I left the females on the beach for a little male bonding with the boss, as us lads can only handle so much chatter about what's happening on 'Coro Street”, and when the next cocktail waitress was going to burst out of her bodice, with more revelations about 'Tigers”, club swinging.

So off we went for a stroll down to the reserve, with me able to run free and be true to my Nordic heritage, with a lot of pillaging, and conquering of new pastures (sounds good, and I thought Labrador was Nordic).
No worries though, as I was on to a scent of something so cunning, it was out in daylight in the local public reserve!
Worse than that, it was less than a metre off the ground. Easy reach for a Labrador who is tall enough to sniff the catfood on the third shelf of the fridge.
With a classic hunting pose, I lifted my front leg, stuck out my nose, and did the classic pointer thing. I wish my cuzz Ady was here to see me, as she would have been mightily impressed, not like the boss who when I turned around was sitting on the bloody ground laughing.
Show a little respect, man. It's in my breeding!
Then to show it was no fluke, I changed legs. Ambidextrous!
Now off I charged, faster than a speeding bullet, to the base of the tree, where the pesky possum was, well trying to play possum, (talk about dumb, it's the middle of the day you idiot, this is about on a par with Oscar's intellect level), up the tree I scrambled with a blood-curdling growl and grabbed the varmint by the hind quarters.
Hauled him down to my level, only to be greeted, with a dam good facial from his front quarters which unfortunately were set spinning to 'blender” speed. Those revolving claw blades did a mighty fine facial. Not to be deterred, the war was soon won, with a flick of my massive neck, it was over, just as well, as I could not see, with blood pouring into my eyes from wounds received in the line of duty.
Diesel in distress
At this stage the boss had finally caught up and was showing a little compassion at my obvious distress. Now there was no way I was going to leave my trophy, so off home we trotted, with a now limp possum in my mouth.
As I swaggered down the road, a few of the neighbours hearing the commotion were out lining the streets, cheering and asking for autographs; or that's what I told the ladies the next day when I asked them around to play 'doctors and nurses”.
So move over Scar Face Claw, the Chocolate Crusader is lurking about, albeit, very slowly, and with wounds to prove it.
Maybe listening to Hollywood gossip is safer, Nah. Oscar can do that gay stuff, I am a red blooded adventurer, born to hunt.
And on to hunting, this is something there is no need to do in my good mate Johnny the Aussie Butchers shop in Gate Pa, as he has so many specials and quality delights around, all you have to do is get down there and see him. Unfortunately he does not stock possum, well not the ones I catch anyway, as there is never enough left of them to package.

Marinated rump steak

Ingredients
2 rump steaks, weighing about 200-225g each
75ml red wine
75ml Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Method
Put the steaks in a shallow dish. Mix the red wine, Worcestershire sauce and garlic together and pour over steaks. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain and dry the steaks carefully when ready to cook. Reserve the marinade.
Heat oil in a medium frying pan until hot. Sear the steaks four minutes on each side. In the last two minutes of cooking add the reserved marinade to the pan and let it bubble and reduce by half. Remove steaks to a plate, slice diagonally and spoon sauce over. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh watercress. Serve with cheesy garlic mashed potatoes. Serves two.

Well that's it for me for this week, as I have been informed the ladies are warming up the stethoscope, for another session. Argh, the war wounds have their advantages.
See you all down on The Strand this week end, for some heart pumping water action, yes those hydroplanes are back in town to thrill us all.
Now the drivers in these motorised surfboards have balls to be sure, me thinks I will stick to chasing possums.