A change of scenery

I didn't go to the knitting session at the library. Himself didn't go to the Shed either, but he did go and speak to a couple of real estate agents. One place that looked promising but required the owner to take it off the sales market was a fail. He has had a really bad experience with tenants and just wants rid of it. Understandable. Another looks okish but the fence is dodgy and there is no garage or shed so nowhere to store stuff so that is also out. The cosy one close to the beach does have a large lock up shed as well as a 2 car carport and is well fenced. We are looking at it on Friday.

While he was out he spoke with the agent who is selling this place and she and her cronies will be around on Wednesday morning for a look see. I guess they need to know what they are selling, after all! 

I still haven't heard back about the non-working light in the loo. I shall see if I have heard anything by Wednesday and just casually mention it, if not.

We then took the dogs on a different walk. This is part of the Kalimna jetty walk and the path goes around the bottom of the cliff to the North Arm where they had a splash in the water. We didn't do the walk up the hill but just retraced our steps to where we had parked the car.

It was a stunning day.

This is the actual Kalimna jetty 

A bird - I think it might be a gull of some description

View from the walk

After dropping the dogs back home to dry off we went to the block to measure something or other. It appears someone may have tried to dig into the storm water pit on the back of our property. Something for Himself to take up with council.

Not a dicky bird from the builders today. We are a tad pissed off.

We then did further drive bys of potential rentals and, as I said above, Fish Street is looking pretty good. Friday will tell.

Three is so excited about coming down this weekend, even if it is only for a day and a night. The weather is looking good and it is Alice's 2nd birthday on Friday so that is an added bonus.

My beautiful Billie turns 4 today. I bought her a toy kitchen and Mads picked it up. It took Two three hours to put it together last night but it was a great success.

Ebs has been texting me about a potential puppy. It seems as everything is ok between us again.

So I shall just keep on focussing on the positives in my very fortunate life and try not to dwell on the irritants. 

A most productive afternoon.

This was our 'meh' afternoon tea yesterday. I had what was claimed to be the best hot chocolate in Victoria and it was waaaaay too sweet. I added the remains of the whipped cream from the gluten free scones and it was marginally better. At least it looks good!

Here are our raffle tickets. You can buy 30 numbers for $5 or 90 for $10. They start selling at 4.00ish and draw at 6.15. There were over 15,000 numbers! 

We took the dogs for their usual walk and stopped in to our favourite coffee place. So many people comment on how lovely the dogs are and stop for a pat and a hello. 

I snapped this fine fellow. You can see how windy it was by the ripples on the lake which is often mirror smooth.

One day I will get a pelican!

I came home and spent the afternoon doing something I have been meaning to do for ever. Clean up my kindle using the Amazon site. I have tried to do it on the actual gadget but just end up in a mess. I had nearly 600 titles on my account so went through and deleted most of them and found a few books that I haven't read but which were on a previous device so moved them across to my current one. 

I have joined a book club that has just been started. It was started by the woman who created the knit and natter group which I have also joined but haven't been to a meeting yet as it is on a Wednesday in direct competition with the coffee group I go to - not by accident! They have started a group on Mondays at the library so if my social anxiety is behaving I might pop in tomorrow afternoon. I am trying very hard to not get involved with the politics of local groups. I just want to meet people of like minds. 

I often take videos when we walk and sent them to Three. I can only upload from youtube here (unless there is some trick I don't know and am open to being educated!). Those who share things on their blogs with youtube, how do you do it? Is it easy? I am looking at you, in particular, Steve.

Tomorrow I am hoping Himself will go to the Shed for a catch up and I will to the library for knitting. 

Watch this space!
 

Dot pointing my life

You know that saying "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"?

Well, that's been me for the last couple of days.

I am feeling brighter but you will, herewith, get the roller coaster and with it, some questionable grammar wherein One can be me, and one can be anything else. If you read through to the end of the post all will make sense.

