Kabuldur

kabuldur — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:47:31 GMT

Today was like yesterday - too cool outside in a summer dress but a bit warm in the car and just right in the house! I slept in until 8.30 am and #2 chooky didn't like that at all! I had another cat nap at mid-morning and now feel something like human again. It is 25C in the house and that will have been the max outside today. Funny summer we're having! (It was incongruously raining when we were singing carols yesterday - it should have been a hot, sunny day!) There has not been enough rain for me to stop watering my veges, though. A little more water has gone in the tank - which is just as well with me doing the washing, washing up, showering etc.

Old Flame borrowed Gyro's whipper snipper and was mightily impressed by its power. He tried to get his step-son to use it, but he didn't understand you keep an even speed and 'sweep'. He kept revving it up and didn't seem to get the sweeping motion at all. Old Flame's ex tried it, but it was too big for her, as it is for me. Old Flame is going to keep a look out for parts for my $200 electric one, which will be good, because I CAN use that.

Old Flame also got ONE mower going, because four 'O' rings arrived in his mail. He got them for far less on eBay than the shops around here. He is going to put one in my mower, too (because it needs one). Then he will look out for a carby kit for mine (I have NO idea where the new one Gyro got went! It's in a plastic bag with the old one SOMEWHERE!)

I don't think that I mentioned that the Clucky Chook did not like when I disturbed the nest. I removed them the other day to put some more hay under them because one egg was touching the mesh and I thought it might break. But I did not put them back in the right order! I calmed her down with some treats and then she went back.

Okay, I'm going to 'hit the hay' early tonight and then hopefully go to the local market tomorrow.

Mad, crazy day

kabuldur — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:39:11 GMT

So, I started the day unsuspectingly and a little slowly by getting up and letting the chook(s) out at 5.30 am but #2 chook was still in laying her egg. Then I had a cup of herbal tea. I made my way into town leisurely because first I wrote out all my Christmas cards (except for your OS people - not going to be able to do that) but then I got home and found a card/letter from my brother and his wife who live in Canada! I WILL write back to them, but they will not receive it before Christmas (unless a miracle happens).

The first thing I did was go to the neighbourhood centre because it was lunch time although I could not eat anything because I had diverticulitis. In fact, I missed the first course, which was all stuff I could eat (for once) but I couldn't have eaten it anyway. Then caring lady said that they had Colin James ice cream plus other yummy stuff, so I ended up having a berry dessert, some trifle and an Indonesian jelly called Agar Agar (so I'm guessing it was made from seaweed and a vegan option).

Then the volunteers, backed up by a local guitarist who did most of the teaching at the Flexi School until he retired a couple of years ago sang all happy Christmas songs that were not religious in any way and in several different languages! One of them was John Lennon's Happy Christmas, of course :)

As well as that, Caring Lady gave me so much 'stuff' that I ran out of shopping bags for my grocery shopping!

The line at the post office was so long it was out the door but I 'window shopped' on my way in, plus licked all my envelopes (which still needed sticky tape due to our moist climate, bah!). Also, I chatted to several friends :) And I got them into the mail box just in time before the delivery man took them away! In fact I had a panicked moment where I though I might have posted my car keys with them, but no, I'd only put them in the wrong pocket :P

Anyway, I got home after 5 pm with my last $5 spent on stamps (that was only 7 Christmas cards and a birthday card, too) and then tried to unpack my car but Huey wasn't helping. So, first of all, a light mist came down which I couldn't hear, so it dampened everything which was in my boot, then started to rain properly! Tom eagerly awaited what I had brought home, too, and chooky was busy getting underfoot in every open door she could find. She had to eat inside because there was a scrub turkey lerking outside. Bah!

Anyway, when I wasn't here Old Flame WAS here, waiting for the gas man to come. Gas Man didn't approve the van because the fridge was leaking right near the bed, which you DON'T want, so now Old Flame knows why the gas pipe was cut off. So, he has to cut it off again and get the gas man out again. Then maybe it will be passed and he can transfer the rego, which is due soon. As is his car. So, he's going to have a lean Christmas, I guess, although he can always find things to do at home when he has no money to go out. So, he's not bothered. He WILL be going to his family gathering on Boxing day still and I will be going to mine.

Meanwhile, today Old Flame first went down to the railway town where he got a hair cat, then went shopping, then dropped something off at a friend's place before going to the Dr in the late morning. Then he had lunch, then came out here to await the gas man. But he didn't lie around. He attached his slasher to his tractor and moved them out of the way for the Gas Man and cleaned up the campervan. Then he went home to help his ex to buy a plane ticket.

I am having trouble finding someone to look after the chooks. Mr Cleverhands will feed Tom (and give him a pat) but I don't expect him to be molly coddling baby chickens - especially as he will be looking after every other neighbour's chooks and cats within cooee this Christmas. At a pinch, I can leave food and water for the adult chooks, and Mother Chook will spill plenty of grain for her babies, but it will be harder to put water down at their level that will last three or four days without them scratching dirt into it. Hmmm...we will see. I've already asked Gyro's young friend if he would pitch his tent in my back yard. I'm sure he would enjoy a few days of quiet. But he has no car. Maybe if Old Flame was prepared to lend him his...but I doubt it.

