How to call a cat

Hi everyone,

It's been a good day today: not especially cold, although the weather is supposed to close in over the next day or so.

My own day got off to a good start with a skype-date with Grace and Rachel.  They were playing a Princess Sophia-themed version of snakes and ladders when I called and they play so nicely together. It was for all the world like being there. It doesn't get any better than that!  After they'd finished playing the board game, Rachel wanted to watch something on TV and Grace and I played some kind of game where we were in a pet shop and she was a guinea pig and I was a rabbit.  I said that I knew how to make a noise like a rabbit and went and got my fox whistle - it makes a sound like a rabbit in distress (I didn't tell Grace that bit) which will tend to attract foxes.

Well, I no sooner blew it than Tom the cat came running to see if there was a rabbit to be hunted in the living room!  I have to tell you, he looked cranky when there wasn't one to be found.  Grace was thrilled and I've now promised to get a fox whistle for each of her and Rachel.  No doubt their uncle Jerry, a keen outdoorsman, will approve!

After lunch the old boy and I went over to the Rushworth property to pick up the seeder so to sow the paddock he was ploughing while I was at that course.  We stopped for fuel at the servo at Wahring ...

... then continued on by way of Murchison.  Getting the seeder in the tray of the truck was an adventure.  First we had to lift it (precariously, in my view) using straps across the tynes of the tractor: 

We fastened it down with a combination of straps and chains.  I wasn't rapt by it: every time one thing was tightened, others came loose.

This was why we had to stop twice on the way back to tighten the straps in particular down.  Once was in the timber before Rushworth -

- and the other was near the railway line at Murchison East.

Not going to lie: it was good to get back to the Casa and warm up by the fire with a glass of red. Earlyish night tonight: I've been tired all day.

Oh, and purely because it's a cute thing, but I thought I'd share the bookmark I'm using at present: a brass clip that looks like a hand that I bought at the National Gallery years ago.  I'd forgotten how fond I was of it! 

Hope all is well - see you tomorrow!