JawBoned again

Since we are currently on a bit of a yoyo between Geelong and Williamstown I had the chance to go back to the Jawbone for another snorkel.  There were only three of us today and the conditions were not as good with a bit of breezy chop around but still good clarity of water.  I went across the rock field this time as the high tide allowed for a good water coverage.  There are some deep clefts between the rocks and some very large mussels.  The fish were still there milling around but my being buffeted on the surface seemed to spook them more. 

Yellow Lily Pad

 We have flowers in the pond.  This plant has only been in for a few days but there are flowers popping out already.  A bright yellow bloom now pushes upright above the water. Not sure if they only last a day as this one has closed down over night.  Topping up the water seems to be a daily requirement.   Our beach friend Jill has a small pond and recommends certian snails to keep the environment cleaner. Also fish are possible for the size of this bowl.

Snap Snap Snapper

I went across to the JawBone area with my snorkel gear. I have not been able to hit on the right conditions despite coming here at least 4 or 5 times so far. This is the most people I have seen with snorkel masks, at least 10 of us spread around.  The water was clear and deeper and with lots of fish.  I would describe it as seeing proper schools of fish.  I counted 10 or 12 together in different areas.  Seems a small number compared to swimming on a reef though.  These snapper were so docile just sitting on the bottom without a care.  Can't be too many predators around.  The second video is from Clifton Springs with similar sized fish but a bit hazier and distant.

Williamstown JawBone

Clifton Springs

Estelle Library Tour

 We got to Estelle's house at 12:30 pm just in time to see Heidi on her way.  The main activity was a walk to the Library. We have not taken her on this outing for at least two years and previously it happened every time.  The Watsonia town square project has been under construction for two years and is a series of detours for pedestrians. Now this is a source of wonder for a three year old pushing her own pram.  Diggers moving dirt, lolly pops directing traffic and concrete trucks pouring.  We got to the library and Estelle is in charge.  We sat at the jigsaw bench and completed a puzzle there then it was over to the books where 10 were selected but they all had to be read even though we were booking them out.  The other highlight was picking a rock melon from the garden. Their veggie patch catches a lot of heat and light and is doubled up by a reflective wall at the back.  Enough heat to grow canteloupe. We ate at the RSL which is very handy as we still had to get back to Williamstown to finish off a long day.

The Dunes tour

 We drove Brian across the Bellarine for a look at the surfside of the peninsula.  The main stop was at the Dunes restaurant at the Surf Club.  We have used this many times and is a good spot for visitors. We bypassed Ocean Grove main street but drove to Collendina and made our way slowly thru the caravan park pointing out the various vans including our old van.  Today was the final drop off at the ferry in Queenscliff for an early ride to Sorrento where it is over to the Clancy's for the next leg. Now we have to get to Estelle's house pronto for another handover before flight time.

sunset streak

PortArlington Camping

 Brian has been visiting all his old haunts so we had an afternoon session at PortArlington where the Clancy's camped on the foreshore there some 50 yar ago.  This is the spot where Debbie went missing for a few hours inside someone else's tent. We setup with good shade for about three hours and watched the storm rattle and roll across the You Yangs. All very entertaining.  I swam out to as far as you could stand which may have been 100 metres.  This beach does not suffer from the long grasses although it was stirred so you could hardly see your hand in front of you. 

first use of the coolcabana this year

Stormy You Yangs

two young Clancy's

The Whiskery

 I had a notion that we had been here before as soon as I saw all the decor, maybe as part of a toast the coast.  James was here a month back and had a good review of the place, particularly about the lobster roll.  I had a lobster roll in Apollo Bay a few weeks back so I was keen to compare.  It was very busy but we got a table with an umbrella outside.  The menus did not mention lobster and sure enough they had taken it off the menu. Drat! We got by with pumpkin pizza, arancini balls, cauliflower popcorn and calamari.  Good thing we did not have much breakfast.  There were large groups there including two separate hens parties, both eyeing each other off.  

Double Trouble

 We just finished with a Clancy visit and before you can turn around there are two more brothers on the door step. Clancy's are good breeders I can tell you that.  We had a good catchup with an afternoon session and a pub meal at the local.  Trying to get the NT footy semi final on TV was a bit of a drama as lightning halted the game for an hour but we perservered until it eventually restarted.  The Tiwi Bombers were still in it when I left but got clobbered by the end. This morning Dennis had to get going before the heat so we are down to Brian for the next few days.

Gurgling Pot

The conversion of the planted pot to a water feature pot has worked.  I am told water feature pots cost $500 and we have used a plug and some paint to make one.  Positioning the gurgler so that it is precisely level with the water surface takes a few goes.  This gizmo is powered by a solar panel but does not store Sunlight. eg the power does not go down the gurgler.  If you step in front of the panel it stops.  We have not thought much about birds jumping in it or if grandies will want to fill it with stones. The last bit is some sort of floating plant to go in there.

