Dead sheep and rainbows

Max, our small, white, fluffy mutt of a dog, just deposited a sheep's leg - complete with remnant wool and hoof - on the kitchen floor. He's no sheep killer, he found a carcass in the paddock beyond the vineyard and dutifully brought it home for all of us to share. He is clearly very impressed with himself.

I have been off-line for days (it's given me a nervous twitch), and in that time we have made the complete move to the vineyard. One of things I love most about being part of a country community like Canowindra is the incredible network of friends and neighbours and the way they pitch in and help when needed. On Saturday morning, no less than five utes and trailers turned up outside the house at 8am. During the course of the morning, at least ten people helped with the move. By noon, I was up at the shed trying to make sense of where to put furniture and boxes (we have down-sized by about 60% so space is a premium) when a friend turned up with four trays of sandwiches to feed the hungry masses. Another came to take the kids to the pool. Another dropped off a bowl of fresh local peaches. Another went down to the old house and began cleaning rooms. As we had no water or stove in the kitchen (the water was finally plumbed in this afternoon and the stove should be operational by tomorrow) friends have dropped in dinners every night. I cannot express how grateful we are to all our wonderful friends. Growing up in the city, I don't think I ever experienced anything like this - it was like an Amish barn raising!

At dusk we cooked up a feast of sausages and rissoles and tomato sauce on bread washed down with plenty of beer and wine. At the sight of the kids starting up a game of bush cricket, Jamie and I shared a glance and a mutual understanding that this was what it was all about - and that everything was going to be OK.

We were also treated to a full rainbow against a stormy summer sky that seemed to begin at one end of the vineyard and end at the other - a good omen I think.