At last I am recovered from the flu, and back to posting. These 2 pics ( confusing as they may appear), are our new bench top, and, because the light was bad, a sample of the actual colour. Now I just need to paint everything else!

I have also been working hard to prepare the garden beds for planting. My advisor says I need to dig, manure, fertilise, dolomite, compost, and mulch. You can imagine that this process is time and energy consuming. I have one bed left to do, but it is still occupied with garlic, etc, so it can wait. Apparently I needed to do all this a month before using them, so that has been the rush.One of the beds was very slopey, and so I built the lower side up with rocks. Luckily we have rocks a-plenty, ( having been a creek bed) but they are heavy! We had a good harvest of both potatoes, even after the didaster of the floods, so thats good.

The brush turkey has decided to be on our feeding list, fancying the chooks grain.He has yat to pay for this in eggs or chicks.

Today we got our first sight of a lovely fat blue tongue lizard, in the bed I am preparing. We are thrilled.

PS It HAS stopped raining. Thats because we have the new tanks.

Welcome to waterfall Road sculpture and monument for the elevation of the chooks. A visit from Billy always results in more " entertainment" for the chooks. Billy is so sure their life is boring without the various creative objects he periodically supplies them, that our yard forever changes. My concern is how I will ever be able to replace these rocks in the heap by the shed. Still, he is happy and they dont object.

They do, however object to the latest feed I got from the Woombye farm supplies. It is strewn far and wide. No wonder the brush turkey and currawongs visit so often.

The weather is changing and so are the birds. More currawongs and Kookas, and fewer Flying foxes. I wonder where they go. The baby butchers are terrified of the currawongs, ( as I would be, given the disparity in size) but they ( babies )are faithful and hide on the back verandah, periodically calling us with beautiful song. I swear one would come inside if the screen door were left open.

Here are the lifesavers, all watching me! It's a bit unnerving

This is me swimming on 2 July, air temp, 8 degrees, water 19 . Guarded by 8 lifesavers!

Our latest visitor to the chook pen!Daisy was most upset and dspatched it forth with.