Fri, 9th Nov, 2018 Pastoral Station, 60km north of Sandstone, WA

7am 28.3 degrees, cloudy and no breeze. Long rumbles of thunder had started about 5am but nothing has happened yet.

The wind came back up and there is a high thin cloud.

When I checked the chickens I noticed goanna tracks heading to the run then alongside the door and around the other side but I didn’t see it.

Pottered about the garden.

Played three games of Skipbo – Steve won 2 to 1 before we had lunch.

Had a dip in the cold spa as it is quite hot now, 35 degrees. Very refreshing after you break through the first cold dunking.

Cleaned out the 44 gallon drums that Lance and Steve had cut the ends off. Joy wanted them to go over the banana trees to protect them. We did that and realised with the heat on the drums from the sun the leaves would burn easily. We decided to use some of the off-cut shadecloth and 4 old star pickets and make a shade enclosure. Steve dug out around the two trees, there are new sucklings coming up, so we can drain our shower water between the two trees. Steve strung some wire between the poles which I rounded up some horse poo to put into the hole then we covered it in hay. Hopefully that should do the trick.

Dark clouds are circling us making it quite humid. Still 35 degrees at 4pm but the sun is behind the dark clouds now so it is comfortable.

Had our drinks and nibbles then I went and watered all the plants and vegie gardens. Takes a while but it is lovely outside, except for the annoying fly or two. Joy is planning on putting in a sprinkler system.

After the sun had set I went over to the chooks and they were all inside on their perches. Mummy is still sitting on her 7 eggs.

The storm went around us but we can still hear the rumbles of thunder and a few drops of rain fell.

7pm 31 degrees. I heard a strange sound and realised it was coming from the house. Oscar had pulled one of the cushions off the outside chairs and had torn it to pieces. Obviously he is missing his family. Steve put him in his kennel.

9pm a light shower of rain fell and kept going for quite a while. Steve put out a bucket to catch the rainwater off the awning so we can use it in our ‘fan cooler’.