Shingles Shot

 They say sometimes the first shot knocks you down and for others it is the second shot. Yesterday's 2nd shot of mine sent me for six. The first half of last night was all cold and shivery then the heat set in about 3:00am.  As long as it settles down today you would still prefer this inconvenience rather than a full blown shingles problem. I have been there and done that back on Lord Howe island some yar ago.  The doc says that is it for me, full immunisation without the need for any more shots. Hooray! 

Wounded Knee

I have heard that title before but in my case I gave my left knee a whack this week over at Safety Beach. I thought let's blow out the cobwebs with a short ride now that the Sun has come out this arvo however I did not last long. I can remember the back of the knee was sore and it still is.  I can walk ok but the first small hill we came to on the bike was not good.  So we turned around and went back. Must have gotten all of 2km. Obviously it needs a bit more time. My other effort today was getting the final shingles jab. So with any luck there will be no more shingles for me, once is enough.

Martha's Cove

 We did the morning walk to Martha's Cove along the shore and thru the boat harbour. I am glad we stopped for a coffee as the round trip was 6km and I had a dodgy knee from the day before. It seems I forgot to mention that on the bike ride, I fell over at an unexpected stop and landed on my knee which has copped plenty in the last six months.  It was perfect Sun for the walk yet when we boarded the ferry around midday it was raining.  We stayed indoors and inclement weather does not affect the ferry one bit.

new ferry terminal underway

Safety Beaching

 We got the bikes out for a bayside ride along the trail to Rosebud.  It was a busy time on the track with walkers and gawkers everywhere. Especially at the landslide site from last week where at least 10 expensive houses have been roped off with no chance of use for now at least.  We went on for lunch at the Rosebud Hotel in perfect weather.  The late afternoon was finished off with a swim and a drink ocross the road. The beach here is looking perfecto without a blade of sea grass to be seen.

Beach Bums

colour coded

Fallen Down

Annexe Living

 We took a 10:00 am ferry to the otherside which was still a smooth ride even though the wind was up.  The traffic was not a problem so arrived at Safety beach in 30 mins.  Tim's birthday lunch was mostly catered by the local supermarket including pork crackle, which made it much simpler. All the Clancy gang were there and we went off to the local golf club where Dan Vogl was having a giggle, I mean gig.  Sleeping was tricky but we will make a better job of it tonight.

style and grace

ice cream cake

Dry Pot to Wet Pot

 The front garden makeover continues.  More and more bags of stones are going in and I don't see any coming out. There must be some law of physics that we don't know about. The apex to the overhead deck acts as a conduit when it rains and the pots under there get flooded. So Debbie has emptied the dirt out so it can be filled with water. First problem is the bung hole at the buttom where we have glued in a bathplug. Next is the porous nature of the pot. Some water proofing needs to be coated inside but she is not up to that as yet.  Not sure how this will go.

Are you afraid of the dark?

 Not Sidney Sheldon's best work I would say, even the title could have had some more thought.  There are just so many lucky breaks that two amateurs can get when they are being chased, harassed, attacked and generally shot at.  There were at least six attempts at getting them that went awry. Yes they were clever a couple of times at evasion but really they should be dead and the bad guys basking in their next caper but that would be an entirely different ending.  I got this one from the Willie bookshelf and I am not giving it a high score, maybe 5 out of 10.  I picked another one from the shelf and this time I went for an author that I have never heard of "Juris Jurjevics".  Maybe that's the ticket.

Beach Report No378

I have had some regular beach chores of late and the weed clearance has been taking precedence mainly because they are within view of where we set up our umbrella.  This area is now completely clear but they keep popping up like weeds do, so I keep wheedling them out eg they come out with guile and persuasion. In the below photo, you can just see a blue shelter poking out from behind a rogue saltbush. This has been annoying me for two weeks.  As predicted the so called dog toy box has become a rubbish dump for stuff including this broken sun shelter. I retrieved it from the other end of the beach this time and tried to weight it down. I am trying to figure out how to get it in the bin up top.

This area is now clear of weeds

Kaia Takes Off

 Day two of our Grandie tour saw us arrive at 7:00am for a breakfast session, as that is the only hour or so that Asher gets to have a play. Mind you it is breakfast and get ready for school time as well.  The heat built up quickly but we went to the playground anyway followed by a visit to the Canoli Bar.  I recommend the cinnamon scrolls.  Water play was the best idea under the trees however after we hosed down the trampoline and Kaia took a swan dive off the top when she missed the first wrung of the ladder. She is tougher than her smaller frame suggests.  I tried to snooze in the afternoon when she did but it wasn't happening. We got back about 3:30 pm so there was time for a shorter session across the road and a cool soak. The water temperature is allowing for even more green bloom.  We timed it for a shower and shasliks before the first card session of the year. Phew!

