It has been a week of trying to get the materials to finish off various jobs. This means ringing around shops, yards, builders, their friends, “a bloke who might know” and “a little lady that used to sell wood” plus everyone’s uncle and their dog. It is hugely time consuming and frustrating but eventually you can track down most things- at a price! This week Jeff has been looking for two types of wood, greenheart and white cedar and I have been trying to get tiles to go around the edge of the pool. Tomorrow we should reap the rewards of our endeavours as we go off in opposite directions to gather the bits and pieces.

Work on the house is steady. We have a team in sanding both first and second floors and they should get their sealant on next week. If the wood arrives tomorrow the decking could be finished next week and the kitchen units started. The painter is still painting, sometimes inside sometimes out, depending on where he isn’t in the way. The tiler should return next week. He has loads of stuff to keep him busy, two balconies and a downstairs loo. We got windows this week, only 15 more to go plus 8 doors!

Life on the dock hasn’t been so good. We have had a large yacht next to us that runs its stinky generator all night and its air con water outlet is right next to our sleeping quarters. We were hopeful they were going but they decided to stay a few more days to empty their fuel tanks and clean them out, so we have had to suffer diesel fumes as well. Not very considerate or neighbourly so when customs boarded them for a drugs raid this morning I sat back and enjoyed their discomfort, even though nothing was found.

This Saturday was Doreen's birthday and she asked that we should all go out for a "lime" rather than the usual meal. We set off with eight of us in the 4x4 and found a forest trail through the rain forest that has been set up as a bird sanctuary. There were lots of birds but we didn't spot the Lucian parrot. It was a strenuous walk up steep paths but well worth it for the views and surroundings. Afterwards we headed to the river and parked in the middle of it and placed all our picnic gear on a bank next to a swimming hole. We hadn't been there long when a local guy asked if we would like him to catch us some fresh water cray fish. He soon came back with a dozen or so and then proceeded to fish all afternoon. Jeff made a fire and we soon had them cooking on banana leaves. They were truly delicious. We ate , swam and chatted and it was agreed that it was the best way to spend a birthday.

These tall fern trees grow in profusion and the forest ranger has promised me that he will find a small one and pot it up for us to grow in the garden.

Man makes fire!

A tired puppy gets a lift!