BEAUTY AT IT'S BEST

Went outside this morning to have our breakfast and we were greeted with these beautiful roses and Easter Plant in full bloom.  During the night we had 6mm of rain and this only added to the beauty of the plants.  Obviously with some Photoshop have managed to zoom in really close to the second rose picture. Hope everyone has a good day.

ANCIENT WRITINGS ????

As you can see from the photo this is a very weird thing.  We had cut a tree down in October last year and turned the stumps into a bird platform.  Over the months we have noticed that as the bark falls off we are left with all these funny squiggles.  We think it might be some kind of beetle that was in the tree.  The ants have also found this stump to have things into eat or nest and there is a trail of them climbing up on the left hand side of the photo.

On my health side things are not so good, so am seeing a Phyio guy today who comes to our health centre, so that is great not too far to drive.  I will have to let Brian drive me as the increase in the medication is making me quite dizzy. The weather can't make up its mind today, first it was sunny, then we had a few speckles of rain, then the sun came out and not it is very dark.  Obviously I am interested in the weather today as I have my washing on the line which by the looks of things had better come inside.

We went up to see Beverly and Sarah and Sarah's toe is really look good, so hopefully it wont regrow.

I also ended up this morning taking a picture of our front door, my friend in South Africa has just bought a unit and apparently the door looks the worse for wear.  As it is an 8 panel door Brian suggested some like ours so I will attach a photo

TRANQUILITY

This particular picture is on my computer as Wallpaper.  It was taken of the Tweed River in New South Wales while we were on holiday.  I have a passion for trees and could just

see the beauty in the tree and the river combined. I also love photos that do not have an ending, I love photos such as rivers going off somewhere, steps leading to something and so on.

Am off to the Doctor this morning to see what is what with my back which is still giving me problems. Oh me Oh my !!!!  Never mind will overcome this hurdle like so many that I have had with regards to my back.

It is a beautiful day in Brisbane today with bright blew skies, a cool breeze and sunshine, what more could anyone in life want. Oh yes I forgot  !! a good back.

A GREY OLD DAY

Well here we are Sunday 23rd May, the morning started out with lots of sunshine, so quickly did a load of washing and got it on the line.  The sun didn't last long so once again we have damp washing hanging around the house,  grrrrrr !!.

We went to the Working with Wood Show yesterday, and there were some lovely things to buy but all at a cost.  It is becomming so expensive to go to these shows because although we had free tickets to get in due to us helping our club, the parking alone was a total rip off at $10.00, we did however manage to get under cover parking so that was a plus. I managed to buy some nice wood for my Pyrography which included Queensland Maple,  and we helped out at the Ipswich Wood Crafts Stall for a few hours.  The Brookfield show was last weekend and we had a good day with Brian as you know winning a first for his bird of prey and Sarah achieved a 1st and a 2nd for her Pyrography with a total of $30 for her and $50 for Brian.

Some photos from the Brookfield show with some of the work on display for sale as well, including the three carvers with Lyn who is the Chief Steward.  One of our members with his beautiful 13 month old puppy, he breeds these dogs and this one in particular was so friendly, but oh so big.  !!

Did a lovely Roast Lamb for lunch today with vegies, potatoes and mint sauce, Oh so yummy, opened a red and a white bottle of wine and used the good glasses and our two wine coolers, with our beautiful African table cloth, I always feel the right glasses and the right table cloth adds to the ambieance of the meal.

Amazing Achievements

Today was a very special day.  Every year there is a wonderful Country show on for 3 days called the Brookfield Show.  It was at this show last year that I won a first for my Pyrography of a Kookaburra.  This year I managed to persuade Brian to enter one of his carvings in for judging and also young Sarah (12) entered two of her Pyrography that she had done, one being a beautiful angel for her mommy.  When we arrived at the show today, we discoverd that Brian had won a first for his Bird of Prey and there was a $50 winning prize as well as ribbons and certificates.  Sarah went one better and she received a first for her Angel and a second for one of the computer characters she did for Matthew's birthday, both in Pyrography.  She received ribbons, certificates and $20 for first prize and $10 for second prize.  I am so proud of both of them.  Keep up the good work and have another go next year. Sarah's photo of the Angel was a bit difficult to photograph as it was in a glass case, but this gives you an idea of how well she has done.

A PROUD GRANNY

I was a very proud Granny today when the photo of Beverly and I that was taken by Sarah was printed in the local QT Times.  Sarah did a fantastic job and there was very little that needed doing to the photo to make it into a stunner, such as a border. Well done Sarah, Granny is very proud of you as is Mom and Dad and your Uncle Ian and family in South Africa. Keep up the good work with the creative side of your life.

