Thursday

UI think I would have enjoyed today more if I had spent it at Latimers rather than in the dentist's chair. Don't get me wrong - Jamie was exceptional - one if the best dentists I have ever had (if not the best) but over 5 hours in the chair having work done should be no one's idea of fun. The worst thing about it (and this may not be exactly true) is that when you have a dental dam in your mouth, it's very hard to speak intelligibly - even to a dentist. What I had wanted to say - and keep saying - was "it's safe" which I knew was from Marathon Man, the movie, but which also means "please stop because I have given you the answer you want". Maybe I will have a chance to say it tomorrow when I'm back there so he can do work on my bottom teeth!
It was nice of S and M to come in to drop me off - and to have a cup of coffee with me. And it was good of F to go up to Brisbane Airport to pick up M and little H who arrived from Turkey this morning. Ordinarily this was a run that M would have done - if she hadn't been on dental patrol instead (thanks M).
After dropping me, M and S went off to see them before M dropped at home. It could be "in sympathy" but for whatever reason, S also has a sore mouth - it looks like it's an infection of some kind - and as the evening wore on, the swelling became more pronounced.
Meanwhile, even M didn't get through the day unscathed - when she was clearing up some water on the bathroom floor (apparently the leaking windows have led to the creation of another place for the water to come through) when she felt inside her neck go funny. I looked for an answer on the net but didn't get anywhere really with strained epiglottis or broken epiglottis.
Hopefully everyone at Latimers will have a good night's sleep and return refreshed and on top of our individual and collective games tomorrow.
Did I mention that Pearl came home yesterday. It must be nice for M and S to know that there is now no question of either of them bounding out, barking, to greet me in the afternoons! (Not that there ever really was - but they could have played along!)
We are in need of rain. The electrician is supposed to be coming tomorrow to have a proper look/fix of the (back) water pump and if that gets fixed so it is reliable without having to go down and check it - that will be good - especially as the water tank is starting to get low. But at least it rained a little bit today and maybe it will again tomorrow.

Wednesday

Oops - too busy!

Tuesday

Pearl is still away visiting Nana.
Doug did the slashing.
Keith working on one of L's horse yards. Lacey has been sold and will be going to Singapore which means she and Sweetie the foal are about to be separated. The whole valley will know when that happens because all the horses will be upset.

Monday

Why is it that having a fabulous weekend makes it harder to return to work on Monday morning? Although I'm not sure that it's not harder after you've had a less-than-fabulous weekend. Human perception is an incredible thing, isn't it - and mostly - well, okay, all - driven by us ... according to the trainer who took us through the Stress Management course at work this afternoon. It wasn't bad although he did seem to go through the material fairly quickly. He seemed like someone who hadn't done a lot of them so he was on not quite familiar territory. He was also playing to a fairly hard crowd - which may have had a little to do with his kilometre/mile-a-minute presentation style and/or his need to impart as much knowledge as possible in the shortest time possible.
M and S saw Mouse today and report that Pearl is well and happy and probably enjoying a great big gourmet dinner tonight because Mouse takes such good care of her. This will be Pearl's last visit to Nana (I think) for a couple of months. M's sister and her grandson are coming to stay with Mouse on Thursday so they are starting to think about a range of activities while they are here - including how to keep an almost-teenage boy entertained. Let's see if his idea of being let loose to wander around Surfers Paradise alone with just his skateboard for company is one of them.

Sunday

There was no show for us today - but it was good that S had remembered - I hadn't - rather than realising after it was over. It's always good to have choices.
So after breakfast at The Big House, morning tea at the Markets, and lunch at the Groper and His Missus, rather than going off to the Mudgeeraba Show to have a Dagwood dog, fairy floss and/or CWA Devonshire tea (do they do that up here?) we made our way back to Latimers - and while we knew M had dropped Pearl around to Nana (aka Mouse), it still came as a bit of a surprise not to find her at home and for her not to run out, ball in mouth, to greet us!
The Markets were good this morning, although not quite the same without M who was delayed as she was going a phone intervention with S! It doesn't appear that much has changed in S-land although there is the suggestion that she will be able to join us for Saturday lunch (as opposed to breakfast) one weekend in the near future.
This evening, M and S listened to an interview with, and a talk by, the Dalai Lama. Both were recorded during his recent visit to Australia to speak (amongst other things) at the Happiness and its Causes conference in Brisbane (as attended by S). Judging by their laughter, he is a very entertaining speaker.
"Technical difficulties" appears to be the theme of the week. One of my hard drives has decided to be difficult and has stopped working. It's telling me that if I want to access information on it, I need to format it - which is a bit strange because formatting it will wipe any data there is on it. Hmmmmm. (Now who thinks I'm overcautious because I had backed that drive up - not recently enough but at least I haven't lost everything!)
M, S and I were all home last night - the only one missing was Pearl - so she's the only furry person who is not suspected of foul play. M found that one of the animals had had a chew on a bird (unfortunately it didn't make it). Suspicion is currently focussed on Beasley - because M doesn't believe that Maggie couldn't catch a bird although she would probably definitely chase one, and ... I'm not exactly sure why Tink was excluded from the suspect list.
MasterChef tonight was set on Matt Moran's father's lamb farm where the challenge was to feed a horde of hungry bush folk - who then had to decide, by putting small toy chickens in cans representing each of the contestants, who had prepared the best dishes on the day ... and by "best" they meant the ones they liked the "best" rather than the "best" prepared, most considered, well-thought out and presented offerings. Those not "best in show" - meaning the three scoring the fewest chickens - because of poor gnochi, potatoes not cooked through and not bush tucker food - will face an elimination round tomorrow night. (I am still waiting for the expulsion of Mat - reported in the media some time ago now - for having a smart phone in the house - not a particularly smart move if the reports are true - and they could be because they have now been reported in the gossip mags!

