New year's Eve

The forecast temperature high on this new year's eve is 42C, however it was a reasonably cool morning when I walked early after Lib left for work. As is my custom I started Lib's car to warm it before she leaves and young 'Pip' jumped up on my lap as I sat in the car tuning the radio, a routine the little dog has established lately.
There's a giant messmate tree in the neighbour's property directly in front as you sit in the car looking down the drive which turns to the right and exits our property at the eastern end. I noticed this morning that old leaves, more than I'd ever noticed before, were constantly dropping from this tree and flitting to earth as if in the expectation of the very hot day ahead. There was barely a breath of breeze.
My walk was pleasant enough, except for the masses of flies that were thicker than usual and clingy and crawly as if also in expectation of the heat. What a contrast to my morning walks two years ago when I began the habit on new years day 2006, while we holidayed at Blairgowrie at our friend's (John and Raylene) beach house. I walked along the back beach and the ocean breeze kept flies away. Two years I've been walking. Say 700 walks by 4.5 km, about 3150km if you added it up or perhaps from Melbourne to Cairns Qld almost. Let's hope I stay well enough for several more years to keep it up till I can say I've walked the equivalent of round Australia.
After feeding the dogs I thought before it got hot I'd turn over a bit of ground in the vegie garden which previously had broad beans growing. I planted some parsley seedlings that Len Smedley had given me before Christmas. 'Moss triple curled' Len said it was, 'the best for strength and longevity.' I was happy to have them, I always try to have parsley coming on, I use it in all my cooking, in particular my old favourites, the soups, stews, and spaghetti meat sauce. Not to mention omelettes. A handful of parsley and silver beet with whatever makes a quick, simple, nutritious and inexpensive affair.
Lib cleaned out the laundry cupboard recently and found some vegie seeds so I kept at it and put in some spring onion and broccoli seed and a few beans, and butternut pumpkin seeds I'd saved from the slops bucket. I roughed up some groung and threw in a packet of Russell Lupin flower seeds (the packet was dated use before 00 but you never know, they may come up). Gee it was good to have time to do a bit in the garden, beyond just mowing and whipper snipping. I watered all the seeds in, then climbed on the roof to put an old thick blanket over the sky light to help keep the house cooler. All the windows are shut and the curtains drawn, I just hope the wind doesn't pick up which would bring the anxiety of possible bushfires.
I checked the bees quickly yesterday. The heavy nectar flow, probably from clover, that was there last Thursday after the good rain before Christmas, had slowed right down with the heat and dry since. If the hives had filled I was preparing to psyche myself up to extract the honey but they aren't filled and there's no urgency. The frame with less wires I put in, to give some honeycomb to my neighbours, is only about half drawn out and full so I left it there hoping it fills reasonably quickly so it stays nice and white and fresh.
I look forward to 2008 with optimism. Rain is the key. The grass hay season hereabouts has been prodigious. I saw the four mudlark chicks together this morning sitting on the railings around Janice's horse pen. Also, on the bird scene, I can also report that our whipbirds successfully raised another pair of young, the second year in a row, and also at the farm, a whipbird pair raised young bringing great pleasure to Elvie, Meredith and Jod.
I killed my first European wasp nest of the season yesterday. I'll have to be vigilant as 'Pip' is at risk, she goes so hard at everything. To her great excitement she discovered echidnas the other day, fortunately she's no threat or match due to the spikes. I read the other day that Jack Russells are prone to death by snake bite because they attack them with no fear. If she survives this summer she should be right, surely she'll slow down into her second year.