Goodbye My Home

It was with a heavy heart I said my last goodbyes to a place that has been in my family for what seems forever,I spent every Christmas of my early life(14 years) plus cared for the gardens for another ten years or so and knew so much of its every nook and crany.I took so many pictures as I left but they will never replace the feeling of home,it was my steady rock to know it was there through good times and bad and I hope the new peoplewill care and love it as I did and appreciate the history of the past!
I left home at 5.30am,monday 18 July with my middle son as company towing a tandem tailer on loan from the bestest friends without whom I wouldnt have been able to do what I set out to.My own trailer had too many things needing work to get it ready in time which I wasnt aware of til two days efore leaving date.
I packed two project bags and two spindles and had plans to work on them at travel stops. We spent first night at the WA border,I started a sock in some handspun(Espinner) dyed y me ages ago,it ll be a plain toeup with a feather fan pattern at the top. the spindles job was to finish some polwarth from EGMTKs for the Bandwidth hat (top since finished in a lovely light worsted weight)
3500kms to go,over the Nullabour towards Ceduna

Patrick kept busy with his books,military history etc

Ceduna,beautiful green crops........

We had some fun man handling the trailer into position before backing 100 Series in and rehitching,as youve guessed Im not good at reversing a trailer...this was the second night,I did some more on the sock...we also tried out a local pizza shop to compare notes...

Leaving Pt Augusta and heading up into the holls to Peterborough

Back to 3rd gear and up climbing!

Then second!!

...then down through to Broken Hill

Little Topa,whats left of the flooding rains last Christmas,I saw a bustard slinking off into the grass here,so many have een shot and eaten over the yeasr Im glad theres still a few around

Loads of summer fire fuel here going into Cobar on the other side of the Macdonald Ranges,eautiful scenery,wish I had time to stop and take more pics of the ranges themselves,wonderful painting material

This pics didnt come out like I hoped but it was like the southern Aroura lights,a rainbow hanging over Cobar as we approached aout 50 ks away! Stayed at the Western,everything else was booked out and we scored the 3rd last room at the pub in the old party rooms,had to put up with an annoying drunck yelling out at his TV all night...

Onto the Louth road which was the roughest Ive driven over for a while,I stopped a few times to check wheel bearings etc and to have alittle break from the rattles,the Bourke end was shocking! This pics was the good part through the sandunes,they were graded for the famous LouthPicnic Races which we missed as we were going home the week before they were to be held

Over the hill and nearly there

All my Dads stuff for all and sundry to sort through and bid on,country auctions are a big day out for people to travel to and try to get bargains and just have a great day out.It can be heart breaking for some if they re being sold up for example but for my own family it means a move to someplace more comfortable,Mums has existed for the last few months on no runing wtaer with the tanks rusting through and as she was going to move there was no need to spend money.Thats for the new owners.It was sad for me in the way Im losing my real home and also I wasnt quick enough to get some family heirlooms out of the way before they were put out,I did however managed to save my girls,given to me a long time ago by my father they were frisked away and hidden from prying eyes.

Just look at them lined up and ready to go!
Auction time...........

And all gone the next day,the sale lasted from 10amto after 7pm that night with flood lightslighting up the shed as the auctionare gaming tried to finish off.
I was very angry to learn during the day that a certain attendee bid up to an extravagant ammount for a family heirloom that shouldnt have been in there and due to a miscommunication among other family I was distracted and failed to bid on the item.Upon discussion with the organisers later it was realised that it was a mistake for it to be put out as my mother wasnt aware and even though she didnt really care at the end of the day I will always regret not being able to save it and that person involved will be remembered. I did however managed to rescue my OWN spinning wheel,Dads stock whip and his pistol holster along with a few tools and abit of his hobby stuff(lapidary)

Over the next couple of days i went through and took photos of everything I could for the memories.

Front of house,one of my fav spots..

 At side facing the river,this was the best side to sit on the kitchen step and have acup while the kokaburras rallied up in the trees and blue wrens twittered among the shrus

A portion of the gardens,a fraction of what they were in my Grandfathers day

 

The mighty old 45 stand shed,I aim topaint this one day so got heaps of pics to keep the memory as correct as possible.

thats it for now,Ill e back with more photos of the house ad shed and Im hoping to find the time to tpe up an article that was printed in the sixties about the history of the old place.

No knitting or spinning pics but i have started some white optim on a tiny spindle as I want to use it to make a delicate little scarf with nupps etc,Ihave also started the second half of Charlies Churro Bunny top and as Im not back at work for another week im thinking of  getting out the sock knitting machine in between fnishing the ast Uni assignment,finishing grouting the abthroom and getting garden upto some sort of decency. 

the blasted key board is dicky too so if you see a few missing letters(b) thats why.....