Saturday

Some days are diamonds, others are gold. Today is right up there with them. We overnighted at The Big House, had a wonderful breakfast (although late since we didn't stir until 8:30) and then I took Nik off for a walk in the park outside to see what we could see. It was a different view of The Big House and of Broadbeach and I think we managed to take a couple of decent photographs although none of them of "wheels" which M tells me is the subject of this week's photography competition in The Courier Mail. Last week's theme was "rings" and the winner (which I haven't yet seen) was of onion rings.
"Kill me now - before I change my mind." So sang David just before he told us the Opera in the Park was about to end. So many songs are about love and loss, aren't they, although as the next song assured us ... "Love never dies ... Love endures."
The staging was quite good although I don't understand why the support services have pride of place at these events, especially as it would be possible to elevate the spotlight to the side and have the sound desk somewhere else. Hmmm ... or why the sound is better to the side of the stage rather than straight ahead - a question no doubt asked by those who had chosen their positions so they could see and, they thought, hear! Even though there was a tree between us and the stage it obstructed the view only a little but we had about the best sound in the park (as assessed while I went hither and thither taking photographs with Nik). Hmmmmm ... could it be, as someone has since suggested, that the sound was so good where we were because we had chosen to sit near the Sponsors' tent? But it was a different thing to do on a Saturday night and I certainly wasn't expecting to hear excerpts from my favourite musical movie ... The Sound of Music! And it was wonderful that M thought to and remembered to bring the chairs and berets from home ... she had thought of everything from top to bottom!
Did I mention that D has left the valley. During cat patrol (read: preparation for lockdown) one night late this week, M and I noticed D's ute reversing near the caravan and him hooking it up. The van was gone the next afternoon when I arrived home (I didn't notice if it had still been there that morning). It's not the same looking out there now and not seeing the caravan ... which reminds me, S and M were saying that A gave S a new caravan for her birthday! I wonder what they're going to do with the old one? We could play "Guess" with them to find out - we like "Guess" and had a fairly decent game of it today when M ran in to someone we knew and had us try to guess who it was! That the mobile network didn't deliver a couple of the SMS guesses in good time may have been annoying but it did have the effect of enhancing the game - to the point where I had exhausted my best guesses and had no idea who it was and hoping M wasn't showing them the texts because it sounded as though this person with whom I had worked had made such a small impression on me that I couldn't remember them at all. As it turned out, I had nailed it on the second guess!
CSP has not gone off yet - $196,769.

Friday

Family and Friends Dinner! There are some days weeks when I just can't wait for Friday to arrive. Thanks to M we are staying in at the Big House tonight and as soon as I'm finished at work for the day (which may be delayed because we have a celebration event scheduled for this afternoon), I'll be the one racing home, packing my bag, feeding the animals and hot-footing it in to Broadbeach to join S and M.
Well, that was the plan and I finally arrived there two hours later than planned - but in the meantime I had a nice social catch-up at work (lovely mocktails in various flavors including strawberry) and then a lovely afternoon tea with The Great K who dropped in to Latimers (unannounced) to collect the book M had carried back for him from Sydney and the hard drives I have loaded with viewing material for him. He is well and thinking of a visit to his family in Sydney next weekend although he seems very undecided about this. His studies seem to be going well although he has been a little sleep deprived because assignments have been due. He managed three hours the night before last, and about the same again last night. Ah, to be young again and to be able to keep those kind of hours. These days double that is about half as much as I need to function effectively!
Dinner was great. At Zen again but with a few different dishes this time. We had the biggest table - even though there were only five of us - we could have fitted a few more in and still had room to spare! M is still in NZ (but not because she is stuck there with the ash cloud) and has now extended her trip but five days so she can catch up with people properly - which, as F says, she might as well do since she is already there! He will miss her though!
After dinner we went in to the Casino proper and F, M, Mouse and I jumped on to a CSP table that was just opening. They had three CSP tables open this evening - probably because so many people are keen to play - which have something to do with the jackpot still not having gone off - it's up to over $196,000 now. Alas, none of us won our fortunes, but it was the first time I saw someone dealt four of a kind - just a pity it was the dealer! That would have paid anyone else 20 to 1 (if she'd opened) and $500 from the pot. So close!
S was in bed by the time I arrived back in the room, but she did stir so I was able to tell her about our evening (post-dinner she had gone off in a other direction) and Mouse's first game of CSP! For 84, Mouse is amazing the way she is willing go try new things. (It took me ages to finally get on the CSP table once I'd started thinking about it ... yes, yes ... and now it's hard to get me off it - in fact I think I hear it calling now but I shall resist ... until tomorrow.)

Thursday

It's getting colder! Today is the coldest morning in over 20 years and they are predicting that the higher parts of the Hinterland could reasonably expect a light sprinkling of snow in the coming weeks. Brrrrrrrr. I'd like to see that though - as long as I wasn't driving - bad enough going up and down the windy roads into the hills without having snow to contend with as well. Tyre chains anyone? Hmmm ... that may be a tad too optimistic. But is lovely in the sunshine! And it would be lovely for Christmas in July as mentioned by S in the last couple of days. St Bernards Hotel, at Mt Tambourine, as last visited as part of my work's team-building day, is having a Christmas in July event. It would be good to have a nice relaxing meal, maybe with a light drift of snow outside, a warm toasty fire inside ... and the prospect of not having to leave the premises until morning.
As I drove in this afternoon L and D had a nice fire blazing in the "top" paddock - which L assured us, may one day be the site for another house on their property. In the meantime it serves nicely as a horse paddock and, when the horses have been moved, a burning-off venue. There's nothing like a good fire! Although I did notice that Sweetie and her mother had taken themselves off tom the furtherest away part of their paddock while the fire was ablaze.
It was busy down the street (read: at the shopping centre) this afternoon. I called in to get a few items - which stretched to a few more - as I had a wander (and a wonder) through the supermarket. But Emma now has enough food - and then some - for our weekend away - yet another one! But this one is at least one the Coast (thanks M!) and we can pop in to see her when we start to miss her. She is quite well at the moment (touch wood) but it still being kept away from shower water - and that seems to be doing her no harm. She very much wanted to drink water other than her own yesterday and seemed to take every opportunity when S had one of the bedroom doors open to slip out and go in search of water - which was a little difficult given S was trying to get out of the house early/on time to make the meeting with A and R.
J's computer is still under the weather. It did not come back completely with the scan/repair/delete but she continues to run the scan and it seems to be a little better each time - although not yet fully recovered. I did ring the computer guy yesterday and he said he should be able to eradicate the virus and restore normal operations for a very reasonable price- so I let J know that that was an option and she is considering the option.

Wednesday

Apparently it takes three days for the Winter Solstice to happen ... and then the days will start getting longer. I am almost tempted to start walking around with my hoodie up/on/in place (what is the correct terminology?) and pretend that I am a Druid and see if anyone notices. Of course, with the hood, I can't actually see anything, so I wouldn't know - unless they said something. I saw someone who looked like a Druid once - it was in Scotland and Annie and I were walking through a forest in search of standing stones. (And no, I don't think the report I read today that someone has rearranged Stonehenge so it reads LOL is real.) It must have been amazing in olden times to be able to tell what people did from what they wore! Of course, that it possible to a certain extent now - as long as there are uniforms - or an equivalent "common" attire - involved.
M and S had a busy day today. As I was getting ready to go to work, S told me that M's sister-in-law had phoned last night because she and her husband were on the Gold Coast, staying at Jupiters, as the ash cloud from the Chilean volcano - now on its second tour of the globe - had prevented their flight from London landing in Sydney. They had been diverted to Brisbane and, since there was no accommodation there, they and other travellers had been bussed to Jupiters for the overnight stay. Hmmmm ... it makes you wonder about occupancy rates at Jupiters if they can accommodate 400-odd folk without bookings on a Tuesday night. A and R were both well - looking tanned too - and had had a lovely European Vacation, including having A's birthday dinner at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in London. But the visit was all too brief because A and R's departure time had been moved to an hour earlier and they had to get on the bus for the return to Brisbane Airport (and hopefully a flight back to Sydney) almost as soon as M and S arrived.
Then, after breakfast, M and S went off to bingo with Mouse (I received a message saying "winners are grinners" so knew they had done well) and then to lunch with S who is getting more and more excited about her Kokoda Challenge which is only a few weeks away now.
They arrived home just before I did - and I met S and M as they walked Pearl up the lane to the road. Then it was time for a quick cuppa and then back into The Big House for M and I - she for the draws and me for a few hands of CSP where the jackpot is now sitting at almost $195,000. As they say, you have to be in it to win it - and I am giving it my best shot - it's just a real shame work expects me to be there five days a week.

