Saturday, May 10, 2008

Pocket Bike

Some days are good 'just because'. Today, it's a warm autumn day, the sun is shining and we are home alone. I had the rare pleasure of Drummerboys company from10am, due to an early Friday night and him actually getting out of bed before midday. We killed weeds, whipper snipped, trimmed the plumbago back to it's winter basics, tidied up the gardenia hedge, pruned Nana's roses and blew the leaves that last week's wind had scattered willy nilly all over the cobblestones. After five hours of mucking about with engines, including putting hi-octane in the leaf blower to the point where it led me around the verandah . . he started tinkering with his pocket bike. Started out OK but there is always more time spent fixing the thing than riding it. Removing the exhaust of course made it sound like a four stroke motocross bike much to my neighbour's chagrin. After much tinkering, swearing, sweating and getting oil and WD40 on what were reasonably good quality clothes . . . he was off:


First you have to get it started:

Then you use it to make a lot of noise and cut the grass

Then you take it into the back paddock so all the neighbours can hear it, just in case they didn't know what the unholy racket was in the first place . . . .


Then you discover that it's missing a beat and the fuel line sounds funny


So you whizz by and head up to the shed for tools and things:


Then you spend the best part of an hour trying to fix it before you realise you previously installed your carburetor upside down!

After all that sweating, grease, hi octane fuel and in your day clothes . . .you give up until tomorrow and have a beer!

Then he acquiesces to come grocery shopping (I have a sneaking suspicion that today might turn out to be tommorrow's Mother's Day present!) Then we get a call from ClareBear in San Diego . . . perfect day . . .just because

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's funny to think that Oz has an autumn. Autumn here is a time of sinking into darkness, but Dublin is twenty degrees closer to the North Pole than Sydney is to the South - if we lived at such latitudes in North America life would be very different

Anonymous said...

Men and machines eh? Seldom parted. But good that he helped with the gardening and shopping. You certainly know when it's summer here with the constant drone of mowers, strimmers, electric saws, leaf blowers and all the rest. It sounds like a hundred giant bees.

Thriftcriminal said...

Sounds like a good one. We lost our sunshine yesterday, so we are back to more normal Irish weather. Man I wish I had that much space.

Anonymous said...

The Irish all seem to be jumping on the bandwagon today, Baino

"putting hi-octane in the leaf blower to the point where it led me around the verandah . ."

Nice image!

'just because' :-)

Anonymous said...

Well it appears that either you need a smaller son or he needs a larger motorbike.
Oh!! He is NOT wearing capris!?!?!
Please tell me that your son is not wearing capris!

Anonymous said...

Baino Enjoy Mother's day! We had ours on 2nd March, but I think I'll celebrate again tomorrow.

Baino said...

Ian: It's an autumn of types. But to my mind an Australian Autumn and Spring are the best. Only the European trees and a very few natives actually turn or shed their leaves. It's about 20 during the day and down to as low as 5 at night. The mornings are misty. Doesn't matter what the season, it's rarely dark unless there's a thunderstorm brewing or we have prolonged rain. I did break the heaters out this week!

Nick: we could do with a team of six around here, it's like the Sydney Harbour bridge, by the time you've finished maintenance from end to end, it's time to go back and start again! Today we mulch! (gum trees provide an endless stream of bark) so all our machines will have had a go!

Thrifty: it's been a wonderful place to raise children alright from poinies to motorbikes, trikes to swimming pools but now it's just a big albatross to maintain. I couldn't do it without Adam's help.

Steph: Seriously, the thing could barely blow a candle out until he put this 'special' fuel in it. Went off like a bomb and took me half the time!

Brian: Now now! Hardly in a position to comment on sartorial elegance. I saw you on webcam remember? They're long board shorts! And he does have a proper motorbike but the 'jump' in our paddock presents no challenge, the pocket bike is more 'fun'

GrannyMar: I knew it was a different day in Europe. I think we've adopted the same day as the Americans. It's a Hallmark day but also a good excuse not to do much. We're just going to sit in the garden with a nice chardy and a King Island Brie and talk about how we're going to landscape our new house (if we ever get one!)

Anonymous said...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY BAINO

Baino said...

Thank you Nancy, same to you. Just a quiet one planned but pleasant all the same.

Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day Baino!

Shhhh .... I have to sneak back to bed for my 'brekkie' before the others wake ;)

Anonymous said...

I am pretty darn fashionable provided you consider jeans or BDU's and a Tshirt fashionable. I can assure you that no real men wear capri pants.
Geez! Capris!
Oh and a bunch of friends of mine and I have been known to drag race Jim's Yamaha 75cc dirt bikes up and down the road. hehehehe! :)

dacro said...

Battle Dress Uniform when washing your car, BrianF?

Your neighbours must love you. Do you wear night vision googles when going for a beer?

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great just because sort of day. And I do hope you did get at least a bit spoiled today - Happy Mother's Day! ;-)

Melissa said...

Happy Mother's Day, Baino!! (though it's probably over down there -- I hope you had a splendid one!)

I loved this series of photos and commentary. :) I had a good laugh and enjoyed seeing some of your surroundings.

Baino said...

BD: Or maybe a ghillie suit?

AV: Thanks it was lovely although I have discovered that I am woeful at R6 Vegas (PS3 game)

Melissa: You too, I hope they spoil you! There is much tinkering with motor bikes around here . . a lot more than riding I can tell you! I just wish he wouldn't use my good dishcloth!

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