Possum Galore
A life ‘Down Under’!
Dulcie and Son’s Partner Horticultural Services.
It’s week 2 for Will at Kindergarten!Today they were all going on a walk down to the Brisbane River and back. I read the plan of action that Will was sent. It was probably more detailed than any plan NASA makes before sending a rocket into space!Meanwhile back at Celtis St...Dulcie and I had breakfast. I washed all my breakfast stuff and tidied up after myself and said,“I’ll just go and tidy the bedroom.”“Yes,” Dulcie called after me, “I’ve done mine!”Today there were some orchids that needed attention. We’d picked up some potting mixture yesterday on one of our trips to Bunnings. I carried the potting mixture and orchids down to the pergola. The pots needed topping up with soil. I added the potting mixture and the Head Gardener added some fertiliser capsules. There were a few more orchids outside that we also tended then the Head Gardener got the hose out and watered them. I was directed to add some more compost to a few other plants in the ‘fernery’.
The Fernery.
I was sent round the front of the house to water the plants under the front verandah with another hose. I was idly leaning on one of the verandah pillars spraying the plants when I felt my hand tickling. It was covered with ants! I had blocked an ant motorway.“There is a human obstruction on verandah highway number 2. Both lanes are blocked but it is not impassable...all ant traffic proceed as usual! This is the end of the 10 o’clock Ant Traffic Report.”I don’t think they were Fire Ants...I lived to tell the tale.There are ants everywhere here running along in their lines. I am getting quite used to them.Dulcie moved onto cleaning the back steps. I said “Let me do that.”She wouldn’t let me. “No, I have to keep active.” She said. “I can’t sit around all day doing nothing.”It’s hard to stand back and let her do things like that, but she is right. She is very independent.“Shall I do the front steps?” I asked helpfully.“No!” she said and she went and cleaned those as well!I sat around doing nothing. I found it surprisingly easy.
Breaking News!
Our Telly has travelled down the Suez Canal and is now heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka...It is entering the DANGER ZONE.I am not going to see 'Captain Phillips' until it is safely past Singapore!
Handy Men!
We have discovered water under the house which seems to be coming from the shower above. There are some tiles that need re-fixing and re-grouting in the shower so we headed off to Bunnings (Australia’s B&Q) for supplies.
There was an awning outside the entrance and a local hockey club were selling sausage sandwiches to raise funds for their club. They certainly had chosen a good pitch. We could hardly get our trolley in the door for the mass of over-weight sausage sandwich munchers standing around. A sports club encouraging obesity to their own ends...splendid!We got some tile adhesive and grout and some paint for the walls under the house and went back to sort out the shower. After taking the loose tiles off the wall Will found a small reservoir of foul black water in the gap beyond. He drained it as best he could and we realised we were going to need some waterproof sealant as well. So we headed back to Bunnings.The sausages were still proving popular. Inside it did appear that the majority of customers wandering around were generously proportioned. I wondered if they were genuine dedicated Do-it yourself-ers or had just been attracted by the sausages. We went to the self-service till and the supervising attendant wandered over.“How’s it going guys?” she said.“Very good” I said.“You still doing up that old house?” She had absolutely no idea what we were doing but shook her head then leaned closer,“There are some good looking guys in here today,” she said, “a few work here too!”“It’s a good place for perving then?” said Will joining in.“Yes, I’ve got my special perving glasses on’ she said.I felt like saying ‘Excuse me! I find you impertinent! Are you suggesting we would be interested to know that there are good looking guys around? Just because a fellow purchases something cylindrical to fill a crack! How very DARE you!”We took our silicone and left!