Day 287 in a Year of my Life

So there haven't been a lot of opportunities for photography this week.

I found a couple of Tawny Frogmouths and some Rainbow Bee Eaters, but I want something more than that.  Something that will capture the imagination.

Instead, this week, I have been going through some old photos and have discovered some nice little gems worth sharing.

I think this one would look great enlarged and framed ...

I really like this shot taken just after sunrise, of The Nikonian silhouette on the beach.

I emailed some of the portrait photos that I showed you yesterday, to the people in the photos and I received a 'thank you' from one of them, which was lovely.  She was impressed.

I must get back to those photos,  finish editing them and email them to the birthday boys.

After our failed whale watching trip, my throat has been quite sore - today is the fourth day.  I've been taking a spoonful of fresh raw honey every morning and every evening and I've been filling myself with lots of vegetable soups as well as veggie and fruit smoothies.  Lots of water.  Lots of Vitamin D.

Those things must be working because my health hasn't degenerated, but I want my throat to be healed NOW!

Anybody out there have any healthful advice that might help?  No drugs.  No tablets.  No synthetic vitamin pills.

Today I'm grateful for surprise photography sales, without even trying!

Nite all.

Day 286 in a Year of my Life

Some more images from the party last night.

I spent half the day making soup!

Cauliflower, zucchini and mushroom soup.  Tomato and red lentil soup.  Both delicious!

It was another gloriously warm Winter's day today.  It was lovely to be out on the trike this morning, soaking up some vitamin D and then I had a little time on the garden swing this afternoon.

The Rainbow Bee Eaters are back and already nesting in the ground near here.  I'll post some photos tomorrow.  I've also found four Tawny Frogmouths so far, so they will be nesting soon too!  I was directed to a tree with two of them perched on top, by a lady who is a regular holiday maker in town.

She actually came to the markets to find me yesterday, specifically to tell me about the Tawnies, which I find just amazing and am so grateful for!  It makes me feel a little bit famous because even though I recognise her face as someone who spends time in the caravan park each year at this time, I don't know her at all!

I must go and check the tree with what I suspect is a Kookaburra nest, tomorrow too.

Our solar panels will be installed tomorrow!  Wahoo!  Looking forward to massively reduced power bills by the end of the year.

Today I am grateful for a pretty fantastic Sunday which included cooking, photography, gardening, a movie, a phone call with Chicklet and a delicious dinner made by Adoring Husband.

Nite all.

Day 285 in a Year of my Life

Tonight we attended a triple birthday party for three male friends whose birthdays all fall inside a two week period.

I took some photos, but I only have one to share for now, because it's late.

This is my token offer...

There were lots of kids there tonight and lots of friends.

I had a nice time.

Today, I am grateful for cups of tea with gluten free banana bread and garden swings on a warm Winter's Saturday.

Nite all.

Day 284 in a Year of my Life

Well, I think yesterday's big adventure has caught up with me.  Exhaustion is quickly setting in.

While Adoring Husband was on out SES duty today, I spent most of the time watching movies.  The first was a really nice one with Queen Latifa and Dolly Parton in it, called 'Joyful Noise'.  I missed about 15 minutes in the middle while I hung out some washing and picked some veggies from the garden, but I really enjoyed it.

The second one was an older movie from 1998 with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd called 'The Object of my Affection'.  I enjoyed that one too.

It was a really nice way to relax and regenerate after yesterday's experience on the whale watching boat.

So I'm off to bed before midnight and before I get my second wind!

Today I am grateful for quiet afternoons in solitude, and fresh vegetables from the garden, both of which help me to restore lost energy.

Nite all.

Day 283 in a Year of my Life

This whale season marks our 8th year in a row of whale watching.  Some years we go out twice during the season because we love it so much.

Our favourite boat was called 'Mikat', but this year, it was withdrawn from the whale fleet and from now on, it only does fishing charters out of Gladstone.

This means that we have to find a new 'favourite' whale boat.

So after a little research, Adoring Husband found a boat that had a 5 hour tour (the same as our old 'favourite' boat), but it leaves the marina 2 hours earlier and returns at lunch time.

We thought it would be nice to go out for lunch afterwards.

We arrived at the Marina a little early (because we actually, for the first time EVER, got ALL the green traffic lights along the main road through town!).

