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[JeffH]

Plenty of limes here; oranges and grapefruit too. The oranges are never very sweet but make good juice and perfect for marmalade.

[Triggersmob]

The only fruit I get is from the neighbours orange tree hanging over our fence.

[gweidion]

I tried greengages when we were in Tasmania at the start of the year. They were excellent. Shame I"ll probably never get them again.
Oh and the cherries were to die for.

[jens coins]

Found these Tawney Frogmouth's today. 
The mother was hiding down the tree.

[JeffH]

Nocturnal activity.

[Goldseeker]

If there is one thing I hated in my time in the Army were night marches and one couldn't see anything in front but one could easily walk into a spiders web or two.

I get shivers down my back just thinking about them.

My biggest thought is what kind of spider have I walked into?

[JeffH]

About 24 years ago, as best we recall (had a look and found the handbook but not the receipt), we bought a chipper/mulcher machine. 5hp Briggs and Stratton motor on special; also was available with 8hp but they weren't in stock.
It has done plenty of work over the years but the motor was getting rather tired, had to work hard with any bigger loppings. About 18 months ago I bought a 9hp, Chinese copy of the Honda motor -was much cheaper than a direct replacement and pepped up the cutting performance no end. Had to make a spacer and redrill some mounting holes but was an easy upgrade.

Last weekend we started a garden clean up and dragged the unit out to do some mulching. Horrible noises and it spat out some flails (it is a sort of hammer mill final action). So pulled it apart and every moving part was severely worn and needed replacement. Did a search and delighted to find spare parts are readily available. Delight turned to shock when I saw the prices; thick end of $1,000 plus freight!
That seemed a bit much to keep an old machine going so I checked what is available and ordered a new machine. $1,499 with a genuine Honda motor but could have saved $200 by going with a B&S motor. Selected the Honda because the motor on the old unit will be a spare and ditto for my son's block splitter which has a Honda motor.

I ordered it Sunday and it was at the local freight depot Thursday lunch time. I picked it up Friday afternoon and had it assembled by beer o'clock ready to give it a run Saturday. Most impressed that a selection of good quality spanners, to suit every nut and bolt on the machine, spark plug and feeler gauge were included. Plus ear muffs, gloves and safety glasses and a fuel funnel.
Gave it a good workout Saturday and was very happy with the performance. It did handle 5cm branches as advertised.

Here it is;

[Triggersmob]

Seems like you got your moneys worth from the old unit.

[Unicorn]

https://gofund.me/cab11893

I never ask this sort of stuff, but what a week ..... the local fire brigade set the link above for us ...... 

Here's the story

Having a bit of a run here ...... Around 10:30pm Thu 9th, Jesse had an accident .... Writing off two cars .... And a fence. (Not really his fault though, a truck was doing a reverse U turn through a give way sign, blocking both directions of traffic on double lines, no reverse or flashing lights). The guy in front of Jesse locked it up, Jesse had already slowed down trying to work out what the little red lights ahead were. So ass ended the other guy, pushing him down a drain and up through a fence. 90km zone.
 
Truck pissed off pretty quick, b4 the fire guys got there. Both cars written off. Both uninsured, Jesse's was in his partners Mum's car, we'd just taken her a better car a fortnight before at Manilla. Obviously, she didn't have her old one insured. (nutter)
 
Jesse settled with the guy he rear ended on the Friday, cost him $3k, but that was ok.
 
We looked at the fence on Friday to work out fixing that.
 
Friday night I cut my hand pretty bad, bandaged it up.
 
Saturday our kitten got eaten by a python.
 
Sunday we'd been out taking Shayla to the skate park. Krista had a headache when we got home, so ate two pikelettes she'd made on Friday as  she didn't want to take aspro on an empty stomach.
 
Monday I went to Jesse's to help him with another car and to have a bit better look at the fence, hand looked to be healing a bit. Got home and Krista had been having dizzy spells all day, collapsing when she had them.
 
Tuesday, she'd lost her memory .... Totally ...... I mean totally. Wasn't dizzy anymore, but couldn't even remember even the most recent nor past at all. Lots of time spent trying to explain stuff there.
 
Wednesday, the cut on my hand was starting to set, middle finger was a bit droopy, but I could grasp. Went out with Jesse and we fixed the peoples fence. By the time we were done the cut had reopened.
 
Went to the ED at Taree Hospital around 6pm, just in case it should need stitches. After some really good attention, I got out of there at 11pm, hand in plaster, booked in for emergency surgery at 10am the next morning.
 
Got home at midnight, went to bed, at 2:30am the house caught fire. (thank god for smoke alarms)
 
I raced down the house thinking it might be near Shayla, Krista called me back, the office was on fire.
 
I flogged it  with a towel asking Krista to bring water.  Water pump must have tripped it's fuse, so there was no water.
 
Trying to put Krista's desk and wall out, the wall caved in and fire burst out of the cavity.
 
Shayla was on the phone to 000.
 
Krista brought in our extinguisher, helped  bit, but only lasted like 15 seconds.
 
Still wasn't winning, right hand in plaster didn't help. Only thing I could think of was that I had half a carton of beer in the car.
Raced out grabbed it, shook them up and used them 1 by 1.
 
Had it out by the time the fire, police and ambo arrived.
 
Faarkk what a night.
 
Went to hospital that morning, filthy, couldn't have a shower, no water pressure.
 
Had the surgery to repair the top tendon, severed, hand is in plaster for the next 5 weeks. Fn needed that eh.
 
Krista's memory is slowly coming back. Hard one that.
 
Pretty sure she has this:
 
https://www.collaborativemed.com/mold-and-mycotoxin-illness-what-to-know/
 
So humid here lately, the pikelettes may have had a bit of mold, but normally they'd have been fine.
 
Anyhow, that's roughly where we are up to.
 
Have a good one!!!!
 
 
Love from the left handed typist.

[JeffH]

My God, that is a week from hell.

All I can say is cars, fences, even houses are not important as long as everyone is well (or at least getting well).
I do feel sad about the kitten though.

[Unicorn]

Me too Jeff, I couldn't give a tad about myself, he was missing on the morning. I saw one of the cats acting cautiously at the front garden. Went and looked, saw the colours, pulled him out, about 8 foot of snake, but with a pretty big lump 40-60 cm down him. Was a bit logical where he'd gone. Still let him go .......... around 400m from the house, could have easily killed him, but two wrongs don't make a right. (unicorn philosiphy)
. Sorry left hand only

[Basilstate]

My God, that is a week from hell.

All I can say is cars, fences, even houses are not important as long as everyone is well (or at least getting well).
I do feel sad about the kitten though.

Yes,hope you are Ok Uni. and salvage something out of Xmas..
Best Wishes from our little gang up here on the Northern Rivers.

[Unicorn]

Thank you Basil & Jeff!!!!! Mrs Uni thought I should ask my mates, hence the post. I never ask anyone, I'm a pretty independent old shit. :-)

[gnome]

Really sorry to read all this, Uni.

[Pedro]

Goodness gravy Uni that is an unbelievable sequence of events.

Hopefully things improve pronto and everyone is feeling better very soon.

Merry Christmas to you and the family.

Pedro