Notes from Mackay

Hello toilers and spoilers and causers of pain.

Today we shall explore the exquisite pain of waxing as experienced by Russell (shown above). Firstly as you know I was boarding in Mackay with a friend we shall call Trevor. I can't imagine why he agreed to let the hair hating maniac we call D'rell (spelt Darrell) loose on his nose hair. The prospect of an attractive young redhead sitting in his lap might have done the trick. It was quite a spectacle and Russell was heard wandering around Trevor's house next morning like a lost ghost, moaning softly about his nose. Sandra, whose heart is way too kind, was sympathetic and as for Trevor the traitorous brother - that's his Balinese silver encrusted wrist holding a mobile phone for photos. Seems cruel in retrospect but it started small and we didn't know how bad it would be until it had gone beyond the point of no return.

Ironing cement

Well, here we are, cementing the donga posts. Ready for Graeme and Al to turn our pumpkin into a luxurious friend friendly accommodation venue. Bash reckons I lost the concreting trowels so has repaid me by using my iron. That's okay. I'll have the vengeful pleasure of watching him get early dementia from smoking. That's what they said on the ABC Radio this morning. So, the iron did the job anyhow - and it was just sitting there in the shearing shed covered in dust.

Today we put the whole show on the stumps. Bash tells me it will go like this: He climbs into monster D9 and lifts one end. I climb into elderly blue truck crane and we lift and inch forward in perfect synchronicity (thanks Sting) then deposit the load gently onto new posts. This is just the general idea. Too romantic by far. There will be much befouling of the fresh country air with diesel fumes, language and dust. One or both of us will again be covered in hydraulic oil and dust. One of us (me) will probably drop my end or something. But we're made of stern stuff, we country people. We shall end up with all 55 feet of this thing on posts and level. I have the gin and tonic ready in case things should go terribly wrong.

Will post photos.

Dust not sweat

That's the discovery for yesterday, as I idled along behind the mob. In Mackay you sweat when you work but end up relatively clean. In Augathella paddocks you don't sweat but get covered in dust. Still, it was nice to work with cattle again.
It's been a busy few days since I got home. Cold too. We have fired up the wood heater and all is very pleasant until you step outside. The oats is in, after more than it's share of dramas. Bash and Davey had to pull off one of the front idler tyres (Cat Challenger 75) which unlike those of a steel tracked dozer are filled with air. You just loosen off the track adjuster then ease the tyre out from inside it. Putting a repaired air filled tyre back in is a different thing. Lucky Jason the local stock agent called by for just the right amount of time. Thanks, Grant Daniel and Long. For once Bash didn't calibrate the air seeder. Oops. She went in a bit heavy at about 44lbs/acre which cousin Phil the NSW farmer believes is about what we should be planting at anyway. We now really really hope for rain and warmish weather. Pigweed vines kept clogging up the gear which means you have to stop and lift the planter, give it a shake then continue. So now, the risk part where you worry that you've just wasted $20grands worth of seed if it doesn't rain in time.
So today, I will ring the broker and sell all my shares. I owe some money to Bash's family for getting the building project finished quickly and need to square up before the end of June.
I did some thinking while filling those endless nailholes with putty. Mum helped me make up the deposit for my first house, against dad's wishes at the time. When I was about 15 Dad showed me how to buy and sell shares and put me onto his broker to buy some MIM with some money I had saved. Both of these bits of help are what started off my investing. I have decided that the starting and tending of a share portfolio is a bit like learning how to grow a garden from scratch. Mine has been pretty haphazard but the big trees have formed a canopy so now it's all quite nice in there. Won't do any harm to have a clean out though. Next time I'll know exactly which plants do well and that i can rely on Mark's judgement. You can get out there every day and dig about if you wish to have it perfect. Otherwise, provided it gets minimal attention with some judicious pruning, things run along by themselves. Bash being the language reducer that he is calls my account/share trading the TAB betting account.
We've also engaged the services of a Mortgage broker. With the constant turnover of staff in Banks now, it is difficult to maintain an ongoing relationship. Robert has all our information now so if we want to borrow some more, we just call him and update a few bits and pieces and sool him onto the Banks to find us a good deal...
Have just received a few emails from a girl who has recently gone to South America to teach english to spanish speaking children. They are very entertaining and I'd like to figure out a way to link to them. Hmm. Any ideas Jensav?

Home again Home again Jiggity Jig

Looking about on the internet for permeable paving which was tricky to find until I typed in 'Grass Pavers'. Problem solved. After some reading I have come to the conclusion that the cement grass pavers tend to heat up in the sun and affect the healthy growth of grass. The plastic ones don't appear to have this issue so will look at cost tomorrow. Concrete pavers cost $45 per square meter. Don't want to consider the all up cost yet as it scares me.
And so to the packing...