A football and a set of miniature golf clubs for Doug, a junior encyclopaedia and a toy doctor's kit for me, were our gifts from Dad. Nan gave us clothes and underwear. Mr and Mrs Symonds had us all over for birthday cake and Miss Bridget and Miss Kitty gave us Airfix plastic plane kits to assemble. Our watering and the chook poo had done the trick for by late October our jacaranda tree was covered in clusters of purple flowers. Doug and I would lean on our bedroom windowsill on uneventful days and watch as they fell like snowflakes from the branches above. The roof and gutters were thick with fallen petals. Each day the crush of them underfoot was like walking on purple snow. Our tree now also had a rope swing attached to one of its higher branches thanks to Dad. Down the street the mulberries were ripening slowly. We must have driven Mr Elliott crazy inspecting it every other day and asking when the fruit would be ready. It was always the same answer. 'A few more days.' Our lives at Kilkenny in general settled down to regular routines as we got more familiar with our surrounds and our neighbours, although Miss Kitty remained a mystery.
