I spy with my little eye

A firetruck....with a yellow zodiac strapped to the roof.

New frogs???

I just heard something really odd. Definitely a frog but like a clucking chook...and I'm hearing a lot of different calls...so much rain is causing a population explosion which is good because after all this rain there will be a HUGE insect explosion.

I was confused over peron's & tyler's tree frogs and have decided we must have both because I am sure I have seen both of these and heard both the calls.

Yesterday I uncovered a rocket frog it looked like this  Feycient's frog  but larger.

Nevertheless, I think we may also have
beeping froglets
clicking froglets
Broad palmed rocket frog

Sigh...the smaller homonid species, Mischieveii is calling.  Yum yum time again.

Mud Season Again

Happy 1st Birthday to Skye

Try something different

I love cooking almost as much as I love eating. To keep it  interesting I give myself challenges. They go in and out of fashion depending on employment. Some of these ideas started off as environmental ideas but they've grown on me and I simply enjoy the challenge now. Here are some of them.

• Buy nothing for a fortnight.  I can manage a month but Sean gets jack of no bread and milk.
• Eat local. Try to buy everything grown within a 300km radius.
• Spend a month eating one nationality's cuisine.
• Vegetarian
• Minimal packaging.
• Buy nothing I can't make myself. So I still have to buy cheese and and a few Asian products (miso paste, seaweed paper for sushi, rice paper for spring rolls) or leave them off the menu.

In the new year I'm planning to expand my ability to cater for allergies and food taboos. At each SCA event we cater for people with the following exclusions: seafood, pork, alcohol, lactose, gluten, salicylic acid, allium family, spice of any sort, mushrooms, caffine, chocolate, sugar (inc. fruit), high GI, fat & meat. In addition to this we need to make sure the food is from the time period of 600 to 1600.  Surprisingly, this is not too hard until we get to salycilate allergy, then things get very tricky.

I thought also I might try a week each of; one-pot cooking, BBQ only, Buddhist, paleo, 4 ingredients...

Does anyone have any more ideas for me?

More calves

2 more calves were born this week but one has died. The poor Frisian cow must have hidden her calf near the creek because she has been pacing along the bank bellowing. Hopefully her milk will dry up soon. Oh well...nature takes no hostages.

A funny thing happened on my way to the post office

A fortnight ago I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a package ordered especially for the last day of school. And because I needed it so fervently of course ebay & Pay Pal screwed it up and sent the package to my previous address in Southport. (?!) Considering all the successful transactions I have had with ebay via PayPal this one stumps me too. I had a hard time tracking the package but yesterday it FINALLY arrived and the tool I bought isn't just the duck's nuts - I can even MAKE the duck's nuts! With this tool I can sculpt wool without spending a whole day up to my armpits in soap. The dry felting technique is quicker, more successful than wet felting and is as portable as crochet. But the best thing about this needle felting tool  is it demands instant respect from anyone in the immediate vicinity.

Bring on the Bubbles

Oh well...the three bags of wool did not go over so well. They had a go at processing the wool but were determined NOT to do the science. So we watched movies and played the computers. What a dull way to end the year.  Would they have been more interested if I told them they could set fire to things?

Bring me another tall glass of bubbles will you, Dear?

HATCH

GOOD NEWS: Ziva Rose was  born last Thursday to Chris & Cat Kelly
Congratulations :-)

White White Wi-i-ine

Sparkle for me-ee-ee
Helps me forget that I
Have just one more day to go-o-o

White White wi-i-iine
Stay close to me-e-e
Make them leave me alone
When the bell ri-i-ings

Tonight I am savoring the sensation of almost finality.

It has been a dreadful fortnight.
Skye, Kirk and I have been sick with the flu and croup and the miasma is lingering.
In the middle of it I had a pile of urgent work for BIEDO.
Then I had some assessment due for the my teaching registration but was unable to extend the date more than three days because crucial websites were going down for maintenance.
Then I had little jobs - things that mean something to other people. Like meetings, IT support, student assessments....etc..ad nauseum...
Then the bills rolled in...phone, teaching rego, teachers' union, car rego, car service & maintenance.

BUT FINALLY
It's that last class of the year.

I've got Baa Baa Black Sheep's 3 bags of wool.
I've got all the materials prepared.
I've got my professional patter down pat.
And...Tomorrow it ends and I will be free.

It tastes like a sparkling Cuvee....over ice.