Back again. Wonder if anyone is out there.

Hello

This year is the 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy.

I'm back living in Darwin after 30 years.  I've managed to avoid this stuff for a long time, however, it's hitting home now.  So I thought I'd share some shots.

Here's the house before the cyclone:

And here's the after shot:

The experience of being here is quite odd.

I'm organising an event to celebrate our survival.

Not much more to say really.  I'm a bit lost for words after looking at the photo's.  How the hell did we survive?

Idiopathic Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

Well that was a  mouthful!

I've learned a lot about my cat's liver in the last few weeks.

Cilla stopped eating when we moved to Darwin.  Too much of a shock, I suppose.  She didn't seem to be bothered, just lost heaps of weight.  Anyway, as I now know, this is a VERY BAD thing in cats.

Apparently what happens is that when they stop eating, they start to try to metabolise the fat in their bodies (particularly if they're a little 'heavy').  Cats' livers are made to metabolise protein, not fat, so their livers get overloaded with fat and start to not function.  This leads to a cat with yellow ears (jaundice), and other symptoms of general unwellness.

Cill was not moving much the Sunday before last.  She'd lost heaps of weight, so much that I could feel her spine.  This was a worry as she's always been quite portly.

Anyway, I took her to the vet and she ended up staying over night and had lots of tests.  On the Monday I was informed that she had the above mentioned disease, but of course I didn't really hear what they were saying.  Had to do lots of internetting thingys to work it out.

So, she's been in hospital being force fed through a tube in her neck for the last week and a half.   For about the first week she was very distressed.  Her pupils were enormous, I assume from terror, and she was very floppy.  Thought I might lose her.  But in the last few days her eyes have come back to normal.

Today she came home and I will be nursing her until she gets better.  This means force feeding her a high protein diet through a tube into her stomach.  Here's what it looks like:

She is being really good about the whole thing.  She sits quite comfortably while I push stuff down the tube.  Apparently it will take four to six weeks of force feeding to get her back on track.

Don't ask about the vet bill!

I'm glad she's home.  However, her companion cat is less than impressed.  She's doing lots of hissing and bad behaviour.  Don't know what this is all about.  I suppose after a week and a half of being an only cat, she's a little jealous.

North to Alaska (Well. No. North to the NT.)

Life has been a bit full on for the last month or so.  I finally decided to move to Darwin and have now been here for nine days.

The reason for the move was to find work.  I was a bit sick of sitting at home collecting the dole, which went nowhere near providing enough money to pay the mortgage and eat.

Anyway, within five days of getting here I found a job which pays more than twice what I was getting at the factory in Tasmania, so the move seems to have worked out.  (Taps self on forehead and says 'Touch wood'.)

There have been a couple of big monsoonal storms since I got here, which is lovely (I don't think the cats would agree.).

So... I have a well paying job which starts on Wednesday, I have an airconditioned bedroom and I'm around people I've known for most of my life, and we are all getting along well.

I'm pretty happy and can deal with the sweaty weather.

Having fun in the studio

I've been playing in the studio quite a bit lately.

Here are some bits and pieces:

She  has a new home.  A friend in Canberra has bought her.

Called this one Mouselini:

 

 And this one is one of my faves:

Oh Whoops.  Can't find it in the morass that is the brain of my marvellous Mac.  Maybe later.

Here she is:

 

Anyway, plans continue for the big shift up North.  This week I'm going to sell most of the furniture.  I hope this will pay for the move.

It's great to be playing around with the arty stuff.   Makes life far more bearable.  Provides a little purpose.

It's nice to see several paintings at the same time.  I had thought I was being horribly cliched by doing only paintings of cats.  But now I see they are all quite different.  So maybe I'll keep playing with them.

Playing around and trying to be a bit less SERIOUS.

Well Here's one of the things that happens when I try to get stuck into arty worky:

Cats, computer, beer, phone.....

And here's one of the results. 

What a funny looking couple.

Choices, choices.

Ah well.

I've been  applying for jobs in Tas for several years now.

Almost goes without saying that this has been without success.  I'm not related to the right people!  I've never lived (and tried to find work) anywhere that it's this hard to find work without the right relations.

Strangely enough,  I think I might've been discriminated against because of my qualification as well as my relations.

Soooo, I think I've decided to leave.  Even though I love the weather and the ground.  Such a wonderful place to grow a garden.  But it's time to go.

Have been doing a few paintings, and can do this anywhere.  Here's one:

Kind of liked this.  I know it's twee, but it was fun.

Hello Again

Well, it's been a while.

Have spent the last few months looking for work and contemplating moving state to get work.

So anyway, I went to Darwin over the weekend.  It was surprisingly pleasant.  So now I'm looking for work in Darwin.  I haven't given up on work here, but it  looks like there is well paid work up there and bugger all down here.

It was great to be up there and good to catch up with lots of people.  On Monday I had lunch with a friend who lives in Sydney.  We lived down the road from each other in Bungendore.  She moved to Sydney and I moved to Tasmania.  By pure coincidence, we were in Darwin for the same three days. 

I stayed with my brother for one night while up there.  He lives at the place my parents used to live in.  It's a gorgeous tropical paradise.  Here's a little indication of what it looks like and what one might do while there:

Feet up, beer in hand. Seriously can't complain.

Back in Tas now and I've decided to apply for work in both Tas and Darwin and see what happens. 

It was great to be around people I know and in a place where I feel comfortable.  As much as I love it in Tas, I haven't been able to establish myself here other than having a mortgage on the house. 

I think I'd like to spend more time sitting on the verandah drinking beers with my brother.