The patient is doing well

Aldi is all good again. She was walking normal again after the third day. I am still trying to keep her quiet but she is eating and drinking again and I am happy.

Beware it's Tick Season

While I was posting some of my trip photos yesterday morning I noticed my dog Aldi had gone lame. Immediately I suspected a tick, searched and found it. I've removed them myself in the past on my other dogs but they were not affected at that point.
I didn't dare risk self treatment at this point as she had lost control of her hind. So I took her to the vet who was anxious to point out that treatment would cost from 800-1000+. Which at this stage was unaffordable because I don't trust plus quotes. So I said I'd have to take her home and hope for the best. At least they gave her a sedation and got the tick off.
Then they suggested leave her for a days treatment for 600 dollars. What could I do she's my buddy so I said ok. I've got her home now and have to keep her quiet for a month. Which at the moment is easy as she is still unable to walk.
But that kills any plans to go to the property this weekend. 

Home Again

Well back to real life. It was fun escaping for a while but home is where the heart is they say. Hopefully I will be off to the property this weekend. Although this blog is essentially about it I will post some pics from my trip.
It certainly opens your eyes when you travel to another country and experience the cost of living there. Overall, it reinforced my feeling that we are being cheated here by big business and governments.
Despite having many tunnels and road infrastructure I never saw a toll road in Berlin. Alcohol is ridiculously cheap because the only tax on it is vat. Food was cheap also. My jaw dropped the first time I paid at the checkout at the local supermarket, even with 19 percent vat compared to our 10 percent. I was looking constantly at comparisons in costs and if they weren't cheaper then they were at least equal in cost.
Being such a cold climate it goes without saying double glazing is essential. I was amazed to see aluminium double glazed windows for 69 euros available in several sizes for the same price. You still have to buy a steel frame which is secured into the frame or concrete but try and buy just a small aluminium window here for that price let alone double glazed. They are really nifty too in that when you turn the handle one way they swing and the other way they tilt. I could go on but too many words and no pictures can become dull.

 This was an old town called Marbach dating to the 1200's. Pictured is Dad, Wolfgang and Birgit

 I was bedazzled by the vivid colour of these potted flowers. And enjoyed the colour of many a windowbox.

 Another town in the South called Laufen.

 The arrival point in Berchtesgaden. Train and Bus depot on left and hotels, guesthouses on hill in background

 Looking from one side of roundabout in centre of Berchtesgaden. A view to behold.

 We went to Salzburg on the most glorious day weather wise. We regretted later not using that day to visit OberSalzburg.

 We were lucky in a way that we got there early because the cloud came rolling in soon and spoiled any chance of paroramic shots the day we visited OberSalzburg and the Adlers Nest.

 This was a a great get together in the Australian traditon. With Grilled chicken and sausages and plenty of Petra's perfect potato salad. This was a summer house which can be bought quite cheaply. It is not much more than a garden shed turned cottage but the gardens were beautiful and they are very affordable.
You will mostly find these community gardens along the rail lines.

 Celina with an Igel. Now that gets confusing when saying it in English. As it's obviously not a bird. I guess
you could say it is like our echidna except the hair is finer but spikey none the less. So no cuddling too close, which is a shame as they are so cute.

The Rhine is such a beautiful place. Three things I can say, lots of vineyards, castles and stone walling.

We did a 2 hour trip from St Goar to Bingen. There was a picture to be had where ever you looked.

This is Westerland in Sylt an island just below the Danish border. Very clean looking and it had it's own distinct style.

The North Sea wasn't very inviting and I was ropable about a charge to go on the beach so I just took a picture or two over the wall.

The last evening before we travelled home. It was a nice time.

My last supper. Beef Rolladen with red cabbage and herb potatoes. Yum.

The new Sony Centre in Potsdam Platz, Berlin. Many cafes and eateries at ground level and offices above.

Two views from the tv tower at Alexander Platz. Nice Restaurant there as well. The floor rotates and you get to take in 360 degree views over about half an hour while dining.

Time to leave. So sad.

Ich bin ein Berliner

We are here. Well we've been here since last Friday but today is the first day we spent as tourists. And of course any tourist to Berlin has to see Brandenburg gate.

Test

I've just installed blogger on my galaxy s. I'm doing a test post to see how easy I can blog on the go.

