Day 105 (Sunday)

Markets again but just for something different, but primarily because it's Race time and the Markets are in the car park rather than in the grounds of the Gold Coast Turf Club, we went to the Nerang Markets instead. We were the usual suspects until N joined us - her husband was cycling out this way but forgot a key piece of equipment - his camera - so since she was out this way delivering it, she decided to change markets as well. Then a little while later E and her daughter, visiting from Canada and returning Wednesday, wandered along as well but declined to sit, drink coffee and chat a while. We are becoming masters at it.

The cafe we frequented is now run by a French couple so there was some Franco-conversing happening as N is also French and S is fluent as well. And I still can't remember the name of the teacher we had at high school for French who was so dissatisfied with our (collectively as a class) language ability that in her frustration she would throw chalk in our general direction and call us "cabbages" - in English.

The fruit and vegetables start dropping in price just after 11 so S waited until then (and after she'd finished her coffee) before foraging for fresh produce. She and M, between them, cornered the Nerang banana market - but they look absolutely wonderful!

Back at Latimers, I had some computer work to do while S had a nap getting ready for this evening's activity - tax return preparation. It's the final day for lodgment today and I have managed to get together the information she needs from me. It reminds me that I need to get one more group certificate and then I can start preparing my paperwork for the accountant to complete my return. Alas, I won't be the sixth person this year to get my paperwork to him - but it certainly beats previous efforts where he has had to cope with 7 years' worth and 4 years' worth. This will be the second year running where he's only having to deal with a single annum from me.

I was incredibly happy this afternoon when M arrived home and said the magic word ... tractor. Unfortunately though, the slasher is not well (in need of a bolt) so the tractor just got a run in the yard and then straight back into its shed - but that was good. Who knew about jack-knifing and how much room you need to turn a slasher in... well, M does and luckily she was keeping an eye on me on my test run so the wall of the shed remained intact when I brought the tractor in to park! The one I was most concerned about was Pearl who seems to think that her job is to bite the back wheel of the slasher. At one point I thought she was going to get her snout caught but she's obviously done it before and despite a somewhat startled look she was fine.

So .. back on to the ride-on to give Hermes' top paddock a run over. It was late-ish so we decided I'd do around the outside where he mostly walks (and drops) to make it easier. I'm not sure why, although from my talk with M afterwards it seems to have to do with the wet and Hermes running around the paddock - but there are huge divots in the paddock - making it slightly less than smooth sailing on the mower. At one point there I had hoped someone would look out the window to see me hanging on with one hand, the other in the air, as I tried to maintain my balance on the bucking John Deere. Of course, I could have slowed down, but it just seems to be worse at snail pace.

C, with her parents away, came over for pizza dinner and a round of Junior MasterChef last night. It was very pleasant and a lovely way to finish off my week-long holiday. M walked her home and sighted Beazley while she was out but he refused to come in, pulling Tink's trick from the night before. I don't know how these cats decided they could choose to stay out or not. We may need to reintroduce earlier lock-downs to get them back in routine!