Living on the Edge

It is cold

2012-02-13T11:15:00.000+11:00

It is cold and very windy up here.
For the last few days, Patricia and I have spent time in Anza. Anza is a very nice area about 1.5 hours from Encinitas in the high desert, and this is where our furniture is safely parked in our friends Guido and Annettes house.
The first two days, we visited with them and admired the work they have done around there place; they planted dozens of new trees and put in a drip-irrigation system. This in itself is a lot of work, but when I think that they did all this with the wind blowing - it never lets up here - our admiration goes way up.
Guido & Annette had to leave on Saturday morning at 2AM on a 20 hour drive back to Colorado ahead of a brewing storm, and I was happy it was't me. They did arrive safely.
Today was a low-key day for us. We spent most of the time on the computer or reading, and I went out for a short time and Patricia fixed lunch.
Tomorrow it's back to work, and Michal is kind enough to let us stay at his house, so we don't have to erect a tent in Natalie's backyard; just joking.

I am smiling, but the wind is making my hair look all gray, or is it?

Patricia making lunch for a cold soldier.

Magic circle upgrade

2012-02-06T09:31:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I spent some time upgrading our magic circle. Now we have heat from below and from above.

This is before the Natalie's family arrived.

Today Glen suggested that we grab a cuppa at the Java Cafe place in Encinitas and to our surprise there was a fun run, and we had the stamina to sit there for almost all the run.

Looks great from this advantage poin.

Some great costumes

The sharks

And lots of kids; they have the right idea.

And the dogs

What a place to have this

This after noon, Mark invited me for the game, and Michal wants to fly. I am not sure where I will come down.

Our social life has started anew

2012-02-05T09:14:00.000+11:00

Arriving home, Odell, the renter of the studio where we lived for 4 years, let us stay in his absence for two weeks. Odell also lives in Arizona where he has a workshop making Native American Flutes, and I am learning to play one now.
Just after arriving, Natalie and Maria from next door came to visit. In the evening, we went to dinner with Daireus, Nicole and Aariel. Then on Saturday Aariel and Ryan came to visit for lunch. We met up with Michal a few times; we visited Mark and Paula and on Sunday, we had dinner with Wendy and Tom. Wendy made a great vegetarian dinner, and Tom and Patricia had a great time looking through her pictures from Australia while Wendy entertained me with their new cat.

Great dish Wendy prepared

Tom & Patricia drooling over bird pictures

And then early Tuesday, Patricia left for Hawaii to visit her friend Selina in Kauai.

Patricia is behind the 8th window

And finally yesterday, I went to see Peter & PMD @ GENI

Peter talking about Sustainability

Today is about getting some little things fixed on the car, and I keep looking for a place for Patricia and me to put our heads at night, and of course, our bodies, too.

Continuing from were we left of

2012-01-31T15:14:00.000+11:00

We have now been back for I think more than a week, and the weather was just like it says in the song, It never rains........
Different story when we got up in Lone Pine on our way south from Fallon. As you can see, our car window was iced in, so we waited a while for the sun to melt it.

Ice on our windshield

From there, we had the most picturesque drive until we got to the Mohave Dessert, but we were listening to an audiobook tape, so the time went pretty fast.

The road up to Mt. Whitney in Lone Pine

Arriving home, the first thing I needed to do was to clean up my magic circle and the biergarten.

Cleaning up the Magic Circle

Then it was time to see all our friends around here, and also Annette and Guido up at Anza. They are over here from Colorado; it's just to cold there.

Afternoon Coffee and Cake.

Now we are back on our daily walks around the neighborhood, and on Sunday, it was time to visit the San Elijo Lagoon.

Patricia is pointing out some birds in the far distance

So now my job is to find somewhere for us to live and something to make a buck or two.
We are thinking of house-sitting in this area and will see how that pans out.

Back in sunny California

2012-01-24T13:52:00.000+11:00

Having had a great ride through Nevada, entering California is the best. It always feels so liberating to see the first sign that we are in the Sierras with the beautiful peeks. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and it reminds me of the time when I flew to Bishop one day with Michal and Sam just for breakfast. After we stopped at our favorite bakery and got a few loaves of bread, we continued and booked into a motel at Lone Pine at the base of Mount Whitney.
We went to our favorite Cafe Shop and then got a bottle of Australian wine to celebrate our homecoming.

