Author: geoffhamo

This week I will undergo my 2-year post Bone Marrow Transplant testing at Peter Mac.  This involves the following:

• 14 Different blood tests
• Bone Marrow Biopsy
• Bone Density Scan
• Lung Function Test
• Dental Check
• Gated Blood Pool Scan

And in addition I will also have the following with external specialists:

• Dermatology Checkup
• Optometry Checkup
• Physiotherapy Checkup

The results will not be available until the end of January and I will report these with my last Blog in February.

I have been feeling very well over the past few months and expect that all tests will go well – although I do remember Amit Khot’s answer when questioned what the outcome of my treatment would be.  He said “we can only apply the latest thinking and practice and in general this leads to a positive outcome, but please remember we are dealing with biology so to some extent it is unpredictable”.

Confident on one hand and non-committal on the other!

I thought I would post the results of my blood tests over the past two years.  As you can see they were very much up and down in the period immediately post my BMT but have generally settled in recent times.  The slight hiccups are due to being placed back on steroids from time to time to combat GVHD.

Blood Graphs

Over the Christmas Period

We had a great time at Mollymook with my sister Fiona and brother and law, Michael, Georgie, Oscar, our kids and all the grandparents Helen&Allen and Helen&Hugh.

Visitors over Christmas included:

• Darren and Cathy Wallace, Maddy and Ben
• Lachy and friends, Fi, Milly, Hanna and Marney.

• Andrew and Bev Irvine

• John and Sandy Hawkins
• Dougall and Celia, Charlie Youngman and girlfriend Becky.

• Brian Northcote and friend Julie

It is amazing how quickly time passes!  Who would believe it has been just over a year since we returned to Tassie after 15 months in Melbourne for treatment.  But it just goes to show that you need to keep doing things or you might run out of time!  And I more than most have seen this scenario emerge from out of nowhere!

My most recent blood tests were very encouraging.  Almost every blood count was in the normal range – Red Blood Cells  – 141, White Blood Cells – 9.1, Platelets – 162, Neutrophils – 5.1, Creatinine – 90 and Liver Markers (ALP, GGT and ALT) all in the normal range.

My consult with Amit is not for a week or so but on my reading of the blood results he should be satisfied that things are progressing well.

My steroid weaning has progressed ever so slowly and I am on a minimal does of just 2.5mg of Prednisolone daily now.

January Tests

I have been booked for a number of ‘2 year post-BMT’ tests in mid January covering Bone Marrow biopsy, bone density scan, lung function, dental, gated heart pool scan and extensive blood tests.

Following this if all is well Amit will give me the ‘all clear’ which as I say to friends will mean “I am as healthy as you!”  Some of my friends point out that I should be careful what I say as I mightn’t like that option at all!

Given the good progress I seem to have made this year I have decided that the blog will come to an end soon – probably after I receive my 2 year results.  This would be a good time to ‘hang up my boots’ if all goes well.

Other things

We have been lucky enough to make a few trips to Wagga for business and to catch up with friends and my mum and dad in Cootamundra.

On one of these trips I called in to meet up with Cathy Koning – my new found AML friend who is writing a book on her experience.  Cathy is now 7 years on from her BMT and is doing well leading very much a normal lifestyle.  It was good to share some stories and experiences.

And on top of that I have enjoyed getting back into flying spending a bit of time in our helicopter which is now based on the farm.

I am now counting down to the two year mark post Bone Marrow Transplant as this is when I will undergo another series of tests to check on my status.  If there is no sign of leukaemia the doctors will give me a ‘full clearance’ meaning I am officially cancer free.  These tests will happen early January and I am counting each day until then!

My most recent blood tests were very encouraging will all counts either in the normal range or very close to.  My Haemoglobin and Platelets were high (154 and 188) and Neutrophils 7.2.

My monthly consult with Amit was perhaps the quickest so far with just a few questions over the phone (I was driving at the time which Amit found amusing saying he’d never had a consult with a patient on the road).  I replied that my next one might be when I am flying a helicopter which he said would be another first.

Amit was cautious with my GVHD saying that the steroids were certainly doing their job (I am now weaned down to just 2.5mg per day) but he expected this treatment might come and go over the next 12-18 months.

One of the most undesirable side effects of the Prednisolone is the fat deposit I have gained around my abdominal area.  I complained to Amit that it must be very uncomfortable for men who carry a beer gut because that is how I feel and it is not nice!  He laughed it off and said that with time this will return to normal (with a little help with diet and exercise).  I’m on to it!

