RIP Bindi

I'm sorry to report some sad news this week...our one and only bus pet has passed away. Dear little Bindi the spiny leaf stick insect died yesterday from unknown causes. She had just shed her skin a few days earlier and although it was the first time she had done that she seemed perfectly normal, just understandably a little sleepy. Over the next few days she got floppier and floppier until finally, thank goodness, she died and put us out of our misery! Laura and I took her out to be buried last night, Chris and Will decided they had more important things to do (go figure!). I said a few nice words over her grave about what a lovely pet she was and Laura sobbed for an hour or so that "she wasn't just a pet, she was family". Then this morning we all woke up to a brand new sunny day and have moved on, so no more sad faces. Despite Laura's insistence that we get another stick insect NOW, we are going to wait until we get to Darwin and spend a little time in Caz's menagerie and hope that satisfies Laura's need for a pet, at least for a little while. Correct me if I'm wrong, but at last count Caz had a couple of dogs, a couple of cats (and photos showing a handful of kittens, maybe not hers??), chickens, ducks and a rat, all in her little backyard. That should give our girl plenty to do for a while. OK, we are off to the pool now. Tans and family arrive in TWO DAYS!! YIPPEE!! Chat more later, that is if anyone out there is actually still reading this site???