It is delicious to sleep in late, if that is what 7:30 am is. Gina had a bad night, with spider visits and minor hysterics, so Kees did a clean sweep of her room and I sat up to keep her company into the wee hours. It's not nice when crawlies march across your covers at night, lurk behind doors and hide in your shower. Tiny buggers have been taking advantage of our ceiling corners: unacceptable. I don't take much notice, but Gina's memory and imagination are both clear and bright. Good that we have a guest room for her to use as an alternate. Perhaps the rare downpour we had last night caused more Arachne activity through the night. Regardless, today Gina will clean her bedroom thoroughly.
Our life in Australia has many challenges, as well as charms. I enjoy the stunning sunrises and sunsets regularly, punctuated by chortling of magpies, squeaking of rosellas, expressive caws of crows and maniacal laughter of kookaburras, to name just the common few. The parrots are also quite expressive, answered by our sometimes visitor, Graybeck. He's Matt's cranky little cockatiel who's ornate cage dominates our stairwell. He's good at waking us by 7 am with his peals and chortles. Most of his attitude is directed at his reflection, but he's just as likely to nip at your fingers if you extend them in an offer of friendship or transport. Gina and Kees don't mind him perching on their shoulders, but I find his claws creepy and his crap unwelcome. I'm most fond of dogs, but Graybeck is pretty to look at. I'll give him that.
Well, back to pondering life. I have much to think about, planning and preparing for a second term of teaching. Progress reporting will dominate this term, once NAPLAN testing is done. I'll head in to work in my classroom later today, after studying my script for the Williams Repertory Theater's upcoming plays. I regret adding this stress to my agenda, as retention of 20 pages of script is a hard slog. It's a tougher challenge than I thought it would be, a clear reminder that my brain needs more exercise . So does my body! It felt exhilarating to climb atop the Gloucester Tree last week, used as a forest fire lookout near . But riding in a car, sitting at a computer and teaching in a classroom are three activities that do not exercise my muscles enough. Swimming laps has not yet become a regular part of my week, nor has weekly rides with the local Numbutts cycling club. Once a month rides are very hard on me, as I push to keep up with the fitness levels of tough Aussie farmers. I'd be fine on a one or two hour ride, but yesterday's 3 hour ride left me rather drained of energy, with jelly legs and an appropriate numb posterior. I hope to get Kees or Gina out today to limber up a bit. Quite a full day planned! Sunshine and a pleasant 24c forecast beckons. Onwards!
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Monday, 9 April 2012
April Travels: two weeks of serious adventures
Kees and I plan differently. He likes to make sure all the "hardware" is ready, check engine, tires, gas and oil, get the sound system primed and hit the road. I'll pack details. I need maps, a change of clothes, sunscreen, a toothbrush, food for a couple of days. Kees? Not so much..... I like to check out what is written about an area, get a feel for a destination, maybe even make a reservation. Although it can make for a bit of friction, both styles have their strengths and blend into a wonderful holiday, with just enough strategy and luck to carry us to the next adventure.Yin and yang. Venus and Mars. Grump and giggle...Gina is so wise to pack her own bag, jump in and ride along until the dust settles, poor thing! Somehow, we manage.
Although a cold and flu bug hit me hard the week before Easter holidays,
I managed to remain vertical and help with some packing by Good Friday, departing by noon of April 7th. We trundled northeast to a large sheep farm where Jesse and Fleur Ford live, who are brother and sister-in-law of my exchange partner. The highway narrowed to a one lane road and threatened to become a gravel trail through outback before, to our relief, it widened again to decent hardtop. We had a bit of trouble finding the farm, only because our ears and Jesse's accent had not yet become accustomed to each other. Within hours of meeting, we figured things out much better.
There were some 4000 sheep and 25 rams to consider, thousands of acres of wheat and barley to be seeded, massive mysterious machinery to contemplate, yabbies to catch and eat, and a chicken coop to visit with scraps. The huge dark shearing shed, echoing busier times, needed a visit as well. Gina was invited to try driving the trusty rusty farm truck, but she shyly declined, shown up by a gaggle of very young farming cousins who zipped around on quad bikes, driving soon after learning to walk.
