TUESDAY 9 JUNE     EMERALD

It was the usual super early morning. I hadn’t had enough sleep. My own fault.

I was not feeling well. Had felt a bit “off” for several days, since we were at Takarakka. Some sort of stomach bug, I thought. Or maybe something in the water there? Today the tum was really aching. I had promised John roast pork for dinner tonight, but was feeling unenthusiastic about it.

And so to the shops. I gave into temptation and visited a patchwork shop, where I couldn’t resist some very pretty aqua/blue fabric quarters, to stash away for a future project. That’s what afflicts quilters, it seems.

To the butcher, whose voucher I’d won. Their meat looked great. As well as the piece of roasting pork, I got lamb chops, scotch fillet steak, mince and bacon. $55 worth, but less the $25 voucher, it was a cheap lot.

We did a big stock up at the supermarket – much fresh fruit and vegetables in particular, and other fresh foods. That cost $200. We were doing our small bit for the economy of the towns where we stayed, for sure.

While putting the shopping away, I dropped a new tub of hommus, and broke it. Only a split and a small leak of oil, so not the massive clean up of yesterday. Suddenly I seemed to be all clumsy.

After lunch, John became engrossed in his computer game and forgot that he’d intended to take down the awning roof.

I sewed, cooked the roast, read the daily paper.

Our neighbours with the horse float, who had been stranded here, got their vehicle back this afternoon, and promptly left for Longreach. Watching them pack up and hitch up provided a bit of a diversion in the afternoon.

The pork roast was done, as usual, in the electric frypan, but – as I expected, it was too moist in there for the rind to crackle. I tried frying it separately, but that didn’t work. But the meat was excellent – I only had a very small helping.

The day had been warm again, but the night was chilly. Early to bed.