Survival of the sneakiest ...

(Layout credits - Brushes from Random Brushes One, by Tracy Ann Designs, at SBB. Font: Avante.)

Technically not a good photo, I guess, but we loved the colours in the water and the backlit frond, so a couple of filters later, and a good hard lashing with Smart Sharpen in PSCS2, and we have a fun photo and layout. Yes, we are back, and yes, I did survive, lol! During the hours as I lay awake, waiting for the excited neighbours who were living mere inches away from my tent wall to shut up and go to sleep, I thought of several creative and snappy blog entries, but of course, I left my blog entries at the camp site. Can't remember a thing ... but perhaps they will come back to me as I type, lol.

I could just randomly share some of the fun stuff ... like the metre long tree python that lives just above the door to the ladies toilet ... I can tell you, a snake down the back of the neck just as you are walking in to have a shower is not high on my list of things I want to do.

We arrived to find that our powered site was NOT a powered site ... there was a mix-up in the bookings. We had planned our menu using power, so I was a bit peeved, but just as we started to lay the tent out, someone ran over from the office, with another site for us. Such a good site too! Tent went up without a drama, much to the disgruntlement of our onlookers, who were hoping for some cheap entertainment. Did you know we have skylights in our tent? Just as we got the tent up, there was a light shower ... so cool!

I must confess to the sort of person who only sleeps well with the light out, quiet reigning, in my own comfy bed, so you can imagine how well I sleep in a tent, with neighbours, AND a full moon, lol! I eventually went to sleep, then woke at exactly midnight. I could read my watch so clearly in the moonlight. Wander over to the toilets. Wander back. Zip in, zip out. The noise is deafening now. Then at 2 am, Michael is up. 'What time is it? I need to go to the loo!' Zips up and down again. Then he starts coughing! Eventually it is dawn. *sigh*

I need to tell you that my helpful children pumped my lilo (airbed) up, but didn't bother making sure it was sealed. I woke up on the ground. Twice. Oh, were we supposed to screw that valve shut? Funny how THEY didn't end up on the ground each night! Hmmm ... gotta love camping. Would you trust THIS kid???

Or perhaps you'd trust THIS kid? Hmmm ... seems to me they both look like the sort of kid that would sabotaughe their poor old mum's only visible means of support keeping her off the ground!

Saturday we walked our legs off ... literally. It was a 14 km hike, and well worth the effort, though Michael and I weren't so sure about it towards the end of the day. Click here to see my Carnarvon Gallery at pbase, with photos from the hike. Or click here to visit my photoblog.

Michael and I cowardly decided to recover at camp on Sunday, and lounged around all day with me reading, and Mike on his laptop. Very peaceful ... while the energetic side of the family walked 22 kms to the end of the gorge. Hmmm ... I'm pretty sure it looked much the same as the beginning of the gorge, and both of them were worn out, but they tell me it was worth it. Tash just walked her legs off, and Doug pulled a muscle behind his knee on one of the 44 river crossings they made on their hike. He's hobbling today.

Of course we did the usual thing Sunday night ... we looked at each other and said, 'Let's just go home ... let's not worry about another night of camping!' So we did ... we dismantled the tent, threw the children in the car, and drove home, getting in just after 1 am this morning. I really needed a day of washing and packing to get it all under control before work tomorrow, so it was the best idea, though both of us shared the driving and were very tired. Now, my washing is done, waiting to be folded, the car is washed, wiped out, vacuumed, air-freshened, de-bugged (lots of dead bugs all over the car!), bags are unpacked, my photos are edited, I have my first layout under my belt, and all is right with the world! More next time ...

Oh yes ... the survival of the sneakiest??? Well, our tent was next to the shop ... nuff said???