For a long time I’ve wanted to remove this internal wall but have been hesitant to do so, probably because I’ve listened to others telling me that it will reduce the value of the house and that it I was just being stupid.

I really need to have more confidence in my self and decisions and so with that in mind I have begun the transformation today.

Taking off the gyprock was very dusty and so there is a fine layer of white dust throughout, and so I wore a mask while I was removing it.

I’ll not do too much more until the Data guy comes to move the NBN and network connections. He’ll come on Tuesday morning because I don’t want to risk doing damage to the current network connections and hardware.

Cutting through the hard wood frame will be the next challenge and I think that will be thought through thoroughly before I do anything.

Up at 5:30 this morn and got to the train station at 6:45am. Get the 6:51 train to Ipswich and then the 7:05 to Rosewood and then back via Haigslea and Fernvale.

A couple of minutes after I arrived, a young guy on the other platform shouted that the trains had stopped due to a power outage. I checked my phone and sure enough he was right. I had fifteen minutes to get into Ipswich Central, which is only two stops on the train, however on the bike I might be in trouble.

When I arrived at the station the guard told me to go to platform 3 and they blew the whistle just as I got to the platform, luckily they held the train for me and I was on my way. My breakfast was not very happy at being jostled around so much and so it was good to just to sit on the train for 30 minutes to recover and let my stomach begin its job.

I never paid my 50c ticket this morning so I sneaked off the train, I was the only passenger anyway and I don’t think anyone was too concerned. It’s not that I didn’t want to pay it’s just that it was all a rush at Ipswich and I forgot.

It was only 24C this morning and it was very pleasant, there was even a bit of cloud cover which kicked in from time to time on the way back. I like Rosewood; it has a nice vibe about it. I took a new route today, first to Mt Morrow and then Haigslea which took me across the Warrego highway and onto Fernvale along some lovely country roads. This route was not as challenging as the Marburg road but the ride is quite a bit longer.

When I arrived at Fernvale I was thinking of coffee and then I thought that my stomach might not appreciate a double shot Latte at this point in time so I looked for a place to refill my water bottle instead. There is a Bike Hub/Information block where filtered water was on offer and free charging for you E-Bike is you have one. I stopped for 10 minutes and then joined the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) The trail started as a concrete path but soon turned to dirt on the outskirts of Fernvale. The path for the most part was fairly well graded although there was a bit of erosion and ruts due to the storms and there were quite a few dead trees fallen by the path which I guess have been tidied up.

The gravel section lasted for around 20 KM I imagine, before we entered civilisation once more and the smooth concrete beckoned. For most of this patch I was escorted by Butterflies, Dragon Flies, and numerous small birds and I got whacked by a Cicada. For most of the trail the cicadas played their symphony drowning out everything but my thoughts.

When I got to Brassall and back on the concrete my legs were beginning to complain and I was dropping into very low gears to keep my cadence high, but I knew I didn’t have far to go to the Jasper Café where I could recharge with Latte and Danish.

The café is less than 5KM from home, however there are two hills to navigate and thankfully my legs held strong and I did not have too much trouble. When I got home I sat out the back and drank the remains of my water and felt remarkably ok.

Just under 60 KM from rosewood today but if you count my ride to the Ipswich station this morning I would have done about 64Km in total.

I ordered a Pizza, got changed and the rest is history. Pizza was delicious, 30 min siesta and after several cups of tea I feel grand. Mind you I will be having a lazy day tomorrow……

I wrote this article a few years ago for The Album of Suzhou, It describes one of my favourite gardens….The Master Of Nets.

Just click on the link below ⬇️

Master of Nets Garden with audio

It’s going to be 2025,
I’m going to be 65,
Where is Moon Base Alpha?
Where’s my replecator?
Where is my flying Ford?
Where are all the robots?

Instead we have chat bots,
Scam calls from India,
And Skins so thin! ,
More genders than grains of sand,
Too many acronyms to understand.

But some things stay the same,
Scottish weather,
The purple Heather,
Black pudding and Haggis,
Single Malt; preferably Jura, 
Which I will imbibe.

Happy New Year!! 🥃

Up at the crack of dawn which is pretty early at this time of the year, the sun just can’t wait to show it’s face.

I got the train to Rosewood again this morning and went via Marburg, another small town.

