Well hopefully, I spent most of a Friday up on the roof installing “Gutter Guard” around the solar panels. It’s a plastic mesh which is fairly resistant to UV and I am hoping that the “Gaffa Tape” I used will also last for a fair bit of time. There is no way to fix the gutter guard securely apart from using the tape, I mean you can’t screw into the solar panel in any way.

The wind was terrible on Friday and even worse yesterday. I nearly got blown away a few times along with my materials and tools. The end result looks not too bad and I went back up on the roof today to see what damage if any had occurred from the extremely high winds but thankfully it all looks intact.

I think I got too much sun on Friday because yesterday I felt so lethargic and my heed wus nipin” Dehydrated and maybe even a bit of sunstroke although I was covered up from head to toe but the glare off the roof was pretty intense……

But if this solves the pidgeon problem then it will be all worth it. I haven’t seen or heard them today. Maybe they have done a few fly buys to check out the situation but as yet I haven’t seen them……….Happy Days.

This morning I thought I would have the day off, I’ve been climbing on the house roof for two days and before that the garage roof and so I thought that today I would have my feet planted firmly on Terra Firma and so I went for a bit of a bush walk to the White Rock Conservation area which is only about 20 mins away. The app called “Alltrails” is great because it allows you to locate these walks quickly and easily.

This walk was fairly easy and about 40% of it was on firebreaks and fire trails but the rest was off through the bush. it was not a difficult walk although there were a few sections where you had to take care with your footing.

White Rock stands proudly mid walk and is easy to climb to reach the top. Funny thing is when I neared the top of the rock I could hear voices and as I looked up there was a young black couple as black as the ace of spades descending White Rock, I thought that was funny for some reason.

On top of the rock the wind was howling and you had to be careful not lose your footing. it obviously been a very popular place over the years as the abundance of rock carvings can testify, although this ain’t no Aboriginal dream time cultural stuff, this is just the usual Tom.Dick and Harry graffiti brigade.

Not much wildlife on the trail, mind you there were a few large Bull ants, only a few birds were braving the winds and I was lucky to see a Goanna or some kind of lizard which was around one metre long. it casually strolled across the path in front of me and then walked through the bush parallel with me for a bit then disappeared. I haven’t seen one of them for donkey’s………..

This walk was around 7km but there is another which is nearly 18km which I might work up to, but will have to take lunch with me and plenty of water for that adventure.

They were not happy, I wasn’t that happy either having to climb onto the roof which is over 5m above ground level. I bought a new ladder which folds into many different shapes and forms. It stands at 1.5m to begin with but can extend to 5.8m which is just enough to get me onto the roof.

I tied the ladder to the house but I still wasn’t brimming with confidence, but once I was up on the roof and getting down to business it felt a bit easier……..it’s just the getting on and off the ladder which is a bit dodgy.

I have 6 solar panels lying flat on the roof and another 5 in a row behind angled at 40°. There are three pidgeons in all that frequent my roof and they have made a nest right under the flat solar panels where there is a gap of about 140mm. The amount of shit that was under there was disgusting. There was also a large nest made from mud,sticks and plenty of shit by the look of it. it was in such an awkward place that I could not really get at it and so I had to use some old tongs, small shovel and a stick to try and break it down. I then got the hose and blasted it as best I could. I would have removed about 2 bucket loads of nesting material and the remains of a bird. There were at least two eggs which got washed out onto the lower roof and were then keenly eyed by “Magpie” The debris got washed out onto the lower roof and made it’s way to the water tank where I then had to scrape a few inches of shit and crap of the strainer, much of it over flowing onto the garden.

The first day they did not come too close to the house but did a few laps doing fly overs to see what was going on. Last night however just around dusk I heard them come and land on the roof but I was ready for them. I blasted them with the hose and the three of them took off in hasty retreat and flew west to another roost, but I don’t think the battle is won just yet……..the pidgeons are determined creatures and will try to sneak back when I’m not watching. When I first moved in many years ago there were a pair of pidgeons here and these could very well be the same ones. it took a long time and many hours of fixing shade cloth to areas of the house to prevent them from taking up residence so I am expecting that this will take more than two days of work to discourage them but it is a start. But I’ve been away from the house for four years and so I guess they thought it was as good an opportunity as any to move back.

I am not too keen in getting back up on the roof all that often, especially at this time of the year when the westerly winds are very strong making it difficult to be climbing about and exposed roof, but I think I will have to get back up later in the week to put some shade cloth around the edge of the panels like a skirt to try and prevent them from returning. I don’t want to have to climb up here week after week as it’s not the safest place to be.

If I could maybe make a deal with “Magpie” to patrol the roof top for a small fee, I would be happy to feed him if he sorted out those blasted pidgeons because I have seen him taking a few pot shots at them in the past so it would be a good deal for both of us……………………

So I’ve just about got to a point where I can sit back and enjoy the house. The house feels a lot better now that it has some life back into it. I have done most of the big jobs in the house and most of the heavy lifting has been done. Yesterday the dishwasher gave me a hard time when I replaced the outlet drain hose, it was a lot easier than I made it. I stripped to much of the machine trying to gain access but then worked out that there had been no need, but anyway after several hours and worn out finger tips I managed to get it running.

