Sorry for the gap between posts, but there is still no internet at the farm yet. The landline has now been reconnected though, so it shouldn't be too far away.
So the first few days of 2017 were eventful, and it hasn't settled down one bit since then.
With plenty of rain about, i put my newly acquired Vivente Como onto the also newly acquired TranzXmag trainer to keep the legs moving. I've ridden on fluid trainers a few times over the years, and thoroughly hated the experience, so i was pleasantly surprised to find the mag trainer is not too bad. It's still a very poor substitute for real riding, but at least it doesn't have that soul crushing obstinance that seems to be the hallmark of a fluid trainer.
In time of course the skies cleared and it was back onto the road, enjoying the fantastic scenery in the cool mornings.
So the first few days of 2017 were eventful, and it hasn't settled down one bit since then.
With plenty of rain about, i put my newly acquired Vivente Como onto the also newly acquired TranzXmag trainer to keep the legs moving. I've ridden on fluid trainers a few times over the years, and thoroughly hated the experience, so i was pleasantly surprised to find the mag trainer is not too bad. It's still a very poor substitute for real riding, but at least it doesn't have that soul crushing obstinance that seems to be the hallmark of a fluid trainer.
In time of course the skies cleared and it was back onto the road, enjoying the fantastic scenery in the cool mornings.
On Tuesday i headed for Dr Pages Road, full of enthusiasm at the prospect of picking up some PBs now that it has been upgraded from badly corrugated single lane gravel to 2 lane bitumen. Sadly, road surface is only one ingredient, and legs are also required, so i was nearly a minute down on my pb. To be fair, that was set when it had been freshly graded and was smoother than even the best hotmix.
But just this morning, with a total of 120kms for the year, the feeling started to come back into my legs, and i was half a minute faster up the range than just a few days before. That's still jolly slow, but any progress is very encouraging.
So onto the really exciting stuff! Yesterday morning i was up early ready for a ride when my olfactory organs detected a most heinous crime against humanity coming from the bathroom. Something was most awry with the septic tank, and i had to sort it out or else.
Luckily i didn't have to go full Kenny, but i did have to dig a hole 1m wide and deep and about 6m long to sort out the overflow. At some point i will have to move even more soil and do things with broken pipes but for now it's good enough, and i was able to get to work only an hour late.
After a long day at work i got back home ready to jump into the car to pick up Winter from daycare when i noticed a chip packet in the passenger footwell move. "Great" i thought, "there's a rat in here, or maybe that bastard hare i'm after is taunting me". I looked around for a long and pointy piece of timber, and coming up short i got my Martini .22 which is long-ish, pointy-ish, and has the advantage of being able to shoot things.
My confident and hurried search for "something small and fluffy" ended very abruptly on the rear passenger footwell. Slowly and carefully i got my phone out, and rang Mum. "Hey Mum, could you ring the daycare for me and let them know i'll be late picking up Winnie? I'm staring at a bloody big Red Bellied Black inside my car..."
"Bloody big" is quite an understatement, the thing was friggen enormous, easily the biggest one i've ever seen. The question of course, was what the hell to do next. Equipped only with thongs and a 120yr old rifle, relocation wasn't much of an option, especially as attempting it could result in the thing hiding itself somewhere inaccessible. Waiting for a snake catcher had the same problem. So that left only one way out. Shoot it while it's in the car.
My Martini was the first rifle i bought, for the hefty sum of $450. But she's wonderfully accurate, and when i needed her most she didn't let me down. One subsonic 22Z dead center and the crisis was over. (And then another once it was out of the car, just to be sure)
Now yes i know, they have an important role to play in the ecosystem blah blah, but my family constitutes an ecosystem and it is one with which slithery bitey things are not compatible. I'll make up for it by shooting that bloody hare when i finally get the chance (the thing seems to know exactly when i DON'T have a gun in my hands and chooses those moments to pop up).
So with such a stressful day, dinner was jam donuts and profiteroles because bugger it Daddy's stressed!
We were at least able to pop over to Gunny and Pop's, where Winnie had a very excited conversation with Pop.
Myself, Andy the fixie guy and at least one other will be undertaking another expedition to Baiyambora Gorge on Sunday, so hopefully i'll be able to get a Them Thar Hills post up on Sunday night.
Fair Winds,
LDR.