WEDNESDAY 26 TO MONDAY 31 JULY      LITCHFIELD

This was what passed for a fairly routine period here. For four of the six days, I did not get any time to have lunch. 5.15pm was the earliest I finished, 6pm the latest.

The bus group lunch numbers were consistently high, as was the drop-in trade. This really was quite a good business, at least in the Dry season.

Cafe customers consistently asked if we did chips. Whilst, as cook, I was pleased that we didn’t, it was a definite gap in the offering. A reason for not doing it was the power that an electric fryer would need – not compatible with the power generator here.

Boss 2 was talking of buying a shipping container  and converting it to a living unit for he and wife. She only came out here for occasional weekend visits, having daughters attending school in Darwin. His caravan was old and rather grotty, so having better accommodation here might result in her spending more time, and maybe even full time when the girls are independent.

Late one afternoon, there was a nankeen night heron standing around, in the staff shower! Just kind of paddling in the water from someone’s shower.

Sunday afternoon, H and D arrived and settled their camper by the creek, a bit upstream from us. John showed them around the place and they talked with Boss 2 for a while. Then, late in the day, Boss 1 arrived back from Darwin and they talked with him, especially about the building work that D could do. If he is fully occupied with construction, not sure who is going to look after the grounds upkeep, or help B with the bus group lunches and clean up – in the absence of John and M.

Monday H shadowed me and I tried to teach her as much of the routines of the cafe, as I could. Boss 1 set her husband to work.