Grand Folly

Winter Solstice

2012-01-03T12:07:00.000+11:00

New Year's Eve in Vancouver doesn't have the razzle-dazzle of larger cities like Sydney, London or New York - no public fireworks displays, no balloons. However, on the winter solstice we did have a small celebration in our neighbourhood. Locals gathered after dark to make paper lanterns and march through the streets, led by the wonderfully-named Orkestar Slivovica, to the community centre.
Since the procession route was along an adjoining street, it was easy for us to join the parade. Michael used his phone to take a few rather blurry pictures, of which these are the best:

In the second photo, a keen observer can just make out the shape of the tuba with its halo of little coloured lights.

Kitchen Door

2012-01-03T11:42:00.003+11:00

It's taken a while to follow up the new front door with some images of the new kitchen door. This is partly because it arrived with frosted glass panels, which we hadn't asked for; and partly because of Christmas and New Year activities claiming my time.
The old door looked like this:

Not a bad door in many ways, but we wanted to bring more natural light into the kitchen.
The replacement was installed with the frosted glass,

... and we had to wait a few days for the clear glass to be retrofitted, but we finally got what we wanted.

We're very pleased with both the look of the door and the extra amount of light.

The New Front Door

2011-12-20T06:53:00.002+11:00

It's been a while since we've made any progress that affects the exterior of the house, but we finally have new front and back doors. The front door in particular was ugly, either with or without its aluminum screen - so ugly that it never got into any photos and I had trouble finding a "before" image. This is the best I could do, cropped from a larger image of the porch:

It was not a welcoming sight. The opening was not standard, which meant we couldn't go with a pre-hung door, but on the positive side it allowed us to design our own replacement. The drawback was waiting for it to be manufactured. Finally, it arrived last week, and I spent hours in the basement painting the exterior and clear-coating the interior. Yesterday, Randy the carpenter installed it, and this morning we attached our new letterbox beside it. (The old door had a mail slot.) So now it looks like this:

From the street, it complements the house.

From the inside, it completely changes what was a very dark hall into a much more pleasant space.

When I originally photographed the hall from the stairs, I had to open the door to get enough light.

Not now!

These last two photos also show the changes to the floor, walls, and the stair rail. We've had to replace the newel post, but found all but one of the original spindles intact under the sheathing. Needless to say, the stair treads are among the tasks still to do.

Last gasp in the Garden

2011-11-22T12:34:00.002+11:00

It has always been my aim to have a garden where interesting things are happening all year. Still, I didn't really expect to have so much colour when the garden is little more than just one year old.
Early in November, the shapely Corylopsis that came from the garden of old friends, Audrey and Robert, turned golden.

In front of it the flowers of Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Fire Dance' floated like tufts of bright pink chenille.

Across the way, the dying leaves of Hosta 'Krossa Regal' glowed a deeper gold beside 'Stormy Seas', my all-time favourite of the plum-coloured heucheras.

In the same area Cyclamen hederifolium has sprouted delicate little pink blooms on slender stems above its beautifully marbled leaves.

My two Scotch Briar roses are still in pots as we haven't yet prepared the ground for them, but their fall colour is stunning against the green of a clump of thyme.

Equally bright in the front garden is Enkianthus perulatus. It has grown considerably since I photographed it, newly planted, last year.

A close-up view shows the subtle variation in the leaves.

As a contrast we now have a Japanese maple in a large pot. The white string temporarily attached to a couple of branches is to persuade it to a more interesting shape.

Hydrangea 'Beni-gaku' continues to impress me with its deepening leaf colour.

And there are still a few flowers determined to keep opening, such as these rain-soaked, fragile blooms of rose 'Darlow's Enigma'

Note: By the middle of the month, all the leaves had fallen; only the cyclamen were undaunted by several days of cold, sleet and light snow.

Our neighbourhood

2011-11-17T11:46:00.002+11:00

Last year the weather through October was alternately windy and rainy. As a result, leaves didn't remain long on the trees. This year it has been relatively dry and calm, and the fall colour in our neighbourhood and elsewhere has been stunning. Regrettably the maples on our block merely turn brown, but elms on the next street over formed a golden canopy over the cars and a matching carpet under them.

Also last year, I posted lots of Halloween pictures. This year I'm putting up just one because it is so ambitious: a pirate ship that occupies most of the front yard on a nearby street.

We made a point of walking by on the night itself. In the dimly-lit bow of the ship, a large mechanical spider dropped from the deck level and reeled itself back up. There were various appropriate sound effects. A dry ice machine enveloped the steps to the front door in swirling mist. Children brave enough to reach the front door were greeted by residents dressed in pirate gear brandishing cutlasses...and candy bars. It was all very impressive.

On another theme altogether, I've been noticing a renewed interest in topiary in the Vancouver area. Here's a great example of a living fence not far from my home.

Canyon Trip

2011-11-15T05:29:00.003+11:00

In mid-October the weather was so nice that we decided to take an overnight trip up the Fraser Canyon to Cache Creek and back through Logan Lake and the Nicola Valley. Here's a link to a map of our route

We travelled along the north side of the river to Hope, continued north on Hwy 97 (yellow) to Cache Creek, and returned through Logan Lake (grey) to Merritt, then Hwy 5 (green) back to Hope.
Since the road hugs the Fraser River, the scenery is spectacular, both along the river ...

and through the rocky crags of the canyon. This is just one of several tunnels that the road runs through.

Trains run constantly along each side of the river. It used to be that the Canadian Pacific had its track on one side and Canadian Northern on the other. Nowadays they share the tracks and all eastbound trains run on one, all westbound on the other. No doubt it's both safer and more efficient.

I love how the blue of the containers in this last shot echoes the blue of the water.

Looking up at the mountains is as impressive as looking down at the river.

Fall colours had started to infuse the landscape,

some requiring a close inspection.

Surprise, surprise... it's a rose!

By sunset we were almost at our destination.

We had hoped to stay in Ashcroft, which is a pretty little place, but has suffered the fate of many small interior towns as people leave for lack of work. Cache Creek has more industry, including a dump for much of Vancouver's garbage, but is ugly. However, it does have motels.

The following day we began our way back through the Nicola Valley. This is a more settled, less rugged landscape than the Fraser Canyon. There are signs of abandonment here too, picturesque and a little sad.

Halfway home we took a turn-off from the highway to visit the Quintette Tunnels. This little-known miracle of engineering provided a route for the Kettle Valley Railway from the Interior to the Coast. The architect of this feat had himself lowered in a basket into the chasm cut by the Coquihalla River in order to plot how the track could negotiate the river, which at this point winds back and forth through massive rocks. He achieved his goal by linking three tunnels and two bridges. The site is now a provincial park and the former railbed is a walking trail. It is one of my favourite places to take overseas visitors to absorb some of the wild beauty of this part of the world. The tunnels are quite dark and it's advisable to have a flashlight to negotiate through them, but the views from the bridges in between are awe-inspiring.

Fall flowers and foliage

2011-10-22T11:36:00.002+11:00

As we journey through October, the weather is becoming colder, and the fall rains come and go. The garden is slowly putting itself to bed for the winter, but we're still enjoying late blooms on some of the plants. My group of Aster 'Little Carlow' is just past its best now, but its intense violet daisies have been a standout for the last month. Next year I will remember to chop them to half height in June. They'll bloom a little later, but will be sturdy enough not to be knocked over by wind and rain. I've had to tie them up this year, which means they lose some of their natural grace, hence the close-up.

As long as I continue to deadhead Penstemon 'Garnet', it keeps on producing more spikes of lipstick-pink bells, although it has slowed the pace somewhat. This is my favourite penstemon, not for the colour, but because it has this never-say-die quality. It also flops less than many newer varieties in subtler shades. In its one season here, it has grown substantially and is crowding out an oregano nearby, which really needs cutting back. I've left the latter because the bees love its flowers so much, but it's time to find it a home elsewhere.

Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii', buried behind some phlox over the summer, came into its own in early September and its electric blue spires are still standing tall against the fence. It gets less sun here than I expected, but that doesn't seem to have affected its enthusiasm.

On the opposite fence a young Clematis rehderiana has produced a few of its tiny, fragrant, pale yellow bells.

In future years it will cover the fence and the scent of many such flowers will infuse the garden.

I recently bought Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' to add its pristine white into this autumnal mix. This is a plant that normally holds its flowers on tall, willowy stems, but mine is looking disappointingly dumpy. It was potbound enough to need some trimming and untangling during the transplant so I hope that is at the 'root' of its problem and that next year it will fulfill my expectations. These anemones have a reputation for not knowing their place, but I've never known 'Honorine' to outgrow its allotted space. Like the white-flowerd forms of many plants it is less vigorous than its more colourful relatives.

In front of the house, the lavender has grown to more than twice the size it was when I planted it. I've clipped it for the winter, but next year the individual bushes should merge into the low hedge I have in mind.

Also in front, a little onion, that my friend Lambert recommended, Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa', is flowering bravely away against the foliage of Hydrangea 'BeniGaku'. It needs a suitable companion that won't overwhelm it (perhaps a dark-leaved Sedum).

Speaking of 'Beni-Gaku, the leaves on my larger specimen of this in the backyard are turning deep crimson.

Not to be outdone, peony foliage is doing much the same.

Australian chook

2011-09-23T09:40:00.000+10:00

Our corrugated tin rooster, bought in Bendigo, Australia, has found a home on the new fence.

It is in a strategic location visible from inside the house framed by one of the basement windows. There is just enough space below the fence for a plant to grow up beneath it, although I haven't yet decided what that plant will be.

Kitchen complete

2011-09-16T03:47:00.001+10:00

At last the kitchen is done. All the appliances are installed, as well as the missing cabinet doors. It's a far cry from the room as we saw it on our first visit to the house, when it looked like this:

The first thing we did was take down the unnecessary curtains. Not long after we put in new light fixtures, but the rest remained as is until we had completed the changes to the exterior. In a couple of months it has gone from this:

to this:

All that now remains is to finish painting the walls and trim (I'm still dithering over the exact colour of yellow for the former) and to repair the chimney (we are looking for one of those old-fashioned circular caps for where the stovepipe was attached; they are hard to find.)

