www.flickr.com

nothing because it has to be connected to my computer to work, grrr


prawn cocktail crisps

pilchards on toast (you can get pilchards there but they just don't taste the same)

decent tv

jaffa cakes

Greggs pasties

proper beer (as in Black Sheep, or Timothy Taylor's Landlord, or Cwrw Haf, the list goes on...)

Monday, January 22, 2007

Famous last words

"It's amazing! As I sit here merrily typing away I'm watching the first actual proper rain (rather than a 2 minute shower that doesn't even make the ground damp) to fall in months. I'm sure it won't last, it never does here in Bowen"

I was wrong. Horrendously wrong.

It's not a cyclone but you'd be hard pressed to believe that there's a drought on in this country given the amount of rain that has fallen since I typed those fateful words only a few days ago.

It has hammered it down! We've discovered that the roof somewhere on the side of the house leaks because the rain comes down the inside of one window and floods the floor of our dining room. Our garden either loved or hated it. The stronger plants loved it, the weaker ones didn't like being splashed with mud and are close to giving up the ghost, weaklings that they are - mentioning no names of course...SILVERBEET!

It's becoming quite common to wake up at 3am to the sound of the entire sky emptying onto our tin roof (noisy) and for us to turn to each other and sigh 'Oh dear, the plants'.

The Other Half and I, in desperation for something to do, bought Monopoly cards last week. I don't know if anyone has ever seen these or played them but it's quite addictive (and cheaper than buying an actual Monopoly board which was what we wanted). What you do is collect sets and houses and bonus cards and when you have a set you can put your hand down and earn money for each monopoly you have. I am turning out to be completely bad at this game and have lost several matches. The Other Half insists that it is down to his skilful playing and planning and utter brilliance. I, on the other hand, say that it's hard to win, or even be skilful when you don't even have a go because your opponent has a winning hand dealt to him constantly. This argument may go on for a while because I'm not backing down!

The ensuing discussions about Monopoly reminded me of growing up and playing against my brother who always used the same arguments when he won but when I did (rarely) it was just luck, or he let me. I say once again it's hard to win when your opponent has bought most of the sets before you make it round the board for the first time due to regularly landing in jail.

It's possible I'm a sore loser at Monopoly.

Oh look, it's raining again.

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Friday, January 19, 2007

It's raining, it's pouring...

It's amazing! As I sit here merrily typing away I'm watching the first actual proper rain (rather than a 2 minute shower that doesn't even make the ground damp) to fall in months. I'm sure it won't last, it never does here in Bowen, but at least it means I don't have to wash the car! Unfortunately I'm not sure that the Other Half will be quite as joyous as he was trying to work in the garden today. Hey ho.

The reason he was trying to work in our garden today was a matter of some urgency so he'll probably still be plugging away out there attempting to put up some hastily purchased shade cloth around our veggies. I can't remember whether I've mentioned our veggie garden recently but it's doing very well, we've had several bunches of silverbeet (sort of like spinach) survive and generally thrive despite it being the wrong time of year to grow them, our tomato plants are looking spiffing with the best being about a foot high already, and a couple of our bean plants are starting to climb up the wire of the chicken pen. I've planted some peas (for the record cooked peas = little green balls of evil, fresh garden peas from the pod not cooked = delicious) and am waiting with baited breath for them to show their little heads above the soil. My basil is shooting up and my coriander, after a very shaky start, is actually surviving and getting stronger so it's all going well.

That was, at least, until we realised that we have 'roos in the back yard.

All those of you who do not reside out in the bush here in this hot, dry, country who are at this very minute going 'Oooh, kangaroos! How exciting! How very Australian. How wonderful' I say to you this - yes, that was my immediate thought, followed straight on by 'Oh bugger, the bastards are going to eat all our veggies because they are green in a country that is, at the moment, in the middle of a drought and predominantly brown'* Add to that the possums and the rabbits and we really have a problem.

So, shade cloth. 3 feet high around the veggie patch and a lot of crossed fingers and we may get away with it!


*There may have been a few more swear words thrown in there but I've edited it for polite company

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Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Resolutions...

A little late I know but here are my New Year's Resolutions (in no particular order):

  • to keep in touch with my friends more often, because I'm useless
  • to always check that the rope holding up my hammock is not fraying (because it bloody well hurts when it gives way and 2 people fall to the ground)
  • to lose weight (specifically the weight I've put on since meeting the Other Half, not that he minds, but I do)
  • to get fit (see above)
  • to be the best bridesmaid ever for my best friend
  • to not get shitty with the Other Half when he's grumpy because he hasn't been able to fish for 2 weeks

That's about it I think :)

Oh, and to catch that bloody snake and get rid of it.

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Happy New Year!



A little late I know, but I wish you all Happy New Year all the same!

I was a little boring seeing in this year and was dead to the world by 10pm. The Other Half attempted to wake me at midnight but was exceedingly unsuccessful. Hey ho.

Christmas actually started at around 3am for me when I was woken up by The Other Half to be told that the weather was perfect for fishing and did I want to go. I can only assume that I was still asleep when I answered because I shortly found myself launching a boat at 4am at one of the boat ramps around Bowen. The picture was taken at first light on Christmas morning, around 4.50am. I know that it's wonky but we were 2 miles out to sea and the waves were going up and down and it's a little difficult to take a straight photo under the circumstances!
Anyway, Christmas was delightful with a bbq and an outdoor meal and then a comatose afternoon in the hammock which was our Christmas present to each other. I've always wanted a hammock so I was utterly delighted :)

I hope that everyone out there had lovely Christmases and got what they wanted and all that sort of thing.
I'm now going to go and have a nice afternoon in the hammock. Possibly after a dip in the pool first, I don't know yet.


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