Should we start the Ark?

The rain isn't slowing down any and this was our creek yesterday....

The same time last week it was bone dry, not a drop of water in it.

Now, it is only a creek so it's not huge, only 3 or 4 feet at it's deepest, but still....3 days to this!!

I never get bored having this at the bottom of the garden.

Possums dancing

Well, the rain hasn't stopped, it went all day and all night and it's still going. Hallelujah! It has been wonderful.

The down side of all this glorious rain is the relentless drumming on the roof above our bedroom that kept me awake half the night. Seriously, it is like a dozen possums in stilettos are having a barn dance up there. It's so bad that the first time I heard it (last winter) I truly believed it was the possums and demanded that my happily snoring husband wake up and go and scare them off (at 3am in a rain storm). He assured me it wasn't possums but water falling off the trees. I won't go into the details of the scathing (on my part) discussion that ensued. Suffice to say he remained patient and continued to assure me that it was not possums and....well...he was right. Smart arse.

Anyway...fast forward to last night and there it was again. He has promised to climb a ladder and remove the overhanging branches this weekend so I can get some sleep (especially since we are forecast rain for a few more days and there's likely to be some more this winter I suspect). He is a wise and sensible man who holds to the reasoning that 'if Mama's not happy, nobody's happy'. I'm not quite sure what he means by that, but if it means I get what I want that's good.

Because I couldn't sleep I was prowling the house at intervals throughout the night. I had forgotten how ghastly 'middle of the night' television is - holy crap it's bad. I finally fell into an exhausted sleep at about 2.30am and I had the 4 year old alarm clock wake me up at 5.07am. After I strangled cuddled her I decided it was just easier to get up. So today I'm tired. Very tired and slightly edgy.

I now have a community service announcement. If you have had less than 3 hours sleep do not, I repeat, do not, take 2 children and go shopping for school uniforms - in the rain. Being tired is not conducive to this activity.

I won't bore you with the details of how many shop assistants incurred my wrath, or how I managed to restrain myself from violently shoving a Clarks 'Piper' black lace up shoe up the a%#e down the throat of the less than efficient salesgirl in Fairley's. Or what I said to the woman who just WOULD NOT GET OUT OF MY EFFING WAY in Kmart. Or the outcome of turning around to see my two children splashing about ankle deep in a puddle in the middle of main street. The Department of Child Services were not called but that's only because the witnesses are now buried in that building site next to the bank.

I think need a nap.

Frogs and Rain

Yesterday we found a frog in the garden.....

And today....finally.....it is raining...

So there is much cause for excitement.

Unlike my Northern Hemisphere friends who are wondering what has happened to Spring, down here we are hoping that Autumn will arrive. Much of the country is in drought, the farmers are desperate, the gardens are dying and water restrictions are in place. We need rain.

Interview with a vampire

Heather over at Nabbalicious sent me 5 interview questions which I will attempt to respond to here ...

1) Do you like haggis? My aunt used to date a really charming and lovely Scot, and we were all horrified to learn that his favorite food was haggis. I just wonder -- is this typical?

While it is typical that all Scots are charming and lovely, it is not typical that they all eat haggis, wear kilts, have red hair or say ‘hoots mon’ (whatever that means). I have had haggis in the past, I don’t eat haggis now but may one day if someone creates a vegan version. However, I doubt that will happen. I just can’t see tofu stuffed into a pair of old pantyhose being a suitable substitute for this sheep’s innards delicacy.

2) What has been the hardest adjustment you've had to make to living in Australia when you're from another culture? Or has it been a cinch?

The heat - I actually miss not being able to feel my toes and my pale blue skin burns if exposed to sunlight for more than 30 seconds. I’m a shadow dweller, rather vampire-like in my aversion to the burning Australian sun.

Cold beer - Scotland is cold, we don’t need to be ingesting more cold and so our systems reject it. My (Australian) husband has been known to microwave my beer to approximately body temperature, this is the optimum temperature to drink beer if you’re a Scot (I apologise to any Scots out there that actually enjoy cold beer – freaks).

Apart from that it’s been a cinch.

3) What has been the happiest moment of your life so far?

It’s a toss up between the moment I discovered it was possible to get hot cross buns with chocolate chips in them or the day I found out Haigh’s dark chocolate has no added milk – vegan heaven.

Of course it goes without saying that when my daughters were born and my wedding day were pretty happy too. There is nothing suspicious about the fact that the chocolate came first.

4) What are your all time favorite books and movies? Least favorite?

I always find it difficult to answer questions like this, trying to narrow down favourite books and movies is impossible for me. I also wonder if anyone actually reads people’s favourite book and movie lists, I don’t. Ironically I have a recommendations section on my blog, as if anyone cares. There are many, many books and movies that I like. I will cheat a bit and say the movie I’ve seen that I liked best in the past month has to be ‘V for Vendetta’. The book I’ve liked best in the past month is ‘Spirituality of Adult Education’, and I didn’t actually like it that much, this is sad but true. The only reading I’m really doing just now is for academic purposes so I’m not suggesting everyone rushes out and buys this.

My least favourite in both categories are legion, I won’t start because a rant will ensue.

5) What talent do you wish you had?

I would really like to be able to turn base metals into gold. However I’m led to believe that this alchemical talent is fairly rare and it is extremely unlikely that I will perfect it. It would be nice if I could though.

Update

I forgot to add the rules in case anyone else wants to do this..

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

At the going down of the sun....

Anzac Day - 25 April 2007

Rested... and smug about it

You'd think, wouldn't you, that having my husband and children away for a week would result in prolific blogging. Well, in case you hadn't noticed, it didn't. Quite the reverse in fact. I couldn't bring myself to go near the computer at the end of every day. Mainly because the entire day had been spent at the computer writing essays. Four of them in total. It was exhausting and I very nearly went insane (and we'll have no smart arse comments regarding my sanity thank you Moy).

Anyway, they're back and I'm back. The children had a ball, feeding sheep, collecting eggs, four wheel driving with their Uncle, partying with friends and getting up between 5 and 6 am. Every. Single. Morning.

Their father didn't fair so well. He chose to sit up most nights drinking whisky and talking agriculture with his father and brother. This is not a good prelude to a 5am wake up call. Did he learn? Did he hell. He came back from his 'rejuvenating' break totally knackered. So I quite enjoyed being smug about how well rested I am. Despite the marathon essay writing I got plenty of sleep.

Here's a photo I like to call 'Country Living Photo Shoot'

Happy Easter

The eggs we dyed and decorated on Good Friday.