13 inch black MacBook that I am now using).
The spec d up MacBook Air is quite expensive (nothing to claim against, so I am paying); I would really like a 256 gB hard drive – need Illustrator and would like to get new version, could manage with Photoshop Elements but might do course over next couple of years (ie within life span of MacBook Air) and want full blown Photoshop.
Form factor and portability of iPad very appealing, but don't no how useable.
Don't really need it for music or videos, although probably should realise that this is this years iPod upgrade (music situation a problem; current iPod 160 gB is synced to former, now defunct, Pitt Street desk top. Have to transfer iPod library from hard drive back up. This always runs right up against Apple's one iPod/one desktop policy, and strange messages about permissions for bought on line music (a bit, but not much although the Talich Quartet's Beethoven Quartet series is involved :: probably have about $AUD1,000 of music and audio books which might end up being unavailable – irritating but not unliveable).
Held back on Thanksgiving sale on iPads; discount was only about $AUD50.00 and I had only just ordered Kindle from Amazon, haven forgotten about Black Friday discounts.
Don't see iPad as ebook reader, but probably should.
More interested in newspapers ie NY Times, FT and magazines Monocle, New Yorker. Subscription prices still a bit off putting when bits are available on internet free of charge.
Is conundrum and paradox.
iPad will probably appear Real Soon Now and then MacBook Air in a couple of months.
Now cold, wet and foggy morning. Wanted clear day for emptying Volvo before it's trip to Blackheath for long overdue service, tomorrow (AEDT Tuesday 30 November – St Andrews Day) at 8 am. Will try and put some order in Christmas shopping, now all piled up in messy cottage instead. As if ......
iPad image, at top, from Apple US website. Used with love.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tanked!
Here it is, 02.49 am AESDT, and I'm sitting at my computer listening to the sound of water running from the big cottage tank (25,000 litres) running via doubtful garden hose, to one of the two big tanks (each 25,000 litres) at the north end of the house, in the hope that I can refill it enough for the water to come back on in the house by early morning.
Preferably before this problem is discovered by the other resident when she goes to have her shower.
I have also turned the permanent (? equalizer) pipe on between the two house tanks (East and West) so that some water can run from the half full East tank to what seems like the fairly empty, at least below the line of the pump intake, West tank.
We have five tanks:
Cottage North 25,000 litres – currently full to overflowing and being used to feed the West House tank;
Cottage South ? 12,500 litres – currently ? one third full and isolated;
House West 25,000 litres – currently below pump inlet and being pumped into from Cottage North;
House East 25,000 litres – currently about 12,000 litres and (hopefully) running into/equalizing with House West;
Garage North ? 12,500 litres – currently below outlet level.
Total available water = 35,000 litres out of possible 95,000 litres.
Rainy weather is predicted up until and including Christmas, so water situation is liveable.
Problem is that even with intervention of Andrew on 30 September into gutters and Cory the Tank Expert on Sunday 24 October (I checked my cheque book for date) House West tank has not refilled from roof in spite of rain (nor has Garage North) in this time. Can't currently calculate rainfall from 24 October until today but should be :: last week October (assume one quarter of month)
Tank names are based on James' house plan directions and may not reflect geographic reality :: the theory is that the north side of the house rectangle is north – and the sunrise yesterday morning in a direct line to my bedroom window was about as far south east as the summer sun goes at this latitude (my estimate from co ordinates to Hampton State Forest which is in a crescent to our west and south is that we are at 33.5 degrees S and 149.99 degrees E.)
[Success at 3.02 am :: the toilet in my bathroom has just refilled and the cold tap in the basin is lightly running. Will turn off tap, so this means that water is flowing into house from House West. Probably no hot water because of off peak setting, which seems to heat between midnight and 3 am, so problem will be discovered at shower time later this morning. I am able to climb into quite steep sided cast iron bath in cottage for shower, but my mother can't do this.]
Having wondered off into doing weather stats for Hampton (based on Oberon observations), and done them in Numbers now have problem of getting into Blogger. Numbers exports as pdf but exports whole sheet including grid, which I don't want, but may have to live with, and hopefully can edit out blank grid cells in Photoshop. Now 04.05 am so back to bed.
But coughing fit and no sleep.
5.50am: Numbers to Photoshop to Blogger chart now sitting unreadably at top ... triumph of blogger over blogee.
Hot water seems ok, more a triumph of will than anything else.
Water system a mystery. Water flows off roof into House East and Cottage North. Doesn't seem to flow into any other tanks although inlets seem clear. Filter bags in all tanks removed by Grant, Cory's friend, on 24 October as they seemed to be impeding water flow into tanks. Now lying on north verandah of house. Easy investigation hampered by my vertigo and balance and wooden ladders which are just big enough to enable me to reach inlet filters on House tanks, but not to see in with a torch. Can see into Garage North without ladder, but garage roof water not going in there either.
