Sunday was a beautiful day and we received an impromptu invitation from a friend to come over and enjoy the pool at their home. We do “dog sharing” with them so Dawson was included in the invitation.
We were all enjoying ourselves in the pool – humans and dogs - when Dawson decided to do the shaggy dog routine and took a quick lap around the pool shaking with great pleasure. And then The Walking Food Processor spotted an opportunity – an unattended table full of cheese and crackers. Faster than the sped of light he grabbed a HUGE chunk of untouched cheese and wolfed it ALL down in one fell swoop!
In the commotion to try and stop him (as if anyone would want the rest of the cheese after Dawson’s big chops were all over it!) John jumped out of the pool. However, being a closet exhibitionist, John’s bathing suit fell down and he flashed a FULL WHITE moon at everyone in the pool. All attention shifted from Dawson the Cheese Thief to John the Flasher.
After everyone calmed down Dawson showed his pleasure by licking his chops for a full 5 minutes while John stayed a brilliant shade of red. Meanwhile I was mortified that both the males in the family could be so embarrassing at the same time.
Between John and Dawson we have been banned from ever returning to any local pool.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A recent “DOROTHY” moment!
We have been here for 10 months now and we have basically got used to scandalous prices. It has got to the point that I don’t flinch or even notice what things cost anymore. Of course, a part of that is because I can’t see them unless I put my reading glasses on! A nasty side effect of aging… and vanity….
I have an inside connection for a Christmas turkey (don’t forget we’re in the southern hemisphere so roasting a turkey when its 40C (over 100F) is not a part of the tradition. A cold meal or barbie on the beach is more likely to happen.)
Last week my much anticipated 10 kg (22 pound) turkey arrived and I didn’t think anything when I paid for it.
A couple of days later I got thinking about it – $100 - ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a TURKEY!!!!! I must have been CRAZY! Was this turkey eating caviar and getting daily massages or what???!!!
Crikey! Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!
I have an inside connection for a Christmas turkey (don’t forget we’re in the southern hemisphere so roasting a turkey when its 40C (over 100F) is not a part of the tradition. A cold meal or barbie on the beach is more likely to happen.)
Last week my much anticipated 10 kg (22 pound) turkey arrived and I didn’t think anything when I paid for it.
A couple of days later I got thinking about it – $100 - ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a TURKEY!!!!! I must have been CRAZY! Was this turkey eating caviar and getting daily massages or what???!!!
Crikey! Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Fish Called Dawson!
Dawson was born a water dog. He can’t help it that he loves to get wet and swim (and come ashore and do that “wet dog” shake thing!)
When we first got here he loved going in the calm rivers and swimming. But the Indian Ocean was just a little too rough for him with waves crashing into shore. We’d throw his toy into the ocean and he’d get wet up to his belly but not go in over his head. Whenever the waves tumbled in he’d turn and run into shore, looking anxiously over his shoulder to make sure he stayed well ahead of them. With more practice he got smart and learned to wait and use the waves to bring his toys back to shore, still never getting into the water over his head.
But somehow all of a sudden he has decided to LOVE the Ocean. (Must have been when he was showing off for the girls! Amazing how that can motivate – even in the dog world!) When we park the car anywhere near the ocean he comes to life and starts vibrating. He can’t wait to get out of the car and run down to the sandy beach and water. He now plunges into the Ocean – waves or no waves. He has learned to swim out into the waves and keep his head high and his eye on his quarry as they sweep past him into shore. He can even use the waves to body surf back to shore!
He now aspires to membership on the Canadian Olympic Team – with a Maple Leaf swim cap proudly worn on his head and an aerodynamic lycra swimsuit for that added advantage. (He still needs to figure out how to incorporate his tail into the design.) He’s contemplating synchronized swimming lessons – he’s no fool - that’s where the chic’s are!
Not bad for a dog that will be 9 in January!
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/BackAtTheBeach#
When we first got here he loved going in the calm rivers and swimming. But the Indian Ocean was just a little too rough for him with waves crashing into shore. We’d throw his toy into the ocean and he’d get wet up to his belly but not go in over his head. Whenever the waves tumbled in he’d turn and run into shore, looking anxiously over his shoulder to make sure he stayed well ahead of them. With more practice he got smart and learned to wait and use the waves to bring his toys back to shore, still never getting into the water over his head.
But somehow all of a sudden he has decided to LOVE the Ocean. (Must have been when he was showing off for the girls! Amazing how that can motivate – even in the dog world!) When we park the car anywhere near the ocean he comes to life and starts vibrating. He can’t wait to get out of the car and run down to the sandy beach and water. He now plunges into the Ocean – waves or no waves. He has learned to swim out into the waves and keep his head high and his eye on his quarry as they sweep past him into shore. He can even use the waves to body surf back to shore!
He now aspires to membership on the Canadian Olympic Team – with a Maple Leaf swim cap proudly worn on his head and an aerodynamic lycra swimsuit for that added advantage. (He still needs to figure out how to incorporate his tail into the design.) He’s contemplating synchronized swimming lessons – he’s no fool - that’s where the chic’s are!
Not bad for a dog that will be 9 in January!
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/BackAtTheBeach#
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wineries in Australia
There are a lot of very good wineries in Australia. Or maybe it’s just that I have a penchant for finding them.
My sister Marie came from Toronto to holiday in Australia for 4 weeks. To an outsider it would appear that her objective was to eat and drink her way across the continent. I decided I should help her.
We took a 4 day weekend and drove about 6 hours to the south coast of Western Australia (WA) to the city of Albany and the town of Denmark. It is beautiful countryside with rolling hills, beautiful wildflowers in bloom (spring time) and a gorgeous rugged rocky coast with awesome blue water (where the Indian Ocean meets the Antarctic Ocean. Although on the maps down here they call it the Southern Ocean. Maybe I fell asleep during that class in grade school????)
Oh, and there are some awesome wineries along the way too. Most of them have Cellar Doors where you can test their wares – usually a selection of whites followed by a selection of reds, and sometimes even followed by dessert wines. What more could a person ask for? Well, perhaps a chauffeur would be a good plan, since they take their “Drink Driving” seriously with zero tolerance on a 0.05 limit.
Albany was the first port in Western Australia and became a significant whaling centre. In the late 1970’s it was at the height of its efficiency, “processing” over 1,500 whales per year. Then, due to public pressure the whaling station was abruptly closed – the employees heard about it on the evening news! They have now turned the former whaling station into a museum.
Back to the wineries…. The second weekend Marie was here we drove 3 hours south west to the Margaret River region where there are over 120 wineries. They too have Cellar Doors for tasting the products – just to make sure they are suitable for export around the world. Did I mention there is a chocolate factory? They too have samples…
Perth also has wineries right in our own back yard – just follow the Swan River east and there were more wineries where we took Marie.
After Marie left Perth she went to Adelaide and toured the Barossa Valley, then on to Melbourne where her balloon ride over vineyards was canceled due to inclement weather. Not to worry, when I met her in Sydney there is the Hunter Valley. But I have to say, at that point we were through with Cellar Door wine tasting.
I think it can be said that Marie achieved her objective of eating and drinking her way across the continent. She is now back home attending a detox clinic in Toronto.
My sister Marie came from Toronto to holiday in Australia for 4 weeks. To an outsider it would appear that her objective was to eat and drink her way across the continent. I decided I should help her.
We took a 4 day weekend and drove about 6 hours to the south coast of Western Australia (WA) to the city of Albany and the town of Denmark. It is beautiful countryside with rolling hills, beautiful wildflowers in bloom (spring time) and a gorgeous rugged rocky coast with awesome blue water (where the Indian Ocean meets the Antarctic Ocean. Although on the maps down here they call it the Southern Ocean. Maybe I fell asleep during that class in grade school????)
Oh, and there are some awesome wineries along the way too. Most of them have Cellar Doors where you can test their wares – usually a selection of whites followed by a selection of reds, and sometimes even followed by dessert wines. What more could a person ask for? Well, perhaps a chauffeur would be a good plan, since they take their “Drink Driving” seriously with zero tolerance on a 0.05 limit.
Albany was the first port in Western Australia and became a significant whaling centre. In the late 1970’s it was at the height of its efficiency, “processing” over 1,500 whales per year. Then, due to public pressure the whaling station was abruptly closed – the employees heard about it on the evening news! They have now turned the former whaling station into a museum.
Back to the wineries…. The second weekend Marie was here we drove 3 hours south west to the Margaret River region where there are over 120 wineries. They too have Cellar Doors for tasting the products – just to make sure they are suitable for export around the world. Did I mention there is a chocolate factory? They too have samples…
Perth also has wineries right in our own back yard – just follow the Swan River east and there were more wineries where we took Marie.
After Marie left Perth she went to Adelaide and toured the Barossa Valley, then on to Melbourne where her balloon ride over vineyards was canceled due to inclement weather. Not to worry, when I met her in Sydney there is the Hunter Valley. But I have to say, at that point we were through with Cellar Door wine tasting.
I think it can be said that Marie achieved her objective of eating and drinking her way across the continent. She is now back home attending a detox clinic in Toronto.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Luxury Camping in the Australian Outback – The Kimberley’s, WA
I know there are those of you that refuse to believe there can be such a thing as “Luxury Camping” – but I can assure you, it is not an oxymoron.