My health has been great over the last month and there are even days when I feel almost ‘as good as new!’.  On other days I still suffer from muscle soreness and fatigue – which of course is entirely manageable.  As I say ‘if this is my life then I have nothing to complain about’.  In fact because I have been feeling so well I am now focusing on the ‘margins’ ie. the small stuff such as the muscle soreness and my ‘beer gut’  – First World Problem I guess. It just reminds me how lucky I am  – of course 40-50% don’t make it at all!  The marvels of modern medicine.

Other stuff

The big news is I have now re-gained my helicopter licence – and what a goal.  In fact this was my first concern when I got sick – ‘when will I be able to fly again?’  So after 2 and 1/2 years I am back in the air – and thoroughly enjoying it.

We have been busy with business appointments and meetings recently which I am also thoroughly enjoying.  It is good to be back.

Things down in Tassie are going well with the drought affecting the farm (no where near the likes of NSW and QLD) but never the less it is dry for spring.

Sparky gets shorn in preparation for grass seed season and Jan shares some time with her mum.

I was contacted recently by a lady who had undergone successful treatment for AML and is writing a book on her experience.  Cathy Koning lives in Victoria and has experienced many of the things that I have and is now 7 years post transplant. Cathy still suffers from GVHD and is on and off steroids constantly.

Cathy asked me if I’d be happy for her to quote sections from my blog (namely the blog on religion!) and read her draft book.  I found it very interesting especially that her experience was similar to mine (although she spent a month in ICU due to kidney problems including dialysis and still has complications).

One of the most startling things I read was the overall survival rate for AML was just 24%.  This was quite alarming as I had always thought the statistic to be closer to 60%.  As it turns out 60% is the overall survival rate for Leukaemia but AML tends to be much more aggressive than other blood cancers.

Having checked this statistic with my Haematologist, Amit Khot, I have been reassured that this statistic has improved significantly in recent years with Stem Cell technology and other advancements – although I don’t have a more accurate statistic.  What is evident is the first 6-12 months post transplant are critical and survival in this period can be ‘touch and go’.  Luckily I am well through this and we do know that every month you survive post transplant your chances of survival increase significantly.

And once you reach 2 years post transplant you are given a full clearance with your chances of survival as good as any one else.  This is just 3 months away and I am very confident I am going to see this milestone!

My most recent blood tests were pretty encouraging although both my haemoglobin and platelets had dropped somewhat.  Amit was not too concerned indicating that these results will bounce around somewhat and both are still in the acceptable range.

Results were:

Hb – 129 (down from 152)

Wcc – 8.0

Neutrophils – 4.6

Platelets – 137 (down from 184)

In my review with Amit (over the phone) we covered my current drugs (just 8 tablets a day now) and the weaning plan for the steroids.  As expected this will be very slow taking another few months.  However I am down to just 5mg a day which is considered to be very low.

The lichen planus of my hands has almost disappeared and the only impact of GVHD that I am currently experiencing is mouth soreness from time to time and muscle pain in my legs which seems to come and go depending on the day.

So in a nutshell things are going very well – probably as good as can be expected.  And as I say to people I am now doing most if not all of the things I used to do prior to be diagnosed.  The marvels of modern medicine!

Other things in the life of the Hamiltons

I caught up with Lachy in Cairns recently (en route during the HeliSafari of FNQ).

We travelled up to Darwin for business meetings with our Business partners Mike and Kate McConachy.

Julia Ham made a visit one weekend.

We have been busy on the farm in Tassie tending to small jobs.  The weather has been superb with lovely calm spring days with cool nights.

Claire and Dougall (and multiple friends) made a visit to Tassie one weekend but we were so involved that we overlooked taking a photo!

I am now on monthly blood tests which is fantastic. My veins have taken a pounding over the past 12 months and it is good to give them some relief.

I had a consult with Amit this week over the phone and all went well. We went through the standard questions.

How do you feel? What drugs are you taking?

Amit was interested in my recent travel and movements and said I must be feeling well if I can be doing the things I listed.

And that is the key point. I have recently felt as well as ever. I’d say 80-90% of my pre diagnosis health – which is probably a great outcome. I have nothing really to complain about.

My recent blood results were all pretty good with Haemoglobin 152, Wcc 129, Neutrophils 9.5, Platelets 177 and Creatinine 78. In fact some of counts were a little high but probably due to the steroid dose I am not on (currently 10mg).