It was beautiful and peaceful and calm and serene ...

Who knew what was coming?

Our first surprise for the morning, was the discovery that this boat takes a detour to Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island to pick up other passengers.  This detour, both ways, takes almost 2 hours from our expected 5 hour tour.  Insert *sad face* here.

Adoring Husband tells me that this little titbit of information was not stated on their website, but I have since discovered that it very clearly provides this information, including the bonus lunch option on Kingfisher.  Insert *smiley face* here.

The water and the weather, up to this point, was glorious, and despite the unexpected detour, we were still excited about our whale watching experience to come.

Then we hit the open water.

Ugh!

Three metre swells!  This is no exaggeration ... I checked the weather website after we arrived home!

This boat powered through these swells at full throttle!  The wash came over the bow so many times and then flowed over the boat, down the sides and into the back of the boat where we were sitting.  The boat bounced and rocked and rolled, while AH and I held on so tight that our knuckles were white.

Our cameras went back into the safety of their bags for the duration and we hoped that they would be removed when we reached the whales.

Oh the trip was loooooooong.  It was sooooooo long.

I almost expected them to turn the boat around and cancel the trip.  I was genuinely afraid and began planning how I would survive the swim to land when the boat capsized!

My jaw was clamped tightly shut (just in case) and I watched that horizon with the intensity of a Jack Russell waiting at the opening of a rat hole.  It kept my stomach reasonably settled.

Finally, we made it to the first pod of whales.  I did get to view them briefly, but the water was still rough and the boat was rolling all over the place.  Our cameras stayed in the bags, and as we turned the boat to head towards the next pod of whales, is when my stomach decided it was time to empty itself.

Ugh!

There was some wonderful whale action out there today, but I could barely lift my head to watch them.

Bearing in mind that time seemed to go on forever (in my nauseas state), I believe that the whale viewing lasted less than an hour before we turned and headed back.

The trip back was also loooooooooong and rough.  I forced myself to doze in and out of consciousness in a seated position, silently praying that we would reach land sooner, rather than later.

It got cold (those who know me, know that I don't generally feel the cold and rarely wear sleeves, even in Winter) and AH was his usual gentlemanly self and wrapped his jacket around me.

We finally made it back to the marina.

Neither of us took a single photo of a whale.  Neither of us had the slightest interest in going anywhere for lunch.  My hair was so windblown, it felt like it was attempting to construct a beehive within itself.  Our faces were splattered with wet salty sea spots.

 What a bedraggled pair we were.  

I estimate that we've been out on the whale boats eleven times in 8 years.  Out of those eleven, we've never been disappointed.  Some years are better than others of course, but never disappointed until today.

Today, I am still feeling a little queasy eleven hours after disembarking, but I am grateful ... to be alive!

Nite all.

Day 282 in a Year of my Life

Apologies for another very short post tonight.

No photos to share ... again.

I've been watching tutorials all day and learning a LOT.

Then tonight, I was messaged by a lady from overseas wanting to buy some of my photos!

Very exciting, but I'm having trouble with one of the photos because I don't have the original on file, so I've been stressing a bit over how to provide a large copy.

She wants actual prints, which I will then send to her in the mail and she is having the frames custom made.

So my brain is working overtime.

The job is not yet complete, it's almost midnight and I have to be up at 5am to go whale watching tomorrow, so I'm off to bed and hopefully, with a fresh start tomorrow afternoon, I will have more success.

Today, I am grateful for facebook, which provided an avenue for me to showcase my work and has generated an amazing sale for me!  I've done no networking and haven't even mentioned that my photos are for sale, so the fact that she has made the request, makes it even more special for me.

Nite all.

Day 281 in a Year of my Life

Adoring Husband and I had a date today.

Lunch at Aquavue on the waterfront and then a movie.

"The Heat" starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.

It was hilarious!  If you can handle the f-bomb, which is dropped too many times to count, you'll get a good giggle out of this one.

Of course we had to get some new treats for SEB the cockatiel while we were in town.

We even got a treat for me!  A nice new set of headphones for my tutorials, so that I can't hear AH when he accidentally tries to talk to me in the middle of photoshop lessons.

So it's been a good day.  Another warm Winter sunshiny day.

