Hippies, Surfing, & Biking.

Last Sunday Ida, Viola and I headed to Peregian Beach for a market, which had a lot of used clothes and crafts, then we headed to the adjacent beach for a few hours, and after the market local bands played all afternoon. We sat in the sun and watched the numerous hippies listening to some good free music.

Then Monday, after a failed attempt at doing work in the library, I headed to the beach, again.

Wednesday, my Forest, Carbon, & Climate class went on a field trip to Beerwah State forest where there is a 40 year old experiment on prescribed forest burning, so we hugged some trees to measure their DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) measured some dead sticks on the ground. And determined the mass of carbon (in tonnes per year per hectare) the forest was able to sequester. The picture is of a grass tree flower. Grass trees need fire to reproduce, and are considered to be "special" From what I understand, the aboriginals made spears out of these.

Friday, I went in the morning to learn how to surf! Wasn't very successful, but the waves were really big, and it was hard enough just to fighting the waves, let along trying to get on a board. Then I spent the rest of the day on the beach (why not?)

Saturday, Me and Ida headed for Caloundra where we were hoping to swim across to Bribie Island. We biked for two hours (about 9 miles there) and up some pretty decent hills. However, when we got there we discovered that the beach dropped off way to fast (45 degree slope) and the current was extremely strong. So strong the lifegaurd rescue boat was having trouble going against the current. Also, if you swam hard enough, you just stayed in the same spot. But this also meant, you could go in the water at one end of the beach, and float on your back to the other and, get out and do it all over again. So we didn't get to Bribie Island, but we still had fun. And I made it the nine miles home with the help of Ida tossing me ginger biscuits every now and again.

Now, I'm off to a morning swim in the pool (a new morning ritual for Elke, Maike, Viola, Anika & I)
Who knows where the rest of the day will hold!

Lots of Love,
-Suz

Feels Like September

Its been raining here a lot the past two weeks. There's insane images of flooding in Brisbane on the news and the flooding was even on the news in Germany.

But the past two days the rain has cleared and there hasn't been a cloud in the sky. After 100% humidity, the humidity is now very low, and there's a cold wind blowing and it feels like a Pennsylvanian September here (only a month off, eh?)

But what have I been up to these past few weeks?
- Australia Zoo
- Climbing a Glasshouse Mountain (Mt. Ngungun)
- Going to the Beach
- Going to the Eumundi Markets
- Writing assignments
- Baking banana bread, carrot cakes, chocolate zucchini cakes, chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate and macadamia cookies, empanadas, and bread.

Its down to crunch time with schoolwork an the semester is over in a couple weeks. After the semester break, time has seemed to double in its speed and I before I know it I'm going to be home. I've only got 7 more weeks left here in Australia.

Miss and love you all!
Cheers,
-Suz

The List

"There's never enough time,
Never enough time,
We don't have all the hands we need.
There's not enough you's and me's to be,
All the places we want to.

Never enough time, never enough time.
To siphon these anxieties on to do lists and fidgets
and things and things and things..."
- Defiance Ohio