Dog bones and echidnas

Things are happening in twos at the moment. I found another dog skull and some bones on the inside of my fenceline. A little smaller than the last. How strange to be finding these all of a sudden. Also spotted a small echidna near the dam and then later that day a bigger one in the front paddock.
I also finally got the courage to take the tractor down the back and found I had reason to be hesitant. The ride down was ok as I always suspected but coming back up was hairy as can be. I was concerned it might lack the power and stall halfway up which would not be good with the brakes as they are. However the scariest part is the front wheels lifting and going sideways when you want to go straight. Fortuantely a clump of ground blocked them and the rear wheels pushed forward enough in time to make it up in one go. You seriously would not want to stop, roll back and try again.
I wish I had pictures for show and tell but I don't. It was good to clean up the lower parts.
I'll be away for a while now. I am off overseas for 5 weeks after 10 years since the last time. I am sad and not even looking forward to going at the moment but I have always wanted to do this trip with dad and as he is in good shape now for 76 and he is concerned for his sisters health, it is best to do it before he is not able. I know once we take off and my mind is focussed on the trip I'll be happy. But Gully has a draw on me so strong now, I can't wait to be back.

Picture Post

Cleared fenceline down to first gully

The weapon

Big log

Dog skull. Could this be Ruby?

Taming the Jungle

I've gotten into the swing again at last and have been going every weekend for the past couple of months. I even had a 3 dayer the weekend before last. But no matter what I plan to do on a weekend it's like the bush over rides those plans and needs to be tamed before it gets too big.
Last weekend I heard a radio and some macheteing down the back. I thought that odd so went to check and found Ashley my neighbour at the back fence. He told me he wanted to put his cows in the paddock next to mine and needed to check the fences before he did so.
Of course he found the huge tree that had come down on our fence and was about to cut it up so he could mend the fence. I was rather embarassed because it was my tree but it was too large for my chainsaw.
Of all the neighbours I've met I've found Ashley the most likeable. Not too sure if the feelings mutual.
I offered to help but he seemed very independant about it so I set about clearing the fenceline from the top down to where he was working to reduce any further problems with the fence in the future.
I still need to continue down from there to the gully where the back boundary is.
However my new weapon against the lantana arrived last Friday and I diverted to making a path down from the back of the shed to the back gully. It's a circular saw blade for the brushcutter and let me tell you this is a scary thing. You have to be conscious all the time where you are putting that thing because the way it melts through not only lantana but modest sapplings and branches as well tells me it could delimb human or animal easily.
It was so overgrown down the back it was hard to tell when I'd reached the gully.
Unfortunately I've never been able to get the tractor down there because there was no route gradual enough to drive. I may need to get an excavator in to make a shallower track down there.
Oh and speaking of the tractor, another part failure and repair job in the last couple of months. The casting for the thermostat cracked and started leaking. I bought one on ebay and fitted it but it must have been a one hung low job because it wasn't a perfect match in that the water neck sat lower than the original and there are two bolt holes for the front of the fuel tank that don't line up. They are further forward.
Let me tell you there was more swearing than on a ship full of sailors when I discovered this.
It meant another trip before I could have it running again as I needed a longer radiator hose.
As if to really get under my skin after thinking I'd finished at a new hose and cable tying the fuel tank. The bloody thing wouldn't start. Fortunately for me I remembered seeing what looked like oil leaking from the ignition coil sometime before and was able to pinch one off an old ute I have lying near the shed. That fitted I was in business again.
I made a second path down from halfway down to the dam but looking at it now I think it may be too steep for the tractor as well. If not going down then probably to drive back up.
Anway I went to check the fence at the gully where I remembered another huge tree had fallen and woe is me it was gone in one section across the gully and very worn in another.
There must have been a huge amount of water through there after the last time I'd been there.
It's a nice spot when it is hot and the water seems to have redefined it prettier even than it was.
Perhaps because there was still water in it even after it hasn't rained for a while. It's usually dry except for after rain.
Unfortunately I haven't taken any pictures for a while but I will stick some in my next post.

Has the green movement had it's day?

I once was glad to consider myself among the crowd that cared for the planet. With influences for social justice and the environment from Peter Garrett and his music. Songs like blue sky mining really went down deep in my heart.
It hurt a lot after years of respecting this guy to learn that once a politician you put on the same colours as your party. The party first above all else. It even makes me wonder if it wasn't about the money and niche markets all along.
I read this morning even after million dollar add campaigns and rallies yesterday that still only a third of people are in favour of the tax. I am so proud of the people. Often accused of being sheep, it seems most can see through the hog wash and spin being thrown at them for the last 6 months.
It isn't over yet by any means. But it can go one of two ways. Either the people hold out and the Prime minister backs down or the tax is done regardless .
If the tax is established and I suspect it will and people see it for what it is and how it has cost them without doing what it is claimed to do I'd suspect that there will be a backlash on green groups and politicians.
While I have no sympathy for politicians of any colour I think it is a shame that donations to worthwhile causes for the environment and wildlife could reduce either due to households being cash strapped from the emmissions tax or just hatred at the greens for visiting this tax upon them.
The one statement I see all the time from supporters in the green movement is " any action on climate change would be a step in the right direction as far as I am concerned"
So they are admitting that they aren't confident that it will work to the level required but as long as they think they are winning it will do.
Thats my thoughts for now.