I grabbed all the plastic containers, plates, cutlery and anything else I could squeeze into dishwasher and set it to “HOT”. I feel a lot happier using these things now that they have been through the heat of the dishwasher rather than just soap and water in the sink.

For the third morning in a row the winds have been strong and cool. Today I walked to the shops to pick up a few supplies and then came back and vegged in front of the TV for a bit, I just don’t want to do anything today and I am trying not to feel too guilty about it.

I have much to do, the garden will take a long time to put right but I feel that the house is nearly up to speed and so I will sit back and be a couch potato for the day, crawl into sloth mode and enjoy with out having a guilt trip at the same time. I’ve been so busy that I feel I’m about to be shouted at to get off me arse and get back to work and then I’ll just tell myself to Fuck off………..

The 23rd of July was the day I moved back into my house and it was also my birthday, my 60th birthday to be exact and I had not planned to be here but I was planning to be in Scotland. It seemed fitting to me to go home for this birthday because I was now eligible for my UK bus pass and I thought well I might just apply for that and then I can get cheap travel around the UK, but it looks like it will be next year at the earliest before I will be able to go.

I felt quite sad coming back into the house, the house looked sad too because it had not been cared for by the tenants. The house and I were in a kind of symbiosis I think. She was battered and bruised, marks on the walls………door jambs chipped……….curtains looking very sad……….fly screens rotten through, although they have been here for many years.

The garden is also a barren wasteland. When I left there were many colourful plants, many drought tolerant and easy to maintain but all were gone. All the bark and mulch that had been put down over the years had also gone. It is going to take quite some time to get the garden back to anything like it used to be. Mind you the Poinciana is thriving.

As I stepped in through the front door I also felt a sense of failure at being back……..the last four years had disappeared in the blink of an eye and I was wondering if it was all a dream.

I opened up the shed at the bottom of the garden, I had stored all my possessions here. I had come here three weeks ago to pick up the car but didn’t spend much time looking around. Most of the furniture was stored in the first bay and then I had stored all the household item in numerous boxes stacked up all over the place.

First job was to find the kettle so that I could at least make a cup of tea. I then moved onto uncovering the furniture and getting ready for tomorrow when the removalists come. As it turns out they were shite and as weak as piss and I had to help several times or they would have damaged things.

Everything was covered in Gecko shit, Cockroach shit, dust and cobwebs so it took quite some time to clean the things and it’s ongoing. 4 Years of dirt and grime and the insect rebellion had caused havoc.

The tenants had to leave the house today. Two weeks ago I asked if I could get back into the garage to pick something up, they told me that I can wait until today.

They left the house just after lunch but did not return the keys until 5pm, inconsiderate bastards. That have done this deliberately for some reason and I have no idea why. When they owed me money I never pressured them, I let them keep the government electricity assistance payment of $200 and have always treated them ok.

I can’t move back in until the inspection is done and that won’t happen until tomorrow.

If there are any defects at the house tomorrow when I do the inspection then I’m not going to be lenient, fuck them!!!!

It would have been around December 2015, I was having breakfast outside sitting on the deck and just wondering about life the universe and everything. I had got an email about the number of Qantas Frequent Flyer points and I had about 200,000 and thought I wonder where I can go. After a few different locations I settled on a Business Class flight on Cathy Pacific leaving Brisbane on the 9^th July 2016 bound for London and it only cost me $140 + 110,000 points.

I locked it in and I felt really excited. I was on a year’s contract with Bondor and it finished at the end of June so I thought I’ll go for a wander. This was a one way ticket to the UK. I suddenly felt alive again after being dormant for so many months, something to look forward to…………a journey to the unknown.

In the September of that year I landed in China and then the adventure really started. It got off to a shaky start and I’m not going to recap because it’s at the beginning of the blog and I’m sure I won’t capture the way I felt if I try to write it again.

In the next few years I travelled, I met many people, I learned about China, I made new friends, friends that I am separated from today due to the current global pandemic, friends that really could do with my help. Sissi was such a big part of my life and she is going through a tough time of it right now and I just wish I could be of more help to her in her time of need.

I’ve learnt a lot about myself and I have I have challenged myself so many times, not always though choice. New Chinese friends helped to push me outside my comfort zone even more and for that I am very grateful.

I’m back in Australia now but planning for the day when the borders are open and I can once again travel the world. I got back in March from China and it was a decision that was forced upon me but it was also the correct decision.  I have friends and family here, the Covid 19 is not affecting life too much where I am and so life can pretty much go on as normal. But I believe that this is the best place to be at this time and I am happy to be here and yes there are things that annoy me about Australia, things that made me leave four years ago but for the moment my tolerance is greater. I also have my car back which is one of the best things about returning. Next weekend I should get my house back and I hope that I don’t have to do too much to the house to move back in. The garden however is another situation entirely. The tenants have two dogs and so it’s not in the best condition. The previous tenants were bastards and destroyed much of the garden as well as parts of the house, but I guess I will have things to do when I get back in. As long as the house is OK the garden is not so much of a problem. I’ll go to the local council and see if I can pick up some free plants because I think I am still allowed 8 per year. It will just be good to get back home for a while and potter around the garden, do the proposed renovations downstairs and once again be back in my world.

