We left early so that we would get home before tea time. The highway north from Sydney was closed by a bushfire and though they had kept the old highway open, I decided to use the Putty road to avoid any possible delays. When we watched the news in the evening, we found that the delays had been two and a half hours well into the day so it was a good decision. We stopped for lunch at Singleton, for afternoon tea at Quirindi and for fuel at Tamworth. We got home just after five.The house was in good order and unpacking only took a little time. I was however bushed and we were in bed by half past nine.
When we got home there was a note from some motorhomers we had met earlier. They were on their way to Tamworth for the Country Music Festival and called in on their way there.
I had an appointment with my solicitor to discuss the latest "offering" from the CMCA. The news was good.
It was so hot that not a lot else got done.
I was out early while it was still coolish to try and repair the brakes on the trailer. When I tried to jack the trailer up to remove a wheel, the jack wouldn't lift the load. I bought some oil and tried to fix it by refilling it with new oil but I think I blew a ball out of the valve and couldn't get it to seal properly. I wasn't able to find a replacement for the ball anywhere in Barraba so it will have to wait until I next go to Tamworth which won't be until the country music festival is over and the streets are open to traffic.
I brought Jean's tomato plant back from the Samin's and Jean picked her first ripe tomatoes.
It was raining when we woke up but it stopped after just 2mm. When I went to check the rain gauge I forgot to put on a hat and I got sunburned. Though it was still pretty cloudy, it was an unpleasantly hot day.
I finished the trifle I was preparing for the Lions progressive dinner tonight. Apart from that, I spent the day working on a new website.
In the evening, we went to the Lions progressive dinner. We started with drinks and hors d'oeuvres at Chris Jeffrey's house, then on to Ron and Helen Bridges for a delicious meal of chicken and salads and then out to Tom and Joyce Watkins property, "Wirralie" for desserts. coffee and conversation. It was a very pleasant evening and it was agreed that we should do it more often.
On the way to Wirralee on Chris's bus, we stopped to view Comet McNaught. When we got to the homestead we had a wonderful view of the comet in the western sky. Everyone agreed that it was more impressive than the view of Halley's comet in 1986.
The Lions were doing the barbecue lunch at the Australia Day celebrations so we spent the middle of the day there.
In the afternoon I watched the cricket and worked on the new website.
Another clear, bright, and potentially hot day. We were both pretty cactus so we vegged out again.