Reaction Time

Today I had a study of my body's reaction time.

Today it didn't rain.  Actually to clarify, it didn't rain until about 2.30 and then it rained in that weird on off rain that it has been doing for the last few weeks.  Blinding sun and then tropical rain and then back to blinding sun for a few minutes.  It meant that I was able to get out and whack some weeds; lots of weeds.  There is an area just across the causeway, that is supposed to be maintained by the council.  If it gets too long you can't see around the corner and it is dangerous.  Our council has way too much on it's plate at the moment so it has been getting very long.  The grass had now got to the stage that it was chest high.  I went out (valiantly, I must say) to slay it.  

I quite like that kind of work.  It is hard work and you sweat buckets.  It needs enough brain power that it stops you from thinking about anything else and it achieves something very tangible.  Perfect work!  You can put the earphones in, crank up the ipod and sing as loudly as you want because no one is going to hear you over the noise of the whipper snipper.  

Now I have noticed that any time that I start yard work I get joined by the birds of the area.  If I am mowing, then I am joined by Butcher birds because they eat the smaller wildlife that are thrown up by the mower, mostly small (or bigger) spiders and little lizards and thing.  If I have the Weed Whacker then I am joined almost instantly by several Kookaburras that hang out for bigger stuff like (Stop reading now Brian!) big spiders, bigger lizards and toads.  So I am out there in the brush and suddenly this brown snake whirls around and makes a striking motion toward me.  Now I about went in my shorts, yelled and leapt backwards about a metre.  I was then further surprised when a kookaburra then landed beside the snake and went to grab it!  Right about the same moment, we both realized that the said snake was really only a stick that had made 'snake' movements when hit by the cord.  I laughed with relief.  The kookaburra actually looked embarrassed.  Now I was happier about being fooled when I knew that the poor bird had been fooled by the motion of the stick!  That said; had it been a snake, my leg guards and steel toe working boats would have been more than a match for any snake, but that is not something I want to spend any time trialing!

We now have another long weekend and then I go back to work.  I don't know what it's for.  Most people are calling it May Day but I am pretty sure there is some formal reason for a holiday but who knows!  We are staying in town and doing little things with friends.  Levi still wants to camp but until it stops raining, that is out of the question.  I am not going to risk being near the creek if it rains.

Last day of school

Today was Levi's last day of school or the term.  It has been a very long term and the kids continue to break down in the afternoon.  However we are done, at least for a little while.  Levi has the next week and a half off and I have a little longer. 

The school has an Easter bonnet parade for the younger grades just before they get out on holidays.  The kids spend about a week making their creative headgear and then they go up on stage and show the whole school.  It is a little crowded for the parents but the kids are so proud.  I mean, look at that face.  He was really happy to have me there. 

As I was going home and crossing the cemetery, I came across this little beauty.  Now I am always afraid of putting too much scary wildlife up on the blog because I am still hoping beyond all hope that someone from USA will actually visit me!  There is the common misconception that if someone visits from USA, they will be attacked by thousands of venomous creatures as soon as they step off the plane.  I can hardly comment at the moment.  In Townsville at the moment, they can't even play on the ovals at the schools as the grass is dangerous.  Well not quite the grass but the water that the grass is standing in.  It has some dangerous bacteria in it.  None of the teachers knew the name but none of the kids had played outside all term!  Then I walk out of school and find this beauty.

It really is beautiful, but you definitely show some respect.  I have trouble telling the snakes apart.  Likely it is an Eastern Brown just based on the statistics and numbers in the area.  After I looked it up on the net I was a lot more sure.  I gave him a really wide berth and went to work!

If you think that it sounds like I am talking about other things so I don't have to think about surgery tomorrow, you would be right.  Seems to be working too!

Snakes and Ladders

On Sunday we had a good day.  The causeway is still running over but it is really safe.  OK well, moderately safe.  The creek would still take out a non swimming child but not an adult and there were lots of adults watching them.  The water is very cold but I am known as a baby when it comes to swimming in cold water.  The kids, of course, didn't even notice.  I didn't notice either, after my feet went numb.  They all loved it and I enjoy watching 'city' kids do 'country' things. 

All the kids played on the cubby as well, climbing the ladders and the nets.  Levi remains very competent with his climbing.  While they were up the cubby, Jo found a snake in the front yard.  It was about 2 metres long and we are now sure it is an Eastern Brown.  They are really scary as Hell.  It was sighted several times that day but we haven't been able to kill it.  Since the weekend we haven't seen it again.  Actually I would prefer to get rid of it once and for all.  They are fiercely territorial and think that this one may have been chased out of his regular hunting ground by the rain, or washed down in the creek in the deluge.

Snakes and Ladders

It is Friday again and I think that we are both ready for it. It was a cold rainy night and it was not a night that I wanted Levi outside playing in the park. We went and played at that great indoor playplace, McDonalds. It was very loud tonight as I think every parent in a 10 mile radius had the same thought that I did. Levi packed it in early and is now tucked up in bed. His cough is starting to settle down. He has perfected the two finger nose pick technique and I'm hoping that as he gets better , he will forget that for the next cold, because it is gross.

When we got home, Jo had a carpet snake she had caught. It was in a bag because she was going to relocate it on the way out tonight. It is always fun to watch kids and snakes. There must be an inate response to snakes and Levi didn't disappoint. Carpet snakes are just beautiful close up esp reflected in the light of the camera.