Looking surprisingly well after thousands of kilometres of travel.
My daughters, 1 partner and 2 grandchildren gathered at Possum Valley for Xmas. Alice and Henry (right in picture) with partner Blue came from Mooranbah, and Josie and Huon (left in picture) from Darwin. Unfortunately Kairne, Josie’s husband had to work. He supplies equipment for drill rigs in the Timor Sea, and for some reason I can’t understand, drill rigs don’t knock off for Xmas. More fool them. The oil was 200,000,000 years in the making, and will still be there when they get back a week later.
It was a very good season for me. Family and friends sharing love and time, food and wine, and gossip and experiences. Meanwhile the kids reorganised my home and I am still looking for things and finding them in the most unexpected places.
I was elected cook for the Xmas feast and I hope I discharged my duties adequately. As usual, there were many offers of help for cooking, which I fiercely fought off to defend my dictatorship of the kitchen. Some will understand. It was pleasing that my wife and her partner were also able to come. I am well aware of what the traditional fare for Xmas is, so I did a roast chook and roast lamb. I did offer a small christmas pud with the desert, but fruit salad and cream is most welcome in the middle of summer. Due to other commitments, the family get together was several days before the 25th Dec. That worked out very well for all concerned as my youngest daughter was able to do it all again with husband and kid and lots of presents in Darwin. I got invited out to a local farm and B&B (Wagtail House Luxury Accommodation) for a sumptuous, al fresco and friendly Xmas dinner. The views and scenery are stunning, the hosts gentle and gracious, and the weather most cooperative. A very different style from Possum Valley, but if you can, stay at this B&B. See
http://www.wagtail-house.com/ .
A few days later, a guest and friend at Possum Valley, invited me for another gala feast at Maple Cottage along with a dozen other lively people and kids. I drank too much wine and sang too many songs around a camp fire outside. Perfect. Frankly, you lot in the northern hemisphere can keep your snow and darkness, heavy foods and thick clothes. Give me sun , water, sand and surf with something sizzling on the BBQ anytime.
Now to more serious matters. Someone has stolen all the water I rely on. I don’t know how they did it, but the monsoon rain I consider my right due to geographical location, has been half inched down to southern Queensland where they are under water. Well into the ‘wet season’, and 2 months into the cyclone season, my creek is at historic lows. Meaning my hydro system is near collapse. Any steer in my neighbours paddocks can piss faster than the creek is running. (I have been considering desperate measures, but I don’t think the police would believe “no I wasn’t rustling, I just want the steer’s … ” would have any traction).
So some solar panels which fell off the back of a Telstra truck have been doing the heavy lifting to provide electricity. They were surprisingly undamaged. I should perhaps point out that these panels were obsolete and written off by Telstra. Replaced by the next generation. But several people I know don’t like to see things which still have some utility go to landfill. So they trickled down to me. Individuals can see economy and efficiency and routinely practice it in their lives. Companies can see economy and efficiency but often get it wrong in how and where to apply it. Governments don’t need either economy or efficiency because they will still be there however badly they do things.
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