Juvenile platypus at Blackbean Cottage
My guests generously donate many things when they leave. Some intentionally and some not. My usual haul is an orphan sock, some milk and half a block of butter which would not survive a return trip to Cairns. Sometimes I discover in the fridge gourmet food items I have never tried before, as the $/kg tag shocks my frugal mind when seen in local stores. I can assure my honoured guests that I do not waste these choice items, and that I am not soliciting for further donations.
This week unintentional donations have been a charger and an i-pod. Left by different guests and unfortunately not compatible. I have been in contact with both parties and I am negotiating the safe return. The owner of the i-pod, or is it a tablet? will have to rely on wet-ware for the coming week.
The most important and beautiful donations from guests have been the photos that have been e-mailed to me. The one included in this post sent to me by Kristy who stayed here a week ago. All my best photos are from guests. A big thank you to all who have sent me great photos. The header on my web site is part of a picture that was sent to me by a guest who is a professional photographer. A very dreamy scene of a tropical sunset over the top dam. Some one recently told me that it has appeared on a postcard released in Manchester UK, which is poignant as I was born and raised there. Possum Valley could hardly be further from inner city Manchester in distance, climate and lifestyle. I recently walked along the little street in Stretford where I used to live via Google Earth, and saw my old semi-detached house. Hasn’t changed much except the front garden has been concreted over for parking space. Apparently that is quite common now in the UK. I also looked at Whaley Bridge, then a small village 30 miles outside Manchester where the family later moved to. The field behind the house where I used to walk in the summer and toboggan in the winter has now been sub-divided into an housing estate. Sigh.
Also thanks to my guests for sharing your stories with me. About your travels, your families, your struggles and your triumphs. And thank you for listening to my own stories, boasts and vanities.
Of course I appreciate my guests who pay the tariff and keep me in the luxury to which I am accustomed. More than that, I enjoy meeting every one and learning something I didn’t know before.
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