Top Autumn Sunset

Had a ripper of a sunset a couple of weeks ago heralding the coming of Autumn. The pic also makes a nice break from all the car guff.

'It's all a bit much to take in...'

We headed west for HD's birthday with no particular plan in mind and ended up in the stunningly dry metrop' of Canowindra (pronounced 'C'nowdra' if your even slightly local. We know of the stories of people who call the town ; Can-no-win-dra';.... Instant disqualification, get no beer, no free pass out of jail, sent home immediately).


Anyhow, we arrived (took the Monaro), had a cuppa and cake by the Belubula River, strolled down town for a peek at the Fish Fossil Museum (very interesting if you are into fish fossils), had a counter' at the Hotel Canowindra and then returned to our car park spot in front of the old Canowindra Holden Motors. This is where an old bloke wandered out of the shopfront and introduced himself as Charlie McCarron, eyeballed the Monaro and invited us inside the woorkshop for a bit of a squizz about.


Charlie owned/ ran Canowindra Motors for 45+ years.

It turned out that his shop floor and workshop area were covered in old Holdens covering models from the first (a 48.215 (FX) No. 46 out of GMH) to a WB Statesman. all in all most were in good to very-good condition. Some were covered by a thin layer of drought-dust but interiors were immaculate. He had a HT prem, LE Monaro, a HQ 4 door GTS, HX Premier and a HQ Prem all on the old show room floor. It was good to have a good hard look at an original unrestored Monaro and HQ's. Down the back on the split level was the clincher, it was all a bit much to take in. 68 Monaro, GTS Torana, HD, HR, FC. EH, FJ, HX, WB, VN all mixed up but all original country cars and stowed away. There was even an early Ford and Valiant thrown into the mix for good measure. The FX was the Last Holden than Peter Brock took around the Mount Panorama track. It has never been restored, just cared for very well.


Charlie admitted that he wasn't getting younger and that he had the lot up for sale as a bulk purchase to someone that would turn it all into a show piece. After all he had the Original shop and workshop and all the promotional gear, mechanics manuals, parts literature, parts, panels etc etc that you would ever need. All for around $2 Mill. Thats a fairly neat price for a draw card like his.


We sat in the show room and yarned an hour away, talked up old Monaros and let him go down town and run a few errands (he/ we could have chatted all arvo.).. Nice fella with a definite appreciation for old Holdens.

Premium parking spaces

Monaros


No. 46 and the so-Smooooooooth XU1 Torana


I should note that HD had a top Birthday too!

The goings-on of Summer

Too much time has passed since my last entry. Lots of bits and happenings have gone down since, so I thought I would just paste in a montage of photos. Here goes.

Back before Xmas we dusted off the ute and pointed it westward for our Ivanhoe tour of duty. This time we took a bike so we could get onto the back country for a bit of exploring. Very very dry.

....Pulled up at our regular stop before Mosgeil to get the dog acclimatised to the hot ground and burrs. We also pulled up on the clay pan before Ivanhoe.... just becase it makes a good photo.

While out at Ivanhoe we got a few days in tripping about the hills, getting some photos, sussing out the local flora and fauna.

We even camped out for a night... windy and brrrrrrr..... but great night !

As, you know, We bought the old Royal Enfield back with us. It Has taken up a spot in the shed. (we moved the FJ forward) and because you really need to step over it to get to the far side of the shed, It mean that little tiny bits get done on it regularly. (Great jobs for rainy weather).

Misty (the verandah dwelling blue dog) reached her 10th year this year, and while her teeth ar'nt as sharp and she takes a bit longer to get out of bed in the morning, shes doing fine.

The vegi patch (still without chooks) didnt like the absence of rain this summer and we were bailing out water from the bath to keep things going. The skink population about the garden bloomed expodentially for some reason. The yard became a mini backdrop for tiny dragon fights and hidden nests of eggs.

I got a cool prez for Xmas.... HD organised a flight for me between Boxing Day and New Year, so we just cruised wherever looked interesting. ....Flew over Grenfell and Wyangla Dam, the Weddins (all my old stomping grounds)

HD's sister and niece then joined in the post Xmas visitations and soaked up the serenity. We even sat about waiting to see Comet McNaught.... but naught came of that.. Except for an informal party up the back paddock in the back of the basher.

Then for the first time in such a long time, the summer storms started. For weeks we just got noisy, rumbling banks of cloud pussing up on the western horizon. Then one dumped a couple of inches of rain on us and the place grew green overnight. The trees put on growth spurts, the vegis came on, the weeds came in their thousands and the frogs came out from their drought hiding.

We watched great lightening shows, crazy coloured sunsets and magnificent cloud formations from the verandah almost every second night.

Oh..... and we took in another homeless HQ ute (second from right).... I dont know why either, but it will make a good pump-runner and parts carrier. More of that later....