Got myself a new(ish) tractor 1970 Fiat 750 . Our old 1965 30 horsepower David Brown just wasn't cutting it any more so has been retired to running around with a carry all on the back.
I bought a Ryobi 36volt battery powered chainsaw. Don't laugh. These 36 volt implements don't ask...they take. All the power of a petrol powered tool without the noise, weight or stink or mess of petrol powered stuff. I don't have to worry about gummed up carbys or sparkplugs after leaving them for a while or spending half the morning getting them going instead of using them for what they're intended. I can throw it into the back of the 4WD and clear tracks without the hassle of carrying a messy petrol powered unit around.... or attracting attention to myself. So far I've used the one battery charge to whipper snip my 1.5+ acre property, then used the leaf blower to clear a 100 metre long driveway AND THEN chainsawed a dozen 10cm thick branches...and the battery wqs still 75% charged!!!
^ +1 Got the Ryobi +1 six pack of tools the other week, only the 18 v version but well worth the $ at 400 for the kit. Grinder, multi tool, impact drill, drill, saw, and a torch plus two battery's and charger. Bloody handy for all sorts of jobs around home and at the farm and saves dragging a geny around on short jobs as well.
I bought three of the electronic vibration snake repellent things to add to the one that we already have. I don't think they really work as advertised but I know that it provides some comfort to the wife which means my life is a little easier.
I've never seen a worse snake season. They're everywhere, and getting bolder & hungrier and getting into buildings etc either in search of food or to escape the heat. They're everywhere out in the 'big office' where I work... I make as much noise as I can (kicking rocks and thumping the ground...and occasionally falling over :/ ) but still see a lot of them skittering away just under foot. I've started using my phone to play music as I'm walking around too... doesn't seemed to do much so far but makes the day more enjoyable. So far I've had 2 taipans in my water tank pump covers have a go at me and last night I picked up a 6ft long brown snake skin in my shed. They'll bloody well be the death of me.
Snakes are deaf so unless you are playing your phone music REALLY LOUD they won't notice. Apparently the dry weather means the grass dies unless you water it, so all the insects come to the watered lawns, which attracts the lizards and spiders and rodents which in turn attract the snakes. A few years back during the drought a woman got a spider bite in Brisbane but the medics refused to believe it was a funnel web as they don't live in the city. A proper search of her well watered back garden revealed about 17 of the buggers. http://www.acem.org.au/media/media_releases/Media_release_Wednesday_2__281107.pdf This entire country is a death trap.
Even though the weather is shitter, this is why I'm glad I live down south. Most of the dangerous shit lives up north lol.
Not just the land either, they've already started pulling box jellyfish out of the sea early this year... there's been a croc sighted in Mackay's harbour, I routinely see sharks longer than my kayak... what's next...swimming knives?!?!
Source: eBay Got me some goat leather, gonna make some thongs, and I don't mean Australian thongs, ladieees ;p
I just bought an LED flounder light with a cree LED.Much brighter than my old LED light but still not quite as good as the halogen type.
Na spearing but last year only got 1 pink ling, 1 bream, and one salmon.No darn flounder yet. Start again in a week or so I reckon.
Frickin Snakes this year are on the move for sure. Saw at least 40-50 of all sizes slashing a 10 ha paddock the other week (only a few big nasty Browns and two Tiapans though and now this just popped in to pay the new shit machines a visit in the brand new chook house a short while ago. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? Found it wrapped around Miss Liquorice in the pen amidst much squawking from her mates. She lived and so will the perp, just not around here for a while. A good Scrubby 3 mt + at least