More kitchen progress

2011-08-30T10:38:00.000+10:00

The last appliance to arrive was the fridge, which was on back order. Fridges are so large that they always dominate a kitchen, but this one is only counter depth so it doesn't jut out into the room and, because it's black, it is more of a background presence than a white or stainless steel model would be. It's also extremely quiet, which has become an important feature to me after our experience with the stove.
The new stove was delivered at the same time, and in this picture is not yet hooked up. It is not quite as elegant as the first one, but it cost a good deal less and it functions without the need for any noisy internal fans. We spent a bit extra to get black enamel oven racks that don't have to be removed when the oven is in cleaning mode, and I'm altogether content with it.

Basement work

2011-08-30T10:22:00.000+10:00

Michael had discovered that the walls of the house had never been anchored to the foundation wall. If we ever do get the predicted earthquake, the whole structure could shift right off its base. Not any more, after he spent a day tying the frame to the concrete wall with a rented drill and some serious-looking bolts. (The art piece is part of a triptych done by a friend of ours. When we get around to fixing up the back porch, it will find its home.)

Kitchen progress

2011-08-20T04:56:00.003+10:00

The day the cabinets were installed we felt we were really making progress. At the same time, the old upper cabinets got a coat of paint to match the new ones, and the right-hand wall was prepared for the range hood.

Across the room by the chimney with its newly-exposed bricks, the lower cabinet was installed, but the shelving above had to wait for another day.

During the delay, other tradesmen arrived to install the granite counter tops.

Once they were done, the walls could be tiled. We chose off-white matte-finish subway tiles to keep a little of the old character in what was starting to look like a modern kitchen.

Next a hanging rack to go over the island arrived. I'd been unable to find a Vancouver supplier for what I wanted and so had ordered this through an eBay source, a new experience for me. Fortunately it was exactly what I wanted, and at a very reasonable price.

By this time the new dishwasher (on the left, still in its blue protective wrap) and stove had been installed. We loved the dishwasher, which was both efficient and very, very quiet. The stove on the other hand had a great gas cooktop, but the oven was very, very noisy on both the convection setting and the regular electric baking setting. Both the convection and a second fan came on immediately the oven was turned on. The convection fan went off when the oven reached the set temperature, but the other fan stayed on, not only through the cooking time but for a whole hour after the oven was turned off. We were told its function was to keep the digital control panel cool, and that this was a necessary feature of these state-of-the-art slide-in ranges.
As our dining table is in the same room as the kitchen the noise of this fan was a serious problem. Fortunately we had bought from Sears and received the great service that they are known for. Although it was a stressful experience, we were able to return the stove and replace it with another all-gas, free-standing model that required no fans at all. I was slightly sorry to lose the convection feature, but having never had one, I doubt we'll miss it.

During all this activity by others, I was slowly painting the kitchen walls in a rich yellow, a colour I hope will seem like sunshine even in the depths of a grey Vancouver winter.

How Does the Garden Grow?

2011-07-23T07:31:00.000+10:00

Very nicely, thank you.

Today it attracted its first hummingbird. I rushed to fill the feeder, and will now wait hopefully for its return.

The Kitchen Floor

2011-07-22T10:03:00.002+10:00

While we wait for the counter tops, our attention turns to the floor. Our plan is to have the old fir boards refinished, just as we have done in the rest of the main floor rooms. So in came the sanding machine and the huge vacuum to keep the dust to a minimum.

You never know what surprises you'll find in an old house. When the sanding was done, it revealed a 4 ft x 4 ft piece of plywood right in front of the chimney.

Most of this would be covered by the carpet under the dining table, but nonetheless we agreed it would be best to have it repaired. Our refinishers were able to source some fir of similar vintage and width and did a great job of blending it into the existing boards.

When they first put it in, it didn't look like much of a match.

However, once sanded, it was much less obvious, and considering that the carpet will also be in that area, we'll never notice the slight differences.

Besides, the floor has a decided patina of irregularity already thanks to its age and a certain amount of abuse at an early stage in its life. With nail holes, stains and gouges that can't be sanded out, it is definitely a floor of character. With that in mind, we are very happy with the glowing results, especially the way the hall now blends seamlessly into the kitchen.

The Kitchen

2011-07-16T09:39:00.007+10:00

At the end of June we took a week off and went to Chicago. (More about that on my new blog specifically for travel: www.wadingthroughtheworld.blogspot.com)
When we came back we were ready to tackle the kitchen. We had already lined up the cabinetmakers and the floor refinishers. I had decided on a new fridge and dishwasher, and narrowed down the choices of a new gas range with dual-fuel oven to three. With Michael's help we made that decision too.
To prepare for what was to come, we began to take everything movable out of the kitchen. The cupboard contents went into our guest room,

or the downstairs bathroom,

or were boxed and stored in the basement.

Michael removed the old linoleum,

the plywood beneath it,

and the ancient tiles under that.

At last only a grey film of paper and glue covered the original boards. We replaced the linoleum loosely, just to keep down the dust until the boards were sanded clean.
On July 4, the kitchen table and dresser went into Michael's room, leaving just enough room for him to squeeze past the table to sit at his desk.

We set up our temporary kitchen and eating space on the back porch with a small table to serve for both food preparation and dining.

The next day, serious work by serious tradesmen began. The frames of the top cabinets were left in place, to be painted and fitted with new doors. The bottom ones came out altogether.

So did a hand of cards that had fallen down behind the cabinets. Not a winning hand, I guess.

As the kitchen island couldn't be installed until the floor was refinished, I'd hoped it would be delivered later. Unfortunately, it arrived with the rest of the cabinets. The good news is that it came in two pieces; half ended up on the back porch, half in the living room. With the old fridge also jammed onto the back porch, we had just enough room remaining to there to cook on our little camp stove and wash up in the laundry tub. There was no hope of sitting at the little table as we had planned.

Ah well, there was the front porch, and when it was too cold to sit there, the living room.
Meanwhile, the new cabinetry went in smoothly.

Once they were in, a man arrived to measure for the counter tops. Cutting them to fit was going to take two more weeks.

One more wall

2011-07-16T08:05:00.000+10:00

Although Michael's room was close to completion, we delayed finishing the wall with the new window. Eventually, Michael plastered the gaps and framed it in.

I think we both dreaded the sanding of the plaster around the window frame, so that got ignored for several months. However, when Michael was away for a week during June, I decided it was time to get the job done. Kitted out in my Value Village hoodie, I sanded away, covering myself and the vicinity in fine white dust.
Painting the wall and the window frame was easy after that.

Window trim

2011-06-10T10:06:00.002+10:00

For way too long, the living room bay window has been neglected. Oh, it got new blinds when winter came along and we needed something with insulating properties over those lovely but chilly single panes. But since then, nothing.
It was going to be a fiddly job and so I kept putting it off. Until now.
A bright day means that everything is backlit. Even with Photoshop's help, it's difficult to see how much better the lefthand window looks than the two I haven't got to yet.

The work was even more fiddly than I anticipated. I'd figured on half a day, followed by half a day in the garden. It took all day!

When I finished, the sun was low on the east wall, and it was almost time for the 6 o'clock news (which is why Michael is sitting there looking expectant.) It is worth it, of course: it's made a big difference to the ambience of the room.

Plant progress

2011-05-27T04:04:00.001+10:00

Out in the front yard, a couple of little vignettes are giving us pleasure right now.

One is Salix nakamura var. yezoalpina (sorry, but it doesn't have a common name). What I like about this little willow is that it looks like a bonsai, but in fact this is how it grows naturally - no human intervention required. I also like its ability to be decorative in all seasons. In fall, when its leaves turn yellow, and in winter when the shape of the bare branches is most visible, I will be photographing it again.

On the other side of the front path is a clump of 'Queen of Night' tulips with a single taller white one for contrast.

It looks better from other angles, but for a photo this is the only perspective with a background against which the black tulips are visible.
I actually planted these bulbs here to mark and protect a tiny variegated dogwood, so that I didn't accidentally step on it before it leafed out. Its slightly curly leaves are just visible now through the tulip foliage.

Continuing progress outside

2011-05-27T03:17:00.003+10:00

The backyard paving is now complete. Even with so few plantings, the space is beginning to look like a garden.

Next year I'll hope to have more than a cluster of tulips in bloom.

A little demolition

2011-05-27T03:07:00.002+10:00

A relatively useless kitchen cupboard built into the wall beside the chimney is going to be replaced with a cabinet and open shelves. In preparation for this, Michael tore it out and also removed plaster from the chimney itself to expose the bricks.

An early wallpaper is still on the back wall,

as well as remnants of a stick-on paper in what I'd guess to be a '60s pattern.

The shady corner

2011-05-15T09:22:00.001+10:00

Back in my post of October 31st, 2010 I recorded planting Enkianthus perulatus, and photographed its vibrant fall colours. It has now decked itself in spring green and a sprinkling of little white bells adorns its branches.

They look a bit like the clusters of bloom on the common Pieris, but viewed in close up are more delicate, less waxy.

An even closer image shows that ants like these flowers too. I didn't realize they were there until I looked closely at the photograph. Now I'm wondering if they are the pollinators of choice for this plant; the opening does not seem large enough for a bee, and it blooms too early for butterflies and moths.

Underneath, Beesia alternifolia is making a fine show. It appears to have doubled in size compared with my October photograph.This must truly be one of the best new foliage plants to become available, both for elegant leaf shape and subtle colouring.

Just in front of it, I've planted a deep purple hellebore. I do hope that in future years it will hold those flowers higher above the fresh foliage.

On the other side of the front yard, I planted a batch of 'Queen of Night' tulips, which are also in flower. There's nothing else in their vicinity yet except some emerging phlox foliage in the background, so they look a bit orphaned. By next year I hope they'll have more companions.

Meanwhile, in the Backyard...

2011-05-12T10:13:00.000+10:00

...the pear tree is in full bloom. We had almost no fruit last year, but if these blossoms are any indication, this year will compensate. I just hope the few sunny days we've had have given bees an opportunity to pollinate it.

Looking at it from the house reveals the progress of Michael's paving project.

He has almost completed it, but rain and gloom yet again mean I haven't taken any more pictures.

Willows settle in

2011-05-12T09:28:00.000+10:00

We have acquired a few rocks to give some definition to the front yard, and spent some days shoving them around to achieve a configuration that pleased both of us.

That done, my two alpine willows finally had a home. Salix nakamurana var. yezolpina (quite a mouthful for a smallish plant) already looks natural against this background. The rock highlights its fuzzy catkins and the fleecy edges to its young leaves.

