GLOBAL CYCLE EVENT

In a world increasingly preoccupied with throwaway materialistic things; where people are constantly busy earning money to pay for those things, or so their children can have those things;
This is the story of my dreams of travelling the world by bicycle. Because it's there. And because I dont want to die without experiencing the truly important things in life .

A sense of wonder and a sense of adventure.

Saturday 30 June 2012

Painting , Pumping, but Ultimately Cycling.


The water stopped coming out of the shower rose last week.  Unfortunately for me I was under it at the time having a final soap down. For townies when this happens it’s either the councils fault or they haven’t paid their water rates. For us at Potters –End it can be the result of one of a number of reasons. The most expensive cause being  because some knob has let the water tank run dry and the water pump is pumping air and  about to have a meltdown. If this has not already happened. Time is of the essence in situations like this so I throw on my rags from the bathroom floor and dash out of the house to the sound of Adi calmly informing me that there’s no water coming out of the kitchen tap.

Other causes of a lack of water in the past have been;

1.       That the neighbours cows have been drinking so much that we, being last in line, have not received a drop until the sun goes down (9pm in the summer)

2.       That the orchard on the other side has been irrigating to such an extent that our well has been sucked dry. (They have a deeper well)

3.       A cat fight in the pump house. Nobody there to own up but plenty of ginger fur. And one of the little varmits managed to pull the plug on his way out.

4.       A rat stuck in the outlet. This is a particularly distasteful way to run out of water and mentally challenging since you’re never sure how long you’ve been savouring rodent enriched water.

I reached the pump, checked it, and had to report back that it was a partial meltdown and bearing failure due most likely to old age. In other words it was dead, coput, stuffed and a cheap handyman fix was not an option. Adi’s response was “Can I put a load of washing on?”

“Go on then. Maybe the laws of physics don’t apply in this case. While you’re at it could you bake up another pump .But be sure to take it out of the oven before it’s too dry.”
O' goody a new water pump.

A new pump was the only option. I would have liked to buy an Italian one. After all they not only now how to make a styli bicycle but also grow pretty juicy tomatoes there so must know a thing or two about pumping water. But in the end I opted for another Davey pump as the last one had served us well and although the pump place reckoned it’s stuffed I’m betting that if Andy the bike engineer can get it apart for me I can put some new bearings and a seal kit in it. Davey pumps are made in Aussie and you’d have to wonder how they got any expertise in pumping water when they don’t have any? (Probably got the skills from fighting forest fires I suppose).

Its mid-winter here at the moment and although I continue to cycle every day to get about I am trying to concentrate on home maintenance. Currently I am trying to paint the roof and simply cannot fit in a 100km ride and paint. This time of the year there is a window of painting opportunity between noon and 2pm when the roof temperature is above 12C and painting is possible. When the weathers not good enough for painting I don’t feel inspired to do any cycle circuits. Funds for home maintenance are limited to about $50 per week so the amount of work that can be done is limited. So as the daylight hours increase I’ll be able to fit in more long rides.

The cycleway to Potters-end continues towards completion with the opening day for the next section this Sunday. I tried the new suspension bridge yesterday. It’s not finished yet and has no sides but the decking is in so I was onto it! After clambering over all the tape and danger keep off signs I was away.  It was awesome and I can’t wait to tackle it legally at speed.
A Bit Nippy in the Villa  Last Night.

The temperature in my bedroom last night was 4.8C! That’s a record.  Bloody freezing. I wonder what the World Health Organisation would think of that. Just as well I’ve got a good pair of thermal tights and a hottie. I really don’t give a dam because in 7 weeks I will be in Hanoi with Adi and bicycle. Adi’s got seven weeks to re-train her legs after the operations she’s had and I’ve got seven weeks to get my head around a couple of months of cycling Southeast Asia in the wet season. Mudguards and a good saddle cover might be the go.

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