Tomorrow I plan to spend all afternoon in my own personal class room.

I am in 'learning' mode and I'm quite looking forward to that.

Today, I am grateful for warm Winter home made soups to end perfect date days.

Nite all.

Day 280 in a Year of my Life

August Photo a Day ...

5.  Early

Our veggie garden is thriving at the moment.  Here is some of it ...

We've already had a meal of beans and asparagus (which we ate with salmon) and I think the first zucchini should be ready in two or three days.

Today was a perfect sunshiny Winter's day.  A little chilly in the morning, but absolutely glorious after 7.30am.  I spent most of the morning out on my trike and didn't get home til midday!

Today I am grateful for such a mild Winter.  It has helped our garden grow and thrive, which in turn, I am hopeful, will allow 'US' to thrive.  There's nothing more delicious than vegetables grown organically, in your own garden.

Nite all.

Day 279 in a Year of my Life

Ok let's try for August photo a day.

Sometimes life gets in the way and my months are left incomplete, but, even starting a bit late in the month, I think I can do this.

Good motivation to get the camera out, because sometimes the morning trike ride doesn't bring the results I hope for.

1.  Something beginning with N ...

2.  Incomplete ...

3.  Skyline ...

4.  Fresh ...

There's a good start.

We saw Number One Son onto the train this morning and he arrived home safe n sound this afternoon.

After we got home from the train station, I went for a Nana nap that lasted for 3 hours!  He must have worn me out!

I'm working on my morning green smoothies and lots of home made soups to get plenty of vegetables into my system and it's time to get my regular dose of morning Vitamin D happening again.

Also, very importantly, time to get to bed earlier each night.  It was 2 am this morning when I climbed into bed ... I blame the coffee that I had at the restaurant at 6.30pm.  I usually don't drink tea or coffee in the afternoon/evening.

However, my bedtime has been getting progressively later and later and then I struggle to get out of bed in the mornings.  I hate that.

Queensland mornings are so beautiful and vibrant and clear and worth getting out of bed early for and I simply must NOT get into the habit of sleeping in, because the best part of the day is gone by the time I climb onto my trike!

Today, I am grateful for Nana naps and home made soups and green smoothies and Vitamin D and vegetable gardens abundant with all things delicious.  That's my life :D

Nite all.

Days 277 & 278 in a Year of my Life

I sincerely apologise for my absence last night .. but Number One Son has worn me out while he has been here and I fell into a deep sleep before 9pm!  Unheard of!

None of our regular group were going to Club last night, due to illnesses (I hope you are all feeling a little better as you read this) and due to holidays, so Adoring Husband and I took Number One Son to the river to do some fishing.

He has never caught a fish ... a keeper ... so he is a little obsessed about doing so.  Unfortunately his efforts, while here, have been fruitless, so he'll have to wait til the next visit!

Not a bad way to end the day.  Feel the serenity?

We also decided to cook a barbecue, at the park, for dinner, so we got to watch the sunset and then the boys ate a mixed grill lovingly prepared by AH.  I was waiting to come home for some of my delicious cauliflower and pumpkin soup.

After we returned home, I had my dinner, and we sat down to watch the football (my team was playing) but by half time, I was falling asleep on the couch, so I abandoned my 'blog updating plans' and climbed into bed.   Zzzzz.

Today was a quiet day spent trying to regain my energy after a restless night of broken sleep (that's what happens when you go to bed too early!).

This afternoon we decided to head into The Bay for the 'Blessing of the Fleet', an annual event that kicks off the whale season in The Bay every year, but which we have never attended.  I think it's the only annual event that we haven't attended since we moved here.

I took my camera and tripod so that I could attempt my first fireworks photograph, but alas, I chose the wrong lens.  I'll definitely attend again next year and I know exactly where I'd like to set myself up for some better shots.

In the meantime, here is one of Number One Son's shots.  Also his first time photographing fireworks and he did it without a tripod, so I'm suitably impressed with his efforts.

He shouted us dinner at a restaurant on the deck by the marina, which was very nice, though it was 'gluten friendly', not 'gluten free', and I found it to be NOT very friendly at all to my poor body.  Still, it was delicious and I've learned that it's a 'no go' in the future.

