Birthday 'Pip'

Lib told me a few weeks ago that the lady at work she bought 'Pip' from last August, as an 8 week old pup, told her Pip's birthday was 4 June. It's been interesting. Many times I thought she wouldn't make it because of the peril of the road, but make it she has, and her chances of surviving a second year are far better, as she's learned much and is more settled. It's been fun having the puppy exuberance about.

On Sunday I heard a pair of whipbirds in the garden, returned like faithfull friends after an abscence of some months. I haven't heard them since, I'm hoping 'Pip' hasn't moved them on. Her main entertainment is chasing and barking at birds. I don't think she's ever caught a bird of any type, but whipbirds nest close to the ground and spend most of their time on it or low in shrubbery. A healthy, vigorous twelve month old Jack Russell terrier would not be their choice for garden sharing.

The outsiders I tipped on Sunday in the footy flopped miserably. Looking back they were both high risk, despite their improved form. I have suffered the consequences, Ricky Malf's lead is now out to ten. I have known him for 44 years, he would have had a good chuckle. With 12 rounds to go that's a big lead, looks like I could well be buying lunch again, but it's not over yet.

I had the birch mushies for lunch on Sunday. Delicious! Subtle in flavour and slippery in texture. They didn't hold their bulk like pinies do, reducing down considerably like field mushies do. I've looked around birch trees for more since but haven't found any. At Cherrie's they were growing through fine stones next to a gravel path in a sunny spot. Maybe that's what they like. Of course they aren't 'birch' mushies but I don't know another name to call them.

Workwise the florists are quiet, giving me a little time to catch up on a few things. The grout sealing trick in the shower didn't work, I've had to scrape out all the silicon round where the shower screen meets the floor tiles, but haven't tried to repair yet. Meanwhile the floor is slowly drying out. I would have had a go at it yesterday but when I came back from my walk the washing machine had flooded the laundry and shorted the freezer, causing a two hour clean up and reorganization. I don't know yet if the freezer is wasted, I'm letting the switch dry out before I turn it on to check. I suspect it'll be fit only for the hardwaste collection and I'll be shopping for a new freezer. Someone left the laundry trough plug in the sink and as the washing machine pumped out the plug must have washed into the plughole. Damn!

The florists are quiet but I have to chase up some allspice and mexican hawthorn berries today. Better get moving.