Breath taking landscape

This is why I don't want to live anywhere near snow.

And it looks stunning. What do you do?

There's always this;when its cold outside, one needs to warm oneself.

Time to go south

2012-01-24T05:09:00.003+11:00

As great as Nevada is, it is now time to head south to SoCal (Southern California).
We had a great time seeing Patricia's mom and watching her improve every day. She is already walking a bit - don't forget she is 95, not that that is a big deal.
We just had great news. Odell, who is the new renter of the studio we used to live in in Encinitas, will let us stay there for two weeks, while we find somewhere to live and get settled.
This morning, we woke to a blanket of snow, so it is time to leave. We look forward seeing all our friends.
Mind you, officially, we are not back until the start of March, so we may still go on a trip next month.

This is what it looked like yesterday.

This morning, we are under a blanket of snow.

Back in the US of A

2012-01-22T10:27:00.000+11:00

We are back, have had two days sleep and found that Patricia's Mom is doing well. I am amazed what the medical profession can do these days – a complete hip replacement for a 95-year old woman!
One of the things I was trying to avoid was to come back in winter, and guess what. It’s blustery cold today with snow creeping down to 4500 ft (We’re at 4200!)
In any case, next week we will be on our way to Southern California and looking for somewhere to live and for some work for me.

This is what we left

This is what we got :>)

One does have to love how life plays.

Back in the USA

2012-01-19T08:41:00.000+11:00

We have arrived in San Francisco after passing through endless security checkpoints, pat-downs and fingerprinting and I even got my photo taken. I was not allowed to smile.
I could not sleep on the flight, so we are very tired now. Right now we are sitting at the San Francisco Airport waiting for our connecting flight to Reno in about 4 hours.
Life is good; we are happy to be back home.

Last Weekend

2012-01-16T20:30:00.002+11:00

This is it. Things have changed a bit. Patricia just found out that her mother broke her hip and had a replacement, so we are going home 55 days earlier than expected. Patricia spent the day changing our bookings and informing all concerned that we are on the way.

I did spend a little time with Michaela in her studio watching her making a teapot and some cups and trying to be of some help.

Another beautiful Teapot

Then I went out with Dieter to get some sand for the chicken coop, so we cleaned that out

After we cleaned it it looked like a Hilton

and soon it was time to visit Arni and Urs at their home for dinner, and what a dinner it was, lots of food and more laughs.

Arni, Evelin, Dieter, Michael, Urs & Patricia. Michaela takes the picture

What a Paella

This is Urs's office

Time to eat and make conversation

This was a great final day here in Surfers Paradise.

Now we are on our way back to Sydney, staying another night with Annette in Coffs Harbour. Then we pick up more of our luggage in Port Maquarie and say good-by to Mary White and to Rosie’s and head to Sydney to stay two nights with Neal and Pam.

Mary White. Patricia & I love this lady

Back at doing some work

2012-01-14T12:22:00.000+11:00

Dieter picked us up at Robina station close to Surfers Paradise, and it was great to be back here after a year. Last year we house-sat here for Christmas while D & M went to stay at Annette’s, and it was raining for the entire 10 days we were here (remember the floods in QLD in 2010?). This time the weather is just perfect.

I did have some warning. The fact is that I asked Dieter if I could help him at his trade’s jobs, and he let me. So next morning, I got up early looking forward to get my hands on some tools and do some real work. There is only so much vacation I can handle.

So the job is putting up fibro on the ceiling of a carport. I hate to say it, but I love it - for a short time.

First we went to the Hardware Store

If I am not seen in the pics, I take them, and I still do some work

For the last two panels we got Urs's help

I got to clean windows at the time, seeing that I am Computer literate

As usual, Patricia asked for permission to take over the kitchen and all is well. Coming home after a workday, it’s so great to have Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and one of her meals on the table.

Last day @ Annette

2012-01-14T11:49:00.000+11:00

Werner came to visit today. He is one of my friends who came to Australia on the same ship in 1971, and for a long time Werner and I both worked at the Sydney Opera House.

