Gone in a Flash

Our Australians have been and gone and should be arriving any time soon in Sydney. In spite of lousy weather we had a great time. I was worried they would feel the cold after the tropical climate in Queensland, and they did, but not in the house, happily. In fact they started to leave doors open finding it too warm! May be the stuffing of the walls and lagging of the attic has helped, but we still have acres of unglazed glass.

Before they left we were delighted to hear our grand- daughter had been accepted at the University of her choice- albeit somewhat flooded at present. It’ll be all hands on deck to clear up the mud. It certainly is a land of extreme contrasts as illustrated in John O Brien’s poem:

“If we don’t get three inches, man,

Or four to break this drought,

We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,

“Before the year is out.”

And every creek a banker ran,

And dams filled overtop;

“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanranhan,

“If this rain doesn’t stop.”

“There’ll be bush-fires for sure me man,

There will, without a doubt,

We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,

“Before the year is out.”

Drought, floods and forest- fires just go with the territory. At school our 10 year old grandson regularly recites:

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains,

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel sea,

Her beauty and her terror-

The wide brown land for me!

They enjoyed the food especially bread and all the different cheeses. Our son made a smashing spag bog and an antipasta – something tricolour – tomatoes, red onion, Mozzarella cheese and a delectable sauce begging to be mopped up with crusty bread. I did my fail- safe roast chicken with lemon and garlic and smoked salmon and prawns were also popular.

One day we braved the rain and went over Exmoor to the Blue ball Inn. F said she missed the English country lanes. We rediscovered the inn when our French son was here and the food is still excellent. MTL had his favourite ham, egg and chips, K had Cumberland sausages on mustard, surrounded by a circular Yorkshire pudding. I should have taken a shot because it looked extraordinary. F had something more popular with teenagers but I can’t remember what. The vegetables were outstanding – about five different ones.

I usually avoid pastry but both F and I chose apple pie – custard for F and vanilla ice-cream for me. It was truly melt in your mouth time.

My new phone has just rung with the news that they are back home safe and sound. Deo gratias. We now have three phones, courtesy of K, so no excuse for not answering them - except for meal-times which are sacrosanct.

Our kitchen chairs are starting to fall apart. I was standing on one of them so - project for the week.