Frogknot Times.

So...here is the news.Times have been busy here at Frogknot in the last month or so. We have had visits firstly from Ros and Andrew and then Deranie and Phoebe.I am in the middle of a revamp of the old house to make it more hospitable for future guests. We did have a slight setback with the chimney fire down there the other weekend but it all turned out for the best ending up with the old stove being removed and the fitting of the 'new' log burner.The last month or so has also seen us plagued with car troubles with firstly Kwiz needing an engine transplant. We got her back and discovered that they had not fixed the broken electric window as well, but they had not charged us for it either. Then we got a mobile mechanic to have a look at Sky Blue, who was not running as well as she had been. She was only running on three of her four cylinders. In trying to change her spark plugs the mechanic discovered that one had fused into place. Basically, he did all he could, was most apologetic that he couldn't help, but when he left Sky Blue was in a worse state than before. Will took her for a test drive to see how bad and couldn't get her back up the hill so there she sits down the driveway. That was when we bit the bullet, took the money we got from Honda for Rhonda, when they repossessed her because of the faulty airbag, added a few extra funds for good measure and headed to Brisbane and came back with Zooey, a Toyota Rav 4. Kwiz is hopefully getting her window fixed on Thursday and also needs new front suspension, but that is in hand too!As for the present Covid 19 situation the State border which closed on March 25th opened again on July 10th. Deranie and Phoebe were two of the first through on their visit from Canberra. Things are not good in Victoria though with Melbourne in lockdown again  because of a renewed outbreak and cases are slowly rising in New South Wales. There are no new cases in Queensland and I will not be surprised if the borders end up getting closed again pretty soon.At the moment people are on the move again and the Cheese Factory has been very busy with Will back making cheese three times a week. At the Book Cave we are still restricted to 30 customers (though we never reach that)  and are still not operating as we did before. It is a lot quieter than it was. We have to get visitors to record entry and exit times and give their contact details and that is putting some people off coming especially the uncooperative teens! Silver lining!It is looking very much like I am going to have to change from a 'casual' to a 'permanent part time' position if I want to maintain more regular employment due to a procedural anomaly but my only concern is that it does not limit the time I can visit my family Up Over.I have not been setting the fox trap as regularly nor recording nocturnal activity outside Fort Yudhisthira but on those occasions I have, there is another fox still about though this one is very wily and keeping at a distance. The 'Chooks' are fine. We only let them out when we are here all day. Manitou, Iris, Pacha, Branwen, Chin-Mu and Amaterasu are all safe in Fort Yudhisthira but we have moved Izanami to a reinforced 'chickery' in the old pen with her three new chicks.The last few days have been miserable with an East Coast Low blowing a gale, and thick grey clouds blotting out any chance of solar power.  We have been living in low cloud but we have had about 20 mls of rain and have one full tank and two tanks three-quarters full but I am hoping to welcome back the sun tomorrow. I can see stars and the moon as I write now so the cloud is clearing at last.And finally...I have worked out that our Possum is 'Mummy Galore' by the markings on her ears. She is not  'Little Miss Galore', sadly that little one has disappeared but 'Mummy Galore' is carrying a baby in her pouch.Life goes on.