Brass Monkey weather at Dalveen

We're just back from a couple of weeks at Dalveen.  Very cold mornings up there last week.  Tilly likes to get up around 6 am, and try as I might, I just can't seem to get her to sleep in.  I usually take her outside to go to the toilet then lock her back in the bedroom while I get a fire started in the lounge, the kettle boiling and prepare her food.  By the time I've done those few tasks, it's about 6.30 and time for a pre breakfast walk for the pup.  The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon at this hour, so it's especially cold.  Thankfully we're just walking the 20 acres of our property, so no-one can see me with woollen cap pulled low, scarf draped around my neck and bound tightly across my nose and mouth, wool lined boots and two jackets.  Combine this all with a pair of gloves and I can barely move.  Even with much protection, I'm still aware that it's cold.  I know it gets a lot colder around the world, but Minus 5 degrees centigrade one day and Minus 4 degrees the next tested out my shiver threshold. 

There was a wonderful frost all across the property so on the second day I took my camera with me to catch a few photographs.  I'm especially happy with the photograph of the ice coating on the old gate.

Retirement is proving to be far too hectic

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to update my blog in a little while.  I might be retired but it doesn't seem like it.  It's so hectic around here at the moment.  Tilly is growing up at a very fast rate and requires lots of walks to dampen her excess energy.  The baby teeth are still there, but she's been mouthing a lot so I am expecting her adult teeth to start coming through any day.  She is so different in personality to our previous German Shepherd Rosie who was a dog's dog.  Rosie's happiest times were when she was running around with other dogs, or hunting down a rabbit, a lizard or even a wallaby or two.  Tilly on the other hand just loves to be around people.  When we take her to puppy school, she's in seventh heaven - and she appears to be just as happy saying hello to all the people there as she is saying hello to the other pups.  However, we do hope she will become a little more discerning.  It would be nice to feel assured that she will protect our house from intruders when we're not home, rather than welcome them with a wag of the tail and a friendly lick.

Catching a few warming rays with Mummy

About to get up to no good in the garden bed

24 hours later - Surprise, surprise.  Last night Tilly decided for the first time she didn't like the man talking to me from the other side of the fence and started barking at him to send him on his way.  And what a bark it was.  Previous barks have been high pitched puppy barks, this one was like a teenage boy on the brink of a voice change.  A little high pitched to start with, and then a much deeper voice.  Well done Tilly - you might end up a good guard dog for us after all!!

Uniting Church at Dalveen built by volunteers in 1956.  It looks like it has been decommissioned as it is currently for sale -

St Barnabas Anglican Church, built in 1903.  There's a service here the 4th Sunday of every month

View across to the old Dalveen Saw Mill

This is where it all happens, the Post Office, Dalveen Village Crafts and then to the right of picture and not photographed, Action Graphics.

I think this is the old Butcher Shop, built in 1912.  This shop and land is currently up for sale for $160,000 or nearest offer.  Bruce Judge of Ariadne fame bought this land 2 (or maybe 3 years ago - it all goes by so quickly) and the plan was to set up a complex which would include a wine outlet, (with a big wine bottle) and a restaurant.  We were so looking forward to sauntering down the road for a gourmet meal but alas it wasn't to be.  Maybe someone else will buy it and develop the site.

Jim Mitchell Park.  You wouldn't believe the number of campervans, caravans etc that overnight at this park.  On one very busy night I counted 15 separate parties of people overnighting in this park.

The new home of the Rural Fire Brigade

Jean Coomber Playground

The Dalveen Hall - built in 1939.  QCWA meets here.  The extension to the left is the supper room.  The Sports Club has meals here on a Friday night.

The Dalveen School was built in 1892 and moved to this particular site in 1913

Meeting of 3 streets in Dalveen Village

Tilly sitting on the frosty ground

Tilly eating some frosty grass - yummm

Chinese Pistachio looking a treat in its autumn colours

Tilly soaking up some rays

Jamesy all rugged up with her pup Tilly

How beautiful is Dalveen at this time of the year.  Perfect sunny days, not too cold, just right.  Crisp mornings with frost on the ground.  Autumn colours on the trees.  Perfect weather for casseroles.  Our friend Ruth came up for a couple of nights and so we had a slow cooked chicken casserole on night one, and then a beef casserole on night two.  Once the sun went down we sat in front of the log fire drinking hearty reds and reminiscing about times of old.  Oh and of course, discussing our various ailments.  I wonder if other 60 year olds get into long and meaningful conversations about their health issues.  I'm sure they do.  Tilly is loving her introduction to life in the country.  We have been highly amused by her antics at Dalveen.  She has grown immensely - she will be 13 weeks on Sunday.  I took advantage of the beautiful weather and got out and about and took some photographs of Dalveen village which I'll post tonight.  Of course there's also the mandatory shots of Tilly.  We have had 3 sub zero nights so far, so maybe this year it will snow.  Something we have wished for every year for 10 years we've owned the house at Dalveen.  No luck so far, but maybe this year - fingers crossed.