Earlier in the year, when it was just breaking into leaf, it looked even more woolly:

Salix helvetica is still quite tiny,

but has a few catkins putting on a brave show this year.

I'm pleased with how well the flecks of red in the rock complement the flowers - an unexpected bonus.

Spring tulips

2011-05-03T09:29:00.001+10:00

This cool, wet weather has gone on so long that I was beginning to think my tulips would never open. One warm sunny day was all it took.

Here's my pot of orange 'Ballerina' tulips paired with purple 'Queen of Night'. (The result is more gaudy than I had anticipated: I thought the grape hyacinths - the small blue flowers with the lighter blue topknots - would have finished blooming by the time the tulips opened.

Tulipa turkestanica, also in a pot, is an airy and delicate contrast.

'Spring Green' went directly into the garden. I hope it will look better in future years when it is not alone in a patch of bare earth.

Postscript: Overnight the weather changed back to rain. Today all these flowers are tightly closed.

Another colourful house

2011-05-03T08:58:00.011+10:00

Last September I put up some photos of houses to demonstrate that ours is not your run-of-the-mill, bland neighbourhood.

Here's one more.

Brave paving

2011-04-27T07:21:00.001+10:00

Michael has begun to pave a path and a small seating area in the backyard. It's slow work because the weather hasn't been cooperating. There's also his desire not to put his back out trundling loads of earth and sand around.

All the same, it is gradually taking shape.

The dark earth is part of a load of soil mix that we shared with some of our neighbours. Once the paving is completed I will spread it around more evenly.

Meanwhile, I've planted sweet peas up against the new wood fence. They are not up yet, but I'm quite proud of my twig trellis ready for them to climb.

The shadow against the fence is from the pallet of pavers stacked in front of it.

There's still a long way to go to make a garden here, but my cheery little 'Minnow' narcissus are blooming. I hadn't realized that they were heliotropic ( ie. they turn their heads south to face the sun.)

And along the front sidewalk, I've put in a row of 'Munstead lavender'. The leaves are not as silvery as 'Hidcote', the other popular variety, but the flower is paler and to my mind a more classic hue.

Although they are tiny plants, they should flower this summer. Eventually, I hope they'll grow together to make a low hedge. The chicken wire that now protects our yard from passing intruders, though practical, is not a pretty sight

The Flying Belindas

2011-04-05T03:22:00.000+10:00

Years ago, when we had only been a short while on the farm, I went to a nearby garage sale and came home with four carved Indonesian figures. A friend dubbed them the Flying Belindas (after the world-famous family of trapeze artists known as the Flying Wallendas). For the rest of our tenure at the farm they hung in the shack, aka Michael's studio, aka our guest quarters.

When we moved to Australia, they moved too and graced our little front sunroom for three years. Somewhere along the way they became our goddesses of good fortune. It's taken a year to rescue them from the depths of a chest and hang them on the front porch, but seeing them spiralling slowly in the breeze makes me feel we are truly established in a home once more.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbours

2011-04-05T02:51:00.002+10:00

It's a year since we bought this property, and all that time the vacant next-door lot has looked to the casual passer-by as though it belongs to us. We could wish it did but failing that, a clearly marked boundary would be nice.
And now we have one. In collaboration with us, our neighbours hired a couple of guys to install a wood fence to match the rest of their fencing.

I had to rush out and protect a few emerging perennials from their work boots, but otherwise all went smoothly and efficiently.

What I'm seeing is another good surface to trail some climbers on. There are already a couple of clematis there, one of which is purple - a jackmanii I think - and was obviously planted to grow into the old plum tree.

I was a bit concerned that we would lose light into our basement windows, but the fence is low enough that it's not an issue, at least not yet. When a house is built next door, that will change, of course.

Looking towards that future, I'm planning to plant some shade lovers like hostas and tiarellas in the narrow strips along both sides of the path.

Oddly enough, our backyard looks larger now the fence is in. I think that our imaginary boundary followed a line back from the bit of old fencing at the front of the house, which encroaches about 4 or 5 inches over our property line. The new fence is where it ought to be, so we have gained those extra inches symbolically as well as actually.

Details, details...

2011-03-21T05:21:00.000+11:00

Last fall, while I was digging in the garden, I turned up a rotten piece of wood with tarnished numbers on it.

I removed the numbers, cleaned them and found a new board to screw them onto. Then they languished in the basement for months. Finally I got around to painting the board black. Michael replaced the numbers, and mounted the board beside the front door. Another little bit of history resurrected.

The Black Hand

2011-03-18T13:58:00.001+11:00

I went out to do a bit of gardening today, seeing it wasn't raining. But the air was chilly, so it wasn't long before I returned to the basement door to put my tools away. And there it was on the door frame: the Black Hand!

It definitely hadn't been there yesterday. I wonder if it's a sign to other raccoons that this place has potential as a new refuge or, worse, a restaurant. Hope not.

Back to Grand Folly

2011-03-13T05:21:00.000+11:00

Returning from Costa Rica to Vancouver was returning from summer to the dregs of winter, from lush foliage and flowers to still bare branches. It was, however, the right time to prune the old fruit trees. John came over with his ladder and tools and, ignoring the nasty weather, got on with the job.

The plum had quite a bit of dieback and several witches' brooms that needed to be removed. The result was a rather ungainly shape, but we hope it will recover and fill out over the next few years.

The pear was in better shape to begin with. With a haircut and some judicious thinning it looked much better.

I'd prefer it to be more spreading but with laundry line on one side and fence on the other, there's really no room. The fence has to stay, and I am a great fan of sheets dried in the sun so I'm not about to remove the line.

Phoenix, Arizona

2011-02-28T11:12:00.001+11:00

Our flight back to Vancouver had the drawback of an 8-hour layover in Phoenix. We were travelling with carry-on luggage only and would like to have left our bags at the airport and taken public transport around the city, but of course airports no longer have luggage lockers for security reasons. The solution was to hire a car for the day, and we were glad we did since Phoenix was not a place to get around in by other means: there are such huge distances between its various attractions.

Phoenix art museum was largely closed for renovations, but was still charging full price admission to see a much diminished part of its collection. We decided against supporting such shameless money-grabbing and went instead to the Heard Museum of American Indian Art. Before touring its exhibitions we paused for lunch in its shady courtyard.

The best part of the day however, was our late afternoon visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, where we saw some spectacular cacti among equally spectacular scenery.

Even the entrance to the site is dramatic, thanks to Dale Chihuly's amazing glass sculptures.

Costa Rica - Pacific Coast

2011-02-28T09:56:00.004+11:00

For our final few days in Costa Rica we chose to visit Manuel Antonio reserve towards the southern end of Costa Rica's Pacific coastline. At 683 hectares, this is Costa Rica's smallest national park, but also the most visited. To lessen the impact of visitors, only 600 a day are allowed into the park, and once 300 have entered, more are allowed in only as others leave. Line-ups are common, especially on sunny days when many take a picnic lunch and spend the day on one of the beautiful beaches ringing the reserve.

The park is closed on Mondays, so we decided to drive down on that day, stay overnight close by the entrance and be among the first to enter when the gates opened at 7 a.m.
We meandered down to the coast, passing an occasional high-end resort tucked away in the jungle.

This one had an enigmatic statue monitoring traffic along the road.

There were also some much more basic accommodations.

Once past Jaco, which we had visited the week before, we came to many plantations of African palms. When bananas were threatened by a blight some decades ago, farmers replaced them with the palms. Harvesting the huge palm nuts for their oil is less labour-intensive and the crop is less time-sensitive than bananas

We assumed that the little dwellings we kept passing on open ground between the plantations were for the farm labourers.

At one point we saw a group of workers, driving their oxen along a side road. I wondered how they would react to being snapped, and was relieved when they smiled and mugged for the camera. It is interesting how plain and practical their carts were compared with the decorative ones for the tourist trade that we'd seen for sale in Sarchi.

We stopped at a simple beachside hotel and restaurant for lunch.

It was much hotter and more humid on the coast than it had been in the highlands; we were glad of the shade around the bar.

The restaurant grounds gave directly onto the sand...

... so we were able to take a short stroll along the beach before continuing on our journey.

Michael, as always, had his sketchbook at the ready.

When we arrived in the little town of Manuel Antonio, we found accommodation just around the corner from the park entrance. It was pretty basic, but clean and with a modern bathroom that included ample hot water.

After getting our bearings, we sat in a restaurant drinking margaritas and watching the sunset over the ocean. A dinner of fresh fish rounded things off nicely.
Back in our room we watched TV: familiar movies like Mamma Mia complete with Spanish subtitles were doing wonders for our vocabulary. Besides, one of the deficiencies we had discovered in our room was a lack of sufficient light to read by. (Another was a lack of mosquito screening!)

Early the next morning we grabbed a coffee and a pastry from a little hole-in-the-wall and then joined a knot of people waiting for the park gates to open. We paid our US$10 each and set off along the main trail, seeing an occasional huge blue morpho butterfly drifting past like a blinking neon light. Suddenly a couple of white-faced monkeys came hurtling down the path, and tore off into the foliage. They were so fast and gone so quickly I had no time to point my camera, much less focus. As it turned out, they were almost the only wildlife we saw, although a tourist guide hired by others kindly pointed out a basilisk sunning itself on a tree trunk. It was so well camouflaged we would never have noticed it without his intervention.

Apart from that we had to be content with pawprints on one of the beaches. Considering the size of them, I'm not sure I would have cared for a face-to-face meeting.

In spite of the early hour, the humidity rose with every minute, and the exertion of climbing a few steep ridges soon drenched us in sweat. The beaches, however, were picture-postcard quality.

In spite of the heat, I opted not to swim as I didn't want to hike out with sand in my shoes. Michael took the plunge but reported that the water was "pee-temperature" and not very refreshing.

When we emerged from the park, there was indeed a line-up of people waiting their chance to get in; we were doubly glad we'd made the effort to go early.

Leaving Manuel Antonio we checked out the plane, now incorporated into a restaurant, that Oliver North had acquired during the Iran-Contra scandal to run drug supplies into Nicaragua.

We also stopped for an hour or so at the charming little town of Quepos where every storefront was colourful with paint,

and flowers,

or brightly-coloured wares.

Even the gutters were brimming with colour.

After the long drive back to Atenas, we were happy to spend the next day just hanging around the house, enjoying the peace and the sunshine. It was still dark the following morning when we left for the airport and the flight home.

