Living Contentedly

If ever a day was had that reinforced all the pithy Facebook posts about fake friends behaving poorly, today was it.  Sadly those "friends" were my family, my own siblings.  Its not new or a surprise.  its so stark today because a) i've been away in a peaceful place for a while, & b) by buying my remote cottage I've shunned the coastal real estate race in which they wholeheartedly participate.  For the life of me I cannot find a quote about the number of friends being inversely proportional to how confident you are in your own skin. just two more rat racers I turn my back on. 

Before i left for the central west the burden of riding to & fromy boat was uppermost iny mind. the marine authority had indicated the wait for a nearer mooring site allocation would be "about four months". Well its been much longer, so I wrote them an email. Interestingly, I've received nothing.    After settling from my ride from out west, I had an inkling & checked Google Maps.    The distance from home to Avalon Beach is 221k. Return or day trip being 442k.  The distance to my new home is around 440k.  Random image of a miner's cottage .    I'm not sure what this " says" to me, except that I now understand the fatigue I feel after a day at the boat. 

Ah real estate dream images.  I strongly doubt such a cottage exists nestled in the sand, among the palm trees and white sands, just inches above sea level. But the Image Worm has been inserted once you've seen it. Sorry for that! But the image of my rundown miner's cottage is more real. Sat among over grown weeds, too big a gum tree and patchy areas dotted with mother of millions and hawthorn weeds. The decor is gaudy, the paint flaky, the roof rusty, the timberwork rotten in patches, but she's real.  Yesterday I rode home on my Shadow and felt like I was running downhill. Its true. Arriving home felt nice, good different. But I want to repair my truck, load it with tools and go back out west to get at the rebuild. 

If you listen you'll hear the roof groaning in relief. There was enough leaf litter on the roof to build a half metre high swale all round.  Ripped up five layers of linoleum from the floors. Got some newspaper from under two layers, it dated to 1960.  Opened windows and doors to let the crisp winter air flush it all through.  I just wan t to keep going on this thing. 

Firstly, respects to Wiradjuri People past, present & future.  I won the bidding on my old  miners cottage. Really happy to be on this land and looking forward to getting acquainted with the local birds.  sunset on my first day.  Within minutes of the sale my new neighbour introduces himself and says he wanted it too. Not five minutes later a more distant neighbour offered advice on subdividing the block to generate income.  On the way back from Parkes we visited my new home and marvelled at the sentinel trees on the block, a massive spotted gum to the east and a peppercorn tree to the west. In between is a tangle of shrubs and grass covered with layers of creeping vines. Another passerby that had wanted to buy, wishes me well. My attachment to this place is strengthening.  

Clearing ground. Or should I say reclearing ground on a yard in the back of a ramshackle cottage in Australia's midwest. That being the part between the outback and ocean, but much closer to the desert.  The dirt here is almost the same red as desert country and its laughable now that I recall being stoked to be on it. I never knew then that the stuff will permeate your entire being. Literally, the cracks in your skin, yourclothes, even the food you eat. If you look hard enough  you will notice that everything in the midwest is  bright rust stained.  Not that there was much visible in the yard that day. The weeds towering above a thick mat of Kikuyu grass. The solid blade slasher was eaten it away. It was kind of work, but mostly an exploration. Kind of like gold mining, for which this place was best known. At any point in time, a clump of grass or patch of weeds could reveal a rusty old mac hine, or part thereof. There was literally no telling. But as this property ...

Well being on my fourth visit this village its not exactly new anymore. But I did pretty.such fall in love with the place in my first visitamd tomorrow will bid on a derelict house here   I walked through the house for the second time today. Having been vacant for more than 20 years, its a "fixer upper" for sure. The roof has literally a ton of leaf matter on it, the gutters are sprouting and the inside is a strip it all out job. But its size, once the add ons are removed, and its siting are just what I need for simple living. There are a few similar properties up for auction, and one which interests daughter, has fantastic potential as a stately old home in a double block. But my little number really shines for me and I hope to be elbows deep in crud a.d rust very soon .  No I haven't gone all evangelical, this is the house on the opposite side of the street  At the rear of the cottage is St James catholic church. Having been raised on the church through the ...

