A lot has happened in a few days.

Have lost email in the boarding house again and the workmate has my laptop to do an assignment, so this is the first chance I have had to catch up since Monday. I rang Mum late Tues to see how Clive was - he had a double bypass earlier in the day and it had gone well. Have been joking he has become the $6million dollar man with all the medical treatments he has had over the last twelve months!! Good to know someone is getting something back from their tax dollars. Latest news to hand is that he has been up and is going well.

Tuesday, I got up early, zoomed through some housework and curled up on the verandah to read in the sun to soak up the warmth right into my bones (It was 20o indoors and I was cold). Once feeling toasty, I thought I would curl up back inside again as the flies were starting to be a nuisance, and proceded to fall into a deep sleep for about six hours. Woke up feeling great, and caught up from the weekend. Had my Tuesday dinner with the workmate's family - it is becoming my 'Nana' night. The boys make me coffees, I listen to some homework or catch up on their day and we are now into the semi-finals of Australia you've got Talent, on TV. Their dad and I alternate cooking nights and we had chicken and mushroom stew this week. I am thinking of doing my vegetable tangine next week and garlic chicken.

All the girls went to netball while the workmate was back here finishing her assignment. As she shot over for a drink break, she felt a stinging in her arm and their were two (little) puncture wounds when we looked. Couldn't find any insect upon herself, or my laptop that she had been carrying. She was not a happy camper and we all watched very closely for the next 20 mins - she survived without anymore symptoms other than the stinging, so felt reasonably confident that it wasn't something fatal. A little unnerving for moi who is used to dialing for a taxi for A&E or for an ambulance for anything more than I can fix with a plaster or a panadol LOL. We have an airstrip on the property and did joke about calling the Flying Drs. Apparrently the ambulances are a bit like the fire brigade - its quicker to do it yourself if you are in dire straights which flies in the face of what you are taught in NZ. I feel an Aussi 1st aid course coming on ......... She decided to take an antihistamine and see how things were in the morning and went back to work.

Yesterday was my first time completely solo on the vege run as Bro M is in Perth. Filled up the ute with petrol (am nearly expert now LOL) and was on my way. Called into the store to post some cards and thought I would ask where I went to get my Aussi car license sorted out - lo and behold - the library which also doubles as the Shire's offices. Erica was back behind the desk and what a difference having a real person (as opposed to those corporate persons) to work with. I started filling out the paperwork and found once begun, you cannot take the paperwork away (had to have proof of residency). It involved being measured (approx 173 metric measure) having my eyes tested on a chart on the library door, and for those playing at home, when I hesitated on describing 'body type' Erica responded "solid", as the option to put in!!!! Hmmmm - a common description apparrently for most body types. Didn't think to ask what my other options might have been LOL. If that was not bad enough - I also had to have my photo taken - had not planned on getting that far yesterday on the basis of a mere enquiry so no make up, birch broom in a fit, hair day, thus looking like a candiate for Australia's most wanted - with a smile no less. Over here you are allowed to smile!!! Two separate swipes of the bank card and a small strangling sound from me as the figures totted up, and my new Aussi license, with application for an F endorsement and LR whats it, and I am now able to start learning to drive the bus. There is no theory test, just when I am ready, ring whoever and drive the test!!!! Too easy LOL. I have to have a medical to sit the bus license and that is organised for next Wednesday (it does not involve a blood test, merely questions I understand). Have taken a 5 yr license so am not sure whether that is optimism or forward planning LOL.

A bit gobsmacked that it all happened so easily, (rang work to get them to fax my proof of residency) I headed off again to Gton. First stop the tractor bits, fix it place that I have become a frequent visitor to during seeding season. Found it first time, negotiated from there into town and finished all the rest of the jobs for school, and completed some chores of my own. Decided to treat myself to lunch so tried the local Hans Cafe - I think it is a Thai food franchise. Had a very friendly young chap take my order and 4 small spring rolls with dipping sauce and a plate of pepper squid and rice I was replete. The pepper was capsicum and the squid delicious. I asked the waiter if they used real woks (I have a yen to cook chinese again LOL and cannot find a real wok for love nor money in Gton) and if so where did they get them from. It would seem Perth is the place. Very wierd after NZ with Asian shops abounding, not so Gton and surrounds. I have only seen electric woks so far and that is not what I am after.