Costa Rica - San José

2011-02-22T12:14:00.002+11:00

It was Sunday. We decided to have another go at spending time in San José, hoping for a better outcome than our traffic accident of the week before. This time we took the bus.

We had been unable to arrange another tour of old San José, but figured we could invent our own as we went along. We started by heading for the plaza beside the lovely old Teàtro building. On the way we passed this line-up outside a pretty kiosk.

It was a bank and the line was people waiting to use the ATM. (This is a common sight in Costa Rica, and we too have stood in line to withdraw funds. On one occasion in Atenas, we were two people from the head of the line when the machine ran out of cash.)

Just past the bank, we found a delightful statue.

The plaza was flanked by restaurants and glitzy stores on three sides and by the imposing old theatre on the fourth. We used a store window to make one of our traditional "mirror shots". I wonder why Michael chose this one.

The Teàtro was closed, but I managed to shove my camera through the railings to record the facade,

yet more topiary,

and another,more slender, bronze lady.

Beneath the plaza is the bunker-like state gallery and museum. The current exhibition was of ancient coins and we gave it a miss. However, the small but good gift shop offered an array of pretty necklaces incorporating reproductions of some of the coins. Michael bought me one as a souvenir of our holiday.

As we left, we admired a clever fish sculpture made of axle springs that was not displayed to advantage in a dim corner of the foyer.

Our guidebook was not complimentary about San José, recommending that travellers get out of it as soon as they could, but we enjoyed what we saw, particularly a few of the old coffee barons' houses, some restored...

...some not.

The contrast of old and new made for an interesting streetscape,

as did the colours of some of the more modest little buildings.

Several buildings had decorative tile floors in their lobbies...

while others had interesting exterior wall decorations.

We walked through a city park where a little boy was dancing unselfconsciously in the central rotunda, watched by his parents...

...and an imposing conquistador.

I had hoped to capture a modern-day young man lounging at the base of the statue, but he courteously moved out of the frame. In contrast to the guidebook warnings, wherever we went, we found the Joséfinos to be polite, obliging and friendly. (I have to say that since Lonely Planet was sold to the Brits, its tone has become wary, and a snide and superior attitude to the locals has crept in. Bring back the more adventurous, and more generous, Aussie writers!)

On our way back to the bus station, we passed yet another dramatic piece of sculpture outside a government building.

Perhaps if we had gone on a weekday, we would have found the city noisier and more crowded, but as it was we had a most enjoyable day.

Costa Rica - Week Two

2011-02-19T10:03:00.002+11:00

Our experiences on jungle trails brought the realization that most animals and birds keep themselves well-disguised amongst the greenery. In order to have a close look at some of them, we made the short journey to a rescue and breeding operation called Zoo Ave. That's ave as in bird, not avenue.

The adjoining neighbourhood of La Garita is rich in nurseries selling all kinds of tropical plants. Of course, we had to stop at one of the most inviting ones, even though we couldn't buy.

There were tables full of gorgeous potted orchids at ridiculously low prices,

many cacti,

and a brilliant collection of bougainvilleas.

Everything was attractively displayed, much of it under a shade cloth roof which made it rather dark.

I've already mentioned the Ticos' expertise at topiary. Here, both above and below, we saw more examples of their skill.

From there, it was only a few hundred metres to Zoo Ave.

The zoo was very well interpreted with signs explaining their mission of rehabilitation and how most of their creatures were acquired with such injuries that they could never be safely returned to the wild. There were also educational signs with charming graphics:

Translation: my eggs are not the solution. (The turtle is holding a box of Viagra.)

Although the animals are caged, the enclosures are large and leafy, giving them ample room to move about - which they did. As a result, it was difficult to get them to pose for the camera, but we tried our best. At least the macaws were cooperative.

So was this iguana, sunning itself on the roof of an empty cage,

and this somewhat larger lizard.

The toucans were very flighty, and since their cage was huge,

they were quickly able to remove themselves to a distant branch.

The monkeys were so quick it was impossible to photograph them. Every time I got a shot lined up, they leapt off.

At least the plants stayed still!

On the way back home, I took the opportunity to photograph some of the already-familiar landmarks along our route. Our route took us into a ravine below the highway spanned by this curious upside-down bridge,

and wound up and down over the hills, crossing more gullies with cascading streams.

Alongside some of them were some modest cottages,

and little shacks occupied, so we were told, mostly by refugee Nicaraguans.

A marker for our turn-off was this shop, always with a group of young guys outside chatting on their cellphones and waiting for something to happen.

Another volcano

2011-02-18T10:18:00.001+11:00

Since Volcàn Arenal was less dramatic than we had expected, we thought we'd pay a visit to Volcàn Poas, much closer to home. Our guidebook warned that clouds often obscured this region too, but not until after 10 in the morning. We made an early start and arrived at the entrance around 9:30. Poas is currently dormant with the advantage that you can go right up to the edge of the crater. Nonetheless, we duly noted large signs in the parking lot advising all motorists to park facing outwards " in case of emergency evacuation."

A broad paved walk, lined with flourishing tropical plants like gunnera,

led to a viewing platform where various other tourists lined the railings.

But there was lots of room for us too.

It was quite a spectacular sight, with its pale blue lake giving off faint whiffs of sulphurous steam.

I was intrigued by this purple-flowered shrub that was thriving in several places right on the brink.

True to predictions, we had been there less than an hour when the clouds started to drift in. We wound our way slowly back down the steep road and stopped for lunch at a restaurant perched on the hillside.

There were comfortable chairs inside, but we chose to sit on the narrow balcony at a rustic table and bench made from split logs. It wasn't comfortable at all but it offered a panoramic view of the valley below.

We ordered what was becoming our usual dine-out meal, a casado (translation: married man's lunch - although most menus offer it for dinner too). This is a generous platter that includes rice, beans, salad greens with sliced tomato, fried plantain, and your choice of a piece of beef, chicken or fish. It is cheap, filling and delicious.

We detoured on the way home to visit two small towns, Sarchi and Grecia.
Sarchi lures tourists with numerous shops selling furniture made from local wood, some of it very attractive. There are also workshops making brightly-painted replicas of traditional ox-carts, which can be dismantled, crated and shipped anywhere in North America. I settled for a few photos.

For those with their own pair of oxen, this one even provided a yoke, balanced carefully across the rim.

Grecia's chief attraction is its red church, built in Belgium entirely of iron and shipped piece by piece across the Atlantic.

It has elegant doors (which were missing from the original shipment and had to be sourced in Holland),

a simple wooden interior made striking by beautiful chandeliers,

and an intricate tiled floor.

Costa Rica - Return from Arenal

2011-02-16T10:22:00.001+11:00

We left the El Castillo the next morning and arrived at the dam whose construction is responsible for the lake below Volcàn Arenal. Avoiding a busload of tourists heading for a fishing expedition, we turned in the other direction to one of Coast Rica's many natural reserves. A trail led us through dense jungle,

and across a total of seven suspension bridges of various lengths and heights,

Some spanned ravines and waterfalls,

others afforded views over the jungle canopy.

There were other tourists here too. With each suspension bridge limited to a maximum load of 15 persons, we often had to wait for a group to move on before we could cross.

In spite of the warning, we saw no spiders at this bridge,

but we did see some menacing-looking red ants carrying leaves (presumably to line their nests.) They were fast-moving and hard to photograph.

To my disappointment there were few flowers, birds or butterflies, just some lianas with curious, rather suggestive flowers.

In part because of the delays at bridges and steep parts of the trail, it took us most of the morning to complete the circle tour, and most of the afternoon to drive back to our temporary home at Atenas.

Costa Rica (continued)

2011-02-16T09:11:00.003+11:00

Mid-week we decided to make an overnight trip north to the vicinity of Arenal, famous for its active volcano. Guidebooks spoke of lava flows visible at night, and of molten rocks bounding down the slopes. It sounded exciting.

En route we stopped at a town called Zarcero, noted for the topiary in a park in front of its church.

The most elaborate was a monkey on a motorbike.

Even where the hedges had not been clipped into shapes, designs had been cut into the foliage.

The topiary was certainly more skilled than the sculpture of a local dignitary at the park entrance.

For me this little park turned out to be one of the highlights of our holiday.

The volcano at Arenal, however, turned out to be dormant - no molten rocks or lava trails for us.
We were not impressed with the noisy, dusty town of La Fortuna, at the base of the volcano, and chose to move on to the hamlet of El Castillo across the adjoining lake. After bumping down an impossibly rutted and potholed road, we found suitable lodging for the night.

The little cabins were definitely no-frills, but clean and quiet, which is all we require.

True to the advertisement, they had a great view of the volcano, although the cone was shrouded in clouds almost all the time.

Despite that, it certainly dominated the landscape. You found yourself ever watchful for one of the brief moments when the clouds parted and you could catch a glimpse of the very top. Michael sat outside and sketched,

while I sprawled on the bed, reading our guidebook, camera ready at my hand. The clouds swirled constantly so getting a clear shot was a challenge. This is the best I could manage.

Later, we took a walk up the steep hill on which our cabins were perched, and found a sign pointing to one of the last remaining kapok trees in the region. I remember having a pillow filled with kapok when I was a child, but I guess that market has been taken over by synthetics. The Costa Ricans moved on to bananas and coffee, and are now switching to African palms for palm oil.

Apart from one other couple, our accommodations were deserted, but that didn't stop the restaurant from serving up a delicious meal. They also had the best - and most powerful - margaritas that we sampled on the entire trip. We sat and sipped before dinner, watching hummingbirds among the flowering shrubs outside. I tried to catch one on film, a fairly futile endeavour. If you look very closely, just to the right of the bottommost yellow flower, you can see a scrap of iridescent green plumage.

Costa Rica Respite

2011-02-13T07:40:00.008+11:00

We had an opportunity in February to escape the winter doldrums and fly to Costa Rica. Our friends, Howard and Anne, kindly gave us the keys to their cottage in the coffee-growing highlands west of the capital, San José. Here's their lovely little abode.

As well as agaves and palms, the garden had flowering ginger,

and this tree with shiny leaves that looked like a jacaranda but wasn't.

An arch in a hedge led us to the neighbour's citrus orchard where we were welcome to help ourselves to fresh fruit.

At the bottom of the garden, a covered area with barbecue, reclining chairs and a jacuzzi overlooked the valley.

