Two places at once

Ever felt that you wanted to be in two places at once?

That's how it feels right now. We want to be at home in our new house at Diamond Beach, or kayaking on Wallis Lake (above) and we also want to be with Mae in Canberra when she begins chemotherapy tomorrow. But it's a no-brainer, really. We are in Canberra.

This time, David packed his bike in the back of the car, you can see the wheel behind him on the left in this on-road pic. He may be in denial about how cold Canberra still is.

We took the scenic route south, via The Lakes Way past Smith's Lake and Myall Lakes, joining the Pacific Highway just before Buladelah, where the bypass is still a work in progress.

Hornsby for afternoon tea. This is Peter's wisteria, growing over the old chook yard. Very rustic and pretty. I've given up trying to kill it, he says.

Julia has been doing some shopping. This vintage leather and lapin jacket took me back to my youth when I was living in Melbourne doing post-grad studies. Its a sign of the times when the sort of stuff you used to wear comes back labelled vintage. Julia had also bought some gorgeous Italian boots, but decided after purchase that they did not fit well enough. Would I like to try them on? Yes! So now I have the best pair of boots that I would never have allowed myself to buy. Thanks, Julia.

Stayed overnight at Surry Hills and were treated to an excellent salmon dinner by Linda and Phil.  Here's how it went. First, make coals in the fire pit out in the courtyard.

Then stuff the salmon with herbs and seasonings and oil, wrap in lemon slices and then newspaper. The SMH will do nicely. Has to be a broadsheet. What ever will we do when it goes digital?

A fully informed dinner is underway.

Then place salmon parcel in the sink to soak it.

Finally place parcel reverentially on a bed of expertly prepared coals. Not long after, turn, more roasting/steaming. Then unwrap, serve with vegies and it is just, so, so, delicious. What a treat.

This is not a fish. It is a loaf of bread. The finest Bourke Street Bakery sour dough. The only thing that could make Diamond Beach even more perfecter would be if a branch of the Bourke St Bakery could open there. After thinking, at the end of the salmon dinner the night before, that we would not manage to eat anything more for several days, we fronted for a Bourke St Bakery breakfast and managed to put it all away without any trouble. Any resemblance in us to the eating habits of labradors is purely imaginary. How dare you.

Farewelled Linda and her pottery rabbit from Shanghai and headed south for Canberra.

Lunch with Mae, Nick, Sarah and Lian at Poacher's Pantry. This venue was being checked out as a possible wedding venue. Good lunch but no to the reception prospect.

Tomorrow, Mae's courage is once more to be tested. We will be at the hospital with her as the gruelling but hopefully life-saving process of chemotherapy starts.  The worse it makes her feel, the more it kicks the cancer is one way to think of it.