ANZAC Day 2024

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun and in the morning 

We will remember them.

Bridge Repair

The bridge that crosses our creek, and is part of the private road that gives access to the seven properties in our valley, occasionally needs repair.

The planks that form the decking tend to rot out over time and need replacing.

It’s not an easy job.

First the rotting planks need to be removed. They are attached by long spikes.

One of the residents normally uses the front end loader on a tractor to lift them one at a time and place them aside.

The good parts of these planks make excellent seasoned firewood.

A new plank is then lifted into place and the necessary holes drilled.

Then new galvanised bridge spikes are driven through the planks and into the bearers.

And so the process moves across the bridge.

Native Australian hardwood timber species such as Spotted Gum, Ironbark and Blackbutt and other class 1 and 2 timber species of native Australian hardwood timber conform to all the requirements of Australian standards for bridge construction.

All done.

Wine Cork Taint / Removal by Cling Wrap (Saran/Glad)

It’s really annoying to open long-cellared bottle only to find that it’s “corked”.
The term is short for cork-tainted, the chief culprit being a chemical chlorine compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), although there are others.
TCA imparts an unpleasant, musty smell and taste.
It can infect cork through a number of pathways.
Cleaning chemicals and disinfectants used in a winery or cork forest are possible causes.
But it’s not always the cork that carries the TCA.
It can be in the staves of a barrel or even the timber in the winery.
A single, tainted barrel can ruin an entire batch if its contents are carelessly blended.

But rumour has it that cling wrap eg. Saran/Glad can come to the rescue.
The idea is that you put cling wrap in the wine by either pouring the wine into a jug and letting it soak with it for a while or push some cling wrap into the bottle.
Nope….doesn’t work!
The Australian Wine Research Institute’s senior oenologist, Adrian Coulter, confirms that cling wrap doesn’t remove cork taint and published scientific work backs this up.
Polythene or polyethylene (PE), the world’s most manufactured plastic, does, in fact, remove cork taint from wine, but it has to be 100 per cent pure, food-grade PE.
Cling wrap contains various polymers other than PE.
Pure food-grade PE can only be obtained from manufacturers and is not generally available to the average Joe.
The best insurance against wine taint is simply buy screw-capped bottles. 

Mud Dauber Wasps and Air Conditioner Units

Mud dauber wasps are a group of solitary insects known for building mud nests. 

Found across Australia in various habitats including urban environments such as around buildings, gardens, woodlands, and wetlands, these wasps play a significant role in controlling populations of harmful pests such as spiders and caterpillars.

One of the most remarkable skills of mud dauber wasps is their nest-building ability.

Females carefully construct nests using mud, hence the name “mud dauber.” The nests are typically composed of several cylindrical chambers stacked together, with each chamber housing a single egg and a paralyzed prey item for the developing larva to feed on. 

The daubers employ a unique technique where they gather mud from moist areas, which they mix with their saliva to create a pliable substance for constructing the nest.

As solitary insects, mud dauber wasps do not form colonies. However, it is not unusual to see multiple nests built by different individuals in close proximity to one another. Male mud daubers often establish territories near these nests, exhibiting territorial behavior to attract females for mating.

We have these nests all over our house, mainly on the brickwork. There’s no real reason to get rid of them. The wasps are not aggressive  and they keep our insect population down.

The only problem we’ve had in the past is their building of nests in our air conditioning units’ drain hoses. Easily fixed by inserting fly screen wire.

A week or so ago, the outdoor unit of one of our split aircons started vibrating quite violently.

We call the service man who began taking it to pieces.

And what did he find?

The mud dauber wasps had made nests on the inside rear cavity of the plastic exhaust fan causing it to be unbalanced.

Who would have thought that?

He didn’t. 

He’s used to snakes, rats and mice causing aircon problems in this area.

Anyway, all fixed.

For great service call Jake at Kings Point Air Conditioning Pty Ltd.

A Weekend Away / Sydney & Central Coast

We decided to have a weekend away, mainly because the co driver wanted to go to a piano concert in Sydney with some friends at the Opera House.

After our last rail travel experience to/from Sydney, we decided to do it again.

We left early Saturday morning for Berry, stopping at Nowra’s Spotlight fabric store on the way. At Berry we were surprised to find out it was their annual 2 day agricultural show over the weekend. And the show ground is adjacent to the station where we were going to park! 

But we were early enough to get a spot on a suburban street a few blocks away. So after a coffee in town, we got the motor rail to Kiama and transferred to the train to Sydney’s Central Station.

There the co driver and I parted ways and I caught another train around 2 hours north to Woy Woy.

It’s scenic trip through rugged bushland and across the very wide Hawkesbury River.

Some of the stations on the way are very small. You have to be on a certain carriage of the train to get off. One was so small you had to go to the rear of the train and tell the guard you wanted to get off there. No one did…going or coming back.

My friend of 55 years was at the station waiting to pick me up and drive me to his relatively new town house.

I hadn’t been there before as he usually visits us.

That night we had a nice bbq steak and two bottles of very good wine over a few hours.

On Sunday after breakfast he took me to his favourite coffee shop and then we walked along the beach front. It was turning out to be a very hot humid day so we continued the ‘tour’ by car. 

It was nice to revisit the area. Hadn’t been there for years. The view over Broken Bay from the lookout was pretty spectacular despite the heat haze.

Then a butterflied leg of lamb on the bbq with more good wine for dinner before a 50 over game of cricket between Australia and the West Indies on TV.

Next morning we had breakfast and another cafe coffee before he dropped me off at the station for my trip back to Sydney.

The co driver had a great time by all reports.

She said the Ludovico concert at the opera house was amazing.

She also attended the Banksy Exhibition at Sydney Town Hall and went to the Elvis Jukebox musical at the beautiful old heritage listed State Theatre.

I met up with her at Central Station and we had lunch at a small cafe nearby which I’d found on Google and which was excellent proving all the reviews correct.

Then we caught to train to Kiama connecting immediately with the motor rail back to Berry to pick up the car for the hour and a bit drive home. Video of return trip here.

A very pleasant long weekend but, as always, good to get home. 

Australia Day 2024

Today commemorates the day a British fleet of 11 sailing ships landed in Sydney Cove in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) in 1788 under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip to establish a penal colony.

It is considered to be the day of the foundation of modern Australia.

But it’s a controversial date.

Many find it difficult to celebrate when the people already living here, for at least 65,000 years, witnessed the start of the dispossession of their land and were subsequently treated in the most appalling ways…..even to this day.

Debate continues on what would be a more suitable and uniting day for the country.

Currently there seems little agreement.

For me it would be the date of the declaration of an Australian republic but that looks to be well into the future.

The co driver and I do not participate in any related activities today.

Some Summer Colour to Welcome 2024

Our minimalist garden has suddenly sprung into life after two months of rain and some summer warmth.

Happy New Year!