The Kimberley’s are in the NW corner of Western Australia (WA). It is about as “Australian outback” as you can get.
We took a 12 day “adventure camping tour” starting in Broome and went through dry, desolate, remote countryside to get to Kununurra and the Bungle Bungles (a World Heritage Site). For the majority of the time there was no access to TV’s, news, or telephones, just pure isolation!
We stayed in wilderness camps on aboriginal lands most nights. The camps have permanent tents with raised wooden floors, we slept on cots and in most of the camps our tents even had solar heated running water with ensuite sinks, toilets and showers!!! Every night they served us appetizers by the campfire followed by main courses complete with wine AND dessert! That’s better than I eat at home! http://www.kimberleywilderness.com.au/content.asp?Document_ID=5367
A highlight for me was experiencing firsthand the vastness of this part of the country by driving. We could have flown from one highlight to another highlight, but we would have missed truly witnessing how big and isolated this part of the world is. We did spend a lot of time driving, but that’s because the Kimberley’s are HUGE.
Vast parts of the Kimberly’s are cattle country with land leased from the government. The land is dry with little vegetation and the Stations (ranches) are a minimum of a MILLION ACRES each! That sounds like a lot of land for one rancher, but they need that much land to have a viable operation.
We stayed one night at the Drysdale cattle station which is a million acres running 20,000 head of cattle. Because of the size of the station they didn’t see some of their cattle for 2 or 3 years, thus never branding, inoculating or castrating them. Often, the first time the cattle are ever exposed to humans is when they were mustered (rounded up) by HELICOPTER at $20K to rent the helicopter. It was fascinating to speak to the rancher’s daughter and learn more, including that in order to stay viable many of the stations have resorted to tourism for an additional cash-flow just to keep their heads above water.
We saw tons of crocodiles and were told that freshies (freshwater crocodiles) are harmless (having said that though, I certainly never tested the theory. And for that matter, nor did anyone in our group!) If you’re not sure whether you are looking at a freshie (safe) or saltwater (very dangerous) crocodile shine a flashlight into their eyes. If their eyes are red it’s a freshie, and if their eyes are yellow they’re saltwater and dangerous! Wait – I can’t remember - do I have that right???!!!! Was that the other way around????! YIKES!!!!
As we approached the town of Kununurra after 8 days in very arid bush, the dryness of the land was replaced with lush farmland. The Kununurra area is fed by the Ord River irrigation system. It was amazing to see what a difference the dam and irrigation makes to the countryside. Lack of water is a huge and frightening issue in Australia so needless to say, the future of Phase II of the project causes heated controversy here. There are those in favour of the project for the benefits to farming, but there are those not in favour because of the changes to the landscape and natural habitation.
Kununurra is a town of about 3,000 people. In comparison to the outback it seemed to be SO BIG and there were SO MANY people! Oddly enough, we all missed the isolation of the bush and were looking forward to getting back into a wilderness camp in the Bungle Bungles in 2 days.
While in Kununurra we had access to telephones, TV, news etc. We were rudely brought back to civilization to find out – after the fact - that Houston and Galveston had been ravaged by Hurricane Ike! The Wall Street crisis was also a headline on the international news. And then we learned that the helicopter ride we were booked to take in 2 days in the Bungle Bungles had crashed that day killing all 3 passengers and the pilot! It was like the world had gone to hell in a hand basket in 8 short days! Welcome back to civilization!
We then drove from Kununurra to the Bungle Bungles and we passed “near” the Argyle Diamond Mine. This is one of many mining operations in WA. It is also home to rare world famous pink diamonds, which are only found at the Argyle Diamond mine. Due to smart marketing and high profile purchases by Hollywood celebrities they are some of the most expensive diamonds in the world. John was not impressed that I now know about them!
The Bungle Bungles are amazing red beehive-like domes that pop up out of the earth. (Similar to Monument Valley and Moab in Utah.) Don’t worry, I have not studied geology and won’t bore you with pages of explanations of how they are formed. Just suffice it to say they are very cool. Check out the pictures on our web page. http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda
Incidentally, John takes MOST of the credit for the pictures on the web page. He has a fancy new camera and is taking some great photos. However, he complains that there are no photos of him. I tell him if he’d let me have the camera every now and then there might be a picture or two of him!
After the Bungle Bungles we left our tour mates and returned to the town of Broome on our own. And I do have to mention, we traveled with 18 others, and we were thrilled to be travelling with ALL Australians! We have learned new expressions from our travel mates. And I believe all of them are clean and will not embarrass us if we use them in mixed company.
We then stayed in Broome for 4 days of R&R. Broome was originally a pearling port where mostly Japanese and aboriginal divers collected oyster shells for mother of pear buttons and inlays. After WWII and the use of plastics for buttons Broome had to reinvent itself, and thus the cultured pear industry developed. The oyster species is the largest in the world and produces some of the largest and most coveted pearls in the world (as the Australian pearlers and pearling industry have informed me.) John has another jewelry issue now that I have discovered South Sea pearls!
All in all we had an awesome time in the NW Australian outback and camping has now risen to a whole new level of expectations! Not to mention a whole new level of expectations for jewelry!
The Kimberley’s are in the NW corner of Western Australia (WA). It is about as “Australian outback” as you can get.
We took a 12 day “adventure camping tour” starting in Broome and went through dry, desolate, remote countryside to get to Kununurra and the Bungle Bungles (a World Heritage Site). For the majority of the time there was no access to TV’s, news, or telephones, just pure isolation!
We stayed in wilderness camps on aboriginal lands most nights. The camps have permanent tents with raised wooden floors, we slept on cots and in most of the camps our tents even had solar heated running water with ensuite sinks, toilets and showers!!! Every night they served us appetizers by the campfire followed by main courses complete with wine AND dessert! That’s better than I eat at home! http://www.kimberleywilderness.com.au/content.asp?Document_ID=5367
A highlight for me was experiencing firsthand the vastness of this part of the country by driving. We could have flown from one highlight to another highlight, but we would have missed truly witnessing how big and isolated this part of the world is. We did spend a lot of time driving, but that’s because the Kimberley’s are HUGE.
Vast parts of the Kimberly’s are cattle country with land leased from the government. The land is dry with little vegetation and the Stations (ranches) are a minimum of a MILLION ACRES each! That sounds like a lot of land for one rancher, but they need that much land to have a viable operation.
We stayed one night at the Drysdale cattle station which is a million acres running 20,000 head of cattle. Because of the size of the station they didn’t see some of their cattle for 2 or 3 years, thus never branding, inoculating or castrating them. Often, the first time the cattle are ever exposed to humans is when they were mustered (rounded up) by HELICOPTER at $20K to rent the helicopter. It was fascinating to speak to the rancher’s daughter and learn more, including that in order to stay viable many of the stations have resorted to tourism for an additional cash-flow just to keep their heads above water.
We saw tons of crocodiles and were told that freshies (freshwater crocodiles) are harmless (having said that though, I certainly never tested the theory. And for that matter, nor did anyone in our group!) If you’re not sure whether you are looking at a freshie (safe) or saltwater (very dangerous) crocodile shine a flashlight into their eyes. If their eyes are red it’s a freshie, and if their eyes are yellow they’re saltwater and dangerous! Wait – I can’t remember - do I have that right???!!!! Was that the other way around????! YIKES!!!!
As we approached the town of Kununurra after 8 days in very arid bush, the dryness of the land was replaced with lush farmland. The Kununurra area is fed by the Ord River irrigation system. It was amazing to see what a difference the dam and irrigation makes to the countryside. Lack of water is a huge and frightening issue in Australia so needless to say, the future of Phase II of the project causes heated controversy here. There are those in favour of the project for the benefits to farming, but there are those not in favour because of the changes to the landscape and natural habitation.
Kununurra is a town of about 3,000 people. In comparison to the outback it seemed to be SO BIG and there were SO MANY people! Oddly enough, we all missed the isolation of the bush and were looking forward to getting back into a wilderness camp in the Bungle Bungles in 2 days.
While in Kununurra we had access to telephones, TV, news etc. We were rudely brought back to civilization to find out – after the fact - that Houston and Galveston had been ravaged by Hurricane Ike! The Wall Street crisis was also a headline on the international news. And then we learned that the helicopter ride we were booked to take in 2 days in the Bungle Bungles had crashed that day killing all 3 passengers and the pilot! It was like the world had gone to hell in a hand basket in 8 short days! Welcome back to civilization!
We then drove from Kununurra to the Bungle Bungles and we passed “near” the Argyle Diamond Mine. This is one of many mining operations in WA. It is also home to rare world famous pink diamonds, which are only found at the Argyle Diamond mine. Due to smart marketing and high profile purchases by Hollywood celebrities they are some of the most expensive diamonds in the world. John was not impressed that I now know about them!
The Bungle Bungles are amazing red beehive-like domes that pop up out of the earth. (Similar to Monument Valley and Moab in Utah.) Don’t worry, I have not studied geology and won’t bore you with pages of explanations of how they are formed. Just suffice it to say they are very cool. Check out the pictures on our web page. http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda
Incidentally, John takes MOST of the credit for the pictures on the web page. He has a fancy new camera and is taking some great photos. However, he complains that there are no photos of him. I tell him if he’d let me have the camera every now and then there might be a picture or two of him!