Tuesday

It sounds like Mount Panorama and the Bathurst 1000 out in the valley tonight. Hopefully the drivers will remember they have homes to go to before it gets much later especially as I am planning to have a rare early night. M is out and I have left S with the television and then the responsibility for getting lock-down happening. Maggie is the only one still out and hopefully she's not up keeping Gundey company tonight or, if she is, that she'll want to turn in at a reasonable time as well.
There hasn't been a coming or going in the valley for a while but there's about to be both. D is waiting for the arrival of his significant other from overseas and then he and she will be moving - not very far away I hear, but still out of the valley. It won't be the same looking out towards M and L's and not seeing the D ute and caravan there. Or seeing him wandering around doing jobs here and there (phew - just stopped myself from describing that as "hither and thither").
It's still cold here but it does make for beautiful morning mist ... but not good views of the cows and horses which are there (I think) but not visible through the mist ... oh, and because it's still dark when I drive past. At least the days will start getting longer now and there will be time to fit more in ...

Monday

Computer intervention! Not here thank goodness but up the road a bit at J's. I don't know how people can think they don't need up-to-date virus protection on their computer because without it viruses and malware can, will and do jump on to a computer and take up residence there - and some of them are quite sneaky - like the one on J's. It had told the computer not to let any anti-virus software run and if you didn't already have some virus protection on, it would not let you go to any website where you could download some. So, working from instructions on the internet, I was able to delete the registry entries that prevented open access to the net and all the virus protection it has to offer. By the time I left, a full scan of the computer was underway and was 7% complete with just over 11,000 infected files so far identified. But the good news is that there is now an anti-virus program installed on the computer and if this cleansing is successful, they may be able to avoid future infestations. So who is it that writes these viruses and why hasn't anyone tracked them down and had severe words with them?
Of course, that could also apply to Maggie who was halfway up the lane visiting Gundey the horse when I arrived home tonight. Thank goodness for headlights - they reflected in her eyes so I knew she was there and could encourage her to move in the direction of Latimers. She arrived home not long after I and very soon after, we were able to go in to lockdown: Pearl was almost on her bed, Beazley was up on the couch with M, Maggie with S, and Tink with me for a couple of minutes before she assumed the position on top of the Austar box.
S had made real chicken and vegetable soup for dinner which, by all accounts (that would be both S and M) was very nice indeed. Even though M ribbed her about it, the kitchen was not going to need too much cleaning up although the stove always does need a clean after anything has been cooked on it ... Ramen girl (this time M) to the rescue.
On my way home tonight quite a heavy mist hung over the valley near the river crossing and I found myself wondering why the mist never settles on Latimers proper. I would have thought we were just about at the same level - give or take a little bit - as that part of the road. And tonight it seems we were because there was a big patch of mist between L and M's and us. It never ceases to amaze how all you do with your lights on high beam in the fog is bounce the lights back at you.
The moon is still magnificent - way past full now - but still radiant and casting a lot of light - which is good because tonight (or is that tomorrow night) is the longest night of the year and ... if there were chickens at Latimers ... they would just about be ready to start laying again.

Sunday

Markets day and Mi would have been very pleased if she had been there with us as the first thing the Markets Lady did was point out a sign on the wall announcing the new hours, effective next week. Mi has been campaigning for a later (7am) start over Winter for some time but the plea has fallen on deaf ears until now. Mi is in NZ at the moment so I posted a photo of the sign on FaceBook and it wasn't long before she commented "Yaaaayyyyy" (there may have been more As and Ys than appear here). She will enjoy it when she gets back - in a fortnight.
The problem with the Markets is that you sometimes smell yummy things and have no idea what they are or where the aroma is coming from - and that makes it fairly easy to go home without some - but not so this morning where it was slightly different - I knew what the primary aroma was - Worcestershire Sauce - and my stomach fairly quickly worked out that I wanted it ... on a pie for lunch. It's not often that I can identify exactly what it is I want for lunch - so it would have been good to have it if I could have found it. In retrospect, I could have just gone to the supermarket and purchased a bottle (or even waited until we got home - I'm sure we have some) and bought a pie to go with it - but since I didn't do either of those I had a kebab which didn't quite hit the spot. There's always tomorrow - must check with the CBD (bakery) at Crestwood if they do a pie with Worcestershire there.
There was some lively discussion at the Markets at one stage when table-talk turned to immigration and refugees - and whether Australia was well-regarded as a nation (as it had been, say, 20 years ago). Everyone in that discussion had very definite views on the subject - not all totally complementary or complimentary but I think some of that was based on lack of education and/or not enough critical reading of the stories the media pumps out. But whatever people's views I think the whole issue is going to heat up if we do move into the harder economic times some have mooted.
It was fantastic to be back on ROM this afternoon but just a bit disappointing because it is not cutting well. I had it on the top setting for most of the lawn and that was patchy, and it remained so when I dropped it to 3.5 and 3 for the bits that M did with the motor mower recently - and the bits next to those bits. It seems that one side of the cutting deck is not even touching the ground - the wheel on that side was "clean" and all of that side almost didn't need blowing down to clean. We'll have to keep an eye on it.
And on Pearl ... she went racing over towards M and L's this afternoon as young Spot and another dog (not theirs) came wandering down towards Latimers. I wouldn't have been concerned except that Pearl's hackles were up and the other dog didn't seem to be displaying particularly friendly behaviour - no waggy dog tail there! So I called her back - in a very stern and hopefully authoritative voice - using her full name - and nobody was more surprised that she came back than I. I quickly closed the gate with Pearl on this side and the others not, and took her round the back to distract her and to get dog snouts away from either side of the gate. Eventually Spot and friend went home but it wasn't until a good while later that the gate re-opened.

