The Ant World: We have some kind of ant invasion. This is a very odd thing. On the kitchen table we find ants. They don’t crawl around like any ants but seem to have been thrown out of the nest. (So ants must be living between the ceiling and the corrugated roof!) They are crippled ants. Maybe crippled at birth or old and redundant? And therefore cleaned out? They drop into glasses, food and whatever is on the table. So Mick removed the slat that goes above the table by the light cable and sealed it with wood filler. No ants this morning. They must find a new place to throw their “friends”.

Hobbling along with my knee and imagining it is getting better. Tired of it now and will go out in the patches. If I don’t twist it it should be fine! It’s been raining a lot and the grass is growing. It will be hard to weed without disturbing the tiny seedlings.

Yesterday we sawed the wood we had gathered and Mick split half of it. It will now dry nicely in the shed until next winter. He also did a bunch of small chores while I stared at him more or less.

The damned Plovers come in for landing just when we go to bed or have fallen asleep. Because of the stupid knee I cannot go out and shine the flashlight in their faces and make them go away. I n e e d a s h o t g u n !

I see I’ve already put out the other room. Well well.

So back to life. I’ve got a knee pain probably some inflammation or tear in one of the ligaments. So been sitting a couple of days but that’s ok since we now have some rains coming in. Mick runs in and out and does this chore or that. Split some wood, got soil and packed around the sceptic area aso.

Our old turkey that lives down by the creek near the crossing is widening his circles and made it almost to our patches. May have to cover them soon.

So next on the agenda is fixing up patch 1 which we have had covered most of the time and will in the future but with shorter stakes so we can reach the netting easier.

Very much planning a chook house too now. But also a lot of sewing coming up. Needing curtains in the study.

Jag förstår att jag redan har lagt ut om det andra rummet redan.

Så tillbaka till livet. Jag har smärta i knäet, antagligen lite inflammation eller trasigt i ett av ligamenten. Så har jag suttit ett par dagar men det är ok eftersom vi nu har några regn som kommer in. Mick springer in och ut och gör det här det ena med det andra. Hugger lite trä, hämtar jord och packade runt i avloppsområdet mm.

Vår gamla kalkon som bor nere vid bäcken nära korsningen vidgar sina cirklar och gjorde det nästan till våra grönsaker. Måste täcka dem snart.

Så nästa på agendan är att fixa patch 1 som vi har täckt för det mesta och kommer att göra i framtiden också men med kortare stakar så att vi lättare kan nå nätet at justera vid behov.

Mycket planerar ett höns-hus också nu. Men också mycket sömnad kommer upp. Behöver gardiner i studion.

Det finns svenska kommentarer i texten men använd gärna översättningsappar.

Refurbishing rooms in a small house takes planning.

First move all furniture into livingroom. Flytta allt.

Then replace the rotten planks in the floor. Takes a while to order the right wood too. Yeah that’s the ground you see. Ruttet överallt.

Allmost set:

Walls, ceiling all must either be replaced or mended. Since the wall to the main room is the old outside wall and parts are missing you can see straight through so needs an inner wall.

There is art and scribbles all over the walls inside, well in a lot of places. This house has had a loooot of odd people living in it from time to time. Gamla ytterväggen, man ser igenom tilll vardagsrummet.

Then came the fires and put an end to the work. Lite störning i jobbet.

We were locked in because all roads were blocked off due to fires.

We had a dozered road made around the house by the firefighters (fieries) but it was still pretty nervewracking. I had already in my mind made up that if the house burns down we would build a brick house.

Time to paint ceiling. and windows. Måla tak.

All set, curtains up. Innervägg och gardiner.

They are a tad bit narrow for the old British windows in this room but we do not care too much. Gamla engelska fönster med vikter och sån’t. Gardinerna är lite för smala men det gör inget.

Time for a trip to the kids in Japan. Mera störningar.

We also need wardrobes in the new bedroom. Since we moved we have used book shelves. There is always dust and the lower shelves may often have mold and we have even had mice live among the clothes. NO MORE! Möss och damm, vi behövde garderober.

While waiting for open roads and good weather to pick up the wardrobes in Port we started on the old bedroom which we shall call the study. Medan vi väntade började vi på nästa rum.

Not as nasty as the other room but missing skirtings which let bugs and spiders crawls in straight from outside. BUT NO MORE! Later on this room.

• 

Nice with a bit of royal feeling to it! Inte så pjåkigt. Lite kunglig känsla tycker vi.

Last touch some framed pictures from whenever. Have not seen most of them since we owned a house last.

We just love our bedroom and for some reason sleep much better here!