We had a great evening with lots of good food (thanks to Patricia), memories and laughs.

Annette, Werner & Patricia

Just as well I look so relaxed

Then it was time to leave Annette and Siggi after having had a great week and take the train to Surfers Paradise to see Dieter and Michaela.

Patricia, Siegfried, Annette & I

Not the flu

2012-01-14T11:08:00.000+11:00

I guess it wasn’t the flu. Last night the fever came back, and we realized my toe was infected from a blister I got walking last week - worst night of my life trying to sleep in the humidity with a fever.

The next day my toe got worse, and we finally had to see a doctor to get some antibiotics.

This is just a distraction, has nothing to do with the above or below.

And now it's 5 days later, everyone relax, I am still alive and can not remember how bad it was.

Really that bad?

Another day

2012-01-13T19:49:00.000+11:00

Thursday night and Friday was a time for me to rest; somehow I got a bug and felt pretty bad (headache, chills and fever) so I slept all day and did whatever Patricia (Dr. Stevens) told me to do – oscillococcinum - and was just fine again after the second day. I guess I should follow my honey’s recommendations more often.

Annette and Siegfried are great at entertaining friends. We spent Saturday sightseeing some around the area – Urunga and Nambucca Head - and discovering more great natural places and some man-made artifacts.

Great long walk out to the beach

Annette & I

This is a 3km walk with some great art and some not so great


This is a footpath in the city. Think about this in Encinitas

As has been the case wherever we go and wherever Patricia is allowed to, she takes over the kitchen, preparing delicious meals. I, of course, do the washing up.

Patricia loves a kitchen

A proud chef

Back in the WWW

2012-01-12T19:30:00.001+11:00

It’s quit amazing how much I miss my daily hit on the Internet while we are staying with a friend who doesn’t have it, (the Internet).
Occasionally I make fun of people with their iPads or similar handheld devices - they seem to be constantly connected to something out there, and I think of it as obsessive, but now I have been without a connection for only several days, and I feel lost and cutoff. What could be happening out there that I may have missed! Anyhow, we had a great time at Annette’s place in Coffs Harbor. We left Eric’s on Wednesday by train from Wauchope, (How would you pronounce this?) and Annette picked us up at the other end.

It is actually pronounced WHAR-HOPE go figure

This is the station we left from.

It will take me a few days to catch up to real time, just bare with me over the next few days.

More Walking

2012-01-02T17:37:00.001+11:00

I am not sure if this is good for me, but I bought in when Eric suggested that we go for another walk like yesterday, so we drove to North Haven (our turn around point yesterday) and walked along the river inlet, nice and level and not too much strain and for only 3 hours today.

Nice and strait forward, no strain

We stop to watch some fisherman cleaning fish and showing their kids how to do it. In the meantime, hordes of Pelicans were waiting to get there cut.

Lets see if I can do this, learning by doing

This is how it's done

He wants to see it close up

They are waiting at a distance for the scraps

We visited an Oyster processing farm, and I was surprised to find out how much work and risk it takes and that it takes 3 years of growing time before I can eat an oyster.

Each one of the white posts shows one year and what is used to grow them.

Along the river’s edge, we found polls showing how high the water has been at flood time and how high they estimate it could climb.

This is how high it was in 1963

Arriving at home, the time has come to have a bite to eat and a beer for lunch.

Simple lunch, Patricia is making a curry for tonight

Great Start into the 2012

2012-01-02T17:17:00.001+11:00

The first day of the New Year is over, and we had a great start. Eric suggested that we go for a walk to check out the area a bit, and we decided to head south. The weather was perfect for hiking, and after feeding the fish in his backyard pond,

Eric started of with 5 fish and there are a hundred now

we drove to Bonny Hills and headed into the bush, mind you, we couldn't start until Patricia took a few pictures of the spectacular view from up here.

What an Ocean

This is just mind blowing beautiful

Walking thru the bush in the shade of the trees is just the best, especially with the occasional glimpse of the ocean.

The camera distorted my size

We then arrived after about 6km at North Haven beach and relaxed with a refreshing drink before starting our walk back.

