Gone Again ... Gone Again ...

I'll be away for a few days - back on the 15th - safe and happy Easter wishes to everyone.

Wildlife Wednesday .........

While we were away, we saw this fruit bat colony - there were hundreds of them. Someone else had walked in closer to take some photos and they were screeching and flapping around.



The bats are often called flying foxes, and these cropped photos show why - the males (I think) have beautiful russet brown fur. I love the way they fold themselves up under their wings. This bat was settling itself after flying from another tree. Their wings make me think of leather and it's easy to imagine Batman hanging from a tree too! Though I'm not so sure about Robin!




Last, but not least, is our old friend the pelican - a wonderful bird is the pelican; its beak can hold more than its belly can! Do you remember that rhyme from childhood? If you are able, bring this photo up to full screen - the larger it is, the more unreal the proportions become - I'm absolutely fascinated by the size of this bird's beak - and that beady eye - following me wherever I go!



That's it for today. Carson I'm glad that you enjoy the wildlife photos - I hope you are feeling better - and thank you for your kind words about my knee. Thank you also Roxie - and a big thank you for the wonderful photos you sent me of the juncas - what beautiful little birds.

Home again, home again ....

We're back home again after a Probus trip - three days on a bus and three days at Ballina - it's a long way. We broke the trip up at Coffs Harbour, but had a ten hour trip on the way home. Not my favourite way to travel, although we did have plenty of stops. I never thought I'd be one of those groups of 'oldies' who get off a bus en masse, all with their little name tags in case they forget who they are (oops! did I say that?) - but here I am and despite myself, I enjoy the trips! We may look like a bunch of old farts, but there are extraordinary lives behind the ordinary faces. We went to the naval Museum at Ballina, and on display was the ship's wheel from a ship sunk in WWII - and in our group was a 90 year old who was on the ship when it went down! He told us the story - absolutely incredible. The women staffing the front desk were overcome with emotion and wanted his phone number so the "boys" could get in touch with him for more details. He is the most delightful person - and amazingly fit - it's a bit humbling to be overtaken on a hill by a 90 year old!!

Saturday Sky - on Tuesday
This photo was taken at the sculpture garden of Thursday Plantation, a tea tree oil company on the north coast of New South Wales (sorry, the link wouldn't work - you can google it). It was a very interesting garden with a tea tree maze, a rainforest walk, and lots of mosquitoes - I think they breed them so you need to buy the tea tree oil to take the itch away!



Saturday Sky in Advance!
We'll be away again next Saturday, so I thought I'd get some credit up! If you look VERY carefully, you can just see a tanker on the horizon on the right of the photo.


Not the best photos, but the best I could do - and here is another not so good photo for Roxie and Carson. I went out on th deck last night for something and saw this little sweetie popping her head out, ready to venture forth for mealtime. She is very shy and I had a great deal of difficulty finding her on the screen as it was so dark - this is the only photo that had her in it - the other ten were of the tree trunk! Enjoy - sorry it's a bit blurry.


I went to the Guild meeting on Monday and was bombarded with baby jumpers for AIDS babies - forty of them! All different colours - and sizes! It's amazing how we can never all knit the same pattern and get the same size! We've given up doing rugs from squares for that reason. We now use strips!