It was a welcome retreat at the end of a hot day of sight-seeing.

Howard spent the first three days with us before flying back to Vancouver. On Sunday the three of us visited Palmares, a nearby mountain town that was having its annual fiesta. We were there too early in the day for there to be much activity, but I did enjoy these children cavorting in large plastic bubbles.

We also visited the town square, where even the local bikers were enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll.

A friendly woman drew my attention to a sizeable iguana enjoying a feast of lettuce leaves.

While I was watching it, a squirrel monkey appeared from nowhere to snatch some lettuce, provoking a little confrontation.

On the way home we passed this combination of bougainvillea and the white flowers of a brugmansia growing almost wild by the roadside.

As we wound our way down the final hillside, we came to more bougainvilleas, this time tamed into a flowering hedge.

The following day we set off for the capital of San José where we had arranged to have a tour of historic buildings. Unfortunately, as we entered the crowded city, Howard's rental car was rear-ended by a local who had misjudged the amount of space between us and the bus behind us. We weren't hurt, but the car was, and sorting out the situation with the rental company took up the rest of our morning.

Instead, with a replacement car, we took an afternoon drive down to Jaco, a resort town on the Pacific Coast. On the way we marvelled at the steepness of the landscape and the way it had nevertheless been adapted for cattle and coffee growing. The tiny white blobs on the hillside below are Santa Gertrudis beef cattle. (Beef is a staple on every menu, along with chicken and tilapia fish which are raised in landlocked ponds.)

We saw several groves of flame trees clustered in the valley depths or climbing the slopes.

Where the land dropped steeply from the roadside impromptu fences had been erected by the simple expedient of planting fast-growing trees, stringing wire between them, and then severing the trunks at a suitable height.

Jaco itself was a bit disappointing. Humid, overcast weather made the grey sand beach even greyer.

And, on this Monday afternoon, the surrounding shops and cafes seemed forlorn although we understand that at weekends the town is jumping with joséfinos (the inhabitants of San José, the capital city).

The most interesting part of the trip was crossing the bridge over the Rio Tarcolès, where crocodiles bask on the mud flats below, oblivious to all the tourists leaning over the railings and clicking cameras.

We counted about 25 of the critters in varying sizes, loafing on the sand or cruising through the shallow waters.

Frosty New Year

2011-01-06T05:02:00.000+11:00

2011 came in cold and frosty here. January is perhaps the month I like least. Festivities are over and the climb of the sun back north seems not to have begun. We wake in darkness and it's dark again by 4:30. Sometimes the sky hardly seems to lighten all day.When the high temperature for the day is hovering around 0ºC, there's no hope of working outside; inside, we need the lights on.

Still, when the skies are clear, it always means an overnight frost, and that does lovely things to familiar objects. Our metal rooster, forlorn in the backyard, gets a fine white outline.

Later, the rising sun turns frost on the roof directly into steam, which drifts past my window as I work.

More snow

2010-11-26T12:48:00.002+11:00

After a brief respite from precipitation, but not the cold, we woke on Thursday morning to the sound of neighbours shovelling sidewalks again. This time I joined in.

Tuesday's snow had not melted, and this new lot was adding an extra layer to areas that had not been cleared. At least the temperature was milder - almost balmy, in fact, at just below zero. The snow continued falling throughout the morning,

making our street prettier than usual at this time of year.

It was not a day to drive anywhere if you didn't have to, so the little car remained parked behind the house - under cover, so to speak.

Rain is predicted for tomorrow.

Early snow

2010-11-23T11:14:00.001+11:00

We were warned that winter might come early this year with colder than usual temperatures. Sure enough the first snow of the season fell on the evening of November 18, and we woke to a light dusting of white on the morning of the 19th. This was the view from our upstairs bedroom window:

Morning traffic has more or less cleared the street already. In the bottom right our neighbour is shovelling the sidewalk. This generous soul has already shovelled her own sidewalk across the street and is now clearing ours as well. City by-laws require home-owners to have their strip of sidewalk cleared by 10:00 a.m.

I braved the great outdoors to photograph the house.

In the front yard, my little Enkianthus has turned overnight from the gold and russet of autumn to winter white.

It remained cold all weekend and is getting colder. The high today was -2ºC, although there has been no precipitation, just a bitter wind. Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny, with a high of -6ºC. By Wednesday rain will bring slightly milder weather with daytime highs back above zero, but still in the single digits.

October 31st - Halloween

2010-11-10T05:19:00.003+11:00

Our former house on the farm in Langley was on a dead-end road far from our nearest neighbours. The long avenue lined by Lombardy poplars that led from the gate to the front door was unpaved and lit only by the moon. We were never visited by any children at Halloween.
When we left the farm, we lived for three years in Australia where they don't acknowledge Halloween.
This year, our first back in Canada, was going to be the first traditional Halloween we'd experienced in sixteen years.

Sarah Jane and Kaan came over and we all carved pumpkins for the front porch (photos, with 3 exceptions, courtesy of Sarah Jane):

This is Michael's shark pumpkin:

This is Sarah Jane's pumpkin:

This is Kaan's ninja pumpkin:

This is my pumpkin:

We thought we were doing well, until we saw the display that one of our neighbours put on:

Here's one elaborate design in close-up:

This was my favourite:

We refused to dress up, but Sarah Jane arrived with devil's horns and insisted that we wear them:

Of course we had bought candy to hand out to the trick-or-treaters ...

... but not enough as it turned out.
At least we weren't the only ones who miscalculated.

First plantings

2010-10-31T03:39:00.004+11:00

A week of rain gave the new soil time to settle. Thursday was showery still in Vancouver, but clearing eastward so I headed that way to meet my friend Pat for lunch and afterwards we went to my favourite nursery, Free Spirit.
Naturally, I came home with a carload of plants. Some were babies of ones I had given to Lambert when we moved four years ago; some were his recommendations for specific locations I described to him; some were irresistible new-to-me pretty things; and one was a house-warming gift. Thank you, Lambert.
At the front of the house, in the angle between the porch and the steps, I need plants that can handle quite a bit of shade. Hostas will fill some of the space, and I had a Hosta sieboldiana already to start the collection. At this time of year its leaves have gone yellow, but next spring's foliage will be a dusty blue-grey. I've added a Beesia calthifolia with stunning leaves of shiny dark green suffused with mahogany,

and a Saruma henryi that has lime-green leaves. Modest little yellow flowers sit atop the leaves of this woodland plant, but flowers are not too important in this location; colourful foliage is more what I have in mind.

I'll admit they don't make much of a show yet. Still, it's a start, and in my imagination I can see them in a few years, filling out their allotted spaces.
Lambert's house-warming gift, Enkianthus perulatus, should be able to tolerate this location, which gets only early morning sun. It will have white bell-shaped flowers in summer as well as this lovely fall colour.

Along the east fence, I've planted a small rambler 'Ghislaine de Féligonde'.

This is one of the most disease-resistant roses I know. Again, it looks a bit miserable at present, but I will train it horizontally against the fence, and it will quickly spread to about 12 feet . Unlike most ramblers, it will flower from summer right through to the end of fall with clusters of cream flowers opening from apricot buds. This is what it looked like in my former garden:

Its only drawback is a lack of scent, but I will find other plants to accompany it that will make up for that.

Grass going...gone

2010-10-21T08:15:00.001+11:00

A weather forecast of no rain for several days spurred me on to order a load of topsoil for the front yard. I've been itching to get at this sad bit of grass, dandelions and buttercups since we bought the house, but a new roof and all the exterior fixing and painting had to happen first.
Finally, however, the big day has arrived when the basis for a garden can be installed. In preparation, we used concrete bricks to fill in some of the space under the front porch, and cordoned off the parking space on the road.

While we waited for the delivery, I spread thick layers of newspaper to cover, and hopefully choke, the existing vegetation, and Michael finished filling the remaining spaces below the porch with concrete boards, which won't rot if earth gets pushed up against them.

"That's a lot of reading material," commented one passer-by.

When the truck arrived, I was a bit anxious that I'd ordered too much soil. Thankfully it wasn't a full load.

I expected the box of the truck to tip, but it had a miraculous moving floor, that shoveled the earth out the back, rather the way conveyor belts move your luggage along on airport carousels. The driver tidied up the last shreds of soil with a snow shovel in one hand and a broom in the other.

We spent the rest of the afternoon shoveling and raking.

Several hours and two stiff backs later, everything was looking pretty nice.

We've erected a temporary chicken-wire fence to keep animals and small children off the soil while it settles, although nothing deters the neighbourhood raccoons, whose footprints were visible the following morning. Since they may have had plans to move in under the porch as the winter weather approached, it's given us another reason to be pleased with the day's work.

The Doors

2010-10-08T11:47:00.001+11:00

The last bit of exterior painting was to do the doors, front, back and basement. It's a great feeling to have so much of the outside of the house completed.

There's just the front and back steps and their railings to do now, but we'll probably leave them until next spring.

Bathroom Blues

2010-09-19T10:54:00.001+10:00

The main floor bathroom, which was the only bathroom until we converted an upstairs closet into an ensuite, has lo-o-o-vely grey plastic tiles - simulated marble actually - on the walls and around the bathtub. When Michael ripped off those around the tub so that we could install a newly-purchased tubwall kit, he found that the plaster behind was mouldy and rotting. It wasn't a pretty sight and it didn't smell great either.

Fortunately, after 24 hours the area had dried out and the smell had faded. With the wall repaired, the first piece of the new kit went on easily.

Then, of course, we found the walls weren't true, so the rigid corners of the kit didn't fit quite as well as we would have liked. However, with the aid of silicone sealer, a renovator's best friend, it ended up looking pretty good.

Eventually we may upgrade to ceramic tiles in this area.

Then again, maybe not.

Finished front (almost)

2010-09-19T10:23:00.000+10:00

Finally, I got around to finishing the trim on the front windows. Now there's just the door left to paint.

Our neigbourhood

2010-09-11T05:24:00.000+10:00

My Australian brother-in-law has sent me an email complimenting us on the transformation of the house. He also says, " brave choice on the colour". Actually, in this neighbourhood we're just contributing to the colourful streetscape already in place. To illustrate this, I went out and took some photographs in the blocks around us. It was a cloudy day, so the colours are less vibrant than they normally appear, but the variations in both architecture and colours of the houses are evident nonetheless. It's all part of what drew us to this area in the first place.
This is the house we face across the street:

And here are some others nearby:

With some, the colour is accented by summer blooms.

