It was about the size of a mouse, so it must have been a cockroach

 

Just a quick blog, as we have family shifts going on and I need to get back.  First, some photos, Alhena swimming on a tortoise, charming us for a piece of watermelon, eating her watermelon while dripping formula all over herself and her bedding, laughing as she tries to stick her hand in a drain on a floor, and being adorable, a kookabura (my favorite Australian bird) on our laundry line out back.

A lot of swearing in parliament these days (elections in a month) - it's like Newt and Mitt with hilarious accents and fewer language controls in the media. Except they have normal names like Julia and Tony.

Weather is cooling a bit, with most days only hitting 100 degrees. Humidity comes and goes. Our mangoes are the most delicious thing ever, and I've been eating them like candy.

Favorite local finds this week: 

Lindt passionfruit dark chocolate

Pineapple and tahitian lime sorbet

Broken bus machines so everyone gets free rides.  All day.

McDonald's makes good flat whites

Backyard rabbits that are actually jackalopes

We took Alhena swimming at the local pool last week, as shown in the photo above. She LOVED it. We were worried it would be too cold, as it was 7:30 am and they don't hear their pools here (the sun is actually capable of heating the water). It was perfect though.  Afterward we went and got her her new favorite food - beef and mushroom pie. She's part Aussie after all.

One group of my in-laws lent us a car for a few days, which has a muffler problem so it's like riding on top of a train with no earplugs.  Kelvin and I always end up with headaches, but Alhena LOVES it, and sings along with the muffler sounds.  They eventually lull her to sleep.  It's quite effective.

Otherwise, things stay busy and full. I'm getting some work done on shelter policies, they're a great excuse for getting some time to sit out on the veranda and enjoy the outdoors. Mornings and evenings here are brilliant, except for the mozzies. I just wear my tried and true hoodies, and I'm like a mosquito-fighting ninja, without even moving.