Our Time Here

I am afraid there are no pictures at the moment unless you want wet paddocks, goats hiding in sheds and damp dogs...

I have taken advantage of the cold. wet weather to make piles of soup - carrot and parsnip, beef stews and cottage pies. Dave has joined us some evenings and we have had a great time sitting around our log fire - thank God for that.

It is very much like winter in Menorca and the rain falling on the corrugated roof sounds also like the wet season in Nigeria - so we feel at home here.

We ventured out last Saturday to the Nanango market again and managed to pick up two sauce tureens. We bought loads of veggies too and the man said, it will rain on Tuesday, he wasn't wrong.

Brian has been keeping a keen eye on our tanks and they are brimming over with water. All our water to the house comes from these tanks. Trouble at the moment is the solar isn't working cos the sun aint shining. That supplies all the hot water.

This weather has been a good boost for me to put words on paper and that is what I have been doing. Brian has a supply of books from the library and he is busy getting through those.

We have visits from Bob our neighbour and he fills our ears with lovely Australian tales and keeps us amused of an afternoon or late morning when he goes walkabout.

Jeff and Pauline have gone back to their other home and it is quiet now without them. They had a BBQ their last night and we had a super time with Jeff cooking the steaks and even ballroom dancing in their house!

Their son is a musician and singer and we had his CD on full pelt and had a dance. Well they did!

Gayleen our cleaner (Val's really) is promising to take us up to her place and around on a trip. She is a lovely woman and we get on really well. They have 350 acres with some cattle. Their son who is 17 rides bulls and she is saying we might go watch him if he is doing it local. Are they bulls? Don't suppose so. Put me right someone?

Haven't seen all the neighbours, the ones nearer to us, are all out at work or school and don't see them at all. The son has a car he races around a track, normally at siesta time - ugh!

We met a couple at The Bell Tower on Brian's birthday, from Nanango, and we are going to see them this coming week. They say they have a British friend who looks and sounds like Brian!

I don't know if I have said - but going back to the novel. My editor wants the whole thing. She says to finish it and then send it to her. That is why I am spending so much time on it. Trying to get it done. With time in UK coming up, then Christmas in Sweden and New Year in Germany with Angela and Eberhard it will have to be well on if not completed. I am hoping to meet her while in London. It is not certain that she will take it, the publishing house she works for might decide it is not for them - she has said if this happens she will put me in the hands of a good agent........ fingers crossed.