So, Old Flame went to his Dr today and the Dr gave him some antibiotic cream, as he thinks it is an infection, and also a script for some antibiotics if it gets worse. The worst thing is to have a medical condition flare up when everyone is on holidays over Christmas. And going to the hospital would be the worst nightmare. Anyway, Old Flame took some Vit C yesterday when he started to feel cruddy and more as the afternoon progressed (as Bike Man suggested) and his fever and sore bit up his leg have certainly abated but his toe is still sore and swollen.

I took A Suitable Boy back to the library today (gah!) and picked up The Bletchley Girls from the reserve section, so I can finish that at least. The librarian lady I know (mother of one of #2 son's friends and ex-wife of one of #1 son's teachers...for TWO years!) said that one of her friends took a YEAR to read A Suitable Boy! I can believe that, too, because I found it slow going and had to re-read sections all the time, but I did love it.

So, the present I wanted to get #2 grandson had gone but the shop had another one which is good quality and I know both baby and parents will love it, so I'm happy enough with that :) I still haven't spent any of my Christmas money because that shop didn't have any of the chook book left that I wanted but they will be getting more back in so the lady said to keep checking, as I will. In the meantime, there are books in the book shop I want but didn't get time to go in there today.

In fact, I didn't even have any room in the car to get any potting mix today! Oh well, another day.

*Crawls off to bed, exhausted.*

kabuldur — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 09:06:57 GMT

Old Flame got to his home bang on 9 pm last night, just as he thought he would. He had something to eat and went straight to bed. This morning he got up about 7.30 am and was up here by 10 am to start putting the mushroom vent in. He had a drink of water when he was half way through because he was puffed from going up and down the ladder, then had a cup of tea when he had finished. Then he was back out there installing the louvers in the door. After that he had a rest before eating (he is so wise!). Then had some lunch. Then he waited aaalll afternoon for the gas man, only to have him ring at 5 pm to say he couldn't get here today. So, Old Flame will have to wait here after he sees the Dr in the late morning tomorrow when the gas man said he would turn up again.

By the time Old Flame had finished today, though, he had started to feel sick and his leg now has a sore place. I think the poison from his toe is going up a blood vessel or maybe his lymph system. Just as well he is going to the doctor tomorrow. My toe is healing nicely, btw. But I am feeling like a bout of diverticulitis is coming on :(

Today I got my first Christmas card and wrote my first few. I will post them tomorrow. I didn't draw or paint them, though. I'm losing my touch!

Today was a weird day, weather-wise. Cloudy and cool. Threatening rain. It did rain lightly twice, and one of those times Old Flame was up a ladder installing the vent. He took his shirt off, so didn't get too wet. He was wiping sweat off his forehead later, not rain! (He wore his work shirt most of the time as he is fair and the sun just burns him - he doesn't get a tan - so he knows that it could damage his skin of give him skin cancer). Meanwhile, down south, they are putting up with tornadoes, strong winds and large hail. Many people lost their roofs, vehicles damaged etc. For example, one car was picked up and rolled on the top of a truck around the corner! The hail was as big as the largest hail here - as large as cricket or tennis balls - and jagged at that.

I felt like planting some cucumbers this morning but did not get around to it. By lunch time I was feeling too tired. There wasn't really enough rain to water my veges but showers are forecast tomorrow.

Of books and reading: I was reading The Bletchley Girls: war, secrecy, love and loss by Tessa Dunlop but I had to take it back. I've been meaning to post about it because I have found more about 'how they lived' prewar WWII in England. Stuff I didn't know and very interesting! I have put it on reserve again and it is waiting for me in the library as of today.

In the meantime I got on with reading the eagerly awaited A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth and am enjoying it immensely. It is a weighty tome, however, and I keep dropping it while reading it in bed :P I also have to keep re-reading it to keep up with the cast of characters! (Four families.) So reading it is slow. EDIT: Doh! I have to return A Suitable Boy to the library as I couldn't renew it as someone else has it on reserve. Oh well, back on reserve it goes for me! Maybe I should actually OWN it.

Old Flame, bless his heart, has given me some money for Christmas. I intend on spending it on books, but that won't run to A Suitable Boy with all the other books I want! But I think I can order it, put a deposit on it and pay it off. The book shop is well patronised with couches to peruse your books on, lovely wooden floors and really good coffee to boot! I was going to get Old Flame an external hard drive, but his computer is dying. He wants to wait until the New Year sales to get a new one (can't blame him) but I can't run to getting a whole new computer. We'll see.

