Tuesday

People's perceptions vary very much. The other day on our way to Crave breakfast I was taking a second opportunity to show S an armoured vehicle in a yard along the way. The first time I had tried to point it out to her she had been distracted and missed it completely. So this time as we approached, I told her we were just about there and which direction to look in. Still she didn't see it. I didn't see how she could miss it especially as she did see the vans to the back of the yard ... which were almost like ... wait for it ... vans like the armoured cars used for transporting cash and other valuables throughout the city. Ah she was looking for that type of armoured vehicle - not a military one. When I explained that was what it was, and that it really was at the front of the yard, on the way back from Crave she actually did see it.
Did I mention that I haven't done the mowing yet. I was all ready on Saturday - the sun was shining but it wasn't too hot to be out, I had gone around and picked up everything that shouldn't be on the lawn (avocados, dog doings, toys) moved the grey water hose, filled the mower with petrol, garage door up - but when I went to start the ride-on, the battery was flat. Nothing. I was already annoyed that whoever had used it last hadn't blown the grass off it (so I knew it wasn't M or I) but to have left the key in the "on" position (headlights) and let the battery drain is just ... I wish I could think of the right word... oh wait, it's two words ... too sad! But (and thank you brother W for letting me know these exist) there is a battery charger at Latimers so we'll be able to hook it up and see if it can be brought back or whether it is too far gone and we'll need to get another battery. (I really am hoping the red light glowing in the stables tonight is the charger!)
We had dinner this evening at The Big House and - even better - because we had use of a room (thanks M) I was able to have a fantastic, hot, long bath. There is nothing in the world quite like a bath - and really no other time that I can lather up both hands and create great big bath bubbles from the soapy filmy suds suspended between them. You just have to love it and the rainbow colours reflected in them and the satisfying pop after you've gotten them as big as they will go - which depends on the quality of the lather (no shower/bath gel here) and the amount of breath control and patience you have. Good times.
The cats were also having fun - swapping around places. When we arrived home Tink was on the dining room table, Beasley was on Maggie's chair, and Maggie was ... waiting for some dinner. But they were all in and they didn't protest against the lockdown except for Tink who insisted she be let go outside because she had business to do. Unfortunately for her, any business tonight has to be done inside. Pearl took no convincing to put on her nightie and go to bed (just have to remember to take Mr Nightie off her in the morning and let her out of M's room).

Monday

The RockStars are magnificent. S and M saw them when they arrived home this afternoon so I drove down to have a look on my way home as well. But I couldn't see them. Which, as it turned out (thank you S and thank you M) was because I didn't actually realise what I was looking for. They are not the massive golden Clydesdales I have seen elsewhere - just very large, gentle horses with large heads, large feet and lots of hair! Pearl came for a walk down (after the drive) to see the Clydesdales as well - and was rewarded with a Dalmatian, Cassie, to play with - and she did.
Not yet having enough steps up for my GCC for today, M and I walked the garbage bin up to the road - "up" being the operative word as there is a gentle incline to Bernie's place and then a gentle slope down to the road. We stopped for a chat with L on the way (the second chat, we had chatted with him on the way down to the horses as well) and, among other things he mentioned that it was M's birthday today. They are planning to go out tomorrow evening to celebrate. Oh, and that he and the other owner have bought out the third owner for the racehorse who can't race. At this point we know that the partners are looking at least one foal from her. And speaking of foals, the little one is not so little any more and it won't be long now before mother and foal are separated. They were standing up in the corner of the paddock this afternoon - although earlier they had been having a bit of a run around the paddock - at the same time as a couple of the Clydesdales were having a run around their paddock as well.
I wonder if they knew that the storm was on its way. It was fairly big. Pearl was scared again and S did a reprise of yesterday's performance - singing to her "These are a few of my favourite things" from "The Sound of Music". It seemed to calm her (and Pearl didn't seem to mind it either). The cats - except for Beasley - have been nowhere to be seen since the storm started. Hopefully, now that the storm is over, they will wander in by lockdown (about now). It may be time to rattle a tin of cat cookies near the open door so they can hear it - or perhaps I could whistle them.
Pearl has pulled up a little sore after her game with Cassie. She's limping a little and not nearly as fluid in movement as she has been. But at least she can still walk and she seems grateful to have her nightie on and about to go into her bed in M's room.
M is out tonight so at least if the other cats are playing AWOL and have been locked out (we sometimes go into lockdown without them all being in) they have a second (and third and fourth and ...) chance before they really are locked out until tomorrow.

Sunday

When we thought there would only be four of us at the markets this morning, we were wrong. We made it to a respectable eight and settled in for a very wonderful couple of hours of coffee and conversation. And so the others would know that they were missed we sent some photographs and texts showing what we were up to. They will just have to guess who was putting the brandy into the tea this morning - something that doesn't usually happen. All I will say is that it is for medicinal purposes.
By the time we were driving home this afternoon the sky was filled with dark black clouds. It was just lucky that the rain held off until we'd gotten home and taken the washing off the line. But it would've been a small price to pay to see those majestic clouds hanging low over the surrounding hills.
S and I agree about one thing when it comes to washing - it's pretty hard to get the winter socks right and to be able to tell black from blue especially under artificial lighting.
I still have a couple of jobs to do today. I don't think one of them will be the changeover of my wardrobe from summer to winter after having seen how long it took S yesterday. She did do an amazing job even though it took most of the day to get it done properly.
It continues to rain here and it's good to know that most of the animals are either inside or undercover. I've just let Pearl in with Emma and S because the thunder and lightning have started and she's scared.
M and Mouse arrived back this evening saying it feels like they've been away for a month. S and I have trips away like that sometimes - I think when it's just so different from what you usually do and you're in the need of a break - or perhaps just when you're truly ''in the moment".
S did a wonderful thing and had made a pot of Hungarian Goulash Soup which we took with us when we picked M and Mouse up from the airport. That way we could have dinner with Mouse rather than just dropping her off and leaving her alone at home. S had thought that she might want to "debrief" after seeing her old friend in Sydney who is losing the fight with age - both physically and mentally. Mouse has known it, from her conversations with CA, but from her own experience with her mother, S knows it is quite different "knowing" something and "seeing" it with your own eyes - I think it was hard for both Mouse and M.
The animals were all glad to see M back - except perhaps for Beasley who seemed a little more scared than pleased - but that's just him. He finally did deign to come in - after chasing some toads in the backyard - and once in, he did seem to settle down. He was the last one in so we went straight into lock-down ... until tomorrow.

Saturday

The question is what sounds more appetising - a BLT or a BLAT? I suppose it depends if you're a fan of avocado. Luckily though we didn't have to make a choice about avocado or not on our breakfast - we went for the standard Crave breakfast and as usual it was very yummy. It would be interesting to find out if the breakfast Pearl thought she would get "out" would have been something yummy. We were still out to our breakfast when S received a call from M, in Sydney, saying M and L had called reporting Pearl had been over - looking very hungry and saying nobody had fed her. Well that just wasn't true but how were they to know? It was a good thing they thought to call - probably because they are animal owners themselves and know what the furry ones get up to. I'm going to be extremely charitable in this instance - I think Pearl was just over to visit their new one because she was feeling lonely at our having left her behind. She had definitely given us "the look" as we drove out the gate.
Pearl not was not the only one to venture slightly further afield this morning. As S was hanging out the laundry, I sat with Em near the outside waters so she could have a drink - but she was more in the mood for a wander. She ambled around the side of the house and then all the way around to the back of the house - where she's never been before. She had a look in M's room - through the French doors and screen door - saw S there (doing the wardrobe summer-winter changeover) and turned to come back round. But she won't be going back to the bathroom for a lap around the shower any time soon. S has some up with a theory: perhaps Em goes off-colour because when she licks up the water from the shower, she's also ingesting a cleaning product - especially in the days just after J or K have been. It seems plausible so we're going to curtail that drinking activity for a while and see if it makes a difference.
"Where is the step ladder?" asked S. We both knew we had seen it somewhere but it wasn't in its usual place - in the closet with the vacuum cleaner. Finally the penny did drop - it was out where the nest was being built. I'm not quite sure what she wanted it for - or where she will put it when it's done.
The Great K came over this afternoon to collect a television and set-top box (I had finally managed to find the set right at the back of the shed and extract it). He is well, still enjoying his course and, I think, fairly keen to score an invitation to a Friday night Family and Friends dinner. You couldn't blame him - they're pretty good! i'm already looking forward to the next one myself.

