Kia Ora from Rockingham

Yes, I am off the school property and my rather womb like existence of the past week, and once more into the breach, with travel . Our cook Jude, offered me the chance of a lift to Perth coming down yesterday (Saturday) going back to Tardun on Wednesday. I rang my friends in Rockingham to see if I could catch up with them - yes if I wanted to crash on their couch, and so here I am. Shall digress a bit to cover the last week before I lurch back to the present update.

I have been extremely frustrated once again with connection challenges - wind, rain, and the inner workings of my laptop all seem to have conspired against me. I did try to upload photos to facebook last week, but after carefully selecting a bunch, faffing about to and fro from choice to upload button, I then lost the lot when windows said it was off line!!!!!! Many pithy and old English words said to computer I can tell you. I am not sure whether I have said before, but in my abode, the computer sits on a slant on the kitchen table that is in front of the window, me positioned front and side to be able to type, with blow heater on another chair so warmth is blowing on the greatest mass (hmmmmmm) rather than ankles which are suitably swathed in NZ woolen sox, and thus I am both comfortablish and able to get a modicum of connection. During the squalls last week, I was reduced at one stage to actually opening the window and holding the aerial dohicky up to the window whilst cold air poured through, which did however, manage to give me two bars of reception while I held it. Had to put the heater onto cremate to counteract the cold blast of air from open (screened) window - the things I am reduced to, to keep in contact with folk, lol. I have also transferred most of my photos to an external hard drive as the memory thing is showing red instead of blue. Have ruthlessly deleted all that looks unimportant and keeping everything crossed I haven't wiped out any vital functions.

Paid another visit to the Coal seam last Sunday as it was the annual Parish Picnic. Until the school closed the Chapel was regarded as a Parish church as locals attended services along with the students each Friday night therefore we belonged to the wider parish in our own right. It was a beautiful sunny day with a barbeque put on by the parish and salads, cakes etc provided by those who attended. There was communion out in the open air before lunch, then folk either relaxed back and chatted, climbed the coalseam or went for walks about the place. The flowers were mainly yellow this year and the ground was covered with pompoms, everlastings and cape weed in various shades of yellow from pale lemon to rich butter yellow. We called into the gravel pit (where the shire takes gravel for the road past the school) which is just across the road from our little enclave, and found that the two wreath flowers of a couple of weeks ago, had multiplied into many more and they were in flower. Photos were taken and I also found two new flowers that I had not seen before - the spring keeps on unfolding as new species of shrub or bush keep flowering.

The next three days were spent up at the workmates place, the WMH being in Sydney for a family celebration and the WM taken down by some virus/flu of some sort. I took charge for organising meals and the rest was just being there - did get some reading done for the next assignment and did work on the computer at the same time. Of course, the sad news of the week was the death of Patrick Swayze ........ RIP. Watched a couple of his movies but not Ghost or Dirty Dancing as it happens, that would have been too sad.

Friday dawned and I woke up with nose streaming, not impressed. Had a very quiet day at home, finished library book - and slept. Managed to iron and put things in piles for trip to Perth and slept again. Somehow I set the alarm clock wrong, waking up 15 mins before EDT nearly having a heart attack as I woke out of a deep sleep. Hmmmm thoughts of leaving house in pristine state flew out the window as I dressed at speed, threw sleeping bag and clothes into smallest suitcase and laptop etc into back pack to be able to be ready by 7am. Made it just as my ride drove through the carport!

Had an excellent trip down arriving at Midland around noon. We went down via Three Springs where we stopped for water, chocolate and the loo (as you do), then another stop at Moora for a coffee and melting moment to go. Where the paddocks on the way down were covered in acres and acres of wheat this time last year, I noticed that there was more canola planted and the colour was predominently yellow all the way. At Midland, Jude took me to the railway station and then bless, came into Perth with me to make sure I transferred to the Mandurrah line without incident. It meant getting off on one side of the station, going up an escalator, getting a ticket (automated machine), walking some distance, by then on the opposite side of the station where we had disembarked, down another escalator and there was the right line. Jude then caught a train back to Midland and I to Rockingham. Once seated I kind of zoned out - head still streaming and a bit muzzy and then had a moment as I looked out the window of where was I?. Had an Auckland Harbour Bridge moment/Wellington motorway moment with the tide on the right hand side and views of the city in a semi circle sort of, lol. Thinking - is there a dial a city plan somewhere that has a basic imprint of how to lay roads, buildings etc out. Main difference was the vegetation - lots of wattle and gum trees, and no flax or hebes, so yes must be back in aust, lol. The train was fun - reasonably spacious, quiet and electric, with all the stops clearly marked in signs on the wall and lit up above the doorways of each carriage. I was impressed that this line was down the middle of the motorway for some time and thought how sensible, once space does all. Watched how people departed at each stop - you press a button at the door when the train stops and then exit promptly cos there isn't any time wasted on long leavings, lol. Got to the correct station without any mishap with only a small wait to be picked up.

