A significant advantage of having Stella a mere 5 minute drive away in Mount Clear is that, when I ring her on a Sunday morning and tell her that I am making a chicken and vegetable stew with roasties for lunch and would she like to join us - she can. I went and picked her up. We had a lovely lunch. I took her back. Almost no effort at all

Things have been trundling along much as usual. Lindsey and I have been to the markets on Saturdays and then out to the mushroom farm. There weren't as many stalls yesterday at Zoo Drive, although there were a lot of people there. Not bad, considering it had been foggy and misty and drizzly in the morning. We didn't really need anything much but it was nice to have a potter around outside.

I am hoping for a few dry days this coming week. I really need to get back out into the back garden and get the new garden beds sorted out. I did get into the front veg beds in between showers yesterday and pull most of the grass out. The peas and broad beans are growing happily. I could do to put wire up so they don't get blown over as they grow. I've mad a start on chopping back one of the bushes along the side fence along the driveway. I need to finish that one, tackle the other two (on of which is REALLY overgrown) and sort out the horrible agapanthus which are attempting to take over the whole known universe. One day, in the far, far future, when I have a bit of spare cash, I'm going to get someone with a Machine to dig them out. But I have other things to do first. I want to get the gas stove removed. I would like to get a new front door. I wouldn't mind some more solar lights in the hallway and lounge room. The list of things I would quite like to do is quite long.

Lindsey has taken Stella back to her place in Mount Martha this weekend, so she can decide which things she would like to take with her to Mount Clear and say goodbye to her neighbours. We will head down in an hour or so and join them and various other people for (a probably final) lunch in the Dava. a 2.5 hour drive, rather than a 5 minute drive! But I should perhaps get dressed first. They might look at me strangely if I go in my pyjamas and dressing gown!

I was quite please with this milestone on Drops:

A(nother) winter sunrise:

Brandy, plotting mischief:

Whiskey, sleeping at the wheel: