Ready for Rental

 Adam, Kate and James have completed a lot of work on the Peel St property since they bought it.  Although the house was fundamentally very sound, the interior required painting and a great deal of work was required to bring years of neglect up to standard.  Electrical work was brought up to standard with new lighting, toilet replaced, blinds installed etc.  The overgrown back yard was cleaned out and made serviceable.  After a huge amount of work it is now ready for rental.

Old trees and junk have been removed from the back yard and turf laid so it could be used as a barbeque area.  The transformation has been amazing.

Menopause The Musical

 Lisa, Claire, Mark and "The Girls"went in to dinner and the Regent Theatre for "Menopause The Musical".

They thoroughly enjoyed both dinner and the show.  For interest, Mark counted all the men in the audience and there was a grand total of seven.

Measuring Sleep

 I have been showing signs of mild sleep apnea lately so we decided to get it checked.  An operative comes to the home and wires you up with sensors to take all your measurements while you have a restful night's sleep (as if!)

After a rather uncomfortable night, the recorded information is downloaded and anlysed to produce a report.  I was then provided with recommendations related to my specific responses.  It was not world changing but has been useful.

Lachlan's New Season

 We watched Lachlan play with his new (or perhaps - slightly revised) team as they enter their new season.  The boys goal shooting let them down but Lachlan is becoming a great defender and he really worked hard the whole game.

Getting Real

 Mark has been working solidly on the Lake House and it is starting to look like a house rather than a construction zone.  A milestone addition has been the insulated garage door.  As it is on a north face it keeps the garage cool in summer and limits heat entry to the house.

Work is only allowed to proceed at the site with the approval of the Building Supervisor.

Lining is going into the garage and the internal walls are getting their plaster.

Containing The Spring Growth

 Claire has had a couple of days in the garden bringing the spring growth under control.  Unfortunately, she sees a few more similar days ahead!

Jack's Basketball Season Begins

 Jack had his first game of the season yesterday.  The boys got off to a very slow start but were a different team after half time. They didn't make up for the slow start but gave the opposition a real scare.

Jack is still on his L Plates so he drove us to and from the game.

Celebration Brunch

 We had brunch today with Jack and his family as a finale to mark the end of school.  We went to Eugenes in the Wantirna Mall where they produce a variety of contemporary options.  Great food but there will be little need for sustenance for the rest of the day.

Jack's Valedictory Evening

 We attended Jack's final day of secondary school and Valedictory Evening last night.  The boys have certainly changed since their entry into Year 7.

Finger food was served around presentation of awards and speeches.  It was a fitting conclusion to this period of Jack's education.

We were very happy to be able to share the evening with him.

Adam's "Birthday" Dinner

 As the family grows it becomes increasingly difficult to find a convenient time when we can all get together.  Things worked out for us to have Adam's dinner for his birthday at Sapporo's Japanese Restaurant last night.  The meal was up to the usual high standard and we enjoyed a coffee to follow back at Donvale.

Basketball Season Begins

 Lachlan had his first game of the season with his new team today.  The boys did well as they had not played together before and they had an interim Coach.  After the exam season is over Jack is going to take on the coaching role. Lachlan played really well with a great defensive game and got a number of excellent goals.

Peter and Jill

 Neither Peter or Jill are in good shape but we have found that if a group go to visit they gradually brighten up and communicate a little more.  Peter clearly enjoyed the visit although he found communication very difficult.  Jill was barely aware of the conversation.

Graeme's Birthday

 As things worked out, the Inchleys were here for Graeme's birthday so we had an impromptu birthday lunch with the Russells.

Heading Home

 After a wonderful week we headed home.  The weather turned and there were strong cross winds at the airport for our trainee pilot to test her skills.  Halfway down the runway the senior pilot took over - Phew!

Trousers Point

 The most beautiful coastline of the Island has to be Trousers Point and Beach where we walked the beach and the cliff top walk around the point.  It was a highlight.  We passed the spectacular Rowe Lake near Whitemark and some of the amazing volcanic granite boulders that are seen around the Island. 

The beach at Trousers Point is pristine and we were lucky enough to catch it on a bright sunny day.

Then we took the cliff top walk.

Sustenance

 Whitemark had a small but comprehensive general store for all our food needs but there were few places to get a good meal except the Whitemark Pub that did excellent lunches and dinner menus.  We usually had a main meal lunch in the Pub and a small evening meal at the house.