Buffing up the back

2010-09-10T10:30:00.000+10:00

The back porch has been the last area to receive attention. A later addition to the house, probably just before the stucco went on, it reflects the inferior quality of post-war building materials. However, with a new coat of paint, even it looks a lot better.

Before black window trim:

After window trim:

Now we just need to put the black detail on the basement window, and paint the basement door black.
(Cleaning up the detritus under the porch will also improve the view. Or maybe I'll just plant a few shrubs in front of it and forget it.)

Grand Folly

2010-09-01T04:36:00.000+10:00

This project needed a change of name. Eastside Eden was proving to be a sentimental indulgence. Besides, my daughter never liked the title - and I always listen to my daughter!

Grand Folly is a more accurate description: it references our neighbourhood, which goes by the name of Grandview; and it is indeed a folly as we remind ourselves daily while slaving away at making it into our vision of a home.

Eventually, the title may change again - to Grand Cottage which is what our friend Jim dubbed it at first sight. But there is much still to be done before it truly deserves that name.

Seeing Red

2010-08-30T04:19:00.000+10:00

At last a significant milestone in our project has arrived: the completion of all the red paintwork on the exterior walls. We had left the front porch until last because it was important to get the exposed surfaces of the house done while the weather held good.
This week, Michael braved an almost vertical ladder to finish the high part of the west wall. That left me to complete the porch.

Even the first coat made a huge difference. (And yes, we do plan to replace the screen door with a more attractive design.)

Next up: the window trim, and the porch floor and steps.

Dormers done

2010-08-30T03:57:00.000+10:00

At last the dormers have been painted. We had had some qualms about doing them ourselves as the roof pitch is so steep. However, at a Vancouver Heritage Foundation fundraiser that included a silent auction, we scored the winning bid on an offer of two professional painters for 8 hours and at a very reasonable price.

They came, they painted...

... and another task was completed.

G1S

2010-08-10T04:38:00.002+10:00

If you've ever bought a sheet of plywood, you'll know that G1S stands for Good One Side, ie. a board with one finished side and the other left rough. That's the house right now, with the east side finished and the other sides almost all at the primer stage. We make progress daily, though slower during the last couple of rainy days. Still, the good side is a great encouragement to spur on the task of getting the whole house to look that way.Only a couple of months ago it looked like this:

And now it looks like this:

We have restored the original window openings which became visible as soon as the stucco was removed. The replacements are double-hung windows which look similar to the originals, but are double-glazed. They also have that wonderful modern mechanism that allows you to tilt them inwards for cleaning the outside of the panes. We don't really need this on the lower set, but it's going to be very handy for the upper ones.

Even as I write, Michael is putting primer on the back of the house. The west side is already primed and as soon as the rain goes away, supposedly tomorrow, we will start on the first coat of red for it. The west wall is the longest, with only two windows in it. It's also the most difficult to use a ladder on because of the proximity of the house next door. At least it doesn't have as many downpipes to work around.

Only the front porch ceiling and house wall below it now remain to be scraped and sanded, as you can see in the photo.

Pretty as...

2010-07-20T13:23:00.001+10:00

Thanks to a spell of warm dry weather, we've made good progress on painting Grand Cottage. The east side has its final coat already and there is just the trim to do. We're very pleased with the way it looks.

Here's one proud homeowner admiring his handiwork.

Although the colour looks quite bright red in full sunshine, it darkens to more of a burgundy in the evenings and on cloudy days. We had initially considered going for a deeper colour, but on seeing several houses in that particular shade, we realised that it turned to purple or brown when the sun was not directly on it.
Bearing in mind how many cloudy days Vancouver has, we chose a more vivid red. We like it, and, to judge by their comments, so do the passers-by.

In the photo below you can see a section of the back wall, still unfinished.

Another couple of days and we will have the trim on this side painted in ivory and black, which will give it more detail.

Looking Good

2010-07-13T12:42:00.000+10:00

Although it is only the primer, it's amazing how spiffy the house looks with a first coat of paint.

Replacing the trim around the bay window helps, too.

We are beginning to see the results of the last two months' hard work.

In the Garden

2010-07-13T08:28:00.001+10:00

The buttercups were starting to run rabid over everything. All my time was going towards the house, so I hired a young man to clear at last some of them out before they went to seed. From the path, you can't see much difference,

but from the back there's a better view of the cleared ground.

The tall plant in the middle is one of many Italian parsleys going to seed. I've pulled most of its companions, but want to leave one to ensure a new crop next year. In the background is our new composter, already being put to good use.

Progress Outside

2010-07-08T03:57:00.000+10:00

With a return of more clement weather, we're working like demons on the exterior walls - so much so that I haven't had time to update this blog for several weeks. Michael power-washed the whole house some time ago, but we still have to scrape and sand every board by hand before putting on the primer. The primer goes on as thick and sticky as molasses, which is hard on the wrists and shoulders, but it does hide a lot of imperfections and we are encouraged by how much easier the top coats will be with this as a base.

This is by no means the final colour, but it is amazing how good it makes the house look.

As I scraped along the front, I came across a set of initials neatly carved into one of the boards. The builder perhaps? We don't know, but will at some point try to find out.

Close to Completion

2010-07-08T03:47:00.000+10:00

At least on this single, small room. With the floor finished...

...we cleared all the rubbish out of the shower stall and made it usable.

Harvey, our plumber, installed the new low-flush toilet, and a sink on top of the old pine desk we acquired to use as a vanity. It's great to have a plumber who doesn't think you are quite mad. Harvey just raises an eyebrow at our plans and then says "We'll make it work." And he does.

Eventually, we'll find suitable mirror for the wall behind, although the height of the wall means that only I will be able to use it. Michael is too tall.

Michael re-installed the baseboards and I painted the walls. There's that middle drawer on the vanity to shorten (because of the pipes behind) and insert, and some more trim to finish, but it actually feels like a proper bathroom now.

Bathroom floor

2010-06-14T04:33:00.000+10:00

The upstairs bathroom moved closer to completion with Gillian of Small Renovations, laying our floor tile.

Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)

Moving in

2010-06-14T04:22:00.002+10:00

Monday, June 7 was the day our container of furniture arrived. Of course, it was raining!

I had gone downtown the previous week to clear the shipment through Customs. Although I had to wait an hour, once I approached the counter the process was smooth and swift. This was at least partly due to the efficiency of Janet, our contact at AMJ Campbell, the moving company. Janet gave us excellent advice about what documents and ID we would need. The Customs officials were apologetic about the wait, quick and friendly with the paperwork. "Welcome home", they said as I headed for the door.

And so, right on time, the container arrived outside our door. Well, nearly outside. Although we knocked on every neighbouring door, we couldn't find the owner of the car parked right in front. I don't think the guys minded that nearly as much as they minded our stairs and the many cases of books they had to carry up them.

It took a set of bolt cutters to remove the seal from the container doors.

As the morning wore on the pile of bubble wrap in the front yard mounted ever higher.

Inside the house, the boxes also piled up.

And as we unpacked, every surface was gradually covered with our possessions. How did we still end up with so much stuff, in spite of stringent paring down?

By the end of the day, we had at least one room arranged in some semblance of comfort.

Exterior almost complete

2010-06-14T04:03:00.000+10:00

Of course, it needs a coat of paint, but the carpentry on the exterior is now done and all the detritus cleared away. With a new roof, new windows in the original openings, and cedar siding replaced where necessary, "Grand Cottage" is standing proud.

That is merely a primer coat on the dormer, not the final colour.

More Progress

2010-06-04T14:49:00.000+10:00

I've mentioned the new ensuite bathroom. Here's the shower, just installed.

We chose this model because it fitted most neatly into the available space. We were also worried about getting it up the narrow stairs, but hoped that, as the base came separately from the walls, it stood a reasonable chance of success. As it happened, the wall section only made it up the stairs with one of the walls angled over the wrong side of the banister, and just squeezed through the landing after the casing around our bedroom door was removed. This was great good fortune, because we had no Plan B.

Downstairs we still had no furniture, but we did have a phone and a wifi connection.
Here's Kaan looking quite at home with my laptop and the floor.

Another purchase was a flat-screen HD TV. (Well, if you have to get one, you may as well invest in the latest technology. Besides, we have a habit of keeping our TVs for about 15 years, by which time this one will a) have paid itself off, and b) be a dinosaur.
It is of relatively modest size compared with most on the market. We felt very modern with a TV our only furniture.

The living room has also had a coat of paint, a warm caramel colour called Sisal, which is going to look great with our deep red carpet and our cane furniture.

Inside job -painting, that is.

2010-06-04T14:08:00.002+10:00

We needed to get the upstairs rooms painted in a hurry before the carpet installers arrived. I originally chose blue for our bedroom, but decided it was too gloomy and repainted in my favourite sunny colour, Benjamin Moore's Hepplewhite Ivory, which is more of a rich cream than an ivory.

The boxes on the floor contain the tiles for our new ensuite bathroom, converted from a tiny toilet room and a large adjoining closet.

At least I chose right the first time for the other upstairs room which will become my workspace. The sage green is another Benjamin Moore colour, Wind Chimes.

There was progress downstairs, too, with the living room completed in a warm caramel colour, Sisal, that complements the honey-gold of the newly polished floorboards.

New windows

2010-06-04T13:58:00.001+10:00

The next exciting day saw the installation of our new windows, replacing ugly aluminum ones. As much as possible we restored the original openings in the walls and copied the old, double-hung style.
In preparation for painting, Michael has power-washed the siding, which is why it looks so naked.

The tarps are because it was raining. in fact it rained all week. Oh joy!

Inside the downstairs bathroom you can see the dark grey plastic tiles, which will also have to go at some stage.

Progress Inside Too

2010-05-10T11:03:00.005+10:00

While the gutters were going on outside, the fir floors in the principal rooms were being sanded and refinished.
Here's the living room before sanding...

and after two coats of polish.

The hallway also got the treatment...

and so did the room which will become Michael's studio

The interesting issue here was that the dark stain was covering a burnt patch in the middle of the room. It is still visible, but will be covered by a dropcloth when Michael moves in.

The New Roof Goes On

2010-05-10T10:39:00.001+10:00

After a day or two of showers, during which our house lived under a tarp,

the last of the old roof came off and the huge bin full of all the old shingles was hauled away.

