Veronika Wild

First real rain since early October Whooeee!   It just rained, and a real gutter -spiller it was, complete with thunder and lightning. I don't think we've had a drop of rain since I came back from Broome on the 4 th of October.   All around you can hear the bush and the trees sighing with relief and I feel much the same. Before that it’s been a bit like "Troppo Season" in Darwin just before the rains hit, which is usually accompanied by an excess of violence, pub brawls   and road rage. Then, when the rain does finally break, you feel like going out and dancing in it. That how I felt last night. Kangaroo Mum and baby popped down this morning  for a spot of green grass - note how skinny Mother Kangaroo is It’s been over 37oC for the past few days and everything has been tinder dry. Tempers have been short too. Indeed, the Allied Shop Assistants Union has been thinking of going on strike due to abusive shoppers. So much for Christmas Cheer.  ...

A couple of months ago when I had such an appalling internet connection that I could only get on the net between 4 and 6 a.m. and not at all when the gamers were busy over the weekend, I cast about longingly for open networks with far greater connectivity than I had. There weren't any of course, but some really interesting names. I used to get the Cat Network, Happy Home and a couple of  other rather witty ones, but now only Bubbles and Suddenly a Wild Internet remain. Mine will be one of those boring ones that just says Optus#zyzzzz#@!!# and has really poor connectivity I only thought of looking them up again because of an article in yesterdays Age by Peter Munro * who turned up an interesting collection on a Wifi walk around Melbourne. How about "Asio Van" or "YourKidsAreUgly"  or maybe "I'm Watching You Sleep?" There is even an interactive map. He also lists a website devoted to same http://wtfwifi.com/?id=67 where you can vote f...

These are just their clothes There is glitter in the bath and a trail of destruction through the house. There is every indication that a natural disaster has taken place. The little girls are in residence. All three of them. They have taken over the bedroom Over Christmas I happened to mention to my older son how my big sister used to tickle me unmercifully until I agreed to do the dishes for a week or any other unpleasant task she could think of. “What a great idea!” he remarked enthusiastically, “I could see them deploying that at Guatanamo to extract secrets from enemy combatants.  It wouldn’t leave any traces either.” Well, I have another rendition technique for those so inclined. Just leave them alone with a toddler and two small girls for a while and they will confess all. Grind them down with sleep deprivation, the constant noise and the chaos and the state of perpetual emergency and they will soon become quivering, malleable wrecks. It certainly causes ...

  Apart from the washing machine debacle, had a rather nice day. Called into a discount shop to buy a few things for the van and was absolutely delighted with some of the weird and wonderful products on display. It's like entering Aladdin's cave and you just never know what you 'll find. No disrespect to my American friends, but I couldn’t resist the Barack and Michelle Paper Dress Up Dolls. Someone is going to get those for Christmas, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. Then there was the Placental Shampoo. I thought it was one of those unfortunate marketing failures, where manufacturers don’t know what something means in another country, but on reading the labels, it did actually contain placental extract to replenish damaged hair. The question now is whose?  I put that one back, also the drinking hat. At least this isn't false advertising I have been after a safety helmet for a while as you now need them to go caving. It really irks me having to buy one, ...