FONTS
ONE OF MY OBSESSIONS. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE SITES I LIKE. FREE FONTS THAT IS.
LUC DEVROYE IS NO KING FOR ME. LOOK HIM UP.
AS FOR THE REST:
A VERY WEALTHY WOMAN
 |
 |
|
In my own way, I am a very Wealthy Woman. I now have the Fridge. That’s the two lads delivering it a week late and refusing to carry it up the 8 steps unless we paid another $15 which Izzy refused to pay. Fortunately, we seconded our next door neighbour and Izzy and the neighbour brought it up the stairs. So, we now have a fine fridge. |
 |
 |
These are the signs at the intersection of COLDSTREAM STREET and the PACIFIC HIGHWAY, ULMARRA. Andrew from WIDE RIVER says – SEE ULMARRA – IT WON’T TAKE LONG. Well, theoretically it shouldn’t take long but in practice, we have been known to take hours in the Village. |
| THINGS WHICH MAKE ME WEALTHY | |
 |
Include the many mandarines on the trees beside the house. |
 |
A lot of laughter and gentleness and no violence at all. Lots of music as well. |
 |
 |
|
I have read poetry at an Austlit Breakfast at the WORDSMITHS CAFE in the ST LUCIA CAMPUS of the UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND in BRISBANE. |
|
 |
I lived for many years in the small town of Urunga and over the last year have eaten there with my daughter at the BOARDWALK CAFE. We have wonderful breakfasts at the BOARDWALK and are served by young men whom I once taught. |
 |
My Grandchildren learned to swim in my own very excellent swimming pool, way up on the Queensland border. |
COLD AND WINDY
Following a few warm and pleasant days, the cold winds come from the west. They brought the brolgas out into the paddock opposite. Blue Brolgas, Jenni at Wide River told me. Thats because they’re grey. The fridge is once again supposed to arrive today.After 2.30pm. Yesterday I purchased 2 beds and they are to come on Monday. I am feeling very DELAYED this week. Kati B couldn’t get anyone to feed the horses on Saturday so she’s off till next weekend and the Sunshine People are likewise postponed and here it is COLD and WINDY.
No matter. I have work to do. The Net is allowing a little more access than is usual. I can work on my father’s 2/3 Pioneer site. I can continue unpacking and decorating. And I can wait for the Fridge.
ULMARRA BOOKS
Went for lunch at Wide River today following the Total Failure of Geoff and CLARENCE VALLEY COURIERS to deliver the Fridge. We have been waiting for days and look like waiting longer. Bum to that. So we took lunch at Wide River and the discovered that the mysterious BOOKSHOP is now open. ITS PERFECT ! I was bemoaning the state of the shops in Ulmarra when I was first able to access the main street after the floods. Doors were shut and hours seemed as erratic as Latrobe and Given Terraces in Paddington, Brisbane. For one brief dubious moment, I thought I had decided to reside in a dying village and being of a depressive nature and recently emerged from the week’s inundation, a sorrowing near overtook me.
One of the Closed shops , seemingly neglected and deserted has stained glass windows and is a fine old building. After a few days, I began to HOPE. There was activity and boxes being taken in and sure enough, it is now open as THE BOOKSHOP. Wonderful Books. Wonderful prices.
Next door is the treasure trove of Jack-a-Dandy. That’s it below.
The WIDE RIVER CAFE where we lunch, had the Cafe Botero girls in. They RAVED about the Coffee and the Cafe. Said it was easily the best, cleanest, brightest of the 70-80 shops they visit on the North Coast. I don’t even drink coffee , but I know its a Good Place is WIDE RIVER.
Tomorrow, I am meant to go and fetch Kati B. Iz was coming but the Fridge Failures have interfered with that plan. So Its the CHARADE and me to Bellingen again. Lets try this without floods !
THE WASHING MACHINE IS A WHIRLPOOL
Yesterday we followed up Andrew’s suggestion of Bob, the washing machine repairman, who has a shed on Lilypool Road. That’s where we purchased ReBertha the Fridge so we took a drive out there. No sign of Bob but Izzy tracked a shed, checked the note on the door saying Bob was out and we left a note of our own.
