Cold Air, Tea and Pasta

Hi everyone,

 

This is my update on yesterday; I'll probably start drafting today directly after and post it after SES this evening.

 

 

So yesterday was another bitterly cold morning.  These are the times when I make dead certain the dog has something warm to eat to start the day: this time it was bread, chow, old milk and warm water.  As he was going to be on the chain most of the day I gave him a decent walk before I got ready for work.  We caught a gorgeous sunrise as we were going.

 

The chilly air seemed somehow even clearer than usual - as if any moisture in the air was on the ground in the form of ice.

 

My day at work itself was unexceptional, aside for the first job (probing around on Facebook trying to work out if a person who ran into one of our bridges is working and might be able to pay for the damage).  I kept it fun by sampling the boxes of tea I bought for a dollar each from Woolworths the other night (the tea I drank at the weekend clearly left a mark).  I'm afraid I can't get into Darjeeling tea - it seems to have no flavour at all.  Prefer English Breakfast and Australian Afternoon - they have plenty of flavour.  And Lady Grey (which seems to be a new blend) has a lot of appeal: a light floral taste, but without the bergamot being as overpowering as it is with Earl Grey.

 

 

I went to seem Mum at the hospital in the evening and then headed for the farm.  Dad had gotten back from Flinders and was waiting for me - he needed another person to help in the yards to get some cattle drenched.  I've had jobs I enjoyed more: they were stirry and kept wanting to jump the gate; I needed to take a VERY softly-softly approach to make them do what I wanted.

 

I'm a bit worried about Dad: without Mum about he seems a bit helpless.  When I got home last night he'd gotten the fire lit, but hadn't turned the TV on - I don't think he knows how and (this is troubling) somehow seems to lack the confidence to try.  The lack of confidence may also explain why he hadn't fed the dog or cat: he may have been unsure what in the fridge was to be fed to them and what is for human consumption.  Lord knows what he's been eating while he's been away, but to ake sure he had something good I suggested he watch the local news while I whipped up a rough-and-ready pasta out of some Latina Fresh along with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.

 

It looks mucky but came out delicious!

 

Anyway, I'll just have to keep a close but loving eye on Dad and try and smooth his path as best I'm able.  Like most farmers, he's a proud man and temperamentally stubborn as Hell.  If I try and force him to do anything, he'll dig his heels in immediately, but if I can let him do things in the way that best protects him, all will be well.  The joys of family!

 

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