Our housemates getting ready for their traditional Xmas Eve dinner. It's also Rick & Heather's son's farewell dinner on the eve before he leaves for Canada....



Traditional Xmas Eve open house at Heather & Trevor's....



Collyn at his daughter Fiona's house. We have celebrated Xmas Eve dinner with Collyn & Maarit & Co. for the last few years....

Ben and Jade came over for lunch today, our early Xmas with them, as we will be away very early on the morning of Dec. 25.
They will both have time off work for the next couple of weeks (like us) and will be socialising a lot over this holiday period.



Yesterday evening you see Daniel and me all dressed up for his company Xmas dinner. It turned out to be in a latin restaurant with the most dreadful acoustics that stifled any but shouting conversations. Still, for a yoga teacher, it's a treat to get all dressed up!

Ben and Jade came over for lunch today. It was our early Xmas celebration with them, as Daniel and I will be away as soon as possilbe on the morning of Dec. 25 to drive up to Mitchells Island.
They will both have time off work for the next couple of weeks (like us) and will be socialising a lot over this holiday period.



Yesterday evening Daniel and me are all dressed up for his company Xmas dinner in this photo. The event was held in a latin restaurant with acoustics that stifled any but shouting conversations. Still, for a sporty-type yoga teacher, it was a treat to get all dressed up!

It rained yesterday. That's big news in Sydney.



The rain dumped so much water that the Bay was roiling for awhile.



Later, in the low-ish tide, a few feathered friends came out to preen....

These little guys have adopted us. We are being mutually exploited. They get apple and we get to be entertained. One day I'd run out of apple and put a little hand mirror on the balcony rail instead. The lorikeets preened and cooed and "kissed" their reflections, and seemed to forgot about eating....

This morning Daniel and I walked down into the "reserve" from Arabella St. for our constitutional. The area is really just the foreshore of Woodford Bay, overwhich the wealthy homes and occupants look down. Some of these rich folks have signposted the path with "keep outs" but I doubt that they are successful.

Here's a little slice of our coathanger seen at around 7 am.

Ici on voit mon professeur de français, Nicole, et mes amis, Heather et
Rick. Les trois de nous étudions le français très sérieusement !

On an absolutely perfect afternoon for the beach, we had lunch and a walk with our dear friends, Peter & Rosie.

At the beach where Peter & Rosie live in Mona Vale, people in gliders jump off the hills and it seems that kindly thermals keep them aloft for long rides in the air. I prefer having my two feet on the sand!

Wettish, humid morning, unseasonably cool, not really summer weather. The lapwing in the muddy mangrove roots says it all.
Still, I had great energy all day....Maybe because of a very good yoga routine at the Sat. practice?

We women gathered at Gabrielle's new home to bless it and to share our journey of this last year.
(I can almost imagine Shelley in the photo; missing also are Allison and Susan.)
Can you feel the love and support of the group? It's easy to see the beauty!

Another beautiful cloud picture on this warm summer morning. We sprung the watercraft out and went off paddling for some time in the absolute quiet of the Bay.

Here's the last vestige of former purple jacaranda glory....

You could work from home in worse locales. Daniel, typically undistracted by the rest of the world, even in the Paradise of Tambourine Bay.

Did you know that in French the sound of a duck is "coin-coin" instead of quack-quack?
Nicole explained this as the duck quacking in French. Mai oui!

Daniel invited the members of his men's group (plus) partners for the afternoon yesterday. It was near perfect weather, perfect for juggling lessons, and perfect for "mudding" - perhaps a new foot therapy?

Janet and I had a lovely visit, even tho' it was very short. We went bushwalking in Warraroon Reserve and discovered these exqusite bush orchids.

(The flowers in the photo of Janet and me are from Sally Flynn. Another magnificent birthday present! I've been very spoiled.)

Our regular Saturday routine involves early morning yoga practice, followed by the Delicato's breakfast.
This morning we had a small group which included D. & m, John, Martin (& wife Carole, not at brekkie) & me, but other times we've been upwards of 8 or 10 yogis.

It's bar-b-que time at Longueville. Michael Bolstler cooks up a mess o' hamburgers which will shortly get devoured.

I spotted this bird in our jacaranda tree, but because it was far away and facing away, I'm not sure what she is.
Maybe a young Indian Minah, maybe a native minah, maybe neither....Any ideas?

Our first mild summer evening allowed four of us to have dinner out-of-doors. The light became more and more subtly gorgeous and caused the bush and the mangroves to glow.

Sunday afternoon kids came together to celebrate the birthday girl, Eve. She has just turned 11 years old. The kids' ages ranged from the ones still in nappies to some teen-age hippies. Never before have so many pigtails gathered in our home. There were kids on the lawn juggling balls and batons, and teaching others how to juggle. We have many kilos of jelly beans leftover. The big food hit (no surprise) was Faez's appetisers.

A fashion show from yesterday, featuring Jane's recycled designer rags....

Not long after Daniel took these photos, an electrical storm/rain squall came up and our house was hit by lightning. Fortunately I'd turned off the computer, but our internet service was interrupted until Rick figured out how to reconnect.

The culvert between our property and our next door neighbour is shown here overflowing into the Bay.

Naked ladies discovered on our morning stroll. They are everywhere and abundantly. The close-up feature on my camera has done them justice.

The humid atmosphere, already revving up towards today's predicted hot temperatures, is palpable in this early morning photo.

The news reports say the cicadas are starting their song fests early this season, signifying a hottie coming.

Part of me loves this weather, the expansivest part of the year, my birthday, Christmas, New Years. Part of me is already feeling ennervated!