Batlow, amongst the apples. Tad cool tonight.

Time for new air bags, can't complain, we got 10 years out of the old ones, ......... but still a Shitty job  .   

Washing the van down.

Way too high up a step-ladder to do the roof , & yes, kept thinking of Hutchie

Had a bit of a jaw bone with BD today at the Baxter Tavern, was good to catch up again, even if he went to the wrong pub 1st 

Quote from: Fizzie on April 18, 2026, 08:28:51 AMWhat'd you do to deserve that!

Werk

Samoyed fur is teflon.

they can be totally feral caked in red mud.

but let it dry... and it either falls off naturally (often creating a pile of red dust on the tiled floors here) or it can be brushed out with a slicker brush. (sometimes you have to pick out grass seeds)

They are totally self cleaning...

The worst mud ever happened to them in Victoria... they were in a dog park that had a small creek down one side.

Naturally they both went down in the thick black mud for a look. When they came out, it was as though they were wearing Iggy Pop style tight black leather pants... (that required an actual wash and dry)

How do you cope with long haired dogs in the mud ? 

Quote from: Fizzie on April 20, 2026, 07:52:35 AMThanks, Wayne.

Leafz was asking just a few days ago if you'd posted any updates on conditions recently?

Makes our decision ( a bit) easier to live with!

one thing I will stress Fizzie:

FUEL IS AVAILABLE!!!

I've been seeing on many of the "big lap" style FB pages people panicking about not "wanting to get trapped" (somewhere remote) without fuel.

There is plenty of fuel. Yarralin OPEL tank ran out, (but we had a very healthy reserve of diesel) so no one was mowing their lawns... but that was because of the access road into community. Not fuel availability. Once the sun dried the mud out... a tanker came in. (on Easter Friday no less)

Fuel in Yarralin was $3.30L this time last year (2025), it was $2.80L two weeks ago and after the tanker came, Diesel was $2.90L... (though it *is* pretty Shitty at the main servo's in Katherine and at Timber Creek... $3.27 - $3.50) We use the truck depot as it's only $2.96L

But there is enough fuel for everyone. It's just ****ing panic buying muppets that cause (short term) shortages. (sound familiar?) This a toilet paper all over again.

The Repco and Mitre10 in Katherine are sold out of Jerry Cans... that should tell you enough.

Meanwhile... I arrived at home with no brakes at all in Troopy. (clutch/engine braking and handbrake) Rear left caliper is trashed, rotor is trashed. and no brakefluid in the sytem at all. A rock popped the hose half way from the hwy to Yarralin.

I've put a bolt into the line to seal it and removed the trashed caliper and pads.

Someone in community was in Darwin last night and flew in this morning so they grabbed me 2L of DOT3. I'll rebleed the  front brakes and the RH rear.

Then *another* drive to Katherine this Saturday to get both rear calipers & rotors replaced and home again...

because on the 30th of April (yeh... the following weekend) we're off to Darwin *with* the Kedron on the back (so brakes will be required), to pick up our new puppy, Princess Tilly, at midnight on the 1st of May when her flight lands... yes... another Samoyed.

ai tells me this is her with her soon to be two big brothers... (apparently Uluru is near to Yarralin)

Thanks, Wayne.

Leafz was asking just a few days ago if you'd posted any updates on conditions recently?

Makes our decision ( a bit) easier to live with!

It's so easy to do. Slow right down for any water , mud , holes, corrugations. Easy to sit here and pontificate , I know , but slowing down really helps , and you really don't lose much time for the caution. Good reminder for decent communications as well.
Cheers
Jim