I saw a present for #2 grandson in the shops sometime before last week's shopping day, but forgot when on the day. I hope it is still there tomorrow. Wish me luck!

kabuldur — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 10:10:59 GMT

Old Flame is really pushing it. He found the 'mushroom' ventilator at his home today but did not install it. Instead he had a rest and then went down the coast late this afternoon after the worst of the traffic had cleared and it was cool. It will probably not be as quick a run as he would like because there will be people out there Christmas shopping. Then he has to install the vent AND the louvers before the gas man comes tomorrow. I suspect he will fall in a heap after that :P

Today I thought would be one degree hotter but cloud came over and it was the same temp as yesterday. I did, however, get some sheets dry, so I'm very happy about that :)

The clucky chook comes out about every three days to have a feed and a dust bath etc and then I get the other chook's eggs. She is still laying an egg a day. Today she kept trying to get in just after the main heat of the day. I was puzzled because I would have thought she would want to come in when it was hottest but it turned out she was looking for her grain, which I had brought inside away from a scrub turkey. Oops! Eventually I worked out what she wanted, but her crop was nice and full anyway.

kabuldur — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:23:03 GMT

Today was sunny and much warmer. It got up to about 25C but was 29C down the coast and in the big city. A perfect day, as far as I'm concerned and the washing got nice and dry, too!

I forgot to say Tom also broke my bathroom bin yesterday or the day before. He bent it once before. It has sentimental value because #3 son made it for Gyro. It is shaped like a basket ball hoop, and painted black, with the hoop part painted red. #2 son sure was envious of it at the time because he played basketball! Both #2 son and I thought it was a cool idea. #3 son is so creative! And the fact that he was able to make something at that age is pretty impressive. He had to get Gyro to help him with one bit but Gyro didn't now what it was for and sure was surprised and impressed when he opened his present!

Anyway, I was going to get two matching bins for the kitchen, so I might as well get another one for the bathroom and one for the 'little room', too. Today Tom knocked down the stool behind my back and made me jump! He had just been fed and went tearing ff the the bathroom again, as has been is want of late.

Old Flame has been working on the gas fridge of the camper van and today he rang the gas man to test on Wednesday. But the gas man was full of information. It seems the laws were changed AGAIN around gas two years ago. So, now the gas bottle has to be secured in three places, not two. Lucky Old Flame is handy, because he welded the third place on this afternoon and even painted it! They also want a vent above the stove. Luckily Old Flame has a little mushroom shaped one at his home not in use (never installed), so he plans on bringing it up from his place tomorrow and installing it.

Finally he has to put louvers in the door. The gas man told Old Flame which hardware store has them. I'm not sure when Old Flame is going to find the time to go down the coast and get it and then install it before Wednesday, though. He might have to delay the inspection/test until the next day. The only trouble with that is that he has a doctor's appointment on that day.

Talking about the doctor, I don't know what it is with men. Old Flame complained that his left big toe was sore last week but I couldn't see anything and neither could he. I thought it might be dirt down the side of his nail causing a slight infection or maybe a fine hair of grass had gone in there (they are transparent, so hard to see). I thought it would probably settle down and so did he, but on Saturday Old Flame complained about his toe again and I looked at it and declared that he needed to see a Dr ASAP. But the next day was Sunday. I repeated it on Monday when I discovered that he had not made an appointment. He said he would make an appointment for later on in the week (doh!) and now it is on an inconvenient day. Let's hope his toe doesn't fall off before than. I still can't see what's wrong with it, but it is now red and white in different places and twice the size of his other big toe. I will be relieved when he has it seen to.

In the meantime, my toenails were getting a bit long and I tripped over the kitchen stool today and split my left big toe nail. I didn't know until later in the day when I was (finally) cutting my toenails, but I had torn it and there is blood! (Not a lot of it.) Seems we have matching big toes.

In other news I saw a cane toad in the hallway the other day. I went out to the laundry to get a towel to usher it out but it had disappeared by the time I came back. I thought I might know where it was hiding and sure enough it was there. I thought it would make its own way outside of it wanted to, but that night I came across it in the bathroom. I don't mind if it is inside. I've had them in before and even had one hibernate in the laundry cupboard one year. It can eat all the bugs it likes. I just hope it can find enough to eat and drink.

kabuldur — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 11:14:06 GMT

Today ended up being showery and cool all day. About 21C max today - 1 degree C cooler than yesterday. So, yesterday we had a low passing through from west to east (as they do) but today the wind had veered to the SE and we were getting moisture off the sea! Now that much fell. The most I heard of was 10mm at one place and 9 mm at another. My water tank is now just over half full - not good. It cleared late today so tomorrow should be fine...ish.

Tom has no table manners. So, I made a chicken soup last night and poured it over rice - a nice cool weather dish. There was a bit left over and I heated it up with a little rice added for lunch. After lunch I had three pieces of potato left over. I left my dish on the bench while I looked for a dark brown smoked glass dish that is heavy and flat to put the leftover potatoes in for the chook. Still haven't found that dish. But when my back was turned, Tom scoffed the lot! He has been eating me out of house and home lately, so I think I might make him some more 'soups', lol :)

Tonight when coming back from the healing night there was a sliver of new moon. So, happy new moon everybody! We have had three full dark nights (good for sleeping) and now the light is returning. The new moon was in Scorpio, but has now moved into Sagg if anyone is interested.

kabuldur — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:24:49 GMT

Today was a much cooler day, max about 22C and light rain. Still, I braved it to go to the village market and stock up on fresh produce. There was even a man there selling free range organic eggs! (Not that I needed any; I have too many as it is.) He is selling dozens and dozens a week, and he still has lots! A man who makes cakes has contacted him to use them in his lovely cakes. Oh, and the egg man had duck eggs as well. All legal and above board - there are strict regulations. Some of his duck eggs were a pretty green colour :) Tomorrow is forecast to be 28C down in the big city, so maybe 24C here, with showers in the morning. Then it should warm up to normal summer temperatures again.

