pmccarthy

Jerry is either a skilled typist or he has mastered voice-to-text. Good on him!

I am having a run of crap products. First, a packet of 24 Eveready Super Heavy Duty AA batteries. After a spate of problems using them, I found three that tested at 0.4 Volts. Don't know how many more were bad as I had thrown them out in groups of four. Even the ones that tested at 1.6 Volts only showed 40% remaining when put into a device. I noticed that the branding is on the batteries, but nothing on the blister pack says Eveready. Second, I am on my third new garden wave sprinkler in the last month. They just jam at one end of the wave. Cost $30-40 each. Third, I have two new tap timers that do not turn off after the set time. They do not turn off at all. I forget what they cost. I think Australia must have been put at the end of the third-world destinations for crap products. Probably serves us right. It can be annoying, for example when batteries don't work in a NR headset when flying.

Sweetness

Sight

How much gilt do you want?

I spent the morning with an ex-SAS mate working on my truck. He has a crook back from jumping out of choppers. I have a crook back from too long sitting at a desk!

Victoria used to produce a good Prospectors Guide. I have a couple of copies from different eras.

I have been to a military air show in India. Unpredictable, with no crowd line.

I like our evap ducted unit. I like the humidity.SWMBO wants to replace it with a refrig type.

I have had quite a few old bikes but only one brand new one. It was an RT1 Yamaha in 1971. 360cc trail bike, I rode it on long road trips too. I still have two of them but probably can’t kick start them any more.

I have read a lot of early diaries of prospectors. That idea that all quartz contained gold was fairly common ame caused a lot of disappointment.

Back in the 1990s we set up a company and mined 55,000 tonnes at 1 oz/tonne. Gold price was $350-400/oz and we lost money. It was called Reef Mining at Tarnagulla in Victoria.

I have finally finished my book with the title Hidden Rivers of Gold which covers the origins of Deep Lead Mining, the technology and challenges, and the final years of mining in the Carisbrook-Moolort area of Victoria which led to huge financial losses and very little gold. Characters involved included the State Premier and a future president of the USA. This was all around the turn of the 20th Century. The book can be purchased through online booksellers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fishpond, Booktopia and Angus and Robertson. Prices vary a lot, and some are in US$ so check carefully. The book is published by Echo Books.

We can only live in our own times and deal with the evil that exists today.

I have recently cancelled my subscription to New Scientist after reading it every week for 57 years. Most of that time it was a company subscription until I retired. I cancelled because it is now written by politically correct teenagers. And because I can't keep up with an issue every week. It was great until about ten years ago.

It is very satisfying to use a heavy duty slasher on rough scrub.

Tree removal was not needed. Leave the tree, remove the plane!

Here is FH firing it up.

Keen are the best. I have been wearing nothing but for 20 years. SWMBO calls them clown shoes.

Dozens of houses lost in Harcourt and Sutton Grange, including my daughters. We are OK due to a wind change.

Heading our way.

I can’t believe choppers can fly in this wind.

Wish it was wet now. Choppers and fires around us. Blowing a gale.