Derby

In Derby to earn a few biscuits...why not eat cake?

We settled in to Derby, while Emma did a locum at the local Aboriginal Health Service for two weeks, to replenish the coffers that were dwindling alarmingly. One of the great things about the deal was the fact that they gave us a house to live in for the two weeks we were there.  There was plenty of room to fit our caravan in the driveway, and as it happened, another van in the driveway too!

We were visited by the Spences for a few nights. It was great to have a festive atmosphere in the house and the kids absolutely loved playing around in the backyard making films and playing at good versus evil.

Our days were filled with cricket until it got too hot, school at the library and then mucking around at home or a bit of pool action at the Derby Memorial Pool. There was also a lot of nintendo action with the kids joining up wirelessly to play Mariocart, six of them together.

Evenings were a time to eat and be merry. It really was lovely to have a share house, and some opportunities for conversation with adults!

The Spences left us for the glitz and glamour of Broome,  just before the season of celebration! Tuesday the 3rd of September was a mildly significant birthday for Emma. We marked the occaision by having a right old cookup of a nice dinner and a cake or two. The first one was a tasty little number from my childhood, hazelnut and chocolate meringue thingy in two layers.  I had to make a second cake because the first lot of egg whites flopped, so on Pat's advice, I turned them into a sponge that we ate, once cake one was done, over the next couple of days. Strawberries were in season just at the right time!! Happy 40th my dear heart!

Emma here:  Derby was great.  It was fun to have a home for a while, I even got out the secateures for a little bit of pruning in the garden! The Aboriginal Health Service was run by a young, motivated doctor and had the usual ups and downs.  It was challenging and rewarding as is normal for my work but the challenging parts even more so when learning a new computer system and referral process etc etc.  I loved flying into a remote community the day after my birthday and feeling like a really useful engine  (the flip side of getting fairly airsick on the bumpy and hot ride back home provided a nice counterpoint!).  Thanks Paul and the Spences for keeping the home and school fires burning in my absence.