Having little if any signal last night, and having read the latest book, I decided to sort through my quilting magazines and get rid of the ones I didn't want. Since so many of them had just one project I was vaguely interested in (saw that there might be some chance I might at some distant time actually progress it), I started tearing out patterns and instructions and discarding the rest of the magazine. The patterns went into an arch-ring file each in its own plastic sleeve. So now I have the following categories: Gifts (quick and easy things to make to sell at stalls etc), embroidery (stitcheries, cross-stitch and freehand embroidery), 'notions' (being pincushions needle cases etc) clothing (quilted garments), applique, piecing, and two parts of a block-of-the-month (still wondering where the original magazine has gotten to - must be around here somewhere), which is very pretty, needle-turn applique and which I seriously doubt i would ever complete, but some blocks will make nice cushions.

As a result it was pushing midnight before I got to bed, to the utter disgust of the animals who made numerous pointed sorties into the hall accompanied by loud sighs. But this morning was up around 6 trying to log into the computer. No signal. No signal for the phone either. After an hour or so, I gave up (having finished my breakfast and with things to do), but there was still no signal on anything this evening when I tried to log in earlier. So I drove part way into Oatlands till I had signal and was assured that there were no reported problems (ummm, what was I doing if not reporting a problem?) and that if there was no improvement in three days to give them a call back ... now that is what I call service - NOT. They also assured me they would call back in the next 24 hours to let me know what was happening (how, when I had no signal?). Anyway, I continued into town and bought a takeaway dinner for a treat to compensate, and by the time I got home - voila - a signal. What's to bet someone had accidentally knocked a switch the wrong way and they are not game to admit it?

Getting the signal back is a huge relief as I have that ad in the paper tomorrow. Would hate to miss out on a potential buyer because they could not get through. The caravan is now squeaky clean (though I think I will go over the floor once more tomorrow morning), but still smells a little musty. So I will open up the windows and ceiling vents in the morning, first thing if it is not raining.

Once that was all sorted I went down and fitted a cabin hook to the door of the chookshed and cleaned out the chicken's bedding. Then worked on installing the perches (still a work in progress) with a view to moving everyone in in the near future. It seems the geese have decided that late summer is the ideal time to breed (should be July/August), so will need to get them into the other half of the orchard before they get further along the track. Not exactly ideal timing, I have to say. Still, with the chook shed door open, I am hoping they take themselves to bed in there tonight and I can trap them to clip their wings - hard. Wish me luck ...