Tuesday 29th November - taking photos for MudgeCorp

Tuesday 29th November
After breakfast we drove Tash, Ollie and Toby to the Leisure Centre and then set the SATNAV for the address in Ourimba where we were to pick up the tripod from a couple called Frank and Janet. It took us about half an hour to get there. It was a beautiful location along a remote lane. The owners had 15 acres which included a magnificent lily pond which Janet showed us. She had huge Koi carp and swamp hens walked on the lily pads. We handed over the thirty dollars and then reset the SATNAV for Steve's office in Gosford. 
We arrived there at about 11.45 and I went in to be met by Steve's secretary Melanie who made me a cup of tea and gave me a bowl of nuts to browse while I waited. Melanie asked me to photograph the reception area. Then Steve asked me to photograph the office team. 
After about half an hour, Steve took me off in his car to photograph various buildings including a sports pavilion and several private houses in the Central Coast  area. We ended up at one built on the side of a very steep slope in Avoca Beach.  Here I waited for about half an hour until all Steve's workers arrived to have a group photo standing behind the MudgeCorp banner on the scaffolding.
Steve then drove me to an art gallery near his house and I joined Mia, Di, Tash, Ollie, Toby and Mia and Steve's kids Casper and Frida in a lovely Japanese garden complete with Koi ponds, bridges and pagoda-style roofs. Ollie was naughty and was told off several times because he has a pathological need to throw stones into water. Here there was a formal elegant beach made from large granite chippings and a huge pond full of large and expensive Koi carp. He became like an automaton, a voice in his head screamed no, we screamed no, we threatened, cajoled but his body was in the grip of higher power and as soon as you released him, he stooped, grabbed and swung. We grimaced as sharp stones plopped into the midst of tightly packed Koi. Luckily no harm was done and we headed back to Mia's house which was only about 100 m away.  We sat in Mia's kitchen chatting and snacking on crisp bread and feta cheese. Casper showed me his Swedish bird book.  I was totally impressed. It had about 100 common birds with photos and descriptions but also a sound module which played each bird's song. 
I got home that day with a very sore leg (the stump this time) and determined that I would take it very easy tomorrow as we are going to a Picasso exhibition in Sydney on Thursday and I need to rest it.