6: Freelance Departs

I started the morning, as I often do lately, with a cup of tea in my kitchen stool. When I say down my eyes glanced over and immediately spotted the missing item Jessica and I were hunting high and low for last night. Tucked up against my aging oven, and only visible when I was sitting on my little stool.  I am finding myself there too often at the moment. 

I guess I feel like today I achieved a bit, and that's a good thing.  I packed up most of the contents of my tiny and annoying bathroom.  And slipped out to get more boxes.  Evan was going to come and take my bed apart (he made it) on Thursday, but in a change of plans, he came today with Fenella, so that saw me finishing off my room in a hurry.  I only have my dresses to pack now.  I've hardly been going out lately, and recently seem to only wear something pretty at the track.  Magic Millions will be hot, and standard attire seems to be shorts and tshirts, so I doubt I have much call for fancy clothes between now and when we arrive.

It's after midnight, but sleep seems a million miles away. Jessica is running a savage fever.  It appears to be going up, not down, despite the Nurofen before bed, so I've just given her some panadol too.  I hope it will come down a little bit now, and that she can settle.  I'm worried about the health of a couple of people right now.  Suddenly I feel like I've reached the triple of a huge whammy, because I can feel my cheek stinging from what feels like a very hard slap, and I can feel my heart racing in my chest all of a sudden.  I shiver slightly and wonder are all the others right???  Perhaps I really am not a good judge of character.  I wanted to be right..  I really did... 

These are the images of Freelance going 'home' to Wyndarra this afternoon.  Fenella and I got her onto the float without too much drama.  She's such a good girl.

Postscript:

It's 4am.  Jessica has just thrown up.  I'm sure it is the fever, this is how she reacts to them, so I am not panicking, especially after taking her temperature.  She is still feverish, but it's dropped from being close to 40 degrees to 37.5.  I've found sleep impossible since I finally attempted to go to bed at 2am.  I find myself suddenly missing Freelance, even though she's only just left, once I realise that there is no light brown mare to visit this morning. 

I realise that it is already New Year's Eve.  Last year New Year's  Eve wasn't any fun at all.  They apparently say that New Year's Day is far more important, and indicative of how the year will be.  New Year's Day was really nice last year.  I realise that there have been some real triumphs and good parts to 2013, but to be perfectly honest, I cannot wait to say goodbye to 2013 because it's a year that on the whole has made me sad. 

I begin to worry about a virus sweeping through us.  The kids I can manage, but I simply cannot afford to go down myself..

Packing...

 

It's a COMPLETE obstacle course...  And looks a bit disastrous.  I'm getting tired, and my neck and back are sore.

Trying to have the essential left out for the last few days.  I have to finish packing the kitchen tomorrow.

My plant..  Perhaps I should throw it out?  Do I have the heart?

The beautiful bed comes apart.  Sleeping on a mattress on the floor reminds me of grim times..

 

This 'blockey' bit comes out..  It's called a Tenon???  The holey bit it goes into is called a Mortice??  I forget...  Evan didn't like my descriptions

Picking up supplies for dinner.  Freelance waits patiently.

and turns when she hears my voice

Home coming...  Unfortunately none of the horses she grew up with at Wyndarra are alive anymore.

 

My mare...  Like Bridget, she also has a Bottom The Size of Brazil....

Eyes on a stick...  Alpacas are strange and frightening beasts..

 

Told you she's not much of a jumper!

The other horses were too frightening..

Running away from strange horses

"Wait for Me" shouts Pirate

 

Prima Donna...