Nightly Goodnight Everyone

[dream4red]

Fingers and toes are crossed for a speedy op for Mr G. Stay sane Dot xxxx

We arrived home easily with no real problems. Getting the van down the drive, I heard a mighty crack and the sound of the lemon tree whacking the colourbond fence. I have searched the tree and cannot find any real damaged branches...lucky, maybe.

The mango tree has been under wraps for a while now, to protect my crop from marauding fruit bats. Weirdly, there is one piece of mango that has had quite a large chunk nibbled of it. It is quite close to the top of the tree and still under the cover. Such a mystery. Soon, we will pull the whole cover off and remove as much of the fruit as we can. It should ripen ok in the house now and it will soon be time to make mango jam..yummo.

The search is now on to find some alternative festivals/events. It looks like we won't be leaving NSW for them anymore. I will have to sit down and write apologies to Sapphire and Rockhampton event co-ordinators soon. They were both really good events with lovely people, but it's just not going to be feasible to go so far into Queensland from here, with no events other than those two. It feels like the end of an era for us. No more winters in Queensland. Will see how Mr coldfeet lasts this winter before he decides to head North anyway!

night all xxx

[dream4red]

Glad that you had a success with the plans for GMan's op. Now you have to keep you both very healthy for the next two weeks. xxxx

The mango tree was on my hit list for today. As we removed the cover, we were hit by a nasty aroma....dead water rat, trapped in the net. Then we found at least 20 very clean seeds hidden under the low branches. Not really impressed with that. We found a bit of the net had been tunneled under to make a nice entrance for maybe a possum or two? Oddly, it seems to have only eaten the mangoes from the top of the tree. Probably the first to ripen. It certainly finished off the fruit that was half eaten yesterday and the seeds showed that there was no wastage. I managed to collect about 40 fruits that are in various stages of ripeness. It half filled a washing basket, so plenty left for me. As it ripens, I will have a few fresh and then make jam from the rest.

Now any fruit on the dragon fruit cactus, will have to be fully bagged to protect it from the hungry possum.

I spent a lot of time checking up on facts about our trading at Lightning Ridge (and reminiscing), so that I could send a factual email. I was able to tell them that our first stall was 2014 and was able to give her the costs of that stall. I also was able to share that the corner stalls were actually two tables, not the one and a half that they now call a corner. I carefully explained why we need to be indoors with the glass and then carefully cancelled our booking. I am not really hopeful of a change in price, but I am not cancelling Sapphire and Rockhampton until I get a definitive answer from the Ridge. I really feel bad about the need to cancel Sapphire, because the mob who started up the big Gemfest event at Anakie have now started up in competition to the Sapphire event. That will be hard to cancel, but the drive from here to Sapphire is just not viable (according to my roadie anyway).

Sleep tight vegemites xxx

[Dot]

Deborah a lot of the fairs are getting a bit greedy with their charges, and it isn't good for the town or the stall holders, they will end up folding completely. That is what put George off doing the local markets. We arrived at the Gut mans rooms 5 minutes early and he came and took us into his office right on time. He is a lovely man as well. He got G behind the curtain told him to drop his dacks and said oh I see you also have a belly button hernia as well. Then he explained to G that he would try to do the repairs via the endoscope but due to prev surgery in that area he might have to do the open cut but he would do which one would be the safest when he had a peep first. All good so he is booked in for the 3rd April, his $ gap is $600 but he is well worth it, beats waiting lists for sure, The scope method recovery time is 2-3 weeks and the open way is 5-7 weeks Means we can get away. Had my GP consult and got the info I needed re "trial" drug the rheumatologist. told me about and after a discussion we decided not to try it. She is also off to Japan on Sunday for 5 weeks.. No BOB's on until 2am and be blowed if I am staying up until then so Goodnight everyone x Goodnight Bobr and Robynr enjoy your anniversary celebrations x The house you can see is her neighbours Sues new extension to her old house is to the right quite a way away.

sues septic drainage.jpg

[BernieQ2]

Bit of stick picking in that paddock Dot.
Bernie.

