By Atom Heart Mother in Miscellaneous

at 7:49 pm on August 13, 2022 | 56 comments

Bushy Statue at Bodalla Hotel

Water tower at Sunrise, Narrandera

Railway Station at Narrandera II

East St 151 Jonsens Buildings (built 1893) Narrandera

East Street 92 to 94 (built in 1927 by Hayes and Dixon formerly Bank of NSW and Bendigo Bank) Narrandera

Road sign on Dairy Creek Road Gundaroo

Blue Faced Honeyeater in Narrandera

Blue Faced Honeyeater in Narrandera II

White Eared Honeyeater at Gundaroo

Twynam St 30 to 32 (named Derrindi architect Ernest Laver) Narrandera

East Street 78 to 80 (1920’s building) Narrandera

So this is my current project, a 1950s post war house and a room that has not had anything done to it in 25 years,  albeit they have modern extensions, ie wet areas, MB, and kitchen. Bloke is a mad joiner/carpenter who is an old site engineer in the hospital construction field. 

So the walls are solid masonry and the ceilings fibrous plaster, and due to how the foundations were set, at that time, some movement has occurred. The client is a repeat after sorting the front lounge area and an extended deck area reno attached almost 2 years ago and was called in to sort this room and the back of the house out, save the brick work.  Anyhow I profiled the masonry cracks with my festool angle grinder with shroud and diamond cup and then feathered the rest with the 150mm Rotex, cut out excessive gaps to ceiling cornices over the years with a multitool, then applied premium blue wet area base coat and taped [soaked] to all large cracks, repeat coating of base coat, and the rest premium top plaster coat. I have the green disease lol, festool, that big box is the LHS 2 225 PLANEX 225mm Drywall Sander in Systainer. I did the house next door which is a first on the road in that area which was a 1930s build and the owners are chuffed, looks like I just painted it, was the door I submitted earlier (an earlier sundries).  

Sorry for the gruesome photos. This bird flew headlong into my lounge room window and immediately topped himself. Since I only have a phone camera these days, this is the only opportunity I have ever had to get a photo of one of these shy birds that lives around here (N.E. Vic). I have searched all over the interweb but I can’t find out what this bird is. Anyone know?

It’s not a tiny bird, I would say a little plump and somewhat smaller than a pigeon. Maybe same as a King Parrot in size. Feeds a lot on the ground. Shy and non-aggressive. I never heard it make any call.

The back is sort of drab green and the tail and flight feathers have a browny/red hue. The beak is dark and slightly curved. Looks like an insect eater to me. The underbelly is a lovely mottled yellow and green. I haven’t noticed any obvious male/female differences – they all look pretty similar.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow

The dead bird may be an immature Bower Bird in which case there may be a blue eye.

Bower Bird displaying to another at Broulee

The ferrous complex bounced on August 5,

Boomengineering For Arthur. Cervelo have

Jason 'Eagle Nebula The dark patch in the

Interesting pics as usual Geoff!

Beautiful rainbow in Moscow, seems not much traffic, has the war affected them much?

I love the Moscow and Turkey pics! Please keep them coming even if they look boring, to get a sense of daily life.

If you could pop over to Troy and take some pics that’d be great too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisarlik

Thanks for sending me down a two hour long Wikipedia Rabbit hole there Harry. Interesting how it suggests climate change playing a major role in pre history neolithic settlement of the region,

“Hisarlik was one of many successful pockets of human civilization which arose and prospered in Anatolia. Paleogeographic studies carried out around Hisarlik indicate a favourable environment for settlement existed from around the eighth millennium BC, when receding seas left a fertile, well watered plain which over time became a shallow, but navigable estuary. Above this natural harbour, the hill was large enough to support extensive building, providing natural protection from invasion and a commanding view of the sea”

How did the Greek islands come to be populated by early humans? Was glaciation so extensive that early humans were able to walk to Crete over 130,000 years ago!? That was 2 ice ages ago wasn’t it!?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary_glaciation

