Living Contentedly

2-Feb: PLAN use cooler weather and back to school date to take a long dog walk. WHAT HAPPENED on the way, I dropped the wheelie bins off for collection 1.6k from home. As I got back in the car I asked the dog to get in the back of the wagon. I then drove 60k, just before the destination I stop to leave empty bottles and cans for refund.  As I get back on the car, from 10' away, no dog. I search on foot and behind the wheel for 5 hrs. Meanwhile my daughter is posting on Facebook and calling vets and animal shelters.  I dreaded this, but texted my son; I've lost the dog. ... and copped heavy abuse.  As son arrived home he finds the dog.  retreating from the coast WHAT HAPPENED when I asked the dog to hop over the back, he hopped out the car window without me noticing. HIGHLIGHTS meeting lovely caring people after the dog was found, I bought some steak and had a waterside BBQ, and spied this very interesting little boat.

Mia reported that she had been enduring temperatures in excess of 40°C for a week. One day it reached 46°, and was still 40_ ° at 8pm. She described a level of hardship that few people can comprehend, but will need to love with in coming decades.  A little research reveals that temperature measurements are taken in a louvred box, that is, the gauge is not in direct sunlight .  Direct sun can easily be at least 15° hotter.  Health authorities warn that this amount of heat, raised even further by Mia's normal work setting (truck engines and hard surfaces) can cause "imminent [sun] stroke" or worse. Working in isolation at times throughout the day, an equipment failure could threaten her life. Council administrators (in air conditioned offices), expects work to continue and their concession is to have outdoor staff begin an hour earlier.  As a parent with a long history of protectiveness, and even though she is an adult, I am concerned. She is a very driven ...

The Sissy bar fit is not straightforward. The  brackets supplied fit the rear two holes (of three) on the chrome rear guard braces. As Ive already chopped the guard the brace is now too long, and the rear hole becomes unusable.  i have two options (i think). One is to open out the front hole to fit the first hole in the brace, then chop the overhanging piece flush with the guard. With the frontvhole dtretched amd the brace cut off, it would look a little untidy. Option two is to cut and shut the chrome braces. This is way tricky to work the curve accurately and leaves a  visual weld in the braces.  In the evening, I returned with a beer (I don't normally drink), which lubricated my creative cogs. I hit on the idea to use the brackets supplied and use the front section of the braces to cover a section of frame that's visible and looks ugly.    

At Merewether the bodysurfing was pretty ordinary, but the tide was out !?  As it happens I bought my bike down by the sea for security. Mmm, thinking. Ride it along the beach? Yep I knew after a couple of pedal shoves that she was sweet with it, so I rode the surf line from Merewether Beach to Glenrock Lagoon. Probably about 3-4k of sand and some rocky headland that expired a fat ebike. As far as I could go, then I turned away from the ocean and went onto the bush. I discovered the Burwood Trail. When I was really small we would drive with dad across Flaggy Creek, to his work in the office at Burwood Colliery. Memories.   Popping out by the creek crossing, now with a bridge and the road sealed, on to hook up with the Fernleigh Track. This is probably the most well known bike path in the Hunter. An old rail line once went along here to Burwood, Lambton B and John Darling collieries. I did my apprenticeship at Lambton B and knew the area well. But today I was h...

I've long thought a traverse of bsrrnngton tops, 120k Gloucester to Scone with 1500m elevation, would be epic.   So I planned a reccy: drive up with bike, camp, cycle about.  However on the appointed day, my son wanted to borrow my car. Plan B was to ride my motorcycle and camp and flyfish. Stopping at Dungog to check my luggage. Junction Pools car park. I had been going to Polblue, but turned off short to go to junction Pools. It sounded quieter and fishy. The road in was 4wd or trail bike only, and physically demanding.  As I arrived I had good news, there were trout, and bad news, I forgot matches and had bought steak and copious amounts of coffee. Well, the fishing proved difficult due to the number and variety of snags. Still, I'm in the mountains chasing trout right? I was cranky at myself, I love coffee and didn't want to waste a good steak. So I drove 60 or 80k back to Gloucester. There I bought matches and ginger beer and had a BBQ watchin...

Christened my new hand plane on a Pogos shore break.Managed a few tubes in pretty heavy conditions. I was hesistant about going out.  Did I see Micky Adams in the lineup? Couldn't be sure and I think he half recognised me too. Funny getting old. Today I re-realised how good being in the tube is. A second of cover looking out, then a savage rumble as you hoot and hollar with elation.  Lyric in my head: I got a new girl named Sheila, She goes bat shit on tequila .