SUNDAY 17 MAY     LORNE STATION

Today was younger grandson’s 3rd birthday. I hoped the card I’d earlier posted from here arrived in time, and that his father managed to buy him the present I’d pre-arranged, from us.

It was a lazy morning. I’d planned to do some washing, but the one machine in the laundry was in use, so I didn’t bother.

John messed about with his collection of stones. He thought one bit looked really promising. After an early lunch, he went off to bowls. I defrosted the fridge, washed the van floor – the one following logically from the other! I hand washed the cotton floor mat in a trough in the laundry. Then I rewarded myself for all that housework by doing patchwork for the rest of the afternoon.

John came back happy. his team had won and he collected $20.

I invited D – a man who had moved into one of the nearby cabins a couple of days ago – to happy hour with us. He was a stone mason by trade, and John was interested in talking about that. He was also an opal buyer, which was why he was up here. He told us that he’d been to the Grawin a few times, but that it was too rough (dangerous?) out there for him, so he preferred to stay here, where it was more secure, and just drive out there. He had two rather nice dogs with him. While we sat round the fire and talked, I threw sticks for the dogs – and got muddy slobber all over my track pants, for my efforts.

D told John that it was cheaper to buy opal cutting equipment here, than in the cities. He lent John a business guide, to look up the sellers of same. Later, when John took his book back, D showed him a tray of cut opals that he’d bought. John came back starry eyed. NOW we were no longer leaving here tomorrow, but going back out to the Grawin instead!

It was a much cooler, cloudy day today. The night was chilly enough for me to drag the heater out from under the bed again.