After the Bungle Bungles we left our tour mates and returned to the town of Broome on our own. And I do have to mention, we traveled with 18 others, and we were thrilled to be travelling with ALL Australians! We have learned new expressions from our travel mates. And I believe all of them are clean and will not embarrass us if we use them in mixed company.
We then stayed in Broome for 4 days of R&R. Broome was originally a pearling port where mostly Japanese and aboriginal divers collected oyster shells for mother of pear buttons and inlays. After WWII and the use of plastics for buttons Broome had to reinvent itself, and thus the cultured pear industry developed. The oyster species is the largest in the world and produces some of the largest and most coveted pearls in the world (as the Australian pearlers and pearling industry have informed me.) John has another jewelry issue now that I have discovered South Sea pearls!
All in all we had an awesome time in the NW Australian outback and camping has now risen to a whole new level of expectations! Not to mention a whole new level of expectations for jewelry!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere
In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are opposite and the winter solstice is June 21st. Growing up with cold winters that test our fortitude and make us Canadians hardy souls, I believe that if you can survive winter the rest of the year is clear sailing.
So far, winter in Perth has been FANTASTIC! From our bedroom window we can see the sun rise in the east. At the winter solstice the sky turned pink at about 6:40am. In the afternoon I took Dawson for a walk in Wireless Hill Park behind our house and watched the sun set over the Swan River about 5:20pm. Not bad for the shortest day of the year.
Right now the day temperatures can go up to 20C (about 68F) and the night temperatures can go down to a low of 8C (45F). Definitely not like the winters were when I grew up. I remember walking on snow that crunched with each step and when I spoke the air turned white. In Perth right now there are flowers still in bloom, including Poinsettia trees with their distinctive bright red flowers.
But I think that this lack of cold air has made my Canadian blood go thin - last night it went down to 3C (35F) and when John said he would take Dawson for his evening stroll - I succumbed and stayed inside because I didn’t want to get “rugged up” to go out in the “cold”.
So as I sit here smugly surviving a winter in Perth, with great pleasure, there is a nagging thought at the back of my mind…… I have to remind myself that if the locals consider this to be winter – WHAT will SUMMER be like??? Perhaps I will not be quite so smug in December and January….
So far, winter in Perth has been FANTASTIC! From our bedroom window we can see the sun rise in the east. At the winter solstice the sky turned pink at about 6:40am. In the afternoon I took Dawson for a walk in Wireless Hill Park behind our house and watched the sun set over the Swan River about 5:20pm. Not bad for the shortest day of the year.
Right now the day temperatures can go up to 20C (about 68F) and the night temperatures can go down to a low of 8C (45F). Definitely not like the winters were when I grew up. I remember walking on snow that crunched with each step and when I spoke the air turned white. In Perth right now there are flowers still in bloom, including Poinsettia trees with their distinctive bright red flowers.
But I think that this lack of cold air has made my Canadian blood go thin - last night it went down to 3C (35F) and when John said he would take Dawson for his evening stroll - I succumbed and stayed inside because I didn’t want to get “rugged up” to go out in the “cold”.
So as I sit here smugly surviving a winter in Perth, with great pleasure, there is a nagging thought at the back of my mind…… I have to remind myself that if the locals consider this to be winter – WHAT will SUMMER be like??? Perhaps I will not be quite so smug in December and January….
Thursday, June 19, 2008
WE HAVE FURNITURE!!!!
After taking the scenic route – three weeks in the Bahamas, a trip accross the Atlantic for a week in Germany, then off to France for 5 days followed by two months to Perth, our furniture finally arrived on June 9th. We certainly were not prepared for it to take over 4 months, and are thrilled to finally have winter clothes!!!
I guess since all of our belongings are here, that must mean we are residents and now live here. YIKES!!!! I now have all my kitchen supplies (paltry as they may be…) so I guess I have no more excuses about cooking! YIKES!
Dawson is up to his old tricks again – last month we dog sat a friend’s dog for 9 days and on the first morning Dawson got into her ENTIRE supply of food and ate it ALL!!! We now have a huge plastic tub for his food with a snap-on lid (which I have difficulty getting off!). Last week I could hear banging in the laundry room and came down to find he had somehow popped off the lid and was starting to chow down! He has also managed to get into his friends plastic container with a SCREW top lid. I think with the proper training and food motivation he could have had a promising career - perhaps in break and entry, taste tester, criminal tracking, drug busting, etc.
We have met friends that have an olive farm near Gin Gin, about an hour north of the city. It had already been harvested when we went but was still great to get out there and see the farm and country side. They have orange and lemon trees that I had a blast picking. I must have brought home well over 200 oranges and lemons, much to John’s chagrin. I gave away a ton and then made delicious orange juice and lemonade with friends (who says I have no talents in the kitchen?) http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MayVisitAnOliveFarmEricWickhamS
Perth’s winter is very different from the winters I grew up with. A cold morning is 8C (45F). The usually sunny days are mixed with rain. It’s interesting because you can see really dark clouds rolling in and then a torrential downpour for several minutes and then stop and then the sun comes out. Only to be followed later by ominous dark clouds that release a huge burst of water, to stop several minutes later. That is a bad day in a Perth winter.
The end of May we spent a 3 day weekend in Margaret River – 3 hours southwest of Perth. It is a favourite weekend vacation spot for people from Perth (Sand Groppers) and is a wine growing region with over 120 wineries. Some of the wineries are well established – Amberly, Lehman’s, Felix Vassar, etc. and some are new small ones, Mad Fish, Knee Deep, etc. It is really pretty with big trees, rolling hills and twisty winding roads. We managed to only sample the fairs from about 4 wineries, plus a brewery, cheese factory and then the best of all, a chocolate factory (that imports the chocolate from Belgium…. Go figure???!!!) There are beautiful beaches, phenomenal surfing and great caves there, which we purposely did not go to so that we will be sure to return again. Several pounds and bottles of wine later we had a great time. http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MayMargaretRiver
More later, Dawson has been far too quiet and I have to run and check the food supplies….
I guess since all of our belongings are here, that must mean we are residents and now live here. YIKES!!!! I now have all my kitchen supplies (paltry as they may be…) so I guess I have no more excuses about cooking! YIKES!
Dawson is up to his old tricks again – last month we dog sat a friend’s dog for 9 days and on the first morning Dawson got into her ENTIRE supply of food and ate it ALL!!! We now have a huge plastic tub for his food with a snap-on lid (which I have difficulty getting off!). Last week I could hear banging in the laundry room and came down to find he had somehow popped off the lid and was starting to chow down! He has also managed to get into his friends plastic container with a SCREW top lid. I think with the proper training and food motivation he could have had a promising career - perhaps in break and entry, taste tester, criminal tracking, drug busting, etc.
We have met friends that have an olive farm near Gin Gin, about an hour north of the city. It had already been harvested when we went but was still great to get out there and see the farm and country side. They have orange and lemon trees that I had a blast picking. I must have brought home well over 200 oranges and lemons, much to John’s chagrin. I gave away a ton and then made delicious orange juice and lemonade with friends (who says I have no talents in the kitchen?) http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MayVisitAnOliveFarmEricWickhamS
Perth’s winter is very different from the winters I grew up with. A cold morning is 8C (45F). The usually sunny days are mixed with rain. It’s interesting because you can see really dark clouds rolling in and then a torrential downpour for several minutes and then stop and then the sun comes out. Only to be followed later by ominous dark clouds that release a huge burst of water, to stop several minutes later. That is a bad day in a Perth winter.
The end of May we spent a 3 day weekend in Margaret River – 3 hours southwest of Perth. It is a favourite weekend vacation spot for people from Perth (Sand Groppers) and is a wine growing region with over 120 wineries. Some of the wineries are well established – Amberly, Lehman’s, Felix Vassar, etc. and some are new small ones, Mad Fish, Knee Deep, etc. It is really pretty with big trees, rolling hills and twisty winding roads. We managed to only sample the fairs from about 4 wineries, plus a brewery, cheese factory and then the best of all, a chocolate factory (that imports the chocolate from Belgium…. Go figure???!!!) There are beautiful beaches, phenomenal surfing and great caves there, which we purposely did not go to so that we will be sure to return again. Several pounds and bottles of wine later we had a great time. http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MayMargaretRiver
More later, Dawson has been far too quiet and I have to run and check the food supplies….
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
WE HAVE A HOME!!!
Hard to believe, but true! As of May 1st we FINALLY have a home.
It is one year old, all white walls and white tile flooring except the bedrooms. It has a huge open kitchen-living room-dining room area. The kitchen is very big and to-die-for. There are tons of cupboards and drawers for lots of cooking utensils, a 5 burner gas stove, a huge oven that can hold a North American sized turkey and a dishwasher. It has a fantastic outside dining area for the ever popular al-fresco dining. It really is a shame I can’t cook.
It is 1 ½ blocks from a big park – Wireless Hill Park – and I can walk through the park, cut across Canning Highway (“Highway” is a bit of a misnomer – it is really just a 4 lane divided road) and walk another block and I’m at a park on the Swan River. So all in all, it’s a about a 10 minute walk to the river.
It really is a landlord’s market – they would only let us sign a 12 month lease, and, in 6 months they can review the rent and increase it (to whatever they want. It’s a good thing we “signed a lease” to lock it in for 12 months…..) We can refuse to pay the increase but then we’d have to move out, and still be liable for the rent, at the increased rate, until new tenants were found, all of which would be at our expense. So basically, we don’t have a lot of options. We compare and contrast it to all the things and costs we bore in preparation as landlords in Houston…… (the highlight being John’s flash of brilliance to “relax over the weekend” by repainting the house… We won’t embarrass John by reminding him!)
Ironically, the owners are Australian but currently living in Toronto.
But why let the saga stop there? They finished packing our home in Houston January 30th and we had been told it should take 8 – 12 weeks for our shipment to arrive in our new home. Perfect timing… one would think….
Except, our furniture spent 3 weeks in the Bahamas, a week in Germany, a short trip to France and then on its merry way to Perth, Australia. (We are hoping we can collect travel miles.) ETA in Perth (Freemantle) is May 22nd. It will then have to clear Customs, Quarantine, etc. So I figure if we have it the begining of June we will be doing well. So the saga continues…..
Meanwhile, we are now in our 6th home and are house/dog sitting for friends that have returned to the States for 4 weeks. We believe we have won the lottery – once again! From the front of the house we can gaze over the sparkling pool and fragrant gardens and cast our eyes over the shimmering Canning River across the street. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it.
As our comrades in the northern hemisphere are heading into spring the southern hemisphere is heading into fall. The evenings are quite cool (about 8 C or high 40’s F) and the days are somewhat warmer (15C or about 60F) but only when in the sun. This is proving to be challenging since our wardrobes are limited to the clothing we packed in 2 suitcases the last week of January – another shipment issue that I will not comment on any further…..
My limited understanding is that to get heat in a home you have a furnace and you light a gas flame and blow air over it and the house heats up, and stays that way according to the thermostat. Growing up in Canada, I have no idea how air conditioners (AC – or as they call it in Perth – Air Con) work, but I assume it is reversed with air blowing over ice cubes to cool the house. Not being technically minded (obviously), the heating and cooling systems in Perth baffle me. There is no such thing as”central heating.” Rooms are heated individually with electric heaters, or these contraptions that hook into a propane nozzle in the room. And the cooling system is something about reverse cycling and swamp water.
I really think this is something that John, by popular demand, should explain. I have been trying to get him to do a blog entry, so perhaps you can request his blog input on the technicalities of heating and cooling in Perth. You can request by e-mailing: kealey.john@gmail.com Otherwise you will just have to know that it is getting cold INSIDE the house and it makes getting up in the dark mornings tough. For a visual tour of home building in Perth click on our pictorial web page at: http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008AprHousesInOz
Supplied courtesy of John.
Wish me luck not blowing up the house trying to keep it warm.
It is one year old, all white walls and white tile flooring except the bedrooms. It has a huge open kitchen-living room-dining room area. The kitchen is very big and to-die-for. There are tons of cupboards and drawers for lots of cooking utensils, a 5 burner gas stove, a huge oven that can hold a North American sized turkey and a dishwasher. It has a fantastic outside dining area for the ever popular al-fresco dining. It really is a shame I can’t cook.
It is 1 ½ blocks from a big park – Wireless Hill Park – and I can walk through the park, cut across Canning Highway (“Highway” is a bit of a misnomer – it is really just a 4 lane divided road) and walk another block and I’m at a park on the Swan River. So all in all, it’s a about a 10 minute walk to the river.
It really is a landlord’s market – they would only let us sign a 12 month lease, and, in 6 months they can review the rent and increase it (to whatever they want. It’s a good thing we “signed a lease” to lock it in for 12 months…..) We can refuse to pay the increase but then we’d have to move out, and still be liable for the rent, at the increased rate, until new tenants were found, all of which would be at our expense. So basically, we don’t have a lot of options. We compare and contrast it to all the things and costs we bore in preparation as landlords in Houston…… (the highlight being John’s flash of brilliance to “relax over the weekend” by repainting the house… We won’t embarrass John by reminding him!)
Ironically, the owners are Australian but currently living in Toronto.
But why let the saga stop there? They finished packing our home in Houston January 30th and we had been told it should take 8 – 12 weeks for our shipment to arrive in our new home. Perfect timing… one would think….
Except, our furniture spent 3 weeks in the Bahamas, a week in Germany, a short trip to France and then on its merry way to Perth, Australia. (We are hoping we can collect travel miles.) ETA in Perth (Freemantle) is May 22nd. It will then have to clear Customs, Quarantine, etc. So I figure if we have it the begining of June we will be doing well. So the saga continues…..
Meanwhile, we are now in our 6th home and are house/dog sitting for friends that have returned to the States for 4 weeks. We believe we have won the lottery – once again! From the front of the house we can gaze over the sparkling pool and fragrant gardens and cast our eyes over the shimmering Canning River across the street. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it.
As our comrades in the northern hemisphere are heading into spring the southern hemisphere is heading into fall. The evenings are quite cool (about 8 C or high 40’s F) and the days are somewhat warmer (15C or about 60F) but only when in the sun. This is proving to be challenging since our wardrobes are limited to the clothing we packed in 2 suitcases the last week of January – another shipment issue that I will not comment on any further…..
My limited understanding is that to get heat in a home you have a furnace and you light a gas flame and blow air over it and the house heats up, and stays that way according to the thermostat. Growing up in Canada, I have no idea how air conditioners (AC – or as they call it in Perth – Air Con) work, but I assume it is reversed with air blowing over ice cubes to cool the house. Not being technically minded (obviously), the heating and cooling systems in Perth baffle me. There is no such thing as”central heating.” Rooms are heated individually with electric heaters, or these contraptions that hook into a propane nozzle in the room. And the cooling system is something about reverse cycling and swamp water.
I really think this is something that John, by popular demand, should explain. I have been trying to get him to do a blog entry, so perhaps you can request his blog input on the technicalities of heating and cooling in Perth. You can request by e-mailing: kealey.john@gmail.com Otherwise you will just have to know that it is getting cold INSIDE the house and it makes getting up in the dark mornings tough. For a visual tour of home building in Perth click on our pictorial web page at: http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008AprHousesInOz
Supplied courtesy of John.
Wish me luck not blowing up the house trying to keep it warm.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Housing Update
I wish I could say we have a home – BUT – I can’t.
Despite the fact that it has become an all consuming quest and obsession for me to find a home, I am unable to find any success.
Over the last 12 months this city of 1.3million people has had an influx of over 45,000 people. The housing supply at all levels is taxed. Great position to be in as a landlord. But we are tenants – or I guess I should rephrase that – we WANT to be tenants.
Last month we did put an application on one home and 2 ½ weeks later we heard back. They are going through a divorce and can’t agree on anything – he said yes and she said no. But they did agree on something - to take it off the market!
So back to the drawing board. And the page remains blank.
I have been calling, e-mailing and visiting the offices of property managers and realtors. I must have contacted well over 80. I can’t even keep track anymore. Their eyes glaze over when I state my request. They have heard it so many times and have no inventory. And from the limited supply that is available I have been turned away from 4 homes because of Dawson.
I have even called realtors who have houses for sale to see if their clients would be interested in renting their home instead. And the answer has always been “NO”.
I have also called interior decorators – I figure if they are decorating a new house their clients must be leaving their old homes. The answers are still “NO”.
I have turned over a lot of stones – to find a big fat nothing.
To make matters worse, we have to be out of our third temporary housing Wednesday April 2nd. So I spent the last week switching gears from looking for permanent housing to look for another short term home. After at least 50 calls and e-mails I finally found a place in Freemantle.
Freemantle is on the Indian Ocean and was a sleepy/sleazy port town until they won the Americas Cup. They had 4 years to spruce it up for the World to see when they hosted the event. It is now a funky tourist Mecca with shops , markets and restaurants. We haven’t spent much time there and I’m not that familiar with it, so this will be a great opportunity to discover someplace new. And will give me another blog topic so I don’t have to whine about housing – or lack of.
Today is the first day of rain we have had since we’ve been here. Apparently Perth has on average 300 days of sunny weather a year. Put together the clear blue sky, incredible crystal blue water and fine light sand and it is a beautiful picture. Dawson is having the time of his life swimming so frequently.
Easter weekend we did a day trip south down the coast and it is awesome for miles. It is like living in a vacation resort.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/20080321MandurahWA
We are finding some great Indian and Thai food restaurants. Once you get over the initial sticker shock (Dorothy!) it’s not too bad. And as everyone is quick to point out, “You don’t have to tip. The price includes the tip.” (Dorothy is not fooled and still thinks it is expensive.)
Actually, despite the challenges we’re encountering we haven’t brought up the name “Dorothy” in ages. So I guess that means we are adjusting. Which is good.
We still think we have won the lottery. We just wish it had included a home.
Despite the fact that it has become an all consuming quest and obsession for me to find a home, I am unable to find any success.
Over the last 12 months this city of 1.3million people has had an influx of over 45,000 people. The housing supply at all levels is taxed. Great position to be in as a landlord. But we are tenants – or I guess I should rephrase that – we WANT to be tenants.
