Carpe Diem

The time has come for us to reflect on why we bought The Blue Bird and what it means for our future.  Remember that we first fell in love with a forlorn gem of a building desperately in need of someone to rescue it from crumbling to dust.  The potential of the art deco shop to be a significant building in Australia's culture and architectural history was immediate. We also saw a business potential though recognised that the days of the Greek cafe had passed for so many country towns that it was unlikely the shop would see the same vibrancy and success as it had in days gone by. Nevertheless we hoped that we could find a new purpose, stamp our own mark on the Blue Bird and provide a new relevancy for an old relic.

First and foremost was the building. With very, very limited funds but enthusiam and energy to compensate, we set about restoring and renovating the defunct shop for a new life, a new era.  Our initial burst of energetic work was hard going. We battled on with no income to fund tbe work for four months and in that time it became apparent that we had bitten off more than we realised. Still, we knew we were up to it. We were learning more each day how to care for and restore an old building. After four months however, it was necessary to generate an income in the shop so it could support its own repair.  So we opened before we felt we were ready to unveil our work. It was a necessary sacrifice in the interests of survival. We also opened a business that we were not ready for and that side of our lives quickly took over.

Before we knew it, we were slaves to opening in order to make money so we could continue the restoration we felt compelled to do. Trading however had its drawbacks. Originally six days a week meant that we had no time at all for restoration work let alone resting and looking after ourselves. We neglected life outside of the Blue Bird for a year, spending our one day a week closed, running around for the business. And as we did, people kept asking us what we were doing away from the shop, as if we were not entitled to a life outside of making money. We did not go into business so that we could burn ourselves out chasing money. There is more to life than that and many people in small business, including the original Greek cafe owners will tell you that small business is not as lucrative as you'd think. It is hard work for limited personal gain.

After the first year we realised that six days opening was not getting us anywhere in terms of our original aim to care for a lovely, deserving heritage building. So we cut back on opening hours and gave up some of the necessary funding for the building restoration work. After that it became a balancing act of work versus work, money versus time and we never seemed to find the successful combination.

We had some milestones along the way, like opening the milk bar again, restoring the booths and increasing the usable size of the shop, little by little. Threes years on however we had built a business that had developed into something we were happy with and proud of but we knew that it was at the expense of the building we loved suffering as it started showing signs of neglect and continued slow decline.

So after some agonising and head scratching about the future, we decided that we did not want to lose sight of our original purpose of taking care of the Blue Bird. We have closed the business for the time being so that we can dedicate effort to building repair and restoration. The ceiling needs a lot of work that was never going to be achieved while the shop was open and the brick and plasterwork needs attention too. Until now, we had never managed to take on the old kitchen because we understood early on that it was so far gone it could not be practically restored beyond beginning again from scratch and we never had the money for that project.

We know that some people will question our decision in many ways but it is what we need to do for our future and the fiture of the Blue Bird that we have put our hard earned money and time into when so many others passed it by day after day not caring if it crumbled to dust and forgotten memory. We are comfortable with our decision to take care of ourselves and our investment in the past/future. They say that if you are not moving forward you are going nowhere. This is a step forward, for us and for the Blue Bird.

Celebrating the End of Summer

I hate to seem ungrateful but summer, you have outstayed your welcome and it is time to go. Thanks for coming but I'm ready now for autumn not this Indian summer they are telling us we are having. Given that here in Lockhart we have had probably two days out of the last five weeks under 30 degrees, and a cool change is announced as 36, I think I can safely say I am exhausted by a pretty relentless summer. Besides which, we need the gradual cooling autumn brings to ease us into and acclimatise us to winter. I like autumn, it's a fabulous season for cooler nights, warm days and amazing colours, both in leaves and and shades of light.

