I’m Dreaming of a “Wet Christmas”

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DAY 413



The title of today’s blog would be better sung by Bing Crosby, but substituting the word White for Wet.

Iiiiiiiimmmm Dreeeaaaming of a wet Christmas Blah blah, blah blah blah blah blar blah

I was first up this morning getting out of bed at just about 06.30, I dressed and went and put the Kettle on and soon Helen wandered out of their bed room and we wished each other a very Merry Christmas.

I asked her if she would like tea and she said she would and said that she was going over to Merryville to feed the Chooks and the dogs for Jason, I said, “please Helen give it ten minutes and have your tea, then we can get around to being busy”.

I took Caroline her morning cup in and we wished each other a Merry Christmas, she took a couple of mouthfuls and then joined us in the kitchen.

We woke up to a wet morning, the ground was wet and looking in to the distance there was wet all around, Helen went to the rain gauge and found that 13.5 mm had fallen so the weather people were bang on with their predictions, although it had not made a huge difference to the water level in the dams, Roberts actions of clearing them were justified.

It was still raining which though this is Australia and the last thing most people want on Christmas Day is rain, but this is Woodstock and it needs it!,

Everyone was up and we were milling around, Susan had gone off to walk the dogs so Caroline and myself went over to Merriville to feed Jason’s chooks and all the dogs.

I am going to ask you to picture this, we are city people, knowing nothing about Chicken’s, Jason had given us some instruction that were a little on the flaky side, so we go over a see them, Susan turns up with the dogs, so I ask her about how much food they have, she doesn’t know, so we have to guess, as long as they all have something and are watered then it can’t be to bad, we notice that some of the have feeders, the feeders are full, but wet so we make sure they get some dry food. As we go in to each chook pen, we make sure the eggs are collected.

With all the chooks done, we now move on to the dogs, Spook, Candy, DJ and the pups, Caroline does them all spending time with the pups, then having them climbing all over her, while one grabs Caroline’s sock, another grabs one end of her laces, another grabs the other end and before you know it another two or three are jumping up her legs and the same scenario on the other foot. Caroline untangles Candy and we head back to the homestead happy that we have done a god job as we take our responsibilities seriously.

We both go and get a quick shower, Helen has done breakfast so we enjoy bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and toast, lovely.

Next stop is present mayhem, we go and get a couple of black bin liners for all the soon to be generated rubbish.

Everyone dives into their pressies, Caroline always tells me to open mine, but I just like to watch everyone else open theirs and then take my time opening mine afterwards.

The paper is all picked up as we go and everyone seems happy with what Father Christmas has brought them, we feel how lucky we are, to be with people safe and sound enjoying this pleasant occasion.

It would be rude to identify what presents we have had and who has brought them for us, but one present tickles us, we have 6 Bottles of red wine with a special label, called “Nangus Sheep Drench” Kangaroojack’s the T’s, with Love from Woodstock, (especially Wally)”, who sadly to say is my favourite sheep dog.

When everyone is done, I set about opening mine, which is great, Robert asks James to go and get the little truck, James comes back with the little Isuzu truck with some very big boxes on, and in the rain we lift the boxes off and open them to reveal hardwood patio furniture, Roberts present to Helen. that just needs putting together.

The furniture needs putting together, I think Robert would like to have his Christmas lunch outside as it is about 26 degrees today, it takes us a good hour but it soon gets done, the table is gorgeous and huge with 8 chairs, the whole works.

Helen tells Robert that we will have our lunch inside and tonight we can have our meal outside.

Well dinnertime is here, it is eagerly anticipated as we have all waited a year since the last one (our last one was while we were doggy sitting Nala in Port Stephens).

Turkey, Pork and ham with the trimmings is truly fantastic (no we did not have Lamb, they don’t have lamb all the time despite being a sheep farm), Helen is a great cook and we all have a nice portion, Roberts Auntie Mary and Uncle Athol are coming for Christmas lunch.

We sit for lunch at 1.00pm and “Dinner is served” washed down with a glass of bubbly,
Helen has done a traditional Christmas pudding and Auntie Mary made the Brandy Cream sauce and hidden in the pudding are old threepences that used to be Helens fathers, she saved them.

I had wondered why Helen had a pile of 20 cents coins as if you had a silver threepence in your pudding you could exchange it for a 20 cent piece, amazingly I had four coins, but being fair I exchanged my 4 for one 20cent piece and will save this coin as a special reminder of our Woodstock 2009 Christmas.

Mary and Athol leave at about 3.30 and we all have a well deserved afternoon kip as this is traditional holiday behaviour all except Caroline who sits and watches the Sex and the City Movie.

Around 5.30 pm we are all back in the land of the living, John, Roberts younger Brother and his partner Cathy drop by for tea while everyone chats and tea is prepared, I Skype my mum back home and wish her a very Merry Christmas, she answers her phone and knows its me as I always phone her at 6.30 (Australian Eastern Time). I also Skyped my sister, they are just getting out of bed after a big night “Carol Singing” down at the Rugby Club, it was great to speak to my niece and nephew so we could wish them all a happy Christmas.

We rejoin the Sheridan’s and all sit out side to eat, it is still lovely and warm despite the fact that we are watching the black ominous clouds roll across the landscape hoping for more rain.

Caroline Skypes her Mum and Dad, and we try and Skype a couple of friends, however connections are fairly poor but we have managed to exchange

We start playing Conjecture a came where you have to make things out of plasticene and your teammates have too guess what it is. Well it was hysterically funny we were roaring with laughter but one a couple of people have drifted off to bed, in fact my evening is coming to a close as I sneak off to bed too, but Caroline, Helen, Bree and James stay up quite late playing Balderdash, a game of bluff, to which I am informed was great fun and causing more than a few laughs.

Finally by the end of the day we have had 50.5mm which is an amazing amount, its all because we are in the tail or Cyclone Lawrence and we have not had so much rain for years.

We hope you have all had had a great Christmas Day with plenty of fun, food and spirit, we will blog you all tomorrow.

Our Christmas Wishes KJ. XXxx

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Photos

The Big Opening
Opening our Presents at Woodstock

Helens Present
On The Isuzu

Wet Wally
Wet after playing on the lawn with the others