October

Finally getting some warmer weather here, although it has been quite windy. The work on the retaining wall is progressing slowly, but I finally made it to the final corner post. I have a little work to do on that end and then I can start on the upright posts and the horizontal slats. After trying to remove most of the creeping plant that was entwined around the shrub at the end, we decided to remove the whole thing, and I still have a lot of roots to grub out before I’m done. All the plants I’ve moved are still alive at this stage, the recent rain has helped a lot. The creek/ditch was flowing pretty good last week. I thought I’d add a photo of the cats, Chocco and Latte.  They are 11 months old, Chocco is 4.74 kg (10.43 lbs) and Latte is 4.60 kg (10.12 lbs). For a long time Latte weighed more, but now he is much taller and Chocco is more compact.

We were expecting quite a bit of rain this weekend so I took a chance it wasn’t too boggy for the lawn tractor and mowed as much of the back paddock that I could, leaving the area on the other side of the ditch where the plovers are nesting. I disturbed an Eastern Barred Bandicoot in the tall grass but was able to shoo it to safety. That’s both types now, there is the Southern Brown Bandicoot I always see up near the front gate. I also saw an Eastern Quoll out along the fence line last week when I was spraying some weeds. We still have the Egrets and Swamp Hens, plus all the Kangaroo and Wallabies that come out to graze at night.
Anyway, the grass is looking pretty good, I also finished doing everything around the house and behind the shed. 

The new meter that I need for the solar feed in is due to be installed around about October 15, and I am “promised” that the 6 Kw inverter will be here in less than 2 weeks.

It’s been over 52 days without any Covid-19 virus cases here in Tasmania, and they are talking about opening up to un-quarantined travel from every mainland state but Victoria by about October 26. There may even be flights from New Zealand to Hobart. The outbreak in Victoria seems to be getting under control, just half a dozen or so new ones each day, but a few people are still dying in hospital each day that caught it earlier. Australia stands at 893 dead, up from the 104 before the Victorian outbreak. 

Things are not looking good in the U.S.,  nearly 210,000 dead and Texas is now the second most affected state after New York, with over 16,000 dead. There is now a cluster of cases at the White House, Trump, some of his family, and a LOT of the staff now have it, the virus that does not exist and is just “fake news”, and will just disappear anyway.  Trump is not doing well, but will probably recover and continue to wreak havoc. His grandfather died about 100 years ago from the Spanish flu pandemic. Trump is 74, morbidly obese, and has other health issues that make this very risky for him.