Heavenly Beverley : Always Expect the Unexpected!

A beautiful Sunday morning here in Beverley. The air is still cool, the dogs have had their treats, the cat has retired in disgust to our bed and the bird is full of - himself.

Our house-sitters, Jenny and Steve arrived yesterday afternoon. A delightful, easy-going, interesting couple, we are their last "sit" before they return to their home on the south coast of New South Wales. Also in attendance is their beautiful black Labrador Daizee. Pip and Ruby have welcomed her and the cat is showing her displeasure by kneading our bedclothes.

Having never used "outside" house-sitters, I was a tad apprehensive before they pulled up alongside Station House in their car and caravan. I was thoroughly relieved when we clicked immediately. Our kind of travellers. Steve in a veritable fountain of knowledge concerning all the places in Australia we hope to visit. I could have listened to him all night. Jenny rides in his wake, without surrendering any of her own personality. I suspect Steve could be happy on the road forever, but Jenny misses her children and grandchildren and is looking forward to her family reunion.

When the cat finishes her cat nap, she will exit stage left from our bedroom so I can strip the bed and change the sheets. Today is the day we leave for the Big Smoke and then onto Queensland tomorrow. With Jenny and Steve here, we only have a few chores left. One of these will be cleaning out the bird's cage. His manners are thoroughly disgusting, hence his tray needs to be removed, emptied, blasted with the hose and relined with a thick layer of clean newspaper. No doubt the feathered fiend will waste no time in leaving his first blob on the bottom of his cage.

Our big news is that we have ordered a new vehicle and a new off-road caravan. We will thank my Dad every time we drive the car. And we will send love to Lucky when we pick up the caravan at the beginning of April. Their financial legacy has allowed us to fulfil two long held dreams.

So Kermit has been traded-in. During the Emptying of the Insides Ceremony, Michael stumbled across my long-lost beloved Nikon camera. Last seen at his brother's sixtieth birthday party in late October, we had given up in despair of ever finding it. Sneakily hiding next the wheel arch in the boot, Michael unearthed the camera's location by moving the back seats. Voila!

Kermit's final trip to Northam Holden began with a jump start, courtesy of Goldie. Michael had been charging the battery by a trickle feed for two days, however he still required the assistance of Goldie, jumper leads and Start Ya Bastard to fire into life. I had given up Kermit's battery as a lost cause. He finally started with a roar on the third attempt.

Once at Northam Holden, Kermit promptly disgraced himself by refusing to start when required. The battery was on its last legs. Trevor, who organised us, was a longtime Holden enthusiast and excused this misdemeanour. Given half a chance, he may have bought Kermit for himself. Stay tuned for any updates.

Finally, some good news for my brother Michael and his wife Jenny. Although still considered terminal, she has responded well to the first round of chemotherapy. This will buy her some precious time for herself and their family. According to my latest report from Michael, Jenny is sleeping better, eating better and they hope to move into hospital accommodation in the near future. For them, with her diagnosis still less than a month old, this is bloody awesome news.

Time to get my bum moving. The cat has not taken well to Daizee. This will be a war of attrition for the duration. Madame Cat will probably remove herself from the presence of the pesky and vocal Labrador, only entering the house in the dead of night to eat. Or, she'll swipe Daizee across the nose to get her revenge. Hell hath no fury like a cat coping with an unexpected canine boarder.

Onwards and upwards. Have a great day.