Sensory stimulation was certainly high, although not in any of the expected unpleasant ways. The country air was clear and fresh, rainwater sweet to drink, dirt roads clear and firm. It all felt so wholesome! Fresh eggs, Fleur's fancy basil pesto and herb dips with homemade breads, three friendly farm dogs who guarded their land and kept sheep in line, little Paisley toddling fearlessly ahead as we were introduced to the wonders of a working farm, impossibly brilliant stars overhead and a massive full moon..... Images that I hope won't fade from my mind too soon. Kees's photography skills will really help, as he whips up movies of our adventures so quickly! We thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone, including Fleur's parents , Anne and Allan, over a delicious dinner in a charming old farmhouse, then had a solid sleep in our comfy van.
As promised, Allan returned the next morning with a fishing rod and bucket of tackle for us to borrow. That made Gina pretty eager to get to the coast!
We headed east to Wave Rock next, a very unusual formation with a beautiful walk nearby. It was well over 30C, but we managed with plenty of water and stops in the shade.
Next we headed due south to Esperance, through 400km of unremarkable scrub and crisp-dry land, which looked hardly suitable for livestock and wheat, but it was farmland. Not a roo in sight. It was after dark when we arrived in Esperance, in the middle of a long weekend, without reservations. We had an invite to use J. A.'s yard, as she was out of town, but her key wasn't where she said it would be! Campgrounds were all booked up, so we finally found the overflow site and crashed for the night. At least the local fish and chip shop was excellent!
Well rested, we had a lovely surprise the next morning when we could see the town in daylight. Breathtaking views! Aqua waters and snow white sands are characteristic of this area, tempting one to dive in, despite it being an area known to have many sharks. Fishing from the long town jetty is popular. Kees and Gina were happy here for days! They caught very little, enjoying every minute.
It was here that we crossed paths with my colleague, Lisa Nelson, as well as fellow exchangees, Sue and Mike Miles, at the Dome coffee shop. We finally did spend a night sharing J.A.'s place, after 2 nights at a gloriously gorgeous beachfront home of Lorraine and Allan Jones, but that's another story.
From Esperance we travelled east to Cape Le Grand National Park, Mesmerized by the amazingly perfect Lucky Bay, duke of Orleans Bay(Little Waldon Beach where we parked on granite rocks) , the hike to Thistle Cove, and the days spent points west of Esperance on the Great Ocean Drive, with cove after cove of achingly perfect beaches, all with crystal aqua water. I could write for a long while trying to describe spectacular Bremer Bay area, or the thunderous surf at our overnight stay at Cozy Corner Beach, but Kees and Gina's photos will speak volumes. (Kees's photos on Facebook)
We had to move on, but could easily spend a lot more time enjoying the coastal magic of the southeastern edge of this continent.
Albany was a city we skipped through. Dinner at the Curry Leaf, their top rated Indian restaurant, was good. Rain pushed us on to points west, knowing that the rich experiences to be had in this area deserve more time. We loved a day around Denmark, found Rest Point and it's abundant bird life charming, and skipped most of the Walpole area completely, with the exception of 2 spots.
There was a pricy stop at a small Toffee Factory.... Then a large tree to climb (Gloucester Tree).
So many juicy details have been skipped over in an effort to keep up this chronicle that I wonder if I should bother. Brief notes don't suffice, as colorful memories will fade, but time is short for writing, stolen late at night or very early, before others rise. I must compromise quality for quick lists!
Although a cold and flu bug hit me hard the week before Easter holidays,
There were some 4000 sheep and 25 rams to consider, thousands of acres of wheat and barley to be seeded, massive mysterious machinery to contemplate, yabbies to catch and eat, and a chicken coop to visit with scraps. The huge dark shearing shed, echoing busier times, needed a visit as well. Gina was invited to try driving the trusty rusty farm truck, but she shyly declined, shown up by a gaggle of very young farming cousins who zipped around on quad bikes, driving soon after learning to walk.
Sensory stimulation was certainly high, although not in any of the expected unpleasant ways. The country air was clear and fresh, rainwater sweet to drink, dirt roads clear and firm. It all felt so wholesome! Fresh eggs, Fleur's fancy basil pesto and herb dips with homemade breads, three friendly farm dogs who guarded their land and kept sheep in line, little Paisley toddling fearlessly ahead as we were introduced to the wonders of a working farm, impossibly brilliant stars overhead and a massive full moon..... Images that I hope won't fade from my mind too soon. Kees's photography skills will really help, as he whips up movies of our adventures so quickly! We thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone, including Fleur's parents , Anne and Allan, over a delicious dinner in a charming old farmhouse, then had a solid sleep in our comfy van.
