Finally, another update

Who'd have thought it? February 3rd already! - where did January go? It must be all the good clean living I'm doing, because I can't think of another reason - unless just packing in an awful lot in a short time might be the answer.

The gallery opening last Saturday for Australia Day was a success. Rene even sold some paintings, including two to a couple visiting from Berne, Switzerland. It was a lot of fun, we saw lots of new folk as well as old friends..all in all a great day. To top it off our very lovely friends Di and Torquil (from Brisbane) stayed over and made it a really terrific Australia Day.

The new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, (a Queenslander born here on the Sunshine Coast) has scheduled a statement of 'sorry' for the forced removal of Aboriginal children years ago as the first act of business when the new parliamnet sits within a fortnight in Canberra. The majority of Australians support this action and it endorses statements in other Australian parliaments carried in past years (Queensland's parliament did theirs back in 1997). The stubborn and out of touch conservative PM of old refused to say this, even though many of his party supported the move. It's now to happen as the centrepiece of Rudd's new government. The federal government is even bussing and flying in many indigenous Australians, affected by these past actions, to Canberra just for this historic session of parliament. The recent Australia Days have been known amongst indigenous Australians as 'National Sorry Day'. With the promise of this statement of 'sorry' imminent, I think the recent day (January 26) passed with little acrymony for the first time in years.

School is good, the driving to and from Brisbane is not. Wednesday it took me 1h45m to get to school, the next day 1h40m (a different school). The wet weather did not help, but still, driving home is 1h5m, quite a difference. I'll have to get over it, it's not forever. June is the scheduled completion date for the house.....

...speaking of which, last week the block was levelled (didn't need much) and also pegged out. Because of the very wet weather recently the foundation hasn't gone down yet, but hopefully this week will be it. Last Friday we met with the cabinet maker in Brisbane and came away very satisfied with the look we've planned. He'll get the 3D plans to us this coming week and we can check that it looks right (ensuring doors open without hitting others, that sort of thing). Much to Rene's chagrin I'm getting a new fridge since where it'll go needs a door swinging from the opposite side to the fridge we have (a perfectly good white upside down fridge with all bells and whistles) but we'll get an upside down stainless steel finished unit with a door hinged on the left. This fridge is manufactured in Brisbane by a NZ company and is used by several of my friends - they all love theirs. It'll match the double drawer dishwasher we're getting made by the same company. It'll all look very smart.

The weather forecast is for more rain - we've already had loads. Last week 72% of Queensland (a state 2.5 times larger than Texas) was affected by floods. There is more (much more) to come. Unfortunately we here in the South East haven't had as much as the rest of the state, but it has improved. Our combined water storage is up from 18% to nearly 28%, ensuring that we don't run completely out of water - not being overly dramatic but it was very possible a few short weeks ago - had this traditional rainy season not arrived. It has been something like 7 years without this pattern, so we were well and truly overdue.

A multi million $ dragline in a Central Queensland went under when 'once in a hundred years' flood levees were broken. Three others were safe, but this one will take months to get back into production. The mining company is having to import pumps etc to drain the mine of countless millions of megalitres of water along 1km deep, 3km long tunnels. Oh well, at least the flooding brings back hope to the many who live and produce in the far flung corners of this vast state.

We're off in a few minutes to witness the first auction of an apartment here at Caribbean. We might (just 'might') sell ours when we're ready to move in June. We'll see what the market is like. The pictures are from the auction site on the net.

Finally (for now) an American friend of mine living here now in Brisbane replied to an email I sent out with questions about past lives. One job Polly had before being on staff at the University of Queensland was that of 'riding drag'. I had visions of a Mae West look-a-like with spurs, but it's more interesting than that. With her permission, I post her reply to my puzzled email enquiring about 'riding drag'. Bye for now, have a brilliant week.

Riding drag is thought to be the lowest of the low, the person who rides behind the herd, eating dust all the way, picking up the calves that get too tired, and slinging them over the saddle with you. But I learned a lot riding drag....for instance, never judge a man/woman by the position they hold at that moment...Although I rode at the back (girl, youngest etc) I had the best cutting horse in three counties, and they would call me out front whenever they had a problem to turn a cow out of the neighbors herd, or deal with a heifer on the fight. Plus, while eating all that dust I learned the skills of tracking, watching, following the whole system, cows and cowboys alike, all of which are the skills I use in facilitating groups (which I have a good reputation for in many settings)...someday I plan to write a professional journal article entitled: Riding Drag, What I learned about facilitation at the back of the herd.

Now, admit it, I know some pretty darn interesting people. And that includes you too - ciao!