“The warming trend following the Last Glacial Maximum, since about 20,000 years ago, has resulted in a sea level rise by about 130 metres (427 ft). This warming trend subsided about 6,000 years ago, and sea level has been comparatively stable since the Neolithic. The present interglacial period (the Holocene climatic optimum) has been stable and warm compared to the preceding ones, which were interrupted by numerous cold spells lasting hundreds of years. This stability might have allowed the Neolithic Revolution and by extension human civilization[37]”

Based on orbital models, the cooling trend initiated about 6,000 years ago will continue for another 23,000 years.[38]

Cretes Minoan civilisation was heaps older than the Mycenaean civilization that wrote about Troy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete

Makes me think about how much rapid climate change shaped machinations of early human settlement patterns. The successes and failures. Some one on Twitter posted a clip of Death Valley California experience flooding recently where a years worth of rain fall fell in 2 or 3 days and how this was a indication of “run away” climate change. But I think our ancestors saw a lot worse,

“There is now compelling evidence for many gigantic ancient floods where glacial ice dams failed time and again: At the end of the last glaciation, some 10,000 years ago, giant ice-dammed lakes in Eurasia and North America repeatedly produced huge floods. In Siberia, rivers spilled over drainage divides and changed their courses. England’s fate as an island was sealed by erosion from glacial floods that carved the English Channel. These were not global deluges as described in the Genesis story of Noah, but were more focused catastrophic floods taking place throughout the world. They likely inspired stories like Noah’s in many cultures, passed down through generations. Since devastating floods were a fact of life on the margins of the world’s great ice sheets” https://gizmodo.com/ancient-flood-myths-may-have-a-basis-in-geological-hist-5940112

But clearly the greatest environmental damage caused by these Glacial periods is the quite recent evolutionary development of,…evil white people! Were Paris and Helen of Troy both black people!? Stewie wouldn’t be happy about that!

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-europeans-evolved-white-skin

Ermo if ever you get the chance, Turkey is one of the all time great places to have a browse around when it comes to ancient ruins and signs of early humans. Same applies for the mountains of the Caucasus and the mountains along the border between Turkey Syria Iran and Iraq. Over on the other side there are remnants of ancient Greek civilisation everywhere you go, but there are plenty of remnants of lots of others about. As I mentioned to someone here the other week I am seriously thinking of retiring to Turkey. The downside of that part of the world is that you are only ever half a sentence away from upsetting someone if you dont agree with them about the treatment they should be meting out to whoever the next ethnicity is, and some of those places you can go to have seen an awful lot of punters killed over the aeons.

Indeed. If I was to travel so far Crete and at least a dozen other Greek islands would have to be on the list too.

When I was in Syria in 2010 I saw a lot of old crusader castles. Some amazing old ruins. Just a shame some have since been destroyed in conflict.

Agreed. Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers and Aleppo were all beautiful spots to visit in 2001. I know two of three were messed around by war but hopefully the crusader castle was left alone.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QpYhxnK1DUXZRZAf6 I was there 2009 actually.. It was a cool Castle.

yes there are obviously far more significant forces at play than piddling human carbon emissions

Observe also the rapidly changing position of the poles in recent years (expected to invert at any time), and the rapid changes in the earth’s magnetic field particularly over africa, and even the changing of the earth’s rotation (the fastest day ever recorded just happened recently)

None of which anybody can explain

but don’t worry, the science is settled. eat your bugs and sit in your pod

Maybe better on weekend links please? It’s not really in the spirit of our Sundries happy place

Oops sorry ,…that’s probably my fault.

That staining on the gel coat should be ok to remove with Septone Cut & Repair (from Supercheap…). On really ugly stains I use a kitchen scourer covered in that stuff to cut through the surface, and then use a polish afterwards to make the surface match the area around it. There might be a more high tech remover available but I have not found one. On the mast/step and deck hardware Autosol Metal Polish will remove the corrosion that may be causing the stains in the first place.