As promised, Allan returned the next morning with a fishing rod and bucket of tackle for us to borrow. That made Gina pretty eager to get to the coast!
Next we headed due south to Esperance, through 400km of unremarkable scrub and crisp-dry land, which looked hardly suitable for livestock and wheat, but it was farmland. Not a roo in sight. It was after dark when we arrived in Esperance, in the middle of a long weekend, without reservations. We had an invite to use J. A.'s yard, as she was out of town, but her key wasn't where she said it would be! Campgrounds were all booked up, so we finally found the overflow site and crashed for the night. At least the local fish and chip shop was excellent!
Well rested, we had a lovely surprise the next morning when we could see the town in daylight. Breathtaking views! Aqua waters and snow white sands are characteristic of this area, tempting one to dive in, despite it being an area known to have many sharks. Fishing from the long town jetty is popular. Kees and Gina were happy here for days! They caught very little, enjoying every minute.
It was here that we crossed paths with my colleague, Lisa Nelson, as well as fellow exchangees, Sue and Mike Miles, at the Dome coffee shop. We finally did spend a night sharing J.A.'s place, after 2 nights at a gloriously gorgeous beachfront home of Lorraine and Allan Jones, but that's another story.
From Esperance we travelled east to Cape Le Grand National Park, Mesmerized by the amazingly perfect Lucky Bay, duke of Orleans Bay(Little Waldon Beach where we parked on granite rocks) , the hike to Thistle Cove, and the days spent points west of Esperance on the Great Ocean Drive, with cove after cove of achingly perfect beaches, all with crystal aqua water. I could write for a long while trying to describe spectacular Bremer Bay area, or the thunderous surf at our overnight stay at Cozy Corner Beach, but Kees and Gina's photos will speak volumes. (Kees's photos on Facebook)
We had to move on, but could easily spend a lot more time enjoying the coastal magic of the southeastern edge of this continent.
Albany was a city we skipped through. Dinner at the Curry Leaf, their top rated Indian restaurant, was good. Rain pushed us on to points west, knowing that the rich experiences to be had in this area deserve more time. We loved a day around Denmark, found Rest Point and it's abundant bird life charming, and skipped most of the Walpole area completely, with the exception of 2 spots.
There was a pricy stop at a small Toffee Factory.... Then a large tree to climb (Gloucester Tree).
So many juicy details have been skipped over in an effort to keep up this chronicle that I wonder if I should bother. Brief notes don't suffice, as colorful memories will fade, but time is short for writing, stolen late at night or very early, before others rise. I must compromise quality for quick lists!
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Adaptations
As I rest with head on pillow to avoid nausea, I have time to think. Lately, adaptations have changed me in ways I never really suspected. After 3 months away from familiar routines, sounds, tastes and sights, I am finally forced by a cold and flu bug to pause and consider.
We are on the verge of a 2 week break between Terms 1 and 2, but I rue the lost chance to celebrate this, as well as Easter events, tomorrow with my students. Their accents and odd phrases have ceased to puzzle me, most of the time. Vowel sounds are still a challenge to decipher, but my pause to process seems shorter, or at least better masked. I feel as though I don't stare with a dumbfounded look of incomprehension for as long as I used to, whenever addressed. Perhaps I'm wrong on this point, but I like to think I'm decoding phrases a bit better.
Sounds of majestic magpies on our tin roof no longer unnerve me, but I do still dislike their scratchy claws on metal. Semi trucks booming past at all hours of the day and night no longer startle me out of a deep sleep, despite their deep house-shaking rumble. I've been known to take quick advantage of their high-beams, like a sudden camera flash, to locate a lost pillow that has slipped from bed to floor, plump it with zeal and fall right back asleep. Even the kookaburra's raucous laughter at 5 am no longer snaps me fully awake. I just note it and slumber on for another hour or so, never needing any electronic buzz to begin my day. That's nice.
