It’s been a long couple of weeks! Yes there was rugby last Saturday. Beers and bacon buttons at ours…

…I did manage to slip out for a quick beer and to take James for a milkshake at Sunset.

…well James had just got a ‘b’ in art and chemistry and ‘c’s’ in maths and geography for his mocks so I had to find time to congratulate him. He has worked really hard on his revision, we are very proud of him…

…Oh and on Thursday I had my ‘book’ club…

…but other than that it really has been nose to the grindstone, 11 to 12 hour days and 6 day weeks! 

But it is Friday again and I left work at 6 after yet another 11 hour day and headed straight to the beach. 

Stripped in the car park, trunks on and ran into the sea. 

Amazing! (This has to be said in a trilling contralto for full effect, go on try it).

Floating watching the sun go down letting the gentle waves wash away the cares of the last two weeks!

Victoria and the kids were already on the beach with John and Dee and their kids. But everyone just let me be for quarter of an hour.

When I was feeling a bit more human and had done a couple of lengths John waded out with a cold beer and we watched the Luna eclipse and chewed the fat.

John is a fellow principal and has been here about 6 months longer than us, cracking fellow and a good friend. A few more tinnies, a few more lengths and pizza on order. 

Yes ordering pizza to be delivered to the beach is a real thing and a feature of life here.

As we all relaxed we were treated to a rare sight, one of nature’s great migrations. The night time paddle boarders. About 50 of them all with glowing headbands and necklaces entering the water and gracefully paddling north along Seven Mile Beach into the darkness. We watched in silence awed by the sight.

Magnificent!

Dinner arrived. And we sat round nattering watching he stars. 

When out of the corner of my eye I sensed something, at first it looked like there was nothing there. Just shadows in the darkness, slowly shapes resolved, like ghosts materialising our of the night. The return of the paddle boarders. Lithe creatures slipping gracefully along on the sea’s surface, walking on water almost. Hushed chatter and laughter passing between the group as they paddled along. It looks great fun. 

At 10pm we called it a night, gathered  our bits and headed home relaxed and happy.

Rugger round Clive’s tomorrow and diving on Sunday with Cissy. I reckon by Monday I will need to be back at work for a rest!