So that'll teach us (in a good way I hope, you know, positive reinforcement ala operant conditioning and Skinner's rats) to actually DO Christmas . . . ie have a plan other than 'it's a day off'. And did we have a plan .. . . well sort of. And did the weather mess with it . . . well also sort of. Perhaps because it wasn't much of a plan, the weather didn't mess with it that much. But I digress. So, a bit of a photo story of the day from here:
So we started the day with a dawn clamber on the range. Alarm went off at 5am, but we didn't get out till 5.45 so had a bit of a 'quick, lets go before the killer 43 degree sun dessicates all memory of who we ever were' scramble up the steep bit to the top (yes, recipe for disaster that thankfully didn't get made)
This is Bean setting up the low chairs for our morning coffee with a view. Finally found a place that was flatish, with a viewish, and without too many MASSIVE black ants.
The views of home and roos, as always, were splendid
And as always the clamber down was more nervy than going up. Extra large spinifex and precious few handholds didn't help. No photo from me, but I also found loads of Arrethe (local bush herbal balm bush, Eremophelia Freelingi for those interested) which was fab, given the hunt I had to go on for it when out a few months ago on a research trip). They're currently in a pot in the kitchen, scenting the place (well before the turkey came in from the BBQ)
So, back home and some present unwrapping. As with our traditions (*) no spousal gifting occurred, but Mr Pix particularly enjoyed some elements of the opening of the lovely gifts from friend and family.
Yes, really, here it only looks like he's spitting in some kind of horrified frenzy. He really was enjoying the whole, tear, shred, chew, spit, repeat routine.
Until he found some new stuff.
And then decided the coloured stuff was better to rest on (more obviously subdued?)
Until he realised that plastic coated kitchen utensils are GREAT to relax on too:
When you're killing the cardboard insert from a calendar of course.
He also quite enjoyed our attempt to watch the WA trip blog on the big screen (more than we did, and I'm sure Bean will share the issues there, which led to us dumping Wordpress for Blogger as a blog home) . . . he got almost as much fun out of chasing the cursor as he does out of bouncy mouse, or squeeky mouse, or stripy mouse or the mouse catcher ipad app (over-indulged cat? no way .. . hm)
So . . . morning fun and games over, we put the turkey on the bbq and spent the time it took to cook transferring the blog from Wordpress to Blogger so we could watch it on the big screen. And then watched it on the ipad. Hm.
But THEN, after turkey came in to cool, we went out to warm up in the 41 degrees it was outside at 3pm) with the new pool toy that was, surprisingly, about the size it looked like on the box. We were not expecting that.
Nor were we expecting the storm (yes we did see the black clouds, but . . .)
So then the thunder, lightning, wind and rain happened, and the temperature PLUMMETED to a mere 33 degrees. SOooooo we went back in the pool, but with shoes on, because you do that when it's raining . .. . (?)
Of course, poor young Mr Pix didn't much appreciate the thunder, or being abandoned for the outside, so spent the afternoon under the bed, until coaxed out.
And yes, what you see is the mood he was in.
The afternoon ended with the 'can he really get that into the van'?
And yes. That's it. The answer. Yes.
A few final words now from our sponsor . . .
No not really. Though I didn't realise that Speedies also like the cooling rain as much as we do.