Upp tidigt, snabb frukka, jagade bort korna, ut till grönsakslandet. Mick förberedde sötpotatisen. Jag skyfflade över finklippta gräset som nu är mylla till den färdiga kompostjorden och sedan använde vi av det till sötpotatisen och rad 1 i 4:an. Ogräsrensade säng 1 (persilja) och säng 4 (dill). Säng 2 och 3 sådde vi basilika och snake bönor i. Micke grävde om, skördade och arrangerade sötpotatisen i grönsaksland 3. Sen tvättade och diskade han för att spara händerna lite. Jag registrerade alla livsmedel vi köpte igår. Elektricitetskillarna kom och skar ner lite på Macadamiaträdet för att det inte ska hänga ner på elkablarna. Hamburgare på ciabatta till lunch. Korna kom och betade igen så Micke tog några foton skickade en bild till Neil innan han jagade bort dem. Jenna (dottern) ringde tillbaka och sa att de skulle vara nere på lördag med hästar och hundar. Mick på traktorn för att klippa ormbunkarna so skjuter upp igen. Finklippte blad som jag krattat ihop och arrangerade an ny kompost som man sen kan ta av och blanda in i kökskomposten. Dopp i bäcken och kaffe tid! Den underbara doften av Blåregnet. Kor dök upp igen och Mick tog några bilder. Vi låter dem vara. De gick snart. Slut på dagen.

kratta kratta kratta kratta kratta kratta kratta platta ut den uppskovlade eldvägen platta ut den uppskovlade eldvägen platta ut den uppskovlade eldvägen ………kratta ….

Wednesday. Fire in the stove – morning. Blue skies. Meant to work outside but got wiping down black ash from shelves in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Mick brought in more wood. Still having a bit of fire in the morning. Did the administration: receipts and registrations aso. 

Thursday. I have such pain in my right hand and fingers can’t barely turn door knobs but after working the hand a bit went on with cleaning the shelves. Mick did mould removal in the bathroom and top shelves I could not reach. Cow owner came by on his horse and we had a nice long yarn. Then he and Mick went on to se where the cows had crossed the creek and disappeared into or up to or or..  

So his one kid will come with her dogs and find the cows and take them home. This will be in the weekend since she and hubby works a fair bit away during weekdays. I had also promised for a long time to take a dip in the creek when it is up to 18 C’s. Now that happened yesterday evening so now I have to bite the bullet. Down the creek, threatened by Plovers and took a dip.

Sun was already behind the mountains so not so warm. Up, grog, food, some movie to watch and bedtime. 

Kemp day.

Up, heard the gravel guys pass, brekkie, pack the ute and leave.

Chilly morning but it got to be a nice warm day later on in Kemp. I was going to get this day in pictures but missed out everything.

So first off: Bunnings. Bunnings was chock full in the parking lot so we said later and went on to John Deere across the bridge.

At John Deere we needed screws for the chipper but he still hadn’t got any and suggested Preen. Oh well.

Had a cuppa in the park close by. (We had brought a thermos.)

Back to Bunnings and got all we wanted except a very good rake of very bad make but still.

Off to the glass guys and ordered a glass for a picture. The glass had broken during the move but we had not checked all the pic’s. After fixing the rooms and arranging the books we took down most of the frames and pics, two are still missing somewhere, and unpacked. The guy said he would cut it straight away. We could wait. We all had a bit of a yarn and he left to cut it. Mick, I and the receptionist went on babbling. She was an archaeologist and we chatted about that. She had studied in Sweden! Wow. Got the glass and left.

Then we parked at Woolies and separated to get chores done and meet up at Lou’s for lunch. Mick went to Preen for the screws. I took on the Auspost and my reading glasses and then we met up at Lou’s and had lunch. Did a little necessity shopping at Woolies and then on to the dentist.

Mick had some quick work done and came out bloody and a bit shaken with pads and stuff so I drove us home. Beautiful ride home and by the time we got home Mick was himself again though he had to be careful with what he ate and how.

So after unpacking we sat down in the garden and had a grog. Oh no cows in the paddock again! We had just passed Neil and waved to him. Shoulda’ stopped and let him know about his cows! We shewed them off and followed them to see where they come over the creek and up on Five-Day. Then back and heard a chainsaw going off pretty near. Gravel guys (logging / Grabbarna Grus ) came along and stopped and we had a nice yarn and they were off home after work.

First time I have actually like a Kemp Day!

Kempandag. 

Upp, hörde gruskillarna passera, frucka, packa ute’n och åkte iväg. 

Kylig morgon men det blev en trevlig varm dag senare i Kempan. Jag hade tänkt visa denna dag i bilder men missade allt. 

Så först: Bunnings. Bunnings var full på parkeringen så vi sa: senare, och åkte vidare till John Deere på andra sidan bron. På John Deere behövde vi skruvar för flishuggaren men han hade fortfarande inga och föreslog Preen. Jaja. 

Hade en kopp te & kaffe i parken i närheten. (Vi hade tagit med en termos.) 

