It was winter when we came to Northam. Winter is here again ... so it's almost full circle.
They are pink and grey galahs, or cockatoos (on the aerial). Maybe they were wandering around in the fog and it seemed like a good place to sit and wait till things cleared. It doesn't matter too much about the big aerial because although most houses in Northam still have them, they are no longer really needed.
So ...
Yep, we are settled into Northam now. The house is good. Peter has fixed just about everything that could be fixed.
The backyard went from this ... to this:
and from this ... to this:
The SUMMER in Northam was VERY hot. Yes, we had been warned. Hot and very dry - we were very glad of our green, plastic grass!
And just when our grass was the only green thing around, suddenly we noticed a large-leafed plant right down the back near the fence.
In the blistering heat (days often over 40 degrees) it grew up and over a gate frame..
and then set off across the roof of the granny flat, the shed, and kept attempting to get over the fences into the neighbours' yards. It took vigilance to keep it in check, because it grew so fast.
We found out (via the Internet) that it was a "Bottle Gourd", and the gourds also grew really fast, often doubling their size in a single day.
We learned to cook and eat them, including the flesh in many tasty dishes, and even juicing them along with apples and carrots.
Those are eggplants, which we also grew in our garden.
We grew some pumpkins too, although the vines got a bit tangled up with the gourd.
Now that the weather is cool, the vine has died off and we have saved some seeds.
We will try to plant them on purpose when the weather is hot again.
W spend a lot of time on our verandas - which are right around the house - and the big covered deck area at the back.
Yep, we have a TV there - we usually have breakfast outside and watch the news.
Then there is my swinging "egg" chair where I do most of my reading, and thinking, and swinging ...
We have put up bamboo blinds along most sides of the verandas and the deck - keeps some of the sun off, and provides privacy.
And with the bike I can get some exercise while watching TV too.
And WORK?
Work?? No, we are not retired - tempting as that is.
The jobs we originally thought we had here in Northam ... well, that didn't work out. And we have applied for a bunch of jobs since then. We have even had some interviews - and only "shortlisted" people get interviewed. But nothing yet. So we are just relaxing until the right thing comes along.
In the meantime there is always writing.
I am published here under my own name.
And I can be found on Amazon as a ghostwriter:
And as myself:
So it's not like I have been sitting around doing nothing.