Last month we did put an application on one home and 2 ½ weeks later we heard back. They are going through a divorce and can’t agree on anything – he said yes and she said no. But they did agree on something - to take it off the market!
So back to the drawing board. And the page remains blank.
I have been calling, e-mailing and visiting the offices of property managers and realtors. I must have contacted well over 80. I can’t even keep track anymore. Their eyes glaze over when I state my request. They have heard it so many times and have no inventory. And from the limited supply that is available I have been turned away from 4 homes because of Dawson.
I have even called realtors who have houses for sale to see if their clients would be interested in renting their home instead. And the answer has always been “NO”.
I have also called interior decorators – I figure if they are decorating a new house their clients must be leaving their old homes. The answers are still “NO”.
I have turned over a lot of stones – to find a big fat nothing.
To make matters worse, we have to be out of our third temporary housing Wednesday April 2nd. So I spent the last week switching gears from looking for permanent housing to look for another short term home. After at least 50 calls and e-mails I finally found a place in Freemantle.
Freemantle is on the Indian Ocean and was a sleepy/sleazy port town until they won the Americas Cup. They had 4 years to spruce it up for the World to see when they hosted the event. It is now a funky tourist Mecca with shops , markets and restaurants. We haven’t spent much time there and I’m not that familiar with it, so this will be a great opportunity to discover someplace new. And will give me another blog topic so I don’t have to whine about housing – or lack of.
Today is the first day of rain we have had since we’ve been here. Apparently Perth has on average 300 days of sunny weather a year. Put together the clear blue sky, incredible crystal blue water and fine light sand and it is a beautiful picture. Dawson is having the time of his life swimming so frequently.
Easter weekend we did a day trip south down the coast and it is awesome for miles. It is like living in a vacation resort.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/20080321MandurahWA
We are finding some great Indian and Thai food restaurants. Once you get over the initial sticker shock (Dorothy!) it’s not too bad. And as everyone is quick to point out, “You don’t have to tip. The price includes the tip.” (Dorothy is not fooled and still thinks it is expensive.)
Actually, despite the challenges we’re encountering we haven’t brought up the name “Dorothy” in ages. So I guess that means we are adjusting. Which is good.
We still think we have won the lottery. We just wish it had included a home.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Names in Perth
There sure are a lot of interesting names in Perth.
For example, a sampling of street names is Inthanoona, Gidegannup, Coomoora, Ullapool, Karawara, Yalambee and Wandarra.
Then there is the Kwinana Highway which leads south to Jandakot, Banjup, Coogee, Yangebup, Coolbellup. Or you can go north to Marangaroo, Wanneroo, Joondalup, Carramar or Mariginiup. Or take a ferry ride over to Rottsnest Island.
I’m used to names like: Smyth Road, Alta Vista Drive, Bank St., Wellington St., 8th Ave., McLeod Trail, Memorial Drive, Kensington Ave, Heights Blvd. and Washington Ave.
Originally I thought the biggest challenge to driving in Perth was to negotiate the left hand side of the road and going through numerous Roundabouts in a clockwise direction. Now that it has basically been mastered, it’s figuring out the names of the streets I’m looking for. (Kinda like chewing gum, walking and talking at the same time.) It will come.
Housing update: there is none. The clock ticks. We just moved to our 3rd (yes THIRD) temporary accommodation in 5 (yes FIVE) weeks. We still do not have a permanent home and there is nothing on the horizon.
We have been turned down at three homes because of our dearly beloved Dawson. There is very little on the market, and what is available I feel like Goldilocks – either too small or too big or…. On a GOOD day one new listing comes up. We did put an application on a home 2 weeks ago. Between the weekend, then a stat holiday (Labour Day), then vacations, then business trips, then sick days, etc. (none of ours) we have not heard back! Don’t get me going!!! “No Worries”.
Other than that, we are all doing great. Little Dawson is up to his old tricks…… he managed to get into the cupboard and opened up a new bag of dog food and helped himself to about 4 days of food. So he will be on a diet again.
Speaking of dog food, a 50 pound bag in Houston costs us about $35. Here in Perth a 30 pound bag was $110 (YES, you read that right, $110)!!! DOROTHY!!! We just burst out laughing when they told us the price. And then we sobered up pretty quickly as we handed over the credit card. So little Dawson just stole about $20 worth of dog food. He’ll be on a diet the rest of the week!
Another update: the Honda CRV is far exceeding our expectations. It is smooth, quiet and handles fantastic in the tight parking spots. We love it. Four thumbs up! (Dawson’s paws don’t count.)
John has been strangely silent on this blog, so I have tasked him with making a journal entry so people won’t have just my skewed perspective. Stay tuned for his entry…
Hopefully soon we will be telling you that we have found a new home on one of the streets with an interesting name. At this point though, I would be happy to tell you we have found a home on ANY street with ANY name.
For example, a sampling of street names is Inthanoona, Gidegannup, Coomoora, Ullapool, Karawara, Yalambee and Wandarra.
Then there is the Kwinana Highway which leads south to Jandakot, Banjup, Coogee, Yangebup, Coolbellup. Or you can go north to Marangaroo, Wanneroo, Joondalup, Carramar or Mariginiup. Or take a ferry ride over to Rottsnest Island.
I’m used to names like: Smyth Road, Alta Vista Drive, Bank St., Wellington St., 8th Ave., McLeod Trail, Memorial Drive, Kensington Ave, Heights Blvd. and Washington Ave.
Originally I thought the biggest challenge to driving in Perth was to negotiate the left hand side of the road and going through numerous Roundabouts in a clockwise direction. Now that it has basically been mastered, it’s figuring out the names of the streets I’m looking for. (Kinda like chewing gum, walking and talking at the same time.) It will come.
Housing update: there is none. The clock ticks. We just moved to our 3rd (yes THIRD) temporary accommodation in 5 (yes FIVE) weeks. We still do not have a permanent home and there is nothing on the horizon.
We have been turned down at three homes because of our dearly beloved Dawson. There is very little on the market, and what is available I feel like Goldilocks – either too small or too big or…. On a GOOD day one new listing comes up. We did put an application on a home 2 weeks ago. Between the weekend, then a stat holiday (Labour Day), then vacations, then business trips, then sick days, etc. (none of ours) we have not heard back! Don’t get me going!!! “No Worries”.
Other than that, we are all doing great. Little Dawson is up to his old tricks…… he managed to get into the cupboard and opened up a new bag of dog food and helped himself to about 4 days of food. So he will be on a diet again.
Speaking of dog food, a 50 pound bag in Houston costs us about $35. Here in Perth a 30 pound bag was $110 (YES, you read that right, $110)!!! DOROTHY!!! We just burst out laughing when they told us the price. And then we sobered up pretty quickly as we handed over the credit card. So little Dawson just stole about $20 worth of dog food. He’ll be on a diet the rest of the week!
Another update: the Honda CRV is far exceeding our expectations. It is smooth, quiet and handles fantastic in the tight parking spots. We love it. Four thumbs up! (Dawson’s paws don’t count.)
John has been strangely silent on this blog, so I have tasked him with making a journal entry so people won’t have just my skewed perspective. Stay tuned for his entry…
Hopefully soon we will be telling you that we have found a new home on one of the streets with an interesting name. At this point though, I would be happy to tell you we have found a home on ANY street with ANY name.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Banner Weekend - Dawson Escapes Quarantine
We just had a Banner Weekend. We picked up our new car and Dawson sprung The Big House!
Sunday we picked up the little guy at exactly 8:00am. I am not sure who was more excited – Dawson or John. He squiggled, squirmed, ran in circles and made funny noises – and that was John!
For 24 hours before we picked him up John just grinned from ear to ear at the mere mention of the word “Dawson”.
Needless to say, there were no tears when we left quarantine. First thing was to go to the Ocean and we took Dawson to the dog beach at Mosman Park. It was amazing – tons of dogs just frolicking on the Indian Ocean, sandy beach, breaking waves, chasing balls and pretty much all having the time of their lives. Not one dog was aggressive or obnoxious; they were just all so busy having fun.
We took him home for a break and then like kids in a candy shop we went to the Swan River for another walk. He swam, chased his Frisbee and had so much fun. I think we totally exhausted the little guy after having such a sedentary life in quarantine for 30 days. (John noticed that his normally rough paws had become soft.)
Despite the Banner Weekend, still no movement on the house front. We move from a 2 bedroom unit to a 1 bedroom unit on Tuesday March 11th. At this point we are happy to have any unit.
It was a long weekend, “Labour Day”, so Monday was a holiday and Dawson got 2 straight days of fussing, walks and swimming. I am sure he is probably stiff and sore and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s thinking the sedentary lifestyle in quarantine was not so bad after all.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MarDawsonGetsOutOfQuaratine
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebNewCRV
Sunday we picked up the little guy at exactly 8:00am. I am not sure who was more excited – Dawson or John. He squiggled, squirmed, ran in circles and made funny noises – and that was John!
For 24 hours before we picked him up John just grinned from ear to ear at the mere mention of the word “Dawson”.
Needless to say, there were no tears when we left quarantine. First thing was to go to the Ocean and we took Dawson to the dog beach at Mosman Park. It was amazing – tons of dogs just frolicking on the Indian Ocean, sandy beach, breaking waves, chasing balls and pretty much all having the time of their lives. Not one dog was aggressive or obnoxious; they were just all so busy having fun.
