Househunting and birdwatching

It's been two weeks since my last post. That's because I've been too grumpy and stressed to sit down and write. Most of the stress has been real-estate induced. In the last two weeks I have put in two unsuccessful offers on houses. The first time my not too unreasonable offer on a little granny flat in O'Connor was rejected.


Two months after first appearing on the market the house still remains overpriced and for sale. The agent keeps trying to push me that bit higher and I (and the rest of the Canberra, evidently) keep thinking that the vendors are dreaming. Impasse. I've just about moved on.

The second place was a very tasteful North Lyneham townhouse and I got into a three-way bidding war and got outbid. That's ok. I hope the new buyers enjoy their divine new bathroom.


So for a change this weekend I did not do any househunting. Instead I went orienteering for the first time in ages up Mt. Ainslie. I even didn't get lost...much. Then this morning I rode out to Mulligan's Flat out the back of Gunghalin's construction warzone and went on a bird survey with the Canberra Ornithologists Group. They have some gorgeous photos on their photo gallery of local birds. Today some of the birds I saw were:
spotted pardalote
white treecreeper
scarlet robin
Such cuties!

So a weekend of getting out into the fresh air has blown the grumpiness away almost. Hopefully next week will be better.