Wand Scanner

 After my quick drop off dash to the airport which seems to be a regular occurance these days, I made my way back to the beach, the Geelong beach that is.  I have been keen to try the new wand scanner but have been hanging back to get the new computer running first.  That is working ok but there are still some glitches. As for the wand scanner, it is a sorry mess.  My first scans only show glimpses of the area I scanned. I installed the software and it tells me I have to calibrate the device.  The instructions are scant and hidden deep. There is also a missing TWAIN driver which is why the software doesn't see the device but they are not saying which driver to download.  It's not like when that Wascally Wabbit is being chased by a Twain Dwiver. I need a particular Twain Driver.  May these twains never meet.  YadaYada starting to ramble.

Old English Pub

 We drove over to Heidelberg to the Old English for a pub lunch in their bistro.  This pub is over 100 yar old and has had a few additions over the years.  They messed up one of the meals which was delivered late, so a black mark for that.  Otherwise the food was good. I had a pastry pie in a bowl with mashed potatoe.  The Jones' were also there just back from driving across the Nullabor.  We got some tips about drones and flying them, so one of these days we might upgrade.

group selfie

Dolphin

 I have been grappling wth a new computer since yesterday.  This one is Windows 11 and always when there is an upgrade, things you are used to are in some other place or done some other way.  On top of this nothing is installed here like I had on the old one.  I am typing this blog post on the new machine so that is working.  My stamp database is now transferred across and working. I can also print and I can also scan so there is progress.  My network drive is not visible and there are many other programs that are not here.  My approach now is to use it and deal with stuff as it arises.  It is interesting that you can buy a TV and it will see my network drive but buy a new laptop and it can't.  

The new machine is named Dolphin  and goes with Debbie's machine named Kestrel  both of which we can see out the front windows from time to time.

Bendigo film

 I have longer versions of these videos but have cut them down with less scenes and a lesser quality in order to get under the 100Gb limit that is set for the blog.  There was some rain around during our few days in Bendigo but we missed most of it.  The historic nature of the place has been preserved. There are no modern hotels that we could see, just your old style pubs and 1970s motels to stay in like the Colonial Inn  that we used. The Police station seems to be the most modern building around.  The coffee culture is everywhere and there is no shortage of places in Bendigo like the Coffee Roasters for instance, that place was huge.

Vaughan Springs

 We stopped off here on the way back from Bendigo.  Last century we walked this area in great detail.  Back then we stopped at the Springs for a checkpoint and a taste of the water. It has some interesting flavours.  I always said I would come back with a better bottle.  Some months back there was a flood here which damaged the baths, the taps  and the troughs. So it has been closed for months but we went in anyway to find a plumber still trying to clean out all the infrasructure. He says there is still no water to be had but it should be open in another month or so once they get the pipes flowing again.

months back

fall down bridge (almost)

gold fields track signage

after the clean up

Underground with Deborah

We went underground at the Central Deborah Mine.  Originally it was the Debra Mine until an Englishman came to officially map and record the tunnels then he anglesized  all the names.  They only maintain four levels for display purposes now from the original 17 levels at 1.4km deep.  One story we were told was about getting miners to work as fast as possible.  When it came time to use the gellignite, the amount of fuse used was up to the miner becuase he had to pay for it out of his pay packet.  It was expensive stuff so the shorter the fuse, the cheaper for the miner and the faster for the boss. There is a mine at Fosterville which has been reopened and reworked to a depth of 1.3km and is producing good gold to the point where Bendigo is back to the No1 gold producer in Australia  and No1 in the world.

Debra Gold Miner in Debra Gold Mine

Gold nuggets still in place

sorry only dirt here

O'keefe Trail Ride

 We started out at 9:30am along the Bendigo Creek trail.  We took this into the city centre and stopped at the Chinese garden for a wander thru the pagodas.  Back on the bikes we followed the creek as far as Weeroona Lake. There is a branch off here on the O'Keefe rail trail.  We took this one as far as Strathfieldsaye.  Last century I did a rogaine in this area and covered just about every mound. There are so many houses and development now it would be hard to walk 100 metres without a fence.  We went back for some lunch at Weeroona Board Walk cafe and sat out above the rowing course but no boats today. Total distance today was 30km  spread over three hours, including lunch.