7 a.m. this morning a phone call comes. Its Bob. He has 2 machines for sale. But they’re expensive says he. $130 for the big one and $120 for the small one. Its a small one we want so we take the small one. and Bob delivers it to the door by 9am and sets it up for us. I LOVE CLARENCE !
BOB’S DOG- “FRANK”.
THE WASHING MACHINE IS A WHIRLPOOL
Yesterday we followed up Andrew’s suggestion of Bob, the washing machine repairman, who has a shed on Lilypool Road. That’s where we purchased ReBertha the Fridge so we took a drive out there. No sign of Bob but Izzy tracked a shed, checked the note on the door saying Bob was out and we left a note of our own.
7 a.m. this morning a phone call comes. Its Bob. He has 2 machines for sale. But they’re expensive says he. $130 for the big one and $120 for the small one. Its a small one we want so we take the small one. and Bob delivers it to the door by 9am and sets it up for us. I LOVE CLARENCE !
AND ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE
Exploring a new town is really an adventure. For me there is something elusively attractive about exploring a town only 100kms or so from where I have lived most of my adult life. Today we took a look at another section of South Grafton. It wasn’t as uniquely ‘old’ as Skinner Street and environs and yet we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the small details. The storage sheds on Lilypool Road where 2 washing machines sat outside Bob’s shed.
We chatted with the Appliance repair man who is also the agent for WESTNET internet. He gave us a sliver of hope for brighter times ahead. He also berated the other providers for their service to this area. Told us of a satellite connection needed right there in town due to no other service being able to connect. Reassured me that we were not simply paranoid. How insane is this country? Meanwhile on the brighter side, we then walked into the general store next door. Thats on the Armidale Road. It was a fine general store. I LOVE GENERAL STORES. Then on to the Little shopping centre next to it . it houses a hotel called the GOOD INTENT. Great Name for a pub. It also houses the RIVERSIDE CARE OPSHOP which had a desk for sale for $75. What a beautiful desk it is !!!!
Bargain prices. Clean. Really helpful. Lunched at the takeaways. Home made vegie patties and REAL Scallops and my favourite pineapple fritter. The bakery looks good as well and opens at 4.30am.
We crossed the BENDY BRIDGE into town and shopped at Woolies wonderworld in the new SHOPPINGWORLD and home we came. Not bad. Not bad at all.
_______________________________________________
VODAFONE IS STILL SENDING ME INSANE
Following the Vodafone experience of last week, I delusionally thought I could cope with being patient for another 2 months while they “ upgrade to 3G”. I do not know that I can. Tonight I cannot even open an email let alone look at images. My internet might not involve anything life saving but I surely do have a lot of things I like doing and its been MONTHS since I could do them with any speed or ease. NOW ITS AGAIN PARALYSED. I am not paying for 2 months. That’s one thing but I am slowly realising that its because I am not GETTING ANYTHING.
1 1/2 years I have been struggling with this setup. Before that it was CHILLI and BIG AIR. We went to VODAFONE thinking a big company surely couldn’t be allowed to provide such demonically low standards of service – WE WERE WRONG.
My dealings with Vodafone the other day satisfied me AT THE TIME. That was from the relief of speaking to young Jamie who was charming and soothing after my first contact who was abrasive, insulting and inaccurate. A week later, I realise that there is no enduring comfort in sitting in front of the endlessly turning wheel of destiny waiting for a page to open,leaping in at a frantic pace when small periods of connection are available.
I have several projects at hand ( as well as my beloved recreational Scrabble online). They are all way behind because of inability to access the data or make any post, or add images or videos.
These are the things being demolished at the moment:
Peter’s PhD research.
My heritage website.
All Foreal Enterprises web promos
All the Bands’ sites.
My father’s 2/3 Pioneer Battalion site.
All my blogs.
JUST BECAUSE OF MOBILE INTERNET.
Jamie tells me the towers are being upgraded to 3G and it MIGHT be so. I HAVE HOWEVER, HAD ENOUGH.
Dear Lord I hope I am NOT locked into this contract until December.
