Ahhhh. Open spaces. No traffic. Just the sound of tweeting birds, the wind in the acacias, Honey snuffling, Ethel clucking, and Smokey clawing his way up the shade cloth walls of the breezeway and running around like a lunatic on the tin roof. Gary is snoring on the sofa, resting his poor hideous purple testicles after our long drive home.
Perth's about 800 km south, it's a tough drive negotiating all the road trains and oversize haul trucks, but at least now Gary's got his cyst out and we're all stocked up with Kmart underpants & socks. Perth's kind of pretty, but it just had no appeal for either of us - mad with traffic, the same shops over and over, everyone in a rush. And being in a place with hills and trees felt really weird - claustrophobic! It was lovely to be by the sea, and wonderful to have a rest just reading and sleeping, but nothing beats the feeling of freedom when we drive along the savannah track to our camp.
Dylan, Steve and Heather all helped with checking on the camp and feeding the animals. Honey isn't used to Steve, and apparently did an excellent job of guarding the camp from him when he turned up to feed her. She went into Ferocious Fanged Chihuahua mode and got hold of his pants leg, growling and carrying on! Steve had to go and get Heather before Honey would let them in. Good dog! From the state of the sofa (feathers, fur, food), it looks like Dylan had a good time eating Pringles in front of the telly with all the pets sitting next to him.
No other news for the moment - spring is springing, with stunning wildflowers coming out everywhere - the yellow pompoms on the acacias, the cherry pinks of the Geraldton wax plant, and the pastel hues of the pretty little everlastings which spread everywhere, carpeting the red soil. I'll be busy this week planting in all my native shrubs and trees - Showy Honey Myrtle, a coolibah tree, a jam wattle, lots of grevillea, thorny acacias, bougainvillea, and a bunch of other gorgeous flowering things whose names I've forgotten for the moment. It will be an odd contrast with the road crash rescue course this weekend - learning how to use the jaws of life and other car-ripping-apart tools.
But for now, a peaceful evening in a hot bath with our resident bat for company. Our rough camp life feels like luxury compared to the frenzy of the city!
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