We took him home for a break and then like kids in a candy shop we went to the Swan River for another walk. He swam, chased his Frisbee and had so much fun. I think we totally exhausted the little guy after having such a sedentary life in quarantine for 30 days. (John noticed that his normally rough paws had become soft.)
Despite the Banner Weekend, still no movement on the house front. We move from a 2 bedroom unit to a 1 bedroom unit on Tuesday March 11th. At this point we are happy to have any unit.
It was a long weekend, “Labour Day”, so Monday was a holiday and Dawson got 2 straight days of fussing, walks and swimming. I am sure he is probably stiff and sore and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s thinking the sedentary lifestyle in quarantine was not so bad after all.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008MarDawsonGetsOutOfQuaratine
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebNewCRV
Sunday, February 24, 2008
SUCCESS!
Yes, we have had success! We are now the proud new owners of a silver Honda CRV! We figure it will be a great vehicle when company comes to visit – passengers, luggage and dog. We should have delivery of it the end of February. NOTE TO SELF: One of the major items stroked off our list.
Dawson gets out of quarantine Sunday March 2nd. Seven more sleeps! For those of you that think it has “gone by quickly”, Dawson may have a different opinion. Having said that though, Dawson has been doing awesome. He knows the routine and never complains or sulks neither when I get there nor when I leave. He seems to have adjusted to the routine and is content and happy. NOTE TO SELF: Sometimes I think that I could learn a lot of lessons from my dog.
Still no movement on the home front. I decided that maybe I was too picky. So I scoured the internet and widened my swath and Saturday we hit the road again in search of neighbourhoods and housing. It was a Good News/Bad News story. The Good News is that I was right and not being picky, and the Bad News is that I was right and not being picky. Bottom line is there is not much of a supply. And even if we said “just spend more money” it would still not get us anywhere. I am now getting desperate and starting to call houses that are for sale, hoping that they are desperate and will rent to nomads and homeless gypsies. Still not getting me anywhere. The clock ticks and I must find something before March 11th.
Weather is fantastic right now. Being south of the equator summer is ending. Temperatures are high 20’s C (around 80F) to low 30’s C (high 80’sF). It is not humid and the evenings can be cool. We have been to 2 outdoor movie theatres in Parks (WOW – what a concept!) and it does get cool when the sun goes down. (To my fellow countrymen suffering through a brutal winter with heaps of snow, one of the worst in the last 100 years, I do apologize for mentioning the wonderful weather we’re experiencing. In your summer and Perth’s winter it will be your turn to gloat.)
If anyone knows of an empty house in Perth – let me know….
Dawson gets out of quarantine Sunday March 2nd. Seven more sleeps! For those of you that think it has “gone by quickly”, Dawson may have a different opinion. Having said that though, Dawson has been doing awesome. He knows the routine and never complains or sulks neither when I get there nor when I leave. He seems to have adjusted to the routine and is content and happy. NOTE TO SELF: Sometimes I think that I could learn a lot of lessons from my dog.
Still no movement on the home front. I decided that maybe I was too picky. So I scoured the internet and widened my swath and Saturday we hit the road again in search of neighbourhoods and housing. It was a Good News/Bad News story. The Good News is that I was right and not being picky, and the Bad News is that I was right and not being picky. Bottom line is there is not much of a supply. And even if we said “just spend more money” it would still not get us anywhere. I am now getting desperate and starting to call houses that are for sale, hoping that they are desperate and will rent to nomads and homeless gypsies. Still not getting me anywhere. The clock ticks and I must find something before March 11th.
Weather is fantastic right now. Being south of the equator summer is ending. Temperatures are high 20’s C (around 80F) to low 30’s C (high 80’sF). It is not humid and the evenings can be cool. We have been to 2 outdoor movie theatres in Parks (WOW – what a concept!) and it does get cool when the sun goes down. (To my fellow countrymen suffering through a brutal winter with heaps of snow, one of the worst in the last 100 years, I do apologize for mentioning the wonderful weather we’re experiencing. In your summer and Perth’s winter it will be your turn to gloat.)
If anyone knows of an empty house in Perth – let me know….
Contact Details and e-mail address change
No, we still don't have a home.....
We've had some technical difficulties and found out our previous instructions to contact us on the cell phone don't work.
Soooooooooo............. here we go again:
Cell phone:
011 61 435 147 400
All the rest is the same:
John Kealey
Mustang Engineering Australia Pty
Level 11 - The Forrest Centre
221 St. George's Terrace
Perth, Western Australia, 6000
Australia
Direct: 011 61 (8) 9216 7762
Switchboard: 011 61 (8) 9481 7765
Time Difference example:
10:00 pm Perth time is:
Ottawa/Toronto: 9:00 am
Houston: 8:00 am
Calgary: 7:00 am
Best Times to call us in Perth:
Ottawa/Toronto time:
7:00am – 10:00am will be 8:00pm to 11:00pm Perth time
7:00pm – 11pm will be 8:00am to 12:00noon Perth time (next day)
Houston time:
6:00am – 9:00am will be 8:00pm to 11:00pm Perth time
6:00pm – 11:00pm will be 8:00am to 1:00 pm (next day)
Calgary time:
7:00am – 8:00am will be 10pm to 11:00pm Perth time
5:00pm – 11:00pm will be 8:00am to 2:00pm Perth time (next day)
And then all that changes with daylight savings time.
When in doubt check these sights:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html?p2=196
Also, we have a e-mail address changes:
frederick.linda@gmail.com
kealey.john@gmail.com
The SBC e-mail will work until the end of March, after that just the gmail accounts.
You can view our photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda
We've had some technical difficulties and found out our previous instructions to contact us on the cell phone don't work.
Soooooooooo............. here we go again:
Cell phone:
011 61 435 147 400
All the rest is the same:
John Kealey
Mustang Engineering Australia Pty
Level 11 - The Forrest Centre
221 St. George's Terrace
Perth, Western Australia, 6000
Australia
Direct: 011 61 (8) 9216 7762
Switchboard: 011 61 (8) 9481 7765
Time Difference example:
10:00 pm Perth time is:
Ottawa/Toronto: 9:00 am
Houston: 8:00 am
Calgary: 7:00 am
Best Times to call us in Perth:
Ottawa/Toronto time:
7:00am – 10:00am will be 8:00pm to 11:00pm Perth time
7:00pm – 11pm will be 8:00am to 12:00noon Perth time (next day)
Houston time:
6:00am – 9:00am will be 8:00pm to 11:00pm Perth time
6:00pm – 11:00pm will be 8:00am to 1:00 pm (next day)
Calgary time:
7:00am – 8:00am will be 10pm to 11:00pm Perth time
5:00pm – 11:00pm will be 8:00am to 2:00pm Perth time (next day)
And then all that changes with daylight savings time.
When in doubt check these sights:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html?p2=196
Also, we have a e-mail address changes:
frederick.linda@gmail.com
kealey.john@gmail.com
The SBC e-mail will work until the end of March, after that just the gmail accounts.
You can view our photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The City of Perth – A Newcomers Perspective
This is a gorgeous city!
It is full of parks of all sizes, lakes, 2 rivers (the Swan and the Canning) and the Indian Ocean. Water is clear blue with gorgeous sandy beaches. There are boats everywhere (well, primarily in the water.) There is so much nature and outdoor life to enjoy.
We have been here two weekends and on Sundays we have enjoyed breakfast on the Indian Ocean and Matilda Bay. There is outdoor dining “al fresco” everywhere. Views are spectacular.
Housing along the water is phenomenal. There are so many beautiful mansions with breathtaking views. There is no one style of architecture. The homes range from Mediterranean to Miami Vice modern to just gorgeous.
It is like living in a vacation paradise. We think we have won the lottery!!!!
REALITY CHECK
Okay, there are some downsides to life in Perth.
There is an economic boom going on right now – mining and oil and gas. This translates to “accommodation is impossible to find!” And we need a home. REALITY CHECK: The beautiful housing is not within our reach.
Our first 10 days here we stayed in a very very basic apartment hotel and are now in a very basic furnished 2 bedroom home for the next 3 weeks. REALITY CHECK: As of March 11th we will be homeless. And we have no prospects on the horizon. ANOTHER REALITY CHECK: This is not an enviable situation to be in.
Normally The Worry Queen would be frantic over our homeless situation. However, for some bizarre reason, I’m not. WOW! It is just such a novel concept to go through life without worrying! I should have tried this sooner! (Maybe I’m taking the Aussie expression “No Worries” to heart.)
However, if I am writing about our homeless situation from a beachside tent it will not be such a novelty looking out at the beautiful blue ocean. And if I am still writing about our lack of accommodation in June I will probably be writing from an institution of some sort. REALITY CHECK: I guess that would mean I am no longer homeless and Dawson would be visiting ME in the lock-up.
From our perspective, prices are extremely expensive. For instance, on my first grocery shopping trip I found: pink lady apples @ $10/kg ($5/lb), bananas @ $5/kg ($2.50/lb), box of cereal @ $10, cherries @ $30/kg ($15/lb), Caesar salad in the restaurant $25, 6 pack of beer $20 (the staple of all life), cell phone $0.35 connect fee plus $0.27 per ½ minute, gas at $1.79/litre ($6/gal)…. And the list goes on.