Friday

This is supposed to be the last fine day before the rain sets in for the weekend. They had better be wrong because the grass really needs mowing - and now that the RockStars (the visiting Clydesdales) are in the area we want them to know that we do make an effort. And, of course, there's laundry to be done again.
We took M and Mouse to the airport this afternoon and they made their plane in good time because luckily we didn't encounter much traffic on the way down (and who knew there weren't transit lanes or the Gold Coast Highway or that speed camera vans hang out on the road from the airport - I'm fairly sure we were okay even though we didn't see the dark van until we were passing it. As soon as I realized what it was, I slowed down (read: hit the brakes) but by that stage, if you've been going too fast it's already too late.)
S and I had dinner at Robina on the way back from the airport before coming home to the animals who were waiting for the television (and perhaps even a heater) to be turned on so they could watch the MasterChef Master Class - and Oprah's last show. Something must have gone wrong along the way because at one point during MasterChef, S tried to attract my attention (I was under headphones) to point out that not one, not two, but three of the cats were sitting on the outside side of the front door asking to be let in. We took that opportunity - when we had let them in to the right side of the front door - to go into lock down and they have now put themselves in their respective beds (none of them in M's bedroom) hopefully for the night.
It is different being in on a Friday night rather than at Family and Friends dinner. We were saying in the car on the way to pick up Mouse that we had missed F and F dinner last week and this week - so it is obviously F (who has been away for both of those nights) who is the glue that binds. He's due back with his sister next Wednesday.
S had a great idea this evening. We were talking about the treadmill and that I am going to have to get it serviced because it's "vacation" does not seem to have served it well ... it's "catchy" - which means I have to constantly monitor it while I'm on it - rather than just being able to watch television or read - which makes the time go infinitely slower or seem like it is - and S suggested - when I said that I might be able to find something on the web to help - suggested that I ask F, or Keith or maybe even Doug - all of whom know which end of what tool should go where on whatever it is they are looking at. Until we can get this happening I am just going to have to take it pretty easy and carefully on the treadmill.

Thursday

Trivia night at the Advancetown Pub ... it's been a while! So much so, the questions seemed a lot harder but I think between the three of us - even though we weren't actually playing (even though the MC keeps encouraging as to) we didn't fare too badly. Were the people at the next table (who were playing) doing phone look-ups? You have to think that mobile/smart phones have changed the face of trivia competitions - it used to be you could phone a friend who you thought would know the answer - or be able to look it up - to being able to surf the net for the answer without leaving the table - as long as you had coverage.
It was M's first time at the Advancetown Hotel and its Yowie Restaurant. She didn't seem to mind it which is good because we will probably want to drag her off there again another Thursday night when we decide it is time to "do" trivia. She was pretty good but I should have remembered that from the time that she and S went to a trivia night at The Big House and did very well - much to the surprise of their table-mates who would not have realised what a bonus they were given when S and M joined their table.
It feels like the coldest night so far this year and it didn't take much for me to accept the suggestion from the others to put on slippers rather than wandering over the tiles with only socks on my feet. Mind you, my feet weren't cold (S can vouch for this because she checked them) but it doesn't hurt to be on the safe side because you never know what complications you can get from cold feet! (Well, M did suggest something but I think I must have misheard because I couldn't work out how you could get piles from having cold feet!)
M and Mouse are off to Sydney tomorrow and will be back on Sunday. We will give them a lift to the big airport (note to self: clean out the car boot so their luggage has a chance of fitting) - and home of course! I don't know if M has broken the news to the animals that she'll be away or whether she'll leave that to us.

Wednesday

Did someone say Gerni Girls? Yes, it was me but no-one seemed interested in the idea of a yellow van with large blue writing which would offer high pressure water cleaning to consumers throughout the Gold Coast and surrounds. Of course, if you could work out how to adjust the stream so it wasn't really high pressure then you could probably also do pet cleaning. Ah well ... back to the drawing board - especially since the Gerni M has seems to have one drawback for me - the handle's too short - or I could be too tall (now that would be amazing!). I don't think I did too badly on my first attempt - especially as M is such a patient teacher: low and slow, low and slow. I mentioned that this might be a new skill for my resume - M didn't seem to think so - initially at least. We didn't get the driveway finished so have left the Gerni there and will resume once we have some "descaling/mould removing" substance which M had tried to get for yesterday but three supermarkets later and still nothing!
M went off to a seminar today - not sure exactly what it was for but I think it had something to do with Justice of the Peace stuff and she met someone who was from the Coast - a Gold Coaster - who had schooled in Southport - apparently in the same era that I was there. The name wasn't familiar to me but I made a note to check with my old school buddy J who I saw tonight. She couldn't recall either - especially as the woman may have gone to school with a different surname - but it did get us thinking about the old days and looking up FaceBook to see who was on there that we could recognise. Of course, it's easier if you know their names - and how to spell them. We had little luck except were shocked to realise that Ann, who had a baby in the last school year, would have or be just about to celebrate that child's 35th birthday.
Queensland come to a standstill tonight - well, for those who weren't out and about - for the first of this year's State of Origin football games - and the first of 0prah Winfrey's three last shows ever. S watched Oprah (and the MasterChef team challenge before it) and taped them for the rest of us. I'm not sure if she saved the footy as well.
She had successfully corralled a couple of the cats by the time I got home, but both of them insisted on going out into the freezing night - and didn't come back in by our bed-time. Hopefully they will follow M in when she gets home.

Tuesday

When I arrived at Latimers this afternoon, Keith was here harvesting avocados - which is a good thing otherwise Pearl is too tempted by them and then eats them and gets a big tummy ache. However did dogs come to know they could eat avocados anyway? Or people for that matter? He was also able to solve the mystery of the trimmed (as in branches cut off rather than decorated) tree. Was it late last week already that we all noticed there was a pile of branches from the tree near the front gate - and each of us knew we hadn't done it (a bit like the mystery Easter Eggs - thanks Doug)? So Keith explains that he had called in, saw some branches could do with some trimming - and pulled out the ladder and did it. The real reason for his call today though was something to do with the pump - and it is now agreed that an electrician is needed to look at it - and change the lights in the living room. I hope he brings his own extension ladder with him - because I don't think the 7ft one is going to do it ... as they say - it won't touch the sides - except that it will but it won't touch them high enough to allow him to reach the light fittings to change the bulbs. Of course he might just be like Robert, our plumber in Sydney, who was so tall and our ceilings so low that he was able to fix bits without needing a ladder.
Emma seems to be feeling much better and is back on her food - it's always a worry when she goes off her tucker. She's also sleeping on S's pillow again. Beasley has a new sleeping spot - he's now on Pearl's day bed which is like her night bed except in the lounge area. Tonight Maggie is perched on the end and in the corner of The Great D's bed. And Tink? Well she's in, on the recliner - on the seat not the back of it as she usually is ... and he seems to be watching Beasley very closely.
I finally managed to get my housework done this afternoon - might have had something to do with coming straight from work - not even stopping at Zarraffas for a coffee on the way. They will be starting to wonder why there profits are down at the Nerang store - that's a couple of times I've missed in this past week. And I won't make it tomorrow either - we're planning to visit Mouse's with the gerni (surely that spelling can't be right but it's from the interweb!) and do the driveway. This will be my first lesson with the high pressure water cleaner and then I should be able to do some little jobs around Latimers - they're more fun when you can get wet!