Number One Son heads home tomorrow and has to be back at work on Monday, much to his disappointment.  It's been nice to have him here, especially because 2 years have passed since his last visit!

Today I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with all of my kids this year.  We all live so far apart, it's difficult to co-ordinate our lives to get time together, so this year has been pretty special.

Nite all.

Day 276 in a Year of my Life

The boys went go-karting ...

The boys went fishing ... no fish ... no photos lol.

Luckily I had dinner in the oven .. back up plan.

I think I need to get a good night's sleep because I am feeling very worn out tonight.  I reckon when you hit 50, somebody switches the 'tired' button on because my energy levels haven't been the same since that magic number!

Had a nice phone call from Best Cousin in the World today, all the way from drought-ridden Julia Creek, and she might be visiting later in the year.  Lucky girl will be having her own private little photography road trip.

We have changed the cockatiel's name to SEB, which stands for 'someone else's bird' :D  We are also trying to find a partner for it, for company.

Today I'm grateful for the chance to get into bed an hour earlier than usual.

Nite all.

Day 275 in a Year of my Life

Yesterday, Adoring Husband rescued a pure white cockatiel from the road at the front of our house.

He made it comfortable in one of our back bedrooms, with a portable clothes horse to sit on and food and water in bowls on one of the beds.  Towels everywhere to protect the furniture and carpet from birdie doodoo.

Number One Son and I put a card on the notice board at the local shopping centre, with our contact details,  just in case the bird's owner was searching for it.

It obviously has been hand reared and even though it was terrified, it was happy to sit on Adoring Husband's shoulder, but attempted to savagely rip his finger off when he got too close!

So, by this morning, this is what we were doing ...

Adoring Husband had already named the bird.  Meet Snowy.

Snowy has a new cage, a hanging toy, a special ladder to keep his claws healthy and special cockatiel food which he/she has been eating non-stop for about 6 hours now.

It's possible that our cockatiel could be the size of a sulphur-crested cockatoo by morning!

It's also possible that after spending all of this money, the owners will phone tomorrow and come claim their lost pet.

Se la vie.

I had to move our hat rack away from the bird cage, because one of the psychotic dogs was literally climbing the rungs of the stand and swinging on the scarves, attempting to get onto/into/at the the bird!  Crazy dog!  Thinks it's a cat!

We travelled into The Bay, not just to get the bird cage, but to take Number One Son go-carting.  Unfortunately, the track, we discovered,  is only open Thursday through to Sunday.  *rolls eyes*  So let's try that again tomorrow!

Adoring Husband and Number One Son spent the afternoon playing pool at the pub while I (by choice) stayed at home and cooked dinner.

Lamb shanks and mash for main.  Lemon Meringue Pie (gluten free) for dessert.

Today I am grateful that we could save Snowy and provide a safe place for him to live, whether it be temporarily or permanently.

Nite all.

Day 274 in a Year of my Life

Adoring Husband, Number One Son and I decided to go to the movies today.

We, along with four other patrons, chose to watch the animated movie "Despicable Me 2".

We all agreed that it wasn't as good at the first movie, but we still enjoyed it.

We had lunch on the water at Aquavue, which was nice.

We saw dolphins swimming as we drove along the Esplanade and I hoped they would swim in the same direction as we drove, but alas they did not.

After we got home, Number One Son and I gathered our camera gear and made our way down to the river, hoping to capture a good sunset.

Well, the sky teased and toyed with us, but it turned into a bit of a fizzer.

We might go fishing tomorrow - I think the weather forecast is for a fine day.

Today, I am grateful for movie dates with my boys.

Nite all.

Day 273 in a Year of my Life

WAHOO!!

It's my favourite time of year on television.  I am a huge 'reality tv' fan and right now, is when Big Brother, X-Factor Australia, and Australia's Got Talent, starts.

7pm Monday ... how the hell do you choose??  Big Brother on one channel, X-Factor Australia on another channel and football on another!  Ugh!

Check this out ...

That nasty one on the right, held the other's head under the water for about 20 seconds!  The one on the left eventually escaped unharmed ... although I imagine, emotionally drained!

I recently began following the facebook page of the Dr who specialises in females with Aspergers.  Her name is Tania Marshall.

She posts LOTS of interesting stuff about the syndrome and provides links to blogs being written by women and girls with Aspergers, FAQs just to name a few things that she offers.

