I love this picture of bucolic bliss with the chooks free ranging next to the cows, we also love the fact that we can enjoy the cattle without any of the work that goes with them! We have been grateful as always to be here especially when Sydney went into a Covid lockdown for 3 weeks. We were lucky here to only incur restrictions – masks and social distancing and 5 guests to your house – but the ripple effect from Sydney on our little town has been huge. It happened just as school holidays began and of course that meant many, many cancelled bookings of accommodation, restaurants as well as the lost hordes of people that we generally see during school holidays visiting our retailers leaving many to reduce their opening hours and resort yet again to offering takeaway. We had several fun things planned that have all had to be cancelled including our annual Xmas in July weekend but so many people are doing it tough I can’t bring myself to have a whinge! Hopefully by Spring we will be on a path to opening up Australia as the country becomes vaccinated. I had my first one a few weeks ago and already feel I am better equipped if I came face to face with the virus and look forward to the day I can be fully jabbed and hopefully freer to book some overseas trips, especially to the UK to see my family.

Luckily we managed to squish in one of the infamous long lunches hosted by The Old Church at Milton before the lockdown came into force. This one held a rather special place in their heart as it was a fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer, something their daughter went through at 30. She is one of the lucky ones that caught it early and she is now a spokesperson for the cause as many young women never imagine it will happen to them. She is a lovely young woman and it was fabulous that with the generous donations from many people they were able to raise $19500 to further the research being done by UNSW to get on top of this disease. The entertainment for the day was superb. Murray Hartman who is an amazing Bush Poet and raconteur had us laughing in the aisles with his very clever verses about life’s ups and downs and a great comedian Tahir Biljic who had us in stitches with his unique brand of humour and very kindly drove the 7 hours round trip to contribute to the afternoon. News of the lockdown came through the marquee like Chinese Whispers, a ripple up and down the rows as people’s phones beeped and rang alerting everyone to the new stay at home orders starting a mere 2 hours later! The band had barely begun to play when we all had to pack up and head home. The important stuff had been done though and we had had a great day to boot.

Winter is in full throttle here. We wake to white frosty lawns that crackle underfoot as we walk to let the chooks out in the morning, our breath blowing great plumes of steam. Almost daily we see firewood deliveries and the evening air is perfumed with wood smoke. Most days however we have blue skies and sunshine and by 10am it can be warm enough in the sun to be in a tee shirt but inside the house its cold and a two layer minimum is necessary until we light the fire in the afternoon! The veranda is THE place to be and 5 minutes out there warms you better than one hour in the aircon. It has to be my favourite place in our house no matter what time of the year but especially in Winter.

I think Marilyn must be the number one fan of this blog. She has never failed to read it and leave a comment, she loves reading the stories of our country shenanigans and seeing our little family expanding. A happier, shinier person you couldn’t wish to meet. Her positivity got her through breast cancer a decade ago and through it she discovered she had a talent which then became a business helping others through guided meditation and teaching relaxation techniques. She loved music and singing, travelling everywhere she possibly could, she believed in the strength of friendship and family and the power of the Universe. Thus it came as a cruel blow a couple of years ago when she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. She fought it and then accepted it in her own inimitable style despite hating it and the restrictions it brought her. Covid certainly didn’t help. Her only son was living in England and she had rented a house for 3 months to coincide with the birth of her grandson but it was not to be. Luckily the kids managed to get jobs in Australia and returned at Christmas to spend some precious time with her and she finally got to cuddle her grandson. Sadly she lost her battle last week and she has left a big hole in the Universe. A shock to us all but also a blessing to be released from such an insidious disease that steals your body whilst your mind remains fully functional. We will miss her smile and her company. I will personally miss her encouragement which she gave me constantly and hope one day to fulfill some of her suggestions to me.