I'm terribly homesick. There's nothing like a terrible world event to cause you to want to scuttle back home like a wounded cat to snuggle under your own doona on your own bed. I miss the view out the window at home. Goodness - I even miss the caw of the cockatoos, and they sound like demons screeching in all of Dante's levels of hell. I miss my kitchen, with all of it's tools and spices, and I miss my shower. Here, the water pressure is so pathetic I need to bath. Sometimes Britain feels like an inferior cousin, though people often think of Australia as the darkest corner of the Earth.

I enviously read Hive account@simplymike's latest garden journal where she showcased all her amazing plants. What comfort we find in our gardens! I'm jealous of everyone who has nothing else to do but tend a garden. Whilst I might have wild foods and woodlands to walk, I just want home.

My housesitter doesn't help. She sends me photographs of home, thinking that it will make me feel better. She sends me sunsets, weekly. How I miss watching the sun go down over the lake.

I miss my chickens. I actually lent all of my chickens to a friend - all nine are happily grazing on acreage not five miles from my place. I thought it'd be easier on the housesitters, but when lockdown happened, they thought they may as well get chickens. And so, I get chicken photos too. I wonder if I'll have to keep them when I get back. I'm already planning a bigger chicken coop.

I ask about my horseradish, which I was dearly hoping would survive. She wasn't sure what it looked like, so I described where it was. It's fine - although being eaten by something. They kindly planted my garlic out for me which is poking through the soil already.

The yakon too is going brilliantly! I'm hoping it will survive the winter and grow again so I get lots more of it. I know the housesitters have pulled lots of jerusalem artichokes too. And hops, which I convinced them to make a tincture out of, and give some away to local brewers. I wonder if they are doing anything with my mugwort, or oregano, or any of my other herbs. Do they pull them out as weeds or make cups of tea?

She's also sends me photos of pears, and pumpkins, and tomatoes. I'm incredibly jealous, but also happy they've been able to enjoy the abundance I'd planted so they could enjoy it whilst I'm away. How lovely it is, really, to see two woman enjoy my little paradise in lockdown. They're ever so grateful, so I can only smile in happiness when I see photos of home, truly.

I hope they don't mind being kicked out soon, when we go home.