The weaning process for the Prednisolone is very slow – it will take 5 months to get back off this drug!

The Lichen Planus on my hands had recently flared up but thanks to a super strength cream it is now under control.

So now I am looking forward to the 2 year post Bone Marrow Transplant date (January 2020) as this is when the doctors will give me a full clearance.

Other things

Jan and I enjoyed a few days at Falls Creek skiing with David Foster Peter Clucas and Colin Duff. It had been 3 years since I’d been skiing so I was unsure how that would go. Apart from some massive cramps at night time (in my shins of all places) the skiing went really well – no falls and I even managed to ski the Summit.

Claire Toby and Pria helped out with tree planting at Milford. Lachy made a surprise visit from Bali.

I joined my friend Eric Saacks on a Heli Safari around FNQ. This was a trip of a lifetime.

Prednisolone is an amazing drug – just a few mgs a day and the T Cells back off allowing my body to recover from the GVHD.

Amit Khot tells me that all the effects of GVHD are not well known or documented and there are many manifestations which patients describe that are not named or well studied.  The standard response is to ‘hit it’ with Steroids (Prednisolone) and hope for the best.  A blunt instrument but one that seems to work.

Since going back on the steroids I have felt much better and I am now starting the weaning process – slowly reducing the dose every 3-4 weeks.  This will take up to 5 months this time so by the end of the year I may be completely off this drug.

Amit confirmed in my consult this week that taking Steroids will be part of my on-going treatment and this could be for a number of years.  He has patients that are on low doses (1-2mg/day) many years after their initial treatment for Leukaemia.

I have resigned myself to this fact and consider if this is the worst outcome of my recovery I am a lucky man.  The GVHD is not restricting what I do and in the big picture is a small price to pay for a return to health.  I admit it is a little annoying having to take the myriad of other drugs to counterbalance the effects of the steroids but once again a few pills a day is a small price to pay!

The lichen planus on my hands has finally started to resolve and my skin is almost back to normal.  And the only other irritation has been GVHD in my mouth with has also developed into Oral Thrush. A few more drugs and this seems to be subsiding!

My blood counts from this week’s tests were all in the normal range.  Hbs 138, Wcc 12.4 Platelets 196, Neutrophils 9.1 and Mg 0.82.  Amit has now put me on monthly blood tests rather than fortnightly – another milestone.

Earlier this month I had a ‘Flexible Cystoscopy’ of my urinary tract (ouch!).  This was to check for lesions in my bladder and urethra as I had been passing blood in my urine from time to time.  Luckily the urologist did not find anything of concern and in fact commented that it was the ‘tidiest’ he had seen in recent times!  This was a big relief as I had feared the worse.  He explained that my prostate gland had developed a slight vascular condition which was contributing to the blood.  In his opinion this was not anything to be concerned about.

So all in all things are moving ahead really well and my recovery is certainly looking very positive.  Amit indicated that apart from dealing with the GVHD issues there should not be any other new issues or matters of concern.

Other Things

We had a couple of days with Claire and Toby at Cape Leveque getting the hang of their camper trailer and we thoroughly enjoyed our subsequent camping trip across Australia travelling from Broome to Melbourne in 2 weeks via Marble Bar and the West MacDonnell Ranges.  Claire, Jan and I were joined by my sister Fiona who is married to Jan’s younger brother Michael (all very close I know!).

We made a quick trip from Alice Springs back to Camperdown in Vic to see Dougall play a game for the Port Fairy Seagulls (est. 1868!)

Space junk at Woomera

Nothing like Bacon and Eggs for breaky!

And back on the farm in Tassie the grass is green and the sheep are happy!

I guess the last blood tests were a little warning that things were not going so well and of course given more time that is exactly what the situation was.  Over the past few weeks I hadn’t been feeling so well with considerably more muscle pain and more bowel problems including diarrhoea which is an obvious sign of GVHD.  And to top if off the Lichen Planus on my hands had flared up again.  All things pointed to another bout of GVHD and although I was keen to ‘self-medicate’ I resisted the urge until I had discussed the options with Amit.

One of the first things he zeroed in on was the blood count for the Eosinophils, which normally rests at less than 0.1 but last test was up to 0.8 and this week rose to 2.2.  This is a ‘marker’ for GVHD and was enough for Amit to put me back on Prednisolone, starting at 20mg per day.