When we are shocked by prices, or unfamiliar things, or feel like complaining, we have a new expression – “Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!” There was a period of time where it was being muttered “occasionally”, which necessitated shortening it to “DOROTHY!”
In addition to being homeless we are also carless. We are looking to buy a Honda CRV, which will cost MORE than the TOTAL that we sold BOTH of our cars for. Once again “Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!” To add to the challenge, car dealerships are only open until 6pm, except for Wednesday until 9:00pm, Saturday until 1:00pm and closed all day Sunday. “DOROTHY!”
At this point we would have to say that people in Perth take their leisure time and leisure activities very seriously. As they should – sand and surf and outdoor living abound. However, that means car dealerships have limited operating hours, stores are not open evenings or Sundays…. Dorothy!!! Well, downtown (CBD – Central Business District) stores are open Friday night and suburban shops are open Thursday night. We have heard rumour that there are some stores open on Sundays. So far the majority of them have remained elusive to us. Although, Sundays we have found quite a few liquor stores are open. Dorothy….
Despite the whining, we have noticed that Dorothy has been much quieter lately, so this is a good thing.
Once we have a home and wheels y’all are invited down for a visit to check it out for yourself!
We do still believe we have won the lottery.
BTW - Dawson gets out of Quarantine Sunday March 2nd. I have finally abandoned thoughts of cutting a hole in the fence and making a run for it with him.
It is full of parks of all sizes, lakes, 2 rivers (the Swan and the Canning) and the Indian Ocean. Water is clear blue with gorgeous sandy beaches. There are boats everywhere (well, primarily in the water.) There is so much nature and outdoor life to enjoy.
We have been here two weekends and on Sundays we have enjoyed breakfast on the Indian Ocean and Matilda Bay. There is outdoor dining “al fresco” everywhere. Views are spectacular.
Housing along the water is phenomenal. There are so many beautiful mansions with breathtaking views. There is no one style of architecture. The homes range from Mediterranean to Miami Vice modern to just gorgeous.
It is like living in a vacation paradise. We think we have won the lottery!!!!
REALITY CHECK
Okay, there are some downsides to life in Perth.
There is an economic boom going on right now – mining and oil and gas. This translates to “accommodation is impossible to find!” And we need a home. REALITY CHECK: The beautiful housing is not within our reach.
Our first 10 days here we stayed in a very very basic apartment hotel and are now in a very basic furnished 2 bedroom home for the next 3 weeks. REALITY CHECK: As of March 11th we will be homeless. And we have no prospects on the horizon. ANOTHER REALITY CHECK: This is not an enviable situation to be in.
Normally The Worry Queen would be frantic over our homeless situation. However, for some bizarre reason, I’m not. WOW! It is just such a novel concept to go through life without worrying! I should have tried this sooner! (Maybe I’m taking the Aussie expression “No Worries” to heart.)
However, if I am writing about our homeless situation from a beachside tent it will not be such a novelty looking out at the beautiful blue ocean. And if I am still writing about our lack of accommodation in June I will probably be writing from an institution of some sort. REALITY CHECK: I guess that would mean I am no longer homeless and Dawson would be visiting ME in the lock-up.
From our perspective, prices are extremely expensive. For instance, on my first grocery shopping trip I found: pink lady apples @ $10/kg ($5/lb), bananas @ $5/kg ($2.50/lb), box of cereal @ $10, cherries @ $30/kg ($15/lb), Caesar salad in the restaurant $25, 6 pack of beer $20 (the staple of all life), cell phone $0.35 connect fee plus $0.27 per ½ minute, gas at $1.79/litre ($6/gal)…. And the list goes on.
When we are shocked by prices, or unfamiliar things, or feel like complaining, we have a new expression – “Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!” There was a period of time where it was being muttered “occasionally”, which necessitated shortening it to “DOROTHY!”
In addition to being homeless we are also carless. We are looking to buy a Honda CRV, which will cost MORE than the TOTAL that we sold BOTH of our cars for. Once again “Dorothy, you’re not in Houston anymore!” To add to the challenge, car dealerships are only open until 6pm, except for Wednesday until 9:00pm, Saturday until 1:00pm and closed all day Sunday. “DOROTHY!”
At this point we would have to say that people in Perth take their leisure time and leisure activities very seriously. As they should – sand and surf and outdoor living abound. However, that means car dealerships have limited operating hours, stores are not open evenings or Sundays…. Dorothy!!! Well, downtown (CBD – Central Business District) stores are open Friday night and suburban shops are open Thursday night. We have heard rumour that there are some stores open on Sundays. So far the majority of them have remained elusive to us. Although, Sundays we have found quite a few liquor stores are open. Dorothy….
Despite the whining, we have noticed that Dorothy has been much quieter lately, so this is a good thing.
Once we have a home and wheels y’all are invited down for a visit to check it out for yourself!
We do still believe we have won the lottery.
BTW - Dawson gets out of Quarantine Sunday March 2nd. I have finally abandoned thoughts of cutting a hole in the fence and making a run for it with him.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
DRIVING IN PERTH
I have always had problems with “left” and “right”. The way I could always remember which was which was by thinking about being in the car – “left” is the driver’s side and “right” is the passenger side.
It doesn’t work that way in Perth.
And to try to make it work that way doesn’t work either.
Adjusting to the steering wheel on the right side and driving in the left lane has not been as bad as I had anticipated. But don’t think that we haven’t had our share of challenges with it.
The first one is to open the car door and be shocked to see there is no steering wheel. (NOTE TO SELF: Do not panic. Thieves do not steal steering wheels and pedals. They are on the other side of the car.)
The next adjustment is that the turn signal is not on the left side of the steering wheel, but on the right side of the steering. We have found that when we try to signal (yes, one should use the signals when turning!) using the lever on the left side of the steering wheel, the windshield wipers mysteriously go on. (NOTE TO SELF: Do not panic and hit the lever again, it only makes them go faster. Use the lever on the right side of the steering wheel instead. Or, pretend you are in Houston and don’t bother signaling at all.)
I have discovered an additional new challenge to driving and it is called “parking”. Unless I want to circle the city endlessly I have to put the car somewhere. It’s not easy finding a spot, and even harder to put the car in the itsy bisty teeny weeny parking stalls. Often I am scared and have to close my eyes – usually only when John is driving.
Cars are generally smaller than our mammoth vehicles in North America. (They have to be to fit into the miniscule parking spots!) Lots of Hondas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Subarus, etc. There are also lots of very rugged outback vehicles with huge air intake pipe that goes up over the roof. They are called a snorkel and are for going through water in the outback. Or just to look cool.
We are renting a Toyota Camry – and it is now my opinion that they are HUGE cars. Especially when driving in the parking lots and parking garages. A Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit or Smart car is looking very appealing right now. Not too sure how happy Dawson would be strapped into the front left seat and not sure where John would fit – but at least I could park it.
Seriously, we’re looking at a Honda CRV. Prices are a LOT higher here than what we are used to, and very seriously, having sold our two cars will not even cover the cost of buying a Honda CRV! Don’t even go there! (Another blog topic to be covered later.)
Generally I would say the drivers are very courteous and patient. I have only been honked at once and no one has given me the finger. So this is a good thing. Basically I would say the people of Perth are relatively safe with me on the road (John is another story…..)
It doesn’t work that way in Perth.
And to try to make it work that way doesn’t work either.
Adjusting to the steering wheel on the right side and driving in the left lane has not been as bad as I had anticipated. But don’t think that we haven’t had our share of challenges with it.
The first one is to open the car door and be shocked to see there is no steering wheel. (NOTE TO SELF: Do not panic. Thieves do not steal steering wheels and pedals. They are on the other side of the car.)
The next adjustment is that the turn signal is not on the left side of the steering wheel, but on the right side of the steering. We have found that when we try to signal (yes, one should use the signals when turning!) using the lever on the left side of the steering wheel, the windshield wipers mysteriously go on. (NOTE TO SELF: Do not panic and hit the lever again, it only makes them go faster. Use the lever on the right side of the steering wheel instead. Or, pretend you are in Houston and don’t bother signaling at all.)
I have discovered an additional new challenge to driving and it is called “parking”. Unless I want to circle the city endlessly I have to put the car somewhere. It’s not easy finding a spot, and even harder to put the car in the itsy bisty teeny weeny parking stalls. Often I am scared and have to close my eyes – usually only when John is driving.
Cars are generally smaller than our mammoth vehicles in North America. (They have to be to fit into the miniscule parking spots!) Lots of Hondas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Subarus, etc. There are also lots of very rugged outback vehicles with huge air intake pipe that goes up over the roof. They are called a snorkel and are for going through water in the outback. Or just to look cool.
We are renting a Toyota Camry – and it is now my opinion that they are HUGE cars. Especially when driving in the parking lots and parking garages. A Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit or Smart car is looking very appealing right now. Not too sure how happy Dawson would be strapped into the front left seat and not sure where John would fit – but at least I could park it.
Seriously, we’re looking at a Honda CRV. Prices are a LOT higher here than what we are used to, and very seriously, having sold our two cars will not even cover the cost of buying a Honda CRV! Don’t even go there! (Another blog topic to be covered later.)
