Gas heater fixed.

Our plumber Gary came around on Monday morning and pulled the heater apart to find that the fan was indeed broken in one small section. It had to be taken to a place that is a 40 minute drive from here, so I offered to take it there, otherwise I would have had to pay for his time and travel to do it. I made the most of my trip by stopping at opshops along the way ;-)

Unfortunately it couldn't be fixed, as the heater is a Canadian model that we bought at a Home Show 11 years ago, and there are no parts available in Australia. So I brought it home again and called Gary, and he told me to leave it at his front doorstep, and he'd have a look at it (he lives nearby). Two hours later, he phoned me to say that he wasn't able to fix it himself, but had found a substitute fan of another (Australian) brand that would do the job. He came around on Friday and fitted the fan, and it works perfectly. How many tradesmen do you find that will go that extra mile to fix something? Most just say "sorry lady, too hard" and walk away. It cost $390, but that's a lot cheaper than a whole new heater, and anyway, we are fond of our Canadian Osborne gas log fire.

We invited some of Ken's cousins over for afternoon tea today, and Ken collected his Mum from the hostel to join us. It was a beaut day. MIL didn't have much to say, but when we asked if she was enjoying herself she assured us she was. It was so nice for her to be away from the hostel for the afternoon, and she was content just to be in the company of her nieces and nephews, listening to the conversation flow around her. We took her up to see the chooks, which she loves to do when she visits.
One of the cousins took some photos, and I've asked her to email them to me, as my camera is broken. It still takes pictures, but I have to hold it together to stop it falling apart in my hands, so I'm not using it much at the moment!