Tillbaka till Bunnings och fick allt på listan förutom en mycket bra kratta med mycket dåligt utförande men ändå. 

Sen till glasmästaren och beställde ett glas till en tavla. Glaset hade gått sönder under flytten men vi hade inte kollat ​​alla tavlor. (Efter att ha fixat rummen och ordnat böckerna tog vi ner de flesta tavlor från förrådet, två saknas fortfarande någonstans, och packade upp.) Killen sa att han skulle skära till det omedelbart. Vi kunde vänta. Vi hade alla lite snack och sen gick han för att skära till det. Mick, jag och receptionisten fortsatte att pladdra. Hon var arkeolog och vi pratade om det. Hon hade studerat i Sverige! Wow. Fick glaset och gick. 

Sedan parkerade vi på Woolies och separerade för att få sysslorna klara och träffas på Lou för lunch. Mick gick till Preen efter skruvarna. Jag tog på mig att go till  Auspost och mina läsglasögon (måste naturligtvis gaffla en stund med optikertjejen som faktiskt kände igen mig direkt när jag kom in och jag blev servad direkt.) och sedan träffades vi, Mick och jag, och åt lunch. 

Shoppade lite nödvändigheter på Woolies (det har inte gått 3 veckor än men jaja) 

och sedan vidare till tandläkaren. Det gick fort och Mick kom ut blodig och lite omtumlad med bomull och grejer så jag körde oss hem. 

Vacker åktur hem och när vi kom hem var Mick sig själv igen men han var tvungen att vara försiktig med vad han åt och hur. Så efter att ha packat upp satte vi oss ner i trädgården och hade en grog. 

Åh nu ! kor i paddocken igen! Vi hade precis passerat Neil och vinkat till honom. Borde ha stannat octh låtit honom veta om sina kor! Vi följde dem för att se var de kommer över bäcken och upp på Five-Day. Sedan tillbaka till trädgården och hörde en motorsåg som gick ganska nära. 

Grusgubbarna (trädfällare / Grabbarna Grus) kom och stannade till och vi hade ett trevligt snack och sen körde de vidare hem. 

Vilken trevlig dag. Första dagen jag har tyckt at Kempdagen var riktigt trevlig!

Iron mended stuff & chair pattern fabric stuff, blog, mad kumqat squash again prob last, baked apple bread – came out nice, daily chores. Got everything done, plus Mick worked on the fire road behind the garage. We are flattening it out again. Attacked by the plovers again. There seems to be two pairs nesting now. Otherwise a beautiful day. Had t-shirt and tank top with the jeans. 

Strök grejs, bloggade, gjorde kumquat saft igen, nog sista. Bakade äppelbrödkaka och det blev ok. Fick dagens uppgifter gjorda och Mick jobbade på att platta ut eldgränsvägen de plöjde upp under eldarna. Mycket kvar med dem. Attackerade av ploverfåglarna igen. Det verkar vara två par som häckar nu. Skit oxå. Annars en underbar vårdag med t-shirt och jeans!

Lite svenska här och där.

Lite söndagsjobb: Sometimes it is time to work inside.

First off Kumquat squash (again, but it’s for the rest of the year)

Next Loquat pie. It never seems to amount to more than enough for a pie (ca 30 loquats).

What to do with 6 grapefruits? Why not preserve them in light syrup?

Picked some Lemon Myrtle leaves when we pruned and trimmed in the garden two days ago. They are nice and dried so… jar them or crush them and jar them.. hmm. After some research on the internet we decided to just put them in a jar and see how it works out.

And for din we thought we would make a chanterelle stew from dried chanterelles we found at Aldi’s. They sadly just came out like ordinary bread!

Missed taking pic’s when Mick fried them on the barbie. All that baking for nothing! We’ll have to try another recipe.

Blev bara som vanliga bröd. Måste prova ett annat recept nästa gång.

We had some cows visiting yesterday so also went for a scout to look if they were still around but saw none. But the Plovers were out and about attacking so they have a nest somewhere.

Fåglar som heter Plovers har byggs bo någonstans och jagar oss när vi går omkring. i lördags kom några kor och hälsade på så vi skulle se om de var kvar men såg inga. Blev jagade av Plovers’arna istället. dumfåglar. Vi har försökt få dem att lämna våra ägor ett längre tag nu så de borde veta att vi bor här men icke då.

Thursday. Got wood in the bush and sawed up and split some.

Friday. Went on splitting and also cutting the cleared privet bushes after the fires. There is more of both to be done. Our bodies are quite stiff especially Jen’s. She is livid!

Saturday. Split wood and mowed most grass around the burned privets behind lower citrus grove. Did some cake baking.

Sunday. Just took it easy. Jen has a very painful knee and just sat by the fire side. Mick took an hour walk by the creek and did not get far.