Pagoda

watch your head

Lunch Stop

Last resting place of Mile Post 99

Night Lights

 We went back into town for the after dark night lights show.   This was a hands on 3D type of show rather than the projection style that transforms a building facade.  This was all in parkland so there were no buildings around anyway.  There were large inflatables, neon sculptured shapes and lasers cutting every which way.  One of the best was a walkway with in your face globes that kept going and going.  I was expecting food vans in there but maybe they haven't heard of those in Bendigo.  We went across the road to Grill'd for sliders.  

Fortuna

Thar's gold in them hills.  This guy George Lansell died with a 6 billon dollar portfolio to split up. In the meantime he spent it bigtime in Bendigo.  We had high tea for an hour or so of eating with as much champers as you want.  The house and grounds was another 90 mins of slow walking and trying to stay within earshot of the guide.  The place is built right on the mine, so is riddled with tunnels to find secret ways to visit, the neighbours, the kids houses nearby and the town.  The house had 71 rooms by the time it was vacated and taken over by the army mapping branch as the start of WW2. I had one cartography mate who left RMIT and went straight into army mapping, so he would have been stationed here as some stage. The army left in 2015 so now the current owner has made it a subdivision for apartments right up to the edge of the main house.  Not sure how you can build here with tunnels and sump pits running underneath.

Romanesque sanctuary and bath house

Bendigo Walk

 This is a big town and we spent 90 mins on a walkabout in the main centre. We started in parkland at the Chinese quarter which lead to the gaol and ovals and a poppet head for a good view from the top.  There is a light show at night in the gardens below so we will see if we can get back for that.  We continued passed historic clock towers, being the Town Hall and the law courts.  Hooray a secondhand book store was open but there were no Vorkorsigan Saga volumes to be had.  We are now off to the High Tea and have made sure we are a bit pekish.

Books almost folding on top of you

Colonial Inn

 I have not been to Bendigo before, I think.  Nothing is familiar to me, not the main street, not the tram, not the parks and not the poppet head we just passed.  I have been nearby on many rogaines in this area but I don't think I have ventured into the town.  We went thru Vaughan Springs on the way here, and that was a great rogaine we did last century.  Debbie had meetings for most of the morning but we have now arrived at this motel around 3:30pm. It is a biggish room. There is a spa tub in the kitchen, never seen that before.  We have found the supermarket and the Golden Square hotel where we have booked for tonight's tea.  Golden Square sounds like a lot of money was dug up there previously.

Stained glass windows no less

Kitchen and Spa tub

Consistent Beach Haul

Doesn't take long for another tidal flotsam dump to spread along the beach.  They are mostly always small items and I was picking up these little bits every few metres.  A new one of late is a plastic cylinder with an exploded end but it doesn't seem burnt in any way. I got three of these today and there were some last time as well. Not many butts today but the winner was plastic screw top lids, at least 10.  Have I mentioned the large float, previously? It is heavy and if I find some rope I can haul it up to the bin. The water was fairly clear and without any wind it was almost worth going in for a wade. Maybe next time.

plastic bullet?

barnacle float

Start in the Dark

 For one reason or another we had to do a catchup car service, not only in mid Winter but also on the shortest day of the year. There was plenty of sunshine around even if it is short on daylight.  We got the car there at 7:30am and it was a 5° start to our ride back.  Our first cafe was just a hole in the wall style but we needed a "sit down inside next to the fire" type of cafe.  We have used "Cafe Go" before, so we beelined to that one and sat down next to the fire.  They do a much better breakfast than the Bungalow in Drysdale.   We decided to ride home rather than ride around in Geelong until 2:00pm.  So we rode back and got home around 10:00am when we get a phone message saying the car is ready for pickup!  We were assured it would be another 4hrs.  At least we got in a 24km ride.

Over boot covers for Winter

Cafe Go

Peek A Boo Sunset

Philo T Ellic

 This is a bit of fun. I was reading up on the latest instalment of the world's rarest stamp.  It is the British Guiana 1cent Magenta of 1856.  The stamp is back in England and on permanent display by Stanley Gibbons whose catalogs I use every day.  But before they bought it, it was loaned to the Smithsonian for their chance to put it on public display but they did so along side a Donald Duck comic book.   The comic saga, inspired by the original schoolboy search for the stamp, sees Donald, along with Huey Dewey and Louie, searching similar trunks in similar attics in British Guiana, all for the mega rich stamp collector Philo T Ellic.

