Green Money and Red Earth

I remember I had clearly postdated my IRS check to April 15th. However, those slimy bastards (sorry, but my parents told me to only resort to cursing if it was absolutely necessary to convey a point) deposited my check BEFORE the date on the 2nd. My bank account had been running a deficit until today (thank god) when my last paycheck finally arrived.

Running out of money is a traveler's worst nightmare. Skimping is challenging. How can one say no to $70 wine tours and $40 boat cruises or most importantly to "spontaneous eating." (" I know we just ate but this cafe says it has the best pies in the region....we really should taste the local bests because, really, when will we be here again?").

I am a bleeding wallet.

But enough of my tendency to support the tourism industry. I am in Margaret River, Western Oz, the red earth. Here on the west coast the soil is alive. Rusty orange vibrates under the sun's power. The red is everywhere-even the paved driveways have a reddish hue. The man-made and the natural become one...

But this week's thunderstorms are transforming the dry oven into a jacuzzi on full blast. Yes, the rain has found me even in the driest of places (would you believe they were in a drought before I arrived? Call me the rain goddess). I have read a full novel while the rain thunders down on the lodge's tin roof, unrelenting in its attack. But I cannot stay indoors all day. Determined to be wet, I still surfed bit with the locals. And then ventured out yesterday on a semi-dry activity--wine tasting (haha). Margaret River has some of the most prized wines in the country.

On the tour, I did my best to not be one of those snobby Napa winos and say in a high pitched voice, 'Hmmm....this Shiraz is a bit pale compared to the 'plum laced with dark chocolate and cigar' notes i am used to." Or" this wine is simply divine--it must have been in French oak...for you know i can't stand the American kind..."

No, no...I just drank and enjoyed. The Shiraz actually was quite good. I would have bought a case of it had I not had three more countries to hit. And yes yes, I could have forked over a small fortune for shipping, but money seems tight given all these unforeseen adventures coming my way.

The wine group i went with comprised of six nationalities. American (that's me!).\, Australian (duh), Kiwi, Irish (they are everywhere), Dutch, and Italian. The crazy yet lovable Italians invited the entire group back to their place for a BBQ. We spent the evening eating, drinking (again), and discussing driving on the left and the new marketing campaign for Australia's Champagne-Cockatoo. A female celebrity says, coyly (and somewhat rushed) "I'd sure like a Cocka(r)too." Apparently she didn't realize the blunder while taping and now she is humiliated. If she were in America she could plead stupidity and sue for being tricked into saying such a foul (yet highly amusing) line.

We had a few laughs over quite a few dumb jokes...I am realizing that each day presents a new series of best friends and cheap humour.

Tomorrow I head back to Perth to meet another friend....one from...wait...San Francisco! Larry is in Perth for an International swimming competition. Same city. Same time as me. How random these things are. After many days of reading I am quite ready to talk his ears off. I better warn him. I have millions of tales of the land of Oz. He can always pawn me off to another poor swimmer. Perhaps a butterfly champion. And last night's group would like to know if anyone still

competes in the side stroke.