There were five blokes clamouring over our house today fitting solar panels. This after a sales rep from a solar solutions company came to talk to me on Monday of last week, after a telemarketer had rung the week before and arranged the appointment. His quote was for 8 panels and a 3kw inverter thrown in, above the capacity of the 1.5 inverter we'd need, so we could inrease our number of panels when the price goes down in the future as the rep assured me it would, for the tidy sum of $6990.
Lib wasn't home when the rep called, and it was her birthday so we didn't discuss that evening, what with the champagne and present opening etc it seemed too much like business. The next morning, a week ago today, I met Heinz on my walk.
"What's new?" Heinz often greets me with this question.
"Not much Heinz,I got a quote yesterday from a company to fit solar panels."
"Did they ring you up, then come around?"
"Yes."
"They rang me too. I didn't buy from them. I got onto another crowd, much cheaper."
We stood in front of Amanda's house in Innes Rd., after stopping as we were going different directions. Werner, a builder renovating Amanda's house, was in conversation with her in the driveway. On seeing Heinz and I they walked up, Heinz and Werner being friends, and Amanda and I. After a few moments hearing a progress report on Amanda's house I excused myslf. As I left Heinz called to me with some urgency of tone.
"Don't do anything till you talk to me. Come and see me. You could save thousands."
"Are you home this afternoon?"
"Yes, I will show you my house. You've been saying you'll come for a long time. Now you must.
When I visited Heinz that afternoon he greeted me like a long friend, sitting me dowm in his loungeroom with the superb view of the Warbuton Range, and bringing me green tea and biscuits. He told me how efficient the solar company he purchased from was and offered to ring them so I could give them some details and ask for a price. To cut it short the price was over $2000 less, for 11 panels not 8, with a 2kw inverter. The chap I talked to googled our address and told me what I could do from the sattelite photo. I paid a 10% deposit on the phone using credit card and as soon as the contract arrived by email and I could send it back by post signed, they got it yesterday, they installed today.
It's not working yet, it has to be inspected by SPAus the electricity supplier first before it can be turned on. The electricity generated above what our house uses during the day will be fed back into the grid and purcased by the state government. There's a new meter needed at a cost (to us) of $250 to enable this which is to be added to the next electricity bill. Also we had to upgrade our switchboard at a cost of $700, also done today, the contractor paid by us, which we would have had to do anyway soon.
Touch wood it goes smoothly from here. The idea is that the system pays for itself in the first few years then the savings are real for the next decade. If we sell it should be an advantage to get a buyer, and a better price. Let's hope it has been a good decision.
Next time Heinz asks what's new I'll have something to tell him. Sometimes everything justs clicks into place and things happen quickly.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Spring is Early
I have felt for a couple of months that things have been flowering early this year and this was confirmed when John Rando rang last night to say he'd pruned the fruit trees in Nobelius Park and said in his opinion the trees were close to a month in advance of a normal year. As a man who worked 30 years as a pruner in a commercial apple orchard I accept what he says.
I have a museum meeting today and much else to do so I'll copy and paste from Word my Gembrook column for Signpost for September which I just submitted after starting on it first thing, so as to give my blog readers something. I don't think Signpost readers read my blog, with maybe one or two exceptions, and no one will mind I'm sure.
AMONGST THE GUM TREES
I heard a conversation in the post office where a man said to his friend, “I can’t understand why Australians call all eucalypts gum trees when the rest of the world knows them as eucalypts. Do you know the origin of it?”
His friend replied, “No I don’t. I always thought of them as eucalypt gums.”
At this point I nearly joined in to say it baffles me also, and that eucalypts are broadly grouped by bark type e.g. Stringybarks, Box, Ironbarks and Bloodwoods. It’s the smooth barked types such as Mountain grey Gums, Manna Gums and Red Gums that are “gums”. I didn’t, because I didn’t know the answer to question, the origin of “gum tree”.
So I researched to find that Eucalyptus is one of three similar genera that are commonly referred to as ‘eucalypts’, the others being Corymbia and Angophora. They are known as gum trees because many species, but not all, exude copious sap from any break in the bark. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus, 15 found outside Australia, only 9 not occurring in Australia. Interestingly, two of our best known gums, the Red Flowering Gum and the Ghost Gum, are Corymbias.
There are other eucalypts types such as Mallees, Ash and Peppermints. Generally speaking our knowledge of our native trees could be improved and perhaps could be given more emphasis in the education system. It may have improved since my day.
