Mat & Jens Port Stephens Rawson Bld- Fit Off!

great photo!

Thanks Tengals - they are a pretty easy subject to photograph

Finally we have the site cut today

Most of the work has already been done. They have to cut another 150mm as it is still too high and it is a little low in some points.

The truck had to reverse into the driveway this morning as it is still a little tight for a loader. Luckily we widened it by 2m or they would not have had a chance





Unfortunately I am at work today or I would have liked to stay and watch.

Great news Jen, finally some action. Sad isn't it when people get excited about seeing big trucks. When do you get the slab, any news on that?

P.S. Love your new additions to the family.... watch out for ticks, I have heard this season is REALLY bad....

I am going to ring my SS today, thought I would let the site cut get started before I hassled, to find out the time line for the slab. He said last week it was 2 weeks from the peg out.

..

Thanks for the warning. One of our friends puppies got a tick last weekend. We have two dogs already - yes I know we sound like mad dog people. Luckily for us generally where we take them has no long grass and all being short haired dogs is a bonus. Hoping for no ticks this year. I have been through that years ago with my old dog. She was paralysed twice from ticks, not a fun experience.

Yes Jen we have been through the tick trauma with both the cat and the dog, very distressing but they pulled through and lived very long healthy lives, sadly they have now gone to the rainbow bridge.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer for the slab... once it starts perhaps it will just snowball, fingers crossed.

The site cut is probably finished by now and the trucks have gone... hope they didn't go anywhere near your plants

The bulldozer driver is Irish, so anything could happen

Ah to be sure, to be sure.....

Spoke with the SS and he said that we should have piers completed plus plumbing started this week. He is just waiting on a peg out plan from Rawson which they have not provided yet.

We have been cut My block is looking lovely. As I was at work yesterday I didnt see it happen, so it was a surprise yesterday when we went out.

Before



When the trees were removed and the block was roughly cut and filled



Now



Looking from the back of the block when it was roughly cut



Now




I am actually shocked how flat it is. My iphone does not really do it justice. I am going out today to take more pictures. They have lowered the driveway by quite a bit, so now it is a lot wide and it it will be pretty flat getting into the garage.

Congrats on site cut Jen, sounds like they did a great job.

But seriously all I want to know is how are those adorable doggies settling in? They are too cute, am showing my little one the photo of them...there will be some serious fawning going on I think.

They are doing really well. I was quite worried about having two puppies at once, but I think it is easier than one as they play together. Maybe they are lulling us into a false sense of security. Our 50kg Ridgeback is petrified of them I dont think she has even seen anything that small besides a chicken.

Charlie with my DS

Lola with my DD

Jen are you a photographer? because those shots are stunning. Are you using a Dslr? If so what lens are you using...sorry for being a stickybeak but I'm a frustrated photographer.

My daughters response to puppy photos was " Aaawww, they're adorable". Mind you we have two doggies of our own that wouldn't mind a bit more attention like that.

Tash, not a photographer I am afraid. I use a DSLR, it is a base model Canon 500D and I mainly use a 50mm 1.8 lense. It is a cheap lense, can get one new for $120. I use the camera on full manual. The 50mm lense is great for portraits and it gives great bokeh, which is the blurring in the background.

There is a great book that I bought when I got my camera that is called Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. You can get it online from the book depository for about $20 and it really helps with how to use your camera on its manual setting.

I will post a few more photos when I am on my computer of our growing menagerie

Jen too funny, we are alike it seems. I have a 550d Canon and have the same lens but mine are not looking that great. I loved the bokeh in your shots thats why I wanted to know what lens. Right off to get me this book so I can have photos like you. Actually talking about cameras I have just realised I have lost the cord that connects to computer, have searched high and low so off today to buy another one. Thanks for the advice.

Tash I have lost the cord for my camera as well - it is in a box somewhere in the garage. I am sure I will find it when we move into the new house. Luckily for me my laptop has a card reader for an SD card, so I haven't bothered to look for it.

Another thing, i take all my pictures in RAW, not jpeg and then download them into Adobe Lightroom. Fantastic program, I think it is just over $100.00 and just enhances your photos. RAW allows you to do more to your photos than jpeg does. If you can get a copy of this, it does wonders. Really none of my photos are straight off the camera, they are all played with to enhance colour.

Some more pics for you. Paris our ageing Boxer

Lily the giant

A few favourites of DD and DS

OK now that I have totally overloaded with happy snaps of my kids I will leave you alone.

WOW Jen!! They are fabulous photos!!!

We also have a Canon 500D, I really should sit down and learn to use it properly and maybe buy a portrait lense. How do you change it so you take them in RAW?
You have a gorgeous family (four legged & two legged)

Jen your photo's are absolutely beautiful (the subjects aren't bad either)....

Thank you for sharing and thank you for sharing what camera you use. Our DD is nearly 14 and really into photography and we have been wondering what camera to buy her for Christmas, at least now I now what this camera can do which can make the decision a lot easier....

Thanks Smorgzzz. You need to buy a portrait lense. They are the cheapest lense you can buy and they give great results. It is a fixed lense though, so no zoom, but I just love it. To change in raw, you need to change your camera to M on the dial on the top of the camera



You will see that there is an L with a little quarter circle next to it. This means that it is set to jpeg large. If you click on you side arrow button until you highlight the L - then click select, this will take you into that menu. Right arrow across until you get to RAW and then select again.

Smorgzzz, you need the book Understanding Exposure, really well written and easy to read and easy to start using your camera on the manual setting. I find that you get much better pictures in manual as you are not using the flash at all. The colours are always a bit washed out with the flash.



I have a Canon only because my step father in law has one and I can use his lenses, my FIL uses a Nikon and swears by his. They are really a much of a muchness as to what brand you pick. Canon are generally cheaper for lenses afterwards and that is one of the reasons I chose one. I would go not for the base model the Canon 1100D as it misses a few things, but would go for the Canon 600D - which is the updated model of mine. I have found it on Shopping Square http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/p_402398_Canon_EOS_600D_KISSx5_Twin_Lens_Kit_1855mm_IS__55250mm_IS_DSLR_Camera for $644 with one lense. When I got my camera, I only bought the single lense kit, you can buy it with two lenses, will cost an extra couple of hundred dollars, but I was told you would hardly use the other lense. What makes good pictures is the lenses, so remember upgrade lenses first and then body.

For your DD if you can, I would get a single lense kit 600D and a 50mm 1.8 http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/p_64468_Canon_EF_50mm_f18_II_Lens bargain at $81.00 and she will be taking lovely photos.

WOW thanks Jen for all the information... not having any ideas about camera's & lenses this info REALLY, REALLY helps, thanks. Off now to check them all out...

P.S Looking forward to the slab.....