Homestay weekend and other stuff

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I realized that I never wrote about homestay weekends, which were two weekends ago after classes ended and before field research started. So I thought I'd do that now!

I stayed wiith a really great family. Single mom Jodie Eden and her 8yr old daughter Ruby. Jodie's boyfriend John was also around a lot. They were all really really great. Jodie and Ruby live in Atherton in a cute little house, one story, nice and open floor plan, great veranda. Ruby was awesome. She talked a LOT and was just really cute. We hung out basically the entire weekend. We played on her trampoline (i forgot how much i love those. hehe) and in her "cubby" as they call it (like a club house). It was nice to just relax wiith a family. Eat breakfest on the veranda, just talking about a bunch of different things. Friday night we had dinner at Jodie's grandmothers house! that was very cool. And jodie made this awesome chinese soup and some other delicious stuff. On saturday morning we got up around 8ish and went to a TREAT tree planting at 9. We got there near the end so just planted a few trees and then had smoko (excellent timing hehe). After that we swung by curtain fig because ruby had never been there. Then we stopped at a rose place and they bought some roses, some of which they put in my room in the house. =) Hung out with Ruby and then we went to their friend's place. Her name is margaret, and she has a B&B and is a wildlife caretaker. She nurses injured and orphaned wild animals until they can go back in the wild. She was really cool. And at the time she had a baby agile wallaby! So i got to hold him and stuff which was awesome. He was very very cute. =) For dinner that night their neighbors invited all of us over, which was really nice of them. they were a younger couple and the woman was pregnant (acutal due that day! how crazy is that?!). They were super nice so that dinner was delicious and a lot of fun. Star-gazing on the walk back to their house. Then just talked a bit before bed. On sunday I helped paint the cubby and then Ruby adn I ate lunch adn watch the lion king. =) then we drove to John's house. he lives on a farm. so i got to see his place and dog and cat and horses. and we collected firewood. After that I had to be brought back to Yungaburra to be picked up by SFS. It was a really great weekend and I kinda didn't want to leave. They were really awesome. Ruby wanted my address and phone number. We thought we could email address info and hopefully maybe keep in touch once I am back in the states.

Research is continuing to go great. I got to process 3 bats myself (which involves determining their sex, getting forelimb length, weight, and feeding them honey water. all while holding them in a bag). It was really awesome! And last night when we were tracking one of the bats, a possum totally came right up to us and it kinda tried to climb my leg! it then grabbed my GPS and tried to bite it. It was so cool! hehe. Later that night it appeared near the other group of kids and Jess (the prof) got a video of it. It was trying to open one of the girls' backpacks! so hilarious. So yeah, it is all going well. Last night it did rain and it has been raining all day. But I guess I can't really complain, since up to this point we had the most amazing weather ever. =)

Just an aside, I got a sweet house for next year that I am super excited about. it is very near the house I lived in last semester. And I have my class schedule. Which I am somewhat less excited about. But we shall see. It might turn out OK. =) I am taking Field Botany and Plant Ecology (for my major) and the lab that goes with that, Women Filmmakers (cause it sounds cool. and i had nothing else to take. it is going to be mad hard though. same prof i had for film before), Feminine in South Asia (a class i am taking for diversity requirement - it is a religion class that sounds super interesting to me... we shall see!), and then Ancient Philosophies (gag me now. i have to take a philosophy course though. so hopefully it'll be OK). and that is it.

Hope everyone is doing well. I shall try to update once again after this weekend (we are going to Cairns and I am going to get to snorkle on the great barrier reef!!! i am very excited). =)

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