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We still have not heard about the house in Saltau Street, and the court case with HeartHelp has been adjourned until the right documentation by the prosecuting party has been lodged. More power to her, I say. Laurie is apparently starting up again in South Australia, and pleaded ill-health as being the reason why he was not representing himself in Court yesterday. I think that it is not just the Justice Department that are gunning for him, however. Time will tell, and nobody, thankfully, seems to be fooled by the fact that Laurie calls himself a volunteer, is not officially on the paperwork, and yet is known to be the power behind the throne.

I have been very good and have only had one bottle of "V" in the last few days. It is hard to give up, but I know I must. The rotten, tasty stuff is not good for me.

Mowgli has fleas, and I have been eradicating them as I find them. We still have not offloaded the pigs, but the chooks are (mostly) going tonight, we have a few geese only left, even the German shepherds have found a home with a man who has part-time sons and lives next door to a drug dealer. And two doors down from a rumoured rapist. I just told them to get the rabbit hutch out of the way.

Brian is yet closer to getting his Harley roadworthied, and should be riding it legally by Monday.

Jane at work is wonderful and sweet, and very helpful. Yesterday, when I had to go down to Melbourne for the court appearance, she took over from me and did a sterling job.

Judy Sharpe writes in an old edition of The Standard (October 23rd, 2004AD):

"Deterring pests won't be achieved by planting one specimen. For example, once chive plant near the roses won't deter aphids. They will need to be mass planted to see any positive results.

"Therefore, gardening with insect repellent plants will need to be exercised in mass and in companionship with organic gardening, meaning no spraying or fertilising with non-organic products.

"Bees are all-important in an organic garden, but even the safest of sprays can be poisonous. Look on the can or bottle, even pyrethrum sprays are mixed with a base product that can be harmful.

"Always spray late in the afternoon when bees have hopefully gone to bed. Don't use chemical dusts as the bees could gather this in pollens.

"Grow a mass of lavender under fruit trees. This not only repels insects but will attract bees to pollinate the fruit blossom. One of the most popular herbs grown is basil. This sweet smelling plant is reported to repel most insects.

"Again I must emphasise that quantity is needed, although a large health post of sweet basil near a doorway could discourage pesky summer flies.

"It is noticeable that many insect repellant plants are also those herbs most favoured for cooking, which suggests that it's their strong aroma that repels insects. Dill is a great example, not only attracting bees but also helping to repel spider mites and white cabbage moths.

"Try growing pennyroyal as a deterrent for fleas and mosquitoes. Scatter the dried leaves around your pet's sleeping area.

"Eucalyptus trees are familiar to us all but not always recognised for their medicinal potential. I rub down my Doberman regularly with eucalyptus oil on a chamois and he never gets ticks or fleas. The added bonus is his extremely shiny coat."

I've shared with you before about making your own yoghurt and how extremely easy it is. I tend to base such statements on how easy it is for me, given that I have the homesteading ability and tendencies of Donald Trump. In the September-November 2004AD edition of Earth Garden, Deborah McDonnell of Walpeup (pron. Woll-pee-up), Victoria, gives an interesting variation on traditional uses for yoghurt:

Draining Yoghurt

Drained yoghurt can be used as a replacement for mayonnaise, to make dips, or to make yoghurt cheese, which can be used as a substitute for cream or cottage cheese, all depending on how long you drain it for.

Directions

Line a sieve with several layers of damp cheesecloth or a clean, damp chuxcloth - this is a fine meshed cloth sold in supermarkets and used to clean up spills in kitchens, etc. It comes in basic colours of blue and white or pink and white with a wavy pattern printed on it (this will cut the draining time in half as the cloth drains and absorbs the whey). Place about 1kg of your yoghurt in this, and set the sieve over a basin or bowl to catch the why. Homemade yoghurt is especially good for this, since yoghurt won't drain if it contains gelatine, stabilisers or thickeners.

Once drained to the required consistency, transfer to a dish and cover. This makes about 2 cups, and will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Keep the whey to mix into soups, drinks or bread dough; it's high in vitamin B12, an especially important vitamin for vegetarians.

Draining times:
2 hours for mayonnaise substitute
4 to 5 hours to make dips and fillings
8 to ten hours to make yoghurt cheese, replacement for cream and cottage cheeses. Try seasoning with salt, fresh herbs or spices, onions, garlic, nuts or whatever takes your fancy.

Yoghurt cheese can also be whipped with sugar to taste and a little whipped cream to make an unusual dessert topping , but goes well just as it is, served with grapes, melon, or your own favourite fruit. Enjoy!

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This morning there was a pre-Dawn raid at our place.

Brian set the alarm for 5AM, and we both staggered up and caught as many chooks as we could, loaded them into a disused guinea pig cage and left them in the back of the van for Aaron to take to work as his boss, Rose, wanted them.

As Aaron leaves for work at 5:45AM, you can see why we were up at five.

Poor Brian! Didn't even get to have a coffee before starting!

I managed to get rid of two roosters, but I think the rest will end up being pig food.

Yes, we still have Porgy and Bess, and I have just contacted old friends of mine who are big into permaculture and have heaps of associates, one of who might like a boar and a sow.

Went to see some more rental properties today, and there is an excellent one that backs on to the Merri River near Warrnambools golf course. Verrry nice.

Not near enough to the golf course to create problems. A cul-de-sac street. Nice house, lotsa rose bushes, very large garage.

Haven't seen inside yet, but looking forward to it, and might try for Monday night.

Someone nearby has ducks, and over the river there are a couple of goats tethered. Brian loves the idea of canoeing down the river, which he used to do when he lived with his parents at Allansford.

It's also a cheaper rental than the Saltau Street property, by some $45/week. Alright, it's not fully furnished, unlike Saltau Street, but that's easily enough remedied.

When Alice found out that there were TWO living areas, she immediately re-thought her alignment of this being only the second of the preferred options.

I reckon we could grow some really nice veggies where it floods occasionally on the riverbank. I think that would be good rich soil there. We shall see.

Roads and Hearts

My heart is a journey

that has seen many a bump

most unexpected

it's twisted into new vistas

and the hills and valleys were

breathtaking, to say the least

rough surfaces

crowded their way

into my consciousness

and the smooth, quiet runs

were always appreciated

But didn't I hate it

when I ran over something!

Someone's pet

an wild impulse

which is getting to be a rarer

beast, these days!

sometimes the view was monotonous

but then I missed even that

when it went

I no longer crave the excitement

of an ever-changing vista

I no longer hunger for a change

of scenery.

I want my road to lead to Home

and me, forever parked,

my heart on happy idle.