Update

Time for an update of whats been happening at gullygunyah. A lot and not much at the same time.
I've since given up on any plans to build new accomodation in the near future and stuck the shed savings into the mortgage which is redrawable anyway. Silly of me not to have done this from the start. But I thought it was going to happen quicker than it has worked out.
The rainfall in the past year has seen me losing the battle against the jungle that surrounds the humpy.
I spent all last year cleaning up and being so happy with the results and then the extreme wet season take me back to the start again. The tractor as to be expected from a 50's model is proving to be a pain in the ass and needs constant attention. Fortunately nothing major at this point.
The battery I was running my power from died an early death and I learnt a lesson I should have known already about shoddy manufacturers rebadging their crappy products under other names.
I got barely 3 years out of it and it never had a hard working but avoid AmpTech batteries which I was told belongs to super charge and has various complaints about it's quality about the net.
So I've bought some Trojans this time with double the capacity and at least double the lifetime
of the other. We had this type at our fishing club and they got at least 6 years of hard work from them by 20 odd fisherman. I hope I get 8-10 at least.
It is difficult having a foot each in two camps particularly working mostly alone and I have at times been so close to just saying right that's it sell the house in Brisbane and move to gully full time. The current economic conditions in my trade make me feel all the more that way.
It's going to be an interesting 12 months ahead because I suspect that may be my direction chosen. The lower gully or back gully was flowing hard I could hear it from the shack. Kelly loves water and is the strangest dog in that she will put her head under water and look like a snorkeller. I thought dogs didn't like water in their ears?
She is as all good cattledogs worth their salt a fanatical game player. Also great company while you're working and actually useful. With the tonnes of lantana and unwanted sapplings cut and all the dead wood collected from the ground, she loved to catch as I threw it onto the stacks and helped by pulling and tramping the stacks down.
There's more I could post but that will do for another.

A long time...

A lot has happened since my last post and I probably would not be posting now but for my feelings about the hoo hah about the carbon tax. I figure if I am going to disagree with other bloggers that I follow, the least I should do is allow a fair return by opening my blog up to discussion about the tax and ets coming.
And when I say coming it's as sure as every other boom the stock market and financial institutions have created.
The deception has been brilliant to the point that environmetalists believe that mining companies and power producers fighting against it are worried about the cost to their pockets. So lets screw them and side with wall street.
And this is somewhat true but also false at the same time. Don't get me wrong I am no fan of mining companies and what they do to farmers and people where they want to dig their holes.
As businesses go you have expenses and profits. The profit is what you have after all expenses have been removed. If expenses go up then the final price on your product goes up. And the consumer pays.
If however you are competing in a market where some of the competition does not have as many expenses as you then you cannot compete. That is why all our local industries have failed one after the other here to the point we import way more than we use to. Thankyou aus gov.
That is what a carbon tax will do to our local industry yet again and continue us on the path to total dependance on imports. Great for the oil reserves hey?
So bits of paper are to be issued that represent an amount of carbon emmissions. We all know how much a piece of paper is worth. A fraction of a cent. So there is a huge profit margin in these bits of paper for governments and companies issuing them. No surprise that some of the biggest supporters for carbon taxing have interests in these carbon credit issuing offices.
But even more evil is the veiled surprise a couple years out from the introduction of the carbon tax in the form of an ets. Yes we won't have a fixed price that people can budget for but a moving price. You know like the moving price of petrol or interest rates.
Ok 10 dollars a week certainly doesn't sound like much even to people close to the line with their budgets but what happens when the market decides that the value of emmissions is 250 dollars a tonne? Wouldn't that mean the cost to people would increase to 100 dollars a week?
I'm sure that could rock a lot of people's budgets.
But if you happen to have a lot of carbon credits it would make you very wealthy. Who is likely to own a lot of carbon credits? Well you might say people who are creating emmissions. Unfortunately the stock market was designed with good intentions but due to greed in man has ended up a monster out of control. We have seen the Great depression, we've seen the tech bubble, we've seen the housing bubble, guess what's next.
Speculators have at times driven the price of oil to extremes and didn't that hurt. Get ready for the same on the price of emmissions per tonne.
The crying shame is that the very people who care about the planet are helping to bring this about without achieving the thing their hearts desire. A cleaner planet.