I do miss water. Dry air requires more use of moisturizers; no problem there, although I may appear to be aging more rapidly than when living in the cryogenic North. But really, I cannot adapt to a tiny shallow bathtub that barely allows water to cover thighs and will only allow one shoulder at a time to dip under. Rain so far has been little more that a rare misty breeze, but that can easily change. So far, all riverbeds seem to hold just a trickle or less, livestock dugouts hold no swimming appeal and the outdoor unheated pools are not worth admission. I do like the indoor pool, though, and find the filtered rainwater from our tap deliciously sweet to drink. Adapting to fresh grapes off the vines and luscious figs from our tree has also been delightful! I always appreciate the spicy fresh scent that various gum trees perfume the air with, particularly around our schoolyard. Very uplifting! Starry nights amaze with brilliance and multitudes, made truly awesome when accompanied by clear white moonlight. Living in the dustbrown country, with the chance to gaze at sungolden hills 10 kilometers away, over dark emerald trees holding cheeky green parrots and pink gallahs has a peaceful beauty that is easy to love. Kees loves the views, tranquility and isolation. He has unhindered independence each day to read, snooze or troll the 'net. If ambition overwhelms him, he does a spot of housework, mows the lawn or drives the 2 kms into town to check the mailbox.
Gina misses her friends and has not found any here as kind and accepting. I ache for her. She is coping with help of the Internet and reruns of Scrubs. Having her pal coming to visit us in July is a huge event for her to anticipate, so that helps her to cope.
I miss family, especially Cora and Erin. We are so proud of them! Seeing them here for a visit will be the best!
It's very hard to console friends or parents who have lost family members recently. It's been very hard to be so very far from my beloved pooch pal as he underwent the necessary amputation of a limb. I needed to cuddle him as much as I imagine he needed me, but he is adapting.
I think we are adapting well. Melancholy aside, there are many more adventures to investigate. Now to shake this bug and get exploring points south!
We are on the verge of a 2 week break between Terms 1 and 2, but I rue the lost chance to celebrate this, as well as Easter events, tomorrow with my students. Their accents and odd phrases have ceased to puzzle me, most of the time. Vowel sounds are still a challenge to decipher, but my pause to process seems shorter, or at least better masked. I feel as though I don't stare with a dumbfounded look of incomprehension for as long as I used to, whenever addressed. Perhaps I'm wrong on this point, but I like to think I'm decoding phrases a bit better.
Sounds of majestic magpies on our tin roof no longer unnerve me, but I do still dislike their scratchy claws on metal. Semi trucks booming past at all hours of the day and night no longer startle me out of a deep sleep, despite their deep house-shaking rumble. I've been known to take quick advantage of their high-beams, like a sudden camera flash, to locate a lost pillow that has slipped from bed to floor, plump it with zeal and fall right back asleep. Even the kookaburra's raucous laughter at 5 am no longer snaps me fully awake. I just note it and slumber on for another hour or so, never needing any electronic buzz to begin my day. That's nice.
I do miss water. Dry air requires more use of moisturizers; no problem there, although I may appear to be aging more rapidly than when living in the cryogenic North. But really, I cannot adapt to a tiny shallow bathtub that barely allows water to cover thighs and will only allow one shoulder at a time to dip under. Rain so far has been little more that a rare misty breeze, but that can easily change. So far, all riverbeds seem to hold just a trickle or less, livestock dugouts hold no swimming appeal and the outdoor unheated pools are not worth admission. I do like the indoor pool, though, and find the filtered rainwater from our tap deliciously sweet to drink. Adapting to fresh grapes off the vines and luscious figs from our tree has also been delightful! I always appreciate the spicy fresh scent that various gum trees perfume the air with, particularly around our schoolyard. Very uplifting! Starry nights amaze with brilliance and multitudes, made truly awesome when accompanied by clear white moonlight. Living in the dustbrown country, with the chance to gaze at sungolden hills 10 kilometers away, over dark emerald trees holding cheeky green parrots and pink gallahs has a peaceful beauty that is easy to love. Kees loves the views, tranquility and isolation. He has unhindered independence each day to read, snooze or troll the 'net. If ambition overwhelms him, he does a spot of housework, mows the lawn or drives the 2 kms into town to check the mailbox.
Gina misses her friends and has not found any here as kind and accepting. I ache for her. She is coping with help of the Internet and reruns of Scrubs. Having her pal coming to visit us in July is a huge event for her to anticipate, so that helps her to cope.
I miss family, especially Cora and Erin. We are so proud of them! Seeing them here for a visit will be the best!
It's very hard to console friends or parents who have lost family members recently. It's been very hard to be so very far from my beloved pooch pal as he underwent the necessary amputation of a limb. I needed to cuddle him as much as I imagine he needed me, but he is adapting.
