All's Well!

This is not Nicholas, but Possum Galore posting from under the eaves of Frogknot's roof. I have heard it on the grapevine that Nicholas' operation went very well (after a long wait in pre-op) and Will visited him tonight and took him grapes. He apparently is looking very well, although tired, and perhaps a little emotional from too much morphine! I hope he saves some grapes for me. He told Will to tell me to tell you that he will be posting again very soon - so keep your ears open. Time for me to go and drop some pellets on the roof, and perhaps steal a passionfruit or two. I leave you with the joyous news of Nicholas' good health and bid you adieu.PG xxxxx

To Brisbane...again!

Right...we are packed and ready to head to Brisbane. Unless something incredible happens on the way down I will not post again until after my operation.Ros has Vimto waiting for me in Brisbane and Galaxy Chocolate!I have been told that it takes between 3 to 6 days for my lung to reinflate after the operation and I will not be allowed out until it does. Whenever that is I have been invited down to stay with Tracy and Jen on the Clarence for a while to recover while Will comes home to make cheese.How lucky am I to have all these wonderful friends?!PS. I know I owe so many people emails from before and after Christmas and I will have plenty of time to reply to you by the river soon. XX

Grape pickers.

Our neighbours have a small vineyard and were picking today and called us down to collect some grapes to take to Brisbane. Everyone in hospital has to have grapes.We took our secateurs and cut grapes with them for awhile. I have never done it before and it was fun. The three boys were the 'bucket boys', collecting the buckets the adults filled with grapes and tipping them into the large container on the back of the truck.We had taken down some of our passion fruits in exchange for grapes and they distracted the boys from their job as they set about eating them.We picked Verdelho grapes and got black and white Muscat grapes to eat....They were delicious!

Galore has a lie-in.

We had some rain yesterday evening.Usually Galore heads out of her daytime resting place just after sunset but last night she did not move, perhaps because of the noise of the rain on the tin roof.At about 8.30 I noticed on the radar that the rain would soon pass over us and stop and just about that time too we heard Galore on the move.

It was still raining as she headed out but stopped soon afterwards.How did she know that it was going to stop?

More power problems.

So...Will gets up at 4.30am for his postponed day of cheesemaking but when he gets into Roxy at 5.30am and turns the key...nothing! The battery is flat. Either a door was open and the light was on or he left the ignition turned on all night...either way it is not my fault.He tries the battery he got for Beige Beauty...but again nothing so he has to go in on Jaxy.The plan is to, hopefully, let our solar batteries charge up during the day and try and start Roxy with one of them later.I am very careful during the day trying not to draw too much power to charge up computers, phones and tablets to save enough to start Roxy.The morning is quite sunny but the afternoon clouds over. Catch 22...we would love some rain..but we also need power.I pull up cassinia...

Can you see the difference? I was pulling it up in the treeline, on the hillside.Will is home at 3.00, exhausted from making Granite Belt Gold, a parmesan style cheese.We try the solar batteries to start Roxy....nothing! Great disappointment for Will, some concern from me as we need to be able to get to Brisbane tomorrow.We call in the troops from next door, first Kyle on his motorbike, then Nate carrying two rugby balls, then Jarrah on his motorbike...and finally Dave and Jenny riding in on their lawnmower bringing a huge battery with them.We hook up the battery...nothing. So Dave hooks up Roxy's battery to the lawn mower battery and starts the lawn mower.....we let the lawn mower run for about five minutes before trying to start Roxy and it works!I am much relieved.