Tink has a new trick and we found her sitting on the window ledge outside our room this afternoon, waiting for the sparrow parents to forget she was there and swoop a little too close. We're calling it a hissable offence and may have to have more severe words with her if we catch her at it again. Suffice to say we are still at: Sparrows 6; Tink 0.
Larry was saying they have lots of nests in their shed but they'd lost at least one of them with the rain when the roof leaked. He didn't say what timing was attached to this - and we didn't ask too many questions - not being prepared for the answers that he might give. But on the wildlife subject, he did say that he has seen a fox over the back paddock - a lovely sleek looking one that is so red it's almost maroon. He said it has a lair in the tree roots over the fence on his side, and he'd been down there and there were tortoise shells and bones - which is how he knew it was the lair. The fox has been right up to their back fence.
After dropping the girls at the airport early (they were due there at 10:30; we let them out at 10:28), and bidding them a fond farewell as the Parking Patrol Person looked on, we made our way back to Currumbin to have a coffee and maybe even some morning tea. That was on the proviso that we could find a car park - not easy on a wonderful fine day at Currumbin any time, but even more so (less so?) on a beautiful Sunday morning with the Swell Festival in full swing. So, Plan B swang into effect and we kept driving to Burleigh where we stopped at our usual cafe shop - mostly because there wasn't a seat free in the three establishments we passed on our way there. It was a non-Barry day so we managed to miss out on the warm greeting he usually bestows on us including that almost-too-familiar kiss.
Spring is really in full swing at Latimers and I felt compelled today to take photographs to record the event. The juvenile kookaburra is still here and posed quite nicely on the fence near the garage. The wattle bird was audible but not really visible this time so I focussed instead on the sparrows, seeing if I could get a shot with all four of the hatchlings hanging over the side of the nest to show how truly cramped they are. On more than one occasion yesterday and today, we were very concerned that various of the little ones wouldn't be able to regain their balance through their frantic wind flapping, and would fall out of rather than back in to the nest.
It is amazing how relaxing the ride-on mower can be - and how much one can learn about doing the lawns each time. Just as well I had been taught the trick about what to do when the mower "got stuck" because I had to use it today. It was nothing serious - and had much to do with the amount of clover that's currently in the lawn. I took the blade up a couple of half notches and it was right after that ... although, not being satisfied with the higher cut, I came back for a second turn with it on a lower setting. I just knew if I didn't, I wasn't going to get my "Colorbond moment" out of the job. I did only the house yard today - and would have done around the outside of Hermes' paddocks but I was too early - they hadn't done the pick-ups yet. R is due this week so hopefully he will do the whipper-snipper rounds of the edges to finish the yard until next time.
Hermes is looking great, coat on, coat off at the right times, hay eating, and plenty of water in his tubs. There's still no sign of those red worms so we're starting to breathe a little earlier on that score.
We have now had word on the Great K; his mother advises he will be flying back in on Tuesday night and staying the night (since he can't get into his digs outside business hours).
Flushed with the success of the barbeque last night, we are planning to do it again tomorrow evening. That will be a nice thing to do at the end of the day when the Claim is due in, and the start of the week-long auditor's visit. It doesn't seem like two - or is it three - months since they were last at work! Yes, it's going to be a big day tomorrow.