On the bird front, John Batten told me recently that red browed finches had visited his garden, and he’d seen many water birds in the dams in Harewood Rd. Alan Bates observed magpies harassing and squawking at an unconcerned low flying wedge tailed eagle. The galahs that regularly come and go have been plentiful and smooching in pairs perched on the electricity wires, the whip birds have moved back to our street for the spring, resuming their male/ female calling, and I saw what I think was a spotted pardalote.
I have a museum meeting today and much else to do so I'll copy and paste from Word my Gembrook column for Signpost for September which I just submitted after starting on it first thing, so as to give my blog readers something. I don't think Signpost readers read my blog, with maybe one or two exceptions, and no one will mind I'm sure.
AMONGST THE GUM TREES
I heard a conversation in the post office where a man said to his friend, “I can’t understand why Australians call all eucalypts gum trees when the rest of the world knows them as eucalypts. Do you know the origin of it?”
His friend replied, “No I don’t. I always thought of them as eucalypt gums.”
At this point I nearly joined in to say it baffles me also, and that eucalypts are broadly grouped by bark type e.g. Stringybarks, Box, Ironbarks and Bloodwoods. It’s the smooth barked types such as Mountain grey Gums, Manna Gums and Red Gums that are “gums”. I didn’t, because I didn’t know the answer to question, the origin of “gum tree”.
So I researched to find that Eucalyptus is one of three similar genera that are commonly referred to as ‘eucalypts’, the others being Corymbia and Angophora. They are known as gum trees because many species, but not all, exude copious sap from any break in the bark. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus, 15 found outside Australia, only 9 not occurring in Australia. Interestingly, two of our best known gums, the Red Flowering Gum and the Ghost Gum, are Corymbias.
There are other eucalypts types such as Mallees, Ash and Peppermints. Generally speaking our knowledge of our native trees could be improved and perhaps could be given more emphasis in the education system. It may have improved since my day.
On the bird front, John Batten told me recently that red browed finches had visited his garden, and he’d seen many water birds in the dams in Harewood Rd. Alan Bates observed magpies harassing and squawking at an unconcerned low flying wedge tailed eagle. The galahs that regularly come and go have been plentiful and smooching in pairs perched on the electricity wires, the whip birds have moved back to our street for the spring, resuming their male/ female calling, and I saw what I think was a spotted pardalote.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
60 Seconds of Mayhem
Our recent holiday was a bit like a Griswold's vacation if you seen those nutty movies. It started at Tyers where we pulled in for fuel and lunch on the way down to Lakes. As I began to drive out of the servo, Gord, sitting behind me, let out an loud roar..."STOP."
I had moved off while he still had his door open and his leg out of the car and the rear tyre had gone onto his foot. If I'd had a few more revs up it would have snapped his lower leg just above the ankle for sure. As it was we we were all a bit shaken but relieved he was alright.
The rain started about Bairnsdale and became heavier the closer we got to LE. The roof was leaking when we got to the house. The TV wouldn't work. The rain kept up most of the night. The pan catching the drip from the hall ceiling was in the way as I went to the toilet twice during the night. Bang crash.
The large retaining wall at the rear of the house has a decided bend in it, we discover when daylight comes next morning. Still raining on an off, too wet to inspect roof and attempt silicon repair. The rain dissipated after a couple of days but it remained freezing and windy. Never have we encountered such cold at Lakes before.
After much ringing around a landscaper arrived to inspect rear wall. It needs engineer's design he says, and council permit, there's complications, cost will depend on design and specifications. Ball park figure? Between 15 and 30k.
We bumped into dear Dorothy and Henrick down the street. Henry tells us he has been diagnosed with mesothielioma, there's nothing they can do, he doesn't have long to live. He worked at the power stations when a younger man and was exposed to asbestos. He is 86 and never before seen the inside of a hospital as a patient, till he was in for a week for biopsy in Melbourne. He escaped Poland after WW2, a refugee, after great suffering, A fine gentleman, an unfair end.
We managed to get a new telly from Retravision as the faulty one was in warranty, in time to watch the footy. Our team was flogged. We went fishing well into the bush past Bruthen, I lost my glasses, left them on the roof of the car when I tied hooks, then leaving them there as we drove off. We drove back down the rough rocky track to the creek, grid walked back. Gord found them, undamaged, phew!
Finally I shrugged off my reticence to work out in the cold and began pruning rampant tree and shrub growth up on the bank behind the house. Robbie came out to help and sliced the side of his finger off with brand new secateurs. Blood everywhere.