Monday

The girls were a little late getting away from Latimers this morning because they had some trouble levering the cats outside - seems that as it was a cool morning, they - as in the cats - were happier lingering in their beds than not and they didn't want to leave them or the house. I was late getting away as well but that was because I had inadvertently stumbled on - or rather, through - a Beasley "puddle" - also affectionately known for the purpose of this report as Lake Superior; working on the premise that "who finds owns" - especially before 6am - I trekked off to get paper towels and the special spray and attended to it. I must have done an okay job because M didn't detect it when she went into the laundry to do some washing later this morning. It's great when a product (the spray) actually does work especially in the hands of a first-time user.
We went to Mouse's for dinner this evening - pancakes (savoury or sweet) - and to watch MasterChef - an elimination challenge which saw Chelsea eliminated when she failed to do the best rendition of the hero dish (sweet and sour). As well as catching up with Mouse, the other reason for going was that she lives across from the fire works that were scheduled for this evening at the Evandale Parklands (read: Gold Coast Arts Centre). Despite the rain they did go ahead at the stated time (they had sent round a letter to residents so they could safeguard their pets) and with musical accompaniment - one of those big operatic numbers. The fireworks, although not what we were used to in Sydney - were very good. I had taken Nick (rather unimaginative name for the new camera) with me to see how it would go and even though it kept saying "subject too dark" we were able to snap a shot I was happy enough to send off to the local paper to see if it might make it to "picture of the day".
I managed to avoid the house work this afternoon so that will need my attention tomorrow - and it's still raining so ... no mowing. Oops - and I guess there's the small matter of the laundry as well. (Why is it that some jobs are never done and if they are, they just come back in a minute?)
The Global Corporate Challenge has made it to Latimers! Those taking part in the pedometer challenge try to walk 10,000+ steps a day. it's a bit hard to reach when you work in a sedentary job - so the treadmill which has been standing at the ready since we came to Latimers - with a couple of changes of scenery to see if it could coax anyone on to it - has finally been called into use.
"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."

Sunday

The rain continues. this is good (except for not being able to mow) although it does amaze me how much rain can fall.
Emma is still not terribly well but we aren't quite sure what to do with her. She is off her food today but has been drinking - and everything else seems to be working - so we'll continue to monitor her and if she gets worse we'll take her to the vet and see what they have to say about her "unwell" episodes. It would perhaps be easier to have an idea of what's happening with her if it was consistent. Poor her.
The Markets were good although Mouse was saying that it had been so busy in the seating area when she arrived that she'd had to wait 20 minutes to get a table and then a while longer to get another table and some extra chairs. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on whether you had had breakfast, there were few (read: no) homemade goodies on the table this morning - although A had brought along some dates and we got some warmed croissants as well. But Mouse did send us home with Kristoli (that's not the right spelling - but how do you find the right spelling in the dictionary if you don't know how to spell it?) and we're still working on finishing last week's banana cake - nice enough to share but too nice to give away!
Post-Markets we went off to Robina in search of an electric toothbrush and while I was unsuccessful, S did manage to get some more long-sleeved shirts for work and a book she has been after for a while. Then, shopping done, we had lunch a very yummy and satisfying lunch at Robina Yum Cha. It's certainly becoming more popular as people find out about it - and it wasn't a bad thing to have a 15-minute break and just watch the world go by. Now what I want to know is - what are the teenagers wearing? And did they always travel in packs?
Movie recommendations are a wonderful thing - and while M was out and S was engaged in other activities, I finally caught up with "How to Train Your Dragon" which is as fantastic as The Great K and M suggested. Wonder what the chances are of them doing a sequel? And it was good too because I now understand that it really is a term of endearment when nephew P refers to his sister as a "useless reptile".
Recent good behaviour by the furry persons in the house has gone out the window - as in, neither Tink nor Maggie came in promptly when called this evening. Beasley was already snuggled up in his bed from quite early on - and wasn't budging for much. Pearl's bed was outside in the living room with us so she could relax when she wasn't sitting quietly next to S waiting for some of her dinner to fall her way. And speaking of dinner - S tried out a new soup recipe this evening - mushroom - which I fear I was not appreciative enough about - but only because mushroom is not one of my favourite flavours. It is good that she tries new and interesting things though ... thanks S!

Saturday

Well, the Rapture has not been to Latimers - and I'm not sure if it's visited anywhere else and to be absolutely honest about this, I'm not sure exactly what it is - except that it has something to do with religion - and something to do with ... the end of the world as we know it. One group in the States had put up billboards advertising the coming of the Rapture - their way of spreading the news and dealing with it; others have dealt with it their own way - one of my FaceBook Friends in the US re-posted a flowchart she had found entitled "Will You Be Raptured?". Of course, because the States is one day behind us (an international date line thing) we on this side of the world would, theoretically, have been affected first - but we still seem to be here. Mind you, and this is not to in any way devalue the concept of a Rapture, we do feel a little bit of rapture (a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion; a state of elated bliss) because it is raining, and raining a fair bit. This is important because the tank needs to be full (we're not on town water here) when the bore water pump is "seen to". I'm not sure if that means it will be removed and examined and fixed (it keeps cutting out) or diagnosed in situ or even replaced - but M did mention that we needed it to rain to make sure we had enough water on hand for when whatever remedial work needs to happen takes place.
It was a good day today (notwithstanding some emotional upheaval as I came to realise that my sister is packing her goods and chattels and one of her two children) to move to Mt Isa - a very long way from Latimers - because it's "her time to fly". M offered to drive me to Toowoomba to see W - understanding that had I wanted to go I wouldn't have been able to make the drive - there's no way I could see through the veil of tears that kept overwhelming me. In the end, I spoke with W on the telephone and was able to tell her how I was feeling - and I felt much better after that - although still wrenched by the impending separation and the issues surrounding it. At times like this, though, it's good to have people around you who understand what your issues are (thanks S and M).
Otherwise, Rapture and separation notwithstanding, it was a good day. Mouse came to breakfast with us - as did Pearlie - at Coffee Sisters and it was up to its usual high standard.
It was a low-key afternoon and S managed to do a good round of paper reading while I sat with Emma so she could have some outside time. She enjoys it - especially since she seems to be feeling slightly off colour again. I can't see any pattern to her being unwell - although I am now starting to look for them ... wondering if it might be the cat food she's having or which water she's drinking. We'll keep a close eye on her for the next little while.
The animals were entertaining tonight. Pearl wanted to go to bed but didn't want to go into M's room so I made her comfortable out with me so she could watch some television. Beasley came too and settled himself into his new man bed - which is a snug fit ... so much so that as I watched him getting comfortable he rolled over - and out of the man bed. He didn't do that usual cat thing of looking around, embarrassed lest someone had seen it happen; he just hopped back in and settled himself down again. Everyone was in at lock-down - and just as well - because that meant none of them was caught in the almost torrential downpour which started only moments later. It doesn't get much better than this.

