Very low-tide mid-afternoon. I suppose that goes with the full moon. How 'bout the total elipse of the moon last night. A nice orange-y colour and in 3-D too....

This is how I interpreted the dress code "fur & feathers" for Janet's party. I was truly fun to wear this fur! Even tho' Canberra was rather warm this evening....

Janet's 50th "feathers'n'fur" birthday lst night was such a lovely occasion. I think we all especially appreciated Roxy's speech honouring her mum.

Daniel and I got a short but sweet stay overnight with Bob and Diane, and then enjoyed extending our fun by having brunch with HAA people this morning.

All 3 paintings by Anne Taylor in her 80's - 90's era....Thank God we have a big enough house to accommodate such big
objets-d'art....

Yesterday afternoon, driving home while the sun was setting, I raced to get this photo. It came up well, don't you think?

The grevilleas look so very beautiful after the rains. They've just come out and they are as clean and sweet as a freshly-bathed newborn. Warraroon Reserve down to the Bay this morning was slippery wet, and we had to walk sprightly to stay vertical.
Water was running and standing and generally everywhere causing spring growth and the resurrection of the rain forest.

These are kookas from our pine forest on Mitchells Island. You might be able to notice the remants of lantana that was a casualty that went along with the recent tree felling. Our property looks so much more spacious, with nice views in the southerly direction. Much more work to follow, but the kookas don't look upset....

Polkoben (Hunter Valley) N.S.W. - After a long period of drought, a deluge of rain hit the Hunter on the Queen's birthday weekend. Whether it was the mixture of dry and flooding that caused this creek to grow it's green carapace, I don't know, but the colour is extraordinary....

The Bay reflects olive-green from cloudy skies...

Gorgeous dogs & their red-haired mistress....Judging by their exuberance, they were chasing some water fowl just before I snapped this shot....

A grey day, and back to the winter cold, with hinted at but undelivered showers (which we desperately need!).

This is more evidence of spring, the jacaranda foliage. Not as pretty as purple, but I guess a necessary stage. I've planted lettue and Chinese vegetables in pots in the courtyard. Keep your fingers crossed....

Sunday - Another warm day for this time of year, and you can see the fruit tree blossoms are out early....

From mid-March this beautiful spot where Heather & Rick have been residing will need to be filled by our next housemates - as R & H move on. We think it shouldn't be hard to find sympatico people/person, but it will be impossible to replace R & H's special relationship with us....

Early August and the weather has been less brittley cold. That's me though, a wimp. It's getting worse. How do you like my photoshopped row boats?

Why would I want to put such a tortured face forward? Oh, I don't know, I'm an odd person, for sure.
This visage (right side) is the result of several days of gum infection. While I"m on antibiotics now, my face has stayed like this all day. Hopefully, it isn't a reflection of my future. Thank god I'm finally going to get to see the dentist tomorrow!

Camelia season has been on us for some time. If ever one is in the doldrums because of the lengthy period of winter cold and shortened exposure to sunshine, one can be cheered by these bright, prolific, and long-lasting fleurs.... Kate, our landlord, I'm sure was thinking of this when she planted the bushes around 1 Wharf Rd. They are very mature and huge and say, "look at me!"

Cold, damp & drizzly, but the view is still breathtakingly beautiful, and continues to surprise with its variety of colours & lights.

I know it looks rather scruffy, but, hey, it's just a start....Our Mitchells Island property has been worked on over four days by the tree excavator. Why are we getting rid of trees when they are our friends? Well, these pines are crowding out everything else and providing a great opportunity for the lantana to climb and flourish. So, we'll get rid of as many as we can and then replant with natives, nuts, and fruits....