Looking

I've spent two days ringing anyone I know with rural connections asking them to keep their ear to the ground about a cottage. Registered with a couple of land agents, asked my mailman to talk to his clients, Bart the equine vet is asking around and Doug my other vet is allowing me to put a sign up in his office. I've put adverts in trader magazines as well. There is a free country newspaper that comes out monthly so will wait for the next issue and see if they allow classifieds. My cousin Margh spoke to a real estate agent friend of hers whom I rang first thing yesterday. She said she has places come through every so often but it might take her a few weeks to find somewhere for me. After speaking to her I felt so much calmer and able to do a few things round the house rather than just sitting stressing.

I managed to find a home for another of my bantam roosters on Tuesday evening. A gentleman from Middle Road chose the more colourful of the ones I am rehoming (a screamer who made out I was murdering him if I picked him up). He'll be running free with his new women and altogether living a very happy life. I did ask the guy if he knew of any empty houses in his area and he said Mt Erin Station has several cottages but they're all tiny, more for shearers really so wouldn't be suitable. However he did say he and his wife would keep an eye out for me and as a last resort if I'm stuck for grazing for the donkey they would look after her till I am settled somewhere.

I am so fed up with all the work being done here. They're still waterblasting so the hose is tied up all the time so each day I am carrying 25 litres of water from the house to the chickens. They pulled out the pink hollyhock plant in a pot my sister gave me three years ago which was looking so beautiful next to the east wall. It is shriveled up and I can't revive it. I had two seedlings from this by the garage which were in bud but I discovered these weighed down with stones on the ground yesterday. Everything is covered with paint- the plants, my plant surrounds, my pots. They even used my brand new garden trowel to stir paint. By they I mean the back packers as the landlord and his partner haven't been near since delivering the news although I am hopeful they will deliver a reference soon at least.