I once went bush waking (with a friend) through Guy Fawkes National Park. We camped at Marengo Creek near where it joins Guy Fawkes River in New South Wales : 30.125211 degrees South, 152.301443 degrees West.
I went for a swim in the creek in a large basin. The circular hole was made made by a fallen tree when its roots lifted from the earth. As I cooled off in the water up to my neck, small fish swam up and began to nibble at my skin - it was a strange tickling sensation and very enjoyable.
Thunder-days are an old measure of storm activity - The modern measure is lightning flash density.
The first map I used in the 1980's was hand drawn and black and white and old. It also showed Darwin with the highest activity with over 80 thunder days and Brisbane with slightly less.
The modern map shows Brisbane is not nearly as bad as for lightning as previously thought.
I have lost some weight and my circumference is less than before.
Consequently I have use a hollow punch to allow my belt to tighten a bit extra.
As a boy I watched my grandfather use his tape measure - it has a big red button to retract the tape.
The tape measure was recently given to me. The first foot had a lot of damage and it was hard to use. It also lacked metric markings.
When I looked for a replacement tape blade I found that The Evan's measuring tape was a well loved artifact and is even collected by enthusiasts. Replacement blades were expensive and with freight some offered prices were over $100. And none of the replacement blades were metric.
Instead I purchased a 2 metre metric tape measure with the same blade width for less than $6 from my favourite hardware warehouse. Then I transferred the measuring blade from the new tape measure to the Evan's tape measure.
For curiosity, I disassembled the Evan's tape measure and it is in perfect condition internally - no wonder people collect them.
The tape measure is now ready for another 50 years service.
I also note that the Evan's tape measure has no plastic components and the $6 tape measure is plastic except the spring and the measuring blade.
As I wandered through my favourite hardware warehouse, I saw a product new to me - food safe wax.
I have now waxed all the cutting boards in the kitchen and in the caravan.
They were all looking very pale and worn out and they were starting to crack. they look much better now.
As I neared the end of my first packets of double edge razor blades I ordered some more.
I purchased a box of 200 as the price was low. To my delight they contain no plastic at all. Serendipity.
Gas lighting was nominated as word of the year yesterday by Mirrium-Webster. When I look it up, the source of the term is nomin...