Am staying with friends from Rotorua and Hamilton days who have moved here for good. In the year since I last saw them, they have moved into their own rental accommodation (very nice brick three bedroom, place) and have furnished it through a couple of garage sales where they bought whole job lots of furniture and whitewear for a song. Things about civilisation that I like - non- bore water and Foxtel, lol. They have HDD TV/DVD whatever so you can record two programs at once and watch a third, OMG!!!! After being fed like a pate de foie gras duck on roast pork, veg and salad, followed by apple pie and ice cream (am not eating again til Monday, lol) Shells and I laxed back at watched Miss Potter, the movie about Beatrix Potter that had some spectacular scenery throughout. Maurice had gone to the local establishment to watch the All Blacks v Wallabies game and then on to a mates for a few more bevvies. We got a call just as the movie ended as he needed to be driven home so off we went. He was at his bosses place - and lo and behold, another kiwi and his wife who just happened to come from Rotorua and knew people that I knew, back in the day. That's twice in two weeks now that this has happened, lol. Shells tells me there is a kiwi contingent nursing with her and that most have come from Waikato Hospital ....... Watch out WA!

Great to see the AB's convincingly whup the Aussies for the Bledisloe Cup last night, lol and then Geelong (the WM's team) thrash Carlton later at the footie. Next week is the grand final so it will be a command performance as Geelong go up against St Kilda. I guess its safe to say, if I back anyone, it will have to be Geelong, especially if I am watching the game with the WM and family, lol.

Am having a lazy day today, watching more TV, catching up on emails etc as Shells has gone to work and it is a miserable cold and wet day outside. Am about to go and curl up with book on the couch in front of the heater - bliss.

Carry on Studying, lol

Have to say, the last few weeks have been like living in a bubble with the real world curiously distant - no newspapers and not around for the news on the telly much, lol. Got two assignments posted last Monday after getting a weeks extension. Had one question that took me a week to understand the reading alone, lol but the WM and I put our completed ones in an envelope with a sigh of relief on Monday and the office lady got them posted for us.

I chose in the end not to go to the Mullewa show - it was a freezing cold day and though the WM said they were only going in for a couple of hours, they were gone from 9am - 5.30pm and I got all my readings done, lol and all my washing dry. Was still wading through study on the Sunday so stayed on here instead of going to footie, - such devotion, lol. It was a glorious day and only procrastinated in small amounts stopping for choccy biscuits and coffee on my verandah with the DP as he was in procrastination mode as well. The WM turned up midafternoon and said we were having a campfire for dinner as she had invited this group of kids out who were working for the primary school that her boys go to. This was a group of yr 11 students who were helping serve the Mullewa community as part of a values based course they were doing through their school (a Catholic college from Perth). They also helped out at the flower show and the Mullewa show over the weekend as part of their service to the town. They arrived by bus with three staff not long after we had the fire lit and we had a fantastic night. They had been eating very basic food all week and sleeping on the floor of the town hall - no soft drinks, biscuits etc, and were blown away by the campfire food that we had which was heavily carnivorous with cake as desert. The WM and I cooked the barbeque and we had two big fires going so it was very cosy and warm. One of my neighbours bought down three emu eggs that he still had and he got some of the students to blow the eggs which we then scrambled. Needless to say the kids were amazed to be able to try emu egg. Just to explain - two emu eggs filled a litre icecream container in their raw state! It was SO nice having kids on site, even if it was just for a short time. They bought two guitars with them and could some of these kids sing. Many of them had never experienced anything like a campfire in the bush and when they left we were told over and over it was the best part of the whole week!. We continued to have a very social week - our cook's 90 yr old mum flew up from Perth half way through the week and stayed until Monday, the DP had a mate pull in with a caravan and stay a few days, and the boss had six friends up over the weekend. We all went up to school each day for morning tea and ended up by having an afternoon tea on the DP's lawn one afternoon, and two dinners up at school, with lots of laughs - lot at my expense with my kiwi accent. There were several more outings to view wildflowers and I was very strong, turning most down (for study, lol).

