Time to Fix It

The Front Fence came with the House - It was not well built

The Bricks were not Keyed in to the Pillars and
With Children walking past to School, Childcare and the local Playground it is an Accident waiting to happen.

It's amazing how long you keep something and then FINALLY you have a use for it!

These are my Father's PIPE CLAMPS, they are very strong and infinitely adjustable and Just the tool to pull the leaning brickwork back in line with the Pillar

With it securely braced we were able to attach strong Corner brackets into the bricks.

It's not Pretty - 

But it IS Safe.

And the View from the Street.

I am very happy with the result.

(It will certainly hold until we can get it replaced.)

Caught on Camera

Back in 2022 - We could have very easily burnt our House down, thanks to the Local Starlings Nest building efforts.

When they filled the Chimney Flu full of Grass...  

It really was "The Last Straw" for decades of inconvenience.

So as DH likes to quip - Extreme Chimney Sweeping - We removed the Chimney.

This week, the wind seemed to be blowing a lot of rubbish into the Garage but when Our security Camera kept pinging for "Movement" - 

We found out what was Really going on.

The top of the Garage Roller door is not the most practical place to set up house.

Apart from the rolling back and forth several times a day - 

It is also VERY hot in there at this time of year.

I do feel sorry to have to destroy all this work - every single piece brought in one by one, but it had to go.

The weight of the dry grass on one side was causing an imbalance affecting how the door operated.

A couple of Pool Noodles to fill the Gap may stop them from getting in.  

And as I write this I can hear them swearing at me from the Neighbours Roof!

Update:  

Pool Noodles don't stop a determined Starling -

Seeing if Gutter Guard will have better luck!

Finally Flowers ..

10 maybe 15 years ago we went through a "Let's Grow Orchids" phase.

Some are still lurking around the garden in various stages of neglect - except One.

I planted it on a hollow log that was put under the Japanese Maples and forgotten, but each time we weeded the Violets from around it we were surprised that it was actually flourishing.

Today I walked past and noticed its First Ever Flower Spike!

I was doing all sorts of excited 'Happy Dances' 

and DH said 'Oh yeah I saw that last week....'

- Good Grief-

Anyway I was happy...

And keen to watch the buds opening

Are they Green..

Or Yellow?

No - Cream

With Purple Spots in it's Throat.

It has long since lost it's label so I can't tell you what it is - 

(Any Ideas? 

Let me know in the comments!)

A Little Weeding

It started off with pulling out some dead Fern Fronds from around the Pond Area.

And from there we started asking "How much do we spend on Reviving The Pond?" 

It's under there Somewhere!

The Fern Rhizomes had lifted the Slate capping on the wall.

And it had really got to the point where it was unmanageable as a Pond - with or without Fish.

Eventually, The Fibreglass Pond was also 'Weeded Out" and we came to realise that this was going to be a much bigger project.

This pipe fed Water to the (Long gone) Evaporative Air-conditioning.

When we followed it into the Roof we discovered that it had been capped with - a Hose fitting.

Better to remove it altogether!

While the Boards were accessible, a trip to Bunnings for some Weathershield Paint was next.

We found the Perfect colour amongst the Markdown Mis-tints.

Time to re-arrange things, 

Fill in the Hole with some new Garden Soil

and Repot the Cycad

We raided the Garden for anything we can use/re-locate here 

and bought some new plants - 

I am trying some I have not been able to grow anywhere else (Hoping they will like the New Soil).

The Moss had been happily growing in the spouting, and likes its new position.

And to finish it off, we also installed some Garden Lights.

I think it a Job Well Done! - (View from Inside).

December - Week One

And when you think you have all your Ducks neatly lined up...

Enter "Murphy's Law"

It started with my Mother needing a New Phone and Microwave Oven in the same week and the inevitable "I don't know how to use this modern thing" .

Christmas Decorations were - Once again kept to the Bare Minimum.

Distractions, Sidetracks and the Inaccessibility of the Tree and Decorations meant that This was it!

Oh well - There's always "Next Year"

The Bathroom Project saw the Plaster up 

(We were only replastering the bottom of the walls so I was pleased with the finish on the jointing.) 

And it all had to be Sealed and Painted before the Electrician arrived.

He was't able to do everything on our list so will be returning in the New Year.

And just when we were getting a run on the Reno it was Swap tools to deal with some Storm damage.

Our damage was insignificant compared to Others With only unblocking gutters and the Leucadendron needing an extreme Prune.

And speaking of Damage - Spare a  thought for this young man who was stuck blocking the road with a Broken Wheel Hub.

The local Bus was diverted and there he sat (for Hours) until a specialist Tow Truck arrived.

Distractions dealt with and underfloor Plumbing completed.

Finally we were able to get the flooring back down  so no more draughts!

 

Tree Update:

I left my post of the 15th September hoping that the Council would not come when Our Tree was in Full Bloom and covered with Bees.

They came today - 

The Tree is in Full Blossom but it is Raining and the Bees have more sense than to be out in it.  