I think we are adapting well. Melancholy aside, there are many more adventures to investigate. Now to shake this bug and get exploring points south!
Friday, 30 March 2012
Mandurah, ball gowns and Crabfest
I am finding no time for regular blog updates! It's been weeks since I have tried to catch up. So much has happened, from joining a cycling club to a wonderful weekend in Mandurah at the Crabfest, where we bumped into exchangees from Alberta, saw fireworks from a cruie boat and had an unplanned photo shoot with TV celebs. Then there was Gina's ball gown saga as well as our unintentional initiation to "skimpies" at a bar, more cycling trips and a whole wonderful weekend on Rottnest Island. How to keep up?? Kees
Makes videos that cover it all supremely better than I can keep up with by blogging, but I plod on.
We are currently in Bunbury for our first real attempt at "camping", but sleeping in town in a lovely caravan park isn't really camping! We have showers nearby, electricity for the fridge and microwave, and a movie complex down the road, where we walked to last night to see The Hunger Games. A tennis court and pool god little appeal, but the beach across the road looks fab! It's time to shop today in the "big smoke", Bunbury, and perhaps investigate the Dolphin Discovery Center later today. I shall try to record a few more details later.
Makes videos that cover it all supremely better than I can keep up with by blogging, but I plod on.
We are currently in Bunbury for our first real attempt at "camping", but sleeping in town in a lovely caravan park isn't really camping! We have showers nearby, electricity for the fridge and microwave, and a movie complex down the road, where we walked to last night to see The Hunger Games. A tennis court and pool god little appeal, but the beach across the road looks fab! It's time to shop today in the "big smoke", Bunbury, and perhaps investigate the Dolphin Discovery Center later today. I shall try to record a few more details later.
Monday, 26 March 2012
Woolerama in early March
Time to update on the past two weeks.
It was the call of the wild Wagin Woolerama that attracted them. Two Brits, Sue and Mike Miles, drove from Busselton to stay with us and see the event, rumored to enthrall up to 20,000 visitors each year. As agricultural fairs go, this one is big for WA. Unfortunately, crowds and +39c are not my favorite things, nor are they Gina's. She had an invitation to a birthday luncheon so I stayed behind to take her to Narrogin while Kees, Sue and Mike braved the heat and headed to Wagin for the day.
They say a picture tells a thousand words so here is Kees's video of Woolorama.
It was the call of the wild Wagin Woolerama that attracted them. Two Brits, Sue and Mike Miles, drove from Busselton to stay with us and see the event, rumored to enthrall up to 20,000 visitors each year. As agricultural fairs go, this one is big for WA. Unfortunately, crowds and +39c are not my favorite things, nor are they Gina's. She had an invitation to a birthday luncheon so I stayed behind to take her to Narrogin while Kees, Sue and Mike braved the heat and headed to Wagin for the day.
They say a picture tells a thousand words so here is Kees's video of Woolorama.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Weekends in Perth, Australind and Seabird
It was over a month ago that we arrived. Time passes very quickly when we spend weekends away and February- March we spent three away In a row. Two weeks ago we spent in Perth at Chook and Phil's, our home away from home away from home. Greeting us with warm hugs and a delicious homemade lasagne dinner. Chook and Phil's hospitality knows no bounds. We have luckily been g ranted keys to their home to stop in whenever we are in the big city. How kind! This trip was both Kees's birthday and my orientation meeting on Feb. 17th. The day of meetings was interminable and numbing for me, as a full 8 hours of listening to speakers is way too much information at once. Seeing many exchange teachers and having some time to chat was the best part of the day. Kees and Gina enjoyed their time at the zoo in Perth, then picked me up after my meetings. I had really enjoyed the company of Diane Lawler, an exchange teacher from Ontario, so I was happy to follow her home and enjoy a glass of wine before we all headed to Heathcote that evening for a BBQ. Kees and Diane's husband Jim hit it off well and Gina seemed content for a while, despite the absence of anyone within decades of her age. she would dearly love friends around, but we have not yet managed to find any teens on this trip. Bummer for her.
Saturday was spent hanging out with Chook and Phil. We had a fine evening out at an Indian restaurant, where we met with Bec's parents as well as an old friend of my mom's. Ray Morgan and his wife Jane fit in well with our irreverent group. Good food, good wine and many laughs were had by all. Well, Gina had tea. We finished the evening at Gail and Greg's for coffees. Everyone is so impressed with her ability to join in with such an ancient crowd as ours. We are proud of her, but would dearly love to help her find friends her age!!!!!