• the whole having the house we are renting sold thing, not getting the property I spoke about last time and realising that rentals are very thin on the ground. It seems that a lot of landlords are selling up and I can't blame them. If you own a single property as a hedge against your retirement and are using the rent to balance the mortgage this latest "incentive" will be the nail in that coffin. Our state government has overspent to a ridiculous point and is now desperately trying to find money from somewhere. Landlords are portrayed as greedy Dickensian bastards so I guess they thought this tax would incite less revolt. It has been marketed as a way of freeing up houses so that first home buyers can enter the market. No. The people it will impact are the mum and dad investors trying to secure a safe retirement and those who cannot afford to buy and need affordable rental accommodation.
• The build continues to throw up roadblocks. Bear with me here as I try to explain. Normally one rocks up to a display house in the area one wants to build, signs up for a design one likes with some basics like façade and placement on the block of land; does all the colour and electrical stuff and then it all goes off to the people in the back office who create all the document stuff and then one is invited to sign the contract - a process that can take 4 to 6 months. AT THIS STAGE one goes yay or nay - usually nay to a lot of things (often down to "wow we have overspent lets pull back") which then go back to the engineers, draughtsmen, etc for variations and once everyone is happy the contracts are signed, a deposit is paid and THEN one has to go to council for a planning permit if such is triggered (as was ours - depth of cut, height of house, size of house and any number of other things). This process is said to take a minimum of 12 weeks up to how long is a piece of string. Himself, being the project managing brainiac he is, decided to apply for the permit sooner rather than later and nagged persuaded the person in the office to give us the plans we needed to submit said application. Apparently this is "SO out of the norm" that "it has never been done before", "your situation is unique" (I feel that someone may have had their bottom kicked) but they don't quite know what to do with us as we get close to contract signing. Our council permit has been approved but we are now being told by the builder that we need to resubmit but they aren't telling us why. 
• In this house we have an ensuite (which we use as the guest bathroom) and a main bathroom with a separate loo. The loo doesn't have a window so it has to have an extractor fan. Which is does - connected to a light and sensor that turns on when you open the door or walk past if the door is open. Yesterday the light decided to stop working and the fan picks its moments. I don't think it's the globe and even if it was it is not some basic thing you can get from the local hardware shop (Himself had a look). Going to the loo in the dark regardless of the time of day is a bit challenging. The loo in the ensuite, we have discovered now we have to use it, likes to keep flushing if you don't speak sternly and tell it to stop. One no longer rings a number to report a complaint (unless it is life threatening). One has to log on to some stupid AI bot thingy that thinks it knows what you are talking about and one has to try very hard to keep a civil tongue in one's head and one explains what the actual problem is rather than that imagined by AI bot thingy. One is happy to hear that one's issue has been read by someone and someone will be in touch in due course. 
• Jinx's nethers are not improving in spite of the antibiotics the vet insisted in repeating. I have started using nappy rash powder to try to dry the area up but not holding my breath.
• Dr and Mrs Teacher came for lunch on Thursday. I was not looking forward to this as some of you may know there have been tensions between Himself and Mrs T. It was a glorious day with sunshine, blue skies and no wind. Everyone was on their best behaviour, awesome fish and chips were consumed, conversation was pleasant and non confronting and I got quietly sloshed at the end of the day when they had gone home.
• Wind. Oh my goodness, I now know what they mean when they say it gets windy here. When the emergency app warns about gale force winds they aren't kidding! We are lucky that we aren't surround by tall trees and are quite sheltered as we are in a bit of a dip but driving through town one can see the damage caused by trees and other falling things. We fared a lot better than Melbourne did, though. 
• We walked the dogs this morning and lordy it was a challenge. Fine walking with the wind behind you but hard work the other way which was the way back to the car. Also, for those that don't know, dogs hate the wind. It ruffles their fur and upsets their smellovision. We spent a lot of time following scents we wouldn't normally be bothered about. Then Himself decided to pop into the various real estate agents on the Esplanade to ask about rentals and I was in charge of the hoonds. Murphy howled every time we were abandoned. People stopped and laughed - they knew someone important wasn't where he was meant to be. At least this time is was the real estate agents. It's usually the public toilet!
• When we were down here in 2017 we had the most amazing meal at a restaurant called Miriam's that was connected with a local winery. I had always wanted to eat there again. It was one of the things that tugged me here. Sadly that has closed down and in its place is a coffee/chocolate shop. The Mermaid went there when she was down in March and raved about the coffee and scones. We went there this afternoon. Everything is gluten and nut free, including the scones - and the clientele, it seemed. Not unpleasant but not what quite what I look for in a scone.
• After our 'meh' afternoon tea experience we drove around looking at the outside of rental properties gleaned from Himself's earlier enquiries. Some are a definite no (too far out of town, no secure fencing, can't see the house for the overgrown front yard) and a scant few are certainly hopeful. One is very small ("cosy" according to the agent) but close to the beach, secure back yard and much less than we are paying now. One would be good but the agent needs to talk to the owner to see if he would take it off the market for a few more months. At this stage I will apply for anything that suits - beggars can't be choosers but what's the bet that we move and then this place is sold in March as an investment!!! Can't take the risk.
• I decided we needed some "remember why we're here" time so we went to the Bowlo for dinner. We bought $10 worth of raffle tickets and won a $30 voucher from our local, excellent butcher. We had a delicious meal (prosciutto wrapped dory with crispy spuds and veg) and invested, without return, on the pokies. A good evening which did remind me why we are doing this.
• I have spent way too long writing and editing this with a wine or lots under my belt which, if you have read this far, explains a lot (I was sober as a judge when I started - promise!) Time for bed and I am feeling better than I have in ages. 

Two steps forward one step back - or is it the other way

We were up and at it this morning making sure the place was spic and span for the photographer. She did comment on how well it presented.

I then went to coffee group and while I was there Himself rang to say we had been granted our building permit.

The run off from the properties (yes there is more than one we now know) is not illegal as there is nothing to say they have to connect to an official point of discharge - or something. I don't speak council technical. One of the properties has been subdivided and is yet to be built on so we are checking to see if there will be an obligation when they do build. As for the one that started all this, there are paths to go down and the dude (who has been more than helpful) will be in touch with Himself soon. In the meantime we will go ahead with the agi pipes.

