Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Not altogether sorry to be leaving work

Yesterday was quite warm in Queensland’s North West, and as I showered in preparation for flying home in the afternoon, it got so warm as to be a verging on unpleasant in the tiny airless caravan bathroom. I was not very pleased when I turned on the cold tap and boiling warm water gushed out. The pipe that supplies the camp with water from the bores is laid above ground, which means that it really is impossible to have a cool shower after a hot day. But anyway, when I drew the shower curtain across I found I was sharing with this little frog! Such a cutie, and very clearly as surprised to see me as I was to see her (it must have been a she-frog in the girls showers, no?).

It is hard to permanently dampen my spirits on fly-home day. It is extremely lovely to be home now, and when I arrived I was greeted by so much bounty: for one, our flat seems like a spacious palace compared to the donger I stay in on site, and for another, Hayden has stocked up on all sorts of things I like to eat, plus many extra and extravagant birthday gifts.

Third, we have bounty in our tiny balcony garden: a fat green tomato, three lemons nearly the size of lemon-shaped golf balls, an enormous jalapeno chilli, basil enough to supply the world with pesto and a mysterious something growing keenly out of the compost pot. I have my suspicions about what it is, but I’m going to try to make sure before I tell.

4 comments:

eighty laps said...

Not to be too purvey, but that's where I'd go if I was a boy frog. Have a Happy Birthday!
Mikey

Anonymous said...

I would lose my mind if I had to share my shower with any type of lizard like thing.

Naomi said...

Thanks Mikey!

And Eileen? Not that you wouldn't be welcome, but maybe don't come to North Queensland if you're not keen on frogs, lizards, snakes, spiders, ants etc. They are pretty hard to avoid around here.

tunabake said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAOMI!!!
what a lovely surprise! all i have come across recently is a mouse in our house, now i know what i would prefer.
claire
xxx