Tiiiiiiimmmmbbbbbeeeerrrrrr

Before the weather gets any hotter we decided to get in and get some timber for a few projects that we have on the agenda. 

So we hired a nanny (aka grandma), cut some lunches and set off to where the ticks are friendly and phone reception is dicey. Justin cuts down the trees and then I come along and slice along the tree so that the bark will come off when dropped from the extended height of the loader. 

 Once I've split the bark down the side, most of the time the bark will pop off fairly easily, as you can see here. Sometimes it calls for us to use a pry bar to remove it, but fortunately we've had a few showers of rain recently and the added moisture helps. We also try to make sure that we take the bark off as soon as the tree has been cut, which also helps.

I love the look of freshly barked timber. I would love to make a house with all exposed beams like this. 

Our week was not incident free... the loader caught fire at one stage and I was so lucky that Justin happened to be hitching a ride with me at the time, because the amount of smoke that comes out of her normally, I would not have discerned the exhaust smoke from that of the fire (seriously I have to wear a mask for the amount of smoke that comes out of this old girl). Fortunately it was only a small fire that we could literally blow out. 

The temperature gauge is a gas line and it came into contact with the battery, which of course shorted it out and then the rubber hose of the oil pressure line caught fire........ My mechanical knowledge has expanded significantly this week, which to be honest doesn't take much as I know nothing! 

So Justin made a trip to town for a new gauge and fittings and we were off again. But it wasn't too long before the ram of the tyre "popped off"..... Not good. Anyhow a couple of hours, with some of that time spent with me standing on top of the canopy of the loader trying to relay to Coolee (our diesel fitter friend) over the phone what the problem was, without much success. But we managed to right the problem and off we went again.  

We still need a fair few posts for the jobs we have lined up, so we shall be back to the grind next week, although I do have a pass for the Melbourne cup which will shorten our week a bit. 

Even G-man got some ear muffs. 

 With the break downs we managed to get home a bit earlier and check on all our babies that are multiplying.

Cheeky. 

I must say I'm enjoying being out and about at work again, feeling more productive but I miss my baby terribly. Especially when we are off early and home late. Poor grandma has probably had the worst of it as my little G-man is getting some more teeth...... not one but four bloomin teeth!!! Oh well, hopefully once they are through he will be right for a while. 

 Even when he is miserable as hell with his teeth, still manages to give me a smile!

Like father like son, no?

I must say I'm a little sore this weekend, so I'm appreciating a bit of R'n'R.