#2 chook doesn't like the rain and tried to get into the house all day. But she is not allowed because she isn't house trained. Supermarket man even inquired today if one of my chooks had been taken by a snake because there was only one around. So, I told him the other one is sitting on eggs! I still have not found a chook sitter yet. I didn't ask him because he works and he probably is going away to see family at Christmas himself. Mr Cleverhands can probably do it if necessary.

I don't know what happened to the lady next door. The car is gone. Maybe she was his daughter.

kabuldur — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 01:27:25 GMT

Yesterday was a fairly hot day, tempered by cloud. I parked in the main street where there is no shade, so my car got pretty hot at first but then it cooled down, so that was good :) I was in so many air conditioned places that it was a pleasure to walk down the warm street and be in the warm car :) I gave Bike Man a lift home and told him about a new doctor he might try to get to the bottom of his intermittent stomach pain. I hope he goes to him. It turns out that he turned down an endoscopy, silly man. He might have been all cured by now. I guess he was trying to stay 'all-natural' but sometime it is not worth it! I hope he has not left his condition too long as I fear that it could become chronic.

Today is gearing up for a properly hot day. It is 29.3C in the office already! (11.18 am). It should get up to 31C. EDIT: It got up to 36C outside and 32C inside! My favourite weather! (No, I did not get too hot.) I have indoor jobs planned, although it would have been good to water my plants early. Oh well, late this afternoon it will have to be. Old Flame was going to do outdoor work today. I guess he has called that off! Tonight he has a radio refresher course with his Rural Fire Service.

The clucky chook got off her nest today. She seems to leave it every couple of days. As Old Flame pointed out, she waits until it is how enough for the eggs to stay the right temperature while she is off the nest. I have put food and water outside the living room door, but no, she has t create a kerfuffle and fly around to the back door where she not only eats and drinks but has a good dust bath (this time in the pot :P) before resuming duties on the nest. So, i grabbed the opportunity to grab #2 chook's eggs off the nest. They should be none the rose for a couple of days under her.

Last night there was slight thunder and a bit of lightning in the distance. There is a chance of a thunderstorm tonight. More of a chance tomorrow night. I missed my usual call to dad on Wednesday night because I was late with dinner and then had to cut up cat food. I'll have to leave it now until this round of thunderstorms are over. I'm sure he'll understand. Except for the missed call on Wednesday night :P

EDIT: We had a small thunderstorm tonight and very little rain. But it is forecast to be a rainy day tomorrow and should be much cooler.

EDIT EDIT: I became a little worried about #2 chook today. I let her out at 5.30 am and then didn't see her again until about 2 pm when cloud came over. Then she proceeded to be a nuisance for the rest of the day :P She must have been up in the bamboo or maybe sleeping under the new neighbour's house!

kabuldur — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 11:51:55 GMT

Today was about the same temperature as yesterday. Yesterday was a nice sunny day and I got lots of washing done, but today I planned on washing sheets, but didn't. It was still very warm with the sun glowing through the clouds.

#2 chookie has been entertaining me with her antics by dust bathing in a pot outside my kitchen window recently. She wasn't so amusing in the middle of the day today, though. They like to come in, because it is cooler than outside. So, I let her for a few minutes...until she pooped on the floor. I promptly put her out, then she worked out that she could come in the dining room door although I had the curtain pulled over to fool her (that sometimes works).

She was trying to get up on something. I thought she might perch there and had got rid of all her poops for a while but then she hopped up on the table and started pecking at a peach! So, she was promptly ousted outside again. I will try to find a cage they can go in during the hottest part of the day if they want to. It's funny, I've kept seeing cages that would have done at the recycling centre and markets. Now I know why I needed one! A slide out tray at the bottom would be good, and a couple of perches. I know chookies like wide percehes so they don't hurt their little feeties :)

And I received sad news today. I talented musician whom I really liked and would have liked to be better friends with passed away on Monday by his own hand. I knew he had a mental illness. What a pity. Many of us would have been there for him if we knew he needed us. I just hope he didn't leave any distraught family behind.

kabuldur — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 12:40:42 GMT

It was a nice warm day, today. Not too hot and not too cold. But I did too much and now I am tired!

I forgot to say, a friend rang me up a couple of days ago, and said that she went to the festival that is in a street near #1 daughter's. I suspected that #1 daughter, #1 SIL and my granddaughters might be there, and I was right. But what I didn't know was that #3 son was there, playing in a band. This was on a deck at the back of a house. A small street is closed off and about four houses have various genres of music playing at them. Anyway, #3 son has since left that band since their music was not quite what he was into. Still, my friend reckoned that their music was good!

