So. The move was completed. The garage is still a shambles, with the car out on the driveway, but that will change ere long. Heather has done her customary job of getting everything shipshape very quickly, but as ever, the devil is in the detail, and there are plenty of little bits & pieces that have to be properly organised. I am determined to cut down on the clutter that usually surrounds me, so am dragging my heels about filling my room with the same old stuff that I had there in the last house.

We are all quite happy with the new place, which seems to be slightly larger in every room except the kitchen. The aircon is serving us well so far, although we've yet to have any really hot days. So far we are just running it when the heat & humidity are too much, and on the "dry" setting rather than "cool", which does all that we need. No need for 18 degrees around here!

Happy to say that it's pretty quiet here, although I've heard a neighbour with a noisy exhaust roar down the road before sunup a couple of times. At least we've heard no barking dogs so far. It's hardly any further to work from this house either, so I'm content with that. Speaking of the drive to work, here's the 21km, run in less than a minute:

_One unfortunate thing about the timing of the move is that it came at the time I wanted to try to photograph one (or even both) of my asteroids. However, after lugging boxes around I didn't fancy getting up in the small hours and schlepping up to the planetarium to have a go, and I think I might have run out of time. The photo wouldn't be Earth-shattering, but I'd like to catch it while it's as bright as it is, which won't occur again for a few years, apparently. Trouble is, it's now so close to the Sun that it will be in twilight by the time it's high enough in the sky to capture, and you really don't want twilight interfering with a very faint object; nevertheless, I'll have a go. Meanwhile, I've been trying to snap other things, the results of which can be found here and here.

I doubt there is anyone who actually likes packing up and moving, but I'd almost rather chew off my left hand than go through the loathsome process. We have 2 weeks now, until we get the keys for our new abode. I'll allow a full week overlap, before vacating the current house, although having moved here relatively recently, it shouldn't be too difficult a departure. After 5 years in one place, you can accumulate a fair bit of extra impedimenta, but we probably don't have too much more than we brought here.

Today and tomorrow are my weekend this week, so I ought to do as much as I can to be prepared. It's important to be prepared to be prepared though, so I think I should start with a cuppa. Maybe read a little as well, just so I don't get too far behind.

The search is over, and we have been approved for our new home. It might have slightly less space than the one we are in, but it does have aircon, which -- as it looks like we might have a hot summer ahead -- is a definite improvement. I am fortunate to be able to escape to a cool place each workday, but Heather has not been so lucky. The timing of the current tenant's exit looks good, allowing about a week's overlap with our current rental, which is what I usually allow, to make sure it's not a rushed & frantic process. Moving is stressful enough, without having to do it in a tight time frame (April last year wasn't a lot of fun). The move should happen in 3-4 weeks.

Heather has started yet another clearout process, and I guess I will do the same, to see what I can possibly shed before we go. Not sure how successful I'll be though...

Our landlord (landlady, actually) has decided to put the house on the market. Our HOME. We've been here just 16 months, and are nothing like ready for a move yet. There is, of course, the possibility that it could be bought by an investor, but I don't fancy taking that chance, not with the shortage of suitable rental properties. So, we went to view 3 houses today, the only 3 that Heather thought at all worthwhile (and within our budget, suitable for pets, etc). The first one had absurdly small rooms, and signs of wear & tear, mould, etc that the agent said unlikely to be fixed, so it was fairly quickly crossed off the list. The second one was in much better order, but it looks like competition for it will be very stiff, and the rent is at the top end of what we want; nice area though. 3rd on the list would benefit from freshening up slightly, not to mention an improved kitchen, but had a mature mulberry - in fruit - overhanging the back fence. House and block slightly larger than our present one, plus aircon, so it would do. Need to find out when it's available, but the place is empty & being cleaned at the moment, so probably fairly soon. We have to give a month's notice on our current lease, which has 6 weeks to run. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

In other news... I went to an exhibition opening last night, featuring photographs and photogravure prints, 2 of which I'd have liked to bring home. There were also digital reproductions of salt prints - the technology that William Henry Fox Talbot used in the 1840s, for printing his Calotype negatives. I commented that it would be appropriate to make such prints from negatives taken with my Victorian camera, and the artist agreed enthusiastically. I went back to her studio this afternoon, armed with said camera, and we have agreed to get together for a photo outing, probably early next year, and then repair to the studio to get printing. The resulting body of work will (we hope) end up as a joint exhibition, with the camera on display as well. I've missed having access to a darkroom since leaving the Observatory in 1995, so this will be great fun, especially using an old (although new to me) printing process.