2013 ends

January 2 2014

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Today Edd took Wayne to the airport to catch his flight to the UK. He is off to meet the siblings he has never known. We knew when we adopted Wayne that he had four half siblings but we thought they were all adopted out as far as we knew. This was basically correct except that the eldest sister was rejected from her adopted home and the youngest I am not sure about. By the wonders of the internet they have all made contact and now Wayne is off to meet them in person. He is not allowing himself to get his hopes up too much in case it does not work out, but really he is very excited. Edd and I were not sure that he would really go until he set off! I half expected him to get cold feet.

Wayne has been very careful not to upset our feelings but actually all we feel is joy for him. We are also happy for JJ who is deeply in love with the girl who he met at an Audiological conference in Perth. The two of them have stayed with us for several weeks now and have survived living together. Next week JJ returns to WA and R heads back to Qld to do her PhD. JJ is trying to find work in the East so that they do not have to live so many thousands of miles apart.

This means that after months of having guests staying Edd and I will be alone again. We have a lot of work to do so this will probably be a good thing. The sheep are shorn and I am in the middle of the cheese making season. This year I am experimenting with an Italian style starter. I am really confident at making feta and cream cheese but the hard cheeses are hit and miss. The trouble is that they take so long to mature that it is difficult to assess the feed back from tasting and know what works. I suppose I should keep good notes.

It is a strange year. We have had so many cloudy days and the grass is still green. NT and Qld have heat waves but it was icy here this morning. Some how the weather is ominous and rather threatening. The UK and US are having terrible storms. A is there now looking after my mum whilst my sister is on holiday but P should be almost home. She says she might come over tomorrow. She needs to collect the dog from Bo.

I am still worried about Fukishima where the situation is getting worse by the day. The pollution that some people are talking about in the pacific ocean seems to horrific to contemplate. Will we have to stop eating all seafood? With the obvious climate changes and the pollution from radiation and oil spills humanity looks to be set on a course of self -destruction. Not a happy situation at all.