The comic was published in 1952 and my copy is a little worn but still with all its colour and well readable.  Some pages are getting a bit loose. Originally sold for 10c, I paid $30. Stamps are big business and so are comic books. This one is No 422, now where am I going to put it?

Even starts with a map showing British Guiana

Lemon Drops

  I think I got an early cold dose this Winter from that kids room pub meal we had recently.  These lemon drops are not good if they land on your head, they are large and they drop from at least two metres, also not to forget the most vicious thorns I have encountered on our lemon tree.  It was green bin day so our bin was mostly filled with lemon tree prunings but getting those stuffed in the bin is also dangerous. The strawberries got a good cleanout of dead wood as well and there are still some on the plants but all rock hard with no chance of ripening.  We gathered up all the lemon drops and put a tray full out front straight away and there has been no shortage of customers. I have just topped up another 20 lemons and there are more still out the back.  

Debbie came back with an extra birthday present from the side of the road.  It is a large shelving unit that fits neatly on her garden bench.  Not sure how she got it into the car by herself.  

all trimmed

at least 50 lemons this time

House Warming

 I met a couple some years back on our beach and they were interested in houses in my street and sure enough they bought one for $1.4 mil and then spent three years sparing no expense to completely renovate it.  We went to the house warming which was a lavish affair.  A chef was doing the catering. There was a band in the corner for background music and it was crowded with tradies who had done the work.  The speeches revealed that the proceeds from the sale of Bitcoins paid for the whole thing.  But you can tell their energy is drained and taking on a three year build during COVID and in your late seventies may not be a good idea.  They had to install a lift to get to the upper floor but the views are like ours.  They invited their cleaner to the party so she is coming around this arvo to quote us on some cleaning as well.

These one man floor lifts are amazingly quiet

Similar views

Bungalow Birthday

 We have just come back from a Birthday Bungalow Breakast Brunch.  You don't want to have those big breakfasts every day.  My total kgs has been hovering around 88kg since my previous waste watch weight wait.  The wait time is mostly over as I am eating whatever comes along these days, although trying to keep the portion size down. Debbie is now off to the Spa treatment  place for some birthday pampering.  I have added a video from last week which shows Nana doing a Nana dance.

Cosy Corner

Big Breakfast

                                   From Asher's reaction my singing could do with some more work.

Orchid Time

 You can never quite get the timing right for this orchid show.  If you wait til the last spike is open then the first one is starting to wilt.  I have taken a series of daily photos but I think now might show the most bloomimg action. I also need to add one from Williamstown, as the pot there is crowded with spikes. Speaking of flowers I have gotten in early with a flower present for Debbie. My theory is enjoy them before and after the birthday.

How many individual flowers?  200?

News Flash

 The bottomless boxes of photos are now yielding up some paperwork in the form of letters.  This one was written by an 18 yar old in 1976.  A group of us were on a bus for at least 6 weeks if I remember it right.  When you are sitting for hours on a bus, letter writing was the go.  It seems something was written only if interest was sparked outside the windows.  So there would be a News Flash heading and then "we have just passed the Woomera Rocket Range and I can see launch towers".  I went looking for some photos and I can find only 20 for 6 weeks of travel. I did not have a camera then so these are someone else's.  The photo is at the top of Ayer's rock.

I have not seen any of these people since last century, except one.

Collector in the Dell

 HiHo the Merryo! I have been grappling with the Dell website today.  This is a task that happens every three or four years and last time was when I got Debbie's most recent laptop.  My machine is seven years old and struggling. Some parts are no longer working and certain error messages are getting more frequent.  The database is still small at 20,000 records but the accompanying files for each stamp are getting slower to sort via their tags.  The new machine will have a solid state disk and 32Gb of memory and anything else I can improve on.  I am still waiting to hear back about these questions but in any case there will be a new machine but this starts a cascade of trouble, as the docking station will have to be replaced. The cables to the monitors wont plug in. The scanners and printers are old usb standards, so short converter cables will be needed and so on...

Toilet Wand

 No it's not a cleaning implement but more like a sceptre to allow access to the throne room.  We had to go thru an identity check in a lawyers office for an expansion of Pure Booking in Canada, Great Britain (again) and the US of A. We called into the cafe downstairs beforehand, for a coffee catchup and in order to get to the toilet you had to waft a wand before you could go in for a P as we did not have the proper security cards.  Now that we are back at Clifton Springs I will unload some videos, if I took any that is.  There is a quick one from my phone.

I declare this dunny open