Who let the frogs out?

It’s coming into frog time and as much as I love the green ones, I have a problem with the idea that they will one day share the toilet with me and keep me awake with their rather loud mating calls.

In other news to hand, I’ve just sighted my third snake (Note to self: don’t walk down the road at dusk in warm weather) which was brown with a black head. I’ve learned that you really can’t tell what they are unless you count their scales but it was apparently most likely a western brown. Unlike last week’s king brown (again “apparently”) that moved towards us as we raced into the classroom -obviously no one had told it that it was supposed to avoid noisy kids – this latest one was probably about two metres in front of me when it slithered across my path and into the grass on the other side of the road.

Surprisingly instead of running away, I find myself standing still and cursing that yet again, I don’t have a camera with me.

Gary the Gecko is back! After being “released” into the back garden it seems he prefers the rear of the air conditioning unit in the spare room. Luckily, with no furniture out there, we haven’t used it yet – I hope he has ear muffs!

For those good friends and neighbours at Paradise Beach, we are soooo looking forward to spending time with everyone at the end of November. Brad (our ex Central Coast, now Paradise Beach vet, who’s obviously stalking us) stopped in and stayed the night last Thursday on his way back from Queensland and we were reminded of just how much we miss the coast and the “mountain people” (An Ivanhoe local once told me that anyone east of the Blue Mountains is a mountain person).

My stint as relieving Principal will be over in a week and while I’ll miss the kids, I’ll be glad to resume a normal – if directionless – life.

A letter’s arrived this morning stating that Essential Energy have completed testing and found, unsurprisingly and despite contrary evidence from the washing machine repairman, “no evidence of any faults on our network system that would have impacted on the supply to your home”.

So no refunds will be offered for any electrical damage to any appliances. Of course, we could counter this because Bernie, their technician, had already told us that he’d located a problem and had to ‘come back out to check out the substation’. But Bernie is a decent, honest guy, who would possibly get into trouble if we took it further so we might just have to let that one go. Who was it said to ‘pick your battles’?

Lastly, a big Get Well wish to Nigel’s Dad, who’s never ever sick, even when he’s sick, so it must be fairly serious! We hope you’re feeling better and we’ll have a few drinks on your behalf – to make up for the ones you’re not allowed to have.