Sept 28--Jaymi flies to MN,
Sept 30-- last blog post.
Sept 30-Oct 1 Nathan works last weekend at Murdoch (really this time he means it!)
Sept 30-Oct 1 Kristin and Gretchen attempt to take a ferry to Rottnest Island, but are attacked en-route by a crazy Magpie which leaves Gretchen bleeding, shaken, and not really in the mood to cycle past the magpie on the way home.
Oct 2-5 Nathan starts new contract position 45 minutes from home. Kristin continues to work like crazy. Nathan and Gretchen explore around Perth--like Wave Rock, and the Wildflowers of Western Australia.
Oct 5-7 Drive to Cervantes for the weekend. See some amazing coast, are attacked by swarms of Australian black flies, and then are awestruck by the Pinnacles desert. p.s. For those of you who do not realize black flies here don't bite, but do enjoy climbing in your ears, up your nose, into your eyes, onto your tongue etc. Everyone thinks Australians are so friendly, mostly they are just waving away the flies.
Oct 8-12 More work, Gretchen the house elf, weeds the garden, cleans the house for the upcoming home inspection, and cooks more lemon curd and pavlova (yummy!).
Oct 12--Finally trip to Rottnest Island! We head out to the beach to check out the snorkel trails (underwater guided tours of the local reef). Camera dies (again, this time permanently!). The morning isn't very warm. Nathan and Kristin snorkel for 20 minutes, battling hypothermia. Gretchen wisely waits for warmer waters. In the afternoon, we travel to another beach where the snorkelling conditions don't require a parka and Nathan and Gretchen snorkel through some coral beds.
Oct 13--Gretchen and Kristin hit the bikes along the coastal path, a bike path that runs past the best beaches in Perth. Nathan drives ahead, and jogs back to meet us on the bike path. After a breezy beach barbecue we head home from our last weekend together.
Oct 14-17, Gretchen, Nathan and Kristin play our last games of rook, sample the local fine dining, and help Gretchen find her passport.
Oct 17 Gretchen heads back for a marathon flight to Minnesota, the house suddenly seems very empty.
Oct 18-21 Life slowly returns to normal. We do laundry, pay bills, do the grocery shopping, and finish the week with a frenzied cleaning of the house to prepare for our house/garden inspection.
Oct 22-27--Kristin's new admin starts! Hurray! Unfortunately, there's still lots of backlog of work, so another week of crazy work. Nathan is working Saturdays at his locum job, but uses some of his time on call to buy a fishing pole. Sunday we golf--first game of the year.
Oct 31--Halloween--We participate in a costume run for our running club (Fremantle Hash House Harriers). Nathan's spends all day developing a "spider-pig" costume for Kristin, that he doesn't get a costume for himself. Completely selfless!
November 3-4 Nathan and I have a full weekend with nothing planned. No guests, no work, no appointments. Saturday we drive our little 4X4 to a secluded stretch of beach and fish/read for the entire afternoon. Sunday, we more golf to prepare for a tournament next week. They have a lot of sand here...we got lots of practice at getting out of the traps.
November 5--Finally remember to put an update on, and feel horribly defensive about not posting for ages, so provide day by day excuses for why we have been too busy to post, email, write, call, or anything. Do you think its too much?
2 comments:
Okay, I knew the animals were dangerous in Oz, but that magpie takes the cake. Dude.
Sounds like a fun trip. That wave dune is really cool as is the field of flowers.
I really don't like birds. Gretchen's incident with the magpie would have done me in. Here in Petersburg we have the big ravens and I have been afraid at times they were going to swoop down on me. I'm so happy Gretchen could come and visit with you. What a wonderful time for all of you. Things are going well in Petersburg. We are still here?!?!?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Mary Ann and AL
Post a Comment