Trying to do too much at once...

First the good news - all that B seems to have wrong with her is treatable with some more folate - I suspect it was more due to stress and the change in diet. We're all very relieved.

What with the kids here, good weather AND trying to do the first draft edit, and a rush on the proof-read of the short story in FANGS FOR THE MAMMARIES life has been a bit a bit too full. They all went off to Trousers Point and managed one more leatherjacket, and then squidding - and got 6, this evening without me, and without the camera. Sniff. Poor me. Still, we have done some other good things - the gate has real hinges, and while B doctored, and meals-on-wheels the wood shed has I think about a month's cut logs drying (just drying rain-wet off them - it's all old wood.) Clare did some morning brushcutter weilding, and we got the second carpet under the bookcases. The dogs enjoyed some roo (well, wallaby)-bones.

I've got a mint plant, finally, thanks to Rosemary (poor lady was rather bemused at us discussing the physics of the relative temperatures of heaven and hell. Um. Welcome to the Freer family and their idea of entertainment.) This, with the parsley makes for my simple version of salsa verde (there are as many recipes as there are pages in most novels) which is wonderful with fish and meat and for dipping fresh bread into.

And tomorrow some of us will go diving for crayfish. Maybe even me.

First squid and first Abalone

It's all a question of knowing enough!

Today we went up to 'the docks' so that Paddy, Clare and Dave could climb and I could fish. This is a very beautiful area, as are so many bays on this island, but the best climbing area is, of course, half an hour from the car. But it is soooo beautiful there, you will love it, I was told. So I walked down a well cleared track carrying all my fishing stuff, while the others carried climbing gear and lunch.


Well, it was worth the walk, the campsite is really super, just has no water at all, but otherwise a wonderful spot in the woods, close to the beach.

They set off to climb an easy route first, just to get into the hang of things, and I headed for the beach. I caught a big Wrasse on my very first cast, so I really felt I was in for a good day. Then it was several undersized Wrasse, until I caught a Trigger fish. Now, I was under the impression that Trigger fish were no good for anything human, and not much good as cat food, but it was about 40cm long, and the official size is 20cm, so I kept it, thinking the cats would eat it if they were hungry enough. Well my next catch was another even bigger Trigger fish, which I kept, but I then moved fishing spots looking for Wrasse.

But the tide was coming in, and the other side of the headland had actual waves, which splashed, so I returned to my original spot, away from any waves, but deep enough for fish. I caught another 2 Trigger fish, (keeping both) and then gave up in disgust and returned to the camp site for lunch. I had just unpacked all the food and drink and put it all ready for the others to eat, when they also arrived. Paddy was rather grazed on his arms and legs, but had completed the first pitch of his warm up route, finding it much harder than expected. Clare had caught her first leader fall while belaying with 2 ropes, and she and Dave had followed Paddy up the route. They were all tired and ready for some food, as it turned out to be after 3pm!

They went off to the rocks and threw a line, after eating, and Clare caught her first sea fish, but it was too small to keep.

Then it was a mad dash home, avoiding the wallabys who were out in force, (word had got out that Clare had not seen one that was alive since arriving here). Dave then cooked Trigger fish in double time so that Paddy and Clare wouldn't be late for the Sing Australia Choir that meets on Mondays at 7pm. It turns out that Trigger fish are hugely superior to Wrasse, as everyone knows, and they were absolutely the right fish to be catching. (At least I didn't throw them back!)

I think we will all sleep well tonight, even James who stayed home to study ready for next term.

A door into summer

Petronius the arbiter (IIRC) was the Heinlein's cat-character in THE DOOR INTO SUMMER -- a cat that insisted on touring all the door s of the house to find the one that led to the place that had no snow.

Snow is rare here, but a door out of the rain has been possible. A couple of days ago, during breakfast it rained in the back yard... and not in the front. It was literally possible to walk out and get rained on in the back garden, and walk out onto dry grass in the front, with edge of the rain half way along the house. It went on like that for a good 15 minutes.

'Scattered showers' on Flinders is not just a weather-man cop out. When we were looking at the weather information about Flinders and looking at the numbers of sunny and overcast days... It becomes obvious that in winter about 10 days a month are either sunny or cloudy. The rest are both.

The Isle of Daves.

Last time I counted I ran out fingers and toes twice before I'd even made a dent in the available Christian names starting with A out there, let alone all the rest of the alphabet (and that's without Moonunit and Snoopy - which come under the heading of cruel and unusal punishments to inflict on kids IMO - and all the Rainbows and Minnesota and other such adopted names). It is therefore statistically improabable that an Island with somewhere around 800 people, with a distinctly skew sex ratio (more women than men - women-islanders think 80 is begining to edge onto middle-aged. The men can't take the pace as well.)... so call it 350 males, would apparently have 32 Davids (Daves, Dave-o etc). When I was at Uni, I knew 3 David - and I knew everyone and his dog spot. Writing sf/fantasy the numbers go to 7. Here... 32. That's creeping toward 10% of the male population have one Christian name - which you could MAYBE understand if it was a family name in a traditional, conservative area.
But of the 7 I know personally... 3 are newcomers from across the world, like Victoria (far-off furrin parts) and the US and South Africa.

This is of course a conspiracy that all of you non-Davids aren't in on. Sorry and all that, but word is out on the Dave-web that the place that Davids can finally enjoy a davish lifestyle and the company of other Daves... is here.

Insanity is not just heriditary, it's infectious

Clare has caught it too. (cue the crowd screaming 'run away')

James has plainly passed this onto Clare who went diving at longpoint today.

No, I think there are only she-oaks, but to make up for it there are manferns (with Pads and Clare)


Yes, it is possible this is Middle Earth: I'm pretty sure there were hobbits up there. You need to come and look.

Strzelecki and Scottish dancing

We started the day with the collating shuffle for the Island news (which is enough excercise for most people.) We then cam home, went to Trousers Point (the photograph is of Trouser's Point bay, looking up at Mt. Strzelecki mountain) dropped James to fish, and walked up Mount Strzelecki(756 meters - and you start pretty close to sea level.

It's worth it, even if Paddy got attacked by the same tree going up and back and - when I pointed out he nettles said 'where' and fell into them. It's hereditary I suspect.

The veiw from the top is unbelievable - I took about 140 pics - Besides I got to stop, when taking them. The route is supposed to take 5 hours and we did it in 3 and 3/4 -including a long stop at the top. (BTW, Alison, note Clare in shorts and a T-shirt) The youths would have taken another 3/4 off that I reckon - but for my 'photographic' stops.




Then we came down, I cooked supper and then we went scottish dancing... (as much excercise again) now I am going to fall into bed.