Lunch at Brendan and Eva

Manly Scenic walk with Brendan, Ella and Jodie

To Brendan and Eva for a delicious breakfast and then we walked part of The Manly Scenic walk.

Xmas with Brendan and Eva

Khao Pla

Mega Yum !!

Dim Sung with Jo, Brendan and Eva and Mary-Ann

A week with Brendan on his farm

A wonderful week with Brendan.

Highlights

• Lots of very satisfying physical labour including installing a fireplace, clearing a canopy of fallen trees and clearing a fence.
• Being inspired by Brendan with DIY.  There's nothing you can't do with the right outlook.
• Getting to use a chainsaw for the first time. I loved it!
• The delicious creme brulee tarts and doughnuts at the local bakery - and the even more delicious woman who owned it.
• A lovely swim on the last day and leaping off the pier.
• Meeting Brendan's old neighbour at his restaurant and the amazing cheese platter we enjoyed with some lovely wine.

The house

Things we worked on: Clearing trees, installing a fireplace, clearing gutters, taking down a fence.

We cleared old trees to create lots of firewood.  I had my first experience of chainsawing!

Brendan at war with his nemeses.  Blackberry, weeds, thistles and bracken.

Bails of grass.

A swim at the beach nearby.

Hi there guys

At last some good Internet connection and a chance to say hi. 

I'm having a wonderful time on the farm. 

It's a paradise place with rolling, grassy hills and a forested gully running through it. And it's so amazingly quiet. Apart from the beautiful silence, nothing but bird songs and cricket chirrups to listen to. 

I've been doing loads of hard physical labour. Cleaning and installing gutters. Installing a huge fireplace in the farm cottage. Clearing fallen trees (I've become a chainsaw wielding fiend!).  And most fun of all, taking down fences to open up the farm. It feels like rural Feng Shui. Each night I go to bed at 8 pm and sleep like a baby. 

Brendan and I are having lots of fun exploring the local eateries and enjoying local wines. He's a wonderful guy with an amazing sense of humour. A great connection. 

I hope you're all well. I'll be sorry to miss Eckhart on Tuesday. I will be thinking of you all.

G

Ella's 13th birthday

Ella decided to do The Manly Scenic walk for her birthday party.  What an amazing idea is that!  I helped Brendan chaperone 20 thirteen year olds. A bit like herding cats. There was much laughter and fun.  

In Manly, we met up with Eva and Jodie and we all filled ourselves with delicious pizza.  All in all, a wonderful day and as the day progressed, I realised I was the "official photographer" so got more and more into that.

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To Eva

Well, it's official.  You gave birth to pure Sunshine.  Not just once.  But twice!!

It was so special being part of Ella's 13th birthday.  Hopefully these photos will allow you all to relive it a bit.  Best idea for a party of I've ever come across !!

From Eva

They are sunshine!

The photos are just fabulous!

Thanks Graeme 

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