Friday

And so another work week draws to a close and even though it has been a short week for me, it does feel as though a lot has been packed in.
Family and Friends Dinner tonight was at the Zen restaurant. For a moment it did look as though we going somewhere else but I'm glad we didn't because tonight - and was this because the Great K was acting as a good luck charm? Yes, the Great K came to dinner with us meaning we were still six, even though F is still overseas in Jordan. It will be interesting to see what happens on his return - apparently he is taking advantage of his holiday to not spend time shaving and is reportedly growing a beard. M is not happy with this - she says she already has trouble with his eyebrows - and if the beard is there to stay - it will be staying without her! I am not sure if he is serious about keeping it on his return - but it really does sound as though she is. But back to dinner last night ... The Great K had phoned while M was out and just before we were due to leave to meet her. At this stage M had rung M to say she now wasn't coming; she was taking advantage of F's absence to do some tidy-up around the place - which is not unlike his putting in new shelving systems and other organisational systems while she was overseas last year. So, the Great K had phoned to see it he could come over to watch television (how can it be in this day and age that anyone in Australia doesn't have a television - you can't watch MasterChef without one!) But when he arrived - having since found out that M wasn't coming - we asked him along and he agreed. It was amazing though because, even though he's 26 and hails for Sydney, he's never been on to the gaming floor of a casino. He seemed quite fascinated by the poker machines and the size of some of the minimum bets at some of the tables. We went for a half-hour explore before dinner and even though it was busy it wasn't yet packed as it would be later in the evening. He couldn't believe how many people were there - especially as we visited more and more parts of the gaming floor (amassing even more steps for me for the Global Corporate Challenge). Dinner was lovely - as it always is at Zen - but even more so because finally they had the spinach and garlic dish that M and S have had there but which never seems to be available when others go. But there it was and it was fantastic. Maggie would have loved it - I've never known a cat love green vegetables - and custard apple - as much. Just as we were almost ready to stop eating who should arrive but M who had decided to come to dinner anyway. It was good to see her and catch-up and to know that she had chosen us over housework!

Thursday

I had a late start again today (might have had just a little to do with my late night last night - I really do have to stop sleeping at my desk). S was not well again this morning and stayed home while M went off to telephone land. I sent M an encouragement text because that seemed like a nice thing to do ... and put lots of green dots after the message - not that I needed to remind her that the goal is MAPS (minimal acceptable performance?) which is represented by a green bar on the computer. (No bars on the iPhone, only dots.)
It rained a lot today here at Latimers and that meant that the mowing - which almost got done yesterday - was not even close to being tackled this afternoon.
Both Pearl and Emma are a little low-key today. We know that Emma was physically unwell during the night (thanks to S for cleaning it up) and Pearl was off her cookies but we aren't sure if that is because she is feeling unwell or because she prefers the cooking and dinners at Mouse's better than what she's offered here.
After the cat man bed was such a success - and Tink is enjoying it a lot - M has been investing in different beds for each of the animals. Pearl's bed made its appearance last night - on her bed in Mejrem's room - and she likes it very much - so much so that during today, she kept wanting to go back into the bedroom and in the end, S dragged her bed out to the living area - where she happily ignored it for most of the afternoon and camped, instead, on the couch. There is no telling where animals will want to sit though. Maggie seems to have found a secret spot to sit in. When M and I arrived home last night, Maggie was nowhere to be seen - and since it was still mostly full moon, M was sure that she would be out hunting. But this morning when I opened the door to let Tink and Beasley out, Maggie was on this side of the door as well ... she shouldn't have been, because we had made a fairly good sweep of the place to make sure she wasn't inside (before M started searching outside) ... but there she was - eager to be on her way. Which wasn't me ... but since I have found the short-cut past the roundabout roadworks at least I don't feel it's taking me a veritable age to get to work. The only problem with going in later is that the rising sun shines straight into eyes - which is how I almost came to be in the same place as the training cyclists yesterday - I swept around the corner - and I almost couldn't see them at all.
Lunch today was leftover Turkish bread from yesterday - and very yummy it was - and morning or afternoon tea would have been banana cake - but I forgot. But the yummiest of all was lunch yesterday which was what I thought was going to be chicken soup with vegetables but was actually vegetable soup with knudles (pronounced ka-noodles) which are not unlike little dumplings. If there's any left, I will have it for lunch tomorrow as well.

Wednesday

It is Buddha's Birthday this week but this is not why (as S suggested) there were chanting workers in the car park when I arrived there. It was quite emotionally charged and at first there was no way of knowing why it was that the unions on the job were pre-strike - the megaphone was muffling rather than making known their demands. It turns out to be about sham contracting or perhaps equal pay - and legislation which, if followed to the strict letter of the law does not actually allow for union demands to be met ... or it could be about something quite different as sometimes things are not as they seem. I am reminded of Judge Judy's courtroom and the way she often points out that disputes about money are often about reparations for the heart.
While the unions were at their work, we were at ours, trying to make sure that subcontractors on the site are paid. Meanwhile, back at Latimers, S was home unwell. It was good though, because she had the chance to catch up with K who she hasn't seen for a while - and S told of the heartwarming reunion she witnessed between K and Pearl who haven't seen each other for a while.
M had gone off into telephone land even though it meant going off by herself. But she did have lunch with Mouse, and then after doing an errand or two managed to stop in at Zarraffas for a coffee.
She had also been shopping for a gift for M and L to thank them for the tickets to the races to see Black Caviar last weekend. Did I mention that S picked the first and second horse in the race? Both were favourites and for her $20 investment, she collected $30 - so they really were the favourites.
M and I stood outside Comedy Night tonight, but decided it was "boy humour" and you can only hear the F word so many times and still think it's funny. So, M and I saved our $10 each and came home to have an early night - which was me doing some Samagrams and falling asleep at the desk, before trying to finish this blog entry and having no luck at all. Until now.

Tuesday

It's time to close the windows at night. Over the past week I have been pushing the door to the outside just a little more closed each night but now even that and the new doona are not enough to keep the cold at bay. The best I can hope for at the moment is that Emma will sleep on my pillow and insulate my head [good heavens, it may just be beanie time again - socks are already on].
There is a full moon tonight and it is simply magnificent. I may have already mentioned that phases of the moon - along with daylight savings - have been concepts that sit just outside my grasp - but the other night I decided to change all that and took myself off to YouTube to see if anyone had posted a video on it- and they had- And it has worked. Now all I need is a dark room, a bright lamp, a tennis ball and my head to be able to explain what I have learned. But - finally - I get it. It enhances my appreciation of the full moon over Latimers because now when I see it I don't get sidetracked by the mechanics.

