A Miracle!

After seven years standing idle, nibbled by rats and occasionally rained upon....today we got the washing machine going.How?We just plugged it in!Fisher and Paykel.....Could you not use this for an advertisement for your machines?

Building Dulcie's 'Tut'.

We did not get up until after 11.00 today!We must have needed the sleep.We started work on Dulcie's 'Tut' (toilet). We are hoping that she can come up with us next time we come but at the moment it would be too far for her to use the toilet down in the bush and so we are hoping to build one just by the back door.We are going to make a cordwood construction. We began with Will cutting lengths of Cypress logs and then we stripped them of their bark.After mixing some cob (earth, water and straw) we started to build the wall. We began with a base of cob onto which we laid the logs and packed cob in around them...it is going to take some time but we have another day tomorrow...and perhaps we will have an earlier start.

Third Time Unlucky!

Dear Nicholas,Thank you for applying for the Deli Team Member - Acacia Ridge position with Supermarkets.Unfortunately after careful consideration and assessment with the recruitment team, we have decided not to proceed with your application at this time. While your skills and background are impressive, we have received a large number of applications and others more closely matched the current requirements.While you were not selected for this role, we appreciate your interest in the position and encourage you to apply for other exciting opportunities we have available by visiting us at www.woolies.com.We wish you the best of luck in your job search!Kind regards,Recruitment TeamWoolworths Limited

The Cockroach on the ceiling and the Possum in the gutter.

We were finally watching something good on Australian TV, season 5 of 'The Good Wife' started here last night.We were sat watching in the man-cave when something caught my eye and distracted me from the screen. It was a large cockroach scurrying upside down across the ceiling.It just goes to show how I have changed because I just sat and watched it. It would scurry then stop and it's antennae would wave around then it would scurry along again and all the time it was completely upside down. I may have done something about it if it had decided to pass over our heads but it didn't. It kept on going and eventually reached the wall where it slowed down. It started to move very cautiously and then I saw why...also upside down a few inches away was a gecko. I knew something interesting was going to happen...suddenly the gecko pounced but I think it forgot it was upside down or it had not learned anything about gravity. It hit the cockroach and the both fell from the ceiling onto a small bookcase behind the couch. The cockroach scurried off down the side and under the bookcase...the gecko just lay there....still....and I imagined it was saying..."sh*?!"I was just wondering if it was ok when it too scurried off down the opposite side and under the book case.We did not see them again. I hope the gecko got it.We are back up at Frogknot now after driving up early this afternoon. There was 44 mm in the rain gauge and we can see that there has been quite a heavy downpour by the canyons and gullys the run off has formed in the earth all around the house. The dam is up and back to how it was a few weeks ago but not as high as it was when we first arrived. The roof repairs seem to have done their job... the walls appear dry but there has been some ingress in the house and a few drip stains have appeared on our lovely whitewashed walls inside. The red floor looks great and the finish will certainly be better for keeping the place clean but I think I prefer the floor white.I checked the gutter for the possum and it was there!It was sleeping so I reached up and stroked it's lovely soft fur. I hardly touched it but it's little face suddenly popped up and stared at me. It looks pretty much like it needs glasses as it's eyes appear slightly crossed and a bit glazed over. I went inside and got a cracker and held it up. It leaned further out to sniff it and then bolted down the gutter and onto the tree branch like last time. I went back in and cut a slice of sweet potato and held it out. Again it sniffed it but was not interested. We had no fruit to offer it.Will was not as pleased to see it as I was....it has eaten all the pears on his tree.

Quelle Surprise!

Dear Nicholas,Thank you for applying for the Service Cashier - Acacia Ridge position with Supermarkets. Unfortunately after careful consideration and assessment with the recruitment team, we have decided not to proceed with your application at this time. While your skills and background are impressive, we have received a large number of applications and others more closely matched the current requirements.While you were not selected for this role, we appreciate your interest in the position and encourage you to apply for other exciting opportunities we have available by visiting us at woolies.com.We wish you the best of luck in your job search!Kind regards, Recruitment TeamWoolworths LimitedMethinks there is a theme developing here...Still, it's good to know they took the time to write a personal letter to me and did not just stick my name on some pre-written reply that they said out to every Tom, Dick, Harry and Ermintrude with no impressive skills and qualifications like me.