I then headed to Glamorgan Vale,

I turned right and then headed to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail,

Very different terrains today. When I left Rosewood there is a hill called Evans Hill which was very hard to climb. My breakfast hadn’t kicked in and when I hit this hill I ran out of juice real quick and began to overheat. I stopped three times on the climb just to get my temperature down and this is where my heart rate peaked so it wasn’t a very good start. I think if I had come across this after about 30 minutes or so after setting off I would have handled it better.

There were a few other hills to tackle but for the most part it was relatively flat and there was a nice breeze crossing the plains, only problem really was the road surface which was very rough and that makes it a bit more difficult.

I had to go on to the main Brisbane Valley Highway for about ten minutes and then I headed to the old rail track that lead me right back into Ipswich.

I stopped for fuel at the cafe just to make sure I’d get home. I paused my tracker while I had coffee and cake and when I set off again I was a couple of hundred metres down the road before I realised, and so I was a bit disappointed when I finally made it home that I had recorded just under 50KM. I haven’t done this distance for years and I could still climb the stairs of the house without too much bother and if course I had no choice but to treat myself to pizza.

The big fat guy is coming your way,

Is that still OK to say?

Apparently he drives an open sleigh,

A convertible no less, he’s got too much money,

I heard his girlfriend is a bit of a honey,

Can you still say that?

Or is that woke or sexist?

I can never tell,

It doesn’t always go down well,

So no matter whether you are a he, she or it,

Merry Christmas

Tis the Season to Be Jolly,

It’s cold outside; it’s still and white,

The stars abound and the moon is bright,

A UFO appears and streaks across the sky,

We are not alone, who is this guy?

His annual visit is upon us once more,

His work is tireless but he will just laugh and roar,

There is never too much work; there is never an end,

How can he deliver all these presents my friend?

Well he runs a very modern sleigh pulled by reindeer you say,

They are not normal of course but special indeed,

They feed on special grass which gives them more speed,

They’re as high as kites no matter the weather,

They can’t feel a thing just more pleasure and pleasure,

They’re here to help Santa on the one night of the year,

They park the sleigh on the roof as he nips doon the chimney for a beer,

So what happens if there is no chimney?

Do you think he might just climb in a windy?

Ah mean how does he do it? I’ve never worked it oot,

Our house had no chimney yet the pressies were there,

Sometimes there were many sometimes the tree was bare,

But it didn’t matter ‘cause that’s not what it’s about,

But I hear people say and I hear them shout,

That it’s Christmas and the kids should have plenty,

But all this seems to do is make them greedy and make their hearts empty,

The more they get, the less they appreciate,

The meaning is lost and the credit card is in deficit,

Too much is spent because we are told that we must,

The winner is the retail but the pressure will bust.

It’s a pagan festival after all high jacked by the Christians,

St Nick was used in as an example of tradition,

A poem in 1823 made the first reference to thee,

But it was Coca Cola that finally set you free,

They made you this big fat happy chappy,

With long flowing beard and hair to match,

Bright red clothes with a big red hat,

An invention of the commercial to make us drink coke,

But now we say he is Christmas, what a bloody joke,

Millions are fed a story of fake news,

But I don’t see many people condemning because the money is huge,

The almighty dollar is the truth and the reason,

Wrapped up in some pretty paper to appease even the heathen,

So we don’t mind celebrating Christmas because we know that it’s pagan,

And celebrates no more than a change in the season,

The days will get longer and we will be nice to our friends,

Hell we will even be nice to family although it makes you go round the bend,

We must enjoy ourselves, ‘cause it’s the season to be jolly,

But my friends I say that this could be a folly,

Although I do like the Christmas lights but that won’t make me believe,

I enjoy the Christmas carols but I’m not so naïve.

The shops are too busy and I only want to buy a loaf,

But instead I have to fight my way through all the oafs,

Panicking about how much they spent,

Panicking about what friend they missed,

I have to buy bigger ‘cause that’s what you do,

It’s not the thought that counts anymore,

Its’ the price tag or name,

Christmas could be so good but now it’s a shame.

You celebrate Christmas and this is your right,

Stop changing the language to suit the minority,

If the foreigners are not happy then they can grab the first flight,

You know you want to say it but no one will stand up and fight,

If the schools tradition is there from the first stone,

And you celebrate Christmas then carry on,

If your city or village is similar too,

Tell them all to bugger off and stick their head doon the loo.

But every year it gets bigger and bigger,

Although the rules change and I begin to snigger,

There are more gutless wonders that can’t make a decision,

Christ I feel that I’m on a bit of a mission.