Today she posted a link to one of her blog write ups ... "Adult Women with Aspergers" ... a very interesting read.

I could identify with a hell of a lot of the traits listed and I wonder just how many of those traits would indicate the likelihood of Aspergers in me.

I thought I may have been kidding myself, so I began to write down the traits that I identified with, thinking that I was imagining the high number.  By the time I got halfway down my 2nd foolscap page, I gave up because I wasn't even a third of the way through HER list and MY list was already long.

I figured it would probably be easier to write down the traits that I COULD NOT relate to.

So I thought I would share the link on here.  It's so interesting to read and I'm pretty sure that everybody possesses a few of these traits to some degree.

So much to learn!

http://taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/moving-towards-a-female-profile-the-unique-characteristics-abilities-and-talents-of-asperwomen-adult-women-with-asperger-syndrome/

Today I'm grateful to have Number One Son here for about 6 days ... even though he is NOT a fan of reality tv :D

Nite all.

Day 272 in a Year of my Life

2013 has been a year of 'processing' for us.

Adoring Husband was diagnosed in January with Parkinson's Disease.  A week later the tornado hit our town and caused extensive damage to our home and contents, not to mention the destruction to the town.  In June, we lost one friend to cancer and another was diagnosed with it.  This month, my little Chicklet was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum.

That's a lot to process in the space of six months.

If we don't keep a close eye on ourselves, the internal confusion and turmoil can slowly begin to overwhelm us, so I've been looking at ways of reminding myself to let life lift me, instead of the other way round.

I found this list of gems.

21 Habits of Happy People 

1. Appreciate Life
Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

2. Choose Friends Wisely
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

3. Be Considerate
Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

4. Learn Continuously
Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

5. Creative Problem Solving
Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

6. Do What They Love
Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

7. Enjoy Life
Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

8. Laugh
Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

9. Forgive
Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

10. Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

11. Invest in Relationships
Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

12. Keep Their Word
Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

13. Meditate
Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualisation or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

14. Mind Their Own Business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

15. Optimism  

See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

16. Love Unconditionally
Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

17. Persistence
Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

18. Be Proactive
Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

19. Self Care
Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

20. Self Confidence
Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

21. Take Responsibility
Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as your own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

Some days, we just need a nudge to remind ourselves.  Today I am grateful for the reminder.

Nite all.

http://www.altering-perspectives.com/2013/06/21-habits-of-happy-people.html

Day 271 in a Year of my Life

I woke up early enough for a sunrise this morning, but when I looked out the window, there was not a cloud in the sky, so I climbed into bed for a little while longer, knowing that there would be no colour for anything interesting.

I did get up early enough to catch some nice morning light on that lovely boat on the beach, but when I arrived, there was no sign of the boat!

They were either out sailing in it (I hope), or their holiday is over and they've gone home *sad face*.

So I hung around on the beach and got quite a few shots, which I will share here in the coming days.

Because it was low tide, I decided to pedal out to the end of town where the mangroves grow, with hopes of seeing a Kingfisher.

The beach there is quite badly eroded, so to get down to it, there are 'cliff-like' walls that are just a little bit too big for my old body to climb down or slide down.

So, I decided to follow a path through the scrub along the edge of the cliff, to see if there was easier access further up the beach.

I was feeling a little nervous because the path is a little overgrown and I was worried about snakes.

I had just reached the beginning of the path, when behind me, I heard a Whistling Kite.  It was close.

If you know me, the sound of a raptor will immediately grab my attention.

If I am talking with you and I hear a Kite whistling, I will stop talking and search for the bird in the sky or in the trees.  I will head in the direction of the sound every time, til I find the bird.  I am just a little obsessed.

So today, I turned around and walked away from the path to search for the bird.

There he was sitting way out in the open, on the dead branch of a tree, whistling his heart out!

So I found the best spot I could and took a couple of shots.

Right in the middle of the shoot, a female appeared, landed on the branch below him and in an instant, he jumped on top of her and they began mating!!  Right in front of my lens!!

It lasted all of 15 seconds and it was over.  They sat beside each other on the branches for about a minute, preening themselves and then flew off over the scrub.

Right place.  Right time.

So then I found the path again and followed it a short way to discover easy access to the beach and the mangroves.

