We are such bad bloggers! Or is it just that so much happens here, we don't have time to write about it!

Well, our summer has been a busy one with lots of work in the village. Chris and Rambo have been doing the practical stuff, improving the school and finishing off the accommodation for our Principal and a teacher. Unfortunately, our much heralded new Principal who put in so much preparation work and effort found after just two days of term that he didn't after all like the job - Taking with him our promising new teacher too - so he left us in the lurch and I am now hunting for replacements - and I have my fingers crossed that by a miracle the right people may just have appeared.

Back at Steppingstones, we have now turned to work on the cabanas, and as I write, Rambo is hanging precariously off the top floor hammering in replacement woodwork - we had an exciting visitation of termites - thankfully caught well in time. We will be making some minor improvements and generally sprucing everything up. We are currently experiencing some heavy rainfall, and as I look out the window I can see the characteristic yellow sand laden flood waters of Monkey River right out to the horizon. Chris is outside trimming palms, a perpetual job.

Behind us, you would hardly think that we had such a bad jungle fire back in May. The undergrowth has grown back, and the smaller trees. the water is up very high, but the path to the Secret Lagoon is still high and dry for the second year. We wre back thre two days ago and it was crawling with small tarpon (the Lagoon, not the path!). Unfortunately we didn't have rods with us, so we had to confine ourselves to admiring.

We have a new dog! Another rescue, named Sadie, she is like a small, elegant Arbie. Just 9 months old, and into everything. In just an hour today she was found trotting around the house carrying

1. the tv remote

2. a bra

3. a toilet roll

4. half an avocado

5. a shoe

She gets on very well with the others, and especially loves Arbie as he will play with her. Although she is small, she eats like a disposal unit, and she immediately joined in with all the routines, running down the dock and barking, the 5am wake up visit to our bedroom and of course, slumping in the den watching TV.

Both the adult ducks are sitting on eggs, and Daisy should hatch hers any day now, Dave's will be about another 10 days. Sir Frances is moulting and looks rather undignified.

We are planning a trip out with Ian soon, so hopefully with have some fishing news then. The lobster season has been good, and we have had plenty of fesh crab and even some wild fresh shrimp, delicious. We are fed up with lobster though....

That's it for now folks,

take care,

Sue