Saturday

Pancakes! Yum. Breakfast was at Mouse's this morning and it was fabulous. Because Mi is away and because we were not sure what time S would be returning from Brisbane last night, we had put off Family & Friends Friday night dinner and it became Family & Friends Saturday Breakfast instead. And I don't mind saying it was a wonderful way to start our first weekend at home in a few. While it is nice to go places and catch up with other folk, I do enjoy having free time at Latimers as well - even if we don't spend it at Latimers per se. Although I have to say that I loved being able to play a game of fetch with Pearl this morning - she is usually still asleep when I'm leaving on weekday mornings and even if she wasn't it's too dark to play ball. And it was great to be able to stand out the back and survey Latimers - the newly-mowed paddock, the horses, then next door's fences, the cows off in the distance, the yard paddock that needs mowing. It doesn't get any better - unless you also know that Mouses's pancakes are in your immediate future.
And that Harvey Norman is having a sale! That was our next port of call after breakfast/brunch/almost stretching into lunch. They had some great bargains but only a couple came home with us - and none of them big ticket items. The smallest thing I got was a couple of SDHC cards for Nick the camera so I can start trying out some HD Video (must find the tripod as well). There were also some DVDs because having Nick means there are a few more photos to be backed up now and I like to have them on DVDs as well as an external drive - although they can be harder to find that way, especially for people who are wont to be slack with their labelling.
M went off doing things with Mouse this afternoon so S and I did a couple of errands, had a late bite to eat in Carrara, and then came home to Latimers for some quiet, unstructured time. I really do need to spend some time with Samagrams (thank you F for having been to the website and knowing that I am not up to date with the MINUTE IN TIME puzzles) but I am trying to between doing them and learning how to program for the iPhone. Ah for a few more hours in the day - although judging from the latest research, as relayed by S from the Happiness and it's Causes Conference, if we did have a few more hours in the day, these would best be spent sleeping. Apparently your health is not just affected by what you eat and drink and how much exercise you get, but also by then amount of sleep you get. A lot of us are walking around sleep-deprived when really we should be tucked up in our beds having a good rest. And that will come later - and we won't be waiting for the furries to come in ... it's not been 8:30pm and they're all in already - and they look so comfortable, warm and cozy that they're not likely to want to go out again. Until tomorrow!

Friday

The moon was magnificent this morning! And again this evening - rising as I drove to the station to collect S on her return from Brisbane so it was a huge yellow balloon hanging just above the Eastern horizon.
The construction industry has a "favourite" charity - Homeless Youth and today was National Hard Hat Day - where we have a morning tea to collect money for it. A Gold Coin donation secured a cup cake. Today (this year) they were was from Simply Cupcakes in Ferry Road here on the Gold Coast which is where I suspect Shannon, a recently eliminated MasterChef contestant, is working.
Tink and Maggie may be up to no good! When I arrived home they were returning together - but separately - from down near what I think must be Larry's orchard. M had said she had seen them down there together the other day and wondered if they were hunting. They certainly scurried across the lawn like they had been caught out - or they have a guilty secret. (Are secrets always, or at least most often, guilty?)
As I had a few chores to do at home before S got back from the Happiness Conference, I hurried straight home from work- if you don't count having to go back in from the parking lot to collect the external hard drives I had left locked in my bottom drawer of my desk - yes, it's a good place to keep them (always store back-ups off site) but it wouldn't have done when The Great K arrived to pick a couple of them up. I was only surprised that I remembered them before I left work completely: usually I'd be just arriving home before I'd even remembered that I'd been meant to be remembering something. Then, chores dome (as M took the newly returned ROM for a turn around Hermes' paddock) I took myself off for a reward coffee at Zarraffas. The clientele is quite different in the early evening - there was not a student in sight this evening although there was a young toddler who was entertaining the adult folk she was with - and the rest of the store - with her attempts to drink what looked like a babycino in a small (not very) cup with extra chocolate sprinkled on the milk foam. In the end she had chocolate just about everywhere around her face where the rim of the cup had touched. She looked to be having a great time though and seemed to be very happy!
I was waiting on the platform (watching the moon) when S's train pulled into the station. She, too, seemed very happy - which you would hope from a person who had just been to two days of a conference called "Happiness and its Causes" - which included a session with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
And she wasn't the only one to go to the Conference. When I texted M this morning, she wrote back to say there were no single-session tickets for the Dalai Lama's session available but that she would wait around for a chance to see him - and see him she did when he walked through the heavily-police-presenced Convention Centre foyer. She also took the opportunity to sit in on Madonna King's session for Radio 612 Brisbane as she interviewed various speakers from the Conference in that same area.

Thursday

I can't believe we missed the lunar eclipse! It was the longest in a decade and it was a total eclipse which people in Western Australia woukd have seen from start to finish but here, had we seen it, the moon would still have been totally in Earth's shadow when it set. The first I knew about it was when they were saying how wonderful it was on the radio show I was listening to on the way in to work. I'm taking this to mean that I am not reading enough - or watching television enough, especially at news time - although, quite ironically, last night was the first time I had watched the news for quite a while and it didn't have the story of the eclipse nor the story of one of the MasterChef contestants being removed from the show for having a smart phone (which can connect to the internet and be used for looking up recipes). Smart phones are apparently forbidden and Mat had apparently managed to keep his secreted for six weeks - if the reports are true - they have not yet been verified by the show's producers. Coukd it be a ruse to raise ratings? (How are their ratings going this year?)
ROM is back. That would be the ride-on mower finally back from the Deere hospital. The problem with the cutting deck seems to relate to a spindle something-or-other which meant the drive belt wouldn't stay on. This we knew - not about the spindle - but about the belt not staying on. The question: if the belt wasn't staying on the last time it was at the mechanics - why didn't they pick that up then? Could it have been because it wasn't the Deere hospital who last had ROM? In any case, hopefully it will be fine tomorrow afternoon or on the weekend because it's time the rest of the lawn was mowed (M has done a great job with the motor mower while ROM has been away).
Maggie gave me a look this evening - who are you and what are you doing there?. it was a fair call - in S's absence when Tink took my chair this evening, I was able to sit where S usually sits rather than disturbing Tink. Maggie has obviously never seen me there before so when she was looking for a place to be, she was surprised to see S missing and me in her place. But that didn't stop her from allowing me to straighten out the blanket for her and she soon settled down and snuggled in - which was surprising because M thought Maggie would have been out scouting by the light of the full moon. And it is a spectacular moon - big and bright and lighting up the whole valley. It doesn't get much better than this!