Amit had said some time ago that my journey this year would involve ups and downs with GVHD and having to continually go back on steroids as a countermeasure.  Despite this I had hoped that my recovery might have progressed a little more smoothly.

The good thing is once I had started taking the steroids again I immediately started to feel better.  The muscle pain eased within a day and I regained the energy that the GVHD had obviously been taking away.

Blood counts are now sitting at 134 for Hb, 13.4 Wcc, 154 for Platelets, 4.2 for Neutrophils.

One of the side effects of being back on Prednisolone is increasing the dose of Valaciclovir back up to 12 day!

Joe Trapani

To show our gratitude for the care and treatment received at Peter Mac (ie The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre) Jan and I made a donation to research (apparently the full cost of treating a leukaemia patient is close to $1.5m – so I guess there was some room to help out!).  Through the Peter Mac Foundation we managed to sponsor some leading research under the Direction of Professor Joe Trapani who is the head of the Cancer Immunology Research program.

Joe and his team are working on a targeted therapy for GVHD, which of course was of interest to us.  We managed to meet with Joe and discuss his research which after 10 years in a laboratory with mice is about to be tested with humans.  He is hopeful of launching a new medication within a few years that will replace the need for the blunt instrument of Prednisolone for treating GVHD of the skin.

We were fortunate enough to tour the research labs at Peter Mac.  There are 650 researchers currently employed there – it’s a leader in its field throughout the world.  I certainly ended up at the right place for my treatment.

Jan with Steffi Chang from the Peter Mac Foundation.

Other things

We have enjoyed spending more time on the farm in Tasmania.

CASA have come good and returned my medical without any restrictions – which means I can go flying again solo once I am retested by an instructor.  This is good news and something I have been waiting on since the day I first got sick.

We are currently in Broome having joined Claire and her boyfriend Toby earlier in the week for a few days of outback camping and expolring at Cape Leveque.  Following that Claire, Jan and I will be joined by Michael and Fiona Sheridan to drive back across the desert from Marble Bar to Alice Springs (sadly Toby has to return to Victoria for work).  We will join up with the Thomson family from Wagga Wagga at Marble Bar.

Things have been tracking along well for the past few months (apart for the Lichen Planus on my hands) and I was quite buoyed by my progress.

However my latest blood tests this week showed a significant drop in all parameters.  Amit was not overly concerned but thought it may have been as a result of a virus or some other infection.  The problem is that I haven’t felt unwell in the past few weeks – so of course my mind is asking “what can it be?”.

Red blood cells have dropped from 143 to 125, Platelets from 216 to 100 (of greatest concern), white blood cells from 13.5 to 6.6 and neutrophils from 9.6 to 2.7.  Creatinine and Magnesium are both steady at 75 and 7.9.

Amit has suggested we wait for the next set of blood tests in a fortnight before jumping to conclusions.

The good news is the Lichen Planus has improved considerably, although is still evident.  It is treated with a steroid cream which seems to be doing the job.  Once again it is probably a condition that will come and go over the years and something that I will have to live with.

The other issue that has been under investigation is the evidence of blood in my urine.  I have had an ultrasound of my kidneys and prostate gland but this did not reveal anything (other than the prostate is quite small) so the next round of tests include a CT scan of my urinary tract and a cystoscopy (internal examination of the urinary tract) which should reveal more.  My urologist is investigating for evidence of cancer.  Stay tuned for more information!

Other things

We have managed to experience a few interesting things in the last few weeks including:

A visit from my Mum and Dad to Tasmania for a week.  We managed to install the ‘family swings’ that my father built in 1966 for us – which has been moved from house to house over the years.  A family heirloom!

A day out at the Campbell Town show – Australia’s longest running agricultural show established 181 years ago!  I even felt tempted to join up with the local pipe band.

Returning to my old Rotary Club in Wagga, Wollundry Rotary, to thank members for their well wishes and to co-ordinate a fund raiser for the Leukaemia Foundation where 11 members (and one wife, Kath Wallace) shaved their heads!  We raised close to $20,000 on the day! Thanks to all who shaved and gave!

A trip to Kununurra and Broome to catch up with business partners Michael and Kate McConachy.  There are many new faces in the business since we last visited about 2 years ago.  This pic is of Tim Heasman (Head of checking and training for Aviair) with one of our PC12s at our Broome base.

Some great weather on our farm in Tassie – even though we are seeing minus 2 and 3 some mornings!