I'm not even sure what has happened to the light this year. Has anyone else noticed that it has not been very light this daylight savings season? It has been light in the evening sure, sometimes even glaringly so if you're driving anywhere but the mornings have been a hazy dark until about 7am. I'm used to waking up with the sun and this summer that has been happening after my alarm has gone off. And on the occasions when I have had a sleeplessly restless night sweltering in the heat, the night has gone on interminably long.  What gives? Is this part of global warming? We haven't been warned about global darkening too.

And then there is the autumn festivals like the one we have coming up this weekend. The Vintage Veranda Fest, it even sounds like an autumn festival and traditionally it has been, making the most of the stable autumn weather to have one last knees up before the long winter months devoid of celebration kick in.

So what to expect this weekenes at the Vintage Verandah Fest. Well as usual there is the National Historic Truck show out at the Lockhart Showgrounds, street traders of retro goods and crafts, the auntiques auction, garage sales around town and other entertainment such as music, kids fun, that sort of thing. Mostly it is a chance for people to visit Lockhart and remind themselves about the Veranda Town. Visit the Blue Bird, the museum and the unique Doris Golder Gallery and stroll around the streets taking in the historic shop fronts and houses. Lockhart is 116 years old as a shire this year, not bad going when you consider that the land boom attached to the wool fortunes of Brookong Station was only expected to last 5-10 years back in 1906. That was when a handful of prospector business developers like WD Drummond erected the shops on Green Street to service the farmers and their employees. In the 1930s and 40s The Blue Bird Cafe had a roaring trade from seasonal workers and travelling salesmen, single men often, on their own looking for a home cooked meals seven nights a week. Those days are sadly gone with modern automated farming not requiring so many hands any more. It seems like an age ago but I wonder what the founding fathers of Lockhart would think of the town today. In some respects they might not see much that has changed, the Blue Bird is still there and so are the buildings that housed the banks, bakeries, butcher, hardware, menswear and other shops. Businesses of course have come and gone or adapted to change and there are now only two pubs in town as opposed to four (at least) but two of the biggest building changes would have to be the War Memorials and the Ex servicemens Club. Which of the founding fathers and mothers would have anticipated the need for those in the country town? So let's celebrate the end of summer by looking back to summers gone by.

Hot start to 2016

I don't know about everyone else but I have spent this summer melting, more so than other summers.  I remember that 2014 was a difficult year with three heatwaves through December and January.  I also remember one of our fridges struggling to cope as much as me.  We had it re-gassed that February but it was the beginning of the end for the poor thing.  The joys (or not) of food service.  The equipment, maintenance and risk of breakdown is very stressful and expensive.

Anyway, hot as it was that summer, this one has been in some ways, harder for me.  I don't cope well with heat and while we have not had as many days above forty degrees, we have had week long seemingly endless stretches between 35 and 39.  I cope with temperatures up to 35 and then I start to hurt.  I suffer headaches when I over heat and 35 degrees seems to be my cut off point.  It has been nice this last week to have had lower temperatures but I note the forecast this weekend is rising and will hit 41 by Tuesday.  Not looking forward to it.

One silver lining has been that we managed a rare holiday in January.  It was our first real holiday in four years and we used it most importantly to catch up with family in NZ.  It was so good to see them, I have missed my family so much and have had little opportunity since moving to Lockhart to see them.  We are fortunate that Mum and Dad have managed to visit us a couple of times but this January was the first time I seen my great niece and nephew as they were born since we came to Lockhart.  Such a shame that we had not had the chance to meet before now, my nephew is so grown up, I missed his early life.  All my family, nieces and nephew have grown up such a lot since we last saw them.  They are fast approaching adulthood.

We spent a lovely two weeks with them as well as enjoying the beautiful green New Zealand countryside.  I was quite homesick and pleased that while we were away, we missed the hottest day, a scorching 46!  But all holidays are too short and we are back to familiar surroundings.  Let's hope that the season starts to cool soon.  I'm more of a winter person than a summer one but I do like autumn and seeing the colour changes.  Looking forward to it.