Wednesday

M drove S up to Brisbane this afternoon so she is set for an early morning registration at her conference tomorrow. i didn't realise it but the Dalai Lama isn't at the conference until Friday - which makes sense given all the other activities he is doing around Australia in his time here - although meeting with our Prime Minister Julia Gillard is not one of them (so much for a secular state and a division between religion and government).
Back here at Latimers, the ride-on mower is still at the Deere Hospital and, as yet, there is still no word of its return. I hope this doesn't mean it is badly broken.
Wednesday night is draw night at The Big House and I went in to keep M company and to try my luck on CSP. The cards were just not falling my way so I cut my session short and went for a wander to look at the other games on offer (there is no shortage of them) and finally settled in to watch Three Card Poker (TCP) - which is not entirely dissimilar to CSP. M told me later that if people can't get onto the CSP table (apparently there are more than a few folk eager to try to win the $180,000-odd jackpot) they mosey on down to TCP. It took me about half an hour to work out the betting and pay systems but didn't get around to playing - that will need to wait for another time.
I have joined one of the diversity ERGs (I wonder what that stands for) and today was my first meeting. I had forgotten what teleconferences were like; it has been a long while since work required I do one. It seems like a good, very engaged group and I think I am going to enjoy being on it very much - it will be good to have the opportunity to give something back.
Well, as predicted, S and M had no trouble yesterday or today filling in the time where they would have been doing charity telemarketing. Although I think M isn't enjoying her current past-time which seems to have something to do with an ongoing discussion she is having with one of her financial institutions.
And, speaking of telemarketers, M did hear from S last night but there are no current plans for a gettogether. This is a shame because sometimes you can tell that people need one but they just don't realise how much. I can't help but feel that S is at that stage.
The puzzle books for the week arrived at Latimers last night and I enjoyed the half hour or so it took me to fill in the answers that Mouse had left blank. Some of those puzzles are getting quite difficult now - especially the trivia one - although some people could refer to it as the Google one because that's where a lot of my answers are coming from! The only problem with this is that once I have Googled the answers, there's no way I can retain the newly-found knowledge. Hmmm.

Tuesday

For some reason I kept thinking that today was tomorrow - date-wise at least. I think it was something to do with the Public Holiday yesterday putting me out of sync - but hopefully frequent checking of the calendar will keep everything in check.
I'm also blaming yesterday's Public Holiday for my needing to have a nap this afternoon - I went in to spend some quality time with Emma (who seems to be mostly AOK at the moment) and fell asleep with her on the pillow beside me - well, actually my head was in it too so it was amazing that she was able to stay there - especially as it seemed to be on a quite jaunty angle.
It remains cold here so it is still fairly easy to get the furries in for lockdown in the evenings - that's if they're not already in - which they mostly are. They all seem to be very addicted to little snacks of special cookies at the moment too - but none more so than Pearl who hovers around so she can hoover up whatever any of the others has missed.
While some of us were back to work today, M and S were not amongst us as they have separately but collectively given up their charity telemarketing careers. There are no tears there though and I dare say neither of them will have trouble filling their time until something else comes along for them to do. It is amazing that they managed to put up with what seemed to be quite onerous conditions - MAPS and far too frequent reviews for one of them - for as long as they did but once they had said they would, anyone who knows them knew they were going to give it their best shot.
And speaking of telemarketers, we missed out on breakfast with S again on Saturday. She is working a Saturday job at the moment and we haven't been able to find a suitable alternative yet. Hopefully we will soon. She did find time though to send S an eCard for her birthday - which was also a Get Well card - and a very cute one featuring a black cat and a houseboat and a person fishing.
MasterChef featured an immunity challenge this evening with Kate facing off against a renowned pastry chef - and cooking one of his dishes. She didn't win but she didn't do too badly either. It was an amazing feat and a very good testament for keeping yourself under control and not leaving yourself open to panic.
Sooz tried her hand at MasterChef cooking tonight and produced a quite wonderful cauliflower and brie soup. It was very rich and thick and luscious with is not usually a quality you see in a soup. And she made enough so there would be leftovers. Yummm.

Monday

I know we should know (excluding Republicans) when the Queen's actual birthday is but we don't - although S probably does and not just because her birthday usually falls on the Queen's Birthday Holiday long weekend. It was good to have the day off though - even though we didn't do anything particularly associated with the Queen - except spend some money (our coins mostly still have the profile of the Queen on the "head" side) and go to see the movie Oranges and Sunshine which tells of the deportation of thousands of children from England to Australia and other Commonwealth Countries mostly post-World War II.
Well S did know when the the Queen's birthday is - 21 April - but she didn't know why it is celebrated in June - which is when the Queen's husband has his.
Pearl almost got to come to breakfast with us this morning - Coffee Sisters was open - but in the end we decided it would be too cold - so M and S indulged me and we went into Broadbeach and had an Alto breakfast before we wandered over the road to check out the Ocean (it was still there) and watch two small children, a boy and a girl, play on their scooters. It's just as well children are fearless when they're young! Although how the little girl was propelling herself along with a bare foot was beyond me - yes, yes, I know I worry but it seems that it would have been very easy to pickmup a nasty splinter if she needed to stop in a hurry - rather than just running off the scooter as the other one had done - and how long have they not been putting brakes on those things? The boy scooter had a foot brake at the back but the girl scooter only had a decorative feature where the brake should have been - and there were no handbrakes on either of them.
Over at The Big House there were draws on the half hour all day for the general membership. We went over for a little while and I listened to my name not being called on four or five times. The Casino continues to be a good place for doing "laps" especially when it's not overly crowded and you can get some speed up. Sooz did some shopping at Pacific Fair - and we joined her over there for lunch in the food court before zooming home for a rest and animal feeding, and then back in to Broadbeach for the movie - and the disappointment of there being no popcorn! Aaaarrgh. Potato chips just aren't the same and have no chance of hitting "the spot" if you've been looking forward to popcorn all day! I'd even put off going to see Super 8 today because I didn't want to choose which movie would be the popcorn one. Ah well ... At least there are chips for another day now.

Sunday

Back at Latimers and even though it was dark by the time we arrived home, S noticed that M had had the motor mower out and done some more of the lawn. Did I mention that M had not, by the time we left for Toowoomba yesterday morning, heard from the Deere hospital so she doesn't know what the problem is with the ride-on mower, whether it can be fixed, or how long it will take to fix. I miss it and can't wait for it to come home.
The rest of the Toowoomba visit went well - if a little sad as we said our goodbyes - but hopefully they will be back in town for the Christmas holidays. Thinking about reunions, maybe it is time to get all the family together again - the immediates raher than the extendeds though - and I might start planting the seeds for an end-of-year get-together with the brothers in the next little while to give everyone time to get used to the idea. It could be fun.
The drive back down the range was good although it would be better if they could finish the roadworks and eliminate the 40kph zone - it's hard enough to keep the car to 60 on the way down the hill without putting it in Low. Still it was a good drive back - and one I'm glad we're not doing tomorrow - the end of the three-day weekend.
M had been busy in our absence - and as well as bringing home treats from the International Food Festival she went to today, the cup shelf has had a makeover with a new tier so we can double stack the cups - but not on top of each other.
It is good to see Emma and the other animals - we miss them all when we are away and it seems that we have been away a lot in the last little while. S is planning to be away later this week as well when she goes up to Brisbane for a couple of days to attend a conference with the Dalai Lama. She is really looking forward to it but is worried in case she still has her lurgy - which means she wouldn't go because she wouldn't want others to be disturbed/inconvenienced by her coughing (she's good like that); maybe it's time to start pumping loads of vitamin C into her to help her really throw it off. And to remind her to ring S in the morning (wonder how she's going with training for the Kokoda Challenge - not far away now) since that's who she's planning to bunk with in Brisbane - S knows she's coming but not that she's planning to come a day earlier.
When M said that I would probably hear Beasley when he was ready to come in tonight, I thought he would do the usual routine of meowing at the door. Well, he may have been doing that but there's no way anyone would have heard that as he pushed the cat flap against the closed back door. I didn't realise what it was the first couple of times he did it but once I did twig I raced up to let him in so his racket wouldn't disturb the others (both S and M went off to their rooms a while ago). There's not much point planning to have a sleep-in if you can't get to or stay asleep once you've turned in.

