New Dedication

How ya going,

We're trying to re-dedicate ourselves to writing more often in this blog. We started off strong and certainly tailed off a lot. We're going to have the kids write as well as we know that some of their friends are reading along.

We're busy planning our trip for the first school holiday. The schools are in session for 10 weeks followed by 2 week holidays. Do this 4 times and you've got a year with 3-4 extra weeks of holiday for the December/January break. The 3rd Quarter has 11 weeks. I'm not sure why that is...Not too symmetrical to the sensibilities of a math teacher (or as they say 'maths' teacher). We're going to head south and are hoping to see Melbourne, drive the Great Ocean Road and see the '12 Apostles', (although we've heard that two have decided to go for an extended snorkle at the bottom of the sea), slowly come back up the East Coast, and then spend some time in the Blue Mountains east of Sydney. Karen is always very ambitious on our travels. You all know how she doesn't like to feel as if she's missed anything! I'm ready to relax after working very hard for 10 weeks and she's ready to get out of the small town she's sometimes stuck in...

We had a nice trip south last weekend. One thing Karen didn't mention was that on one of our bushwalks we had to stop in our tracks and wait for a 5 foot long Diamond Python to finish crossing the path in front of us. Hopefully you get a good look at it in the photo that I'll add. I'll add one of its favorite dinner, too. We didn't especially want to get too close for the photo so you'll have to excuse the distance! He had about a 2 inch diameter. Karen saw a much thicker one a while ago on the path to our beach. She couldn't tell how long it was as its head was in the bush at one end of the path and its tail was still in the bush on the other side...She had to wait for it to cross the path before she could move. Unfortunately she didn't have a camera with her. This type of snake worries no one around here. They are much more concerned with the smaller venomous varieties like the red-bellied blacks, and the brown snakes.

True story from my work the other day. I walked into my staff room that I share with 4 other teachers. As I step into the room the floor beneath me starts wiggling. I look down, jump up, and swear viciously (or more accurately like an 8 year old girl) at a 2 foot long blue tongue lizard. One foot body and one foot tail... I was literally standing in the middle of his back. He apparently has hung out in our staff room on and off for a couple of years. I was introduced to him about a month ago and had forgotten about him. He hides under/behind a file cabinet, usually. Not on that day. Right on the other side of the door and in my path. My life may have been shortened by a couple of years from fright. I've been assured that he's not venomous, but also that if he does bite you "it'll hurt a fair bit". When I work at my desk, I pull out the desk drawer on the desk next to me and put my feet up. I tell my co-workers it's so I can stretch my legs. I think they know better, but are too polite to laugh at me...

We hope all you readers are well. Let us know with e-mails or more public responses on the blog.

Love, The Stinks