Estelle Playtime

 We got to Estelle's around 1:00pm  which then started 4 hours of non stop playtime and to Estelle it was the best.  We started with board games for an hour or so and her attention during these is much longer than previously.  Then it was the tubs of building material followed by books and finally an hour or so of water play out on the deck. The temperature had snuck up to 30° during the afternoon.  She knows every game and how to play them and you know who is in charge. We finished off at the RSL with a minutes silence at 6:00pm.

Game Time

New River

 The front garden area is getting an update.  It seems to be a fluid design ie the shape is being made up as it goes along.  The dry river bed is back with a large planted area inside the curve. There is more to do as I see at least another three bags of stones to be placed. I have been doing my own beach gardening by pulling some weeds that are popping up where we put down our beach umbrella. The sand here is fine and good to setup on but these growths have sprung up. They are easy to pull if you get them early. As for the clean up it is the usual butts, ropes and lids, however I did get a nasty syringe which seems to have washed in rather than being dropped.

cleared

Golden Lion

 I  have trouble holding onto hardback books these days so mostly have to lay them down. This one is from the Willie retirement library and I have been holding it for a month now.  If the author is Wilbur Smith then Africa is going to be in the theme somewhere.  This time it is on the coast at Zanzibar with boys own style pirates competing for the treasure.  Yes a tried and true plot line but sometimes you just want swashbuckle. Piratical!

Trees Down

 We get a bit of wind around here and have not been on our circuit for a few days due to riding the foreshore and other locations.  The wind is up again today but we needed to blow some cobwebs so we got the bikes out for a shorter ride. Debbie is also testing her new galaxy 7 watch which reports back on your every move.  She has switched back to the newer bike, as having lost a few kilos and doing some strengthening stuff, she is fitting to it again. However there was a lot of angst in switching the seats last time, as getting the angles right is tricky. This time I took the seat posts as well as the seats thus preserving the angle of the under carriage where it meets the seat. Genius if I don't say so myself.  I do recall bringing her seat still attached to the seat post on a trip to Switzerland where we were biking around Lake Constance.

trees down and track blocked

Lake Constance Limber Up

N.M.N.T.I.O.P.

We have been watching a show lately with crazy titles on each episode. Somewhere in the episode there is a phrase or sentence that matches the title.  So far we have not been able to spot any of them. I have been working the garden beds a bit, mainly clearing stuff and now there is no more nectarine tree in our patch.  It was a mixed feeling after putting two years into it and getting some 40 or so tasty fruits off it, this time around. There were rope like roots extending a few metres out from trunk zero, no wonder nothing else grew, as these roots were threading there way thru everything else that was planted. We will make do with lemons at one end and apricots at the other with a return to veggies in between.  Although maybe we could try canteloupe.

the entire tree fits in the bin

Kayak Crunch

I had forgotten what this kayak was like until Mick dropped it off here. I had seen it before at various times including the Barwon River.  I remember Twang had a similar style kayak and I used that one at Lysterfield Lake. Later I bought a sit on top style which I prefer, however that one has now moved on.  We should have realised about the body sizes and shapes of myself and Mick.  I gave it a rinse out and loosened off the back support but getting into it was a squeeze.  My legs were jammed up and that's just in the garage.  Getting out was worse.  Debbie would fit ok and maybe Daniel. It probably has more chance of being used here but most likely not by me.

Geelong Foreshore Tour

 I have perfected this ride to the point where we can try it out on visitors. We met the Klyes at the "Sofa" and then moved the cars under the shade, as a 30° day was shaping up.  The foreshore ride was leisurely and we arrived at Cafe 42 at midday.  This time I had the full meatball baguette. Very tasty.  All the meals were light, as we were continuing on the ride to the Rippleside beach.  I was the only one that went into the water here.  The view of the ships leaving the port area is close up. They are huge. After finishing our drinks we rode all the way (only 6km) back to the Eastern Beach area.  We made it back home at 4:00 after a good dayout however next doors had a fall and could not get back up, so we rushed there to get him back on his feet.  I think today might be a rest day.

Chores

 We have been working our way thru the filing cabinet which has paperwork dating back to last century.  We are taking out one file at a time and culling our way thru it.  For some reason there was the below note in one file and unrelated to anything else.  I used to get 40c a week to do some chores and I think Asher gets at least twice that per day.  It will be Laura's turn to leave Evie some of these notes but I am not sure when the $1 a day payments come into it. Maybe you have to be five and going to prep.

Washing your brothers sheets now thats going above and beyond.

The Last Tsar

 I have read some heavy tomes in my day but this one weighs a tonne.  It concentrates in infinite detail on the leadup to the Russian revolution in Feb 1917, part way thru WWI.  The last Tsar, Nicholas II wasn't much of a leader.  The names in this book, of which there are at least 500, all take up a line of print, with one exception, Rasputin.  Has anyone ever noticed that this conman and hustler has a very similar name to that other Russian.  Another example is Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich who just happened to have murdered Rasputin.  All in all to some up the life's work of the author Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, the Russians back then were a mess and still are.