And of course a few bike rides with Ross Williams and friends in the great Tassie bushland.

During the early stages of my recovery from Leukaemia I set myself 3 goals.

1. Return to health
2. Continue spending time with family and friends
3. Return to flying

The first goal was of course the obvious and although I have made good progress I can become frustrated with slowly this takes place – especially with my physical strength.  I still can’t do a full push-up!  But things are improving with steady work.  On the positive my haematological parameters seem to be tracking along quite well.

We have enjoyed visits from lots of family and friends and as I’ve said before this is a key part of my overall recovery.  Group therapy has a lot going for it!

But my third goal was one that seemed all elusive. However this month I achieved that as well.

I spent a few days flying with good friend Eric Saacks (and instructor Neil Hughes) in Eric’s new Robinson R44  helicopter VH-EXD at Port Macquarie.  This was a huge milestone for me.  I am still waiting on my medical certificate from CASA (currently being reviewed by a team of specialists!) but I am able to fly under instruction.

The Ups and Downs of a GVHD  patient

Not long after my last blog I hit a small snag.  I noticed some nasty little wart like lesions growing on my hands which did not seem normal.  Being concerned about GVHD I sent a photo to my haematologist, Amit Khot and surprisingly on a Sunday he emailed back straight away to say he thought it might be shingles rather than GVHD of the skin.

A visit to our local after hours GP clinic confirmed it was unlikely to be shingles but an exact diagnosis was not forthcoming.

So after a number of trips to the Dermatologist in Melbourne with two different biopsies of the affected area on my hands I finally have a diagnosis of GVHD related Lichen Planus.  (I would point out that Dr Saacks suggested this diagnosis some time earlier!) This is an inflammatory reaction common in immune deficient people.  It is readily treated with a steroid hand cream and luckily in my situation this is having effect.  My dermatologist had suggested it may have been either Pompholyx or Epidermodysplasia verrruciformis (but advised me not to Google this condition!)

I must admit during the long period to diagnose and then start treating this situation I was becoming very concerned.  The lesions had spread over most of each palm and fingers and was preventing me from using my hands for many things.

Luckily I am now moving past this.

At the same time my mouth and lips became quite severely affected by GVHD with Wickhams Striae – white lesions that commonly occur during GVHD making drinking and eating noticeably more difficult. No surprise this time treatment is with more steroids – this time a mouth wash (Dexamethasone) and lip cream.  I love my steroids!

I felt like I was about to slip down another large Snake in my life game of Snakes and Ladders!

Over the past few weeks I have also received booster injections for my immunisations. The ‘live’ boosters of measles, mumps and rubella need to wait for another 12 months.

Meeting with Amit Khot

Due to my concerns with the skin lesions and being in Melbourne for appointments with my Dermatologist I have met up with Amit twice now in two weeks (following four months of telehealth appointments).  It gave me a chance to look him in the eye and ask a few more tough questions!

At our last consult he confirmed my blood counts were still in the normal range and holding up well – a big relief.  Interestingly living from ‘blood count to blood count’ is not such a big thing for me now.  I am more interested in improving health and fitness.

For the record my Red blood cells are around 136, White Cells 10.3, Neutrophils 5.6 and Platelets 188.  Creatinine is around 76.  Magnesium levels had dropped slightly to 0.77 which is a function of cutting back slightly on my 4 Mg tablets a day.  I might have to increase them again.

Over the last few months I have noticed some blood in my urine.  Amit showed immediate concern for and and has ordered some tests to help diagnose any problems.  Urine sample, ultrasound and then perhaps further investigations  – ouch!

I managed another joke with Amit suggesting that he now has a new scientific paper in my hand lesions as he indicated in his 25 years of treating leukaemia patients he had not seen GVHD present like this.  (I thought I might have to accompany him to his next US conference!)

Overall I have found that my recovery is progressing nicely and being back in the fresh open air of Tasmania has been wonderful.  It is great just to get out and about and do some normal things.

What else has been happening?

I have now released my first PodCast!  Kennedy Lay my physiotherapist in Docklands put together a short interview during my treatment with him.  It takes me through my treatment and experience and may be of some interest to readers of this Blog.

Give it a go.   #003 – Geoff Hamilton.mp3

We have been travelling a bit for business and family catch ups and continue to get visitors dropping in from time to time.  We love it!

