emma_in_dream

We took in record amounts at the Threatened Species party! I have made the donations to WWRF for pandas and Save the Bilbies, and will take the cash in to Perth Zoo for the frogs (hopefully tomorrow or next weekend).

Pandas - $32,15

Frogs - $80.20

Bilbies - $40.50

Thank you all very much.

Also, how nice was it to have so many guests!

So, $10 each for bilbies, rhinos and cheetahs - money made at our Threatened Species party.

Hmmmm, I have finally had my six months worth of solar power credited to my account.

It seems a bit odd that it is 10 KWh ($3.45) for a six month period? Can this possibly be right?

Would very much appreciate advice.

Although I have not received anything in writing, the electricity provider says that the solar panels on my roof are finally connected to the system.


I should find out when I get the next bill – so ask me later this year. Otherwise, I could forget and then the whole array will just sit on the roof achieving nothing.

I had a splendid time at the Royal Show, the best time for years. This was partly because of the weather. It was bleak, raining and extremely windy so there were many fewer people than usual. This was great because the things I dislike about the show are the heat and the crowds.


Also, there was a bus service provided within the show grounds which made it possible to travel across the grounds. Ruby always struggles with long-distance walking and this made it possible to go to the pavilions as well as the animal sections. We saw the rabbits (of course) and also watched the rabbit show jumping, including the cross country obstacle course (very good). We missed the pig diving but did catch the dog diving as well as going to the pat a piglet section. We also stopped by poultry and cats. And, is it just me or are the cat people a bit odd? Like the cat judging seemed to include the decoration of the cage as well as the health of the cat. But perhaps it is wrong to judge the cat owners when the pigs are diving and the rabbits are leaping over five rung fences.

[ETA - Also, I see the dog people ran a dog dancing competition so maybe the cat people are not so odd.]


Even better than the animal displays was the I LOVE DIRT pavilion which had magnifying glasses and microscopes so you could examine moss and dirt. The kids could have spent the entire morning there. When they were eventually pried away it was only to go to the display of soils where Ruby endeared herself to the guy in charge by being so very interested in soil improvement and the use of clay as a binding agent. I’d say this was nearly as much fun for her as the ride on the kangaroo up-and-down machine in the kiddy rides section.


All in all, two thumbs up for this year’s show.

Cheetah Conservation Fund - $17.75

Save the Bilby - $20.50

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund - $16.50

I continue to be ill, to the point where I can hardly imagine being well again.


The IT and HR systems are ‘up’ at work but definitely not with full functionality. I spent over an hour trying to complete the timesheet alone. The new seating arrangements make it almost impossible to talk to anyone else interested in policy but also make it impossible to avoid overhearing a host of other conversations.


Not a whisper of interest in my CV from any other agencies. Sigh.


All good news will most definitely be outside of work.


1, Pearl and Ruby start their taster karate lessons this week. $30 each for five lessons. I am hoping this might improve Pearl’s concentration and burn up some energy. I booked Ruby as well, but I have trouble imagining her having the stamina to really do the lessons.


2, OTOH, Ruby managed probably 500 metres on the weekend at a bush walk at Star Swamp before she had to stop. Pearl was impatient and I had to quietly point out how much harder it is for Ruby to walk with her ankles so bent over. Star Swamp – really quiet and full of birds and insects.


3, Pearl and I are now reading *The Silver Chair* which is one of my favourites, because I love Jill Pole who is so sensible and so sensitive.

Thank you to those who attended the kids' animal party. The following was raised:

* Cheetah - $10.90
* Panda - $11.55
* Gorilla - $16.20

And by far the most popular animal was our own, local Western Swamp Tortoise, the most endangered tortoise in the world:

* Western Swamp Tortoise - $34.85.

You can see some baby Western Swamp Tortoises hatching at the Perth Zoo website: http://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/conservation/native-species-breeding-programs/western-swamp-tortoise/

Ruby and Pearl settled down the other day with a DVD which I thought would be about cute penguins. Unfortunately, it was more along these lines: See the cute penguins, see how sweet they are, all the penguins are going to die because of global warming, the dear little penguins are being killed right now!


Cue hysteria and me turning the DVD off after about two minutes.


Advice on informing them about global warming without making them (with justification) hysterical and depressed?


My tack was the weather is getting warmer because of global warming, but this is something we can do something about. This is why we turn the lights off and don’t make unnecessary trips in the car.