When someone you've had a close relationship with for 29 years reveals to you on one night that their life has been a lie, it rocks your core.  In that moment I understood that violent retribution could be condoned. But shock and the need to act fast to secure the world for my children, tool precedence.  I've since lost the will to punish, I actually feel sorry for her that she could live like that. Its obvious she has never known love, or could not reciprocate. Sure she has her reasons.  Seven years fits some biological cycle of renewal in the human body and its ringing true now. Having ridden to the local service station with an empty 9kg bottle, I found the women on duty were not skilled at handling gas refills. A third woman was reluctantly roused and asked whether she would refill my bottle. Susie, with an open cherubic face immediately responded positively. She shuffled out behind me before explaining she tore her hamstring weeks earlier. She was in pain, but compla...

 I'm unsure who wrote that. Its a silly motto, but like many things it contains a slither of value. Certainly many of my things are rusty, or shabby or crusty. My Land Rover is only a bit rusty because its largely aluminium. The ex-military camouflage paint is faded and the underparts muddy, seats torn with wear. The house is three quarters painted from 10 years earlier, and some of the boards have rot.  Even my clothes are faded, stained and frayed. But I'm now realising that, if I don't actually like crusty things, I do have a high tolerance for them.  I have a kind of dark humour about living frugally. If I pull up the a traffic light on a rattling motorcycle or my Rover jallopy and a bloke pulls up alongside in something all shiny and new I have uncommon reactions. My first is to think well fuck mate here I am in my budget vehicle, alongside you in your expensive sports model, and when the lights turns green we're both going to move off in the same direction and spe...

Like few activities people do these days, motorcycling immerses you in the environment. Its windy you get blown about, in heavy traffic you have close calls, on rough surfaces you almost put your back out. Everything you do that day relates to the motorbike; your clothes, your emotions, need to eat or toilet.  Today returning near to home, a truck ahead had stopped and was waiting for me to pass before entering a driveway. The just as I approached doing 80kph the truck lunged forwards across my path. As an experienced rider I had slowed and covered my brakes so as it happened I did an emergency stop and counter steered to swerve past his bumper. That's life on a bike, raw. That's why I love it.

In a rueful/regretful mood I ponder what it is in my make-up that makes me avoid slightly eccentric women. Lynda in primary school with her pointed nose & almond eyes, but with s small mouth & scratchy voice I found off putting. She was enthralled by me & fell over herself to engage me in conversation or do things for me. Bugger!  Another Pixie type whose name I cant quite remember that I met just as I was breaking up with someone else. Jumping into another sexual relationship was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to talk. I did while we walked two miles along the beach, in the dark. Andcthrn went to our respective homes. I drove her home to her grandmothers with whom she lived. She literally accosted me one night afterwards. I was happy drunk, she literally handcuffed me & dragged me to a squat & made me fuck her. I remember she was shaved. I tried hard but I just didn't get into it.  Then Nanette, at uni, in first year psychology lectures. I was So...

After a few false starts I finally collected my extended clutch cable from the workshop. In future I'll make my own, but anyway I fitted it up & for time got to ride my chopped Shadow. That's apehanger bars, skinny seat & 2.5" lowered rear end, & it felt really low & not as rocky as I'd imagined. Yep, at age 63 I still "fear" what I imagine even though I've disproved it so many times.   Funny I was reflecting ony last bike with hi rise bars, that was over fifty years ago. I fitted a dragster bike that I found with high wide bars. The police bike safety team rolled into school & measured all the bikes on the school.  The legal width was under 26", my bars were 33"! As I said, of they'd done a serial check, that bike would have come up as lost or stolen.  I've been so good ever since & it hasn't really helped me, I'm always being used. No more of that crap, I work out daily & my new attitude is FTW.  ...

On the day a gunman nicked ex president Trump's ear the world politcians decried violence as evil, undemocratic & so on, more than 39 people were killed in Palestine. These events highlight mass hypocrisy across the world with regards violence & race.  No one in the media industry will ever mention this hypocrisy.

So the local clutch shop promised a lot but in the end  charged like a bull & failed to deliver. Tomorrow I make my fifth trip to the workshop to get my extended cable!  I do now wish I'd had  a go at making one from an amazon kit. I'd have  it done sooner for a quarter of the price.  Understandably eager to diy chop I took on the seat. After R moving the  OEM  I cut up an old scraper normally used behind a tractor. After roughing the shap e out by eye with my angle grinder, I g ave it a few cracks with a sledge hammer to dial  in the rear lift  ...  & voila!  My creative juices are flowing strong & I'm seeing things  differently. I'm now eyeing am old saddle as a likely seat liner. Thanks to the local workshop I'm really leaning into diy. The bonus is, that if I screw up at least its my mistake & its not going to cost a bomb.  I urge anyone with a yen to  chop to not  throw cash at on...

