Moven right along!

Welcome to March but as this is my February update lets start at the beginning of February. Yeh I know, I said I might not do a February Update but, there ya go, I forgot.

It all started still at GreenS Lake, Central Northern VIC and nice and quiet with cooler weather than January but after a few days it started to warm up again. Seeing I'm chatting about weather I will do the weather report now then. Yes, the warm weather kept on coming with most days HOT, very hot with very high 30s with some giving 40c a good run for its money. Some even were 40+ so yes, hot would be a good word to describe the days of February. In my world anyway. Now we did get weather overnight as well, in fact the temps got to the high teens with many low 20s, a few nights in the middle of the month actually got down to around 11c and 12c, so the low 20s nights were a little uncomfortable you could say. There were even days with no to very little wind but some days the wind crept in from different directions. Very little rain as well. Also, and as well even, one day around 5pm a mini tornado appeared from nowhere. I was out for the day south of Melbourne visiting my youngest daughter and two grandsons and, on my return, noticed a few things different next door. Dave had his awning knocked around a fare bit but no actual damage. A small Tornado hit out of nowhere. He said it only lasted about 15 seconds and just hit him and the corner of the next van on the other side of Dave. You can only imagine what the big boys overseas are like. Keep reading as a little more on the weather later.

Sort of related to weather I spose, we have been getting a lot of brown floaties on top of the lake itself. Most days late morning to early afternoon they start arriving. I did some checking up on these floaties as they didnt look very inviting at all. NO, there not what you think! Turns out they are Algae that live at the bottom of the water attached to the muddy surface and as the sun gets brighter, higher in the sky and hotter they are attracted to it and rise to the surface. Some days are worse than others and, on some days, it is like a blanket of these floaties. Give the swim a miss stuff really. The Floaties come up for oxygen then as soon as the sun goes down they start to disappear and by next morning gone, with nice clear water again.

There was one day, 8/2/18 when they were really bad and not just the floaties but a horrible looking powdery like film was also across the top of the water with some whiteish thick swirls here and there, definitely a no-go zone. A coolish change arrived around 6.00pm and within 30 mins the water was as clear and very inviting once again so in I went, along with a few others. Apparently, it is Brown Algae and is harmless to basically anything so when it is not too bad is safe to be in the water. No drinking though for sure.

Yep, always something going on here at GreenS Lake and I tell you that for free. Like all sorts of different water craft from pink flamingos to paddle power, to peddle power, to sail power, to motor power. Home made floating devices to powerful motor speed boats. Yep anything that floats sometimes. With one thing in common, everyone has a great time.

As some will know my new van is now just over three years old and some will say, really, yep, so not so new anymore, well, the rear ensuite hatch covers had got all faded in the sun and very, very brittle to the point they needed replacing so friends Mark and Sue arrived at GreenS Lake mid-month for a few days to replace them as I am no good on ladders. I had got new ones ready for their arrival. Up Mark went on the ladder click clack and first one replaced, next, click clack second one replaced, all done and dusted within 30 minutes. A very big thankyou to Mark and Sue. They will read that as they get a copy of my updates each month. Hopefully the two new ones will last longer than three years. All that motivated me to do a little maintenance etc and give the two big hatches a bit of a wipe over to tidy them up a bit then cleaned the solar panels up on the van roof. I can get to them via the main hatches as they a big and open right up. Handy as I can fit through them standing on my steps and I have the hatch surround to hold onto so feel safe. I have also had little drips when it rains along the stitching edge where the awning joins the aluminium tent via rope track, as most vans with awnings are attached. The drips are not well placed at all and one is above where I sit, I heard that down the back, one drip to another, one is above the door and the third is above the window next to my inside table and drips on the lift down table outside, so anything on it can get wet, bugga. I started looking around for a product to seal the stitching edge and after a few finds and suggestions from fellow GNs came across and got a product called HH66. This is a vinyl glue but is also used in the marine industry etc to seal stitched seams, peeeerfect. I set about cleaning the underside and top of the awning then let dry. Once dry I applied the sealer by included brush and it dried very quickly so decided to apply a coat to the roller edge stitching as well, just cos I could, really. I can now sit back while raining and dont attract other drips, beat ya, down the back :)

Yes, I know, that all sounds like that W word BUT, I wouldnt really say it was that, more like a few odd jobs needed doing. OH! It was also done during GN working/odd job hours, 10.00am to midday with a one-hour continuous break. 

Did you read I said Moven right along above, well, I have gone. Yep, I have moved along and gone from GreenS Lake. The downhill side of Mid-February arrived and I decided to leave and headed back to Bacchus Marsh area and spend some time in that area until it is time to start heading to my next destination of who knows where? Somewhere? You will have to wait for my March update to find out all that. I will have to read it as well to find out when I left and where I ended up.

My time in the Marsh was and still is as we speak spent relaxing, keeping an eye on things while Mark and Sue shot through for a while, pottering around and doing those maintenance items to the Aluminium Tent and Collie, including re-locating a 240v power point I had to get on hands and knees to use as it was fitted on the back wall in bench cupboard under a shelf, real clever and for some reason only known to the electrician that fitted it in such a difficult place for the hot water service to use 240v so thanks to Mark yet again for his help there.

Also, and as well even one of my spot lights on front of the Collie got hit by a stone and smashed it, so as I had to replace not repair I decided to fit a Light Bar instead and again, Mark will assist with the wiring up of that as soon as I get it. Big thanks must go to mark for all his help. THANKS MARK.

I managed to catch up with a few people and fitted in a couple of visits to my daughter and two grandsons south of Melbourne. That's always good. Young Max is growing rapidly and still loves the Max Project and little Flynn is also growing rapidly like any 6.5-month-old does and is not far off walking, me thinks. He is walking a little bit assisted so yep, not far off.   

I see you have kept reading and still with me so just a little more on the weather front. Since my arrival near Bacchus Marsh things have cooled down a tad and nice warmish days around mid to high 20s with low to high teens overnight, very comfy indeed and I tell you that for free. Oooops, spoke too soon, one night the temp didn't get below 27c, hot for overnight then two days later the strong cold southerly winds came in for a few days, cold. I didn't think the Arctic climate was that close. Oh well, take the good with the bad.

Thats it for my February so until next we chat, Take care every one.

DOUG

Some pics below as usual.