Yesterday morning I visited the monks again, watching as they chanted and rang their bells and then settled in to work on their mandala. They group around it, heads down, tails up. One by one they come up for air, heads popping up, like big orange animals drinking water. They are gorgeous, everyone loves them. They are seen wandering around Bathurst. There was one in Zeigler’s cafe today, down the back, having a good old chat, just like the rest of us.

Tonight Steve & I have eaten up a plate of scotch fillet and veges to fuel an evening down at the Indoor Sports Centre, where the monks are going to be playing soccer. We’re going to document this on a VHS video camera, a digital video camera and a still camera, Steve’s beloved new D2H.

Other than that, it’s all work. It’s all emails and phone calls, one thing leading to another. I have no local fauna or flora observations, because I’m too busy to notice much. Well – a glance in the direction of the pansies – they’re going all right. And the dog is still here.