Neighbours

How I enjoy it when my neighbour asks if I would mind feeding their dog and giving him a bit of a run,  because they'll be away for a night.  That means I can venture down the road; sometimes I walk, other times if I'm in a rush or if it's raining I take the car.  They have a gorgeous garden and at this time of year there is a delicious display of spring flowers, gerberas, freesias, violets, camelias, a vibrant yellow grevillea and a profusion of primulas, to name a few.  I was even lucky enough to see a Macleay's Swallowtail in the veggie patch, though it flits its wings at such a pace that it was really hard to get a decent photo. 

(Just to clarify...the first photo is actually through a spider's web...not a window as my husband thought.)

As I was writing this post, the following words from the theme song

 to the long running  Australian TV series 'Neighbours' kept playing in my ears!

To excuse myself, I don't watch it, but we all know the theme song, 

which I learnt today was written by Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch.  Well fancy that!

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours With a little understanding, you can find the perfect blend Neighbours, should be there for one another That's when good neighbours become good friends Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours Just a friendly wave each morning, helps to make a better day Neighbours, need to get to know each other Next door is only a footstep away

I love visiting my neighbour when she's home too, because she is a friend as well as a neighbour.

Are you lucky enough to have a neighbour like that?

Bye for now

Back on track

A bolt from the blue found me in hospital with a mystery illness last month.  

I'm back on track now thanks to wonderful care from the nurses & doctor 

 in our lovely little local hospital and of course from my beautiful family & friends.

It certainly brings things into perspective though 
and makes you realise what's important in life.

So yesterday I met up for a picnic lunch with my son and family in the little town of Guyra

some 100 kms to the west of us, and about half way between Brisbane and Sydney.  

Guyra is the highest town on the New England Tablelands of N.S.W. 

at 1330 metres (4363 feet) above sea level. 

Autumn colours there are in full swing.

The usual hour and a half journey home took way way longer
 as I stopped constantly to take photos!

The country is quite dry here so colours stand out in all their vibrancy

 against the dry vegetation.

I am at risk of becoming boring......(I warned you I took lots of photos!)

so I think I will continue on my journey home next time.  

The photo above gives a hint of what's ahead.

Bye for now

Starting out once again.....

I seem to keep on starting
I guess it's better than stopping
  It's just that I start and stop
 and can't seem to keep going

You can see that my last few weeks

 have been full of sunshine and showers

just like any week

any lifetime really.

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How have you been going since the last time we met?

Would love to know. 

My Happy Australia Day

   

After finding a red-bellied black snake in the chook house this morning,

  this beautiful Glasswing Butterfly was a bit of light relief when it appeared in my garden!

  It is an interesting butterfly, the only Australian

 representative of a mainly African species according to my butterfly book.

It's wings are quite translucent and indeed glass like.

Our son-in-law came to the rescue on his day off to help us fix a computer problem.

 We had sausages for lunch (well it's Australia Day remember?!) 

Then more visitors in the shape of a couple of yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

 These birds never cease to catch my eye and make me want to fly up there with them,

 soaring over this wonderful countryside.

These bright spots of red in my neighbour's garden were a lot more welcome

 than the one in the hen house this morning!  

But that's Australia, and I've grown used to things here now.  It's my home.

( I wrote that last sentence and crossed it out so many times.)  

Can a person have more than one home?  My home is England and my home is Australia.  

I have no desire - no will - and see no need to choose.

  Come to think of it that makes me very lucky indeed!

What do you think? 

Happy Australia Day to you!