It was social activity central here today. First Eleanor to talk about the community garden, the brochure about polytunnels, the proposed fracking that is being rumoured about (community meeting 2 August if anyone wants to come along). Fracking is a gas extraction method that involves pumping some fairly nasty chemicals under pressure into shale layers which may or may not contain commercial quantities of gas. These layers (especially around here where we have sandstone sitting on basalt) are also our aquifers. The process, presumably will contaminate those aquifers with the result that anyone with a bore that supplies water to stock or farm will find they have a lot of dead stock if the flow is downstream from the fracking sites. Similarly, in NSW they have discovered that ... whoops! ... large holes have appeared in the middle of affected areas, rendering the area unsafe for any viable activity. Objection rights rest with the owner of the property where the fracking process is initiated. It remains unclear what the appeal/compensation rights of the affected landowner are (if they are not the owner that allowed it to happen in the first place). So I have a fair bit of reading to do before the meeting to ensure I can ask the appropriately pointy questions. I gather the company proposing the activity is a SA based company that has gained all manner of 'green' credentials (presumably for their shareholders to assure themselves they are investing ethically) by carrying out conservation works in SA. No track record in Tassie of course, but heck, what's that poky little island for if not exploitation? Once Eleanor left I was just pulling myself together to head into town and knock, knock it was Jean calling around with some excess onions (she had just bought a bagfull - so had I ...) which may yet get converted into something tasty - onion jam? French Onion soup? who knows. Then there was the Parattah Market which popped up unexpectedly (they having decided monthly was a bit too hard - like I told them - and so off to see that - five stalls does not a market make i have to say, and not a terribly warm and friendly buzz. Still, I bought two mini-pizzas for lunch and a nice big flannel night-shirt, five dollars each seemed a bargain to me...