MOTHER'S DAY

Yesterday was Mother's Day and both Beverly and I are lucky to be Mother's together. Beverly invited us up for a yummy roast beef with vegetables and was much appreciated. It is funny though that unless you as a Mother go out to eat we end up spending the time doing the same thing we do most days. Just as well we are good at it. !!!! In the afternoon Ian came through on Skype and everyone was singing "Happy Mother's Day" to me.  We also wished Wendy a happy day and she said that the children had made her some beautiful gifts, there is nothing more special than a home made gift especially when they are so young, well done girls.    Beverly had given me some new Creative Memories papers and stickers so I was in my element, we were both saying that it is lovely to give something like CM than flowers that don't last.  I hope everyone enjoyed their day

POSSUM'S

Although this post is a bit out of date, it is important that I post these photos of the Possum that visits our garden on a nightly basis.  Ivan and Bevelry have discovered that a Mommy and baby and a Daddy are living in the palm trees next to their pool.

We regularly feed the possums with a smorgasboard of fruit containing, bananas, grapes, apples, paw paw.  They just love it.  The long black tail in the middle of Mommy's tummy is actually the tail of the new baby.  Quite fascinating.

Bevelry and Ivan discovered that the Mother possum had a baby in her pouch and I was able to photograph them the other night.  My grandchildren in South Africa want to see these photos hence the post that is a bit out of date.  Their Daddy will show them the photos on my blog especially as the blog is available to them at home after school hours.

Enjoy the photso Michelle and Laura Ashley

Love Granny

LABOUR DAY LONG WEEKEND !!

Well labour was the operative word this long weekend.  We decided that as we had been given a lovely 3m x 3m double door shed from our neighbour about a year ago, it was now time to try and make some place available to erect it.

It will be great to have it up as we then can store the ride on mower, the chipper, the wheelbarrow, the hand lawn mower, the garden tools etc etc.  This will mean we don't have to keep moving cars etc to get this or that out.   The decision was made to put it at the bottom of the garden.  What a good idea !!!. Well yes, but first we have to move tons of compost which was in the way.  The compost that we started 5 years ago is fantastic with amazing plant matter that has rotted down so and which is so good for all the plants.  After we moved the compost then we had to start to lay a base for the shed to stand on, this took forever and stone is so heavy to move. Anyway over the past few days we have achieved all of this and now we have to get up enough energy to actually put up the shed.  We need to go and buy a few corners and bolts etc but it is not everyday that you are given a shed this big, I would say probably about $2000.00 so not to be sneezed at.

During the moving of all the compost we had the usual visitors to the compost heap as we were all working and turning over all the mulch.  The butcher bird was continually in our way as every spade we dug up he decided that there was a meal for him.

Then along came our resident Eastern Water Dragon. (Brian's best friend).  Brian usually talks to him and says "Hello Mate" and the stupid thing turns his head. He is not scared of us at all.  Between Ivan and Brian they were finding all these huge juicy Witchett Grubs, and were throwing it to him.  I hope you enjoy the attached photo of one in his mouth. They do not have teeth and have to open there mouth very wide and swallow it whole. The inside of his mouth is a bright orange.

The Aboriginal people have found the Witchett Grubs to be a delicacy for them and very high in protein, and is a stable meal for a lot of Aboriginal's in the outback.  Needless to say after 5 or 6 of these grubs he scrambled away, totally full !!.

Yesterday as I was getting dressed I noticed through the windows a lot of amazing spider webs that had attached themselves to both the water tank and the trees.  I have enclosed a photo of these as well.  The whole web seemed to be host to at least 6 or 8 Orb spiders and in one case they have made little pouches for all the new babies to hatch in. 

We are truly blessed with wild life in this garden in Karalee, and none of us take them for granted.  We nurture them, feed them with natual products and as a result we are awarded with a splended aray of insects, birds etc.  At last the day has ended but a big thank you to everyone who worked so hard, there were lots of laughter especially when Brian was trying to show Matthew how to tip the stone from the barrow correctly.  He lifted the barrow up and said "now Matthew this is how it is done"  The next thing there were skrieks of laughter from everyone as the barrow went one way and fortunatley Brian managed to stop himself flying over the top of the barrow.  What a laugh, of course the camera was not present at that precise moment.  A very tiring but rewarding weekend and am sure there will lots of moans and groans as everyone tries to get up in the morning. Am sure the general thought will be "Thank goodness I have work today (Ivan), Thank goodness there is school today (Matthew and Sarah).  Thank goodness there is Uni today (Beverly and Elizabeth) Thank goodness I can get on with the woodwork (Brian) and me well back to the usual grind of cleaning, mopping the very very dirty floors, ironing and washing and cooking for us all tomorrow night.