Saturday

Toowoomba. There's nothing like going from one cold environment to another. I learnt something today though - that there is an "apparent temperature" which I think is what it "feels like" when you're outside. Here in Toowoomba yesterday at the airport, the apparent temperature between 2 and 3 pm was -16 degrees Celcius. Mind you it was starting to feel a bit like that this afternoon and I have photographs of S and I all rugged up in our winter overcoats (last worn in Sydney last weekend), gloves, scarves and beanies (I had two on) - and thankfully that was enough to get us warm - but not quite toasty.
We are here instead of at Latimers because my sister is moving to Mt Isa in a couple of weeks and we have come to say goodbye, good luck and bon voyage. Her daughter, aka my niece T, is going to stay in Toowoomba with her daughter because she doesn't want to make the move - and even though we think, at 16, she is too young to be left alone she appears to be making sure she has supports in place to make it possible for her to look after her child (now a year and a half old). At least Mum will be on the ground there as well and we have made sure T has our numbers in case she needs help with anything. Of course, there will be closer to Toowoomba as wwll, but it doesn't hurt for her to know that there are plenty of us there for her.
The farewell picnic and barbeque that had been planned for Picnic Point, a popular tourist destination at the top of the range where Toowoomba sits, and overlooking the Lockyer Valley, was cancelled because of very cold weather. We had lunch at Mum's instead and then one of the aunts and her family came around for afternoon tea. It has been too long since we have seen these people and just a shame that it was W's leaving that was the catalyst for the get-together. This was the aunt who had organised the family reunion - nearly 20 years ago now - must be almost time for another one. It was there when S realised that she was one of the tallest people in the room of over 200 of our folk, that we may be big of character but are fairly short of stature.
Strangely enough, they had just been in Mt Isa a couple of weeks ago on their way back from Alice Springs and were saying what a lovely place it was now, and what improvements had been made, since last K had worked there, over 30 years. It would be a fascinating place to visit and now that W is going up there, it might be time to think about visiting one day. But first we have to get back to Latimers and find out what is going on there - especially as it is Markets day tomorrow.

Friday

Cold? Cold? I don't think so - only because it passed cold about an hour ago and has now slipped into "brrrrrrrr". I didn't notice icicles on the line this morning but to be fair I think my eyes were, similar to Audrey's in "Christmas Vacation" when the family goes into the wilderness in search of the perfect tree, frozen. As I sit in Zarraffas having breakfast, and still not warm, I wonder about those great cafes in Europe where writers would go to stay warm and work on their craft. J K Rowling, of the Potter proses, was one of them. It wouldn't have worked here - the floor to ceiling windows give a great view and let loads of natural light in - but they also seeem to attract the cold.
I can't imagine how the horses are dealing with the cold. It was 10 degrees (Celsius) below average yesterday and overcast so it wasn't even as though there were patches of sun they could warm up in.
I also can't help but think about the folk we saw tucked into doorways in the Sydney CBD with their blankets and how they must be suffering in the cold. The Homelessness project is about to happen with senior business leaders challenged to "sleep out" for a night to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society. Will it be eough to make a difference?

Thursday

Were those ice cubes floating down the creek at the back this morning? Well, if they were I wouldn't have seen them because it was dark again when I left home. Luckily I had seen Tink go round the back of Lars so I knew she would be lounging on the driveway somewhere between the car and the gate. She's a brave cat - or one with a very thick woolly coat to even think about doing it. Beasley had already put himself back to bed and neither of the others was up yet - nor Pearl. And Emma was warm and toasty - and not going far - with S who is still not well and was going to spend the day in bed or as close to it as practical.
S was still receiving birthday greetings today and I will have to go past the post box to check for any new cards that might have arrived since I checked the mail yesterday.
It continues to be cold and as I sit in one of the local Asian stores waiting for some nice nourishing and warming soup to take home to S, I cannot fathom how it is colder in their shop than it is outside! I can't wait to get back outside again - and I really didn't believe I would be saying that today.
One of the folk at work put it fairly succinctly - she couldn't understand how it was that she'd walked out of the door of the office and straight into Melbourne - which is at least two states south. J, also from the office and recently returned from a holiday in sunny Greece, is not really looking forward to her weekend in Sydney. If she needed a scarf for up here today, she's going to need a wardrobes-worth if this translates in anyway to Sydney weather.
This is really the first time at Latimers that I have seriously considered putting a jumper or a coat on - and those furries had better want to spend time in tonight because I have a feeling the doors are going to spend a fair amount of time closed ... and/or whoever is home is going to spend a bit of time getting up and down to let them in and out.
There is supposed to be frost on the morrow and M said I would know by the icicles hanging from the washing line or the thin layer of ice on the outside water bowls.

Wednesday

Happy birthday S - and it could be a better one if she wasn't still sick! But the furries were all pleased to have her home for the day and Pearl, true to her cattle dog nature, used S's presence and, with it, entry to the room, to eat Emma's cookies - not once but twice.
M made a very healthy, very tasty broccoli and potato soup for dinner and it was very nice - especially as M stayed to have "birthday dinner" with S and I. Maggie, who loves green things very much, even had some of the soup - finishing most of it but leaving a little taste for Pearl - who scoffed that down as well.
While M went out, S and I settled in with all of the furries to watch MasterChef (Nigella Lawson was the special guest judge) and then Glee. Who would ever have thought that S would front up two weeks in a row for a program she has previously been so scathing about. I feel like T must have when Glee first started and I was so reluctant to try this high school musical romcommusodra (it's very hard to label) or should that be rom-com-muso-dra? Rom-com-dra-muso? It was the second-last episode of the Season tonight so if she wants more we may have to go back to the very beginning - on second thoughts, there's a very good chance that won't happen.
It must be getting colder and while we humans may be fooled by the temperature, the furries aren't. Tink must have known something when she put herself in on top of the Austar box this evening rather than being outside or on Pearl's daytime bed in the living room ... or maybe Tink doesn't like Glee as much as the rest of us.
Maggie came at first call this evening (we let her out after she had soup with us) and as Beazley was already in, we were able to go into early lockdown. S at least had an excuse for wanting to be in bed before 9:30 - or it would have been if MasterChef had not run over and then Glee - so it was actually closer to a quarter to ten. There were no socks in the bed but that was only because I had my iceberg feet on S and because she was fairly warm, she didn't mind. Em was snuggling in as well - and finally, the door which leads to the outside from the bedroom is being closed at night (next step will be to check the windows because S usually keeps them open to ensure we are getting at least a little frsh air - absolutely essential since we have Em and her litter tray in with us).
It's still getting darker in the mornings, I couldn't believe how dark it was this morning when I left to drive to work. Why is it that the darker it is, the harder it is to leave Latimers?

