good things happen

14.8.2010
Ha. There are times when life is great. How good does it feel to go roller blading with ones six- year old grandson and his friends and find that suddenly armed with the right footgear you can move faster and freer than the youngsters! How good does it feel on coming home to find that you have been given an amazing work of art?

Edd tells me that Don turned up here, totally unexpected, and presented him with this book he had made from his photographs taken on our wilderness property near Cooma. They are incredible. Not just photos but works of art using photography as a base. We are overwhelmed. I am really enjoying doing my own art too. Each Thursday we have an afternoon at a studio in Yarra Glen and just work in peace. My efforts are improving but I have a long way to go. It is coming back but unfortunately not as fast as skating!

On the home front at present I seem to be winning the power war. I am now connected back to TRU energy, who are also our local supplier and suddenly E-mails are answered and we are being helped! I am still trying to get connected with a grid interactive solar system, as I was before the fires. The only remaining issue is the type of panel. All I read seems to suggest that mono crystalline panels are superior to the poly ones except that they are dearer and have more embodied energy. If only there were only one type.

Better still, Josh has actually sounded happy the last few times we have been on the phone to him. He sounds as if he is putting together some sort of life for himself despite the isolation from family and friends. He has done his intensive and is now doing practical work in clinics and in theory all the assignments. I am just praying that things go a bit more smoothly for him now.

Al had the opening for his new school building at Mansfield last week. It is the one I went with him to see. The opening went well even though it was on Friday 13, which was hardly auspicious. Bo is attracting larger and larger crowds to her restaurant. Edd and I go to foodie’s night on Mondays and this week we were joined by Beni. She is struggling to pull her winery through the bad turn in the market and is also trying to write an historical novel based on her husband’s family. My goodness. What a creative group of friends and family we have.

Realism will hit soon as the goats are due to kid in September. Edd has worked hard on the dairy. He has all the cupboards and stainless steel tops up in the milk room and is now working on some devilishly creative pipe work to link all the tanks, pumps and buildings! We have ordered a plumber for next week and at last I might have a washing machine here. We need to have the plumbing all done so that we can wash out the milking machine. Otherwise it will be hours of hand milking which we are all keen to avoid!

High winds are rocking the donga and the constant rain has resulted in mud but I am just grateful we have not started to build yet. We have just about achieved a holding pattern and it is now possible to relax and let things take their time.