06

I may well be finishing my job at the YMCA soon. I think perhaps I am too old-fashioned in demanding that children behave civilly. The Government would rather back parents with dangerous children than support the majority of well-behaved children. It saddens me when the rights of the many are trampled for the allowances of a few.

I am trying a few new vegetables bought at a local supermarket: taro, sinquar and hairy melon. I'll let you know how I go.

We had another calf die, Brian said it had brain damage and was not right from day one. It died in convulsion in front of Brian today. So sad.

On a lighter note, Brian dug out more of the water feature today, and lifted up a shovel-full of nicely-marinated-in-duck-and-goose-excreta-soil. He says he lifted it too high, and a rush in to have a full shower resulted. He also tells me he has kindly left the clothes in the bathroom (not the laundry) for me to wash. I told him to throw them out. They are only old clothes from the Op. Shop anyway. He said it was his favourite jumper. I believe he will have to change which is his favourite jumper now.

Mowgli was shown a mouse caught in one of the glue traps. It had the effrontery to squeak at him. I have seldom seen a dog move so fast. From one side of the pillow, straight across Alice's head, where he had been resting, to the other. Mind you, he still investigates the smell of the little festers as they have left deposits in various parts of the house. Bless him!

Dinner last night was a bit different. I don't often heat up meat pies as I tend to think that they are not that well prepared. These were. I also went a bit mad and made up mashed potatoes with cream and real butter. Yummo! The carrots were steamed in a bit of water and then I drained them and drizzled honey and sprinkled a bit of ginger on them.

For greens, we had something different: cream cheese filled celery sticks with nigella seeds sprinkled on top. Very nice. Craig left with a bulging stomach and a grin.

Tuesday I had made a stir fry with grain mustard, soy sauce and honey. Interesting. The guys liked it, but I've made better, I believe.

I watched a fascinating documentary on one of the marvels of modern technology the other night. It was about the first lighthouse to be built that would spend most of its life with its base in the sea, as the rocks were taking an horrendous toll on human life, but were mostly underwater. Given that it was off the coast of Scotland (still going, and built in the latter part of the 19th Century), the Junior Architect (a young Robert Stephenson, no less!) and the builders and support crew could only work for a few hours per day in the Summer. Three years it took, and each block hand carved, to exact measurements, so that if one was chipped in transport, they would have to wait months for its replacement. Two lives lost, and one man had his legs irreperably damaged. How amazing! Tough, weren't they? They spent the first few months on board a ship, and constructed a tower hut with its feet grabbing for a secure toe-hold deep in the rock. That's where they lived for the rest of their Summer sojourns. It was a near-thing, though, with massive Summer storms eventually tearing out one section.

Stephenson had his own personal storms: the Head Architect disagreed with him, and because he was not often there, Stephenson, who was on site all the time, made up his own mind how things would be constructed, from the type of putty to be used, to the light itself. He would write out massive letters of inquiry to the Head Architect, querying all that was to be built, so that the Architect was kept busy, and then would ignore the answers and put in his own ideas. There are still debates as to who really built the lighthouse. His twin children died of whooping cough, and I'm not sure what happened to his wife. Fascinatin' stuff as Bertie Wooster would say.

Ideas

Are you sure that's what I meant?

I'm certain I said something entirely different!

Well, I think I did. I wouldn't say anything like that!

No, that's not me. Look, I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaken.

What do you mean, you were standing there when I said it?

I don't think I was even there at the time.

Who are you to judge?

well, i may have been wrong in the past, but i know i'm not now.

are you sure? well, perhaps i did get the wrong end of the stick.

look, you know i didn't mean anything by it. i'm sorry if i offended you.

i don't normally make accusations like that.

it's just not me. really. how many times do i have to apologise?

okay, okay, i'm really very truly sorry. i know i don't sound it, but i am.

really.

truly.

sorry.

whoops.