Generally I would say the drivers are very courteous and patient. I have only been honked at once and no one has given me the finger. So this is a good thing. Basically I would say the people of Perth are relatively safe with me on the road (John is another story…..)
Monday, February 11, 2008
UPDATE ON DAWSON
Dawson is doing FANTASTIC. He already has a fan club in Australia and is also getting special privileges in quarantine.
Dawson’s first quarantine chart entry was “friendly”. Now it says “very good dog.” (VISUAL IMAGE: big smug grin on my face that says “I am so proud of that little dog.”)
He won’t do his “business” in the kennel, so every morning he gets to go to one of the outside play areas for an extra hour. (VISUAL IMAGE: same as above only bigger and goofier..... )
Dawson is always thrilled to see me – running circles between my legs and squiggling all over the place. Same for me – well, that is – I’m thrilled to see him but I don’t squiggle and run between his legs.
Quarantine is almost an hour south of Perth in Byford. It is like a boarding kennel and really not as bad as it sounds. Visiting hours are between 11:30 – 12:30 because of the heat. They have 11 outside play areas. We spend the entire hour playing fetch, hide ‘n seek and training walk routines. (I think the other people think I’m nuts.) Last Thursday we saw a kangaroo on the other side of the fence!
It is quite interesting that they were very stringent on regulations for the dog to get into Australia and staying in for 30 days. However, it is very lax once in quarantine. There is a quasi check in process for visiting and all the kennel doors are open so anybody can go into any kennel. The outside play areas just have a barb wire fence between them. Which leads me to think: can I spring him out early? Will they notice? Will they know where to find us?
However, I am so lucky we are not coming from South Africa – they have to stay in quarantine for 7 months (yes, SEVEN MONTHS!) Surprisingly enough I have already met at least 3 from there.
I always leave my visit with a big grin on my face and feel so peaceful. Despite the long drive, it really is very pretty and forces me to get used to driving on the opposite side of the road. Speaking of which, that is going fairly well. However, I do hate to gloat about it because every time I do, well, we won’t go there…….
Bottom line, Dawson is happy, adapting well – and continues to expand his fan base.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebDawsonInQuarantine
Dawson’s first quarantine chart entry was “friendly”. Now it says “very good dog.” (VISUAL IMAGE: big smug grin on my face that says “I am so proud of that little dog.”)
He won’t do his “business” in the kennel, so every morning he gets to go to one of the outside play areas for an extra hour. (VISUAL IMAGE: same as above only bigger and goofier..... )
Dawson is always thrilled to see me – running circles between my legs and squiggling all over the place. Same for me – well, that is – I’m thrilled to see him but I don’t squiggle and run between his legs.
Quarantine is almost an hour south of Perth in Byford. It is like a boarding kennel and really not as bad as it sounds. Visiting hours are between 11:30 – 12:30 because of the heat. They have 11 outside play areas. We spend the entire hour playing fetch, hide ‘n seek and training walk routines. (I think the other people think I’m nuts.) Last Thursday we saw a kangaroo on the other side of the fence!
It is quite interesting that they were very stringent on regulations for the dog to get into Australia and staying in for 30 days. However, it is very lax once in quarantine. There is a quasi check in process for visiting and all the kennel doors are open so anybody can go into any kennel. The outside play areas just have a barb wire fence between them. Which leads me to think: can I spring him out early? Will they notice? Will they know where to find us?
However, I am so lucky we are not coming from South Africa – they have to stay in quarantine for 7 months (yes, SEVEN MONTHS!) Surprisingly enough I have already met at least 3 from there.
I always leave my visit with a big grin on my face and feel so peaceful. Despite the long drive, it really is very pretty and forces me to get used to driving on the opposite side of the road. Speaking of which, that is going fairly well. However, I do hate to gloat about it because every time I do, well, we won’t go there…….
Bottom line, Dawson is happy, adapting well – and continues to expand his fan base.
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebDawsonInQuarantine
Monday, February 4, 2008
Leaving at the Houston Airport
In the airport at Houston right now – YIKES! Not sure if it has really sunk it or it is just another “adventure vacation”.
Friday afternoon we decided to spot paint the walls - leave the house in good shape for the new tenants. Saturday, since we had time, John made the executive decision to “paint – it’s relaxing.” Bad decision. Once you do one wall you have to do the next, and the next, and the NEXT…… we painted 75% of the house… NOTE TO SELF: Never do that again. SECOND NOTE TO SELF: John is an idiot. Let him do it by himself!
It's a bit weird - I know we're moving, and I'm excited to move, but I really don't think it is reality. .... we're just going on vacation. I don't think I realize I am leaving North America for a while. The seasons are opposite, they drive on the opposite side of the road... they have accents!
I do miss little Dawson and feel sorry for him. Poor little guy is already in Australia after gruelling flights and layovers. It is HOT in Perth now and there is no air conditioning, so I am sure my little dog is hot and confused. I get to see him in 3 days (minus time change) and I know we will be happy to see each other. But, I will have to leave him behind for another 25 days or so. Visiting hours are Mon - Fri 1:30 to 3:30. Although, becasue of the heat I've heard it is changed to 11:30 to 12:30. Poor little guy.
First on my agenda is to find a place to live and get a car. I'm a bit apprehensive about our housing. We have nothing. Perth is BOOMING and rental houses are few and far between, expensive and go really fast since there are a ton of ex-pats all looking. We will have to move fast since when the good ones go on the market there are line-ups and 4 - 5 people with offers in hand - for more than the asking price. And that is just the rentals.
Well, we are both looking forward to our new adventure. Too bad John has to go to work.....
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebMovingToPerth
Friday afternoon we decided to spot paint the walls - leave the house in good shape for the new tenants. Saturday, since we had time, John made the executive decision to “paint – it’s relaxing.” Bad decision. Once you do one wall you have to do the next, and the next, and the NEXT…… we painted 75% of the house… NOTE TO SELF: Never do that again. SECOND NOTE TO SELF: John is an idiot. Let him do it by himself!
It's a bit weird - I know we're moving, and I'm excited to move, but I really don't think it is reality. .... we're just going on vacation. I don't think I realize I am leaving North America for a while. The seasons are opposite, they drive on the opposite side of the road... they have accents!
I do miss little Dawson and feel sorry for him. Poor little guy is already in Australia after gruelling flights and layovers. It is HOT in Perth now and there is no air conditioning, so I am sure my little dog is hot and confused. I get to see him in 3 days (minus time change) and I know we will be happy to see each other. But, I will have to leave him behind for another 25 days or so. Visiting hours are Mon - Fri 1:30 to 3:30. Although, becasue of the heat I've heard it is changed to 11:30 to 12:30. Poor little guy.
First on my agenda is to find a place to live and get a car. I'm a bit apprehensive about our housing. We have nothing. Perth is BOOMING and rental houses are few and far between, expensive and go really fast since there are a ton of ex-pats all looking. We will have to move fast since when the good ones go on the market there are line-ups and 4 - 5 people with offers in hand - for more than the asking price. And that is just the rentals.
Well, we are both looking forward to our new adventure. Too bad John has to go to work.....
http://picasaweb.google.com/frederick.linda/2008FebMovingToPerth
Monday, January 14, 2008
Getting ready to leave Houston
YIKES! It's getting closer. I think for the most part everything is under control, but every now and then something new comes up and then it's an "OHMYGAWD" situation.
The reality is hitting a lot more now, with friends saying things like "I'm going to miss you". That's tough. Two weeks ago i changed my mind and decided I didn't want to go anymore. It sounded kinda like this…. “I don’t want to move anymore. I don't want to leave friends. I don’t want to have to start over again in Perth. Two or 3 years is really long…. I only want to move for 6 months – Maximum one year.”…… Throw in a whine and pout for some extra emphasis….. John is ready to kill me….. But seriously, we are still really excited.
Dawson leaves Tuesday January 29th and arrives Thursday January 31st via LA and Auckland NZ He then has 30 days in quarantine. He is still oblivious and happy. I am thinking I’ll need to have chat with him soon…. He's getting quite used to his kennel and goes in by himself and has even progressed to lying down. He really is quite a sweet little dog.
We have movers coming to pack Tuesday January 28th and then our flight is Sunday February 3rd. So the clock is ticking very LOUDLY now....
The reality is hitting a lot more now, with friends saying things like "I'm going to miss you". That's tough. Two weeks ago i changed my mind and decided I didn't want to go anymore. It sounded kinda like this…. “I don’t want to move anymore. I don't want to leave friends. I don’t want to have to start over again in Perth. Two or 3 years is really long…. I only want to move for 6 months – Maximum one year.”…… Throw in a whine and pout for some extra emphasis….. John is ready to kill me….. But seriously, we are still really excited.
Dawson leaves Tuesday January 29th and arrives Thursday January 31st via LA and Auckland NZ He then has 30 days in quarantine. He is still oblivious and happy. I am thinking I’ll need to have chat with him soon…. He's getting quite used to his kennel and goes in by himself and has even progressed to lying down. He really is quite a sweet little dog.
We have movers coming to pack Tuesday January 28th and then our flight is Sunday February 3rd. So the clock is ticking very LOUDLY now....
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)