The weatherman says crickey!!!

Hello all! I know it's been a really long time since I've last blogged! My problem is that I want to post pictures but can't overload the memory of the computer where I'm staying so instead of just blogging I've been putting it off until I go to an internet cafe. Since I have the internet at my fingertips all the time I never seem to find myself at a cafe... Problem! I'm a mess I know so now I will blog without pictures and I will just have to get over it.

Lets see... We last left off with the Tour Down Under. Of which now my poor Lance has a 4 month recovery after breaking his collar bone in Spain! So devastating for him and the cycling world. After our adventures in Adelaide we ventured down to Timboon which is not that far from the Great Ocean Road. A beautiful area! For a week we worked on a dairy milking 340+ cows. It was great! We so loved it. Crazy I know. The cows get on a rotary and you hook them up to the milking devices (I did this part) and as they travel around the circle they are milked until they get to the other side (where Danielle was) and take the devices off and they back out and walk to their freedom. Now the danger in all this is dodging and running away from the "droppings" and "yellow waterfalls" that continuously escape from the cows. It's a mine field out there I tell ya! We looked like mad scientists all decked out in our gumboots and rain slicker aprons. On an unfortunatly hot afternoon I didn't run fast enough and I was the victim of a urine drenching. It was awful! My head suddenly felt a warm sensation and ahhhhhh I ran over to the water hoses and soaked my head until I felt relativly clean enough to resume my duties. YUCK! hahahaha You some how get used to it all though every morning and evening we walked away with many brown specks covering our arms, necks, legs, clothing, faces and hair. What an experience! We got to know the cows there and really enjoyed working with them. I would have to say that it has been one of my favorite jobs. I can't explain why it was so fun but it just was. hahahaha I never thought I'd ever say that. :)

After our time there we headed back to the Tayler's and worked on their farm as well as neighboring farms doing gardening clean up and little odd jobs that no one really has the time to do but needs getting done. We were happy to do them and getting the extra pocket cash was just an added bonus.

The Tayler's were scheduled to go up to Yarrawonga for holidays and asked if we would stay and watch the farm, look after the animals and do some fencing for them while they were gone for the two weeks. So we did so and really got into the farm life here. They invited us up for the weekend in the middle of the two weeks to go out on the lake with them and get some rest and sun. So we headed up there and enjoyed the lake life. Unfortunatly it wasn't such a fun filled weekend. Although the water was fun and knee boarding and tubeing was a blast I suffered some material losses that broke my heart! On our first night there one of the Tayler's friends was teasing me warning me he would eventually throw me into the lake when I wasn't expecting it. So I of course kept my eye on him. But as luck would have it he did catch me unguarded and in the lake I went... not a horrible thing and laughs all around until we all realized I was no longer wearing my brand new Oakleys anymore! Yep that's right the lake swallowed my Oakleys. The even more crushing part is they were a gift and I take pride in looking after things given to me. So we all looked feverishly for them to no avail! So sad! To add salt to the wound an hour before we were to leave and head back to the farm we went on the tube for one more spin on the lake and we were holding on so tight Gaz thought he would speed up and try and dump us off and with extreme force we hit the water and there went my dual time, compass watch that Danielle gave me as a Christmas gift for our trip out here! I was sick to my stomach by the end of that weekend. I know it seems materialistic but when you carry everything you own in one bag and cherish gifts it really makes you sad to lose something. Before we left Couchy (the man who threw me in the lake) handed me some money to get some new Oakleys. I'm happy to say I'm a proud owner of the new Livestrong Oakleys. They are pretty hot if I say so myself! No more lakes though! :)

After our excitment at the Tayler's farm we moved on to South Australia to another farm to help them with a months worth of work and then after that we were to Apple pick for another month until my cousin Brian comes and we head off on another family adventure. But things didn't quite work out that way. They turned out to be a bit interesting and weren't planning on paying us for our work at the farm and treated us like we really were migrant workers. We only lasted 12 days before we high tailed it out of there! Oh well another experience for the books. We are once again at our favorite Aussie family. The Taylor's have become family. They are the warmest people you will ever meet and just have accepted us and welcomed us into their home and lives. We know their kids and grandkids and are included in family functions and birthdays. I just don't have enough words to express my gratitude and love for them. Most everyone we have encountered in Australia have been great and the Tayler's just take the cake when it comes to Australian hospitality. Now this doesn't take away from the other families and friends we have met along the way during our time here. I don't want to hurt any feelings. The Tayler's have just been a God Send.

We are supposed to start potato harvesting next week so I will let you know how that goes. For now we are babysitting the grandkids for the week so they can all get caught up on paperwork and family business stuff.

Love you all and sorry it's been so long.

Oh oh before I sign off! In the middle of all of this somewhere along the line I got a speeding ticket!!!! I guess I should be careful when I say I want a full Aussie experience! Yeesh! 114 km in a 100 km zone! Goosh! Oh the injustice of it all. Oh well such as life. You do the crime you gotta pay the fine! A$227!!!!!