In 12 months time maybe the world will be coming back to life and normality will have begun to return. Trump will be locked up with any luck or at least completely humiliated by the plethora of books that will have been written by then. The world might even be a safer place; mind you I’m not holding my breath on that count. Still too many unknowns.

Covid 19 will be used by governments around the world as an excuse or reason for changing policies………to control the citizens……………….to pus through new laws and agendas. As I write this is it does give me a bit of comfort to see two countries in particular not faring so good, two war mongering nations that seem to be getting overwhelmed by Covid, and they are America and Israel. God speed to the downfall of both nutters at the helms, that’s appropriate I think………

I’m 60 this year, it’s also the year of the “Rat” and I can remember asking my Chinese friends was it good luck to have your birthday when it was “your year” so to speak and the answer was no, so I guess they were right.

Yesterday I went to Bulimba and caught the ferry to Westend and then walked back along the riverside. I’ve cycled along the Brisbane river many times but I haven’t walked this far before. I’m not sure how far I walked, maybe around 15km……..my GPS tracker app had a meltdown and told me that I walked 56km which I think might be wrong.

They predicted showers and so I was smart enough to take my brolly. Sitting on the ferry was a little bit chilly and the rain was light but on the water with the wind chill it was more comfortable sitting inside. I quite enjoy this social distancing, some young kids came on the ferry and wanted to sit up at the front but guess what I had my arse planted at the front window and their mother told them that they would have to sit somewhere else………..so I quite like this.

It was dry when I started my walk and as I wandered along the road I realised that it was 20 years ago that I had first come to this spot on the river with a young girl called Beth. She introduced me to Brisbane and as we strolled along the waterfront hand in hand I realised that it was time to leave Sydney behind and file it. Haven’t seen Beth in many years but I hope she is well.

As I walked past the gallery of Modern Art the rain began and in no time it was bouncing off the ground and the brolly was getting a workout. I stood under Victoria Bridge with many others sheltering from this massive downpour which seemed more at home in the warmer months.

As I walked along I passed the Southbank Beach where there were a few brave souls swimming, I guess this is when your obesity helps in fighting off the colder weather. There seemed to be a few beached whales out today.

Walking through the Botanical Gardens is always a favourite and the old fig trees get more majestic with age. There are some spectacular old trees along here and the smell of freshly laid mulch and rain was a lovely combination.  The tide was low exposing the many mangrove roots but I didn’t see many crabs scurrying around.

Along near the Storey Bridge the old wharf has been developed after lying vacant for many years. It’s been filled with eateries and there is even a brewery on site. I nearly stopped for a coffee but the smell of fish’n’chips in the air did not make it very inviting and so I moved on.

New Farm is the next port of call; I nearly bought an apartment here when I came to Brisbane. I looked at 3 locations, New Farm, Coorparoo and the Gold Coast………….the latter only because I was already living there, but I wish I had managed to get up to Brisbane instead. So when I get that big Lotto win I will get a place in Brisbane and another on the coast near Wellington Point.

The last section from New Farm to Tenerife is almost all boardwalk. When I got back to Tenerife I then jump on the small ferry across to Bulimba and back to where I started. Bulimba used to be a lovely wee place, a nice place to come for lunch and a stroll but now it’s become very trendy and it was hoachin and it’s expensive too because of its location.

Next time I will do this on the bike and it’s good to see that more bike paths have been added n the last four years, to make it safer and more user friendly. There are a few places where you need to venture up to the roads briefly but generally on this whole trip from Westend to Tenerife I was on a shared bike way.

Another thing that I saw yesterday which I found amusing was the number of girls and women that cake on the makeup, they look like clowns, many hadn’t brought a brolly and so when the rains came their faces melted and fell into the river…………..what a liberating experience for them…………..

The sun was out again this morning but it looks like there is rain coming in over the next day or two so I thought I would make another excursion to the coast, this time I went to Victoria Point. At first it didn’t seem to be as nice as Wellington Point but as you leave the jetty and head north hugging the coastline, then it begins to become a bit more palatable apart from some areas where the big square architectural monoliths have appeared lowering the tone of the whole neighbourhood. I think there are too many home design programmes on TV now and the dumb folk with money think that building a monstrosity in a place without any sympathy to the existing landscape is a fun thing to do or maybe all the available architects had the same stupid teacher.

I’m more of a traditionalist but I do like to see modern innovative design but you would be hard pushed to find it on this part of the coast. Build big for big’s sake and forget about design seems to be what happened here. Mind you in amongst the failures there are a few that excel with forethought and the results are plain to see.