What have you been up to lately?

[SkyHiker]

Selling three kayaks today that I haven't used in a decade or so. The total asking price is $350, I got a buyer within hours of posting it on Craigslist. I am keeping the stitch-and-glue kayak that I built, maybe patch it up and use it as a 19-foot display piece, lol. This is all part of painting the house where I first have to get rid of old stuff. Some of it was stored in the shed that I will take down and replace with a lean-to shed (that will double as a half-sky observatory) that will arrive tomorrow.

[GCoyote]

I'm trying to clean and do some upgrades around the garden and patio.
Every time I get out a power tool, it starts raining again.

[Ylem]

I'm trying to clean and do some upgrades around the garden and patio.
Every time I get out a power tool, it starts raining again.

Outdoor power tools belong to the same union as telescopes

[Ylem]

Wahoo

We just got a fair offer on the house!
14 showings in 3 days on the market.

Of course they have to accept our counter offer, which I am sure they will.

Then comes the due diligence period of 3 weeks, which includes inspections, so nothing is in stone till then.

But we are happy

[SkyHiker]

The half-sky obsy has arrived. Trying to lift the front box made it clear immediately that this is made of steel.

[SkyHiker]

The half-sky obsy has arrived. Trying to lift the front box made it clear immediately that this is made of steel.

IMG_1200.JPG

BTW look at that front door that I revived from the dead with pecan-tinted polyurethane a few days ago. Little victories like this keep me motivated.

[helicon]

Congrats Henk!

[DeanD]

I'm trying to clean and do some upgrades around the garden and patio.
Every time I get out a power tool, it starts raining again.

That's your excuse and you are sticking to it!

[Ylem]

May the Four-ce be with you!

Now excuse me while I load my photon torpedoes!

[Butterfly Maiden]

Dental appointment with my Hygienist this afternoon.

She is very pleased with my personal dental care

[Butterfly Maiden]

I have been so busy this week doing clients' nails, in preparation for King Charles III Coronation on Saturday.

They all want to look their best for the street parties and other organised events.

Sophia and I are no exception though

We are going to a street party on Saturday afternoon in our local village, then in the evening we are going out with some friends for a meal at a restaurant in the same village.

Normally, Sophia would do her own makeup but I have offered to do it for her.

When we know we are going out for a meal and drinks are going to be involved, I use a special lip product. I apply a thin coating of PREP + PRIME LIP over the entire lip area as well as over the lip edges to smooth and refine them before putting on the lipstick colour. This adds light moisture and gives perfectly hydrated lips that last. It saves having to keep applying lipstick throughout the evening.

Both Sophia and I prefer to wear pink lipstick, as this suits our skin tones better. We never wear red, which is more suited for medium to dark skin tones.

During the day I tend to wear pale pink lipstick, but if we are going out (especially somewhere under artificial lighting conditions) I wear dark pink lipstick. There are various shades of pink in between which I alternate between, but I do have a favourite shade that I wear the most for everyday use

[GCoyote]

Building a 40 ft long retaining wall. Finished the base course today but now I have to install drainage.

[GCoyote]

Lovely spring day out shopping with my sweetheart. Got some plants, a few books, and lot of steps in the fresh air.

[pakarinen]

Frankenpod!

My Twilight-1 tripod has been languishing in the basement since I sold the head a year ago. I was going to sell the pod, but shipping charges go up like a rocket as box length increases. Weird, as I'd think weight would be a bigger deal but whatever...

I cut off the nubby protrusion on the top of the plate with a hacksaw yesterday and filed down the stump. I pulled out the threaded rod with the dumbbell handle that holds the spreader because it was too short to mate with my SkyWatcher AZ5, substituted a 3/8 bolt and voila! The AZ5 now rides on the TW-1 without a hockey puck adapter. I'm surprised at how much lighter the tripod feels. Hopefully, it'll be steady enough to handle my ST120.
If this config works ok, I'll replace the bolt with a threaded rod and put the spreader / EP tray back on.

[Chich]

Was out cutting scots broom earlier. It is an invasive species here and there is a volunteer program that gets people out cutting it in the spring. First time out this year.
In other news, my bod is currently reminding me I am no longer 27

[GCoyote]

Was out cutting scots broom earlier. It is an invasive species here and there is a volunteer program that gets people out cutting it in the spring. First time out this year.
In other news, my bod is currently reminding me I am no longer 27

Got four flats of bedding plants and veggies planted today.
Got the same results.

[Butterfly Maiden]

This is a pictorial representation of my last two days, celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III...

Saturday evening Sophia and I went out for a meal with friends at a restaurant in the New Forest.

We got dressed up for the occasion - hence the dress and high heels graphics

On Sunday afternoon we went to a street party in our village. The party was originally planned for Saturday afternoon, but it was a very rainy day, so we moved it forward.

Sunday was a much better day and we all had a great time

Lots of food and drinks. As we weren't driving we had a little bit of alcohol too (hic).

[pakarinen]

Personally I think Penny Mordaunt stole the show.

[Butterfly Maiden]

Personally I think Penny Mordaunt stole the show.

She played a very prominent role during the ceremony, and did it extremely well.

[OzEclipse]

This is a pictorial representation of my last two days, celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III...


celebrations-1.png


Saturday evening Sophia and I went out for a meal with friends at a restaurant in the New Forest.

We got dressed up for the occasion - hence the dress and high heels graphics

On Sunday afternoon we went to a street party in our village. The party was originally planned for Saturday afternoon, but it was a very rainy day, so we moved it forward.

Sunday was a much better day and we all had a great time

Lots of food and drinks. As we weren't driving we had a little bit of alcohol too (hic).

I was in Adelaide on Saturday night on my way back home. I got together with family and had a big dinner to celebrate something beginning with 'C'.

No, not the coronation, old Charlie Windsor barely got a mention, they are all 2nd COUSINS, we all share great grandparents. I have been in touch with a few of them in recent years, and I met a whole bunch more on Saturday night. One of them is even interested in astronomy. She her partner and their daughter are all going to come over for a visit sometime.

We're all republicans and had no interest in the coronation. The only time it got mentioned was when some people had push notifications about the coronation coming through on their phones from news apps. I completely understand English people like Vanessa and Sophia partying and being interested in it. I don't understand some of my fellow Australians and our various news services being so obsessed with it.

Yesterday afternoon, I finally arrived home, safely after 12200km and 5 weeks on the road.

Started the mowing today.
Winter firewood logs delivery tomorrow to stack in the wood store
Then I need to collect fallen wood and cut it up for kindling
Weeding, trimming and more mowing to follow.

On the plus side, I left some pots with spinach beet, lettuce, sage, mint, and thyme where they caught some runoff from the roof. All doing very well. Also parsley in the ground has flourished. When I finish this work contract in Canberra(August) I'll have to get my vegetable garden revitalised for spring.

It's like my property has been in the Jack and the Beanstalk story.
I'll have to neglect the garden more often.

Joe