My well travelled and no doubt much wearied Ma is home in Totnes.

We had a fantastic time cycling to Urunga and Coffs Harbour, exploring the markets and beaches. We even had a trip down to Port Macquarie all together which was great. In fact Zaida had been Port and both our subsequent places and was showing _me_ around. This is the difference between being a parent with dependent kids and one with middle aged kids.

We walked down into the rainforest below Katoomba and climbed up the (Leuma?) waterfall stairs beyond the Three Sisters. We walked all over central Sydney as well as a 4/5 hour stroll out Manly way. In the evenings we would sleepily 'nerd' on our computers at the hostel. Zaida played Scrabble and I made my phone automatically send all it's photo's to the web. Now I shall have to be careful not to take too many incriminating photographs. The weather was (and still is) beautiful. I really felt sad to say goodbye. It was great to see my Ma.

When I got home C's mate Madie with her partner Mick and their lovely little boy Sam had arrived. We have been getting up and taking Sam and the dogs for morning walks on the beach. The surf this morning was huge.

Last week I visited my mate Jason Saunders and his family. Jason has an acquired brain injury and so life is pretty hard for his family.

Jason's son, Zak has grown into a fabulous lad, and I'm not just saying that because he has great taste in cool bicycles, which he has - Zak was working hard out in the rain with Martin for most of Friday morning. His little sister Zoe and I played lots of energetic games. I think she has a very promising career ahead of her as the next Jackie Chan.

I wish Australia was about where the Isles of Scilly are, so that I could spend more time getting to know Zak and Zoe.

Jason's partner, Wendy, his mum, Jane and her partner Martin have done a great job of raising the children and holding together the family. If there was some kind of National Award scheme for women and families who survive in adversity then they all deserve recognition, a massive prize, adulation and a bloody huge golden medal, each. It was lovely to see them... yet so sad to leave.

Whilst Brisbane flooded we got a tail end of the cyclone. Which meant rain. Jessica and Allie, our climate refugees, along with Jason, Cheri and my boys decided it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Jelly Fight. As Jay said, 'these things only come along once so you should make the most of them'. So he took the kids shopping and came back with about 30 packs of Jelly crystals. I think he cleared out woolies' supply.

That made about four buckets. Meanwhile over at Jimmy's they had been making Jelly, too, so that was the venue. Anyhow so they had a Jelly fight at Jimmy's place. Here are some snaps Cheri took with the underwater camera. Apparently it was all over in about 4 minutes. Looks like fun though.

I seem to have been very busy paddling around all the watery bits of the Mid North Coast this summer. After my sojourn with Matthew up the Mighty Boambee, Nial, Cameron and I explored the Treacherous Bonville Waters. We were overun by crowds of local Bonvillians in fast moving kayaks. I even saw David Foulkes speed past in a kayak called Finn.

Today we rounded off our adventures with a trip down the Great Bellinger River. All the way from the mighty headwaters (Gordonville Crossing) down to the seething hive of humanity that is the city of Bellingen itself. Cameron had to rush off but Nial, Emrys and I availed ourselves of the Parlours of Sin.

Matthew and I went for an early morning paddle up Boambee Creek on the last day of 2010. It was a beautiful morning the tide was slack on the way up and when we decided to turn for home the tide obliged by carrying us back. Most pleasant.

It was Finn's 9th birthday yesterday. We camped out on their block of land with Emrys. The kids had a fine time, running amok. Well maybe not amok but wild for sure.

Earlier that day Em found an abandoned finch egg. He came running in to show me what he'd found. We cracked it open and found a poor little dead baby finch. It was a beautiful little thing. We buried it under the citrus tree in the backyard.

Wow! This guy looks like my Brisbane pal, Matt.
What do you reckon Kath?

Our pals, Cool Jimmy and Avatar Emma threw great party on the weekend I went as the construction worker from the village people. Cheri and Emmy were both the army dude and Jay the cowboy. Ev was a Punk, we revised earlier in the day by watching 'The Filth And The Fury'. A doco about the Sex Pistols.

It was loads of fun. I stayed the night and partied til 4. Whoop! I'm not old!

Cameron and I had a lovely paddle off the beach this morning. No dolphins, I've not seen any dolphins for a bit, I must not be paddling enough. I will try and remedy that. We got out through the breakers with no spills or loss of life and the swell was pretty good. So good in fact poor old Cam got a bit sea sick on the way back. He didn't chuck, shame really, would have made a great photo.

The House on Pooh Corner was doing some rather disgusting vetinarial work involving poking a chooks arse, rubbing it with honey and cutting off dags.