The weather cleared and the new roof began to be laid,

and the house immediately took on a brighter and cleaner appearance.

No sooner was that complete than a crew arrived to install the new black gutters and downpipes. We chose black because it will not show the mould and dirt that are inevitable consequences of Vancouver's weather. It will also match the eventual colour of the window sashes.

The Roof Comes Off

2010-04-25T10:39:00.000+10:00

With the stucco gone, the crew began on the roof. There were two layers of asphalt shingles and one of cedar to remove.

The new asphalt shingles will go on over a plywood sheathing.

The Grand Unwrapping (continued)

2010-04-25T10:19:00.003+10:00

Over the course of the next couple of days, all the stucco came off. The crew told us that it was mostly in excellent condition, and they marvelled at how long and straight the boards of clear cedar were. Passers-by also approved.

On the side and back views, you can see the shape of the original windows. We'll be returning the openings to those dimensions.

Meanwhile, down in the basement, Michael and Glen, our electrician, removed the ceiling of the one finished room to make rewiring easier.

Inside the cavity, they discovered a considerable collection of mouse turds and a few desiccated bodies.

Michael was also spending a lot of his time inside scraping yet more stucco off the ceilings.

Luckily, this cellulose-based material scrapes off easily with warm water, leaving a smooth surface that shouldn't even need sanding.

The Grand Unwrapping

2010-04-21T02:28:00.000+10:00

7:30 am: Monday morning. We arrived to find the work crew already starting to strip stucco off the house. As we had hoped, the old bevelled siding underneath is in excellent condition except for a bit of rot around a couple of windows and at the bottom of the front steps.

This is where pictures are worth more than words, so here is a brief visual account of progress on this first day:

The men began at the back...

then they moved around to the side...

and by the end of the day they had begun on the front:

We are delighted to see the character of the old house beginning to shine through.

The First Day

2010-04-14T09:46:00.002+10:00

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable friends are a huge asset in finding out just what you've got under the roof of old house. Jim and Lauren were quick to come over with pry bar and hammer to help us with uncovering some interesting features.

First task was to remove the boarding on the stairs to reveal lovely old spindles still intact:

Then Jim and Michael prised up the carpeting:

The original newel post had been sawn off when the panelling was attached, but Jim found us a perfect replacement that only needs to be sanded and painted.

Outside, Jim peeled back a bit of the stucco and, sure enough, there is wooden siding hidden underneath:

We actually have three different kinds of stucco on this house: on the lowest level there's "beer bottle" stucco with embedded chips from actual old green and brown glass beer bottles.

Above that, covering the main and upper floor, is a paler stucco without the embedded glass fragments,

and on the front porch there is a truly ugly two-tone mix that I have just learned is called California stucco.

You can see the effect here, with Jim and me examining it.

All of it will be coming off in the next month or two.

Jim incidentally, has named our house, which is in the Grandview neighbourhood , Grand Cottage.
How's that for an oxymoron? I like it.

Eastside Eden

2010-04-08T03:14:00.003+10:00

Now that we have returned permanently to Vancouver, this blog needs a new name. Ozblog was right for Australia, where the locals regularly refer to their homeland as Oztralia, Oz for short, but it's no longer appropriate.

Our new home is on Vancouver's east side, so Eastside Eden seems appropriate. It's something of a misnomer at this point, as you can see from the photos here,

but we'll be working towards making place and name a good fit. Restoring the house and surrounding it with a flourishing garden will be an ongoing project - to be recorded here in all its triumphs and disappointments.

The task begins on April 10th...stay tuned.

Something tells me it's all happening....

2010-02-12T12:26:00.001+11:00

We decided that before we left Sydney, we should visit Taronga Zoo, which occupies a headland sloping down to the harbour between two bays. It was an enjoyable 15-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to Taronga wharf. From there, a cable car, new since our last visit, whisked us swiftly over the zoo enclosures to the upper gate. Views of the harbour from inside the car are stunning, worth the price of admission in themselves.

As for the zoo itself, although the animal enclosures have been much improved in recent years, and the zoo makes a good case for conservation of endangered species, I still find it slightly distressing to see some of the animals in these conditions. Exceptions include the elephants: signs around their enclosure explain that all of the adult elephants were rescued from much worse conditions in Thailand.

The first baby elephant born in this zoo is a star attraction at the moment, and he's certainly very cute.

The other highlight for us was the birds-in flight-show, where free-flying assorted raptors and parrots come on cue to a young woman standing in the middle of a small amphitheatre. Having hawks, buzzards, an owl, a condor, a brolga, as well as assorted parrots and pigeons swooping low over your head as they arrive on cue was amazing. There were even a couple of trained rats that ran along that railing in the background, to the squeals of children in the audience.

This yellow-tailed black cockatoo reminded us of the ones that we often saw soaring over our house in Katoomba.

Emergency Procedures?

2010-02-12T11:58:00.000+11:00

Sydney trains carry signs advising passengers what to do in case of fights or other disturbances happening in their carriage. I wonder how foreign visitors who have difficulty reading English make sense of these pictographs:

Can you guess what this means? Those of us who are fortunate enough to read English get some help:

The Best View in Sydney

2010-02-04T10:00:00.004+11:00

Waverley Cemetery occupies the headland between Bronte beach and Clovelly beach, just a couple of headlands south of Bondi Beach. The vast tract (42 acres) was set aside in 1875; the first interment took place in 1877. Several significant Australians are buried there, from poets to politicians.

On a hot, humid afternoon we escaped the confines of our stuffy little house to pay it a visit, enjoying the sea breeze while we wandered among the graves. Why didn't we go for a swim instead? Because beaches were closed along the coast due to a heavy and dangerous ocean swell. From the boardwalk that runs along the cliffs below the cemetery, we could see the waves foaming against the rocks.

Predictions are that Waverley Cemetery will run out of grave sites in about fifteen years. As we approach, it does appear that there's not much room left.

Yet, on closer inspection, the graves are actually well-spaced, allowing visitors to stroll easily between the rows.

One of the models for the site was supposedly the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Here in the Antipodes, presumably due to climate and poor soil, and perhaps also to the salt spray, there are no trees of any significant size.

There are, however, magnificent views of the ocean, and some elaborate and beautiful monuments.

Best of them all, for both sculpture and location, is this angel.

According to its website, in an average year Waverley cemetery:

conducts 190 interments,
records 80 new reservations,
provides 11 guided tours,
hosts 5 major film shoots,
gives 4 public lectures,
carries out 650 grave searches,
receives 6000 hits on the web site,
and receives more than 36,000 public visitors through the main gates.

Australia Day

2010-01-31T14:35:00.002+11:00

January 26th is the national holiday. It was sunny and bright, so we took the train down to the harbour to take in a few of the festivities. We arrived on the steps of the Opera House just in time to see the end of the traditional ferry race by several of the old Sydney boats, painted in cheerful red, blue and yellow.

It was quite an obstacle course for the skippers through a churning mass of spectator boats. Both they and the ferries themselves proceeded through clouds of foam, more noticeable in the camera record than it was to the naked eye.

There was a fireboat spewing water...

and a sail-past of tall ships. Although we missed this, there were a number of the vessels still competing for space in the harbour.

Some spectators brought their own protection from the sun,

while others found the Opera House sails provided handy triangles of shade.

Millions of photos have been taken of the harbor from the platform around the Opera House, but there's an attractive view in the other direction, too, into the Royal Botanical Garden which curves around the waters of Farm Cove, the spot where the First Fleet anchored in 1788.

Unlike many botanical gardens, it's free. Signs at the entrances encourage the public to enjoy its many attractions, while also hoping for donations.

Today some of the larger trees were also being sought out for the shade they cast. The tall tree in the centre of my picture above is a Norfolk Island pine, broad enough to shelter quite a crowd...

although not as effectively as the spreading Moreton Bay figs ( Ficus macrophylla) that share this park-like area,

and have the added advantage of providing seating for some.

From under this one's spread we watched a demonstration by a search-and-rescue helicopter,

which dropped two men into the water,

and winched them back up again.

Note the quintessential Aussie Akubra hat on the man in the second photo.

To reach the nearest train station on our way home, we headed for Macquarie Street, which runs directly south from the harbour. A prestigious downtown address, it is lined with medical specialists' offices on one side, the state library and parliament buildings on the other.

Closed to traffic on Australia Day, it becomes the site for an open-air vintage car display. Every car you can imagine is represented, from Armstrong-Siddeleys...

to Hudsons...

to Morris Minors ...

to Australia's own iconic Holdens (this one complete with matching vintage caravan.)

There were woody wagons...

and weird little Italian cars I'd never heard of.

There were even a few recent models, surrounded by admiring men.

I, of course, was more interested in the reflections of palm trees in the shining paintwork.

At home that evening, we could hear the ubiquitous fireworks exploding over the harbour. It hardly seems any time since the last lot. In fact, if you look at my first photo of this post, you'll see a grid hanging from the arch of the Harbour Bridge, part of the scaffolding for the New Years' Eve display not yet taken down.

Riding the Manly Ferry

2010-01-21T11:20:00.002+11:00

When visitors to Sydney ask me what to see and do in the city, my answer is always the same: go to Circular Quay and take the ferry to Manly.

The ride is cheap, the harbour views are unbeatable, the ocean beach at Manly is beautiful, and for those who like walking there is a waterside path following the harbour shoreline all the way to Middle Harbour.

We had already planned that we would make this journey at least one more time before leaving Australia. Tuesday seemed like the perfect day : clear, sunny but not too hot, with temperatures in the mid-twenties. We took the train to Circular Quay. Looking down from the elevated platform, we could see our ferry arriving.

This is the slow ferry. Those in a hurry prefer to take the HarbourCat, which does the journey in about half the time. One was just leaving as we boarded our boat.

The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran a summer poetry competition on the subject "the Harbour".
The winner, just announced, took these two ferries as her theme, riffing on Robert Frost's famous poem The Road Not Taken. It sums up our own feeling about the experience.

The Ride Not Taken

by Tina Matthews

Two ferries moored at a harbour pier -
Knowing I could not ride on both
To get to my place, it was clear
The fast, new ferry would get me there
A ferry to Progress: first stop - Growth!

But I took the other, old and fair,
And sat outside with the sun at my back,
Travelling to I-don't-know-where,
With iPod commuters who couldn't hear
And would rather have ridden the HarbourCat.