I think Harry prefers a skanky look for his boat. I mean why does any man buy a boat other than to Attract the skank’s. 😇

Impossible Ermo. I have not had the pleasure of meeting the fine fellow, but I am sure Harold is a dapper Captain, respendent in his finery and proud of his crew and vessel.

Oh yes,…very dapper. Harry sent me this photo of himself in his new boating outfit long before he even brought his new boat! https://twitter.com/ermoplumber/status/1558655994468909056?s=21&t=Q8ef2OueoyFpduZWLZDH1w

The one and only time in modern history anyone could have derived a real benefit for their audience by addiing a codpiece, but, no… ‘course not.

I cannot unsee that. Ermo, if my sexy time performance suffers, it is entirely your fault. Scoundrel !!

Thanks I’ll check it out.

@Artie, it’s a female Satin Bowerbird. I am assuming you live somewhere on the east coast? https://ebird.org/species/satbow1

Thanks. See more in comment below. Not coastal, sub-alpine near Myrtleford

Hi Artie, The bird strongly resembles a pair we have recently seen , but not been able to ID in our garden for the first time in 25 years of living hear (Just outside Lismore). I say pair , but they could be 2 female Satin Bower birds. Have not seen a male . they liked nightshade berriesAlso discovered a small bower while thinning the thicket hedge on our bottom boundary. Hopefully we have not disrupted their breeding. Cheers B

Confirmed by the picture of a live one at the end of todays sundries! They really moved into many areas they were once uncommon in numbers after the 2019 fires. Another example of an actual climate change impact on nature.

Yep. Bower bird. The males are jet black with piercing blue eyes.

@harry thanks for the lake Mac pics btw did you see lots of floating dead fish? There’s suppose to be a major fish kill up near the power station, ash flow dam overflow or something similar.

Not a single dead fish, and there were about 23-30 fisherpeople out on the cruise back.

The water was still very silty/organics from the recent heavy rains.

Thanks Geoff and desmo. I am sure that is exactly what it is – juvenile or female Satin Bower Bird. I think I had trouble finding it on the web perhaps because the photos mostly seem to be of males, which look very different. I don’t recall ever seeing a male bird around the garden. But now I know what to look for I will keep an eye out. I have no idea at all where one could build a bower as I am surrounded by grazing land with eucalypts – no scrubby low bush to speak of. Maybe it’s in my own garden? There are some low scrubby natives around near the house. Maybe it’s just females moving around between territories? They seem to like being in groups of about 3 to 5 birds. Location is North East Vic sub-alpine near Myrtleford Thanks again

A beautiful area Artie. I was born across the hill in Tawonga.

The satin bowerbird has a quite distinctive undulating flight. They are also fast and you likely only get a glimpse of them when in woodland and forest. The undulating flight will help with the ID.

Know it well desmo. One of my favorite short pleasure outings is Mudgegonga – Myrtleford – Bright – Tawonga – Happy Valley Rd (Kancoona) – Carrolls Rd – Mudgegonga

It gets cold here in winter, but I would miss if I could never see snow on nearby mountains. The view of Bogong with snow from Tawonga Gap is fantastic

looks like pretty neat work skippy good to see

Hey Skip how do you find the AEG isolating multi tool? I had one but thought it a bit to weak and light duty so gave it to my mate and now use a cheap corded one that seems heaps more powerful and robust.

If you use it often then drop the coin and buy the Fein (corded model is my preference). It is worth the money.

For the amount of work I use it for its fine, not cutting heavy materials or for prolonged periods. Then again buying good blades for it is the key. As noted below the Fein is top shelf stuff and if I was to up grade it I would go with the Festool model which is up there with it, but has more accessories [dust extraction] and then the systainer box system is just fantastic – organization and transport of tools. The inside of each box as a pictogram laying out all the basics about the tool, its accessories, and consumables.

