The Lights are Out but we are at Home!!!

OMG we are having the BIGGEST dust storm I have ever seen (have one other to compare with LOL) but it is HUGE! It started about 8.30am this morning, its 1.30pm and we are surrounded by it. Naturally there is a good amount of wind as well. All the pink galahs from miles around have come in and are all roosting in various trees about the property - near buildings. I am at the WM's place and am able to type this because I am working off battery. We have just had lunch and had settled back to watch our afternoon DVD when flick, and the lights went off. Have got freshly made coffee beside me, computer still going and have got a gazillion photos of the storm. There was 18mm of rain in Geraldton last night and I believe there are storms along the coastline - the last time we had a big dust storm - we had torrential rain the next day. It would not be before time. It is 168 days since Kalbarri last had rain (I think it is raining there today)and upwards of over 100 days here since we last had rain so everyone is keeping their fingers crossed we will get rain after this. Otherwise, who ever has planted wheat already in Three Springs (nearly two hours away), we will be able to harvest it here, LOL, given the amount of wind and dirt in the air.

Have been experiencing amazing blood red and orange sunsets over the past two weeks with all the smoke in the air from wheat paddocks being burnt off and the dust from plowing. It looks pretty spectacular at night when you see the horizon on fire with flames as the wheat burns for miles. Have tried to capture the flames on my camera but with not a lot of luck as still working out how it goes.

Sunset at Tardun

The Moon over Tardun - am very impressed with myself at this photo.


It has been awhile since I last did a post, but have been pretty hectic with one thing and another. Last Wednesday ended up in Geraldton with the WM & WMH. The WM had gone in and stayed the night before and they we both going to catch up with their girls for Parent meetings that night. The WMH and I did some jobs for school on the way in and then we all went to the Camel Bar for lunch - it was great and felt very much like playing hooky, lol. Can thorougly recommend the place AGAIN as the food was delcious. We had to go to the local sports shop to get table tennis bats and balls for one of the staff - ended up by costing us $1000 between us!!! Mainly because we also bought and exercycle and hired a TZone vibration exercise machine for three months. The thing is, I had been thinking of getting a cross trainer and the WM really wanted an exercise bike just so we could exercise and get fit without swallowing flies and coping with icky outdoors things, lol. We tried to talk the boss into hiring some machines for the kids at school and in the end got such a good deal, thought, what the heck - it's not if we do a lot of anything else. We had some very perky young thing show is the TZone thingie - basically, 10 mins of exercise on that is the equivalent of an hour at the gym - you can see what attracted me, LOL. It is meant to build bone density, increase blood circulation, aids back pain, blah blah blah. The first time I tried it, I thought I might just shoot through the window I was standing in front of, as I vibrated to bits, lol. One of the exercises is a wide squat for 30 secs (with back straight, lol. The WMH told me to bend (while I was probably 45o instead of 90o to which I replied, I WAS!!!!. The same when I had to do a press up whilst my hands were on the machine - my knees never left the floor, lol. However, after several session, I can now report my knees will leave the floor AND I can bend at 90o!!!!

I have built up slowly to use the cycle - got on it the first time today and did 5k in 12 mins losing 58 calories (for those playing at home). I also saw stars and felt like I was in another dimension by the time I hopped off - feel the pain indeed. It's early days, but I do feel better for using both machines, and it definitely cuts the appetite down immensely. Watch this space for results. The WMH was in hysterics the first time I used the vibration machine and I believe there maybe video evidence - I was laughing so much trying the different exercises, it is a wonder I didn't cause myself a mischief.

It's been a bit of a rock and roll time regarding our jobs. It is possible we may have no girls left next term. It seems the twins might be moving to another school next term, which will mean their other friend will stay where she comes from and try to finish school there and our other girl from the Kimberly's more than likely would not come back to be on her own. We are keeping our fingers crossed as the entire group of students still here have absolutely taken off on the new program they have started this term. Over one hundred assessments have been sent off to TAFFE to be marked and the students are eating up the work. It will give them the equivalent of work based units that will give them entry to TAFFE in Yr 11 if they want. Most nights the girls are doing an hour extra homework at night which was unthinkable last year. Be still my beating heart, lol.

Had a great weekend last weekend as we went into Geraldton shopping on Saturday and went to see "Monsters v Aliens" at the movies. I had somehow thought it was going to be the Monsters from Monsters Inc v Aliens but it was a whole new set of mosters. The movie, though set for a young audience had lots of laughs in it and I enjoyed it anyway, (once I got over the disappointment of not having Scully and Co from Monsters Inc in it, LOL). The girls have been a captive audience while I have been playing my CD's in the car as we drive to town and back although I listened to one of theirs last week to keep some balance, lol. The twins really blew me away last week when 'On the Good Ship Lollypop' (on a compilation CD that No 1 son did for me for Christmas a couple of years ago) came on and they knew it and wanted to hear it twice!!!! Apparently it is on some recent movie - they had no idea who Shirley Temple was and that it was a little girl that sang it - but it is one of the driving favourites now, lol. (cue in some movie history)

On the way into town, just as we were going down Dean Rd (17k almost straight road )we saw two of these birds - not sure what they are but they are still young and the closest I can get is they are some type of hawk. Stopped a wee way away to take photos with the zoom lens and then drove VERY slowly towards this one with one of the girls steering the wheel, while I am snapping furiously at the birds out the open window, lol.
So, this is most exciting latest wildlife I have spotted.




Sunday, we had a very slow start to the day, then a big house clean before lunch and after lunch we had a pamper session. I tried to make a face mask using yoghurt, honey and in lieu of oatmeal had got rolled oats, lol. Unfortunately the rolled oats were just too much and the whole mask thing was a failure from that point of view,as it kept dropping off my first victims face, but wait, I had a Nutrimetics one in my collection so did the girls with that. While the masks were drying, the girls had their hands soaking before doing their nails, cuticles, finishing with a buff and french polish for some and nail polish for others. I had collected another staff member who came for the pamper session and we ended up with a foot soak and scrub and more polish. I did the whole skin care thing once I had taken the masks off faces so everyone was cleansed, toned and moisturised by the time they were finished. Had to laugh when our girl from the Kimberly's put moisturiser ALL over her feet and then went whallop and measured her length on the hall tiles as her feet shot out from under her. Luckily she sustained no injuries and so we warned the rest about moisturising UNDER their feet.

We finished the day with some of the girls collecting wood and then the boys came down for dinner as I cooked barbeque in two fry pans. It was just like having family round at home - I think we 12 all together which would be a small amount for a gathering at home, LOL. The boys were great and helped to clean up afterwards so will have them back again. The WM had had them all down on Friday night too when she had organised a Campfire at the back of our house with damper and marshmellows. She gathered up a whole lot of old car seats from the dump so we have quite a posh set up round our campfire now, lol. Will close now and sort through photos of the dust storm once I have checked them out. Will do a part two, hopefully tomorrow. It is now nearly 3.15pm and we have had some rain - not enough, but it is a start. Time to get the girls from school and open up the house.