May day may day

Philosophy essays and Academic Cultures group assignments have been using up all of my spare time. However, this morning I found a spare 30 seconds, so of course I decided to try out the Polish Plum Cake recipe I've had sitting on my kitchen bench for 4 weeks. But I didn't have any plums, so it's a Polish Boysenberry cake... which looks delicious. If it goes well, I'll share the recipe next time I pop in.

I was recently tapping away at my iMac (are you listening Apple? I already give you free plugs... what will you do for me?), burning wood in the head (that means: thinking very very hard!), when I heard cries for help coming over the side fence. O dear... one of the chookies (I think it was Sugarplum) was not looking good. She was crouching and panting and looking very faint (you'll have to imagine that look on a chook - it's more of an essence/vibrational thing. Perhaps if you have chooks, you'll get it) and my next door neighbour was needing some moral support to cope with the act which we deemed necessary. On went the rubber gloves, out came a bowl of oil, upside-down went the chook. I tried to be gentle... really, I did. But somewhere between being held upside down and my finger being inserted into her egg-exit, the chook did expire. 

Poor lady. I tell you, if I'm ever in a lot of pain, crouching and feeling faint and looking poorly, and someone shoves their finger up my backside, I too will expire. So you can imagine, I was very sympathetic. The thought of it makes me feel a bit queasy.

That brings our chook count down to 7: Rhodey, Bluey, Chalkey, Banana, Ruby Tuesday, Crayon, and Fido.

I'm not always as delicate as I look though(!). I brushed myself off, removed the rubber gloves, retreated to my honey-coloured kitchen and made myself a cup o' tea. And then got back to the essay at hand. 

The may day proceeded - with a flat tyre and a child falling into the water on the way home. Wet child was not as drastic as it sounds... between the ferry and home he willfully played on the beach and kind of accidentally/deliberately got very wet. Perhaps if you have children, you'll get that. And as for the flat tyre, well that really is a lovely way to get to know your locals. There is a certain kind of man who can't walk passed a woman with 2 children, a car which has been unloaded onto the side of the road, and a flat tyre. He just can't. And I find that helpful spirit very endearing.

I'm enjoying May. Sunny, crisp, clear, chilly May.