Tuesday - washing and walking

Out and about early again. I referred the guy at the Post Office cafe to Daniel Stuart's when he told me that, on their days off, he and his wife go and check out other cafes - and are often disappointed. This followed my surprise that he had remembered my coffee order (does that make me a regular?) and complimenting him on their bacon. As he said, very early on they had realised that they could not skimp on bacon - or ... something else ... but I now can't remember what that "something else" was ... but they don't skimp on that either!

The Nerang Library continues to be incredibly popular. The car park was absolutely chockers (read: full) when I arrived just after 9 this morning. There were lots of kids too - probably because there were some reading sessions aimed at them - and from where I sat, they sounded quite interesting and were certainly well-attended. Others were there with their computers - taking advantage of the Library's free Wi-Fi. It has been upgraded recently and is quite fast - and no special time-based login is required. The staff are quite proud of it.

S had a busy washing day today, taking advantage of the small window of opportunity with uncharacteristic blue skies, and she managed to get it mostly dry - which was quite amazing given M had gone off this morning to get her car washed thereby almost guaranteeing it would rain. Luckily it only sprinkled here although I'm fairly sure it would have been raining in Carrara (since it usually does).

I was out most of the morning but made it home in time for lunch with S. At first I couldn't find Pearl but that was because I wasn't looking in the right place for her ... she on the couch - which seems to be about her favourite day bed at the moment. Should we be worried that S says that Pearl's favourite television programme is "Clean Houses"? Tinka was on one of the chairs out the back, not at all bothered by the huge flock of white cockatoos screeching in the heights of the Bohemia tree. I just hoped they didn't have any designs on the Latimers fruit trees because we know they've been quite partial to them in the past.

Na popped in this morning, I hear, before the others were ''up and at 'em" and still in their PJs. As M told Na, she had actually been awake for hours at that point (and she had - I saw her on my way out) but had been reading - and it was a good morning for it too! Na had come on "horse business", something about vaccinating them - a good idea given the recent virus concerns. It's something you have to think about if you're not city-based.

S did a lamb roast and vegetables for dinner tonight and it was wonderful - well worth cleaning up after. It was her television night - Annabel Crabb's program followed by "New Tricks". While S and M watched those (M while she attacked some of her ironing pile), I finished reading "The Great Gatsby''. I am still surprised at how faithful Baz Luhrmann's film was to the book - and the previously published draft of the book in which one of the key differences is the anger (as well as the stifling heat) in the Hotel interchange between Jay and Tom. I'm still none-the-wiser though about why it is the "Great" Gatsby unless, perhaps, it's because of the way he, Gatsby, surrounded himself with illusion and kept everyone guessing. Ah, another key difference between the book and BL's film - in the book, Jay's father, who Jay has provided for, and visited, comes to the funeral - and with him he has one of James' (before he was Gatsby) books, in the front of which is a daily schedule - including time carved out for exercise and study and a resolve to “Read one improving book or magazine per week"!

Night approaches

Pearl and I took a walk down the lane while M fed the cats tonight. It was glorious - it had been raining but we went between sprinkles, and the gathering night light was glorious. Unfortunately, the photo really doesn't do it justice.