Smoky dusk, fire burning somewhere?

Colourful trees of Tambouine Bay....

6 am. at the beach at Mitchells Island Jan. 28th....

Australia Day Weekend at Mitchells Island and we're planting tube stock - small trees and shrubs, followed by mulching. Susan, Judy's sister, is with us from Canberra, helping out.
We have discovered a nasty week to eradicate called fleabane. Mike and Judy, almost up to their necks in the weeds, did a great job of clearing one section. Daniel is demonstrating the proper save-your-back technique.

Boys will be boys?
These are not indigenous boys either, just lads enjoying a beautifully muddy day.
You never know what you're going to see in the Bay....

5:30am Full-Moon on the Bay....

We invited Bastion, Lily, along with their 8-mo.old daughter to dinner on Sat. night.
Bas will probably be Daniel's new programming employee after the couple emigrate from Holland later this year.
Another baby for Daniel to torture!

These are not my finest quality photos, but I'm trying to get over being a perfectionist :)
The masked lapwings were doing a very odd little neck maneuver when I took this image. However, I didn't manage to capture it, unfortunately.
The lorikeet is a junior, I'm pretty sure, cute and a little klutsy. For a while, he and his parents were all grooming each other and then I fed all three.

6:30am Sunday

Unusual yellow-ish atmosphere early this morning out on the Bay - pretty near high tide, 1.7 m. the paper says.



And all the rain has made for greenery that we haven't seen in years. We actually thought our big jacaranda was on its last legs in 2007. (Of course the "foliage" enhancement on my digital camera does help.)



Still raining, even a water bird can look drowned....



The lorikeets seem to come around begging more when the weather is inclement.

A day for ducks as they say. Early this morning, before the rain, I went down to the waterfront, thinking to have a paddle on the quiet bay. Two very fat ducks were having a waddle around the garden and instead of fleeing when they saw me, they came towards me. I'm sure they would have eaten out of my hand if I'd had anything to feed them. I couldn't help but think "Peking" as I do like the taste of duck ;)

Feeding time on our balcony. One couple of lorrikeets are very aggressive both in demanding food and chasing their brethren (or progeny?) away from the "dining table". They even tackle the noisy minahs and magpies, who are no slouches at being aggressive....

Saturday 12 Jan. Lunch at Wharf Rd. with the Taylors & Ross/Birrells....

Daniel in the midst of his choir, "Alchemy". They performed at Our Lady of the Sea Cathedral today for a young couple's wedding.

Dinner on the lower terrace Jan. 11th - Daniel & the Bolstlers, including Heather's mum, Joyce.

Eve out for a paddle in the Bay in front of our house, joined by duck family out for a feeding foray at dusk.

Jess in the little kayak.