Drenching Ride

I waited around yesterday, the weather was poor so it was mostly an indoor day. Today I decided I was getting the bike out no matter what. I could see large blue patches in the sky, so this looks ok. 30 minutes into the ride I am standing under a tree half dry half wet. I did get some photos earlier of a merchant ship across at the naval dock with the You Yangs nearby.  I started off again and the heavens are opening. I have heard tell that Summer is starting tomorrow. On the way back I veered off to our beach friend Jill's front door which has a verandah roof.  For the next hour it bucketed down. I have heard of Spring rains but this is out there.

Hey You Yangs

threatening

The Stranger

 This is another Harlen Coben that I got from the Willie shelves. It has been filmed by Netflix and is one of the few times I have seen the movie before reading the book.  As usual the film version does not stick strictly to the book so it was not an issue and I had forgotten most of the film anyway. I think it is a good example of the Coben knack for twisting the plot. This time a group of blackmailers mess with the wrong victim and yes it comes back to bite them however their righting of previous wrongs crusade is the not the main focus here.

Indoor Flowers

 It is orchid season or just finished as far as going outdoors is concerned. The weather and availability have conspired to let time pass however the theory is that the orchids are delayed and may still be out there.  I have made do by recording the state of the blooms inside here. Of course tremendous work is spent on fostering growth. Sure!  There are new shoots on the way and there was no need to cut off a leaf.

yesterdays rubbish haul

Beach Report No 476 and Skin Report

 Have not been across the way for over a week. Trying to find a break in the clouds, rain and wind is near impossible so I went over anyway.  I was already smarting from the double dose ice gun that the Doc hit me with on my back and my shoulder this morning.  The rest of the skin check was ok except for the fact that he wants me to use the face eating (Efudix) cream again.  It seems there are scaly and dry areas that could use a cleanup. I really don't like that cream. I did a beach walk and got only half a bag of stuff which means it was fairly clean. Also tried a few throws of the put. At the moment the simplest stand and deliver method is getting me the longest distance. 

there is a clear step down the beach now

Looney Ballooney

 Yes the rest day is here and what better way than to do some quiet editing of the ballooning video I took up yonder. Now this is the standard old style video camera that requires a good hold around the barrel section. I spent time gripping tight to it as the thought of it going overboard persisted. Then there was the inevitable swapping it out for some phone photos with the same thought. I put them away mostly but got a good 16 minute film which is too big for here but there are two clips, one on the ground and one in the air.  There is always the timelapse video on the selfie boom. Daniel is getting his eyebrows singed trying to hold the flaps open while the heat is on.

Estelle's day off

 From time to time Estelle needs a full day from Nana and Pa and today is it.  First was a swimming make up lesson from the other day. There was only three of them but unfortunately there was a four year old on his first ever swimming lesson. Most of the attention was directed at him. Next was snack time at Cinnamon Grove next door. An hours playing got us to lunchtime and into the afternoon it was doll's houses and arty craft followed by a ride to the playground. We have retreated behind TV set now and boy she knows how to use that remote.

JawBone Snooze

 A snooze was definitely on the agenda this afternoon after driving across from the Yarra Valley.  The roads we took along the way were along previous adventure race routes. I can remember toiling the bike over the Christmas Hills from out of Yarra Glen. We had to get to Yarra Bend to put the kayaks in. We walked across to the Jawbone and found some quiet sand for a half hour snooze and a frothie.  The tide was way out so snorkelling was not so good but there were a few kids messing in the shallows. There was also a volleyball match without a net, just a line in the sand.

Campers & Champers

I was impressed with the van park. There were many styles and variations of accommodation and it was quite full for Friday but they came in droves for Saturday.  All manner of tents, vans, motorhomes and cabins were in use. Come Sunday morning there was the huge exodus.  Thanks to all the organisers for getting me balloon tickets and organising the weather and cooking the snags and the bacon and eggs. This morning we also moved out but identified a good double cabin with a roofed outdoor area that could be ideal for a future use. We can checkout if any dambusters have visited in the mean time.

