I can't believe it's true - the dog has gone! I keep checking to see if it is lurking behind a shed or lounging on the porch - but there has been no sign of it for the last 48 hours! This time I think it is for real...

This come after a dramatic encounter with the dog in our own backyard. Luke and I were out in the garden last week enjoying the good weather and all of a sudden Luke started crying his heart out. I couldn't see anything at first and he was still standing - so hadn't fallen or anything. I went closer to investigate and saw the dog loping down towards the back fence - in our yard! My first thought was for the chickens who were free ranging merrily away. I led Luke towards the hen house, calling the chickens all the while, planning to entice them in with some scraps of bread. As I stepped into the caged yard next to the henhouse, the dog came forward - right in front of my nose - and lunged at the chickens who scattered in fright. I clapped my hands and shooed it away and in the moment it shied away, managed to get the chickens inside. Once they were locked up and I knew Luke was OK, I shooed it up the driveway and it scooted off, its tail between its legs.

After my heart stopped beating 100 miles a minute, I started worrying about it coming back again - and decided to go and tell the neighbours about the incident. I took Luke in arms and trudged around to their place - a battleaxe like ours with a very rickety wooden fence - slats missing - probably where the dog got out. I saw two cars parked in front of the house so was pretty sure there was someone home. I strode up to the front door - luckily no dog in sight. The front door had seen better days and I noticed a football sticker carefully placed to cover up a hole near the top of the door. I knocked loudly, twice, but there was no answer. I guessed they were sleeping in - being students who are fond of parties and loud music. So I left them to it, deciding to write a note and slip it under the door later on. As I turned back into our driveway - someone called out.

A girl of about 20 - looking rather dishevelled as if she had just got out of bed - with smeared mascara and someone else's sweater and bare feet. She had heard me knocking and came to see who it was. I told her how the dog had got in and frightened Luke and chased the chickens. She was very apologetic and swore that her dog - being a border collie - had a very good temperament. She was surprised that it had got out - I mentioned the broken fence as a likely escape route. My ears pricked up when she told me that she was moving back home and taking the dog with her where it would be well locked up. I had to make sure I had heard properly ' "So you're taking her with you?" I asked. As she nodded her head I cheered silently inside. "Thanks for bringing her back" the girl said as we waved goodbye. Hmmmmf!

On the weekend I had a tea party for a few work friends - to celebrate spring and the completion of the driveway (in my dreams). It was fun - high tea with cucumber sandwiches, white choc cupcakes (recipe below) and upside down pineapple cake. I picked some pale yellow callistemon flowers for the table - they have such a nice, subtle honey smell. In the centre of the table, taking pride of place was my miniature silver and jade teapot from Tibet with a seated buddha on the lid. This was my first ever purchase from ebay and when I bought it for $1 congratulated myself on finding such a great pot for the tea party and such a bargain too. When the box arrived in the mail I quickly ripped it open and started wading through layers and layers of wrapping - until I found the tiny teapot inside. I had been expecting a human size teapot - not a doll's one! I don't remember seeing any dimensions on the web page... It makes for a good story anyway! =-)

Individual white chocolate chip cakes
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Makes 12

125g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (185g) caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 cups (250g) SR flour, sifted
1/2 cup (125g) buttermilk
1 and 1/4 cups (280g) white choc chips

1. Preheat oven to 170 C (325 F). Lightly grease 12 125 ml muffin tins.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric beaters until creamy. Add eggs, beating well after each one. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Fold in flour and buttermilk alternately, then fold in choc chips.
3. Fill each muffin hole 3/4 full and bake for 20 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when insterted into the centre of each cake.
4. Leave in tins for 5 mins before turning onto wire rack to cool. Loosen around edges if cakes stick to tin.

White chocolate cream cheese icing
100g white choc
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
200g cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup (40g) icing sugar

Melt choc and cream in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly, add to cream cheese and icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink! With the rain sluicing down outside and making a moat around our house we've been racking our brains about how to connect the water for the new house without digging across the road outside our place. We thought we had hit on the best option - asking our neighbours (and paying them a tidy sum by way of compensation) to go through their lot and access the water in the road behind us - after all we already have a drainage easement winding its way through their property... however our builder assured us yesterday that the flat bed borer could do the job (95% certain) for $12,000. Which is much better than the $60,000 he was threatening us with earlier. We asked him sign a contract variation to that effect. And he did, saying 'I told you it wasn't as bad as you thought!'. So in a months time we should have the water connected and be able to finish the driveway - nearly four months later!

This must be the week for solving problems. We have also managed to solve the problem of our broody hen - we have lent her out to a friend who wants to hatch some eggs! So all that excess mothering energy is now being put to good use. When the eggs hatch we will go and visit - the kids will just love it!

I've been doing some intensive reading on kitchen design and go to bed, my head reeling with 'work triangles', 'appliance garages', 'islands' and 'utensil racks'. I have contacted a company that creates eco kitchens without fumes (formaldehyde is a nasty glue used in most kitchens) and using recycled material where possible. They will do a quote from a sketch so I am attempting to put my ideas down on paper. I now have much admiration for kitchen designers - there is so much detail and so many aspects to consider. At the moment I can't decide where to put the sink. P. requested that it be under the window, but that would mean there would be no room for the dishwasher and the cutlery and crockery would be too far from the dining area. See what you think... here is the floorplan and some sketches I've done...

We've been beset by bugs the last couple of weeks - the dastardly gastro bug and then the vicious cold virus... so sorry I missed a week again! Anyway I have a couple of pics for you of our back yard being dug up - the last remaining bit of lawn left on the property... In one of them you can see the mountain of 'sediment' our neighbour complained about. The idea is to hook up the existing house's storm water to the new pipes and pits along the driveway. Up until now the storm water has just been dumped down the back yard - which wouldn't be any good once the new house is built.

One of our hens has gone broody and sits on the nest all day. Sometimes we have to pick her up bodily and toss her out to make sure she has something to eat in the mornings. I found her sitting on a stash of 11 eggs the other day! Because we let the hens free range around the yard during the day, they have started laying eggs in different spots, just to keep us guessing. Some days we don't find any eggs and think they're having a break and then we find the hiding spot. Apparently hens go broody when they're happy so it's a compliment to our hen keeping skills. However they do also get a bit aggressive - I've noticed a couple of the hens fighting - they fluff up their feathers, jump up in the air and fling their claws at eachother. The best way to cure the broody hen is to isolate them in a wire cage off the ground with only water for 3 days and no cosy corners for sheltering. It sounds pretty mean, but once they feel uncomfortable again, they forget about being broody and go back to regular hen behaviour, scratching in the dirt for grubs and whatnot. Here is a picture of our 3 non-broody hens stretching out in the sun...