Tuesday

Back at Latimers. We have missed it - but we couldn't go straight home after M picked us up, an hour early, from the airport. We managed to secure an appointment at the doctor's for the sick S. She has been prescribed some antibiotics and a puffer to help her breathe and she will have tomorrow off (just a shame it's her birthday!).
We made good use of our final day in Sydney for this trip by visiting the Art Gallery of NSW where they have two things worth seeing - the new Kaldor modern art gallery (an eponymous gift) and the Archibalds. Oh, and the other "thing" worth seeing is my mate T who works there. Unfortunately she was in "meetings" for most of our time there but we did get to see her and catch up following our Vivid engagement last night.
We had a moderately late start and eschewed the buffet breakfast at the hotel for a la carte in the cafe - which was quite different from yesterday's - they must have different chefs on the weekend. The field mushrooms yesterday were the size of dinner plates - today they were the size of 20-cent pieces - well, maybe a bit bigger - but definitely not much.
L dropped in to the hotel while we were having breakfast (another reason for not doing the buffet) to deliver a birthday present for S - and even though mine was months ago now, one for me as well.
For her birthday this year, L and M are spending six weeks in America (West Coast). They have, for as long as we have known them, been toying with the idea of living over there for 12 months - and now L is to the point of seeing if that would be realistic or not - given that she feels the cold so badly - by going in December, Winter there, she is hoping to assure herself that she can cope with whatever blizzards and snowstorms they have to offer!
There are so many things we didn't get to do in Sydney - but we did fit in as much as we could - so David Jones Food Hall, the Minh-Hai Restaurant, ChinaTown, my brother G and his family, soap-maker D, and laksa-mate C will all have to wait until next time we head down that way. Running out of time while visiting is not an uncommon occurrence - nor is the feeling of pure joy when you disembark the plane at Coolangatta airport and realise you are home ... and that even though the ride-on-mower is at the Deere Hospital, M has used the good-old fashioned standby, the motor mower, to do the front lawn and some other areas.

Monday June 6

We drove back to a colder Sydney this morning and called in to see L who we had last seen when she came to visit Latimers at Christmas-time (and believe it or not, I can't recall if it was last Christmas or the Christmas before - it must have been this one!). We had a lovely visit with her and tried her seed and pumpkin bread as made in the kitchen which is new since last we visited her. She took a photo of our surprised looks - that kitchen has been a very long time coming.
Then lunch with E and L - and returning E's car before she gave us a lift into the City (back to the hotel). She was able to find a park and have a final coffee with us before we saw her on her way so S (who is still sick) could have a nap before we set off for tonight's Vivid light show with T and T. And it was amazing - and incredibly Vivid. The most stunning display was at Customs House where the building appeared to reshape at one stage, and to crack and crumble away at another, and then finish off with some heavy breathing (read: gasping for breath) a cough and crash to the ground - before it all started over again. We watched the entire sequence twice before heading off to a very nice dinner at a little Italian restaurant T and T know just across the road from the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Dinner finished (who knew they would serve chips as a side?) we continued our tour of Vivid - althiugh because we wanted to make the 9 o'clock fire show at Campbell Cove, we weren't allowed to stop and take photos on the way there. And we wanted to because, and T was right about this, the best vantage point for viewing the Opera House sails was from the Cove. I could not believe how many folk were set up around the Harbour with their cameras and tripods - or how many photos there are now of the lights! I know I took nearly 300 shots - but to be fair at one stage I was on burst mode so the camera just kept taking shots - and hopefully I did get the shot I was after.
Back at the hotel, I settled in for a bath and S settled into bed, feeling exhilarated but a little worse for wear because of all the walking involved (very hard when you can't catch your breath properly) and the exposure to the chill (but not freezing) night air. But she says she is really pleased she went!

Sunday

Sydney again. We are settling into being all over the place - but were very pleased to have been in the place where the concert was last night. It was magical, wonderful and just plain fantastic - covering 20 years of the Choir's existence and the community's growth. They brought the Choir on to stage in year groups - and there was no year without representatives which makes you realise the dedication of these people who have been fronting up for choir rehearsals for twenty years - that's a lot of Thursday nights and weekend camps before concerts.
We had breakfast with L and E - although there was a slight delay as E had to take the bears home. Bears? Bears? As part of the display in the foyer of the concert venue - the Sydney Town Hall - there was a table of Teddy Bears. The Teddy Awards is the Choir's annual event where people "win" Bears for their achievements - and the bears are "dressed" - depending on the person being awarded the bear, the prevailing recording artists of the day, and the whims of the people dressing the Bears. Post-Concert, the Bears needed to be taken home to the Choir's rehearsal venue ... but when E and L arrived there after 11pm last night, the Hall was locked ... accessible only by key and keypad code. They didn't have the key - and the person who had it was at home, sick, in bed, in Annandale. L and E made the decision to bring the Bears back to the Hotel where all of us were staying - not arriving until after midnight when the nearest parking stations had closed. But at least they were able to get the Concierge to take charge of the Bears so they were out of the car. Alas, their luggage, our luggage, the spare programs, the Bears and all of us were not going to fit into the car for the next leg of the journey - which is how E came to take them home ... and then come back in for breakfast, and to take them home, and hand over the car which she was kindly loaning us for our trip to the Central Coast to see family. After visiting S's Mother, we made our way to my brother's where we spent the evening with the family, toasty in front of their combustion heater and marvelling that a good part of the dinner was being cooked on it.
Meanwhile back at Latimers, it was Sunday Markets - but we're not sure if they went ahead without us. What we do know is that this evening we received a text from M saying they were all at M and F's where they were looking at F's photos from his Jordan trip, having dinner and <sniff> missing us. Ah well, only a few more days until we're back at Latimers.

Saturday

Well, we have left Latimers behind us today and are in ... Sydney! M did a great job of getting us to the airport in time this morning ... but we all knew I would be stressing out about something ... it's a general condition of flying for me until I am actually in the plane and on the way. This time it was the length of the line for the bag drop and then the amount of time to get through the security screening point especially since the metal detector seemed to be giving false positives with most people in the line in front of us having to be scanned with the hand wand or just having to go through the archway again - sometimes wearing the same, sometimes with their shoes off, or their belt off (that was me). But we did make the flight in good time and settled in for the trip to Sydney - knowing that M had taken herself off to a beach at Coolangatta to wait for New South Wales to open.
When she texted later in the day, it was, as well as a general update re Em, to say she had been on the mower and the news was not good. I wondered if it was the battery playing up again but apparently not. It seems to be something to do with the "cuttng deck". I don't think that sounds good - and from the tone of the text and tbe "Grrr" included, it doesn't sound as though she does either.
S is still sick and we took the opportunity of getting her some cold and flu tablets - which she took with a nap at the hotel this afternoon while I took Nick out to do some photography in the city. For me there's no better way of checking out how a new camera works than taking it to where you've been before.