Tomorrow is forecast to be 1C hotter, perhaps with a storm at the end of the day. Now, off to bed for me!

kabuldur — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 09:54:26 GMT

Today one of the people I approached about fertile eggs came through, and she dropped a dozen eggs off in my mailbox on her way to work this morning (after ringing). So, I duly marked them and put them under the clucky chook. Seven, that is. Some had crinkly shells and looked like they might be double yolkers, so I didn't want any of them. One of the two that were really good I dropped two or three inches onto the bench and cracked slightly, so I couldn't put that under her. A mutual friend has used her eggs before, with a low hatch rate, which I expect of this lot, but the chook is happy. They will hatch out a couple of days after Boxing Day. Eek!

Meanwhile, #2 chook managed to lay in the nest today. I hope she continues to do that. She was looking at a dark place today, so I put my spare nest 'box' there and she did show some interest in it. There is room beside #1 chook but she is very bossy about it. I may have to put a new divider up in there. The old one has fallen apart.

A friend rang yesterday to ask if Old Flame would look at her car. I told her that he was retired from all that, but I would pass on a message to him. Surprisingly, he said he would take a look at it, and did so today. He has divined that the spark is getting diverted on its way to the plugs somehow. He said that to investigate further he would have to look at it in the dark. He said to me that the engine is old, being a 1980s one and it has done 400,000 km but the engine is still good. It is a Toyota Lite Ace van. She is excited. She is going to volunteer at the Folk Festival.

#1 granddaughter rang up this afternoon and asked if she can come up next week. As it happens, I am fairly busy next week, but it will have to be next week because the following week is the lead up to Christmas. If we leave it till after Christmas it may NEVER happen! Anyway, if I am missing off lj for a few days next week, this will be why.

kabuldur — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:03:43 GMT

It still wasn't very hot today. I had to wear warm clothes inside the house and outside. But I did enjoy myself in the garden and #2 chook 'helped'.

The clucky chook moved her nest to where I can reach her, but dented her egg in several places. She would have had to move it over the mesh, which is very sturdy, like weld mesh. So, I removed the egg because it would have gone bad and replaced it with another egg. I don't know where #2 chook is laying, or if she has gone off the lay. I will try to keep a closer eye on her tomorrow.

Neighbour gossip: The day I saw the Cleverhands, Mrs Cleverhands saw a furniture van go to Supermarket Man's house. There has been a small silver car there since. So, either Supermarket Man has got a partner or a house mate. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted someone to share the rent. It is expensive! But the little car stays there all day which makes me think 'partner' because she would have to work to support herself otherwise. I know it's a 'she' because I heard her talk the other day and she is LOUD! Luckily I don't hear her very often. Supermarket Man plays his loud music in the afternoons pretty regularly but luckily, turns it off at night. It is louder now because sometimes he has his back door open and I have my living room door open :(

Ugh. I am very tired, now. I think I will go to bed early tonight!

kabuldur — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 09:37:31 GMT

It only got up to about 24C here today but I escaped the coolness to experience some 'real summer' down at the community market. There, they were complaining about a cold day yesterday and how cold it was down there early this morning! I got some lovely veges from the organic farmer (there's nothing like his veges) and also bought a new summer dress.

I also listened to some really nice music played by a man from the state south of me. He played the sitar and a wind instrument made with a gourd (not together). It sounded like an oboe and he called it a snake charmer. He had a CD behind him of Indian drums etc and it was really nice ambient music! He drew much applause from the audience. What a nice way to enjoy the heat and cool breeze on their verandah, called 'the deck'. Also, I enjoyed the first player, a folk guitarist and singer whom I have one CD of. He has put another one out since then. He is getting on in years, too! Must be about my age :P

While I was down at the market I inquired about fertile eggs. I may have one lead. The lady is going to ring me back. Meanwhile, Old Flame said his neighbour used to breed Wyandottes, so he will see if she still has them.

This afternoon I tried to reach under the clucky chook to see how many eggs she had under her but she is wily. She has moved away from the door. So, I will have to get Old Flame to reach in there for me when he is around. The other chook seems to have adjusted to her absence.

I also soaked my feet because they were sore after a day out, and they thanked me for that! In the water I put high grade epsom salts and lavender essential oils as well as a blend of some others. Mmmm....!!!

Tomorrow Old Flame is going to take the cooler from the little caravan to is friend's house and fashion a small pump cover for her little pump. (The top is broken and it is irredeemable as a 'fridge', which is sad, because it was good!) It is too small for my pump, but Old Flame plans on using some of the aluminium shell to make one for me. All in good time. He has a big list of 'Things To Do' in front of him. He doesn't mind this. He likes having things to do and loves solving problems. His mother thought he might grow up to be an inventor back when he was a kid. Sadly, she has passed on, now.

kabuldur — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 09:19:01 GMT

It was a cool and blustery day yesterday. Cloudy most of the day and the sun only peeped out quickly a couple of times until near sunset, when it bathed us in its orange glow for a while before it set. As well as that, it was quite windy from the south west - gusts up to 40 km/hr! It threatened to rain a couple of times, but didn't. Today it reached about 22C but didn't feel as cold. The wind wasn't quite as strong and we had a slight sprinkle late this afternoon. Showers forecast tomorrow, too.