After a bit of shopping for groceries on Sunday at the Wanneroo Markets, we headed home to Williams. It was back to work for me!
Last weekend was our trip through Bunbury to Australind, where Beth and Len Deeley opened their home to about 30 exchange teachers for a BBQ and afternoon of story swapping. We found it all an enjoyable time, but again found no teens for Gina, although one American exchange family was there with 4 daughters 13 and younger. We were invited to stay overnight at Len and Beth's as it was a 2 hour drive back to Williams. We were happy to stay, as their tales of world travels and two former teacher exchanges kept us well entertained. As they live on a golf. course, we took the opportunity to walk out with them for both morning and evening strolls,when we finally saw kangaroos in the wild. We saw bird life As well, such as kookaburras and emus. On our way back to Williams on Sunday we stopped in atWellington Dam near Collie.Matt's mom, Marion had incited us to help celebrate a family birthday picnic. Matt's sisters, Laura and Trinity and their partners were there, as well as Laura's 2 children. Two year old Flynn sure liked Gina and I quite enjoyed holding a sweet 5 week old Bridie. Wellington Dam was not very picturesque, but it felt good to be out exploring the area and meeting new people in our new van. We shall have to return that way one day and go visit with dolphins in the shallows near Bunbury. That would be very cool!
This long weekend began with a hunt for a ball gown for Gina. We had seen a racy red vintage dress in an antique store in Narrogin, but it would need several hours of tailoring to make it fit, so we began our hunt in Fremantle. Unfortunately, after a 1.5 hour drive there, we found there is no late shopping Fridays, so we drove another hour to Perth. We found Jim and Diane at home and decided to accept their hospitality for the night. A dinner of vietnamese takeaway from around the corner was very tasty! In the morning we checked out 3 op shops nearby for dresses, but no luck. Six shops in Subiaco, a suburb of Perth were also unlucky. We found one possibility at a vintage shop in Northbridge, just a few km from downtown Perth, but after some thought, Gina and I decided that the red sizzler in Narrogin might work out best. With some clever stitching, her first choice will be a knockout.
Whew! Hot weather chased us into an air conditioned mall in Joonalup where
we had a bite of Thai food and an unsuccessful hunt for new school
shoes. (Gina had chosen a pair 5 weeks earlier that had already fallen apart.) onwards: grab groceries for a curried chicken meal and head to
Seabird!
We finally arrived by 4 pm and were delighted to find Phil and Chook, Gail and Greg and chilled champagne! Their huge sun deck and beautiful seaside home was more than we could have hoped for. A sumptuous mixed grill BBQ, evening walk and stunning sunset seemed to round off the day very nicely. As we were enjoying a stunning starry sky and yet another glass of wine, who should pull up our front but Diane and Jim! We had asked earlier if they'd like to join us, but they had plans for camping further north of Seabird. They had enjoyed the day, but had no luck finding any available campsites. With typical generosity, our new friends were given a warm welcome and joined us for the rest of the weekend. Seabird is one of two holiday homes that the Melvins rent, which sleep 12 and 14 people. We had room to spare, plenty of food and drink, a turquoise ocean rimmed with silky white sand not 300 meters away and perfect hot weather. Even Gina seemed to find it an entertaining weekend of rejuvenation and fine cameraderie. Kees spent his time visiting and working on building videos for online ads for Seabird, which thrilled our hosts. I enjoyed exercise by walking the roads and beaches. Jim loved taking off on a whim to go surf
fishing, impressing us with a few small filets of reef fish to take home. Kees, Phil and Gina joined me swimming in the refreshing ocean a few times. Four dogs were also fine company AND I got to cook up a fine big cauldron of chicken curry for dinner Sunday eve. It sure turned into a splendid weekend.
One just never knows what happy adventures might happen next!
Saturday was spent hanging out with Chook and Phil. We had a fine evening out at an Indian restaurant, where we met with Bec's parents as well as an old friend of my mom's. Ray Morgan and his wife Jane fit in well with our irreverent group. Good food, good wine and many laughs were had by all. Well, Gina had tea. We finished the evening at Gail and Greg's for coffees. Everyone is so impressed with her ability to join in with such an ancient crowd as ours. We are proud of her, but would dearly love to help her find friends her age!!!!!
