I tender some advice for the young mothers out there…

I found essential oils ages ago. They have become the foundation for my tribes well-being. I have thrown out all other topical ointments and tinctures. I strongly suggest you young mothers go out and buy immediately:

Tea Tree Oil, the most antiseptic item found naturally. Used in hospitals where bugs grow in a near sterile environment. When all the hard-core antibiotics fail the hospitals use Tea Tree. You can put a few drops in the bath and let your kids steam their sinus, clean all skins, bruises, and scratches. I have in fcat use a drop on sore teeth/ gums. I know a lot of people do not like the smell of Tea Tree but I reckon it to be a miracle oil. Note that like most oils it can burn the skin so either a few drops in the bath or a few drops in some carrier oil then apply to skin. Use neat carefully.

Lavender Oil, may well be the swiss army knife of oils. It relaxes, reduces swelling, makes sore muscle better. Makes you smile and feel drowsy. My last trip to Montana I nailed my elbow a beauty in a short fall down a big mountain and ended up with classic bursitis. Within a couple of hours of the injury I got liberal amounts of lavender on it and kept the treatment going. It made all the difference. With the teething baby… a drop on your finger, rub it into your thumb then rub finger and thumb behind the ears, behind the neck and on the line of the jaw. Forehead and temples are nice too. You can rub a drop on the gum as well but the taste is usually to much for a kid.

I can discuss other oils: Rose, Eucalyptus, Lang Lang… they are all good but, in all seriousness Tea Tree and Lavender do it all.

Grab a small bottle, a drop of lavender to get strated… put a bit on a wet wash cloth and wash your face and neck… it is sooo refreshing. And soo gud for you.

The travel advice on www.smarttraveller.gov.au states that

“Fresh and salt water crocodiles and sharks are common in Solomon Islands’ waters, and can be present on occasions in areas close to Honiara including the popular Bonegi Beach. Local advice should be sought before entering unfamiliar waters.”

We understand that large crocodiles have recently been sighted near Bonegi Beach. Options for their destruction are being investigated, but we encourage Australians to be particularly mindful of this section of the travel advice at this time.

On a Sunday morn, real early, a frantic call from a good friend. He has just heard you had died.

Yep, Mike Hammond of Honiara fame passed away last week and was buried Saturday.

Now Mike and I shared similar names, which, in a small pond like the Solomons, inevitably led too much fun-filled confusion.

I was first confused with/ by Mike when a policeman saw me in the street, walked up and in island fashion took my hand and started telling me all the stuff that had been stolen from my island was ready to collect. The policeman was effusive and very friendly. I smiled, nodded and got my hand back so I could depart. I did not have a clue what the fellow was talking about.

Then I was told, when I was in Gizo, that I did the right thing by beating the coon-dawn-shit outta some white guy that was a con and a jerk. I supposedly whooped the guy at the Yacht Club ion a Saturday night in Honiara. I was in Gizo.

Then, when my sons were going to school in a small farming community in central Queensland I came to be friendly with a family who, after s short period, confided that they had mixed me up with “another Mike from the Solomon’s” who kept a babe in the house down the street form them. Until they had sorted this out they were very suspect of me and my natural intentions.

Eventually I met Mike Hammond in the Yacht Club. He was a proper Queenslander. A good storyteller. A bit of bad-ass and trouble maker. Some loved him, some hated him. I just got confused with him.

Mike was well into his 60s but fit and healthy. He smoked like a chimney and drank daily in the club. He ran a fishing charter business out of the club so it was his office so he was there pretty much all the time.

Over the past number of years Mike and I would joke about the mix-ups. I always said, “…don’t confuse that ugly old man with crooked teeth and a small dick with me…” being a rude yank I said this to Mike, jokingly of course, and we’d both enjoy the camaraderie of confusion.

So Hans is frantic Sunday morning. Calling trying to get my family up on a sleep-in day, etc., etc. He eventually got hold of Grace here in Oz.

I do thank Hans for being such a good friend. It is touching and funny all the same.

So, there you go, a great way to start a Sunday morn…

Don’t want to disappoint so, thanks for the reminder, have not heard this for ages…

04 Doctor My Eyes

Remember the one where Clarkson drove an Audi V8 from London to Edinburgh on one tank of gas. The ending of this clip had JC running on what the vehicle reports as “O” fuel.

I drive a little Audi.  And just the other day, I should have ran out of gas. For a fair distance the car’s onboard computer told me I had “O” ks left in the gas tank.

Was stressful to say the lease. Stupid in many ways. But I am glad I have a car that literally runs on empty.

more later

Mother Nature is such a show-off

a chilled drizzle adds to the drabness of the day. I should put a shirt on. A bit cold.

I woke too early. Really could have slept for hours more but was wide awake so got up. Grace spent the night on the futon out on the south veranda. The weather was building in the south all day yesterday and Grace decided to spend the night cocooned in blankets out in the teeth of the weather.

The south side of the house is the “weather” side. The is no protection there. The reef below us has waters that have just done an uninterupted run from antarctica crashing and pounding on it. Big swells come in. And even on calm days the drumming of the waves on the reef is noticeable.

We have a weather system kicking into gear south-east of us.

Sure makes the frigate birds happy… there are about 50 hanging in the air above the coast line to the south.