Old Flame gave himself a fright at about sunset going up the range from the west yesterday. His back spun out of control off the road as he went around a tight corner which is in shade and must have been a bit damp. Then he over-corrected, but was able to straighten up. The person going the other way braked and made sure he was okay before continuing on their journey. How nice of them!

Today Old Flame helped his neighbour with the brakes on his truck, so didn't get his own stuff done, as usual. But he was okay with that. He is quite happy mucking around with vehicles :)

I received sad news from #1 SIL last night. He lost his mother on Monday. She was well into her eighties and had a stroke last year, I think it was. She was a nice lady and I spoke to her on a phone on quite a few occasions. #1 SIL was not able to attend the ceremony, which is in Britain, but it will be in an historical old church, which she loved, and they are going to read out something he has written. He is the youngest of six kids, although the three oldest were from a previous relationship. I think she had quite a bit to do with their upbringing, though.

My dominant chook is definitely clucky. I found her sitting on their two eggs this morning. I was alerted she was 'missing' ie on the nest by the other one calling. I think #2 chook was lonely. #1 chook spent most of her day huddled outside the back door. IF I had put fertile eggs under her tonight, they would have hatched out on Christmas Day! Not the best timing seeing as I was planning on going away.

On the going away front, I'm not quite sure when that will happen. There are a few delays in the works. But I want it to be in the summer, otherwise it will be too cold at night in the campervan. So, I'm not sure whether to put the chook on eggs or not. First I would have to source some fertile eggs!

kabuldur — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 08:46:32 GMT

We had a cool change last night and it started raining a tiny bit during the night. It dawned cloudy and it has been a cloudy and at time slightly rainy day. I wasn't sure whether to wear spring or summer clothes out, but decided on the latter, and I'm glad I did although some people were wearing warm clothes. The supermarket was crazy...as it was last time I visited it, two weeks ago, almost. Christmas madness!

I did the shopping a day early because Tom was missing his fresh food (despite having a piece of raw fish thawed from the freezer, the meat cut off two chicken legs during the week and also lots of human-grade canned tuna). He actually jumped IN the car when I got home! Also, a book I had on reserve was still in the library. I forgot to pick it up a week ago when I met my friend in there - despite having arranged to meet in the library!

Today I saw a man, let's call him Music Man, who is in his eighties, who used to have music afternoon once a week. He says he has stopped playing guitar at the moment and is back to playing the piano, which he hasn't done since his young days. He says he is playing better than ever! He plays three days a week for a friend's wife, who has dementia. He says it calms her down and I have heard that it does. What a nice man!

And the first Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus pallidicollis) came into the house a couple of nights ago. That is special. We don't see many of them any more. My kids used to get very excited when they saw one because they knew Christmas wasn't very far away. Though it wasn't very exciting when it took off last night after I turned the light out :P I only count the iridescent yellow ones as Christmas Beetles. I have plenty of green ones and LOTS of brown ones! They should live her ebcause I have plenty of gum trees and still a bit of native grass around. I'd like to have more kangaroo grass than I have. It is seeding right now, actually. The seeds will probably drop in the autumn.

I finally got to see the Cleverhands later today! One of them had accidentally rung me again this morning. Unfortunately their modem got zapped by lightning a couple of nights ago. luckily I gt a warning from Old Flame or mine might have been fried here, too. The thunder was only mild, although after he alerted me we did have one closer crack. Their modem was only one or two years old, too :( Mr Cleverhands has offered to look after my chooks while I am away over Christmas. Yay!

kabuldur — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 10:07:42 GMT

Uh oh! #1 chook has gone clucky! Just when I lent my broody cage, too. As it is, if I were to put her on eggs soon, I would not be able to go away in the summer holidays. So...hmmm....not sure what to do, there.

I was another warm day. This afternoon I got as much of the fibre glass lining as I could out of the little caravan and bagged it and put it in the rubbish. Then I had a shower and changed my clothes, because that fibre glass is bad stuff! I was surprised at how little there was. That caravan was cold inside at night in all but the warmest weather. I know, because I've slept in it.

Sheesh!

kabuldur — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 04:58:36 GMT

Just got a call from the nurse, and she said some atypical cells were found in my pap smear. She said years ago they would have started cutting bits out, but now they just re-test in one year. It's my theory that they just let us die these days. HOWEVER, she has booked herself in to see me again when I see my Dr in a couple of weeks. Maybe I should get the thing out before it gives me any more trouble! So, I will see her then.

