Heavenly Beverley : Catch Up Time

We have been on our official summer break since Christmas Eve. The East End Gallery is still festooned in all her Christmas costuming. Sometime between now and 26 January, I need to get in the Gallery, take down all the decorations, dust and vacuum and be ready to resume operations. Wish me luck.

With this break, we had completely unrealistic delusions of grandeur of tasks that we would tackle around Station House, the workshop and the yard between the two of the buildings. We had little in the way of social activities, so we felt that we could clean up with plenty of time to spare.

Don't get me wrong. Michael has performed some minor miracles. The old verandah has been cleaned of all things metal and is to become a repository for winter firewood and bricks we wish to store for possible brainwaves in the future. Our quaint residence - the Hovel - (where we lived for six months whilst building the house) is becoming forty-five additional square metres of storeroom. Michael is also moving miscellaneous items not associated with his metal art out of his workshop and into the new storage area. Some firewood has started its relocation and we have resurrected an old park bench with vanish and black wrought iron paint. Looks pretty nifty out the front on the brick paving.

Discarded genuine junk and rubble are making their way into the Trusty Trailer. The back fence requires assistance as well. Over the last couple of years, the weight of the metal stored against it has caused the fence to take on a slightly jaunty angle. Some of the heavier objects will either be moved or stand more to attention.

Inside, we have spacfillered up a few bashes in the walls and touched up some paintwork. I finally stopped pontificating and actually cleaned the Venetian blinds. The micro ones were a pain and took the most time. Note to self - narrow Venetian blinds will not be ever considered again...

And far from hiding from social interaction, we have had very pleasant, and sometimes hectic encounters with friends. Christmas dinner around the table was with housesitting waif Poppy and newly arrived artists-in-residence Lenny and Tyler. Then we attended Leigh's 60th birthday party in Fremantle, became suitably sozzled, quite chilly (I had forgotten about the Fremantle "Doctor"), whilst happily reminiscing.

New Year's Eve was a low key affair with the fabulous Ms George and the debonair Mister Burley. We have seen Jan and Greg reasonably frequently. Jan and I thoroughly enjoy our trips to the Beverley Pool, even though the water temperature can be a bit of a shock, generating muffled screams and comments such as "Gollygosh, that's a bit cold".

Friday reminded us of Central Station. Artist Paul (who makes me appear to be a member of a Silent Order) arrived with his delightful wife Norma in his wake and their grandchildren, Evan and Hannah. We had morning tea, the kids amused themselves with Ruby the Beagle and the blokes became absorbed in all things concerning metal art. We opened the Gallery for them and eventually had to prise Michael and Paul apart, so the grandchildren could be fed lunch before they fainted from hunger.

Shane and Val Moad arrived for afternoon drinks. Shane had a late afternoon appointment on a mate's farm to hunt for foxes. Much as I hate the thought of just killing an animal, foxes, through no fault of their own, are a menace and do much harm to lambs. We opened a couple of bottles of wine and enjoyed a very pleasant few hours talking of life, art, Beverley and family.

Our guests for overnight followed the Moads' departure. Kerri Adams and partner Kev arrived for a whirlwind fifteen hours. Kerri was cramming as many family and friends as she could see over a week or so. At least, she knew where to come on this occasion. Back in November, we had watched with great amusement as she zoomed backwards and forwards through Beverley, racing past Anzac Lane not once but twice. We'd told Kerri to turn left at the War Memorial. She had imagined some striking and vast monolith, rather than the modest stone spire that adorns the park. And she hadn't realised that Beverley was quite as small as it is...

After a delicious dinner, animated chatter and much laughter, we all retired to bed. Macca, Jan and Greg's dog was also at Station House for a sleepover. We rose at the extraordinarily early hour of eight o'clock, believing Kerri and Kev to be still a-slumber. They'd already been for a walk and breakfast before we'd woken up.

After we waved them away, we had a quiet day. The garden drew our attention in the evening as the temperature had reached roasting temperature and the plants had reacted accordingly. We resuscitated them successfully with a decent hose.

Today, we watered before and after we went to lunch at Darryl and Wendy's Toodyay abode. After building his limestone house for over twenty years, Wendy finally has the bedroom she dreamed about. We were stoked for them. Their residence remains unfinished and I joked with Darryl that he just needed another ten years to do the job...

After a most pleasant lunch and convivial conversation with Darryl, Wendy and Sandra, plus dogs Elvis and Mia, we made our leisurely way home.

Thirteen days until we open the Gallery for 2019. Tomorrow will be cooler so wood relocation will continue. Vanessa is coming up on Tuesday, which means I will be freed from most housewifely chores and be of more assistance to my beloved man.

Well, that's the theory anyway...