Is paradox.
Also would like formula to calculate water flow from house roof into tanks.
My conclusion is that gutters are blocked somewhere. Cory wants us to very heavily cut back trees around north end of house. Gutters however were only cleared every three months by previous owners. A conundrum and a paradox.
Off to Sydney lured by the malls, and a few outstanding christmas presenting issues.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Ordering in
We're 27 km from the nearest pizza bar and I don't think that they deliver.
I'm writing this, back after Bathurst Markets/Spotlight for Xmasalia (there's even enough to satisfy me)/Legall Patisserie (there is life down there, after all, but no website) on a warmly humid with t-storms threatening afternoon (now cool and t-storms gone off towards Sydney).
The jungle lawn is in limbo as I am trying to avoid the cold which appeared yesterday and can't face wrestling with two stroke and mulched grass. Will water and wrap tinsel around gate posts in the cool of evening if it doesn't rain (did after bedtime last night but potted garden now looks wilty).
Am in the very slow process of ordering clothes in outrageously large sizes from Ralph Lauren in the USA through a company based in Bendigo, VIC called Price USA.
Slowness seems to be from Ralph's Flash rich site although my constant friend telstra seems involved at times.
I was told about this company by a very helpful sales assistant in Sydney on Monday when I said that I wished that the larger sized Ralph that I have bought in NYC and London (at Rochester) was available here. He said that if I used Price USA I could order from Ralph Lauren.com in the US.
There has been a lot of comment in Australia recently about taxing/gsting purchases from overseas because they have been increasing with the rise in the Australian dollar and local retailers think they are missing out on something (money).
This has come at a time when I seem to have made a few orders of watercolour paper/books from Amazon/a book from Amazon UK as a Xmas present for my mother/clothes from LL Bean/diaries from Smythson's/a New Yorker(although one buys from here) 2011 Diary (I wonder who that's for?. Not me.)
Some of the comments are silly; I have been ordering online for years mainly from Lands End/Eddie Bauer/LL Bean and Smythson's in London; I usually order items I can't get in Australia. In some categories our choices are very limited. When I'm in a big phase, like now, clothes are limited to stuff from High & Mighty in Sydney and Melbourne (no website) or Target Big & Tall (RM Williams also has a big boys section which is sold in their stores and in their many stockists [each country town seems to have one]). Much of what is available is not to my taste (which is for Ralph); Monday produced some good shirts and shorts from High & Mighty several of which they kindly ended up posting to me arriving, on Friday morning as I couldn't get back to the city on Tuesday.
ATO for the last few years has sensibly set an $AUD1,000 limit on value of items before they collect GST. In years gone by it was always hit or miss whether tax would have to be paid; I didn't usually but did on occasions.
Actually one problem with slowness and irritating behaviour at chez Ralph (I don't want 2 Pima cotton jade heather sweaters, just one, but it keeps defaulting to, and charging me for, 2) is that they're having a special promotion weekend as a carry over from the Black Friday sales day, so site is probably crowded. A couple of items that I'm looking at have been reduced. (Clueless in Hampton has just remembered the international dateline:: it's still Black Friday in the US. Doh.)
Now everything is having trouble reloading. Telstra to blame.
Order finally done. System is provide information/ Price USA then checks and confirms charges / pay Price USA by PayPal, credit card or "wire" whatever that is / goods are ordered. Isn't as fast as a direct order. Ralphlauren.com accepts international credit cards so they know that people from outside US are ordering. Reason for not selling directly into Australia is apparently local
franchise agreement. But local franchise won't import big sizes.
Big mouthed Gerry Norman* should realise that this is why people like me will order from overseas and will become very snarky if thwarted, and may vote with our feet and buy less from his stores in retaliation (although I bought a colour laser printer from Harvey Norman Lithgow on Thursday)::and returned a Hewlett Packard that was non Mac compliable on Friday to Officeworks in Orange.
There was true snarkiness in Byng Street in the afternoon over that ( in a further blog post).
* The story/ies have vanished from www.smh.com.au; now it's about people who buy the house next door and demolish it and turn it into a garden (the height of indulgence in land poor real estate expensive Sydney).
Image of Classic-Fit Oxford in New Rose, in better condition, copyright Ralph Lauren USA. Used with love.
Labels for this post ran over 200 characters so last lot deleted.
Greening, greening, gone
Today we drove to Orange via Oberon, O'Connell, The Lagoon, Perthville, Georges Plains, Newbridge, Blayney, Millthorpe and Lucknow (aka "the back way").