Saw Bike Man this morning. He has had a lot going on at his place with a tree cut down and others lopped. But now he is in bed with stomach pain again. Gah! So, a cup of tea followed by a mango caused this? Hmmm...I'm thinking stomach ulcer. I wish the medical establishment would look after us better than that. These days it is not so black and white. They seem reluctant to diagnose anyone with anything! Grr...

Go to go, thunderstorm looming!

kabuldur — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 09:22:37 GMT

It was a nice, warm summers day, today. It probably got up to 29C on the pergola. It's 27.3C in my office right now 7.15 pm Eastern Standard Time - we don't have daylight saving - thank goodness! The bottle cicadas sang for a bit tonight and now the crickets have taken over. I can hear a gecko on the pergola. There is a bit of a rumble of thunder in the distance. Places to the south and west of me got hail but so, far, nothing here. EDIT: #1 son's g/f got caught in her car in the hail - and big hail at that. She parked under a tree. I don't know if her car was damaged yet. And she was just talking about replacing it last weekend because it has got to the stage where it needs a lot of work. #1 son was with her, I think, when it happened. Probably my other three kids in the city got hail, too, but hopefully no structural damage to their houses or cars. That hail was golf ball sized. You can read more about it Here.

Meanwhile, a hospital fairly close to #3 daughter (Lismore Base Hospital) had part of its roof fall in in the maternity section. Nobody was injured. This reminds me of the day just before #3 daughter was born, there was a hail storm at the hospital I was at in the inland hospital, and the mothers all pulled their beds away from the windows but they weren't smashed in the end. There was quite a bit of damage on The Range, where all the rich people lived, and some horrible people drove around slinging off at them, but it turned out many were pensioner women who might have been asset rich but were income poor. (Egg on the face for the people involved on such scurrilous behaviour.)

I spent a nice afternoon at my place - once it cooled off enough - to plant out some okra and also some jaboticaba seeds. Let's hope they sprout! I still have a few things to plant out eg parsley. In the meantime, I'm harvesting my first tomatoes :)

Old Flame took my broody house down to his place this afternoon. I've been telling him to but he wanted to make one of his own just like it. But I could see that he wasn't going to make it fast enough. He is always doing things for other people rather than himself. He still wants to make his own, but we'll see, now that the motivation is off! They wanted to move the chook with the chickens from where she was because it was not convenient and they want to move her around so that she and her chickens can get grass etc. I sent down hay as well, to make a nest, because he didn't have any dried grass but she and her chickens ended up staying in their box. They had gone to bed by the time they moved them. They'll jump out in the morning :)

kabuldur — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 09:54:37 GMT

Today I went up to the recycling station with old Flame and we got a screen door for the back door. Of the two bowls I wanted, only one was left. I thought up a use for them, you see :) The fan forced oven was gone. Mine isn't broken, but old. I wanted this one for a back up. It wasn't as good, but would have done for most things, I think. Anyway, I forgot to go back last Saturday, so what did I expect? Actually the recycling centre wasn't very popular, but has had a rejuvenation and now is very popular again, which is good to see. There is an old Staffy dog up there, but the staff told me he lives just up the road, so it's good to know that he has an owner. Oh, and I also got a 'new' dish drainer. Yay!

As soon as we got back to my place, I suggested to Old Flame that he install it immediately, which he did, as he has his drill and some screws in the back of his car (which he uses as a 'ute'). Now I can have the cool breeze coming in the back door without the chooks coming in, which is good. It still needs a new catch. I am hoping that these still exist to buy. They should. It has a cat flap but I won't be activating that, as Tom comes and goes through the window. If the chooks and scrub turkeys learnt how to use it (and they would) it would be pointless having the screen door!

Old Flame then went on to his friend's place where he helped her with her solar system. She had two problems. One was an electrical cable which was shorting out and the other was that her pump from her dam to her chook/duck yard had stopped working. He also replaced one of her old batteries with a new one which she had purchased recently. On Monday night he is going to help her with ordering a container at an auction. I suspect she will cook him some tea for that!

This afternoon, I 'played plumber' by taking everything out of my sink cupboard, taking out the S bend, cleaning it out (it was full of my hair), and then putting everything back together. Then I cleaned the shelves. I have not put everything back yet, as I want to make sure there are no leaks. In the meantime I found a few Lost Things, as few Things I Had Forgotten About, and I will go through everything before I put it all back, thus freeing up space!

I forgot to say yesterday, Old Flame's Christmas plans are to see his son and grandson before Christmas and he will be going to his family gathering on Boxing Day.

kabuldur — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 11:29:09 GMT

Today it was cloudy and in the late afternoon a gentle mist started coming down. The chooks were sooks and wanted to shelter in the laundry :P Tom also came in. It was nice and cool this evening, so I changed my cooking plans to chicken soup and Tom had some raw chicken for tea. It is 26.6C in my office right now.

I think I forgot to say at the end of one of the hot days, when it was cool, Old Flame put in my new door handle. The door works perfectly now!

Tomorrow, hopefully, we get a screen door from the recycling station. This is so I can have my laundry door open to the breeze but the chooks can't come in. Those little rascals definitely aren't house trained!