After a bit of shopping for groceries on Sunday at the Wanneroo Markets, we headed home to Williams. It was back to work for me!
Last weekend was our trip through Bunbury to Australind, where Beth and Len Deeley opened their home to about 30 exchange teachers for a BBQ and afternoon of story swapping. We found it all an enjoyable time, but again found no teens for Gina, although one American exchange family was there with 4 daughters 13 and younger. We were invited to stay overnight at Len and Beth's as it was a 2 hour drive back to Williams. We were happy to stay, as their tales of world travels and two former teacher exchanges kept us well entertained. As they live on a golf. course, we took the opportunity to walk out with them for both morning and evening strolls,when we finally saw kangaroos in the wild. We saw bird life As well, such as kookaburras and emus. On our way back to Williams on Sunday we stopped in atWellington Dam near Collie.Matt's mom, Marion had incited us to help celebrate a family birthday picnic. Matt's sisters, Laura and Trinity and their partners were there, as well as Laura's 2 children. Two year old Flynn sure liked Gina and I quite enjoyed holding a sweet 5 week old Bridie. Wellington Dam was not very picturesque, but it felt good to be out exploring the area and meeting new people in our new van. We shall have to return that way one day and go visit with dolphins in the shallows near Bunbury. That would be very cool!
This long weekend began with a hunt for a ball gown for Gina. We had seen a racy red vintage dress in an antique store in Narrogin, but it would need several hours of tailoring to make it fit, so we began our hunt in Fremantle. Unfortunately, after a 1.5 hour drive there, we found there is no late shopping Fridays, so we drove another hour to Perth. We found Jim and Diane at home and decided to accept their hospitality for the night. A dinner of vietnamese takeaway from around the corner was very tasty! In the morning we checked out 3 op shops nearby for dresses, but no luck. Six shops in Subiaco, a suburb of Perth were also unlucky. We found one possibility at a vintage shop in Northbridge, just a few km from downtown Perth, but after some thought, Gina and I decided that the red sizzler in Narrogin might work out best. With some clever stitching, her first choice will be a knockout.
Whew! Hot weather chased us into an air conditioned mall in Joonalup where
we had a bite of Thai food and an unsuccessful hunt for new school
shoes. (Gina had chosen a pair 5 weeks earlier that had already fallen apart.) onwards: grab groceries for a curried chicken meal and head to
Seabird!
We finally arrived by 4 pm and were delighted to find Phil and Chook, Gail and Greg and chilled champagne! Their huge sun deck and beautiful seaside home was more than we could have hoped for. A sumptuous mixed grill BBQ, evening walk and stunning sunset seemed to round off the day very nicely. As we were enjoying a stunning starry sky and yet another glass of wine, who should pull up our front but Diane and Jim! We had asked earlier if they'd like to join us, but they had plans for camping further north of Seabird. They had enjoyed the day, but had no luck finding any available campsites. With typical generosity, our new friends were given a warm welcome and joined us for the rest of the weekend. Seabird is one of two holiday homes that the Melvins rent, which sleep 12 and 14 people. We had room to spare, plenty of food and drink, a turquoise ocean rimmed with silky white sand not 300 meters away and perfect hot weather. Even Gina seemed to find it an entertaining weekend of rejuvenation and fine cameraderie. Kees spent his time visiting and working on building videos for online ads for Seabird, which thrilled our hosts. I enjoyed exercise by walking the roads and beaches. Jim loved taking off on a whim to go surf
fishing, impressing us with a few small filets of reef fish to take home. Kees, Phil and Gina joined me swimming in the refreshing ocean a few times. Four dogs were also fine company AND I got to cook up a fine big cauldron of chicken curry for dinner Sunday eve. It sure turned into a splendid weekend.