We should say Merry Christmas and nothing else,

We should not be sensitive to other religions,

Sensitive to a poor ethnic that complains about tradition,

Well I say bugger off and shove your petition,

This is a Christian country and I am a heathen,

But I believe in tradition and culture,

And we must protect it because of the future and for the past,

We must be more proud of our heritage and help make it last,

We celebrate Christmas and that’s just fine,

But don’t ask me to enjoy it, but I will have some wine………….

Is 30 mins by train from home and is a small country town which is nice place to go for coffee and I guess a slower pace of life. I took the bike on the train so that I could cycle back via god knows where.

Mind you today is getting up to 37C so I guess it wasn’t such a wise move to go today but I thought what the hell. When I arrived in Rosewood at 8:30am it was already 30C but there was a breeze blowing so it didn’t feel that bad.

I took two bottles of water but forgot to take snacks which was silly because there were a couple of hills that were really tough and took a bit of effort to climb, one was on gravel which makes for a difficult climb. You can’t get out of the saddle because the rear wheel spins and you get no where fast.

I had intended to go to Fernvale to join the bike path but the road was too busy and the temperature was rising so I headed towards home a bit earlier and cut across a few gravel quiet roads and headed to the cafe in North Ipswich for refreshments.

Just before getting there I came across a convoy of motorbikes as they were heading on their annual Santa Ride, there were hundreds of them and they had a police escort plus cars were stopped at junctions to let them through. Some were dressed for the occasion.

I made it home, it was 34C when I arrived and I put on the air conditioning, got changed, heated the left over pasta and made a pot of tea and I’ll be inside for the rest of the day.

Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of the Album of Suzhou which is a group of people who wished to promote Suzhou and introduce it to the expats that were living there.

Eight years ago I was part of the initial group led by Patrick that participated in getting it off the ground. There were many people back then both locals and foreigners that took part and enjoyed exploring this amazing city which is a cultural centre spanning 2500 years.

The AOS has gone from strength to strength and now in its 8th year the celebration is quite the spectacle.

I felt privileged to be part of this and it allowed me to get to know many people and also many hidden gems.

If you ever get a chance to visit China then you need to come here for a few days.

When I lived there I had a great time, and if Covid hadn’t come along there is a good chance that I might still be there. Life was simple yet fulfilling and part of that has to be because of the Album of Suzhou that gave me purpose and a sense of wonder of what can be achieved over the millenia when man is not killing each other.

I also wrote this poem about Suzhou,

People write about Suzhou all the time,
But never seem to do it in rhyme,
So I thought what the hell Ill give it a go,
And so here we are Ill be done in a mo.

There are gardens a plenty for all to see,
The Master of Nets, The Lingering Garden and the Couples Retreat To name but three,
We have Tiger Hill and Jinji Hu,
But you might still discover something new.
It has character and history,
It has longevity and mystery,
It has beauty and culture,
It has canals and boats,
Around the old city there is a wonderful moat,

The food is tasty but a little too sweet,
So I will add some chilly and eat some meat.
I like to walk the old streets and the lanes of the past,
I like it here because the pace of life is not too fast,
There are over 6 million people, but you would not know it,
So lets keep it to ourselves we dont want to blow it.

At night the city is reborn in the light,
New life has been given and its a wondrous sight,
The colours abound and the buildings look new,
The canals are exquisite, many colours and hue,

So to one and all this is Suzhou for me,
Oh and dont forget to come here and drink the tea,
The tea is expensive, the tea is divine,
And always remember if you have the time,
To come to Suzhou to look and explore,
Cause everyday you will find more and more.

Master of Nets Garden with audio

It’s a wet start to summer, the Bremer River is in spate which is always a concern. It’s metres from the height that would cause me problems, however it has risen very quickly because the rain hasn’t stopped for two days. Mid week I could see the sand bar in the middle of the river at King Edwards Parade and today it would be under maybe seven or eight metres of water.

It’s good to get out in the fresh air even though the sweat is running down the shuch o’me arse but I’d rather have that than being stuck inside for another day. I’m out on the bike and the humidity is so high that the sweat is running into my eyes.

I dropped off my library book and then went for a slow ride via the cafe so that I could get a blueberry Danish and coffee, my excuse is that I need fuel for the way home.

The drainage in the garden coped well with the rain but I think I can improve a few areas which I will work on either today if I can be bothered or tackle it during the week when the sun returns.

I’m not working tomorrow, well not as I write this because the school run I’ve been doing finished on Friday, mind you I might pick up a bit here and there over the coming weeks.

This is the beginning of two months of a break which is not good for the finances but good for the soul.