The other issue which disturbed me last week was the manner in which Moustafafa, the first Vodafone consultant with whom I spoke, handled things.
He told me that there is only a certain amount of space available and that it is designated for mobile phone users and SMSes and that ‘ what is left over’ comes to the MOBILE INTERNET users.
He told me that ‘they’ in his tech support section speak in technical language ‘which you wouldn’t understand’.
He told me that my contract would have told me I couldn’t get GPRS because its called 3G plan. Get a grip, my furry friend. I am on GPRS now. He also suggested we shouldn’t have moved.
ITS MOBILE ! Moustafafa. MOBILE!!!!!!!
He also said that ‘VODAFONE CANNOT HELP YOU WITH THIS BUT YOU STILL MUST PAY YOUR MONTHLY FEE.’
Simmering down, I am still grateful for the Jamie outcome. For the courtesy and for her not trying to convince me that all four of our computers were suffering from Swine Flu at the same time. She explained the upgrades that are currently underway. She came to terms with which I agreed, (although I now find the delay to be really obstructional) and she treated me as if I were a) not trying to skuzz some odd outcome by dishonest dealings for who knows what bizarre reason and b) could understand the essence of what was going on and wanted a positive outcome.
Nevertheless – at this moment – ITS A FINE DREAM YOU HAVE THERE VODAFONE AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE REMAINED A PART OF IT – BUT I DO BELIEVE ITS TOO LATE. Another promise just isn’t doing the trick.
Please- please-please – someone give me a break.
WESTNET IS LOOKING GOOD.
Lynne is in shock. The disaster recovery people actually deposited $768 in the bank for us to replace BERTHA the Fridge. Glory Be !!!!! How good is that ?
In addition Vodafone are giving us 2 months free access to internet due to its total failure – mobile that is. Then they will release us from the contract unless their 3G upgrade has actually worked. Good times is here. We might even get a washing machine as well as a fridge !
LAST WEEKEND IN JUNE 09
REFLECTIONS ON THE LAST MONTH. THE FIRST MONTH HERE ON THE CLARENCE. IN FACT – LETS MAKE IT REFLECTINS IN GENERAL.
 |
I drove this driveway for four years. Its the drive from Bilambil Cottage up to the Main House of Linden Lea. When the rains turned it slippery and sloppy, the DOS had this load of rocks put in so that our vehicles would not slip and slide. He is a true Gentleman is Mr Douglas Bulpitt. |
 |
AT the back of Ulmarra, we have a SHED. Its a fine shed and VERY old. We have now discovered that the house was built in 1908 by W.B. HAFFENDEN. Out past the shed is the wetland area which fills with birds and where I watched the brolgas dance. |
 |
The attic appears in early photographs of the house. I didn’t expect that. I thought it were a recent addition but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Its from the attic that I look above the sheds to the wetlands and this first month in residence, they have been wet in the extreme. |
 |
In SOUTH GRAFTON is the EMPORIUM. It was once the CITY STORES. I am finding some tales from South Grafton in earlier times. http://clarenceandulmarra.wordpress.com/ I eat at the EMPORIUM and go to the MUSIC CAFE. This weekend, The Emporium hosted harp and vocal workshops. They do a fine curry as well as being open long hours 6 days a week.
|
 |
I thought, after my early investigative visits to Grafton, that our usual Cafe Way of Life might be extremely limited on the Clarence but that was a needless worry. I have far more variety and far more pleasant venues here than I did on the Tweed and certainly on the Gold Coast. I am simply not your GC Woman. Give me the EMPORIUM any day ! |
 |
Or our WIDE RIVER CAFE just down the road in COLDSTREAM STREET. Lizzy and Mum make the pies. Andrew turns out a wicked COLD REMEDY juice and Sundays there will be music in the courtyard (as soon as the water dries up and the pavers can be laid). Next door Robin and the girls have their artwork and miscellaneous etceteras including beautiful ceramics. |
 |
One effect of so much wet is that I have become very familiar with the view from the back windows. Coldstream Street features some fine old fences. The Recreation ground is just beyond the one in the picture. Its been too inundated here to find out what happens at the Recreation ground in SMALL PARK. The park is not SMALL. Small was one of the first settlers on the Clarence and his name is on the Park. |
 |
The fence on the left is part of the COLDSTREAM STREET fencing network. I feel that I ought to know the name of this type of fencing. My father who was a carpenter of integrity would most certainly have explained it to me in years gone by. All I know is that I like the old wood and the shadows cast. This fence leads to home for me. |
ANOTHER DAY IN ULMARRA
ANNIE PUTS HER NAME ON THE BOARD FOR A DUO WITH LYNNIE.