In a curious turn of events, had gone over to the DP's place for a procrastination cup of coffee and a choc biscuit last Friday afternoon and was having a chat to his visitor, as you do, when he asked what I had trained as work wise. I said I had been a social worker at Waikato Hospital a wee while back now when he looked at me and said, - my cousins wife worked for them as a nurse - get outta here I said - ....... his first cousin is the dad of one of my best social worker mates from back then, and I knew exactly who he was talking about. So, caught up on all the family news as the DP sat on just shaking his head from side to side in bewiderment, lol.

On Sunday it was the WM's youngest son's First Communion and the whole Tardun community was there in support as it turned out. There was a cup of coffee in the school hall afterwards which is directly next door to the church and caught up with various locals who said hello. Because I have been to footie several times, church and some school events people have got to know me and that I am to all intents and purposes part of the WM's extended family. The cook's mum had a beautiful red hat on so I asked her if she was a 'red hatter', but no, she just liked the hat (had bought it on a trip to NZ!). She told me she belonged to a "Hazel Club". It transpires over here there are 'Shirley clubs" with every member named Shirley and the "Hazel club' is the same except they are all called Hazel. They used to meet once a month - (now down to every three months for the cook's mum), and they are all over Oz. Had never heard anything like it and wonder how a Lynn club would go, lol. Would it have to be the same spelling or would you let lyns or lynnes in as well. Hmmm will have to think of that, lol.

Three dead brown snakes have been sighted over the last 10 days, on the roads mainly. The office lady killed a baby King Brown (poisonous) as she was weeding in her garden last Sunday!!!!!! I have also seem my first blue tongued lizard of the season on Tuesday afternoon - the WM stopped the car so I could get a photo, lol. No freesias over here to tell of the first movements of spring - snakes and lizards instead, lol . We were on the way into Mullewa for the boy's footie break up that went well. Both boys won 'Most Consistant Player' for their respective teams. Had a sausage in bread for afternoon snack and back here by 7pm. Yesterday went into Geraldton for the first time in weeks it felt, lol. We went and did some industrial espionage at a boarding facility in town as part of another assignment the WM is doing. Had morning tea with the staff and were shown plans of the building and given a walk through. Very impressive - three of our ex pupils live there but were at school so did not catch up with them. The manager gave us heaps of information and then gave me info to send a CV to their head office as the people who run that facility have 10 others all over Oz and he said they are always looking for staff. There was also an ad in the local paper yesterday for a boarding school down nearer Perth so it looks like the universe is sending me messages re new employment, lol.

We were also in town to take the WM's eldest daughter out for afternoon tea for her 15th birthday which is today, so had time to shop in between. I was going well until we passed a clothes shop I had not seen before, and left with two new shirts and a sleeveless crocheted longish (with tassles on the bottom) waistcoat type of thing - just think scarey 1970's, lol. I don't think I had one of these the first time round and cannot help chuckle at all the 70's clothing in the shops at the moment. So whilst not quite looking like a walking piece of macrame, you get the picture, - sort of 70's meets the wild west, lol.

It has blown a living gale today though the sun has shone somewhat tepidly. Had to sit in front of an open window holding the wireless/broadband gizmo in one hand earlier in the day to get reception!!!!!!!!! At least we had power so am thankful for small mercies.

Now I have tv going again (got fixed a couple of weeks ago) I was able to catch the All Blacks/Wallabies game, and then the Wallaby/Springbok game. They do not televise them in WA until midnight nor do they play the national anthems for each team!!!!! It was good to see a win by the AB's though it was more by good luck than management from what I could see. Last night I watched the start of the Silver Ferns netball game but headed off to bed after the first quarter - played at the same time of night as the rugby, lol.

Still havn't entirely sorted out my latest photos, am giving myself off tomorrow from assignments so just may get around to uploading the next lot. No promises, lol.