This morning it is 14.9 degrees and I’m FREEZING!
This is why…
Yesterday it was 40 degrees!! And it’s only the middle of November!
We’re expecting a more sedate 29 today which will be nice.
Also notice the first light and sunrise times – I wish they liked daylight savings over here.
Only 5 weeks 3 days until we’re home 🙂
xxx
It took me until today to realise how long it has been since I last posted something!
My beloved camera lives next to my side of the bed and on Sunday morning when we woke up at 4.30am with the sunlight coming through our blinds I snapped this picture The room was so light you could read a book, it’s impossible trying to sleep like that! I only wish I had a horse to ride or a dog to walk at that hour of the morning 🙂
Also I got home from school today to find this on our kitchen ceiling…
Which fair gave me the heebie jeebies! It was about the size of my palm and I don’t know where it came from or if there are more 😦 I sucked it up with the vacuum cleaner poor thing, it made a huge clunk when it hit the inside. Just the other day I was saying to my soon to be brother-in-law (4 days!) that I hadn’t seen any big spiders lately, that’s Murphys Law for you!
The garden is growing HUGE!
Our herb wheelbarrow is so handy but the caterpillars love the mint
And we are beginning to see some colour on the tomatoes
My basil is surviving even though the hanging baskets are quite dry and in full sun
The fennel bulbs and beetroot are looking healthy too!
Last but not least the zucchinis are flourishing
and the aubergines have beautiful purple flowers on them – it will be interesting to see how the beautiful aubergines grow.
It has been so much fun having a garden, the cos lettuce and rocket has done it’s dash but we made some lovely salads from them, and now we just have to contend with all the hungry snails who think our garden is pretty brilliant too.
We had a lot of rain over the weekend which was so nice but it’s just going to get hotter from now on – we might have to start thinking about a shade cloth otherwise things will fry!
I know back home you’re still getting frosts and snow but don’t be jealous! When yours is flourishing ours will be burnt to a crisp 🙂
Love you all xx
We got back from our trip to the beach last night, hot and tired but with plenty of stories to tell!
Our journey started 4am Saturday morning but it didn’t seem too bad getting up that early because it starts to get light around 4.30am and the sun gets up at 5am!
We arrived in Norseman about 6am, just in time to see this…
Which I thought was pretty cool 🙂 Got some funny grins from the truckies though as I was running across the forecourt to take their picture. These road trains are GIANTS!
We arrived in Esperance just in time for Craig to meet the guys he was going diving with, and he threw an extra tank of air in the truck for the dive on Sunday.
Jai and I headed up to the A&P show and it was so lovely, just like the ones back home. We stopped and watched the shearing for a wee bit and I realised that even though I’d lived in NZ most of my life I’d never actually seen shearers or rousies at work! They do a pretty amazing job.
I didn’t take my camera with me as I wasn’t sure what there would be to take pictures of but I should’ve known to take it just in case… Although this post would be a lot longer if I had!
Later that day we met up with Craig and went back to the show, only to walk out and find 2 burly policemen standing by our car. I had the keys and considered keeping walking down the street, but my good conscience wouldn’t let me and I had to walk over and ask what we had done wrong!
The man whose house we had parked outside had called the police because he thought a bomb had gone off. Our back window was shattered and I thought we had been broken into so my heart sank, knowing I’d left my beloved camera in the back.
Turns out the air tank in the back seat had exploded (some seal in the top gave way under pressure) and the whole thing had smashed into the window. Pretty unlucky – a freak accident they said but I think it’s pretty lucky that we weren’t in the truck at the time, it did a bit of damage to the door!
There was glass EVERYWHERE thoughout the truck and the man said his house shook so we left feeling like we should go and buy a lotto ticket. Timing really is everything 🙂
The next morning we woke up at 5am with the sun streaming in over the sea – our motel room with sea views was really beautiful and the windows were caked in salt spray which  reminded me of my bedroom at Kakanui – clean windows only last 5 minutes by the sea!
Not long after that we were back at the dive shop and I spotted this lady with 3 dogs identical to Squeakles – do you think she would enjoy biking along like these ones Mum?! We could get you a basket for Squeakles and a trailer for Henry 🙂
We drove out to Lucky Bay, a fitting name for our weekend I think, and Craig headed out for another dive. As Jai and I were sitting in the carpark Mr and Mrs Kangaroo came hopping past and stopped for a chat, then Baby Joey popped out to say hello too!
