Yesterday went on until 11.15 Pm so I didn't feel like posting. Lazy me. The wallaby hunt was tough - saw lots, but at long long long range. As I said James - good thing I bought more ammunition, at this rate I'll need 150 shots for each 'roo. Anyway, the new knife works really well. We had an island funeral in the morning, not unexpected, but sad. The lady who planted our garden - which has bulbs coming up all over. The kids and mum-in-law went fishing, and nearly tumbled into the briny just where you should not. I am too used to being used to it... Anyway, no harm done. They got some Australian Salmon - which are exciting to catch, and the cats are fond of (no, I'm not). I did weed a patch of onion seedlings which are doing champion yesterday, which got my conscience worrying about fresh plantin. So I went through the seeds (the new orders and old stuff) and have 17 that need outdoor planting now, and about 10 that need indoor planting NOW. My attempt to seedmeal (the leftovers from crushing seed for oil, used as an animal feed and a great basis for a fertiliser.) have so far ended in 'not on this island.'

I got a terrific pressie for my birthday - (and Jody, this is due to your influence, I believe. Thanks)

Now all I need is a wallaby to use it on. I did wear it to hang out washing but no sock-nibbling hopper appeared :-). Seriously, I've had a great day, and Alana's mum has arrived safely and been taken squidding

Not bad for two hours on the island :-)

We expect Alana's mum tomorrow and the kids are suddenly discovering this new tidying thing. Long may it last. We walked out last night and i got wallaby for biltong and dog tucker, and the exercise of carrying them back. The dogs got a wallaby foot to each, and Wednesday wandered around looking like she was smoking toenails. Tonight they are warming the place with their joyous flatulence - yes I have been reading too many Chinese-English written product descriptions on e-bay. How did you guess? My rifle swivels have arrived and now I have a strap, making carrying safer and easier. My seeds got here too from Phoenix seeds and I just have to get to planting soon. Basically I have onions and garlic for the new season in, a few carrots and beetroot, coming through, and broccoli, sugar snap peas and silverbeet holding us. That's FAR from what we need. There is a stock of capsicums surviving (sort of) in the greenbox but, I need to plant a lot more seedlings indoors, and prepare about about another 20 square meters of garden for planting....

The woodshed frame went up today - in the rain. It comes down tomorrow for some adjustment! Nothing is ever simple.

We're still experiencing the roaring 40s, with added chill, just to let us know winter isn't dead. The seagulls are perching in the puddles in the fields and I think I saw a whale in the laneway. I've been wading through old myths to find an anchor for the Heirs book. In a fit of insanity I am committed to two more. And then nevermore, as the raven said.

I've got the bits cut and drilled for the wood-shed. Assembly shouldn't be a big deal, I just have to mix some concrete (with ha ha dry sand!) and do a bit of homemade flatpak putting together - and no doubt discovering much to my surprise that my measuring skills are, as they say in PC-speak 'gifted'. Let's hope so. The shock of it all working easily and well might kill me.

I went across to give Jamie a hand (ie chat) while he modified a tractor part he'd fixed - his guesswork being nearly as gifted as mine. It was my first introduction to oxyacetylene. I think I want one :-). Also went to look at the calves that had to be 'assisted' into this world. Farming can be pretty tough.

And the rain rain rain beat down down...
And the wind wind wind it blew blew blew
and roofing iron flew flew flew
And beheaded a fountain for you

clearing decks

I can see wood on my desk. I should be very afraid. I had something of a circus morning, clearing the decks to use the table-saw and getting it working, and then major epics with Barb's very expensive Rainbow Vacuum cleaner - they're great machines, and wonderful for allergies (they draw dust through water)... and very expensive to replace. Fortunately despite the mysterious rattly bit of plastic (turned into a vital switch) we got it working again, and james brought back the concrete and chainsaw, and Barbs the coathooks - the latter have gone up, and I made some new shelves for James to save him from being absolutely force, forced I tell you, to use the floor as repository. They went into Whitemark and got a visit to Green (AKA Isabella) island. And this evening we all went to the wild Scottish Dancing. So a good day... just more sleep tonight please!

Absent-headed professor.

hmm. I thought today would be all systems zoom, but it seems the unverse (or at least my mind) had other plans. I went on a brave expotition (a la Winnie-the-pooh)to the big smoke, AKA Whitemark (pop. 170 IIRC ) with a list of 'stuff'I needed to finish various jobs and list of thing that needed doing. Well... The start of the mission was visit the tip and drove straight past... and the rest of the expedition was rather like that too. I reversed back. Got the PO to get my seed order in to Phoenix seeds. And found I had carefully filled in the form the seeds and left it on my computer. I got the postal order anyway, and so hopefully that can just be posted. I ventured on Walkers, with as far as I know, no disasters. Took the chainsaw in to Lees to get sharpened and to find out about the trailer. Hmm. The huge solid, but welded on socket I have won't do. It has to be bolted (thus a cheap pressed metal one is legal, but a good cast one isn't). They don't know if it needs springs. They'll find out. They can sell me a safety chain (that weighs slightly more than the trailer. You need a safety chain to support the safety chain). Killiekrankie Enterprises didn't have the refill for my stormy lifejacket, and won't get it, as, fair enough they're all different. Fair enough, but I still need one. Roberts... I got in and couldn't find my list. I wanted some parts for the drip irrigation and some stuff that 'growing vegetables South of Australia' recommends for making up a complete organic fertilizer, I wanted some premix concrete for posts, I wanted some ammo, I wanted a coat hook. They didn't have the sizes of fitting I needed, they didn't have all the ingredients I could remember for the fertilizer, and I couldn't remember the main one. I clean forgot ammo, premix, and the coat hook.

And then when I got home I found the list in my pocket.
Well, I got ingenious, fiddled and got the drip irrigation going just fine. One out of ten ain't good... but it's a start. Tomorrow may be more organized. Maybe it's just all the wild bustle of Whitemark. Or maybe I'm just a dozy beggar.

James and Alana went to North-East River and... caught nothing.