After months of to-ing and fro-ing, an email arrived from Gavin Bannerman, curator at the State Library. It confirmed a meeting at my place to select associated papers, such as final scripts, interview transcripts and the like to be added to my donation of the unedited footage of the archive. This is essential so that the Deed of Gift, which lists what the donations consists of, can be completed.

Nigel Fechner, a mycologist who has been helping me with identification for a number of years, sent me an email identifying 2 more fungi species for the 100+ videos, having already identified 3 species. I have been working apace through my SD footage. Of 57 shot selected videos, 11 are of fungi. I have shot selected a further 11 videos for which I need species identification, Nigel having obliged by identifying the 2 fungi on the list.

Was able to inform Peter Hendry, with whom I went moth trapping on July 6, that a species he recently identified, was the species of a larva I filmed over ten years ago, which I wrongly thought was of a butterfly, not a moth. I was very recently put right by the senior entomologist at the Queensland Museum, but he could not pin down the species. The images link Peter provided did not show the banding on the legs, but the google images not only did, they also showed images of the larva, which proved to be the one I wrongly thought was a butterfly.

This evening I was invited to an Arts Dinner at the Centre in Beaudesert to receive a certificate commemorating my grant. All recipients in the current funding round were presented with a certificate and to the gathering. We had our photo taken on stage for the local paper. For a reason which eludes me, there was no such presentation for my first grant. The food was excellent, far better than the food at my only previous Arts Dinner.

A few days ago I received an email from a researcher working on a CSIRO book about the status of Australia’s biodiversity, requesting permission to use my image of a Pixie Caps Orchid, which is listed as threatened. Following an exchange of emails and images, two of my video frames may appear in the book, one of the orchid, the other of Zieria collina, a plant listed as vulnerable. Both images appear on Gallery Page 20.

Following receipt of the Letter of Offer, I launched straight into shot selecting the videos, starting with the Standard Definition footage, all of which was filmed over 12 years ago. Yesterday I emailed Steve the first 15 videos which we assembled at his place in the evening. There were 12 bird videos, 1 plant, 1 spider and a snake video. The shortest video is 69 seconds. Six are over 2minutes, of which 4 are over 2 ½ minutes.

A Letter of Offer arrived in the post today stating that my RADF garnt application had been successful. That’s great news. Now Steve and I have until December 15 to complete the 100+ short flora and fauna videos. I hope I haven’t over-estimated the number of videos I have up my sleave. I am looking to create videos averaging from abt 1 ½ to 2 minutes, with a few of about 1 minute duration and a few of perhaps 3 or 4 minutes or possibly more.

Vanessa, Kat and I met at the opening of Additions 4 at the eponymous gallery in West End, a lively Brisbane inner suburb. Our on again, off again October exhibition is on again, from 24 to 30 October. The Gallery has been attractively realised in a building of character. We discussed ideas over dinner, having met Nicole, Addition 6’s curator.

An email arrived from the local council Cultural Projects Officer, confirming the safe arrival of our latest RADF grant application and stating that it will shortly be distributed to the RADF committee.

I needed a script (prescription), popped into the surgery and made an appointment to see my doctor within the half hour. He took my blood pressure, which was good and for the first time ever, weighed me and measured my height. I consider myself slightly over weight and this was confirmed. But the most astonishing information was that my height was 175cm, whereas on my passport and driving licence it has always been 178cm. Thinking about it, I believe I actually measured 177.5cm. Reader, I have shrunk. I didn’t want to believe it and questioned the accuracy of the doctor’s measurement. But of course people shrink as they get older, so my shortening was no surprise to him.