Monday

Nicknames - where do they come from? Do males use them more than females? Is it or should it be a requirement that they make sense? It was only as I sat at home looking through the photos from the day at Adventure Parc and showing them to M and S and pointing out different folk when I realised why they call Magic "Magic" - his surname is Wand. I couldn't believe it had taken me all day to actually work that out - and it wasn't so much working it out as a flash of insight when I finally did get it.
It was a great day of team building - made even more so since I didn't have to swing through the trees and do all the adventure stuff. Instead I followed them around the course with Holly (also on the team) and the camera. And who knew that people can be so scared that they come out in hives and swell up - luckily she didn't this time, but Cherise did feel it coming on as she did part of the course, and decided to call it quits before it progressed. Sounded like a good decision.
Post Parc (it is a European concept - which may explain the European spelling), it was off to lunch at the St Bernards Hotel on Tambourine Mountain - where they do have a St Bernard in residence but he didn't appear to have the trademark keg around his neck. And we would have seen it if it was there because at one point he came and sat near our tables and proceeded to show us his various lounging poses including one where he lies flat out on his back, with some legs almost in the air. He seemed very happy to have the Autumn sun (while it was out) warming his tummy.
On the way down the Mountain, I came a different way (was this the short cut that M had suggested I take there?) and was back in the vicinity of Latimers in half an hour (let's not worry about how long it took me to get there this morning).
It seems to have been a quiet day at Latimers - or, nothing seemingly out of the ordinary - Emma is still taking every chance to get to other furry people drinking water, Tink is still enjoying the Man Chair, and Pearl is still with Nana. The nest builders really are not coming back - and the Kookaburras are still getting up just after me in the mornings. According to S, there is often a mist in the valley when they head off in the morning - and there is in the evenings sometimes too. Nope, it doesn't get much better than that!

Sunday

It was F's last Markets before he jets off to Jordan for a fortnight to see his sister. He flies out tonight and M is going for a drive up to the airport will them to see him off and keep M company on the long drive home. I'm only guessing, but I have a feeling they won't be playing "love songs" on the way home - but it would be good if they could be listening to the Eurovision final on the drive. I'm not sure if you can still do it but years ago - longer than I care to admit - you used to be able to tune into television stations (obviously audio only) through your car radio. Many a long drive - Sydney to Toowoomba - was made more bearable by listening to English sitcoms.
The markets was good - busy again - and starting to get cooler now that the weather has changed. We were 14 or so today and were very lucky to have a selection of kristoli (thanks Mouse), organic bread and apricot jam and grapes (thanks M) and gluten-free cake (thanks A) - and they were all very wonderful. As was the coffee. There was some interesting discussion about who was going to take over F's coffee-ordering role in his absence - especially as he has the orders - and the variations to the orders - down pat. Except I'll have to change my order now since I can't say "the same as you" or "the same as F". F doesn't have the orders written down - but I thought I saw A taking notes - especially as it seems it will be her man who is in charge of the murse (man purse = kitty) until F's return.
I'd like to say we did something incredibly important after the markets but we made the usual call to JB HiFi to check (yet again) if the price has come down on Season 4 and Season 5 of Earth Final Conflict (not yet).
Back home, we settled in to some chores - finally I managed to finish the floors - and S finished off the washing - bringing in what I had put out this morning.
And speaking of the washing, we had noticed again this morning that the grey water pump is not working - not sprinkling our shower and washing water over the lawn. It looks like M will need to call the plumber in to have a look at it - M's already checked to make sure the pump's powerpoint is not faulty.
The other big news of the day is that finally my brother is on Skype. After today's call - which had a couple of teething problems which we have now ironed out - we have now set up a regular time where I will be online (before the call with T on a Sunday morning) and he can look for me there if he is awake and up for a chat.
Eurovision is over for another year, and even though it wasn't my favourite act (Croatia - with the magician changing the colour of the singer's dress), people seem to not be too critical of Azerbaijan. Look-out Baku - here comes Eurovision next year.

Saturday May 14

S couldn't make it to monthly breakfast with us so we went without her - just so she would know we were thinking of her. We met Mouse there and took her a present - Pearl - since we didn't want to leave her home alone with cat cookies on the floor because that would mean all the cookies would be gone very quickly - and probably none of them into the cats' tummies. She was being left behind because we had received passes for the Members Area at Doomben Race Track (Thanks M & L) - where the winning mare, Black Caviar, was racing. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure it was a good news story (and the cynic in me wonders how much the Queensland Government put up front to make this happen) - something to brighten the mood of Queensland following a very ordinary (and tragic) start to the year with flooding and cyclones. Sometimes, spirits just need to be lifted. And certainly there were a lot of people at the race track this afternoon who seemed to be in good spirits. The people we sat next to in the "food court" -which is not usually there but offered a range of options for hungry racegoers - were saying they were down from Bowen and while they would have come down to visit their son, the real reason they were there was to see Black Caviar. The atmosphere was amazing and we talked about whether this was what it must have been like early last century when people went to see the legendary racehorse Phar Lap. Except for a couple of minor hiccups, including not actually initially getting into the Members Area or back up into the Stands (the way was blocked by lots and lots of other racegoers) to see the big race run and not having mutton sandwiches, it was a good day.
Afterwards, we had arranged to meet S and A in West End in Brisbane, at a little Greek restaurant. It was good to see them again - was it only last week that we had seen S? - and, as always, it's like there's been no interval at all. S is back down this way tomorrow to do a 40km walk - which would take me the better part of a week rather than just a Sunday. This means her training is going well. After dinner she was going home to pack her supplies for the day's walk to make sure she had enough energy to get up the hills!
Then there was the drive home back to Latimers. It wasn't incredibly late but, and I can't speak for the others here, I was a bit on the tired side and it was good to stay awake with a game of "how many songs can you think of with 'love' in them?". There are actually a fair few and while we weren't coming up with titles constantly, it did keep us going from Springwood to Nerang, The game originated from our checking of the countries who were through to the Eurovision finals. As well as listing the countries on the official website, they also listed the song titles (and probably everything you ever wanted to know about the contestants) - so ... what's love got to do with it? Every other song was about it (and then some!)

Friday May 13

Another crisp, fresh, sharp, even very cold yet glorious day here at Latimers. This is not boding well for the hanging out of the washing which has to take place sometime over the weekend ... cold wind and wet washing means frozen hands.
M changed Hermes' rug over yesterday so he's at least looking a bit warmer but it does make you wonder what type of body heat control big animals have (besides huddling together and there needs to be more than one of them to make that happen) and how difficult it would be in really cold weather. Of course, we do know that in some cold countries people and livestock used to share buildings through the winter - I wonder if that still happens. Where would Hermes want to be ... but on a slightly more practical note, I wonder how long it will be before M starts putting him in the stables overnight.
Tonight, Pearl wore her nightie for the first time this year. As soon as it was on, she ran down to show me - and then as soon as S opened her door, she raced in to show her as well. There's little doubt she feels special when she's wearing it - it's probably linked to a sense of belonging; M says that if you want Pearl to know that she's really in trouble (not very often) taking her collar off her makes her feel as though she's no longer part of the pack (Leader of the Pack?) and displaced. This is obviously something that is not done lightly.
Friday Family and Friends Dinner was at Mouses's and S had put in the menu request ... "It's getting cold isn't it?". This translated to borscht and vareniki with a side of (what I call) bazooka which is like a ragout (do ragout's usually have meat in them because this one doesn't) as a different way of serving us vegetables. It was all very nice, hot and more-ish - and it was just as well people had left room for F's favourite rhubarb crumble and Mouse's custard. For those of us who don't like rhubarb, M had brought along some of the cake she had made - carrot/apple/pecan (or was it walnut?).
We caught up with MasterChef Master Class over dinner - if you could hear it as we all seemed to be in the midst of fairly animated conversation - all with lots to say including recounting our weeks, talking about M's new business venture (she was quizzing M and S about their telephone sales) and recalling bits of the Fiona O'Loughlin comedy routine some of us had seen the other evening. M said, again, that she would like to go to the comedy night each week. That wouldn't be a bad thing, especially as she is usually at the venue on a Wednesday night for other business as well.
And speaking of entertainment, tonight was the first heat of the Eurovision Song Contest - the same contest that launched Abba back in 1974. I was first introduced to it 21 years ago when S and I got together and she made me watch it on her very, very tiny black and white television set. Luckily we had colour last night because the set and staging were absolutely amazing - a huge screen behind the stage was transformed into backdrops suiting the songs - most of which, unfortunately, and I don't know if this was, as someone suggested, part of the competition rules - sung in English. While people don't have an accent when they sing, if English is not one's first language and you are not familiar with pronounciation and/or the words, it can lead to some very interesting moments. The second heat is on tomorrow night; the final's the night after. Who will win?

