Home, home on the range ...

Yep, yep, yep ... I'm back in Clownsville.

Maab is still not talking to me (for leaving her for so long), but Merlin is all over me. Kisses and cuddles galore. He hasn't forgotten any word commands and has me laughing already ... and has me nearly retrained to be at his beck and call.

I'm pretty sure my cat carers swept the floor before I came home as I am not ankle deep in fur, but car hairs are EVERYWHERE! Fifteen weeks of unfettered cat play has coated EVERYTHING in hair. I have to wash everything in sight tomorrow.

Ah, the joys of being a cat lover ...

I had a very unwelcome "Welcome Home" present with a scrub turkey deciding to start making a nest today. In one day it has already denuded a number of garden beds of mulch and has started mounding it up at my front steps. Yep, I can't ignore it even if I want to. And so it begins ...

Just unpacking now and getting through a mountain of mail. I didn't wake up until 5pm today but have managed to get through a number of chores.

Hong Kong airport

After a very restless ten hours on a plane and am now at Hong Kong airport. Arrived at 5pm Hong Kong time and flight leaves just before midnight. I've just woken up from a nap in the lounge area as I have a nearly seven hour layover. There are quite a few quiet areas with private reclined seating for weary travellers.

One thing I didn't allow for in this journey was HK spending money at the airport here. Don't really want to cash out $10 so will wait for the flight to fill up on food and wine.

Throughout the airport there is free wifi, so just doing a bit of surfing before I head to the departure gate and read for a while.

Heading home

I am travelling all day tomorrow - apart from hours of waiting time at the airport in the evening - so don't think I will be able to post again.

I'll see everyone back in Australia in a few days.

Cambridge

Headed into Cambridge yesterday and couldn't believe that a small herd of cattle were grazing on the river bank right in the heart of the town. When I queried it I was told there is a historical right of grazing for cattle.

After a pub lunch I had a lovely punt along the River Cam. I didn't do any punting, but paid 15GBP to be punted on a mini tour taking in the various colleges that back onto the river. Luckily the weather cleared while I was on the water (typical British weather with rain coming and going). The air was a bit brisk, so I made use of one of the supplied rugs.

Had a good look around the main art gallery before the punt. Not too many big ticket items there.

Oh, on my way into Cambridge I stopped in at the local church where there was a quilt exhibition by the local quilters. Nothing too much out of the box there either, mainly quite traditional. But as I was walking up to the church door, I spotted a fox not even 20 metres away.

The other bit of wildlife I have seen was a dead fawn on the side of the road when I went out for a walk the day before. Haven't seen a live deer yet, but have seen zillions of bunny rabbits.

Have to go now and sort out what I what to mail back as I fly out in two sleeps time and want to do an antique/quaint village trek tomorrow.

Chocolate boxes

Just a quick update to show you some buildings from the nearby village, Saffron Waldon. More later ...

Happy flying, Jimmy

Please take a moment to send my step-brother, Jimmy, a few thoughts of light and love to help him on his way. He is without pain now, but will be missed.

I will remember his lust for life, his can-do attitude, his big heart, and his sincerity ... and his bad (and sometimes good) jokes.

His time here may have been too short, but he packed in quite a bit of living and adventure with parachuting, flying, boating, fishing, and just generally having a good time. He loved his immediate family and my thoughts are with them at the moment.

My main sorrow is that he didn't last until my return next week and that I didn't get to chat with him on the phone or farewell him.

On my way shortly to Cambridge

So, okay, the attitude implant didn't work, and now I have only a week before I depart the UK for home and I am decidedly in the glass-half-empty mode.

I probably won't post much during this last week as I expect to be pretty much pre-occupied.