Next weekend I’ll send a photo of the drywall sander opened up so you can see what I’m talking about. AEG is just a good price point for above DYI tools, just bought a AEG compound miter saw w/ folding table on wheels and extension arms for 550 bucks. Needed it for the brother in laws place 2 doors down after his mom passed away and had to install small cornice like trims ceiling to wall and down the internal corners. All old box set that had cracked open and too many bad gap jobs over the 50 years just smacked you in the eyes.

The big thing with Festool is its precision tools with second to none dust extraction, gear is built ground up for it and not just some bolt on. The reduction in dust is just another world, makes my job easier, stuff last longer, and it does not travel from one end of a house to the other [fine particulate] so clients are happy. For what I pay for it up front it cuts lots of other costs and labour down the road.

wow – this was incredibly lucid

you are like a different person when you are talking about tools and trade, compared with politics and economics

Coming. People change in different situations. Met an old duck near the zoo once who admitted she changed personalities (bad killer) when riding her bike. Relate to that, in the surf encourage anyone to drop in or take the wave, same with spearfishing, point to a fish and let a buddy have the first shot. But when on the bike grow horns and turn into a murderer. Oh and also opposite, when interviewed by Ben Crop’s son Dean for a shark story, television, he commented that I became relaxed and calm when out to sea in the ocean.

yes there is something about lycra that makes people raging arseholes, not sure what the cause is

Same thing with online forums I guess

Coming the – kicker is – the assumption others make and then its projection/s. Then again some people think Hans Herman Hopple is lucid … go figure …

Our dinki di kelpie was named after this dinki di Aussie. https://youtu.be/woXRPWdCxsA btw we lived next door to her at Narrabeen. Went to one of her shows.

Anotherie, Tiger Rag after The Poor People of Paris, got lost somewhere. https://youtu.be/eY_PabVEUbY

Geoff, I love old shearing sheds, even ordinary ones on the edge of town like that one. Great photo to bring it to life. I had a brief stint living and working on a fine wool farm through the shearing. Good times.

skippy, nice. Can you and the tools do solid wall plastering? Would it finish like quality solid wall plastering? Hard, dense, polished. Old school stuff and probably not many left who do it, if any. I’ve only just seen older examples but described to me as trowel in hand, usually rapid, sustained circular motions, pressing just so. Hard yakka obviously. You and the tools are far more efficient of course.

All the houses I did in Calif for the one Architectural mob were solid plaster on battens and laser leveled before coatings. Big trowels moving from the floor and up at pace in a gang. In the States some still give the gyprock walls a full face coat for the same effect at a lower cost. There is a very big book on all the aspects of plastering, today most is level 3 and goes up to a level 5, nuts stuff about lighting and surface appearance.

Most of my work deals with structural cracks and smaller appearance plastering, especial in critical lighting areas – hits you in the eyes – and most importantly applying everything to a high standard which looks great and lasts longer. This is why after a few years work is predominately word of mouth only through clients and call backs for more, inside or outside.

Good stuff, you’ve worked yourself into an excellent position.

Sunday arvo now and a lovely lot of weekend sundries this has been. Good on you Gunna for facilitating it and everyone who contributes and makes this spontaneous and slightly odd goodwill concept work. Artie

Indeed, well spoken/written Mr Arthur

Finally pics of the great boat, thanks for sharing Harry 👍

You, me and Boom should all go for a sail on the same day Phanny. I’ll bring a couple of cases of beer. Have you got a sailor’s outfit like Harry’s?

You won’t be disappointed. That day sailing with Captain Harry was the highlight of my day.

Harry must become a tug boat captain as he’s that good , 160k a year and they are on strike asking for more

You boys should drop into the Blue Oyster bar in your sailing gear!

Is that where you usually hang around? I don’t know much about Sydney bars, is it a good joint ?

That would be great Ermo, can I bring some girls too?

Better ask Harry. I don’t know how much action his boat can take.

If only someone had picked up his courtesy buoy.

@Haroldus did you drop into Murrays for a coffee? The pier is opposite Pulbar, just north of Raffertys. I live up the hill a tad.

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