Mr Dodger and Mr Toad

Here are Mr Dodger and Mr Toad, looking guilty as they have just been brought back to the shack at the beach having done a spot of vacational 'running away'.

As a result they must wear their 'dunces ears' for a small period of time to remind them of how naughty they have been.

It takes a while for the dogs to work out that they need to give themselves a quick head flick to get their ears back in the right spot. In the meantime the family gets a good giggle.

Dingo Rocks Fire

Farmland to the NE of Esperance has been under threat from a bush fire raging in an area east of Salmon Gums known as Dingo Rocks. We saw smoke from this fire last week, and the red glow to the NE of us at night was an amazing sight.

FESA and local volunteers have been busy fighting the fire this week, with temperatures in the district reaching 38 degrees plus for the last couple of days.

Whilst the fire is nowhere near our farm, the smoke has drifted far and wide giving eerie afternoon light to the farm. This picture of Hill Plains homestead was taken at about two in the afternoon.

Chiefy has disappeared up to the FESA operations van to help with controlling and any back burning that might be required. This leaves me home alone. Yay! Food and Lifestyle channels here I come! UK sitcoms here I come! Though obviously when his Lordship returns from a hot day at the fire front I shall say I have been busy washing, cooking and cleaning.....

Captive Wives

Well know Perth actor, director and writer, Jenny Davis was in town recently to start work on a project that Agelink Theatre Inc(that Jenny founded in 1993 and writes and directs for) has been invited to work on in association with Esperance Community Arts and The Esperance Theatre Guild.

Jenny was in town with fellow thespian Jenny McNae, to interview farming women in the Esperance distict about the challenges of clearing new land country, running a farm, raising a family and the tyranny of distance. Whilst the title of the project is yet to be confirmed, the interest was sparked from the story of a group of women in the Grass Patch area in the 1970's who met monthly and called themselves the Captive Wives. Stories have been gathered from a few of the original Captive Wives as well as a few others farming in the Esperance district from the late 1950's to the present day. There was plenty of material to be found in the local publication "Faith, Hope and Reality" which 'The Jenny's' found fascinating.

Whilst in its earliest stages, the project aims to collate as many stories as possible into a theatrical production of some sort that will end up on the stage of The Bijou Theatre. 'The Jennys' spent a week interviewing and delving into historical archives to get a feel for the piece they are going to create. The Esperance Theatre Guild has asked local director Lyndel Taylor and myself to direct this project, and Tracey Schlink is the producer. Flora Yetman is doing the costumes and auditions will be called for later as the project takes form.

I'll keep you updated as it progresses.