My Quarters

My bunk house, the "female quarters" or sometimes "Lucy's house," as it is called, is set in the far corner of the little campus that makes up the Station. It is a small, plain building with once-white siding and bushes of pink, purple and yellow flowers that are putting in a special appearance for the Wet. The house is elevated about 2 feet off the ground, accessible by a small red set of stairs that seems to be more dry rot than wood. This height is to keep it safe from even the highest flood water and also as a deterrent to the creepy crawlies. It's only a mild one though, as there is a tireless stream of ants hard at work on something in my bathroom and every once in a while one of the 4-inch grasshoppers invites himself in for the night. I'm acquiring a new distaste for bugs.

Inside there is a long breezeway that runs the length of the house, both the inner and outer walls of which are made mostly of windows. All of the windows here have what I think are called "louvers" which are like the slats on shutters except much bigger, aluminum (pronounced Ah-loo-MIN-ee-yum), and adjustable to serve either as a wall or to let the breeze in. Insulation is not much of a concern here.

Off of the breezeway there are 4 doors. From left to right they are 1. a mysterious locked room, 2. Lucy's room, 3. Mine, and 4. a sitting room. Lucy is a fellow jillaroo who worked her last year and will be returning at the end of March, so right now it's just me in the house. The sitting room has 2 old upholstered chairs, a small set of drawers, and a TV that gets far more channels than I had expected (15?). Through this room is the bathroom ie ant workshop.

That leaves my room. Like everything else, it is off-white and very plain with bare walls and white curtains. It has a small iron bed with a pale pink cover, 2 small sets of drawers, and a tiny walk-in closet full of shelves. ("Shelves in the closet. Happy thought indeed.") Overhead are the air conditioner and ceiling fan that make existence in this weather bearable.

Outside the house there is a yet-to-be-hooked-up washing machine, a clothesline, and a large beige cistern that catches rainwater from the roof and serves as the house's water source.

So that's wear I'm living. It's simple and the whole place makes noises like someone's walking on the roof, but otherwise it's pleasant and comfortable.