I found a Grey Fantail but didn't get a shot.  I found 2 Pale Faced Rosellas mating, but they were way too quick for me to get a shot!  I also found a Striated Pardalote and got a poor shot of it.

Certainly nothing that I can share.

Then I had a little accident.  I wasn't watching where I was going and hit a mangrove branch with my shin.  It snapped the branch and gouged skin out of my shin.  It bled quite a bit and stung like billyoh!

I decided that it was time to come home and Adoring Husband played nurse, cleaned my wound and put disinfectant and 2 bandaids on it.

Today I am grateful for 'right place, right time' shots and for Adoring Husband's excellent first aid skills that I'm sure will prevent my leg from having to be amputated!

Nite all.

Day 270 in a Year of my Life

Nothing much to report.

Spent a good portion of the morning at the lagoon and got quite a few shots, but I only have one to share for now ...

Nothing spectacular, but pretty cool for a Spoonbill.

It's just after 10pm and I am now going to sign off immediately and climb into bed.

If I sleep well, I will head out early for a sunrise.  Wish me luck.

Today, I am grateful that my football team won by two points, against the odds.  Wahoo!!

Nite all.

Day 269 in a Year of my Life

Another beautiful morning.

I attempted to pedal around town again, but seemed to bump into all sorts of people for long chats, so I got nowhere fast.

It was nice to catch up with those people, but I ran out of time for photography as the light changed after mid morning.

A photo from yesterday.

I'm pretty sure that this boat is here on holidays.  It was here last year at the same time and then disappeared.

It's beautifully made and I'm a bit besotted, so I expect to get a few photos over the next few days.  The tide will be very low tomorrow morning, so if I get up early enough for some nice light, I could get something special.

I've got a funny feeling that the weather might work against me .. if the weather forecasters are correct!  I know .. they are rarely correct these days.

Today I am grateful to finish updating this blog before midnight .. I'm off to bed!

Nite all.

Day 268 in a Year of my Life

Well, it's BEFORE midnight .. in fact, it's not even 11.30pm yet .. it will be, by the time I finish writing this post though.

I didn't wake up til almost 8am today, after a very late night.  I think it was close to 2am when I finally fell asleep.  I'm creating a bad habit of waking late in the morning and missing what I consider to the be the best part of the day.

In the past, I always liked to be out of the house before 7am, but now that I don't visit the Seat of Knowledge, I'm not so motivated to get moving.

I need to change that, because I'm also missing the best light of the day for my photography.

Despite that, I went for a long ride on my trike this morning, because it was the most beautiful morning we've had for weeks.

The sun was shining, the air was clear, the water was a deep blue and twinkling in the sunlight, it was high tide and people lined the river banks with their fishing lines dangling in the water.

With not a cloud in the sky, I sat on my trike on the riverbank and just soaked up the beauty of the day and felt the warmth of the sun on my skin.

Then I rode to the other end of town to the lake, hoping to see some birds.  The flickr challenge this month is 'birds' so I really hoped for something special.  Unfortunately it wasn't to be, but I did stumble across this ...

I've posted the photos on facebook hoping that someone can identify this lovely little fellow.  So far, we've got Keelback, Brown Snake and Brown Tree Snake on the list.

Today, I am grateful that this snake was a long way from me and that I had a long lens to get the shots!

Nite all.

Day 267 in a Year of my Life

Firstly, because I know she will read this tomorrow (well, I guess, since it's after midnight, officially it's today) HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBLES.  I hope your day is amazing!

All I have to share with you tonight is a couple of photos of our delicious dinner, the recipe for which, I found on facebook!  Who knew facebook could be so useful for something other than wasting time and procrastinating!

I added a layer of eggplant as well.  I also added chilli to the tomato sauce mix.

Adoring Husband and I weren't keen on the top layer of Ricotta cheese and egg.  It was a bit bland.  I would probably add some feta cheese to the mix next time and maybe even toss in some of the chopped toasted walnuts that I keep in the cupboard.

As you can tell by the caption in one of the photos, we served it with roasted duck breast and roasted red capsicum.  It was quite delicious!  We'll have it again.  Apparently, the vegetables used, are good to boost the immune system.

It's heading close to 1am again.  I really should work on this blog during the day, instead of stupid o'clock at night!

