Going, going, gone

Well that house that sat behind the Sow's Ear is well and truly gone. It was burnt badly during a fire in May and last week it was progressively demolished. Here is a pictorial of its demise.

This photo was taken late 2010 when the house was still intact and when we had  overgrown bushes

The day after the fire in May 2012

The house being demolished last week

The house is demolished

A vacant block of land.
As you can see Jason was very severe with the pruning shears on our back fence line! Let's hope they grow back.

Busy weekend working on the Sow's Ear

There is always something to do on the Sow's Ear. That's just the nature of home maintenance and of looking after an older home.

With the windy overcast weather today, we decided to oil the timber of the side staircase that Mr D and Scotty built a few months ago. That was the final thing to be done on the staircase now that it has been completely painted. It will probably need a couple more coats as the timber just soaked up the decking oil like a sponge.

Newly oiled decking and treads on the exterior stairs

We also bought a few bags of black polished river stones to fill up a disused garden bed that is located near the rainwater tank where Jason built the new valance. This spot usually just fills up with leaves...we thought the stones would make this area look a little more loved.

black polished river stones. We bought the 30mm - 50mm size stones.

Jason's valance building is becoming more prolific and he started a new set of decorative valances under our bedroom. There's no stopping him...except for the fact that he ran out of timber!!

Another valance for under our bedroom  Work stopped after Jason used up all his timber  supplies.

We also did a very severe prune of our lilypilly bushes, I forgot to take a picture but I will show you in the next post to illustrate that pruning is not done half-heartedly around here!

Holy Valance: part 2

If at first you don't succeed try, try again.

After Jason's first attempt of the valance turned slightly pear shaped, he's made some adjustments and is much happier with the how this attempt has worked out. It's a more solid construction so it should stand the test of time.

Jason started another valance under our bedroom and will slowly progress work around under the deck. It should look very nice when it's done.

What's been happening?

We had a fantastic long weekend away camping at beautiful Brunswick Heads in Northern New South Wales. It was so nice to get away from the general rigmarole of the Sow's Ear...although we still had to pitch a tent...and Jason was still wielding a hammer...

Brunswick River.
Image stolen from Madame McGreevy

Sons #1, 2, 3 in soft focus, playing on the beach

When we returned, we came back to this view from our back deck. The old house at the back of the Sow's Ear which had burnt down in May (read here) is finally being demolished. We received a letter in the mail telling us that the house was being demolished and removed this week. So sad.

In the letter it contained an image of the house as it was originally. It looks like a war service home - they were built for returned soldiers after World War 2...but I could be wrong. If only the image was bigger, you'd be able to clearly see the back gable of the Sow's Ear which pre-dates this house by 20 years or so.

So, I wonder what will be built in its place? A prize to the person who guesses correctly...you'll just have to wait a while to find out who is the winner.

Holy Valance!

It's been crazy scary around here this afternoon. Jason's been working like a man possessed trying to fix up a  little fubar on the newly erected valance he finished on Sunday.  Here's the story...

Jason took the day off to escort Son #3 on his Kindergarten excursion to a farm. After dropping off the two eldest boys at school, we were motoring along to the Kindy, chatting and talking about the old Queenslander houses which dot the route. I'm driving, Jason gazes thoughtfully out of the passenger window while Son # 3 exclaims how he's going to milk a sheep (city boy).

"Look at the valance," said Jason casually, "I don't really like how they've angled it that way. It's not as good as ours."

"I don't mind an angle but, yes dear, your arched valance is a work of art," I replied, noticing Jason's chest expanding with pride.

"And I don't like how they've left a big gap between the weatherboards and the start of the valance," critiqued Jason pointing to an old Queenslander we were driving past.

"You know, they have to do that. It's so the termites can't eat through the main part of the house. It would compromise the ant capping on the house stumps. See how all the houses along here have that gap between the weatherboards and the valance battens," I said. Expertly.

Jason was silent.

"You left a gap on ours, didn't you?" I enquired.

I turned to look at an ashen-faced Jason.

'No I didn't. Of course I didn't leave a bloody gap. I've butted the valance right up against the house. Holy f@%k! That's all I bloody need," he exhaled.

"Oh!"

Which brings us to this afternoon, a crow bar and a sledge hammer were wielded with genuine fury. Some choice words were aired.

Jason showed no mercy. If only he had ripped off his shirt, I would've filmed it for the fans.

New supports which Jason spent this afternoon building. It will allow Jason to put on cross beams on which the timber battens will be nailed. It will also not compromise the ant capping which (you can see the corner of it at the top of the concrete post) prevents termites chomping through our timber house.

Jason's workshop in the fading light. From what I can gather termites will travel along concrete stumps but the ant capping stops them from getting to the timber. The timber valance Jason built previously would have been an access point to the weatherboard house. Best to fix it now before it becomes a problem.

Jason's had to dismantle the whole thing and start building the valance from scratch again. He is so angry at himself for making such a rookie mistake...he also hates the fact that he wasted a lot of precious time.

I said he shouldn't be so hard on himself. Live and learn, I say.