This is mainly a very pretty rural route with roads in average to good condition – no unsealed roads. It's all signposted (ie to the next town) although there are some sharp turns.
We are just past the greenest time of the year at the end of spring, with many yellow, purple and white flowers on the roadside.
The road over the high(ish) country from Newbridge to Blayney is my favourite, with rolling fields full of cows and sheep with many calves and lambs. (The return direction from Millthorpe to Blayney is pretty good, also).
Some of this country will eventually appear in my slowly emerging paintings (I have the lost and found again Sennelier HP watercolour paper, back at three times the price, I have paints in many hues both opaque and transperent, I have brushes, I am composing images to photograph as I drive by. It's going to happen Real Soon Now. Truly)
[I'm trying to upload pdf of the route map, badly cut by me from Google Maps, and Blogger is beside itself, so have attempted to re open Photoshop CS2 to convert pdf to jpeg #@$$%*(&^% ... unhappy Photoshop, a curse on blogger. A Great British Menu Friday night judgement break is indicated.] I think closing Firefox was part of the solution. And Blogger doesn't like pdf's.
The lost point of all this is that we are already at a turning of the seasons, between high spring and high and dry summer (the driest time of year in these parts) and the roadside grass is turning red/yellow/brown and we won't see this much lush abundant green until October 2011.
I had only known this area as green and lush and was surprised to arrive here on 22 January 2010 to collect keys to find a lot of brownness. Don't know whether this will happen again, as we are in an La Nina oscillation and have had very wet autumn, winter and spring, running about two weeks later than Spring 2009 by my estimate (based on when trees have come into flower).
I don't think that there are four seasons a year; I think that the Japanese are right in their 26 x 2 week periods (eg the fortnight of bluebells, the fortnight of clear mornings and rainy afternoons).
Some wiki -ing has shown this to be 24 equal periods known as 24 Sekki which, for your eternal edification are:
- Risshun (立春): February 4—Beginning of spring
- Usui (雨水): February 19—Rain water
- Keichitsu (啓蟄): March 5—awakening of hibernated (insects)
- Shunbun (春分): March 20—Vernal equinox, middle of spring
- Seimei (清明): April 5—Clear and bright
- Kokuu (穀雨): April 20—Grain rain
- Rikka (立夏): May 5—Beginning of summer
- Shōman (小満): May 21—Grain full
- Bōshu (芒種): June 6—Grain in ear
- Geshi (夏至): June 21—Summer solstice, middle of summer
- Shōsho (小暑): July 7—Small heat
- Taisho (大暑): July 23—Large heat
- Risshū (立秋): August 7—Beginning of autumn
- Shosho (処暑): August 23—Limit of heat
- Hakuro (白露): September 7—White dew
- Shūbun (秋分): September 23—Autumnal equinox, middle of autumn
- Kanro (寒露): October 8—Cold dew
- Sōkō (霜降): October 23—Frost descent
- Rittō (立冬): November 7—Beginning of winter
- Shōsetsu (小雪): November 22—Small snow
- Taisetsu (大雪): December 7—Large snow
- Tōji (冬至): December 22—Winter solstice, middle of winter
- Shōkan (小寒): January 5 Small Cold—a.k.a. 寒の入り (Kan no iri) entrance of the cold
- Daikan (大寒): January 20—Major cold
We expect our first frost in March; our growing season is about 100 days, in shortest category in Digger's Seed Club Calender (Google it!). Kate Llwellyn who wrote about gardening at Leura (more of this later) said that an elderly woman neighbour had told her that snow has fallen at Leura every month except February. We are 1100 metres, Leura is 985 metres and may get better western sun than we do (goes behind Mt Bindo 1363 metres on whose upper slopes we live).
Am planning to attempt to match Japanese seasons with local weather.
Now Great British Menu Northern Ireland Region Judgement Night (we are well behind the UK).
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Stihl here after all this time (just an innocent source of merriment ...)
One year and nineteen days later, I'm back: older, poorer, sicker and with a lousy internet connection (thanks to the folks at Telstra).
There are fireplaces, no visible neighbours (from the house), we are over 1000 metres (1100 according to the topo maps) [I wish Blogger would learn to speak Her Majesty's English rather than The President's]; there have been snow capped peaks (and snow on the ground, 6 times this winter). There are no ruined castles, alas.
Being in the country the letterbox does not always overflow with junk mail, although it is full of Hermes, Amex, DJ's and LL Bean litter plus the occasional bit of local fluff:: (there was a brief, nasty struggle with Photoshop CS2 (this is the country) before this would load) – as usual at the top of the entry not here where I would like it.
The powerful combination of blogger, telstra, 30 windows open in firefox has sent my poor oldish MacBook black into a tailspin. And now there's thunder.
But please no hail.
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