Brett and Mark - Birthday Boys

Yesterday,  Lisa and Mark hosted a family party to celebrate Brett and Mark's birthdays.  The large group was well accommodated with the pre-dinner drinks in the lounge and the dinner in the family room on a massive table.

It is an indication of how the family is developing that James and Angel had just returned from Europe, Ebony and Luca are still traveling in Europe and Patrick and LanTian had just left for New Zealand.

Mitchell presented Brett with a wheel of blue cheese for his birthday.  I feel a quick visit one sunny Sunday would be in order!

The large central table is a great way to share a family Birthday dinner.

Goodbye Amarok - Hello Raptor

 Adam said "Goodbye" to his beloved, well used and slightly abused Amarok yesterday. It was being turned over on his new Ford Raptor that is essentially a high powered sports car masquerading as a twin cab ute.

Ebony and Luca in Europe

During her Uni semester break, Ebony headed for Spain, Portugal, France and Italy with Luca.  They started in Barcelona. It takes a little recalibration to think that we currently have two grandchildren touring Europe.

Brett's Birthday

 We were able to celebrate Brett's birthday with the family at a wonderful Italian Restaurant hidden in plain sight in a shopping strip on Blackburn Road.  Piccolino is a purpose built multi level restaurant. We all had different dlshes and all were excellent.  A return visit is almost inevitable.

Development Continues

 The Lake House continues to progress as the external cladding goes into place.

The ovens are now connected to power.

Mark has set up a pad at the front to accommodate the bins and emergency generator.  Lachlan and Cooper helped fill the Gabion surrounds to protect the Generator.

Witrh the surround completed, a sound absorbent roof will be installed.  The generator is able to top up the battery quite rapidly and can easily provide the needs of the house if there is a disruption to power.

James and Angel In Europe

 James and Angel are currently on a six week holiday around parts of Europe.  They have spent time in Paris then down to Spain and Portugal before seeing the south of France and then on to Italy.  Their comprehensive itinerary has been a source of inspiration to the rest of the family.

Potted Garden

 When Terry and Tricia moved into their new accommodation, the only regret Tricia had was her lack of a garden.  They have addressed this with a series of self watering wicking tubs, each containing two or three pots. These now have a variety of plants that should be able to cope with the harsh conditions of their patio.

Around Junee

 Junee boasts a small number of cafes where we were able to have an excellent lunch,

but its other claim to fame is the Licorice and Chocolate Factory.  This was started by a farmer who no longer wished to farm and has now developed a widespread reputation for its excellent (original style) licorice and chocolate.

We found the station's huge, 1930s style cafe to be excellent and provided  appropriate sustenance for our trip back to Melbourne.

Junee Roundhouse

 Junee's claim to fame was its location between Sydney and Albury and its huge railway workshop.  They maintained the steam engines and exchanged engines on the line.  To store and maintain the engines, the biggest Roundhouse in the Southern hemisphere was built in the railyards.  It remains today and is still working on the diesel locos.  It is so big it can be seen from space (at least on Google Maps,)

A visit to the Roundhouse takes you through a museum and model railroad.

You can then move through to the huge Roundhouse with a central turntable that could be used to direct engines into any of the over 20 holding bays.  We were lucky enough to see the turntable and shunting procedure in operation.

Whils some bays are used to house old engines and carriages, many are still in operation as storage and maintenance work bays.

Junee Jaunt

 A while ago, some friends had suggested that Junee was a rewarding town for a short stay.  The Inchleys were interested so they came from Sydney and we travelled from Melbourne by train.

The historic roots of the town were evident from the outset.  The architecture of the stone and brick station was clearly reflected in the rest of the old town.

Many of the old buildings were either empty or being repurposed.  Despite the clear downturn in the fortunes of the area, the streets were clean, the houses well kept and the parks and gardens were well maintained and inviting.

The "G" Party

 Mark's friend, Georgie, celebrated her 50th birthday with a G Party.  Mark went as a "Golfer" and Lisa as a "Green Graduate".  

Getting Nowhere Fast

 My eye problems have restricted my morning walks so Kate and Adam researched treadmill options for me and we now have a machine in the garage.  It is proving to be very easy to use and very suitable for my limited eyesight.