The month of July started with the two dogs I was looking after going off to visit their boy friends for a while. Willow headed off to her boy friend and Sandy to hers. Both dogs should be mums in the very near future and I'm sure they will make great mums. I wonder if I am sort of like a poppy to the puppies??
I thought I would get a bit a break from separating dogs at feed time etc but the owners daughters dog, Bella, ended up at the house for me to look after, due to a problem beyond anyones control. No problem as I have become an expert dog lookerafterer, well, until I found out she is a very hard dog to look after when not at her own house etc as she jumped all over me and nearly took my hand off while attempting to feed her, not once, three times. I learnt after that though. Then Sandy turned up home again only after one night, must have been a one-night stand :) and that's when the fun started. Well, not fun really as I had to separate Bella and Sandy at feed times and that was hard work and I tell you that for free. I had to get myself into some sort of system of how to feed these two very quickly. I got that sorted so the situation was under control.
I spent the first half of July sort off relaxing and not doing a great deal if truth beknown but I did get in visits to friends and family so all good in that department. It was also time to say my goodbyes to those friends.
Why, I hear you ask? Well, the owners of the house and dogs arrived back mid-month due to family issues and I decided after a few days to make a move to who knows where? After making contact with friends I decided to head across to the Mornington Peninsula and stay with some friends that have their van set up over there and I had an invitation to stay at any time so took them up on the offer. That put me a little closer to my daughter and her family and my grandsons first birthday in early August. So, after a few days chatting with Barb and Michael it was time to pack up and get a wriggle on. The aluminium tent was checked over and Collie loaded up with the few things I had taken out for the duration of the house sit.
The day arrived to leave so hooked up early in the morning and got that wriggle on. After around a 90-minute drive westward bound I arrived at my destination and with the assistance of Brian guiding me from the narrow street and into a back corner commenced the manoeuvring onto the spot I would spend some time with good friends, Cheryl, Brian and the two girls (little dogs), Angel and Mollie. After a light lunch and chat, I spent the afternoon setting up the awning etc and was settled in a couple of hours later. It was good to have the awning out again after many moons of being rolled up. It's amazing how water gets into a rolled-up awning! I love my awning. It's like a living room. Well, in summer anyway but good in winter too for a bit of protection.
I will play weather man at this stage and say for most of July there was a lot of wind in the Wonthaggi, South West Gippsland area and quite a few days with rain. Thats nothing strange for that area as I lived there long enough to know. The wind didnt stop there though cos it was over on the Mornington Peninsula as well. The first week saw very strong to gale force winds and were cold, not surprising when you are located between the Ocean and Port Philip Bay. A couple of thunderstorms as well so really found it just a little different to my usual winter weather in the tropics. Overall, a cold month was July, -2c to 10c overnight and 10c to 14c during the day, one day did get to 18c and sunny on the Peninsula.
The 23 and 24/7 arrived and boy did we cop a battering on the Mornington Peninsula, where I was located anyway. Gale force winds with stronger gusts and rain. Not a great time really but I and you cant order the weather so just have to batten down the hatches and make the best of it and hope you come out all OK at the end of it. A real battering, I felt like a 'well battered' piece of fish. I survived it all OK. That's the weather report for this update.
That reminds me. You might remember back in March I had to do something about leaking stitching on the top edge of my awning and I found a sealer, well, it worked, no more leaks. Yehhh!
Something that did happen, I was having a problem with the 240v going off and back on within seconds a few times. I didn't think a lot about it at the time due to the weather but then the safety switch cut off and when I checked it found the casing to be quite warm. It turned out a wire had come a little loose and was rubbing against another wire causing melting. A quick trip to a local electrical supplier, a few dollars later and many thanks to Brian the sparky, my friend and neighbour while here, a new safety switch was fitted. After testing, all was good once again. The bouncing around of the van when mobile probably contributed to this little drama so thanks to the little warnings and the safety switch doing it's thing, it saved a much bigger drama. Thanks for the help Brian. I still need to get the van in and get the rear lights sorted and the camera on back of the Collie replaced as they are a bit sick. It's never ending.
The second half of the month was spent chatting to Brian and Cheryl and re exploring a few spots around the Peninsula. I say re as I have really spent quite some time around the area and many moons ago on the Peninsula as young boy my family would stay down there in a tent my Uncle would set up in a caravan park on the now busy Nepean Hwy, Rosebud. Another caravan park we stayed at as kids was I THINK is where the now Rosebud Plaza is located on the corner of Boneo Road. I remember the park and a corner store where I made friends with the son of the owners, remember Paul :) Ahhh! The memories. More exploring will take place before I leave here and head to my next destination of, well, thats not planned exactly yet so you might find out before me in that department.
That all said I will sign off and bid you happy journeys, wherever they may be so, keep safe everyone.
Some pics below as usual.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Thursday 2nd of August 2018 05:17:22 PM
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
One day..yes, one of these days Me and my bride will be-able to venture across the border and sneak around your old haunts with now knowing all them good bits of info..fantastic.
Closest to your old 'digs' was Portsea during my military era....we demolished the old Fort Nepean wharf which had been breaking apart with piers floating into The Rip and being a hazard to shipping.....Bloody water was ffff- reezing.
Even got to investigate the old tunnels etc prior to days when all locked....located sweating ammunition from them bygone times as a Fort. Being RAE(Engineers) we had to "Make Safe"
OMG..am I really this bloody Old..bugga !
OK, thanks again Doug for the great Blogging....always a pleasure to read......Cheers
Have just returned home to Southport Qld after spending a month in Townsville. Beautiful weather Dougie, maybe next winter you will head back north to the warmer climate instead of staying in the cold and freezing weather down south. All the best, June C.
Thanks for the replies everyone, always appreciated.
Yes, it's been and still is cold but hey, I helped friends out and that is important to me.
Mmmm, did I say it was cold? Wet and Very, very windy as well, hasn't let up much at all. I would like to see some of the rain going to the farmers as well.
How goes it Woody mate?
__________________
Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Thanks Dougwee your blog brought back good memories of when we stay a few moon back, same year we met you at Greens, interesting we met some people who knew people we met at Greens that year at lake Elphinstone Qld, small world.
Hi Doug, a lot has happened in July for you. Dogs, moving on, weather, van problems and memories. Very interesting. Have just read it as we have been up the Centre, across the top, down the west coast of WA and about to head across the Nullarbor after getting 2 new tyres fitted tomorrow at Kalgoorlie.
Lynda and Paul
Just back from similar trip as Felicia. Left Ballarat on June 1, upon the centre, turned left at Katherine. However the weather turned bad at Jurien Bay so we headed across to Kalgoorlie before heading back to Ballarat. For those who knock Ballarat's weather, the 3 days we were in Kalgoorlie was worse than home. One day actual temp was 6, with wind chill 2 and a forecast max of 10 with howling wind and drizzle. Ballarat was 8 / 4 & 12, no wind and no rain. 10,700kms for the van and about 14,000kms for the car.
Great to hear you are doing well Doug. I always enjoy reading your blogs on the rare occasions that I visit this site. Won't be long till your back at Greens!