Last night was the 3rd MUSIC CAFE at the SOUTH GRAFTON EMPORIUM in SKINNER STREET. Peter was serving curries this time and the vegie one which I had was fiery indeed. I enjoyed last nights MUSIC CAFE even more than the first one. Its cold now and we were all rugged up.
 |
Lights were on when we got there about 5.30pm. Tables booked for 60 or so and the blackboard ready for the musicians. I had always thought South Grafton a dangerous and violent place Thats the publicity it used to receive when I lived in Urunga. Now I find it to be a delightful gem of a place. It reminds me of inner Sydney suburbs as they came into their glory. Newtown and Balmain and Redfern et al. |
 |
It is reminiscent also of the early 1970s for me and of the Good Food Shop in Bellingen and our own WHITE ROSE TRADING COMPANY. The pleasure of the bedouin tent and exotic decor is still with me. |
 |
Izzy was acting as MC. and Wendy made the signs to help the Musos identify him. |
ANOTHER DAY IN ULMARRA
ANNIE PUTS HER NAME ON THE BOARD FOR A DUO WITH LYNNIE.
Last night was the 3rd MUSIC CAFE at the SOUTH GRAFTON EMPORIUM in SKINNER STREET. Peter was serving curries this time and the vegie one which I had was fiery indeed. I enjoyed last nights MUSIC CAFE even more than the first one.
DISASTER RECOVERY
 |
Saw the mail delivery this morning and when we looked – I was taken aback. The DOCS Disaster Recovery team had indeed deposited $768 in our account to replace BERTHA, the fridge that drowned and odds and ends which we lost in the floods.
Just a few Sundays back, 2 young women arrived at our front door, looking for the previous tenant. They were DOCS DISASTER RECOVERY people and very pleasant they were. When we told them our Bertha story, they went right out to their car and returned with the appropriate forms which they filled in – including photographs of Bertha and the Underneath of the House. We chatted and showed them the dead snake hanging on the front fence and off they went. Now, today, enough money to buy a fridge. Bravo DOCS !!!!
I have found this year to be interesting in terms of the low level trauma. Victoria saw the horror of fire and large numbers of deaths. Here in the floods is something different. Apparently minor but seeping. INUNDATION they call it. Odd tales pop into conversations. One gentleman is found dead in his car on South Arm Road. The death passes softly and almost unannounced.
Entire towns and Villages are ordered to evacuate. Self-evacuate to other flood prone towns through rain and wild weather. SES tells people they are unable to help.
One house in Urunga is battered by waters rushing through and is then condemned and a family becomes homeless.
People are isolated for 1-2 weeks on their properties behind Bellingen. No phones or power and no assistance incoming. Trees down and wild storms and not knowing whether they were the only area affected or whether the whole town or state was also demolished. A family sitting at dinner and hearing and feeling a shudder as the yard slipped into their gardens and surrounded their house in mud and debris.
In the meantime, we all proceed in minimalisation. We recover from a disaster we didn’t know we had. And then a kind voice, money for a fridge – all become emotionally touching.
Tonight we will go to the MUSIC CAFE at the SOUTH GRAFTON EMPORIUM and eat fine curry.
FLOODS IN BELLINGEN
This time I am flooded in Brierfield which is app 12 km from Bellingen. A different type of flooding from the Clarence. Hills and narrow roads and landslips and small bridges over small creeks. Trouble is the creeks are fast flowing and debris filled. Its very Lord of the Rings, Dark Ages WET and overgrown. I am, fortunately, in a very snug house with one of my most beloveds. Nevertheless – IT IS WET ! I have no fotos because I was only coming for a one day drive and didnt bring camera cords or mobile rechargers or laptop or anythng of that nature. Ah well.
