Monday 17 February 2014

Phew...

So...

What is new?

The band meeting was a blast - the singer was a no-show, which was a shame, but the rest of us had a great time.  My new amp is amazing - I had intended to turn up, crank it up to 11 and blow out the windows.  At 6 it was far too loud, at 4 it was nicely matched to the drum kit.  Fantastic!  And the 8-string bass just sounded monsterous.  Looking forward to more.  I did not record anything, but the drummer did - waiting to see if he has anything worth sharing.

The rain has continued to pour,  My end of the country is very wet, but has not had the terrible flooding that the west country is suffering.  This bit of flooding was in the middle of the woods, far from any houses...

 

The wet has made a lot of trees unstable, allowing the wind to just blow them over...


 
Increasingly worried that our eucalyptus tree was working itself loose, we decided that it had to go - it was moving horribly in the wind, threatening our shed, the rabbits and next dorr's aviary!  A couple of hours of lumberjacking, me climbing on things and Mrs RC holding the rope and lowering the branches, and we were down to the trunk and a pile of branches.

 
We will be uprooting the trunk in the near future while Mrs RC decides what to make out of the wood.
 
 
Finally we have had some drama with Bryn, seen here camping last summer.  She had been a bit off colour for a few days, so we took her to the vets for a checkup.  She is nearly 10, has a good few lumps here and there and we thought she was on her last legs when we took her on 18 months ago.  The blood test came back totally clear - no infections and no sign of active cancer.  Since the test she has been a lot brighter and more like her old self.  We are keeping a close eye on her, but it is nice to see her eating and stealing chews again.
 
More soon!
 



13 comments:

CiCi said...

You and Mrs RC are like leftover hippies, looking at a tree that has to go like it is a piece of art or something to use another way. Good for you. It will be fun to see what you decide to do with it.
Glad you had a good time with the band practice.
And what good news about Bryn. So glad you got good results on the latest tests.

Rock Chef said...

CiCi - the tree was planted just after we got married, so we were sad to lose it. Hippies? Us? I guess so! But without the weed...

ShadowRun300 said...

I had a feeling it was difficult for you two to cut the tree down. Great idea to make good use of the wood though. And terrific news about Bryn. It's tough watching them grow old, isn't it? Chancie is 12 now and shows her age more and more.
Sorry to hear your singer didn't show, but sounds like you made the best of it anyway.
And I'm sending some blog juju your way to stop the rain. Sheesh! Enough's enough!

Rock Chef said...

ShadowRun300 - Thanks, we have not had rain since Saturday and it is sunny outside too! It is sad that dogs age so quickly compared to us, but I am starting to feel that some of the treatments that are now offered to animals are wrong - Chemotherapy? Really? I mean, a person is able to make a choice, decide that it is worth the hell of going through with stuff like that, but I feel that it is just kinder to part with a pet.

ShadowRun300 said...

We tend to feel the same way. We just want to make Chancie comfortable, not extend her life so she's hurting for a longer time. At this point, I think it's arthritis that bothers her the most. :(

Rock Chef said...

ShadowRun300 - It is all about quality of life - we know when they aren't enjoying life any more. People have to drag themselves on to the bitter end - thankfully, our pets don't have to do that.

Riot Kitty said...

Glad Bryn is doing better! Eucalyptus wood - yummy smell. Definitely dry it out and save it. Who knows, you might have some koalas banging on your door.

Before I read the part about cranking it up to 11, I was thinking, "But does it go up to 11?"

I tried that joke on someone the other day and it went right over his head. Oops.

lotta joy said...

Bryn, like the rest of us, always feels better when the tests come back clear. Being a dog lover, I'm so glad her lumps were nothing of concern. Unlike that tree that's wiggling in your yard.

terri said...

Well it stinks that the singer didn't show up, but good to hear the rest of you had a good time!

The weather just seems to have gone crazy lately. It's sad that you're losing trees due to the rain and wind. Knowing Mrs. RC, she'll find a way to make something commemorative out of the Eucalyptus.

Glad to hear that Bryn is okay. At her age, maybe she just had a couple of days when she wasn't feeling so energetic. I know how she feels.

agg79 said...

Too bad that the singer didn't show up. I am quite sure you guys rocked the joint, even without some vocals.

I keep seeing reports on the flooding over there and wonder if it is affecting you guys. Hopefully you are on higher ground and the rain lets up soon.

Glad to hear Bryn is feeling a bit better. Hard to see your pets grow old. Claire is around the same age and is seeing some of the same issues. It is hard to keep up with those young pups when you are getting up to our age.

Rock Chef said...

Riot Kitty - That would give Frou Frou something to worry about!

Lotta Joy - Thanks - I think we will have Bryn for a while yet, unlike the poor tree.

Terri - I think the current plan is for an archway. I know what you mean about lacking energy, the last few mornings....

AGG79 - Yes, we are well away from the bad floods, and reasonably safe from any flooding that might happen locally - there are a good few thousand houses that will flood before ours does!

Shammickite said...

I've been seeing the floods on TV here in Canada.... horrible! I can't imagine what it must be like to be up to your waist in brown water.... and that's in your living room! Lots of rain forecast here today too, which on top of 3' of snow laying on the ground can be pretty nasty. Weather man says beware of freezing fog. Now where are my wellies?

Rock Chef said...

Shammickite - hope it isn't as nasty as it sounds!