A trip to the country

Deb keeps her horse about 30 minutes outside of Adelaide in the hills. I saw some of the signs from yesterday’s blog on the road as we passed wineries, quaint villages, traditional homes, pine and gum forests, ocean glimpses, horses, cattle, wallabies and even a turtle crossing the road on the way to McLaren Vale.

I enjoyed a nice quiet walk in the woods. With every step I took Monarch butterflies alighted all around me. I've heard that is a sign of a healthy place. Here are some of the images I captured.

Road signs - only in Australia

My lonely umbrella

It has rained three times since I have been here. Now when it rains it pours, but three times is not much when the average daytime temperature is in the high 20s. But who's complaining! I watched the sun set at the beach again today.

Scary!

I’ve been sleeping relatively well. However, being alone in the house this week the creeks became noticeable.

I awoke this morning at 4:30 to a strange hissing sound. I sat up and listened and no, it was not my imagination, there definitely was an eerie noise outside my window. I can’t say what it sounded like as I’ve never heard this sound before, only to say that it was spooky. Of course I couldn’t fall back to sleep even though it eventually stopped.

I asked people at school and it turns out it’s a Possum. They’re protected here. If it continues to bother me I can call the Council (municipality) and they'll live trap it. I probably won’t ever see it, or them, as like most marsupials they’re nocturnal. They’re about the size and colour of the house cat I live with. So you can imagine my horror when I came out one morning to find a dead possum in front of the house!

They were introduced in NZ years ago and the Kiwis aren’t grateful except for those who keep their tootsies warm wearing socks from their fur.

Actually they’re quite cute looking even though they sound like a vampire before it sinks its teeth into you, at least from what I’ve gleaned from the Twilight trailers!

I don’t have a photo, the only one I’ve seen here was dead, but if you check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHulXzuc_9Y you can see and hear one!

Now tell me that isn’t scary!?

FFF

This weekend I had two adventures with friends who are faculty at Flinders (hence the title).

On Saturday I went Junk Shopping with my Supervisor and her friend. They love to comb the Salvos (Salvation Army), Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, yes just like in Canada, and other shops run by the Red Cross and Humane Society, what we would call Second Hand stores, and Yard Sales. It was fun! I found most of the shops to be higher end and better organized than in Edmonton. In Adelaide recycling is a priority. Darlene can walk into a place and spot a Stella McCartney or antique perfume atomizer, which she bought, in seconds. I found some good books, and a long skirt for 50 cents!

Today I went to a quaint seaside town called Noarlunga, about 15 minutes south of where I live, to snorkel with Glenn. We walked to the end of the Jetty, descended the steps, plunged into the waves and swam out to the reef, a few feet beyond. I had my wet suit on to keep me warm, it is autumn after all even though it was 29C today! Here are some photos with my wonderful underwater camera.

Glenn feeding the fish.

Fish!

Views from the water

Koala 2

Back on February 14 I blogged about my first day in Adelaide and seeing a Koala up a tree. Well I was back at the very same park for the second time, 2 months later, and guess what I spotted?

They're adoreable!

Off the Edge

Many of you ask how I am doing. For the most part I am doing well but sometimes I feel like I'm hanging in mid-air. My colleague who has been here since January told me he is just feeling settled. I found that reassuring as he’s lived and worked in many countries. I too am starting to settle into this place. I notice that people don't seem so strange! This is a little scary but good because feeling settled allows me to focus on my studies (details coming, I promise).

One thing I find that unsettles me and throws me off balance is being sick. When I get sick the only place I really want to be is home in my own bed. Well that’s not an option for me. So feeling under the weather can really take its toll psychologically as well as physically. It gets me down and wondering what am I doing here?

I think we all go through that self doubt, no matter where we are.