Thursday

I am sure the temperature was in single digits when I got up this morning - and I was extremely pleased to be wearing long sleeves and long pants during the day where, even though it was sunny, it was still chilly - if this keeps up I may have to give serious thoughts to multiple layers! Thermals anyone? I seriously can't remember it being this cold this time last year but I suppose we had only just moved up from Sydney then and we hadn't even started to acclimatise yet. When I think about it, we have settled into the Queensland lifestyle quite well since we landed - and we're not done yet!.
They are still doing work on Gilston Road. M and I were talking about it on the way home and it seems that we've both seen, as we travel at different times usually, the same behaviour - dirt being moved from one side of the road to the other, the road barriers being moved inches but always in the same proximity to the roundabout, traffic controllers doing more leaning on their lollypops than seriously directing cars safely and as quickly as possible through the area, and the hole at the side of the road getting deeper and shallower - and where have they hidden the telegraph pole today? There is no indication of how much longer the road will stay at one lane or, in fact, of what they are actually doing there. I am a little happier about it all today only because I have found the shortcut which means I no longer have to drive 10km out of my way to get where I'm going. I did set out to find it this evening - not even turning on the GPS, because I knew it had to be a "gut" thing and it was, as long as you believe a "gut" thing is following a car which seems to be going somewhere with purpose. So, they can keep the blockade up for as long as they want now - which is strange, because we know they will with permission or without.
I was here before M and S and was just getting ready to go inside when they arrived home - and who should be sitting up in the back seat - looking almost as excited as I - but Pearl - finally home from Nana's! I hope she's happy to be home and that the company of all of us and her cats will make her forget the lovely dinners Nana makes for her.
We like it when she cooks for us too - and Friday Family and Friends dinner is at Mouse's tomorrow. This will be F's last dinner before he goes to Jordan to see family and to accompany his sister back out this way. He's also planning to see a dentist over there - to have a crown done for $100 rather than the $1500 he has been quoted here on the Coast. A couple of replacement fillings has also been mentioned. But regardless of good a dental deal he gets there, he will miss us. How could he not?

Wednesday May 11

They say it's an ill wind ... But this morning it's definitely a chill wind. Where did the warm weather go? It was here a minute ago. The cooler mornings do make for some lovely scenery in the valley though. I wonder how it affects the hot air balloons which sometimes float over Latimers? Is ballooning better in hot or cold weather ... and if there is a clean winner, why is it so? (In the morning call to S she advised that there are balloons over home this morning - and when I suggested that it was something I wouldn't mind trying sometime and that I would understand if she didn't want to - given her last ballooning adventure didn't end as well as it might - she said she might go with me.)
Fresh. Sharp. These are the words I'm hearing this morning describing the weather. They are being kind. It was a gorgeous day though.
M rang last night to see of we would be starters for going to see Fiona O'Loughlin, the comedian, at Broadbeach tonight. We ummed and ahhed a bit, because it's a Wednesday night - meaning it would be a late night and we would still need to get up and go to work tomorrow. But in the end we decided to risk it - how late could it be? Well, it was good that we had decided to eat beforehand because she was running late and didn't take the stage until after 9:30 - but it/she was worth the wait. I haven't laughed so much in ages - and I wasn't the only one! Unfortunately S was feeling unwell and decided to pass and I'm not confident that even a joint effort by M and I to recreate it would be successful. Hopefully, though, we will remember different bits to tell her!
Meanwhile, back at Latimers ... S was minding the store - and Beasley came in looking a bit like a black and green lamington. in his explores, he had found grass seeds - sticky ones - and lots of them. She was a good cat aunty and combed him down - he had tried to lick them off without success. But what's that that say about no good deed goes unpunished? Whatever they were, the seeds caused a massive allergic reaction and she needed to knock herself out with antihistamines; it was just lucky she still had some from the last grass attack. Poor S. No wonder she didn't stir when M and I arrived home.
The good news was that despite her discomfort she had managed lockdown with everyone in and sprawled over the couches by the time we got there. And judging by the coolness, we're in for another cold one tomorrow.

Tuesday

Everyone was back on deck today - and I managed to stay awake for the whole day without even a hint of napping. It was a good day at work with the arrival of my Global Corporate Challenge kit which included two pedometers (not to be worn at the same time - truly the instructions do say that), a backpack - which will work very well for my photography kit, a cap (can never have too many caps) and a water bottle thrown in by our company for hydration for good measure. The challenge starts next week and I've started wearing the pedometer today to get used to it - and will compare it with the results from my usual pedometer tomorrow.
Pearl is still on sleepover with Nana and Sox and I was more than a little disappointed that no-one came rushing outside and at least pretending to bark. I probably wouldn't have noticed if they did because I was sitting in the car waiting for a piece to come on the radio ... the DJs had been promising it for at least twenty minutes as I was driving home and only started playing the clip of (was it?) Matt Moran of MasterChef having a go at someone behind the scenes of the show about throwing perfectly good food away. In the end, it all seemed like a beat-up. (Actually a put-on to highlight charities that help provide people in need with food.)
We all caught up over a cuppa and recapped our days. S and M have survived another day on the telephones and have the same level of enthusiasm for returning tomorrow as they did today.
M has gone out this evening and says if she runs into any kind of good fortune then she and S may not have to go to work tomorrow. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't included in the list of people who would not have to go to work tomorrow but I suppose on some level they know that I don't mind it most days.
D aka The Great K rang this evening to say that he was back on the Coast as he had been accepted into the Masters degree. He is sharing a house with a French student (that is a student who is French rather than a person who is studying French) over near the University and expected that we would see him a few times over the course of the degree - the next two years. It is good news and only last week S was wondering if he had made it in.
Even though it started out fine - with the promise of chill - it was a lovely day weatherwise except for the thunder storm that formed over parts of the Gold Coast at lunchtime - and settled into some quite heavy rain which meant there would be no mowing at Latimers today. By the time we settled in for that cuppa it was time for flanny shirts and definitely something on the feet. M was wearing a jumper. It appears to be the start of winter weather.

Monday

Not much going on today - for me anyway. I woke up exhausted this morning and wasn't able to shake it off by the time I made it to work. After numerous dozings off there, I finally decided to give in to it and came home sick at half-time. I was pleased to see that Jenny the cleaner (who had rescheduled to today) had either already been or was not coming so I didn't have to make polite small talk and was able to topple straight into bed - where I was oblivious to the outside world until I was woken at 3.30 by M greeting the cats when she and S arrived home. They asked if I wanted a cup of tea and I said "yes thanks" but by the time it was made and carried in to the bedroom, I was already asleep again. But I did wake up in time for MasterChef - the first night of proper competition with the 24 contestants.
M had also been unwell in the morning and had not gone to work, had cancelled her appointments for the afternoon, and (sniff) not gone round to Mouses's house to collect Pearl. The only good thing about Pearl not being here (besides that she is good company for Mouse and Sox) is that we can leave Beasley's food on the floor knowing that only the other cats will eat it - which they do anyway when it is "up" and out of Pearl's reach - and we don't have to lift Beasley up to it!. Now if we could only work out which of the cats it is that has such a hard time keeping the cookies in the bowl or in their tummy!
And speaking of tummies, S made Hungarian Goulash Soup last night and it was yummy. There is enough left over for lunch tomorrow but Joan from work has texted to say she is bring in home-made Stew, so the soup may need to wait until Wednesday.
It was an early night all round last nit and everyone was in for lockdown - although we did have to call Maggie a few more times tonight. I sometimes wonder if it is a show that she puts on for her mother.

