Keeping Busy ... again ...

I couldn't sit around my resort all day waiting for news, it was driving me crazy. So, I rented a motorbike and headed to the north of the island. Aside from the plentiful deserted beaches there is also a large tract of primary forest as well as the designated national park to the east. The national park is largely inaccessible unless you have a mountain bike or lots of time on your hands, so I opted for the forest walk in the smaller forest patch. I was the only one on the walk and it was good to immerse myself in nature. It took my mind if things, if only briefly. Lots of little critters to be seen. The two skinks I've yet to identify, but the dragon on the tree trunk is a gliding dragon of some sort - there were heaps on the one tree! The crabs... well they were obviously from the beach not the forest but I spent such a considerable amount of time with them so felt their inclusion worthy. In fact, I could easily have done an entire collage on crabs - such character! Then was the highlight of the walk... the giant squirrel! I can't believe I got any shots at all, let alone one in focus! Completely unexpected and wonderful to see him leaping around the trees very high above me.

Better larger

Thanks so much for all the positive thoughts, words, hugs and blip love for my brother. It means more than you can imagine. Allan is still stable at this stage, but they are keeping him sedated on a ventilator for several more days before waking him up. I had hoed it would be better news, but stable is good, ad I have to trust the doctors know what they are doing. My mum and brother are with him now, which gives me some comfort. Communication is hard and has been via text msg mostly. I'm hoping I'll be able to talk by some other means tomorrow...

I head 'home' tomorrow, the end of a mostly wonderful holiday, tinged with worry and sadness. It will be good to back with the bears, but wish it could have been with my family.