Park Lane

 We all have cabins here at Park Lane Big 4 and they all had good beds for a nights sleep and boy did we need it. The grandies were not part of the Ballooning so for them it was playtime as usual with no holds barred. The pool and the creek were the main items not to forget the playground. The Mt Bogong races we did 50 yar ago always featured the same accommodation with a creek that the kids used to dam up. They would spend hours lifting stones and positioning rocks. It was no different here. To top it off we won the cricket.

Balloon Away

 I have always known about balloons, big balloons that is. During the adventure racing days around here we were often seeing balloons. If you get a chance to go up in one then take ni. . I think for the first time since Sydney Olympics we had the five Roberts clan in the car for an outing.  There were seven balloons altogether at the start but with light flukey winds we were all split up and had difficulty finding an accessible spot to land. The views were spectacular with Sunrise breaking while aloft.  Anton the pilot had to placate a grumpy landowner after landing with bare minimum fuel left. We all pitched in to deflate and stow the wet balloon. Then it was back to the all you could eat golf club buffet. We were balloon away with experience. 

Big Party Big 4

 All the Grandies have made it here to Yarra Valley Big 4 and for the first aftyernoon we have had a blast. Of course I did not know they were coming even though there were a few hints. We have walked the creek, ridden the bike track, swam the pool and jumped the castle. Phew! This weekend reminds me of the JLL adventure weekends where we got up at 4am to start the race at the top of Mt Buller at 5:00am. I remember riding thru Healesville here on my way to Melbourne. 

Flash and Bones

These books became the basis of the Bones TV show and I did watch quite a few of those episodes back in the day. In this case the bodies pop up in and around a famous US motor racing circuit. So a lot of fast car jargon and stats are thrown in, as well as the usual forensic science about your average topics like how long it takes ants to clean a bone etc. There are a few murders to solve here. I got this book from the $2 shop as I had run out of Willie reading material. As previously I traded in eight books they could put on their shelves but I still had to pay the $2.

Maintenance

 We have had the gutters cleared in previous years but it seems that the top story was never included. This time we had the ropes attached and the jetpack lifted up in order to blast those gutters clear.  Birds and tennis balls seemed to be the main blockages.  Also the fall is shallow right at the top. No doubt there will be a downpour soon which will test things out. The laserlight also got the treatment where a type of fungoid likes to grow.

Ordnance Removal

 Across the way we have the Point Wilson depot where large flying objects are stored that usually end in a spectacular way.  They also have some much older stuff.  Around 9:00am the house shook and we jumped.  I went outside and checked all around. Maybe a pelican hit the roof, maybe a car hit the fence. There were at least six more explosions throughout the day. Debbie rang them up and said she would like to speak to the general in charge and they happily rang her back. It will all be finished this week, he said. We can't issue old ordnance so we are blowing it up, he said.  We experienced this at Collendina when the Navy sank an old frigate off shore. The whole place shook when it blew. Water is a good conductor and we can feel every bomb going off.

Ensemble

What do you call 30 or so violinists all lined up to saw their bows?  I gave it away.  It is an impressive school when you can dedicate space for an entire building devoted to teaching music and complete with the concert hall designed with the specialty sound reflective panels. Asher's group played thru the first few tunes before the older students got out their fiddles as well.  That capped off a few long days so there must be a rest day here somewhere.  

Sea Front Food

We needed to eat up big for lunch today as there would be no time for food this evening. Did we use to go to school concerts starting at 5:00pm back in the day? I can't remember.  We drove around to Monzarellos as pasta would lasta longa.  I had the meatballs and they were big and lots of them.  Debbie had spagh as well so we are not going hungry during the recital.  We took a walk between showers along the sea front. Not too many boats were on the move.  When we got back the temperature fairy had visited our newly installed heat pump water service and removed the gauge from inside the unit to an accessible box outside the unit. Our taxes at work. 