To continue with the interesting food theme, one of the girls scrambled an emu egg last night after blowing it out of the shell (family had dropped it off to her earlier in the week) and I got to have a mouthful once it was cooked. I am told an emu egg is the equivalent of about 10 chook eggs.... It did make up a huge bowl of scrambled egg. It looked very smooth and velvety, hard to explain the texture, maybe a little more dense than an ordinary egg but very tasty - I would definitely try it again.

Up at 5am this morning to get the first lot of girls away on the bus to Gton at 5.45am to catch the bus to Perth. The rest went on the bus at 10am to Gton to be picked up from there. The girls from Yalgoo and Mt Magnet went yesterday afternoon. The workmate came over about 9.30am to show me her arm which had swollen around the bitten area and was hot and pink looking. She had made an apt at the Dr's so the three girls left and I took her in the ute to Mullewa. I now know, if it had been a mouse spider, she could be dead, if it was a wolf spider she would be dead, and if it was a redback, the wound would be sweating. There is a possibilty that it might have been a white tail spider - oh good I replied, necretising flesh to look forward to (why didnt we call the flying Dr's after all!!) . As she has been taking antihistamine all along, the Dr said to continue, gave her some ointment and covered it with a plaster and arm bandage to prevent her from scratching it. If it gets worse, we are to take her to the hospital - all good, 1 1/2 hrs away, though there is a hospital at Mullewa open during the day.... Of course I am feeling extremely itchy in sympathy and leaping out of my skin with anything that brushes against me, flies at me etc. I have not taken to walking with a can of flyspray, spraying a circle about me - yet - but the thought is crossing my mind. Before I forget - my hunt for the great mega death to midges and mossie elixer has now come to quinine!!!!! I have been told that those who take quinine do not get bitten. Shot into the chemist on Wednesday only to be told, they are now a prescription drug in Australia - arrhhhhh, wouldn't you know it. Not to be thwarted, the next best thing - tonic water (usually only associated with gin and lime and gin and gin LOL) so bought several bottles of that at the IGA on the way home. Will let you know how the experiment goes. Not sure how much you have to drink each day to get the effect I want. May have to add the gin - perhaps enough of that, and the bites will not matter. I can totally sympathise with all Summerset Maughm's characters who lived in the tropics drinking themselves silly (maybe there was more than mosquitos to blame but it works for me).

Speaking of the IGA - The Durlacher St smaller one (there is a bigger one on the same street) was my last stop before the vegie pick up for school. I was after some ingredients for my tangine and specifically kaffir lime leaves. This IGA's speciality is Asian products, Home brew and bread baking products amongst the usual spread. I asked one of the shop assistants where to find them,and she said she had the lime leaves on order for several weeks. As I saw my hopes of the tangine slipping away, a woman in the next aisle said over the counter, "kaffir lime leaves, I have a kaffir lime tree growing in my garden, I live at ...... Shenton St, go and help yourself to some leaves"!!!!!!!! How does that happen anymore?? I love that Gton and surrounds are so country (although, this is something my mum would do if she heard someone talk about fuschias, red hats .... etc LOL). Well, I thought, nothing ventured - so drove to said place which was about 10 houses up the road and a big thank you to Lesley for the leaves picked from her lime tree. She has told me to pop back anytime I need more, and she works in the local chemist. People truely amaze me over here how friendly and do anything for you they are. (apart from the b..........d corporates - I know, I am going to have to let it go and move on, LOL)

Am up in the library while typing this and we have Home and Away on the big screen tv. Bones is on tonight and the girls are going to sleep on the floor out in the lounge so will move back down there once I have finished some more emails. May go into Gton tomorrow, will wait and see how we feel tomorrow. Catch you later.








I am looking for a wok - you cannot buy one for love nor money in Gton unless you want an electric one.