We found a perfect rental for us just around the corner from the build. I am in the process of applying for it but am not holding my breath as the agent said she has others interested and the on-line application is a nightmare. Our current property manager has not replied to my email of yesterday or a phone call from today but DID manage to send me an email informing me of a routine inspection on 28/9 which is the day I am going to Melbourne. Attached to the email was a check list of things we have to do before the inspection. No wonder they give you so much notice!

So I am thrilled with the granting of the permit but really anxious about the rental situation. 

Chilly day

After yesterday's glorious weather it started to pour with rain overnight and we woke to a cold, grey, windy day.

Last week (post called "Grumpy") I mentioned the illegal discharge of the storm water from the property behind us.

You can see it in the middle of the grass here ...

And this is a close up ...

It looks a bit dodgy to me!!

Anyway, Himself went into Bairnsdale to talk to council about it and it turns out it shouldn't be there and they will get someone to go and have a look. The neighbour is prickly and I am sure she will work out where the complaint came from but, if challenged, we will say that we went to council about putting in some drainage on our property to divert the outflow and they took it from there.

We then took the dogs across the bridge to have a look at the seat that has been completed with landscaping and it looks great. I think there will be a plaque explaining the story of Borun and Tuk. (Have a look around that link, there is some fascinating information).

I love this work. The pelican and the duck and the canoe. 

We walked over the sand dune to the beach and the dogs had a run in the sand. It was windy and the sand was soft. Not ideal for walking.

This is the view of the footbridge from the beach side. The beach is behind me. There was rain in those clouds and we got back to the car just in time.

Dinner last night was lovely. The Central Hotel is definitely a bit nicer - probably because there aren't any pokies or TAB. You do see a cross section of society wherever you go in Lakes. I made a bit of an effort as it was a birthday dinner but I could have gone in a tracksuit and runners!

Tomorrow the photographer is coming to take the snaps for the real estate listing and I believe the sign will go out the front. I have written to our letting agent asking if he could see if he can find another rental for us.

On Thursday Dr and Mrs Teacher are coming for lunch. We will get fish and chips. What else would you have in Lakes Entrance?

My day

It was a glorious day so we took the dogs to an area where they could safely get in the water and we could see any other dogs coming.

I love pigface. It is an indigenous plant and is used in cooking and and medicine. It is such a happy flower.

And here we have two happy dogs.

And a wet Murphy having a good shake. I wanted to get his face but he kept presenting me with his other end!

You can see why we love it here.

Someone has a great sense of humour

Fingers crossed we will get our permit tomorrow. Our sales guy is off until Thursday so hopefully then we will get our last things to sign off (driveway and hot water) and then we can go to contract and get a build date.

I am now going to get ready to go out for a birthday dinner.

Father's Day

Dinner last night was lovely. The environment was more pleasant than the Sports and Entertainment Centre. The menu wasn't as extensive yet the barramundi I had was just perfect and I liked that you could have full or half size serves of many dishes (like shnitz and parmas and fish n chips) which stops a lot of potential food wastage. I am wary of menus with too much choice - how fresh is it really and how much do they have to throw away? The cheesy garlic bread we decided to share as a starter was delicious and a very generous serve. The wine and beer were reasonably priced and we made a $1.25 profit on the pokies. 

Saturday night is raffle night. We didn't partake but will next time. The tickets are not expensive and there are about 40 prizes donated from local businesses. Members swipe their cards on entry and get a ticket which goes into yet another draw for $100 at 7pm, $150 at 7.30pm and $250 at 8pm. I guess that explains the number of people there when we first arrived!! We will definitely be back.

Today is Father's Day in Australia. Himself had already been given his present from the dogs - the windmill!

Being the first Sunday of the month it was also the foreshore market. I haven't been able to go since June and it was lovely to see a lot of stalls and huge crowds. We took the dogs but Murphy was overstimulated so Himself took them for a walk and I browsed the stalls. If I had a house and garden I would have bought so much stuff but with our living arrangements being a bit up in the air I don't want to add to potential moves and storage. There will be more markets and I will have a ball. 

This was the bloody magic photo I sent Three as we arrived.

Himself heading towards the market ...

I just loved the way these two were mirroring each other on one leg. I think they might be in lurve. It is Spring, after all and we will soon have lots of little baby swans.

Himself got calls from One and Three. Nothing from Two or Step Son. No surprises there. SS rarely contacts his dad and Two knows we know he loves us but he struggles sometimes with phone calls. And really, it's about our boys being with their kids.

I suggested going for a drive this afternoon and do a bit of exploring but those plans were not greeted with enthusiasm. Himself ended up taking the dogs for a really long walk and I sat outside and let the cats roam while I knitted and read (yes, I can multi-task). It was actually a very pleasant afternoon if a tad chilly in the breeze.

We are having soup and sandwiches for dinner after a filling brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. And no, I didn't cook it, Himself did. But it's Father's Day you say? He is not my father. I shall raise a glass of red wine in my father's memory.

And on this Father's Day I would like to say thank you to fathers, uncles, brothers, grandfathers, godfathers, stepfathers, father figures ... in fact all men who care, love, nurture, support, encourage, accept and cherish. The world needs you and is grateful to you. We should tell you more often.