This tastes great

It had me appreciate that I need to do a bit more walking; I was a bit out of breath after just a few miles, while Eric, 15 years my senior, was just chugging away at a good clip. All in all, we were out for 5 hours and covered 12 km! You convert it for yourself.

Eric leading the charge

Moving a long

2011-12-28T20:41:00.000+11:00

After spending Christmas and more time than originally intended at Rosie's and the farm in Hannam Vale, it was time for us to leave the place of rural peace and tranquility and start moving north to see some sites and visit friends. We’ve had a great time at Johns River and Hannam Vale. I got to play at Rosie's Cafe just like in the old days when we had restaurants in Sydney, and Patricia helped to set up the Gallery with her donated photographs of the local birdlife, which look great and are very much admired by the visitors.

Part of the Gallery

The Cafe is starting to pick up, and Luke and Lorri will make it a place for people to come and enjoy an hour of relaxing with great food and coffee and browsing through the Gallery and the gift-shop.

Our first destination is Port Macquarie where we are staying with my aunt, Janet, and Eric. Mal was generous enough to drive us here, which is about 30 miles north of Johns River. Because we arrived a bit early and no one was home, we dropped our suitcases in the garage and walked to the beach. We just love the ocean, and the beaches here are so beautiful and seemingly endless. At the beach, we encountered an unfamiliar site and wondered if we could get away with telling everyone that we made a quick stopover in Dubai.

What a great idea

After walking for a while along the beach, we found a coffee shop (Bitter Sweet) and treated ourselves to a cup of tea and some eggs for breakfast.

Back at the house, we spent the afternoon with Eric and his daughter, Sue.

After Sue left this morning, Eric took us to Ricardoes, a hydroponic farm with 2 acres of tomatoes under roof. Apparently, around here, every shop has tomatoes from Ricardoes, so what follows are pictures from our visit there.

You don't have to bend down to pick the strawberry s

Eric & Patricia being good students

Beehive is attached to the building for pollinating the strawberry's

Great crop of tomatoes

I was exited to see the same products as we have at Roie's

My favorite display in the shop

You can not get it any frescher than this

Patricia thinks she has gone to haven

Christmas day 11

2011-12-25T17:36:00.002+11:00

This has been our day so far, Dinner is still to come, Grilles Salmon and Ricotta Cheesecake

It's Monday lets move

2011-12-22T15:24:00.004+11:00

Having had a great time on the weekend with the family, it's time to move on to go south to see some more of the coast beyond Sydney. We rented a car and started driving; it seemed that we never got out of Sydney. We thought we had driven hundreds of miles and had only covered about 60km.

The first sight of the coast south of Sydney

This is what's ahead

We got to Kiama. It had been raining all day, so we were ready to call it and settle into a place for the night. We found a nice and not too expensive motel and decided to get a movie (The Tourist) and relax.
On Tuesday, we explored Kiama, a very nice little beach town with lots of cafes and great little shops. Kiama is known for it's Blow Hole, and we went there to take several photographs.

This is what the hole looks like.

and how it comes about

This is what it looks like in action.

We also found a great saltwater ocean pool, and Patricia was just about to go in.

Come on, don't be shy:>)

Walking & almost swimming a lot made us hungry, so we went to the market and got some bits and then to have a picnic in the park.

No tools to eat with, so its back to fingers.

Cut the Mango with my Driver License.

But what a view for lunch

Any time

This evening, we got another 2 videos (Red and Sherlock Holmes) and decided to take it easy. The next day, we headed back to Narrabeen to relax for a few days.

We are on the move

2011-12-19T19:06:00.001+11:00

We are traveling for a few days, giving our friends a rest from us.
After having spent a great week at Pam & Neal's place, we headed to Cabramatta with Pam and Neal to see Mark, the girls, Barbara and Alan.

Packing the suitcase again

Arriving in Cabramatta, the girls treated us to a performance of dance - several times.


Sarah and Jessica moving with the music

I think there may be a performance at 'Australia's Got Talent' one day.

Barbara, Alan, Neal & Pam as we are having afternoon tea.

It was great to see some of the Australian family, where I stayed when I landed first in 1971.