So the Girls are safe and So are the workers.

We watched them - They REALLY did know what they were doing.  

Even checking the Bark before starting with the Pole saw.

Each Branch fed into the Wood Chipper to become mulch for a playground - 

Maybe even Ours?

I was curious to know how they were going to handle the trunk so started filming when it too was hauled into the back of the shredder.

When suddenly one of the workers dived in (he was perfectly safe)  and retrieved something from the tree.

He emerged cradling in his hands a small Marbled Gecko - relocating it to Our Garden.

This act of Kindness made my Heart Sing and my Eyes fill with Tears.

The tree that we saw planted and grow.  

That Shaded Cars, and People 

and Creatures Big and Small 

for almost 40 years is now not much more than a timber 'Puddle' in the Grass waiting for the Stump Grinder.

23rd October:

One last Goodbye.

It was the only Yellow Pink Tipped Callistemon in the Street - if not the Neighbourhood. 

Such a Pity that someone 40 years ago planted it in the wrong spot. 

(If that happens again - I will move it!)

Our Poor Tree . . .

When we purchased our House the street was lined with Flowering Prunus Trees that sent Pink "Confetti" everywhere on Hot Spring Days.  Those Trees had been planted almost 40 years before and 4 years later ours just .. fell down.

The council sent us a letter giving a choice of replacement and we chose the "Pink Tipped Callistemon" with its Pink tipped leaves and Yellow Flowers. 

That was 39 years ago.

In the ensuing years I have watched it grow, grumbled about where they planted it, Saw it pruned and have it's roots ripped up by Path replacements.    Once a Large branch got torn off it's side by a careless Skip Bin driver.

The other day I noticed that the bark wasn't looking so healthy and there were bugs underneath - I was concerned and thought about contacting the council but I had a meeting to attend so my call would have to wait.

On the way home, I received a text from DH saying "Don't Park under the Tree".

Apparently, while I was away the Poor thing got hit by a removal Van ripping yet another branch off.

The Council came to remove the branch off the Road and promptly decided that it was too dangerous and Sick to stay.

Their Notice Read 

"White Rot to Main Branches. 

Risk of Further Fail Likely"

We are currently waiting for them to come and take it out and replace with a New one. 

I just hope that...

1. They plant it in a better position this time and

2. They don't come when it is in Full Flower - Because that is when the Bees are there!

Overdue Maintenance

DH has been banned from climbing on the roof, but I made an exception this time on the proviso that he borrows the Neighbours Super Safe Ladder!

Way way back we had windows installed on our front porch - to keep the rain out only they don't.

When it rains heavily, the Water comes in via the Ceiling!

The "simple fix" was to put a new cover over the existing roof with a run off that extends away from the windows.

The "Few Hours" Job took almost a week.  

Has it worked?

Only Time will tell!

AND In the Garden:

Weeds in the Garden are a Given. So is Sweeping and Mowing and Pruning.  

Also Bugs, Beetles & Insects.  It is, after all Their Domain.

The Ants are removing Bedding Sand from the Path - One Grain at a Time.

I swept up Half a Bucket last week.

Two Days later they were at it again.

Part of me admires them

The rest of me wishes they would just STOP.

AND - On My Blog:

It has taken almost a Month to catch up on missing Blog Posts. Our Holiday took a lot of work to record.

Fortunately, I am able to backdate them - so there are new posts scattered throughout last year.  These are mainly for my records.

I am currently printing off a hard copy of all my Posts in case of Computer malfunctions.

And after that? - To go through and remove all the duplicate photos from my Computer...

A much awaited Arrival

The problem with getting Married during a Pandemic was - Not everyone could come and with Our International borders closed it meant that Our D- DILs Mom could not be present at the Wedding.

Which meant … 

There was One Very Important Person missing from the Wedding Photos!

So on a Sunny 4th of July we all dressed up in our Wedding attire.

And got those all Important Mother and Daughter Photos.

Was all the work in the Garden worth it for just a few hours?

To see Her SO happy?
That's a "YES" from me!

The Secret Garden

In Summer when our Japanese Maples are in full leaf, they make a beautiful canopy that you can hide under.   

Now we have little ones - It is time to finally turn it into a Magic Secret Garden.

With the trees bare it's a good time to get in under there and do some SERIOUS weeding.

I have no idea how the Violets arrived, but they are hard to get rid of.
Somewhere under here are my Hellebores.

Time to turn the problem into an asset and just leave it.

(Considering a 6"pot of Common Violets is AU $ 8:99 - I have a small fortune here!)

And I don't have to worry about them getting trampled! 

We pulled out enough to find the Hellebores and create a path. 

The old Step has, once again become a seat.

Now a Secret Garden would not be complete without a Guardian.

THIS is Colin - 

We didn't find him - he found us.

(And I know Colin is an odd name for a Battle hardened Dwarf but --- the sales guy said he looked like his brother....)

Add some Night Ambience 

and Wait for the Canopy to once again hide the Garden from all the "Grownups".