Fishin’ ain’t borin’.

(Shel Silverstein)
.
Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s busy, too busy to come to the phone
Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s tryin’ to start a new life of her own
Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s happy so why don’t you leave her alone
And the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s packin’ she’s gonna be leavin’ today
Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s marryin’ a fella down Galveston way
Sylvia’s mother says please don’t say nothin’ to make her start cryin’ and stay
And the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Sylvia’s mother says Sylvia’s hurryin’ she’s catchin’ the nine o’clock train
Sylvia’s mother says take your umbrella cause Sylvie, it’s startin’ to rain
And Sylvia’s mother says thank you for callin’ and sir won’t you call back again
And the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Tell her goodbye…
Please… tell her goodbye..

(c)1972 Evil Eye Music Inc.

Something quite unusual happened to me earlier today. It was, I believe, love at first sight as far as Normie was concerned. I’m afraid I didn’t notice until much later on. He smiled at me when I first laid eyes on him… and I thought he was just being goofy – “Mr Ed”, I said, but only to myself (because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings).

Ellie must have seen that loving look in his eyes because, when I was just about to leave, she asked me:

“Sally, would you look after Normie for a while?”

What could I say? Personally, I wouldn’t have trusted me with Normie…

“Sure, what shall I do?” I asked.

“Oh, take him over there and just stay with him; walk around if you like but you have to be the boss – just push him away if he comes on too strong. Slap him if necessary,” Ellie laughed, “And watch your feet!”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary”, I answered, “and I will be careful.”

We wandered around, side by side, getting to know one another. I actually felt quite flattered that he had taken such a fancy to me. He was nice and fresh, and he smelt lovely (as I couldn’t help but notice when he got up close). Several times I had the urge to massage his neck and run my fingers over his chest, and I didn’t fight the urge. He seemed to enjoy it immensely. Louis, one of the clan, was somewhat jealous and kissed and licked my arm in a bid to get my attention. My, but I felt wanted.

At last I really had to make tracks. I led Normie over to Ellie and gave her his tether. He didn’t want to leave me.

“Normie prefers you to me,” she laughed.

He turned back to me and put his head against my chest. I stroked his cheek and felt a little pang of love myself. I never knew I was a horsewoman…

Malcolm the magpie is first in the pecking order; also he has acquired a table manner.

My Chris is such a wit (not twit, thank goodness). Even in his post scripts he cannot help but be amusing, as you can see….

P S If a mallard, conversing with a companion water-fowl, made a point of a dull or commonplace truism, would it be a duck-billed platitude?

I have been working on the new painting all day today and it is nearly there. I worked in the garage (door up, of course) and listened to music on the radio as I painted. My nice next-door neighbour Wendy called in to have a look and admire her boat – it was her suggestion – and the handsome pilot came over too. I didn’t have time to go for a cycle ride but I was on my feet all day, and I had a bit of exercise dancing (on my own, when no-one was looking… hopefully).

Actually, I could not have gone cycling anyway because it poured down with rain in the afternoon. It’s my fault that it rained because I watered the garden this morning; I should have remembered that it always rains after I have hosed the plants, if I had, I would have brought the washing in earlier and the sheets would not have had to go into the tumble-drier…

.

Hot from Chris, our reporter nearly on the scene (scene it all before anyway!):

Just saw on the local Spotlight News the latest disaster chapter in the
ongoing Sea Wall saga!  This time, it involves the section of line
between Smugglers and Sprey Point, where there was apparently another
large area of damage in the great storm (of course, nobody can see that
one, because nobody is allowed on any section of the Sea Wall.)  It
seems they were worried that a section of the cliff face was unstable,
and that workers were therefore not safe working there, so they
triggered what they euphemistically termed a “controlled landslide”.  Oh
dear!  Apparently approximately 35,000 tonnes of cliff thundered down
all over the track, burying the rails completely, going right over the
wall itself, and making a new lower cliff face out into the sea!!
Moreover, the rest of the cliff threatens to follow, so they’ve called
in the Army – the Royal Engineers – with their specialist equipment,
skills and substantial workforce.  They are considering a series of
controlled explosions, and the use of a specialist water cannon tug
based in Plymouth to try to loosen the part they want to get rid of.
Lawks a-mercy, Mother!  However, a spokesman for Railtrack said they are
still hoping to open the line on my birthday!  Oh, yeah?

A few more photographs, this time of the countryside as you approach Cabbage Tree Point. You may recognise the cane fields and the cane farm on the hill as I’ve taken shots before. I’ve included a charming little Lutheran Chapel which dates back to 1882 and two typical Queenslander properties, one of which looks very dry.

Up with the larks, plenty of sunshine aswell as shade, a gentle breeze under the trees, cold drinks and smoko – what more could one ask for? Fish!