One just never knows what happy adventures might happen next!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Reality bites
{EAV:b74e191340ab0f34}
What can I say about life here? Never dull...our second weekend was spent unpacking and having a bit of a look around. We spotted 2 wolf spiders, a white tailed nasty spider and another redback, all poisonous. All in or around the house, despite Matt and Bec's efforts to have the place sprayed for insects for us before they left. Kookaburras laugh like maniacal monkeys in the trees outside our window each morning, but are very reasonable about never starting before 5 a.m. Gina has enrolled in high school, smug about skipping directly into Year 11 and signing up for a welding class, but not so keen on her phys. ed. class. She had hoped for exercise 5/5 days, but it's actually theory of human anatomy 4/5 days and 1 day a week she does sports. Hmmm...but last week a visiting coach really impressed her. He'd coached olympic athletes and is currently working with the state's premier footy team...taught them a few things about sprinting. Despite having to work outside in +35C, she learned a lot! Also, despite the infected spider bite on her ankle....yes, it's never dull! Gina awoke last Friday with a bite of some sort. Mosquito? Apparently not! It grew. And it grew...by Saturday it was distractingly red, infected and painful. We didn't realize how bad it was getting while we drove to Fremantle to pick up a campervan that Kees had purchased for us. Checking in to a chemist shop for antihistamines and antiseptic cream was not the best move, but we were pressed for time, as the van dealer was due to close at noon, or so we thought.We planned to find her a doctor after getting the van. Luckily, an employee at the van dealer's was also a nurse. He had a good look at it, drained it and dressed it well.Despite the initial excruciating pain, Gina said she felt better, then slept through a lot of the day due to the antihistamine. We all had a chance to dip our toes in the ocean at Ports Beach, but 37C made the intensity of the sun dangerous. Cool breezes and crashing waves weren't enough to charm us. We headed back to Williams in 2 vehicles and hoped that Gina's infection would stabilize. She's a tough kid! Made it through to Sunday before we took her to the emergency room at Narrogin Hospital. Nasty bite! Antibiotics and peace of mind are really priceless, aren't they? By Monday it was a disturbingly dark purple mess, but she made it through the day and was delighted to report that the swelling was going down after the wound had burst and drained through the day. Antibiotics were doing the trick. It took a full 10 days before the bite seemed to almost completely disappear, just as Matt's dad had predicted. Everyone we knew had
had a look at it and asked about it, making Gina feel a whole lot better about her unfortunate experience. Within the first 2 weeks of school here, she confronted her worst fears about poisonous bugs in this country and found the courage and strength to overcome them. Happy ending to this one!
What can I say about life here? Never dull...our second weekend was spent unpacking and having a bit of a look around. We spotted 2 wolf spiders, a white tailed nasty spider and another redback, all poisonous. All in or around the house, despite Matt and Bec's efforts to have the place sprayed for insects for us before they left. Kookaburras laugh like maniacal monkeys in the trees outside our window each morning, but are very reasonable about never starting before 5 a.m. Gina has enrolled in high school, smug about skipping directly into Year 11 and signing up for a welding class, but not so keen on her phys. ed. class. She had hoped for exercise 5/5 days, but it's actually theory of human anatomy 4/5 days and 1 day a week she does sports. Hmmm...but last week a visiting coach really impressed her. He'd coached olympic athletes and is currently working with the state's premier footy team...taught them a few things about sprinting. Despite having to work outside in +35C, she learned a lot! Also, despite the infected spider bite on her ankle....yes, it's never dull! Gina awoke last Friday with a bite of some sort. Mosquito? Apparently not! It grew. And it grew...by Saturday it was distractingly red, infected and painful. We didn't realize how bad it was getting while we drove to Fremantle to pick up a campervan that Kees had purchased for us. Checking in to a chemist shop for antihistamines and antiseptic cream was not the best move, but we were pressed for time, as the van dealer was due to close at noon, or so we thought.We planned to find her a doctor after getting the van. Luckily, an employee at the van dealer's was also a nurse. He had a good look at it, drained it and dressed it well.Despite the initial excruciating pain, Gina said she felt better, then slept through a lot of the day due to the antihistamine. We all had a chance to dip our toes in the ocean at Ports Beach, but 37C made the intensity of the sun dangerous. Cool breezes and crashing waves weren't enough to charm us. We headed back to Williams in 2 vehicles and hoped that Gina's infection would stabilize. She's a tough kid! Made it through to Sunday before we took her to the emergency room at Narrogin Hospital. Nasty bite! Antibiotics and peace of mind are really priceless, aren't they? By Monday it was a disturbingly dark purple mess, but she made it through the day and was delighted to report that the swelling was going down after the wound had burst and drained through the day. Antibiotics were doing the trick. It took a full 10 days before the bite seemed to almost completely disappear, just as Matt's dad had predicted. Everyone we knew had
had a look at it and asked about it, making Gina feel a whole lot better about her unfortunate experience. Within the first 2 weeks of school here, she confronted her worst fears about poisonous bugs in this country and found the courage and strength to overcome them. Happy ending to this one!
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