Well, the tours have been going fantabulously! :) It is safe to say I am fully comfortable living and working here. The job doesn't stress me out, although everyone is significantly more on edge when Tony is around (but who isn't, when the boss is around?). Starting this week, Lauren and I will be working together (which we are really excited about). We both started working as rangers at the park within a week of each other, so we are both on the same comfort level with our tours. We actually tag-teamed our first couple full tours, which were AWESOME! I distinctly remember the first day that her and I completed our first day together without any supervision (Tony went home sick), neither of us felt entirely comfortable with EVERY aspect of the tour, so we did them together and they were flawless! We were both so giddy and happy because we killed it!! So we have been excited ever since to hopefully get a work schedule where we would be together. Lucky for us, we got exactly what we hoped for! Thursday is the magical day and the beginning of a dynamic duo! :)
If you are wondering about the first picture and the title of this post... they are in reference to my first two significant animal injuries, and the three fingers I have intact on my left hand. I have been bitten by Shadow, the black cockatoo, on my finger (he actually bit my arm awhile ago), but this time really hurt haha. It was one of those silent "ouch! haha let go of my finger... ouchhh!! Ow OWWW! (biting even deeper) LET GO! OUCH! LET GO!! (flailing my hands)" kind of moments. He was having a moody day. Thank you for the hole in my finger, Shadow.
I probably wouldn't have even mentioned the bite from Shadow, except that I then got bit by a snake 2 days later.... one of the snakes that I convince people to hold and reassure that they have nothing to worry about because they won't bite... haha. I guess I had it coming when I mentioned on the previous tour "I have been scratched or bitten by everything here, except the snakes..." I blame it on the box though. There is a box on the wall in the snake shed for the snakes to curl up in. I have been saying from the beginning that I HATE pulling snakes out of the box on the wall, because I can't imagine that they like it... but when Tony criticizes me for always using the same snakes (the ones that are always sitting out in the open), I decided to go into the box on the last tour to grab a different snake (and in case you are wondering, I HAVE grabbed them out of the box before). But I must have frightened one of them, because before I could get my hand halfway in, one came up and bit me twice right around my thumb, good on me for remaining extremely calm, because it scared the crap out of me haha. A special thank you to the little 5 year old English boy who was watching me through the glass, and instantly shouted out to everyone on the tour "IT BIT HER!!! THE SNAKE BIT HER!!!" haha I did my best to wipe the blood on my black socks and clench my fist as I walked out with the snake, laughing, as I now had to convince someone to take the snake off of me. Simultaneously talking about how harmless our snakes are, while trying to hide the blood that is oozing through my clenched fist and dripping on the ground, wondering how I can radio Kelly to come down and take over the tour, while handling a snake and without having to use my bloodied hand to grab the walkie talkie. I thought it was pretty funny. Someone was brave and kind enough to come take the snake from me and I did get Kelly to come down and take over the tour. As soon as I washed my hands, the blood stopped, and it looked nothing more than a few bad paper cuts.... so much for an awesome battle wound... but a cool story nonetheless ;) not everyone gets to say they got bit by a snake at work haha. However, I might never live this one down from Tony. For the next week, I got a significant amount of pokes about being a wuss when I would hesitate to grab a snake from the box.... but I haven't seen anyone else attempt getting snakes out of the box... That, and just this morning, Tony took the box out of the snake shed for good! What did you do that for, if I was just being a wuss, huh?? ;) According to Tony, I am one of two to ever be bitten by a snake at Bungalow haha not sure whether or not to be proud of that. But I think I have bonded with the snakes on a whole new level now :)
For those of you that have been waiting on animal photos, here's a few to get you started ;)
This is Harry. He is a Southern hairy-nosed wombat. My record for catching Harry is 100%. Best in the park ;) not bad considering he is a not-so-small 30kilo guy that can run 40km/hr. (yep, I just threw wombat facts at you haha)
This is Banjo. Banjo is a 14month old orphan koala. We have been hand feeding him milk, but he is being weened off of it... so every morning when I go in to clean his enclosure, he stretches out as far as he can possibly can, and does anything to grab me and get my attention, because he desperately wants his milk.
This is Mango, the eclectus parrot. He is my favorite. SO CUTE! He is very cuddly and likes to come up nice and close and talk to you :)
Can't complain too much about missing ferries though, because it often leads to fun time-killers, like going to the top of Castle Hill to see the city at night. As well as funny moments like the other night, where you make it on time for the ferry, but you both run into different people that you know, and get lost in a conversation, until you realize your boat (the last one of the night) is pulling the ramp away from the dock, and you run over screaming (because you have to work the next morning), and they tell you to hurry as they try to replace the ramp as the boat is moving, and you go to ninja leap over the fence, miss, and go again.... "just open the gate!!" they yell.... my response (as Jacob follows my lead) "that's not as dramatic!!"... they weren't so easily amused. But it was 11:30pm. I'll give them a pass.
It is getting hotter and more humid here, so often times my Townsville trips include a lot of pool time. I have watched plenty of American and Australian sports, courtesy of the Richards'. We had a pancake cook off battle, which the berry syrup/powdered sugar/whipped cream version won of course ;). Jacob also took me for a manual driving lesson.... spurred by the fact that one day at work Tony took me to cut leaf for the koalas, informing me that I would eventually be taking over that duty at work... as I looked down, realizing it was a stick shift truck.... I debated whether or not to inform him that I didn't know how to drive it.... and settled instead on having Jacob try to teach me before I broke the news to Tony.
A. It probably would have been a better idea to drive the automatic first, and get used to being on the wrong side of the road first...
B. Poor choice of a neighborhood to practice in, thanks Jacob....
Lets just say, it's a lot harder to try and relearn and focus on both what's going on inside and outside of the car at once.... there were quite a few high pitched squeals and panicked arm movements... especially when I had rolled about halfway back down the hill... while the windshield wipers are still going crazy... and I still hadn't managed to signal to turn. Talk about feeling 15 again.... actually, this was worse haha. But nobody died. And no permanent damage occurred. Still not sure who suffered more of a heart attack, me or Jacob.
This is my driving teacher, chauffeur, sports watching, football playing, friend Jacob, by the way.
Lets see.... what else? Halloween was interesting.... The biggest event of the year that goes on Magnetic Island: Full moon/halloween party at XBase (a beachfront hostel). It was practically a requirement for everyone at work to go. 4000+ people, DJ's, dancing, drinking, lots of lights, and quite honestly a tad bit overwhelming haha but certainly an experience. I think that's where Lauren and I first really bonded, because we both like dancing, and were really excited about it, but neither of us really approved of the danceability of the music they played haha.
Photo attempt of the bonfire at night!
My view the next morning :)
Sunday night live entertainment in town. Musicians Circle at Bungalow Bay with coworkers. Real musicians that play with and improv off of regular people. Giant jam session awesomeness!! Gimme that drum!! Secret dream come true :)
Fact: I kind of love Magnetic Island. Who is coming to visit?!? ;)
