After putting up the fences on our last visit we were really looking forward to Psycho Pup (aka Skylar) coming up with us for the first time.
Skylar had never travelled more than a few km in the car in the past so we were a little unsure of how she would handle the trip, but she travelled like a seasoned pro, sitting up in the back of the wagon watching the world go by as we travelled along the highway.
When we let her out on arrival she appeared a little overwhelmed at all the space, preferring to trot around the grounds exploring rather than running around like a maniac as she usually does when exploring somewhere new.
Whilst Skylar explored we set about unloading the fridge and washing machine we brought up this trip, then emptied all the tools out the Hawthorn Room (so named because it is painted brown and gold) so we could rip up the floor covering… or should I say coverings, as there were 4 layers to remove! Once the lino, carpet and underlays were loaded on the trailer and the staples and tacks removed from the floor, we decided to start preparing to demolish the laundry.
While emptying the contents of an old cupboard in the corner of the laundry, Shirleen discovered several jars of a strange black substance resembling sump oil… made stranger by the fact it smelled like chutney. As it turns out it WAS chutney… OLD chutney – one jar was labelled April 1993! Needless to say it went straight in the bin.
Once the laundry was emptied and the water and electricity disconnected we were able to start removing the masonite lining and the weatherboard cladding. Once they were removed the frame literally fell apart as it was rotten from years of neglect, exposure to the weather and termites.
Whilst we were demolishing the laundry, Skylar had decided she had seen enough of Charlton so spent the remainder of the day perched in the back of the car ready for the trip home.
By late afternoon, with the firewood pile growing by the minute, we had the laundry area cleared and returned to the verandah it had been originally. It looked so good we decided there and then not to rebuild the laundry where it was, but to find an alternative location for the washing machine, most likely in the bathroom.
With sunset looming we finished up for the day, showered, and headed of Philip and Janet’s for dinner with friends, and of course wine.
Sunday morning we finished piling the old laundry frame on the firewood pile, pulled all the nails from and neatly stacked the weatherboards we were keeping for repairs to the house cladding, did a few more odd jobs, took a trailer load of rubbish to the tip, then enjoyed a lovely morning tea with friends and family before starting to pack for the trip home.
After lunch with family we closed up the house and headed off for the drive home happy that we had another productive weekend, and that Skylar had not only enjoyed her first trip to Charlton, but had helped clear the backyard by finding endless bones that had been buried there for goodness knows how long.
Bring on the next trip when we are hoping to continue demolition.
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