Yesterday was not a good day. No dogs still and then to make matters worse, I read the expert reports about the proposed quarry. I am an optimist and I do think thoughts are things but I also think we're stuffed. The judge, who has never been here and who is the same judge, if memory serves, who approved it the first time, will approve it. Hell, after reading the mediation reports, I'd approve it.

What they plan to do is use an "Offset Property" to replace the area destroyed by the quarry. The land they have in mind is a little bit similar. It's in the same shire. It has a little bit of remnant vegetation not, to quote them, with the high richness in flora and fauna, and oh, the rv is far younger with no mature trees but hey, it's going to be the same in perhaps 60 years with ongoing management to protect it from cattle, fire and intrusive weeds. And just to further enhance the similarity, this OP is on flat land.

I could cry.

But I didn't. Instead I moped around all day doing very little. Yoga made me feel better but also brought me near to tears. I worked on the oil pastel a bit and did the housework but otherwise I just moped. Not good. In the afternoon went for a walk with R and did the animal chores and immediately felt better. A truth I forgot, that depression feeds on inactivity. Do something, anything physical, preferably outside and your spirits will rally.

So, today is another day. Woke at 5 and thought don't lie in bed, get up and start the day. Had a bad dream of a giant crocodile barely visible with its jaws agape beneath a bridge. It was waiting for me. The water was murky yet it knew I was there. I rescued some rats but they weren't the morsel it was hunting. Assume that crocodile is the quarry. It goes to court next month (postponed from March, May and August). Got on the computer last night and looked at properties in Montville, an area I hadn't considered before. Have been there once and remembered it as lush and arty and small with cafes clinging to the side of the, for want of the real name, Maleny ridge. Maleny is far too expensive but there are some affordable properties in Montville - and it's only half an hour from the coast.

Someone else is missing from our family. Algernon. We haven't seen him for over a month. We hope it's because he is looking for or has found a companion. The galahs are nest building. Pablo and Yasi, the rainbows, have been billing and cooing. Felicity is in such a flap about her absent Suki, who comes and goes, that she hunts Byron who has had to be removed to a cage and live with us on the deck. So it's that time of the year when bird's thoughts turn to love. Selfishly I'd just like to sight Algernon to know he's okay. At what point, however, do you cut the ties and really let released birds go? Algernon has been living free for several years now and has shown he can survive in the wild. He doesn't owe us anything, least of all 'checking in'.