The local m/c shop referred me to a local brake & clutch repairer to have a nonstock clutch cable made up.  It took three days & cost an arm & a leg.  Lesson learned, next time get the diy kit from amazon.  tilly crossing the road

" In the end all that will remain are the things that you really treasure ".                            Marie Kondo  All right, "this is so 2010" I hear the Knockers, " we all saw her on The Oprah Winfrey Show years ago!". I get that, but Id like to say this book came into my life because I looked for it, not because I was force fed it from daytime TV. Looking at simplifying & downsizing I needed some guidance. As Miss Kondo describes, that years of collecting shit leave us in a confused state. For many reasons we come to think we need stuff to give us meaning or identity. But we end up owned by the stuff and liberating yourself is hard.  The only suggestion I have, that if you find yourself overwheimed by stuff, or just plain can't move on, read this book. My journey with Miss Marie has been brief. I read the first few chapters just a few weeks ago, before the week out west but had to put i...

Hpt to get started choppin the Shadow after our long run I started today fitting high rise handlebars. There are potential problems with the lengths of the cables that attach to the bars; clutch, throttle, brake & two electrical switches & the jury was out on whether none, or just the clutch cable needs lengthening.  By day's end, yes it took that long, I discovered that my clutch cable was too short. Where I can get a longer than stock cable is anyone's guess. Then for some reason the throttle mechanism has gone stiff. I put some oil, then grease in the housing to no avail. At this point i have no idea & after a run four.d it was a pain, but not impossible. So, getting the look, but creating a few issues along the way. 

With 440 stormy klicks behind me I'm loving the Shadow. Cruising easily between 90 & 110 & just singing along despite headwinds, up hills & rain sqalls. Fuel consumption @ 23 k/l.    

After laundry, dog walking & horse feedng I put some being on my sissy bar. A crucifix I souvenired from a local abandoned house, soon to be demolished. The job went smoothly, thanks for the tools Daniel. It adds a spiritual & i want to say goth feel.  It was a special day, being the birthday of my one true love, Robyn. So with a ring she gave me I went to the local cemetery to look about & spare a few thoughts.  While there I found the graves of the previous owners of the derelict house that l want to buy later this month. This is the husband, Ida's grave is next door, she passed in 1993 ?  I then visited Mia at work at the waste transfer depot. Apparently tip fee avoiders are more trouble than the wild cats that rummage through the waste. Mowed the lawn, drank coffee & hungvout with the dogs for my last evening. I know the Shadow will handle it. 

" Find what you love & let it kill you".

Back when I was a dreamy young sailor I began building a Spray 36 in steel. I abandoned my dream because a) I listened to the knockers & b) I got impatient to sail. But now as I have more money & listen less to the bs of others, the Spray again looks like the ideal live aboard, blue water sailboat. This one is up for $45k  

Today my daughter drove us through the Goobang NP. Its a wonderfully natural, low key Park with few visitors.. While gazing west from the lookout we spotted feral goats just below us.  Moments earlier we were watching a family of Wedgetail Eagles soaring below us, but still hundreds of metres above the valley floor below. I did wonder what they ate.  Also today we checked out a few properties that have been acquired by Council due to rate debts, & will soon be auctioned. It is a longtime abandoned, weather damaged, covered with tree litter, but I could see potential. 

after seeing mia & daniel away & feeding the animals o got down to business. Well first I did my chores; washing smalls & cleaning the nqa chopper.  the day was overcast with a prediction of rain, so I rugged up & headed out. My aims were to visit Forbes, get some hardware & visit one of the best antique stores around.  On the way there I visited The Dish radio telescope, made famous in the year 2000 movie of the same name, & earlier for it's critical role in  communicating with Apollo 11 during its inaugural moon landing in1969.   I'd seen the dish from the Newell Highway during my previous visit & was impressed by its apparent size. But today, as I drove off the main road & accelerated up to over 80 clicks & held it for some time I realized this dish is a colossal structure.  In the movie the lead actors staged a game of cricket on the dish. The parabolic surface is way too delicate for such a stunt, but the...

Here's us on one of the "roads" west of town. This featured water draining over the road every few hundred metres, with potholes and loads of gravel. Testing my riding skills and firming up my butt cheeks.  The two towns had little to offer the visiting chopper dude; no food or drink, no dingy shops selling old shit. But, hey, a ride is a ride.  Completed a near 200 hundred k loop to a big smoke town, to get coffee and old shit fix before dark.