Jamming in the new year!

2015 started off with a little slow since both Tess and I were working on our health, and ate a restricted diet.  We slowly got back into action, but had a few hurdles to overcome.  The second hurdle has to do with our beloved VW, needing a new cylinder head since the old one had a crack, and was running on low compression.  The first cylinder head replacement, also appeared to have a crack, so after returning that, I was able to fix Floyd with a good cylinder head, and replace the airtight gasket, to keep him running cooler in the heat of summer.

We then proceeded to submit all our documents to immigration and I passed my health exam, so that is behind us and all good news so far.

Then, we got back into the lodge, a.k.a ., the shed castle.  We decided using laminate would be best for many reasons, and made two trips about an hour south to Bunnings Warehouse to pickup a couple loads of Laminae.

Next, our water pump broke after being repaired at least 6 or 7 times.  I purchased new seals a while back and it went for a while, but as they say, the defect always moves to the next weakest point, and that appeared to be a fatiguing plastic housing from constant cycling under pressure.  We bought a cheap one for now, and have yet to search for reviews online, unpack and do our own inspection on the quality.  It came with a two year replacement warranty, and was the only one at Bunnings, so it was the obvious choice at this point.  We're using creek pressure and the only downfall is the shower, but we're still able to shower, it just takes a little longer, so no real hardship even without a pump, which is nice to know.

While I write this, Tess just informed me of a bat flying in our living room while she eats her soup.  I just saw Tommy, our cat jump about 5 feet trying to catch it.  Luckily I was able to get a quick photo of our drop in guest cleaning a cob web off him while hanging out in our bedroom.

  Our bat friend.

Earlier today and tonight we grouted the bathroom tile that we installed this week.

Yesterday we disassembled the scaffold and set it up in the bamboo forest, soon to be roofed, and enclosed.

The new VW cylinder head with a crack!

The lovely drive to Balina to pickup flooring.

40 boxes, or 82.5m^2 of laminate wood flooring and a stack of tile just behind it, all ready to go in.

Today, we tiled the Northeast facing side of the interior of the lodge, for passive solar in the winter. We'll tile near the backdoor as well as under and around the wood burning stove with the same tasteful bronze porcelain tile we were lucky to find at Bunnings.  The rest of the floor will be the same light colored laminate flooring for easy maintenance and a bright, clean look.  We're very happy with the color pallet of natural colors we've chosen.

The ceiling was finished off with corner molding this week, allowing us to remove the scaffold for good and move on to the floor.  

While I was removing the engine from Floyd, I looked up to see this python, silently sleeping above me in the rafters of the carport.  I looked for him later, and he was nowhere to be found.  I was concerned he might have found a cozier spot inside Floyd.  Then today, there he was again, in a different location in the rafters, as I was cutting tile.  Again, I looked for him, and no sign.  We never see him come or go, which is strange.  However, just the other day, we looked out the kitchen window, and there was Bill, the large Goanna, chomping away at Tommy's sardines.  He wasn't interested in leaving, either.  Just after that incident, I heard a slithering sound above me, while eating breakfast on the front porch.  Just above my head was something moving above the clear corrugated roofing, so I guess it is time to find a name for our resident python.  Tess, thinks Pamela.  I'm not sure, but I'll know when I have to pull him/her out of the chook house, he'll be more of a Butch to me.