What a good girl am I! I catapulted out of bed at the first sound of my alarm. Something I have not done recently, I must admit. I have been a little slowed up somehow       Ah well, age has its side effects not so?

No rain over night, but we did get 2mm yesterday sometime during the day. Whoo-hoo! The raindrops plop down and disappear so fast it makes you wonder whether you really saw or heard the rain fall at all. Incredible. It is that dry. We are waiting patiently for a good, heavy down pour. It will come, of that I am sure.

After my normal morning routine, I hung out more washing to slap its way to dryness outside in the wind and the sunshine, I love the noise of the sheets cracking in the wind. It sounds so clean.

Once Ken was up and moving, he went across the river on the quad bike pulling the trailer to bring the rest of the groceries (left in my little car on the other side of the river overnight) up to the top shed. He also had to take the empty gas cylinder across and get it into my car. He came back and fetched me, then we set sail for Peter and Sue’s where I left Ken to pick up the now-working-again ute.

At long last! Great excitement and happiness, Ken has the ute back with a second-hand engine in it now. Ken went off to Wauchope to fetch feed for the cattle and get a new gas cylinder, while I went off to meet my friend Karen.

In a fortnight or so, I will be looking after Karen’s mum and their home for her and her husband, while they attend a huge Trade Fair down in Sydney for her business. So, this morning I went to discuss all the hoo-hah of the what’s, when’s and who’s for that. I also got to chat to her mum and assure her that all will be well when I am in charge. She believed me!

Karen also got out her diary as she wants me to start up teaching calligraphy lessons in her studio again, but only after she has had her fourth hand op. I will begin classes again in July this year. There is still much for us to discuss about the dates et cetera but we have time on our side.

Karen loaded me with gifts - a bottle of wine that she did not want, some rock cakes that she had baked, masses of delicious choccies, and two sets of DVD series she has lent me. Karen and Paul have hundreds (yes, I mean hundreds of DVD’s) and so when I am staying there, I will be like a little kid in a candy shop! Spoilt for choices!

I phoned Ken from Karen's to make sure that we would get home at about the same time, so I could get a ift across the river and back up home. In the end I had to ride the quad bike, with trailer in tow, across the river, followed closely by Ken in the ute.

My goodness gracious golly gee! The sky was a dark indigo, with heavy clouds dragging themselves laboriously across it. I could almost smell the rain. The thunder rolled and grumbled overhead, and the lightening flashed with great flashes, scribbling hasty notes in blinding light across the lumpy sky.  A storm was brewing loudly above us. But … even with all that noise and activity we missed the rain as it scudded around us and travelled south. We received but 1mm. But it was 1mm of rain and we were happy to get that. But sometimes it is hard not to cry with impatience or frustration.

I hastily brought the now dry washing in.

Whilst Ken and Koda had their siesta, I sat up in my studio and worked on the lessons I will be giving this coming Monday at school for the children. I am looking forward to seeing all the children I know and to meeting the new children too.

I also unpacked the brand new Brother Scan ‘n Cut machine that Karen gave me to work out how to use for her. She gave me this machine at the beginning of the year, well just before I went to Katoomba for that convention I attended, but what with visitors and just life in general, I had not got around to doing anything with it. So, today was the day! But I think I need some sort of degree to work this machine out, there was and is screeds of instructions and I began to wade through them, but still have not got to the nitty gritty bit in order to start the machine! Maybe tomorrow?

I made us a salmon salad for supper as Ken’s mouth is still a little tender so he does not want to chew hard yet, plus it was still so hot weather-wise.

I began t watch the one series that Karen has lent me on Leonardo da Vinci, which should be very interesting. But I was tired and so only watched a portion of the first DVD episode. 

I crawled into bed with Koda, Ken was still in front of the TV and I was fast asleep before Ken got to bed.

Thursday 8^th February slipped away as we slept.

What lesson did I learn today? That I have made some wonderful friends here in Australia.

What am I grateful for today? The rain, no matter how little.

My saying for today is …