More weekend :)

Back to the Gallery. Not literally, of course, but we will need to think about doing that again soon. The Margaret Olley Wing hasn't been started yet, but they do have some of her works out ... as well as some of the treasures (some of them the most unexpected things - a Groucho mask, a "dressed to kill" tag on the statue of an Oriental soldier) from her house. No wonder they had designated she herself as a "National Living Treasure". They haven't yet raised all the cash for the new Wing, but they are well on the way, and if it fits into the landscape as well as the current facility, it will be a fantastic boon to the area and to the Australian art scene. One of the most magnificent things about the Gallery, besides that they seem to have a great store of works, is that they have built it so it shows off its northern NSW vista to good effect. The windows act as frames to the surrounding countryside - including Mt Warning. They have set up a viewing gallery on a balcony, together with a map so visitors can identify the landmarks at which they're looking. Great stuff!

Did I mention that as well as being incredibly warm on Saturday - it was also raining. Once it had stopped, in the cooler part of the afternoon, Pearl and I did some branch trimming of the large tree out the front (I have as much luck with tree names as I do with birds ... were they swallows or starlings nesting out the front last year?). Pearl isn't a bad help, although I had to make sure that the branches weren't falling on her in her excitement at trying to catch them.

S and L to see Life of Pi yesterday (Monday). Mouse and M saw it on Saturday while we were at Hitchcock - and it's not surprising that we weren't the only ones seeking refuge from the heat! I haven't had a chance to discuss it with them yet. I'm curious to know ... given that M had read the book already ... whether it made for a different viewing experience.

Monday: The new deck is on the mower - and it's raining again! While I'm anxious to get out there to see if the cut will be as amazing as the mower man suggested, we really do need the rain to keep filling the tank as the bore water pump int back in service yet.

M took Tinker to the vet again this afternoon. She is now on 4 and a fraction rather than 4 and a half. Who knew that the administration of insulin could be such an exact and demanding science? But she's well in herself - and has put on weight so it all seems to be working. The vet wanted to see her back in a fortnight - and I'm now not sure if I I heard it correctly, but I think M said they'd had to push it out to three weeks because they couldn't find an appointment before then!

Another Monday Night - another Trivia session at the Southport RSL. Luckily L was able to come with us, otherwise she would have missed being on the winning team! She played well - even getting the Baffler answer! I think she had a good time - but I think she would have had a better time if she'd had her iPod with her so she could be in contact with her "pen pals". This is just another reason why it's important to keep your electronic devices well charged!

It's different having someone else in the house - just as it was having M away for a couple of days last week (on her course ... I must ask her for some more detail about it - there hasnt been a lot of opportunity since she came back!)

But the big news is ... S is going to teach L how to knit tomorrow!