The locals are so friendly here 🙂
It was a picturesque setting, as is the case with all the beaches down in Esperance. Apparently the day before we were there a whale and her calf had been relaxing in the bay but must have moved on.
We didn’t make it in for a swim because the wind was a bit cold, but we regretted that later as we were driving home in 37 degree heat with a broken window!!
Just out of Esperance I drove past a snake lying on the road soaking up the sun, and I was so excited the words “Look there’s a snake!!” just wouldn’t come to me so Craig who was sleeping, and Jai who was reading both missed it! I did a U-turn and stopped right beside it, if anyone knows what sort of snake it was I’d love to know but it was a distinctly brown colour so we didn’t get out 😉
We did another U-turn and gently persuaded it to slither off the road, we didn’t want to see him squashed. He turned around and took off quick as lightening into the long grass on the side of the road – I am quite thankful we don’t have snakes in NZ otherwise I don’t think I’d ever go riding in summertime!
Not far up the road as I was driving my second stint (it makes it so much easier swapping drivers every 100km or so) we came across this…
I felt quite bad taking a photo because the truckie was really embarrassed about what he had done, we turned up the UHF radio to listen and he was desperately calling for help from the workers just up the road to pull him out. He’d tried to turn around but had got stuck so blocked off the whole road! We bush bashed around the back of him and carried on our journey.
We arrived home just as the sun was setting, what a weekend!
I’ve just started doing yoga again after about a month break and I had forgotten how good it makes you feel!
This is the DVD I follow, Tamal Dodge is such an inspiring teacher and after a few days following the programme you can really feel the difference.
At the moment my flexibility is ZERO! After doing the Hatha Programme yesterday morning my muscles were shaking, but it doesn’t take long then they’ll be back to where they were when I was doing it every day.
If you think going to a yoga class is too hard or you just don’ t have the time, I’d really recommend you get a yoga mat and a DVD (any Yoga DVD, they all have good things about them!) and take a quiet half hour out from your busy schedule to practise! You can go at your own pace and do it anytime.
DO IT 🙂
On another note, we’re going to the beach this weekend!
Not camping this time, staying in an “Ocean View Motel Room” because it was the only accommodation left in the whole town!
I can’t wait to get back down there and smell the air. It almost reminds me of home.
Have a good Labour Weekend xx
We have the best thunderstorms here.
All the weather reports said there was going to be thunder, lightening and rain today so I was very excited. The day started off with dark skies and an ominous feel, and around 10am it started gently raining.
Then it got a little heavier.
Then it stopped.
And the sun came out.
 Hot and sunny. Same as always!
I know I shouldn’t complain but a little bit of rain is nice once in a while – especially for the garden. Hopefully there will be some storms in the coming weeks (it’s the rainy season up north) and I might get some good photos 🙂
Thanks for all your lovely comments, love and miss you all xx
I’ve just started a new topic at Kindy – Under the Sea and talking with the kids today made me want to be at the beach right now. We have such beautiful warm days here but nowhere nice to swim. Our trip to the beach a few weeks ago was so lovely, I hope we can do many more over the summer.
 I took my camera down with me and tried to use it as much as possible. It was expensive but I figure that taking photos is what I bought it for, so I’ll take the risk of something happening to it.
This crab was pretty cool, he was very aggressive and came up fighting when Joel tried to pick him up – after the photos were taken however we put in back into his little home and he scuttled away under a rock.
This is just the most gorgeous place to camp, it’s one thing I’ll really miss when we finally go home.
My friend Joel got a bit creative with the photos he took – this is another thing I love about having a nice camera! I love giving other people opportunities to use it, and I especially love seeing the snaps that come from them.
And here’s one I took…
I can’t wait to get back down there soon.
I’m back to work today, well for a Personal Development Day (I quite like them, it eases you back into work without having a classroom full of kids!). But I do have to say that I’m looking forward to the new term and what it will bring, and I have missed my little munchkins over the holidays. We only have 9 weeks left together and I hope I have made enough of an impression on some of them so they’ll remember me like I remember my first teacher, Mrs Schwass! She was wonderful, just like Miss Honey from Roald Dahl’s book “Matilda” and I will never forget how she made me feel.