Sunday

It has been a wonderful day at Latimers - even though Pearl is still on sleepover at Nana's. M said she will bring her back tomorrow - which may have something to do with when she took Mouse out for breakfast this morning in Broadbeach (Happy Mothers* Day), Mouse stopped in at the supermarket and bought some Osso Bucco which is destined to be Pearl's dinner!
Despite having been out for breakfast, M and Mouse were still the first of our crowd to get to the markets - we're not counting Azra who is there at (just about) sun-up to do her shopping, and then comes back later to meet up with the usual suspects for Markets Coffee. We did well too, being there for 10 o'clock (okay, it was actually a couple of whiskers later) but we still beat M and F. The table was groaning with grapes, croissants and bread this morning .. and coffee of course. You can't beat a yummy breakfast/morning tea and good company. Oh, and almost forgot - there were flowers - and lots of them - for Mouse for Mothers* Day. Even though she isn't the actual mother to everyone at the markets, sometimes she feel like it and it was fitting that it was flowers-all-round.
Apres-Markets, S and I took ourselves off to Robina Town Centre to the ABC Store to get the book they had ordered in for her and to pick up a few things for lunch since the still-in-training-for-the-Kokoda-Challenge S had phoned to say she and a team-mate were training in the area and she'd pop in afterwards if anyone was going to be around. And we were - and it was a fantastic, relaxing afternoon. Emma was very happy too because we let her sit out with us for most of the time - and S, kind and wonderful animal-lover that she is, took pity on her and fed her some BBQ chicken. Emma loved it.
There was no mowing today altough there are lots of other (little?) jobs that need doing around the place. Who knew there were cobweb festoons around the screen door into our room - which I only noticed today as we were getting the outside area ready for lunch with S.
It appears that the birds have abandoned the nest. There has been no construction for some days and there is nothing quite as sad as a half-finished nest. It may be time to take a gurney (high pressure cleaner) to the area and give it a good spruce up.
S and I spent a nice quiet evening in with MasterChef (they're now down to the competition 24), then some reading for S and Samagrams for me. M was out for dinner at the Big House with Mouse - and they had a good night as well.
By the time lockdown arrived, only Maggie was still outside and she came on the first whistle and then called to me from the door to say she was present and accounted for - and why hadn't I been holding the door open for her already?
* When in doubt, leave it out.

Saturday

Breakfast at Coffee Sisters today- and Pearl came too before going off to Nana's for what I suspect will be more of a sleepover than day visit. As M said - if I wanted Pearl to come home today, I would be the one telling Mouse.
S and M and Mouse had a great time today at the Arts Centre seeing "Babies" - a documentary showing the first year of what are very different lives for four babies from Japan, Namibia, America and ... was it Mongolia - somewhere where they have yurts and yaks anyway. There was no commentary as such - or verbal anyway - because it "didn't need it". The camera POV is at their height so you get a view of the world from the babies' perspective.

Sent from my iPhone

Friday

S is not well again today and I hate to say it but she has a glorious day for it - and some washing which she managed to do as well.
Out and about this afternoon and I ended up at Emerald Lakes - of the large David statue - make that giant! It's still here and if I didn't know that all of the office where I used to work had been cleared out, I might be curious to go and have a look. Even so, part of me wants to see it empty but I guess that won't be today. Instead, I'm enjoying a coffee - and marvelling at how much busier they've become since first they opened the cart in the doorway as they waited for the shop to be fitted out. Funny that - it's almost the anniversary of when I started here and well over six months since the company found me "something else" when the project started to flounder.
The day is still as nice and if I make it home in daylight (how long does hair take?) there may be some small chores in my future.
I love the warm welcome I get on arriving home at Latimers. Pearl is usually barking (loudly) when I drive in and Tink is often lying in the driveway or near the carport entrance - sometime she moves, sometimes she doesn't - well not quickly or willingly - but she always saunters over for a pat and a "chuck under the chin" once the car is parked. And yes she is also fond of spending time on the car bonnet - although how she can stand the heat is beyond us all. And the welcome from the other furry ones - and the humans when they're home - isn't bad either.
Family and Friends Dinner tonight although if F had realised earlier he and zi might have gone to Skilled Park to watch New Zealand vs Australia (how do they work out who vs who?) but it was nice being in and watching MasterChef and eating M's very yummy cooking. There's no doubt that the woman in that family can cook!
Well, despite my best intentions, there were no jobs done last night but S and I had a lovely chat as we watched Emma have a drink and decide which of the other cats she was going to growl at - not really meaning it but just because she could.

Thursday

What a gorgeous day here on the Gold Coast - far too nice to be inside working - or to be sick at home which is where S was after beginning to feel not well this morning and more so on the way to work - so like the true friend she is, M turned the car around and drove her (okay, them) home. S was feeling a bit better by this afternoon but confirms coming home was the right decision because there was no way she could have been on the phone all day given the way she was feeling. And since that is what the job is, she was probably right to give it a miss.
I had a great day at work - one of those where it's busy but not frantic. And, as the article I read while I was having my breakfast reminded me - it's better to work hard than work long. This is a lesson that sometimes takes people a while to grasp - that it's not about how long you are physically "at work" but how much you achieve by being there.
The stars are absolutely stunning this evening. It we had one of those hammocks that are suspended from steel poles, rather than between trees, I'd be out there now just staring up at the night sky and drinking it all in. The Southern Cross, the Big Dipper, the Milky Way, passing aircraft - it doesn't get much better than this.
Well, there's a mystery solved! I had been wondering where I might find my ticket if by some chance I happened to win the Mater Prize Home. I knew I had put it somewhere safe but then lots of things are "somewhere safe" which is another way of saying they will never be seen again. But not this time - probably because as we approached "tax time" (for last year) I have been making a concerted effort to keep things "together" and "findable". Alas, you can't have everything and while I now have the ticket, the prize was drawn last week and there's been no word. Ah well ... it can go in the bin together with the rest of the papers I have been saving but which aren't needed for the tax.
The foal is starting to get quite big now and still doesn't have a name - and won't before they decide on her racing name. M was saying that will soon be thinking of separating the two of them, and I can't imagine how stressful that is going to be for both of them - which could be for the horses but also for M and L. They are incredibly attached to their animals, especially those horses.

Wednesday

The mornings are definitely cooler - and it was the right decision to put the second doona on the bed the other evening.
Emma continues to be well. So much so that this morning when S let her go for an outside drink, Em bolted across the lawn; S, in a towel, had no choice but to chase her lest she disappear down the back behind the shed. We lost her there one night some time ago, and while it would be easier to find her in daylight (rather than by torchlight) it's not an experience any of as wants to repeat.
Pearl was very relaxed in her we'll come this afternoon. I watched her through the glass doors as she finished haring a good old scratch - and why is she still scratching ... it's only a couple of days since M gave her a big bath!
M & L have a new puppy which their household, including the two dogs who already live there, are getting used to. Spot (not "Sport" - L was overruled) come down to visit the other day. She had slipped away while M and L well talking with someone. M thinks she may have come over because she remembered that this is where Pearl lives; alas she may have not remembered or been told that Pearl is not fond of small dogs. So it was probably good that when she came to visit, Pearl was having a nap in M's room. I escorted Spot back home to where M had just started looking for him - thankful that he hadn't done the
previous day's trick of following a ute full of children (he apparently is very fond of children) along the laneway when they drove past.
There is nothing quite like sitting outside at Latimers as the evening closes in. M and S have just taken Pearl for a walk up the lane (collar on since M and L's dogs are out) and I would probably be able to hear them except that the evening sounds are starting to ramp up ... that and a not very happy child somewhere in the near distance ... oh and the dogs appear to have found each other and are having a bit of a barkfest ... and now there's a chorus of kookaburras and crickets - and somewhere in the far distance, a car is going along the main road - but all of that just melds into the evening's gathering gloom and makes it all the more special. Luckily the mosquitoes that were here before seem to have relocated (thank you Raid automatic spray mister) so we're not having to swot them.
The birds' nest is not yet finished and we're not quite sure why that is. According to M they usually finish it in a day - but this lot have now been working on it a few days and it's not nearly finished yet. As they used to sing in The Littlest Hobo theme song: Maybe tomorrow.

