He confessed this morning the real reason he likes these remote gigs is because I become a devoted cook. I even wear an apron in the kitchen.

I have read a lot of books so far but have got the most out of Artisan five minute bread. With the same bread dough I have made rustic bread, naan, pizza, donuts, and caramelized sticky buns. Just take a lump of dough out of the fridge.

Today was an inspired cooking day. I made a batch of ginger ale, sticky buns, apple tartlets and pretzels. Better keep up the activity.

Yesterday Tim had me doing road and trail work. Today is a mowing day.

Most importantly my little grandson made it safely through minor surgery. It’s never minor when they are little. I have been up since 03:00 so I could keep in touch.

Barn Hill, right next to the compound, continues to be one of my favorite walks. It’s a tossup between it and Old Squally for the views they offer. Tim likes to look off the cliff edges while I remain inland. I couldn’t help noticing this raptor rock.

The dolphins have been at play in Garden Cove. New birds are appearing. We have a flock of dusty wood swallows enjoying themselves and silver eyes play in the bird bath. There’s a new singer here as well but I haven’t been able to ID it. No more Cape Barren Goose murders at the moment, two down as far as we know. I continue to cook up a storm. My latest experiment was crackers and they came out pretty well. Next up will be pretzels.

The veggie garden continues to produce. I have the first few broccoli florets. We continue to have heaps of tomatoes. The greens are holding up and my delicate seedlings are coming along. Something chewed the leaves off my beetroot. It’s always something here in paradise.

We opened and aired the lighthouse today. I walked up in the morning and Tim closed it in the afternoon. This fantail accompanied me for at least a quarter mile, flitting in front of me, catching bugs on the fly. What a delight. Especially since my walk began with a gruesome discovery. One of the Cape Barren Geese was murdered and beheaded! Tim thinks we should lock the doors.

Stuck on an island with you! Well not stuck exactly, but we are not going anywhere soon.

Weather is turning a bit cooler is windy but still lovely. One visitor asked how we liked the wind. Much better on land than on a boat thank you very much. We only have to deal with downed trees and branches. Even when it howls, we have a safe shelter. The animals don’t even seem to notice.

The geese still yodel to one another from outside our bedroom window in the middle of the night despite Tim’s barricade. I sometimes sleep right through it.

The garden is keeping me busy. Still with heaps of tomatoes, zucchini are slowing down. Something has been eating my corn!! Now we only have five ears left. It looks like a possum may have gotten in. I have set a live trap for it, baited with a young ear of corn, and a couple of rat traps because I saw one scurrying around the other day. I feel like Chevy Chase in Caddyshack, hello Mr. Possum, it’s only me… I’ll try to avoid blowing the whole place up in my attempt to clear it of vermin.

Days fly by. We have already been here for one month! Food stores seem to be holding up. Yesterday was a mad baking day: pie crust, biscotti, granola, English muffins and … tomato soup. I had a bowl with fresh English muffins and homemade ginger ale for lunch and it warmed my soul.

Sunset looked like a fire in the sky the other night. The colors just kept shifting more beautifully until night fell.

It takes a month to settle in and get to know and remember this place and its rhythms. Visitors have been few. We had a gale for a few days, which slowed the pace of visitors arriving, while those already here stayed put. When the weather calmed, we received the next wave of visitors (one boat) as the sailors island hop their way back north to the mainland. We walk or run one of the seven primary trails on the island, which end at beaches, every day. Then we sit and watch the water. We don’t buy ANYTHING! So nice to be removed from consumerism. The fact that the internet is terrible, usually nonexistent, is mostly a blessing in disguise; unless you really want to get in touch with someone. In a real emergency, we have an EPIRB.

The Cape Barren geese run past our bedroom window in the middle of the night and make all sorts of noise. Tim has constructed a little barrier to keep them away from the water tank and it may have helped. There seems to be quite a rigid social order among them. I watched a family arrive at Garden Cove the other day and the parents weren’t satisfied until they had completely banished another pair from the beach. One day, a goose plopped itself in their water basin and sat there while what appeared to be her ladies in waiting, groomed her. She would get up periodically and shake out her feathers. I don’t even know if it was a female but I get to imagine. Each night, a brush tail possum saunters by our sunroom, where there is usually at least one skink sneaking about. We’ve seen a pod of dolphins in two of the coves repeatedly. Unfortunately, those little red jelly fish with long tentacles are back and Tim doesn’t like to swim with them.

Cooking and the garden continue to keep me busy. Mostly harvesting the garden, still with heaps of tomatoes, zucchinis and cucumbers. Green beans are finishing up. We still have several pumpkins, two patches of beets and carrots, arugula, lettuce and capsicum (peppers). I make yogurt, bread and ginger ale every few days. I am using the most primitive, backstrap loom to weave some beautiful bands, one of which is adorning my sun hat. Mostly I am enjoying this domestic bliss in an island paradise. Who wouldn’t?

Harry the huntsman spider is over MY side of the bed.

I’ve adopted a live and let live attitude this trip to Australia but they may not land on me! I’ll omit a close up view for the squeamish.

We’ve had a west wind, which blows away our internet reception for some reason. But the weather is fine today and we have a bit of trail work to do. Maybe I’ll have reception at 1000 ft elevation near the lighthouse.