September Random Highlights

 Caleb as 006 Agent Super Spy and Batman Jackson.

The boys have settled very nicely into their school and after school activites.  Come December it will be hard to leave their classmates and teachers. Last Friday they attended a Halloween Costume Dance (yes, 1 month earlier than the real date) at their primary school.  Australians don't really celebrate Halloween, so plenty of people asked us questions of what it is like in Canada and if it is like what they see on American TV.  Note:  We've never been to costume party as good as ones you see in the movies.  Caleb and Jackson also participated in a 6 week circus school after school program on Thursdays.  Jackson loved playing with the diablo and Caleb the hula hoop. They also juggled scarves, balanced plates and did acrobatics.

Harvey Senior High School Showcase.  A Friday night full of talent, games, home-made movies, and displays.  Above is the beat drumming class drumming to their own song - very good.  Most subject areas had static displays of what was happening in the classroom.  The evening also coincided with a talent show - singing, juggling, monologues, fashion show, solos, and bands.  Other highlights included a Minute to Win It game show type games, like balancing a chocolate biscuit on your forehead and seeing if you can get it to your mouth without the use of your hands.  One game Mr. Walker mastered in 27 seconds was balancing 6 dice on a popsicle stick while holding it in his mouth!

Something that Collin is very proud of... Lemon Meringue Pie!  Made from scratch with lemons picked from the school tree and eggs from our three chickens.  (Looks like somebody already had a sample:0)

Yarloop Steamworks.  Just up the road from Harvey is the small village of Yarloop.  There they have a heritage museum with about 15 buildings holding all sorts of saw mills, steam trains, engine rooms of days gone by.  Only once a month they hold a working steam day and get many types of boilers and steam engines up and running for demonstration.  We went with the Bonner family and they had never been, even though they lived in the area for many years - sometimes it takes an invite from an outsider to see what's in your own backyard! 

Open Day at the Rec Centre.                             WA State Police visit was a highlight.           Good boys ride in the front seat!       

Collin also played his first game of squash during the Rec Centre's Birthday celebrations - man oh man was he sore the next day.

         

Kangaroo stew, kangaroo kebabs, and damper bread for NAIDOC week cook up.  All dishes were delicious!  Sorry for the internet stock photos - Mr. Walker forgot his camera at home.  What is NAIDOC? NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.  Celebrations are held around Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week 2011 was held during July holidays so our school moved it to Week 9 of Term 3. There was also Nyoongar language classes and a hike on the Bibbulman Track for the aboriginal students attending Harvey SHS and their families. 

Wombats are usually nocturnal, but this one was up and eating a 'midnight lunch' of fresh grasses.  Good thing crocs only live way up at the Top End of Australia, because this one looks hungry. The Tasmanian devil is the largest marsupial carnivore alive today.

Another birthday party invite and another visit to the Perth Zoo.