On the last evening of our last day we took the dogs for a last walk to Lake Bunga. Pip was out in front and was attacked by a large woolly German Shepherd. I sprinted to defend Pip and did a hammy, leaving me with no power to run or kick. Dogs had run back past me, there was much yelling and screaming. Lib was trying to kick G shepherd off Pip, no impact, then drag it off. We grabbed Pip. Shepherd took off after Snow and got her too. Robbie tried to sword the shepherd with the point of the umbrella. Miraculously both our dogs were unharmed.
I reckon it was all over in 60 seconds but in that time I strained the hamstring and Lib hurt her back. Two lessons learned...you never know what's about to come round the bend ahead...and, I think my effectiveness when urgent action is required has deteriorated badly with the advance of years. My sprinting days are well gone. If I hadn't known it before I do now. I have never felt my age like I did then and have since the incident. The confidence is shot. The thought that we could have brutally lost out two wonderful little dogs in the space of a minute sends a shiver to the soul.
The next day as we left to drive home after the big house clean, after midday, the clouds had all gone and the sun shone brilliantly. The last hour or so of the drive home was exceedingly difficult into the lowering sun. At least we arrived home all well, if sporting wounds and sore spots. Dogs too.
I had moved off while he still had his door open and his leg out of the car and the rear tyre had gone onto his foot. If I'd had a few more revs up it would have snapped his lower leg just above the ankle for sure. As it was we we were all a bit shaken but relieved he was alright.
The rain started about Bairnsdale and became heavier the closer we got to LE. The roof was leaking when we got to the house. The TV wouldn't work. The rain kept up most of the night. The pan catching the drip from the hall ceiling was in the way as I went to the toilet twice during the night. Bang crash.
The large retaining wall at the rear of the house has a decided bend in it, we discover when daylight comes next morning. Still raining on an off, too wet to inspect roof and attempt silicon repair. The rain dissipated after a couple of days but it remained freezing and windy. Never have we encountered such cold at Lakes before.
After much ringing around a landscaper arrived to inspect rear wall. It needs engineer's design he says, and council permit, there's complications, cost will depend on design and specifications. Ball park figure? Between 15 and 30k.
We bumped into dear Dorothy and Henrick down the street. Henry tells us he has been diagnosed with mesothielioma, there's nothing they can do, he doesn't have long to live. He worked at the power stations when a younger man and was exposed to asbestos. He is 86 and never before seen the inside of a hospital as a patient, till he was in for a week for biopsy in Melbourne. He escaped Poland after WW2, a refugee, after great suffering, A fine gentleman, an unfair end.
We managed to get a new telly from Retravision as the faulty one was in warranty, in time to watch the footy. Our team was flogged. We went fishing well into the bush past Bruthen, I lost my glasses, left them on the roof of the car when I tied hooks, then leaving them there as we drove off. We drove back down the rough rocky track to the creek, grid walked back. Gord found them, undamaged, phew!
Finally I shrugged off my reticence to work out in the cold and began pruning rampant tree and shrub growth up on the bank behind the house. Robbie came out to help and sliced the side of his finger off with brand new secateurs. Blood everywhere.
On the last evening of our last day we took the dogs for a last walk to Lake Bunga. Pip was out in front and was attacked by a large woolly German Shepherd. I sprinted to defend Pip and did a hammy, leaving me with no power to run or kick. Dogs had run back past me, there was much yelling and screaming. Lib was trying to kick G shepherd off Pip, no impact, then drag it off. We grabbed Pip. Shepherd took off after Snow and got her too. Robbie tried to sword the shepherd with the point of the umbrella. Miraculously both our dogs were unharmed.
I reckon it was all over in 60 seconds but in that time I strained the hamstring and Lib hurt her back. Two lessons learned...you never know what's about to come round the bend ahead...and, I think my effectiveness when urgent action is required has deteriorated badly with the advance of years. My sprinting days are well gone. If I hadn't known it before I do now. I have never felt my age like I did then and have since the incident. The confidence is shot. The thought that we could have brutally lost out two wonderful little dogs in the space of a minute sends a shiver to the soul.
The next day as we left to drive home after the big house clean, after midday, the clouds had all gone and the sun shone brilliantly. The last hour or so of the drive home was exceedingly difficult into the lowering sun. At least we arrived home all well, if sporting wounds and sore spots. Dogs too.
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