And it looks like my Christmas plans are decided. This year it will be at #3 daughter's. I am looking forward to a nice cool house near the sea :)

kabuldur — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:34:14 GMT

Today was quite hot - forecast to be 33C-34C down the coast. Old Flame thought he'd be all right down there, but he had to walk out of a big hardware shed (not air conditioned) without one thing he wanted as it had to be a separate sale. Then he went to one of the railway towns, where his mate was late, so he had to wait a couple of hours or so. He really wanted his advice on something, so he parked in the shade and probably had a snooze. He also said that the power was off in half the town. Maybe the grid broke down because everybody was using their air conditioning. Or perhaps it was the effect of recent extensive works down there.

I did not go into town because I fell asleep in my arm chair again, and when I woke back up, it was too hot to go out! I was planning on going in tomorrow, but it is forecast to be just as hot. It cool down a bit after that because a thunderstorm is forecast (although there might not be much rain in it).

It was so hot that the chooks had their middle of the day siesta in the laundry! (On the back door step) :P

kabuldur — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 10:59:55 GMT

Continuing on with our summer weather, I met up with my friend who was blowing through town and we had a cold drink each and chatted...along with other friends we met in there! I couldn't decide between a banana or mango smoothie, but the girl serving said that made bamangos, so I had one of those! One of my other friends was entering an adult colouring in competition. It is all the rage, here. I think it would take up a lot of people's time. It is also supposed to be relaxing.

I made Old Flame an omelette yesterday, and I was pleased with the better quality of my chooks' eggs. The yolk is now a nice golden colour. It must has taken a long time to get my chooks' health 'up to scratch', so to speak :P Old Flame's friend gave me some oyster shells from his oyster beds and they love pecking at them from time to time. I have also seen them pecking at the little bit of grass there is over the last couple of days. I was thinking I might have to sprout some wheat for them!

#3 daughter sent all members of the family today, formally inviting us to her place for Christmas. I hope all are agreed! #2 son's girlfriend put in the request and #1 son sounded interested on Sunday. So, fingers crossed for that! I'm guessing #2 daughter won't be able to make it, but I intend on visiting her in the holidays anyway.

kabuldur — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:56:12 GMT

It was a lovely morning this morning, which warmed up to a hot period in the middle of the day. But I cooled down by hosing off the pergola, which was long overdue! I had fun doing it, and the chooks liked it, too. I found out though that the scrub turkeys, blast them, have scratched up two of my decorative pot plants. So, I will put netting around them tomorrow.

I was going to make lotion this afternoon, but have come down with diverticultis again. Gah!

There may be a storm later. A huntsman spider has come in through the bathroom window and Tom has elected to stay in tonight. I take those two things as omens, although the worst of it should pass to the south of us.

What a difference a day makes!

kabuldur — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 10:49:16 GMT

Last night it was just too darned hot to cook, so I went to bed, but a light wind sprang up. I didn't think there was anything in it (like a storm) but low and behold, I got up this morning, it was raining lightly and the ground was wet! So, it was very much cooler. I did get up to cook early, but fell back asleep in my armchair with my herbal tea half drunk :P

#1 son did visit and I did a lightning clean up AND got lunch on before they arrived. I have developed a friendship with #1 son's girlfriend, and that doesn't seem to be diminishing. So, that is good! Also, we talked about Christmas, and they were keen on the idea of having a family gathering at #3 daughter's. Certain members of the family haven't even seen #2 grandson yet!

I finished Memoirs of a Geisha last night. I was reading it, thinking all along, that it was a true story as told to the author, but at the end I found out it was fiction! Although, like the author of Zoli (the one about 'the gypsys'), the author did have a lot of research to do beforehand. A very well told story, anyway.

Only one chook laid an egg today. The rain puts them off. Oh well, I didn't get to feed any to #1 son as he is vegan, and his g/f has IBS, so can't eat much the same foods as I can't. I'll have to feed them to Old Flame (although I have to suffer the 'after effects' :P). Or give some more away.

#1 son's g/f was charmed by the chookies (although not their poops) and she loved Tom as well, 'cos she has a cat, too :)

kabuldur — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 10:37:27 GMT

It was quite a hot day today. I hung out much of the morning at the market, under a cool tree, talking to friends. Artist/Musician Lady and I have vowed to be swimming partners again this year. My garden needed watering again and will do so tomorrow, too. We were supposed to have a storm tomorrow afternoon but now there is not expected to be much rain in it. If weather conditions are right, I will go to the healing night. I really missed my session last week! I have a tendon or two pulling.

Although I may have avoided hosting my family Christmas gathering this year, #1 son and his g/f are coming up tomorrow. But I will have little time to clean up or prepare food. Oh well, they will have to take me as I come. #1 son is, of course, used to me this way! Hopefully I will get to see his new car.

I have suggested that we might meet up or go to a swimming hole or down the beach to cool off. We will see. But anyway, it will be good to see #1 son! And I have made good friends with his girlfriend :)

And my chookies are still laying through his hot weather. I see cold boiled eggs on the menu tomorrow!