Mark's research pride and joy

Patricia and I inspected Mark's workshop. He has a ton of great machines with which he makes lots of things and gets paid for it. Most of these devises, once familiar, I have forgotten how to operate.

Patricia having fun at the Asian Markets

Cabramatta used to be a sleepy little suburb when I got there many years ago. Since then, lots of people from Asia have moved in and made the place very alive and vibrant, with an untold number of shops and restaurants.

I think if we would live here, the markets are where Patricia would be most of the time.

The entrance to the Asian quarter of town

Then it was time to go to the petting zoo with the girls and have some ice cream afterward.

Time to pet the animals

Time is flying

2011-12-17T07:42:00.003+11:00

We are now in Sydney for a week hanging out with my cousin, Neal, and Pam. It was to be for two days, and the time flew by just like that.

We came down with Malcolm on Monday, in the rain, and the weather has been very mixed and cold and rainy most of the time - and it's summertime!

Most of the time we are down here, it's a time to relax and go for walks.
On Thursday, we went into Sydney proper by train and had a look around and visited a State Library of NSW and the NSW Art Gallery,

Waiting for the train to take us to Sydney

Enjoying the works of old and contemporary painters

Yesterday, Neal and I switched his Mini's in the carport, so he could work on one of them and drive the other. It was not a question of just pushing one out and it is done. We had to winch one up the hill and then do the switch. It was great fun.

This was quite an engineering feat.


Now we are getting somewhere, with a lot of smoke.

And after this adventure, we went to the movies to see Mission Impossible 4. I think they could not do most of the stunts in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

The Boat is out

2011-12-14T17:35:00.000+11:00

Finally after two years, the boat is out of its storage area and Malcolm can now work on it - like paint it and install a new motor, so he can take it out on the water.

Got it out in the rain

Ian and Mal having a beer

After a hard days work, it was time to celebrate Malcolm's birthday, so he can get on with piling another year onto his roaming around this planet.

Ian, Pete, Mal, Luke, Roy & me behind the camera

Happy Birthday, Malcolm

Luke has a new Toy

2011-12-12T07:52:00.001+11:00

There is a lot of grass to mow on a big property, so Luke got himself a new toy to play with.

Some Excitement @ Johns River

2011-12-12T06:33:00.001+11:00

Johns River was buzzing with activity today. This morning, a once-a-month market was on. Then at 1:30, a panel of politicians, a farmers’ group and one scientist assembled in the Community Hall for a Q & A with the local population about the issue of coal seam gas exploration in the area, and in the evening, we had the Camden Brass Band playing Christmas Songs. A rousing good time was had by all.

When the town of Johns River was bypassed by the new highway a year ago, the market vendors initially stayed away, but they are now coming back as more people come to the once-a-month market to buy local handicrafts and produce.

Nice day to have a coffee and cake at the Market

The vendor on the phone, properly talking to his mom

A big deal at the moment is the coal seam gas exploration proposed for the larger area, and as with most things, there are people for and against, and some of the opinions are based on not enough information or information that is not relevant to the area.

Upper panel of experts and dignitaries and Lorri and David; lower panel Dr. Mary White and an opposition representative

Everyone is listening very attentively

Patricia debriefing, and Roy seems to be the only one listening

The meeting was very well attended, and when the question: “who has learned something new today” almost everyone put the hands up, and the next question: “how many have changed there minds?” No hands went up.

The Hall is still empty, but soon the Christmas lights will be up

Then it was time to get ready for the Carols by Candlelight performance. The organizer put in a lot of work getting the right atmosphere going for Christmas; after all, it is the middle of summer here.

The band is playing jollily along

While the kids make an indoor picnic.

The kids loved father Xmas giving them little presents.

Luke kept busy grilling sausages and onions for sandwiches with beer in hand

and the rest are standing around having a beer, a good Australia custom.

And then it is all over and the town goes back to its quietness.

Maximilian

2011-12-02T17:47:00.001+11:00

Max has the right idea about everything and life.

Then there is Patricia working in the midday sun and loving it.

I think I know what I am coming back as next time around.
But things are getting done, and the courtyard is looking good.

Tomorrow the benches will go out, so keep tuned.