Welcome to Matillda "Tilly"

Life as we know it has ended.  A little bundle of energy has arrived and there's no stopping her.  In retrospect we probably should have held off for a week as she came with antibiotics to clear up some diarrhoea.  What a battle to get half an antibiotic down her throat twice a day.  When you are hanging out for a meal you don't want to be bothered with an antibiotic tablet do you?  She is as cute as a button, but also a little terror when it comes to play time.  Nights are spent in a crate beside the bed, so it's like having a small baby.  Every time she wakes up and starts whining I leap up and take her outdoors for toileting.  She seems fine with this, but I'm completely worn out.  It has only been 5 nights so far and already I'm praying for the day her bladder gets a bit larger and she can sleep through the night.  Of course everything else has been put on the back burner.  No housework getting done at all and this is the first time I've been able to sit down at the computer for days.  Of course there is a little pup gnawing on the heel of my shoe as I type.

The other toys are interesting but I love the thong the best

Gotcha!

This bear is more feisty than I thought!

Love at first sight - Tilly and Catherine James

Safe spot for me to hide

Exhausted - at last!!!

Vale Rosie 1999 - 2011

I have spent the last week recovering from the celebrations for Catherine's 60th birthday.  Phewwww!!  What with the trip to Sydney and then all the preparations and cooking for the party, followed by much cleaning up and post party brunch on the Sunday, by Monday I was completely exhausted.  I even had an afternoon nap a couple of times last week. 

In between snoozes I've been looking for the perfect puppy to replace our darling German Shepherd Rosie, who died last November at the grand old age of 11 years and 11 months.  Not bad for a dog who was given a life span of 4 to 6 years by the Vet because she constantly suffered from skin and gut problems and bouts of pancreatitis.  Initially we planned to take a 2 - 3 year break from dogs as we believe no new dog could live up to Rosie's vigour, spirit and intelligence.  Unfortunately the reality is we are missing our "pup" too much - there's a great big hole in our lives and our hearts where she used to roam.  So I've taken the big decision (and thankfully Catherine agrees) to find a replacement for our beloved Rosie.  Naturally we are looking for another German Shepherd and I'll hear tomorrow if I've been successful in my bid for our first choice in pups.  If that bid fails it's on to Plan B where there are 2 female pups up for grabs.  So this blog is soon to be plastered with photographs of the new puppy.  Before that happens I'm going to post a few more photographs of our wonderful old girl Rosie - from puppy to seniority.

Leaping Lizards

Well finally back from Sydney.  Good Friday today - and we were at my sister's house for Prawns, Chilli Tuna Bake and lots of wonderful salads.  What a beautiful day it was in Brisbane.  Sun shining, birds singing - good company, good food and wine and laid back music.  I realise I'm not writing nearly as much as I thought I would on this blog - funny thing is usually I've got lots to say, but once I set up this blog I seemed to get lost for words.  However, I am still taking lots of photographs, so will keep posting those.  Dalveen is beautiful at the moment.  The Autumn chill has arrived.  As soon as dusk arrives it settles in and we have to get under cover quick before it seeps into our bones.  Unlike others who visit us at Dalveen, I don't believe its cold enough yet for a roaring fire.  Give it a couple weeks more I say.  But being a good host, I have been stoking up the fireplace in the lounge.  Everyone sits close while I take up a chair almost in the next room to get away from heat.

The cooler weather has finally brought some respite from the ever growing grass.  Once mid-April arrives I can usually do a final mow and then settle back on my laurels late September or sometimes even mid October before I have to launch into the grass mowing activity once again.  But there's no rest just because the grass has stopped growing.  Once I've completed the final mow of Autumn, I have to start cutting into usable lengths all the fallen branches and trees that have accumulated since last winter.  The chain saw will run hot for a couple of weeks.  I also have to get the brush cutter out and slash back around the dam face and into the thickets in and around the trees.  This year the blackberry has reared its ugly head once more so that will mean lots of mean and nasty slashing and in some places a bit of blackberry poison to try to halt its progress.  I probably should have done it a lot sooner than this but the blackberry crop was great and I was just happy to snack on the berries during my afternoon walk around the property.