Monzarelleo's

My ancestors who built the tide calculator would be keen on this

Willie WorkOut

The gym here always seems to be vacant when I get to it and I have pursuaded an extra guest to come along this time as she is stepping up to regular exercise as part of the overall recovery process. Having it to yourself is a good thing or not. One other reason for low numbers could be that the pool heating has stopped.  We saw the sign on the door about no heating but had to see for ourselves. The control panel is removed from the wall so that does not look good.  The best I could get is a toe in the water (not mine).  Reception sounded like Sgt Schultz.  We will know more when the manager gets back tomorrow but does not look to be a simple fix.

Estelle Red Owlet

I am obviously struggling to keep up with the comic characters list, as the Red Owlet really threw me. I have heard of the Green Hornet no problem and Peppa Pig is an old friend and this one also flies which is worse when you don't know the basics.  Estelle's yard has easily taken the large double pond with plenty of room to spare. The hollow logs are a feature in the water and also in the veggie patch and it seems there will be more peaches than we will have apricots if the Sun ever shows itself.  Today is another birthday in the ninties. We did a count and came up with nine people we know, in their ninties and five of them are across the road here right now.

No Way Velo Way

We jumped the 50,000 strong crowd that has registered to walk the new tunnel tomorrow. We rode to Yarraville Gardens today. HaHa how clever except that the veloway here is still not open.  It has been completed for some time but are delaying it because of road construction.  We could see the elevations from various spots as we approached from Williamstown. At least we know that these gardens are a good access point. We did see other new bits coming off WestGate but before you cross the bridge. We sat down at Kindred Studios for a coffee stop and then made our way back. It was still a 20km ride and we had the gopro running so that needs to be checked out. 

that's it up there

elevated veloway

inside Kindred Coffee

the only bit we could ride

 

Just had a look at the video and it has a fast mode issue. I made acopy at 0.2 speed but doesn't help much. I put the fast one here anyway.

Willie Return

We haven't been back for a while but with a few events clustered around this medicine day then we will be here for a few nights. I think one of the Alfred strategies is to leave as much time as possible between appointments so that if one is late, like today being one hour late in the morning then it does not impact the afternoon. However when we race up to get into the chair on time we are waiting for another hour and twenty minutes. It's a good thing I am not complaining, I think.  Our taxes at work. At least the walk around the park was in good sunshine.  Not sure how much work gets done when you spy these meetings of various worker teams sprawled on the grass half asleep.  Another dose down and at least four to go.

flying saucer coming in

lazy lunch hour

Past Tense

 The Willie library has a number of Jack Reacher "get out of my way" novels.  I was keen to finish this one before we arrived back there tomorrow. This time Jack arrives in his original home town and thinks he might look up some family history. Sounds familiar.  Along the way he punches a few of the 'good old boys' on the nose as they were behaving badly.  Then there is also the dodgy Motel where guests don't seem to come back out. All in a weeks effort, as Reacher's reach is as long as the Law.

Reel Time

 It used to be unreal but now it is reel.  There are three new hose reels dotted around the place, two of which needed their own post.  Also some maintenance was needed on the water tank outlet which was blocked by dirt etc carried into it from off the roof. There were other down pipes similarly blocked due to fungoids that grow on the roof and then get washed into the gutters. The very high ones have not been checked as yet and I know there are bird nests in some of those. We have a lot of spare hoses now.

A splash in the park

 Another six weeks another walk around Fawkner park. This time it was with leaden skies and they opened up perfectly about halfway around. Today is testing day with bloods first, followed by MRI  and lastly PET scans. It was more like splashing than walking. At least the japara is still waterproof even if the  zippers are broken. Noted a mansion is being renovated in Toorak Rd. Looks like a big job.  Did not notice much else as i had my head down.

not sure what this is 

Goodrest Mansion

Beach Report No 733

It was coldish but dry so I went across for what turned out to be a mixed session.  I warmed up by dismantling a large grassball pyramid. It was right in front of my rock bench and there is still more to toss.  I started a putting session since my arm was ready to go.  In the end I did 20 to 25 iterations but in separated groups of 8 or so.  In between I did some weeding around the rock bench which was stopping you sitting there.  Also did a beach comb for small items and the main culprit this time was ciggie butts with straws a distant second.  Carrying this 4kg canon ball uphill is a workout as well. I stopped halfway as the water damage is opening up even further. It will trip someone up.