Tuesday

Just as well tractors have headlights or Doug would not have been able to do as much of the paddock as he did last night. He arrived late afternoon to do "some mowing" and off he went on the tractor down to the bottom paddock. Before M went out she reminded me to keep an ear out for him and to check the tractor was back at dark - just in case there had been any kind of problem. Come dark he was still out there and it was the sweep of the headlights around the paddock each ten minutes I went out to check that assured me he was still at it. In the end, I didn't hear the tractor come back into the shed or Doug leave, but when I went out to check the next time, it was back and he was gone ... and depending on the weather, the paddock shouldn't need another mow for a couple of weeks. The grass should just about be out of the peak growing period since it's Autumn but since the days have been warm and there has been no shortage of rain (there have been big storms here again this afternoon) the feeling among the locals is that it may not yet be time to plan what else to do in all that newly-freed-up mowing time.
The good thing about slightly cooler weather - and the rain plays a part as well - is that the cats usually come in to watch television with us. Maggie seemed to enjoy MasterChef tonight very much - and there were some segments which were very much worth watching - like when the young developmentally challenged man refused to put up his pressure test dishes because they were not up to standard - and in so doing guaranteed himself a place in the elimination round. Matt Preston, one of the judges, praised him for his honesty and bravery in so doing - and confirmed with the three other chef/judges that they had all had to throw dishes out because they was not good enough. Truly heart-warming fare and one of the reasons MasterChef stands out in the current crop of "talent" shows. Of course, Maggie may just have wanted to watch tonight because Maggie Beer was on.
I was late home tonight as I went in search of ice cream but missed the delivery man - even after a valiant offer by A to chase him down the street. The good news is that A has taken my ''order" and will try to catch him next time - which is only a fortnight away now. But at least that gives us a chance to clear out the freezer (something I have been meaning to do) as we may need the room.
Maggie was sitting in the driveway when I arrived home - along with some cane toads - and none of them were inclined to move. I drove around them rather than wait them out. Maggie came in; I'm not sure about the toads.

Monday

The nest builders are back! According to M they came back yesterday. They have made good progress although they still have a way to go. Nature and instinct are amazing things when you think about it - how else would birds know how to stick dirt and other bits and bobs they've found around the place to walls in the right shape to form a nest that will be strong enough to support eggs and the mother and father bird over the course of the doings - from conception (?) to when the chicks fly the nest. Life truly is wonderful.
L was saying there is a colony of Kookaburras down the back near the creek and one, a magnificent specimen of a bird, was perched on the paddock gate over looking the one-day-to-be-a-big-vegetable garden area when we arrived home yesterday. Alas, by the time I got the telephoto lens on the camera, the kookaburra had been called by the others and flew off to join them. Just as well S pointed that bit out or I may have blamed Pearl who had romped over there after greeting us.
I was reminded today that people value things differently. Some years age - make that many - the place where I worked had placed an old but still working kerosene heater on the footpath with a sign saying "free". No-one took it. Hours later, not wanting to bring it inside again, someone thought to replace the sign with one saying $10 which we did; but then thought it might be seen as overpriced. We needn't have worried. When we went back out - after only a couple of minutes - the heater was gone. Which brings me back to today or the way to get a post-mow coffee (yes, the mowing has finally been done) I noticed someone along the way had put out a wooden bookcase with a $80 sign. Was it still there because it was too big to easily take away? Or are people not in the market for a place to keep books anymore?
It was Labour Day today so we had a fairly quiet day - which is not t say we didn't do chores, because we did, and we did them well. And as we made the bed, we put an extra doona on as the temperature is supposed to drop tonight, and stay cool for the next few nights. It has been a bit cooler in the mornings and it may be time to think about not wearing shorts to work - although that may be a decision for later in the week.

Sunday

There was a bumper turn-out at the Markets today - all the usual suspects plus some including N, the French teacher, who shared the tale of one of the 35 visiting students who had to be left behind in Australia while the others returned home to France as he had lost his passport. What date was it last seen, asked the as-it-turns-out very uncooperative police officer who was "helping" them file the loss report - part of the requirements for a temporary travel pass (point-to-point only). Then: "what time?". Luckily N is very restrained and controlled and was able to cajole a result out of the police officer who at one stage had even suggested that as Sydney was the last time/place an independent observor had seen the passport, perhaps the loss report should be filed in New South Wales. Hmmm. All going well, the student and the teacher left behind to tend him, will be on their way home on the next available flight on the 5th.
As usual and even though we were a bigger their usual table, we still managed to be the last at the Markets - so much so that the market organisers asked us to pack up so they could be sure everyone was off the premises by 12:30. We complied and packed and stacked our tables and chairs and wandered out to the car park for a bit more of a chat before we sent off on our separate ways. Until next time.
S and I spent the afternoon at the beach - even though the lawn mowing was calling. Hopefully, and according to S's checking of the weather forecasts, it will be fine tomorrow - especially as there's also a small mountain of washing to be attended to.
And we're back with MasterChef - its third season started this evening and we were devoted viewers from the start. They have begun with 50 contestants - five of whom were knocked out tonight with another five to be eliminated tomorrow evening. It looks as though it is going to be an interesting competition again and even though they have promised it won't be as fraught with emotion and crying as previous years, already we have had some of the contestants "leaking" - some heavier than others, although, to be fair, one of them was perspiring pretty heavily.
Lock-down and all the animals are in - and while it isn't necessarily all that early an evening, it's nice to know that everyone is tucked up safe and sound at Latimers tonight.

Saturday

It's good to be back at Latimers after a short break away in Toowoomba. It was raining on the drive back this afternoon but it wasn't too bad and it would have done no good to complain as there was a double rainbow and they/it were/was brilliant against the dark grey sky. Just a pity there was no where to pull up to truly appreciate it for longer.
S & M had also seen a double rainbow when they were driving back from Murwillumbah where they had gone to the local Art Gallery there. It was a day trip and they took Mouse as well. Not Pearl though but they had been to Coffee Sisters with her, and then taken her for a big walk in the park.
On their travels, they found a self-service roadside fruit stand where they found bananas for $3.99/kg and apples for $1.99 - truly a bargain. They also found a bicycle race - and it was because of this (missing their turn) that they found the fruit. I went for vegetables instead - actually just a bag of Sprengers Stock carrots (plus liquorice allsorts and roasted peanuts) on my way back.
Emma went back on insulin today - a reduced dose until we're sure she's okay. She seems to be okay with it - in fact, she's probably even a little brighter than she has been- and is champing at the bit to get outside. She does appear to have missed the company today and is spending a lot of time with us this evening.