The most expensive cat in the world

For years we had Smoke insured in the UK and he never got sick. Now he's arrived in Oz and is too old to be eligible for insurance he spends half his life and most of our money at the vets! He has a kidney problem that is kept under control if we feed him this really expensive on prescription diet (in other words we can't get it cheap over the internet). He's had his teeth done and now he's cut his foot and and will probably need surgery to repair it! Anyone want a really expensive old cat? He comes complete with box!!!!

UPDATE: Smoke has escaped surgery and instead has to have antibiotics twice a day. Which means he now hides under the dining table or behind the sofa whenever I'm around in case I grab him! Oh, to be popular!

Pick-up sticks

We are now well underway with the building process, with the framing timber going up pretty quickly. We hope the roof trusses will be finished this week and then it's onto external coverings, doors and windows (apparently).
Pictures for those that are interested - just click on image to expand: -
1. North East corner view of framing, i.e. looking at front of house from NE
2. North West corner view
3. View of the shed behind the house, i.e. the South side

Go East young man

OK, so the song is actually called 'Go West young man', but this doesn't fit this blog posting so you get what you're given!
Anyways, a little while back we booked a weekend away to Swansea on Tassie's East Coast, definitely not in Wales. Drove up Friday after work and was on the beach Saturday morning - fantastic. Bit crowded though, as there were about 6 or 7 other people on the nine mile stretch of sand; barefaced cheek!
Weather on Sat was fab (high of 18 deg C, or mid 60's in old money) despite it still being late Winter. Not so good on Sunday so got up late, went for Japanese lunch, and baked cup cakes in the evening for RSPCA campaign (see new web-link on right hand side in the link 'u' like section). Plenty more to explore in the area, so we will go back maybe next year and camp.

Another new job for Jules

You may remember my first job at Australian Red Cross was in Emergency Services and my contract ended in June. The job finished, but my passion for the area didn't. Soooo, last month I applied for and got a new job working full time for the National Emergency Services team (as opposed to the Tassie team) on a project to develop a national framework for the use of spontaneous volunteers in an emergency. As before I'm on a contract until the end of June, the Oz end of financial year. Do you spot a pattern here! So far I'm loving it. Part of the project includes holding stakeholder consultations in every state/territory in Oz, so in Sept/Oct I will be jetting off around the country. How lucky am I???!!!

Shiver me timbers!

Things moving on in the house building. It's hardly 'Grand Designs', more 'Little house on the Paddock'.
Anyway, we have a garage (or shed in Aussie lingo) base with some timber framing.
And we have supporting stumps and floor for the house. More wall framing happening this week.

Snow on the Welly

High winds and rain overnight, but further up - lots of lovely snow!