[dream4red]

Dot, I agree with you about pricing for fairs. To ask $750 for a tiny corner spot is just not in my vocabulary. I find it hard enough to make any money with the fairs that charge half of that. xxxx


Today, we both woke with sinus headaches. After a few doses of relevant drugs, I got on with a few things but his lordship slept most of the day. I managed to complete the complicated application form for the crystals mob event at Wallsend, next month and managed to transfer the money to them.

Next was to create a spread sheet with all of the dates of events and jayco rallies. It really helps to see it all on one page with columns to be filled in with things like accommodations and when the stall was paid for etc. I sent off a copy to the kids, so that they can see when we will be home. It looks like we may pick up several extra events that are well spread out over the year and all in NSW. So the fuel bills for the beast will be a lot better, but then we will be home for winter and gas for heating will be an extra cost as well.

sweet dreams xxx

[supersparky]

Deborah, it sounds like you are super organised, but I suppose you have to be, going to fairs and events all over the place. I'm usually lucky to know what I'm doing next week, let alone month's in advance. Jon D's Taggerty gathering is probably the only exception.

[dream4red]

Dot are you still watching the bums on bikes ? xxxx

David, I am usually a very messy person but when it comes to the essential calendar, it just has to be right. I don't know how you manage to follow the tour itinerary in Japan. It sounds like a lot of moving around in very short times. Hope you enjoy it.xx

Today was another slow lair day. I decided that some of the pricing for my original pendants has to get lowered, to move them along. That meant making lovely computer printed labels and laminating them all. Took a couple of hours, but another job out of the way.

A bit of a tossout of older sheet sets was next on the agenda. Vinnies will love them. I have really found that bamboo sheets are my favourites, and have ordered a couple more sets while they are on super special pricing (noni B for $35 a pair). I still have some cotton sets for other times, but these are really super soft and comfortable.

Not much else happening here
night all xxx

[Dot]

Talk about organized Deborah wow. We were out all day and I am knackered totally. I had a treatment with AJ as well. Now she tells me she has 5 thousand bulbs to plant out . Rang my M8 Sue in NZ she has told the "builders" doing the new house fitting to "Stop work" They had her down for 84 stumps under the house $22k her X was a builder and said 46 would be the right amount plus a couple of other "over priced" things. Once again dam men thinking women are an easy hit but they picked the wrong one this time She is much happier in her mental state but her medical issues (heart and "aliens" in her gut" still have not been addressed. The health system over there is stuffed more than here. Her court case with her bro is due in May, told her to try for a time extension as her ticker would not like the stress of going to court. George finished putting the new vent in the bus bog End of the Volta Cataluna race, next one next weekend. Hows the trip going David? Will finish off the bus prep tomorrow. AJ told me that I have to mate the pumpkins, I thought bees did that, so feather in hand tomorrow and a tickling I will go Off to bed now , Goodnight everyone x Goodnight Darryl n Annette x (croak)

[Mrmac1]

Good night - Good morning Dot

[dream4red]

Dot, it's a full moon, you should be out there tonight doing the pumpkin mating ritual. xxxx

Today was the essential grocery shopping trip. I had let the fridge and pantry get very low before we went away, and we didn't buy a lot on our trip. All the fresh veg and meats were needed, so it was a slow shop. After we arrived home and put things away and sorted things into freezer bags etc, I was stuffed.

Good thing was that I put in our monthly scripts and collected them along with the cards to get our scripts for free for the rest of the year. Before you ask, yes, we take a lot of prescription drugs. They are apparently keeping us both alive.

I fiddled around with a few things upstairs, but it was way too late to get down to my shed. I left a couple of jobs started and need to get them off the bench and into kilns, before I start on the boxes of bits from Armidale. His truck has not been unloaded yet. He can't be rushed or it will never happen.

night all xxx