Friday

It was an interesting day today not least of all because this afternoon we went over to M and F's to meet F's sister, B. She is an Islamic scholar and had agreed to answer any questions people might have about Islam. As I said to S as we emerged from the car, I know very little about Islam but it just seems if everyone made an effort to understand more of other people's religions, we might all get along better together here on Planet Earth. I can't believe how lucky we were to have this opportunity. B is staying with M and F waiting for her husband to arrive from Jordan - where F had just been to collect her so she didn't have to travel alone - and where he also made his wife very happy by bringing back new, very stunning rugs which are now spread throughout the house. From here B and her husband will go to Sydney where they will give lessons. He, too, is an Islamic scholar and is currently working on a project to translate thr Koran into English. Unlike some other translations which only translate the Arabic, they are also working to translate the context which is as important as the words - more so in some cases because it is the context which helps determine the meaning of the words. It is a long term project - and their team is averaging about three pages of the Koran a week.
There were some very interesting points of similarity with other religions with which I am familiar - perhaps the most surprising of all that Islamic folk believe in Heaven and Hell - and a Day of Judgment. I ended up not asking any questions but a wide range of topics are burbling away in my head trying to resolve themselves into intelligent questions and I am hoping to have the opportunity to discuss them with B next week while M and S are talking with her husband about Sufism (one of his special subjects).
S is not well but she did manage to get the laundry done today so there will be clothes to take with us to Sydney tomorrow. Not there will be much time to pack - we didn't get home until nearly 11 pm and we need to be at the airport by 8:15 in the morning ("need to" means: prefer to just in case there are any traffic or other delays on the way - no need starting the weekend stressed!)
We didn't seem F this afternoon/evening. I can only think that because this was a "female only" event (and thank goodness because it allowed a degree of openess that would have been difficult if not impossible in mixed company) he was at his brother's place and waiting for the "all clear" call before coming home. He's usually pretty tired on a Friday night so I hope E had a place for him to "assume the position" and push out a few zzzzzz's.

Thursday

It was supposed to shower today but there was no sign of rain ... and hopefully there will be no sign of rain tomorrow either because S is planning to do the laundry so we can take part of it to Sydney with us on Saturday.
While the mowing remains undone (again), I did manage to find time to get up to the shed this afternoon when I arrived home to see if the ride-on mower would start following its flat battery and recharge. The good news is that it did ... the bad news is that at this rate, I'm not going to get a chance to do it until next Wednesday afternoon. (Is someone still doing "long" range weather forecasting?) But at least its not peak growing season otherwise we wouldn't be able to see the stables by now!
No walk up to the road this afternoon but I still managed to clock almost 10,000 steps in the GCC. Sigh ... to think with that walk it would have been almost 12,000 - but as always it's the time - and that sometimes it's just easier to choose coffee at Zarraffas rather than coming home while it's still daylight (and, of course, the days are getting shorter in the run-up to 21 June as well).
The mist in the valleys in the morning is breathtaking! Some days only the tops of the trees are visible (a bit like the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco in the summer) in the pre-dawn light. It makes it a little difficult to see the bicyclists out and about on their training "runs" at that time of day so you have to keep your wits about you. And there's the joggers - luckily most of them wear reflective vests so it's easy to spot them but it's not a drive you want to do on cruise control.
S has hit the "three-month-wall" at work and at this stage she is seriously talking about looking for other employment opportunities - ones that probably don't involve charities and telemarketing. Both she and M have done very well there since they started ... from what they tell me it seems like an exercise in rejection and pretence - people pretend they don't speak English, or that they are just running out the door, or that they've just put their significant other in an ambulance (although that one might have been true - but really, would you be answering the phone at that point?). It's hard not to take a "no" personally and given they make upwards of 250 calls in their 5-hour (including 15-minute break) session, they're usually receiving more than 225 no's in one form or another - answerphone; no answer; hang-ups; abuse; or, yes, we'd love to help (by buying tickets to the charity) but times are tough and we can't at the moment ... maybe next time. But, as S says, and she was saying this the very first week they started doing the job, what she has learnt is that there are people out there who can say "no" nicely .. and perhaps people need to know that it's okay to say "no". I think there's a lesson in there for all of us.
The other thing I learnt today - and Pearl and the other animals will get the benefit of this (thanks M) is that if you are going to praise or chastise furry people, it needs to happen within one and a half seconds of the "event". Hmmmm ... wonder if that's the same for human people as well?

Wednesday

The first day of Winter ... and it feels like it. There is definitely a chill in the air and it is still getting darker in the mornings - which is to say that even though I am leaving just a tad later (well, some mornings at least) it is getting darker. I envy M and S and all the cats and Pearl still being tucked up nice and cosy in their beds. But coffee and toast awaits me at Zarraffas - wouldn't want to have them at Maccas given the bad press they have been getting recently about their bad coffee - so much so they have apologized to the public at large (and elsewhere). None of us could see in the reports whether the bad coffee was coming from the McCafes or from the general store.
Even S was up early this morning though because I was taking her into Broadbeach so she could meet up with M who had taken advantage of hotel accommodation to stay the night there. And we did have an early start because I was able to drop her off in there and still be at Zarraffas within minutes of the normal time. Hmmmm ... some would say that I am a creature of habit.
And speaking of creatures, I saw some the other night - although up until the point M called them creatures I had been thinking of them as animals. I spotted them as S and I were driving home and had just turned off Gilston Road - two of them, one bigger, one smaller - and they appeared to be dark brown (although it was nighttime and fairly hard to tell in the glare of the headlights) and round - and rolling along the street - and up the slight incline towards the corner. I had never seen anything like this and I was sorry that S hadn't seen them. We thought about going back but I knew that by the time I found a place safe enough to turn around in, they would be long gone. I'm chalking it up to just one of those mysteries of life ... and wondering whether this would be in the field of a cryptozoologist - those folk who are engaged in the study of hidden animals. Am I saying that I thought I saw a cryptid - the equivalent of a Yowie or Bigfoot or even the Loch Ness Monster - on the back roads of Latimers Crossing? I don't think so but I know I haven't seen anything like them before.
I remembered to take the ride-on-mower battery off the charger this morning and M says we will need to try it out fairly quickly to see if it working. That will be a job for tomorrow as it's too late to be starting a mower in the valley now. It would be a nice night for mowing though, although the gentle mist that has settled over the Latimer surrounds is probably making the grass wet and unmowable. The stars are nice to look at though but there were no cats or Pearl doing it tonight ... by the time M and I arrived home from Broadbeach, S had successfully put Latimers into lockdown.