VODAFONE MOBILE INTERNET
We pay $89 a month for this “service”. Its so slow I haven’t even been able to play SCRABBLE or read my emails let alone use FACEBOOK or add to my blogs. $89 per month for the two of us with almost no means of complaint nor the ‘right’ to do so if there is any connection at all. They told us when we signed up 1/12 years ago that Vodafone was building 50 or 500 towers and the service would be excellent. HAH!!! It was bad enough on Tweed with access to 3G which which discovered is URBAN ONLY. Here in a rural area, there is only GPRS which is – well! This week its not possible to actually use it at all and complaint means attempting to access the company through electronic voices and non-tech people.
I surely just don’t know what to do anymore. This is a 2 year contract but I don’t know what to sign up with when its finished. SHAME ON YOU VODAFONE !!!!!!!!!!!
AND SHAME ON WHATEVER SYSTEM SAYS WE SHOULD ALL SMILE AND ACCEPT IT. Funny how swiftly TELSTRA was able to remedy the NON-PROBLEM in Bilambil once the village gathered for the rally and TODAY TONIGHT came in. It was fixed in a day and never mucked up again.
COWS IN THE PADDOCK
|
The cows are back in the paddock which once was an inland sea. |
I watch them whilst I wait for VODAFONE MOBILE INTERNET to load. The cows are somewhat speedier than VODAFONE. |
ULMARRA ON A FRIDAY
The first Frosty morning. I shall look back and consider matters. The order will bear little chronology or obvious purpose.
 |
This week I went South to Bellingen. I do believe we encountered the first winter snap. Kati B was minding a house. Bellingen was one of the North Coast towns invaded by the hippies on the hippy trail in the 1970s. I was amongst them – in my own way. Over the years, more incomers have arrived and all manner of habitations and ways of life have evolved. This one at Brierfield is an example of a family home built on experiences and time. It still requires a fire to heat the water but it also has a wood fire of grand proportions . The family are of Belgian descent and finishing touches feature quirks and exotic influences. One wee bird comes to the verandah rail to feed. |
 |
Back in Ulmarra, I have located the swing park down on the riversedge. It features a flying fox and all the basic necessities. The gardens in the park are signed with pithy sayings and edible sections. I don’t know who takes care of the park. Someone mysterious methinks because its not a generic computerised one size fits all place. The wee signs appear to be handmade and the flowers remind me of Nana Bell’s house in Rosebery in the 1950s and 1960s. |
 RAINBOW BAY QUEENSLAND. |
I have lived, since 2001, on the Tweed. That included RAINBOW BAY and COOLANGATTA as well as TUMBULGUM and BILAMBIL. It was there that I discovered a good deal about the BELL FAMILY, my maternal grandfather’s Scottish people. It was there that my granddaughter was born in 2004. TWEED HEADS HOSPITAL. I am now glad to be South again watching NSW TV. Even with frost on the grass, I am at this stage glad to be here. |
FROST ON THE LAWN
Floods and now frost. One month we have been here. I have been in the North for 8 years and not had frost on the lawn at all.
 |
I am not very “good” with the cold so frost has been a shock. From Bellingen years, I have a small recollection of frost being the thing which sweetens the mandarines on the tree and I have a lot of mandarines on the tree. There are 2 other citrus trees as well so we will see how much sweetening is happening. |
MONDAY OF A LONG WEEKEND
|
|
The house in Ulmarra is dilapidated. It belongs to the RTA. The ROADS AND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY of NSW. That’s a Government Department. As we hear the story, this house and one beside it, as well perhaps as another which has now been demolished, were purchased with the view of an ULMARRA BYPASS being put through here. No consideration of heritage or history or homelessness. Now this one has been unloved longtime and the one beside is to be condemned and destroyed. It seems the Bypass isn’t even to pass through here. As for our house, there is work to be done and tenderness to be shown. Lawns to be mown following the inundation. A smell seeps up through the grass and mud. |
 |
