Bargara - Update

Originally when we moved into our little apartment, we wanted to get a land line phone. However, after some consultation with the phone company, we found out that it was going to be over $200 so we opted to buy a cell phone. The upside is that if there are any emergencies, people can get ahold of us when we're traveling. The downside is that you can't really call long distance from a cell phone because the costs are prohibitive. Anyway, whenever Phil or I want to make a call, we mosey on down to the phone box which is just a few houses down (very convinient). Now, for those of you who have gotten a call from me, you know that I cannot often talk more than an hour because of the heat in the phonebox. For some reason, the people who installed the payphone decided that it would be a good idea to make it face the afternoon sun. So, if I call anytime after about 1:00 pm, the sun is shining right inside and there is no way to avoid the heat - there is only about a 3" strip of shade against the right side of the box, where I wedge myself. I took these pictures to document my incredible sweatiness after chatting for about an hour in 32 degree heat (and, yes, I know I look goofy).

Things in Bargara are good. Phil is enjoying work as much as possible and we're in the midst of planning our trip around Australia. We've been poking around the car lots trying to find a nice 4wd, but so far no luck. We've also been checking out camping stores, but there isn't a great selection of tents, or not tents that you would want to spend 7 months in at any rate. We're going to head up to Brisbane in a few weeks to see what they have around there and enjoy a nice weekend at the same time.

It has been incredibly windy lately. A week or so ago, you could look out the window and see a very calm sea with a few small waves breaking on the beach. This week has been incredible - the ocean is very tumultuous with huge rows of waves crashing onto shore. It looks great, and the breeze that accompanies them helps to cool the house down, but it means that we can't go swimming or diving. Anyway, I took a bunch of pictures a few days ago and while I know they don't look that incredible, they are in person.

I hope everybody is great and I wish you were all here with me, out of the cold (especially those in Calgary - -26 degrees?!?)