I heard the sea and I felt the spray -
Oh, I know folk throw their rubbish in!
But a subsidiary of the STA
Casting this fine old boat away
I proclaim to be a greater sin.

On land, in water and in the sky
Pollution mucks up every sense.
Two boats converged at a wharf and I -
I took the one that delights the eye,
And that has made all the difference.

We too sat outside with the sun at our backs, and watched Sydney's well-known skyline recede in our wake.

We passed Kirribilli House, the Sydney home of Australia's Prime Minister, which faces the Opera House across the water.

The country's previous prime minister, John Howard, refused to live in landlocked Canberra, the nation's capital, preferring this abode and commuting at taxpayer expense. Hard to blame him on a day like this.

Halfway through the voyage, we crossed paths with the other ferry on the Manly route, heading for the Quay.

Manly itself is on a narrow spit of land between the harbour and the Pacific Ocean. Disembarking at Many Wharf, we made our way with other beachgoers along the Corso, the pedestrian mall thatlinks these two bodies of water.

If you look closely at the first image, you can see the small, white jets of water in the pavement that continue all along this strip to the great delight of children.

A pub on our route provided an opportunity for a mirror shot:

The ocean beach, like many beaches on the east coast, is lined with huge old Norfolk Island pines.

We sat on the grass in the shade of these to eat our picnic lunch before moving to a bench in the sun for a little while.

Michael surveyed the swimmers...

or was it the sunbathers?

There was virtually no surf on this day, although the following day saw many of the beaches, including Manly, closed because of the dangerous swell.

Back on the harbour side of the peninsula, we set off on the coast walk, passing a group of children in their characteristic sunhats frolicking in the shallows. School uniforms are worn by most Australian schoolchildren and the sunhats, in whatever the school colour might be, are regulation wear for outdoor activities on sunny days.

The path was wide and level, affording us views back towards the ferry wharf,

over marinas,

and down into secluded bays.

Strategically placed benches provide walkers and locals with spots to sit and contemplate the scenery.

Not wanting to make it a really long day, we left the path about midway along its length, hopped a bus back to the city, and another to home again.

More Newtown

2010-01-19T16:26:00.000+11:00

Every little walk we do in this neighbourhood brings fresh delights. Last Saturday we set out on foot for Eveleigh markets, a food and produce market held once a month in a cluster of old railway buildings.

On the way we passed a mysterious street sign,

a modern fresco,

and this fine row of terrace houses facing an equally fine row of fig trees.

In this inner city area there are few back lanes, and even if there are, the backyards are often too small to accommodate a parking space. As a result, streets are lined with cars at all times.

Road Art

2010-01-12T10:50:00.000+11:00

If you take the route from the airport to downtown Sydney, and avoid the expensive underground tunnel, you will travel along Anzac Parade and South Dowling St. A red light at the intersection with Cleveland St. will give you time to admire this innovative planting:

Returning towards the airport allows you to see the Volkswagen's back end:

South Head

2010-01-11T11:53:00.005+11:00

January 7th was a hot day so we thought a walk along the coast would bring us some welcome sea breezes. We drove to South Head, the bluff that forms the southern entrance to Sydney Harbour. Looking outward from here, all you can see is the ocean;

looking inward, through typical Sydney red tile roofs, you can see the famous opera house and the "coathanger", as Sydneysiders affectionately call their bridge.

South Head lighthouse dominates the high ground.

A protective fence around it warns off trespassers in misspelt English. I am collecting quite a portfolio of misspelt official signs in Australia. You would expect government departments to get somebody to proof-read their messages. Wouldn't you?

A short trail leads along the top of the cliffs, providing views south along the coast towards the lighthouse above Bondi Beach

and northwards across the harbour entrance to North Head.

We took full advantage of these opportunities.

The trail passes above the notorious Gap, which used to be a favourite suicide jump for depressed locals.

There have been no recent suicides, but a man was convicted last year of throwing his girlfriend to her death over the fence.

Although the scenery was stunning, breezes were non-existent so we abandoned plans to walk further and retreated to the relative cool of our little house.

Living in Newtown

2010-01-08T10:32:00.004+11:00

After the end of the great road trip, I was all blogged out for the rest of the year.
However, the new year has had its usual invigorating effect, so...

In mid-December we found another temporary home: a small semi-detached house in Newtown, one of Sydney's inner suburbs, just a hop and skip from the University of Sydney.

This typical semi is just one room wide, with a long connecting hall running down the inside wall.

The original house would once have had a toilet out the back, but now ends in the added-on bathroom. Both kitchen and bathroom are 2/3 the width of the property, leaving space for a courtyard.

For many decades Newtown was a cheap place to live. It was always attractive to students, of course, because of its proximity to the univerity, but most locals were just working-class poor or unemployed of all ages. Some of the old buildings became council housing, some became backpacker hostels, and these have remained as the area has slowly gentrified over the last 20 years. Today there are as many young professionals in the area as there are old timers. The owner of our place is typical: a 40-ish film maker, mostly doing documentaries on aboriginal issues, but currently engaged on his first feature film.

Like the inner suburbs of most cities, Newtown has its share of graffiti. Some is eye-catching and artistic:

Some is subtle and amusing:

The verbal kind runs the usual gamut, from aggressive...

to plaintive...

(Optus is one of the local cell phone companies)

Journey's End: Tannachie to Glenbrook

2009-11-28T11:27:00.002+11:00

November 25

We had a farewell coffee with Piers and Patricia in Orange, before going on our way. First stop was a car wash so that we could return the van to its owners in sparkling condition.
Thanks to a leak in the radiator hose, it was a slow journey from then on, as we had to stop every 50 km or so to replenish the water supply. Nevertheless, we were grateful that everything had held up so well until this, the last day of our travels. We limped into John and Susan's in Glenbrook, and the van seemed happy to be home after its 12,000 km journey with us at the wheel.

After a delightful evening with them, we got up the following morning, reclaimed our little Echo, stuffed it with our belongings and cruised down into the Sydney suburb of Turramurra to a great welcome from my sister and her family.

So ends one great adventure. Who knows what is next for us.

Cowra to Tannachie

2009-11-28T11:25:00.001+11:00

November 23

Cowra has an ambitious rose garden in front of their visitors' centre. There is even a little brochure explaining its origins and listing the roses planted. They're not my kind of roses, but they were making a fine show.

On close inspection, I thought the flowers were either small for the varieties listed, or pale. This is 'Just Joey', which is usually a warm apricot colour in my recollection.

Cowra also has "the largest Japanese garden in the Southern Hemisphere". It is beautifully maintained, and there are great views from a convenient knoll, incorporating a waterfall.

It's a lovely contrast to see the formal green shapes in the foreground against such a traditional Australian country landscape behind.

I liked the fresh spears of Agapanthus backed by a large chunk of terracotta rock.

After leaving Cowra, we went directly to our friends who live on 640 acres of land outside the country town of Orange (which, incidentally, is famous for its apple orchards.)

November 24

Piers and Patricia have a lovely house with a great walled vegetable garden and a sandstone terrace with clipped parterres. From our room we could look down on the terrace,

or further afield over their rolling pastures.

We went for a walk over some of their property, combatting the flies as we went.
Patricia and I protected our heads with fly nets, and I felt rather like a lady of Edwardian times with a demure veil over my face.

Fortunately, the flies preferred our backs to our fronts, as you can see from Piers and Patricia

and me.

We had a lovely time there, very restful, and particularly enjoyed Patricia's cooking and the bottle of 1980 Grange Hermitage which Piers chose to accompany one meal.

Gundagai to Cowra

2009-11-27T10:10:00.016+11:00

November 22

You get the impression that, since the highway bypass went in, few travellers stop in Gundagai. But everyone in Australia knows of the town because it features in a well-known ballad about a dog left to guard his master's tuckerbox (provisions). The master dies but the faithful, or possibly stupid, dog refuses to leave its post and also dies, still guarding the tuckerbox "five miles from Gundagai", as the song records.

There's a statue commemorating the dog at the appropriate distance from town, conveniently beside the highway. Around it is a clutter of signs, fast food outlets and other junk, including a plaque giving a different (and much more tacky) story about the dog. I prefer the one I was told. As you can see, it's hardly a great work of art.

Go to Gundagai for its lovely trestle bridges, and forget the dog!

We reached the large town of Cowra around midday. It has a leafy, grassy caravan park beside the river, where we settled in. In the amenities were signs so garbled with government-speak that it was hard to grasp what they were saying.

How exactly do they "improvise the health of their water resources"?

Late in the afternoon, a group of five young French speakers arrived and set up their tents so close to us that we actually moved our van a little further away. We were expecting to be kept awake by them, but they turned in early and were gone before we woke up. On the other hand, some grey nomads much further away partied loudly till the small hours.

Beechworth to Gundagai

2009-11-27T10:08:00.006+11:00

November 21

Another grey sky, but not dustladen this time. Rain was falling and continued all morning.
It didn't take us long to reach Albury, just across the river in New South Wales. Albury is the hub for the area, with all the standard chain stores and banks represented. The only interesting thing about it is that it has the longest railway platform in Australia. Until the 1960's, trains from Melbourne and Sydney ran on rails of different gauges. Both terminated here at opposite ends of the platform, and passengers transferred to continue their journey in either direction. From a pedestrian overpass, you can see the grander NSW end fading away towards the modest Victoria end in the distance.

Otherwise, on a Saturday morning at least, Albury is an awful place, full of surly people elbowing their way through the parking lots and malls. Hunting for a parking space, we came across a couple arguing across the back seat of their car with both doors wide open. When we tried to get the guy to shut his door so that we could use the adjacent parking, he snarled at us. Inside the mall, overweight parents were hassling their children, then threatening them if they squawked. We grabbed our few groceries and beat a retreat.

We drove north on the Hume Highway, usually busy but quiet on this weekend, through rolling farmland dotted with Black Angus cattle, and came to the small town of Gundagai. Gundagai has some nice old houses and two abandoned trestle bridges, one for rail, one for cars. This is the rail bridge:

The town used to be on the flat land below the bridges, but after a couple of disastrous floods, one claiming 78 lives, it was moved up the hill on which it now stands.

The bridges were abandoned when the highway and a new rail line bypassed the town. A plaque describes their current status as "managed ruin". This is the car bridge:

We spent the night in Gundagai's quiet caravan park.