Anna's Primary School Graduation

Quirky Girl


With Tessa, Abigail and Rem

A fogbow

Morning walks produce the most surprising sights!


Evening walks are no less delightful: looking out over the Stirling Ranges.

Life in the country

I've been rising early for a 7km run/walk at 5am recently, heading out at dawn so I am back in time to rouse Joshua to be ready to catch the school bus at 7:30.
It is usually a very peaceful time, enjoying the cool before the flies come out. However, last week I twice had to dodge wandering stock - sheep escapees from the inadequately fenced paddocks beside the road out of town. I now have the shire ranger's mobile number in my phone contact's list, because this constitutes an "emergency situation" as sheep on the road can quickly lead to crashes on the road. This week I've been swooped upon by a mating pair of nesting magpies, who are extremely territorial. I'm learning to distinguish the raucous caaaw of their warning call from the rolling trill of their all clear.

The misty dawns are simply magnificent.

On the way to my regular KYB Bible study group 50km from where I live, I drive past this farm.

The local farmers have finished their main hay harvest and canola swathing, and are well into the canola (similar to rapeseed) harvest. Wheat and then barley are still to go. Some farmers then harvest their wheat or barley stubble as a second hay harvest.

The Knight's Adventure

Starring:

Samuel as The Knight
Mum as The Village Healer
Baarito and Baanabas as The Monsters

Winter Sun at dawn and dusk

Fog over the paddocks at sunrise, Arthur River

Fog over the sea at sunrise, Albany

Golden sunrise, Kojonup

Another misty dawn, Arthur River

 Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
 3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
 5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
 6 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Twilight, Cranbrook

First stars of the night, Cranbrook

I've been walking and driving a lot at sunrise and sunset in the short days of winter.

Sometimes all I could see was pitch dark on either side of my high beams on the highway. Then I'd notice the pale glow of a gibbous moon hovering on my left, and a spotlight from a tractor would wheel below, as a farmer seeded his paddocks.

This was peace.

End of term school music concert - Abigail

Backyard Chicken

Most of the eggs hatched by our broody hens have added more hens to our flock. Santa, Chrissie and Boxer, born late last year (guess when?), are all hens. Pecker, born from the same clutch, turned out to be a rooster. Alas, he was in for the chop, as soon as he started crowing.

Samuel eagerly did the honours after Jeff researched online the most humane way to slaughter a chicken, and the most efficient way to pluck one.

And, FYI, Pecker was indeed tasty!

Motorbike!

Joshua visits England

Warwick Castle

Sugar beets

Jeff and Joshua at our friend Mark's wedding