Also thank you for commenting and liking my posts! It is wonderful reaching out and I’m really enjoying reading your blogs too.
Here is a little story that was emailed to me – I thought it was pretty cool, see what you think 🙂
My kind of teacher
This one is dedicated to all my friends who ever taught school,
parented children or served their country.
A former Sergeant, having served his time with the Marine Corps,
took a new job as a school teacher, but just before the school year started,
he injured his back.
He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body.
Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn’t noticeable.
On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in the school.
The punks, having already heard the new teacher was a former Marine,
were leery of him and decided to see how tough he really was before trying any pranks.
Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, the new teacher opened the window wide
and sat down at his desk.
When a strong breeze made his tie flap,
he picked up a stapler and promptly stapled the tie to his chest!!!!!
There was dead silence.
He had no trouble with discipline that year.
I have had an epiphany, my poor Mum! For years I have scorned Mustard. I wouldn’t have the tiniest taste of the Mustard Sauce she used to lovingly cook up for Corned Beef, I scoffed at mustard and ham sandwiches and generally turned my nose up at anything that had the slightest whiff of that delightfully delicious Mustard scent.
I am a new convert.
I love the stuff!!! Particularly with delicious gourmet sausages and fresh crusty bread, but in anything really! Slap it on and away you go. My gosh I can’t believe I’ve wasted so many years of my life not eating it!
On another note, Summer is here in the red dusty land of Western Australia and the ants are back out in hordes. I can’t hang out the washing or water my plants without doing the ant dance (if you’ve ever had to do it you’ll know what I mean: step, hop, slap, repeat!). Usually they’re pretty harmless and just run up your legs and tickle between your toes but today they started biting, OUCH! Those little suckers can really pack a punch.
I’m sorry to say it but I might have to take some drastic measures to encourage them to live elsewhere.
Here’s a python I cuddled (!) down in the Valley of the Giants, in Western Australia’s South West. The Valley of the Giants is forest of Kari Trees – I was going to put pictures up of the trees but even though the trees were HUGE, and the treetop walk was amazing, that day this python and me holding it was the biggest thing in the world. My heart almost stopped but I have a new appreciation for these fascinating reptiles.
Hi to my lovely sister, the only reader so far which is fine with me. Maybe this will just be a way for you to see all that I’m up to over here!
We started a garden at our house here, wasn’t sure how it would go being in the middle of the desert with such salty soils. But things have flourished!
We dug over the soil, added some much needed nutrients and started planting – we put in seedlings because we wanted to give them a fighting chance before summer set in. There is no Spring here, just Cold Winter then HOT Summer! Although at the moment it is the lovely transition, where the days are up around 30 degrees celcius and the nights fall down to around 12 degrees. Next month it’ll be high 30’s every day and mid 20’s at night – yuk!
Anyway back to the garden
We planted tomatoes, silverbeet varieties, spinach, chillies, zucchinis, peas, beans, beetroot, fennel, rosemary, lemongrass and aloevera in the garden beds. In grow bags we have rocket, aubergine and capsicum, in pots and hanging we have cos lettuce, basil, oregano, coriander (my new favourite herb!), chives, a banana plant and fennel bulbs and in a rusty old wheel barrow that Anna rescued from her work (spray painted on the side is crush!) we have voracious mint and thyme.
It is so lovely to go outside and pick our own vegetables and herbs fresh from the garden.- there’s nothing like it! Today’s first job on my list is to go out with the watering can and give the plants some Seasol – a concentrate of seaweed (Mum you’ll be proud to know – I still remember how embarrassed I was when you would drag those big loads of seaweed up from the beach just for the garden!).
I mulched the plants with a sugarcane mulch and that has been essential for keeping the moisture in and the weeds down. The most important thing here is keeping up the watering, we may have to get some shadecloth for the summer as things will fry in the sun but for now the plants are flourishing. I can’t wait until my chillies grow so I can use them with the coriander in my favourite recipe which I will put up here another time.
Grow garden grow!
Being a Mom and Loving it!
A BLOG ABOUT HAPPINESS, LOVE, LIFE AND OUR JOURNEY HOME
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