Posted 1:46 AM by JS

lack of posting has not been for lacking of going to Yapeen...small improvements all the time, though of course there are so many big jobs - painting, floors - that seem to be fated to never happen. the fire hypnotises me the second I get it going; if I'm there alone there are bike rides to do, and if I have the family, trips to Castlemaine or walks to take.

anyway...the good news is that the pub didn't flood. I am now reliably informed that it "used to" under circumstances like last month's, when basically the valley became a raging river. two houses down the road were soaked through. there is a new dam over the road (4-5 years) and another on the block next door (a bit of a mess but a dam all the same), so we - the neighbours and I - think that probably helped.

the land is incredibly green for this time of year. my bit is under control and the new fruit trees, if the rabbits don't get them AGAIN, are thriving. the new vegie garden was easy to dig although so far it's only a couple of vines and some sad little pumpkins.

these photos were sent to me by Katerina, who stays there each January. the dry-looking view of the back area and hill is this time last year. so different now...

Posted 4:02 PM by JS

the pub is not only fun, it's educational!

for instance: it's taught me what an anaglyph is: this is an image a photographer took up there.

and it's musical, too! this is an album recorded up there, at least partly. I don't know if it's any good; who knows, it could be my very own Trinity Sessions! wish they'd named it after the pub, though.

Posted 2:48 PM by JS

a year between posts? how very country of me.

the new roof has made it warmer in winter. I hope it will be cooler in summer too, because I'm actually going to spend a bit of time up there (in short bursts) over the next month or so.

it has also changed the sounds the place makes; no more tin panels creaking in the wind. less echoey.

and the lovely underground electricals killed my fruit trees. or more correctly, the idiot electrician who didn't fill the trench in - that would be the trench under the rabbitproof fence, did. apparently almond tree bark tastes of almond.

only one tree survived. at least the builder, when shown the 17 other dead trees (three years old and nursed through last summer so well established) offered to replant. but the new trees are smaller and not coping so well with the early heat. sigh. I just have to buckle down and get them through. one day there'll be fruit.

Posted 10:54 PM by JS

if you happen to be driving past the pub and notice the new roof, please, stop and look at it. admire its shininess (which doesn't go with the old stone walls, but you must admit is very shiny). note how it prevents water getting into the walls. know that it also includes nice solid insulation which keeps the place much cooler in the summer and so on in the winter. appreciate the aesthetic effect of having the electricals come through the ground instead of overhead across the road. be pleased with the heritage colours on the new verandahs.

because the whole thing has just about bankrupted me. I may have to sell my place in Melbourne and move it. hooray for saving dodgy old buildings.

Posted 8:21 PM by JS

anyone up for a bet on when the roof will eventually cave in? say, $30,000, which is the approximate cost of replacing it...

but meantime, the furnishings are looking quite good: I dropped off four new-old Ugly Chairs (carved backs, brocade upholstery) and spend Monday night there; never enough time, of course, but any time is better than none.

it's funny how particular corners of the place are the ones I love: the far left-hand end of the couch, near the fire and opposite the window; the left side of the bed, with a view of the old stone wall and sash window.

Posted 2:07 AM by JS

if the rentals of the place get any more popular I might have to take it off the market; I'm finding I have to book it for myself well in advance if I want to go up there...oh well, it's good for the mortgage.

spent a very brief weekendlet - Saturday afternoon and an hour Sunday morning - there, and was pleased to see that the fruit trees are still alive. the tank is half empty already, though, and it's only November, so I turned the watering frequency down. many of the gums are definitely dead and those that survive are struggling; I gave a couple some water, but as watering from the mains isn't allowed, it's not easy. I did scoop some water out of the kitchen sink, and there's one spot down the back where the septic obviously exits which is bright green; the rest is yellow.

had a nasty moment just before I left when the power went down; I was thinking electricians, cost, etc. turned out it was only a brownout that affected the whole district.

in the course of my visit I had cause to drive through Hepburn Springs and realised I hadn't been there - only to Daylesford - in the three years I've owned the pub. will remedy that in a couple of weeks; there are many little cafes and shops that clearly need visiting.

neighbours all around continue to construct strange giant dam-like structures. imho they have Buckley's of seeing them filled, but whatever keeps them happy...

Posted 10:07 PM by JS

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