We had a bunch of visitors on the farm over Easter including our ex Rotary Exchange student from Belgium Eugenie Coche and boyfriend Arthur.

Claire performed Bridesmaid duties for good friend Sophie Sutherland at a spectacular wedding in Corryong, in the Upper Murray.

And we managed a 3 day horse trail ride in the Victorian Alps.  Not bad for a person who has only been on a horse 4 or 5 times in his life.  It was a superb trip with some absolutely memorable scenery – real Man from Snowy River stuff!

And meanwhile back at the farm the new watering system goes in!

…. and the Hamilton Family swings have gone up, yet again!! (53 years after first being constructed by my Dad for Tony, Fiona and me).

And Jan has been busy in her veggie garden.

Today was another ‘TeleHealth’ consult with my Haematologist Amit Khot.  There was not much to report on as things have been going very well in the past 3 or 4 weeks but Amit did have a pleasant surprise for me.  That was a reduction in my daily drug intake from around 24 tablets a day to just 6 a day – absolute bliss!

Amit was of the view that my liver and kidney function was almost back to normal.  And as my steroid dose has been reducing over the past few weeks I am now able to drop from 12 Valaciclovir (anti-virals) down to just 1 a day.  Similarly the Ursofalk (for liver issues) was able to be dropped altogether, and the Preds are now down to 5mg a day with a slow weaning over the next few weeks.

The blood counts are again very stable with Haemoglobin at 136, White Blood Cells 8.4, Neutrophils 5.7 and platelets 169.  Creatinine was 95 which is well under the 110 mark indicating my kidney function is back to normal.

All in all this was good news and in line with how I feel at the moment.

I asked Amit why I had needed a Stem Cell (Bone Marrow) transplant given that the first round of chemotheraphy was very effective leaving me in total remission.  His answer was ‘its a bit late now to ask that question’ – one of the few moments when I have seen a little bit of humour from him!  However he did explain that research had shown the combination of the type of Leukaemia I had (AMML) with the FLT3 Mutation was best treated with Midostaurin (the horrible big smelly pill from America!) and a Stem Cell Transplant.

I must say I am very grateful that Amit is up to date with the latest research and of course I value his judgement.

Amit also helped out with a comprehensive letter for CASA covering my treatment and prognosis and local DAME Stewart Graham helped me with my application to CASA for the return of my medical certificate.  Hopefully I will have that in a few months.

Leukaemia Foundation

Last week I attended a bi-monthly support group meeting held in Launceston.  To my surprise about 20 people were in attendance including one person who had been coming for over 17 years!  The CEO of the Foundation, Bill Petch spoke about the Foundation and recent research into Leukaemia.  I have always found these meetings helpful as you can always learn from others and it is good to share experiences.  It also makes you realise that there are plenty of people who struggle with their recovery for many years.  My recovery by comparison is going extremely well.

Other happenings

We have had some wonderful visits from family and friends as seen below:

A group of 20 Wagga ‘bikers’ and their wives and partners.  We joined them for a ride to Lake Pedder and Lake St Clair.  Good friends Pete and Sharon Clucas were the organisers and far too quick for me to keep up with on the road!

Jan’s brother Andrew, partner Heather and their children- twins Maggie and Ned and Jack came for a few days and walked the 3 Capes Walk with us.  This is a 48km hike over 3.5 days carrying packs (18kgs for me).  I was extremely pleased to have completed this one demonstrating that my health is slowly returning to normal.

The GrimShaws and Youngmans from Victoria joined us for a lovely weekend at PumpHouse Point, Lake St Clair.  We enjoyed a few walks, some lovely meals and a few drinks as well.  On our last day we were surprised with a covering of snow on the nearby mountains.

We arrived back at Milford just in time for afternoon tea with Jo and Nick Middendorp who were travelling between Hobart and Launceston for work.

Victoria, Georgia, Chloe and Milly Watson called in for afternoon tea yesterday

Fi and Michael Rouch made a quick visit for a couple of nights and left this morning.

I have managed a few bike rides with Ross Williams, Jay Loane, Ian Herbert and Perry Wilkinson.  I must say I really enjoy these days out on the bike. We generally ride 300-400kms in a full day including a nice stop off for lunch somewhere.  Last week it was Pipers Brook winery.  I am getting to know the back roads of Tassie pretty well thanks to Jay Loane.

We have also managed to squeeze in a few farm related field days including an Agro Forestry day and a Precision Farming Field day.

Until next month…….