The Zoo-diac

I have made an astounding discovery! If you hold the 'phone upside down you can't hear too well. Peter called just as I was bringing in the muttonbirds from their wall-flame-charcoal grilling. Our Harpist-friend wanted to experience island life, and that's part of it. Now, picture the scene. Dave, with grill-clamp of oil-dripping muttonbirds in one hand, and salt, bowl, knife, barbeque fork in the other... being 'handed' a telephone (our visitor and B are off to 'sing Australia' - the island 'choir' that meets at 7 on Monday so I'm rushing to get food into them so they can breath the delightful miasma of garlic and muttonbird at everyone there). We're only about a km apart as the crow flies, and I reckon both of us were shouting loudly enough at the inverted telephone to make it superfluous.

I took Ann up to North East River and Killiekrankie this morning, seeing as she's off on the ferry tomorrow.



As you can tell the island has been invaded by blond Ambulatory mullet hairstyles and she needs to escape. In the meanwhile she has been discovering how the other half live... well, the lunatics who live on remote islands and catch their own food live.



We've bought our boat... and by the torrential rain... we may need it. It's a very elderly 4.5 metre Zodiac, packed very carefully with talcum powder and still with the original french manuals (and it must be 30 years old). We still need to get an engine - although we have 3 sets of oars! All I need to do is make frame for them and we can use it as a war-galley... if I can get suitable galley slaves and a battering ram. Then of course we need to invite the Queen (or if she is otherwise engaged some other grate personage) to come and launch her. Being an airfilled and rather bouncy boat (which is best for rocks with amatuerish skippers) the champers is more likely to bounce back than break on the boat. The ramifications of the bottle bouncing back and breaking on the Christener's head need deep thought.