Today I am grateful for cold wet Winter days that are good for curling up on the couch and watching dvds with Adoring Husband.

Nite all.

Day 266 in a Year of my Life

Way after midnight again and I have been engrossed in a movie with Michelle Williams and Seth Rogan in it, called 'Take This Waltz'.  I really enjoyed it ... but I was so mesmerised, I didn't touch this blog til now!  Ugh!

So briefly, here are a couple of photos ...

Nice morning with the camera.  Nice day on the computer.

Today I'm grateful for 'nice' days.

Nite all.

Day 265 in a Year of my Life

It's very late, and I almost decided not to post tonight, but knew I would take longer to fall asleep if I didn't post SOMETHING.

My jewellery party was very successful today.  I had a nice time, although I almost felt like it was an 'out of body' experience.

One lady, whom I had never met before, came as a +friend, because she wanted to meet me!

She admires my photography and even attended my exhibit in Maryborough last year!

So we had a long conversation about photography - she is an enthusiast, and a member of the Maryborough camera club, but she lives locally.

I had set my new large screen monitor up so that my flickr photos ran as a slide show, so she got to see some more of my work.

She was lovely and was very good for my ego - which needs a boost every so often.

So it was a nice crowd and I got to have a chat with most people individually, but like I said, it felt a little surreal and 'out of body'.

I had enough sales that I could buy three items at 50% off, so I bought some lovely shiny, sparkly bling.

Tomorrow's big task, that will require some focus on my behalf, is to write up a quote for a number of my photos.  If this person accepts my quotes, it will be my second international sale!!  Sounds good doesn't it?  "International sale"?

I haven't taken any photos for almost a week, so I'm hanging to get out tomorrow morning with my camera.

Meanwhile, it's almost 1am ... I must go to bed.

Today, I am grateful to have so many lovely people attend my party and spend up!  They were all happy smiley faces ... naturally ... retail therapy, good for the soul.

Nite all.

Day 264 in a Year of my Life

I would like to introduce to you, the newest member of my Apple family ...

With a 27" screen, bad photos look REALLY REALLY bad, however, the good photos look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

It's a bit of a learning curve, because this one is slightly different to navigate around, compared to the laptop, but I'll get there.

I certainly don't need to wear my glasses while working on this one!

Tomorrow, I'm having a Fifth Avenue Jewellery party.  I expect there will be somewhere between ten and twenty ladies here, so right now, I should be doing a little tidying up, so that I don't have too much to do tomorrow!

I'm having too much fun on my new toy though.

Adoring Husband is on SES duty tonight.  The annual 'Christmas in July' bash is on at the local hall and he is doing his share of setting up, cooking, cleaning, clearing and other such chores.

So I've had a very pleasant evening with some nice background music, no TV and an easy meal of home made soup for dinner.

I made two soups tonight.

Creamy pumpkin and cauliflower with a little chilli and sprinkling of roasted walnuts on top.

Creamy cauliflower, potato and leek with cayenne pepper, also with a sprinkling of roasted walnuts on top.

Both of them are delicious and I've got four single serve containers of each in the freezer for my enjoyment at a later date.  Adoring Husband is not a fan of my creamy cauliflower based soups.  That's ok because it means more for ME!  Yum!

Today, I am grateful for new toys that will ultimately improve my ability to edit photos.  I hope that others will notice the difference in my work!

Nite all.

Day 263 in a Year of my Life

I love being with my family in the Sunny Coast.

I love spending time with my little Chicklet.

I love being able to go on photo shoots with my photography friends.

I love the energy.

I love the beaches.

I love the shopping.

I love how accessible everything is, including Brisbane city.

I love how close it is to the mountains and rain forests.

I love the markets.

I love the availability of organic produce.

I love the cafes and restaurants and the gluten free options available.

I love so much about the Sunny Coast, that when I am there, I imagine living there and changing our lives.

Then I come home.

As soon as I step inside the door, I know where I'm meant to be.

I love my home.  I love my town.  I love my life.

I think I'll just have to love visiting the Sunny Coast on a regular basis.

Today I'm grateful for a safe trip home to a waiting Adoring Husband with a smile on his face and three psychotic dogs, all psychotically happy to see me.

Nite all.

Day 262 in a Year of my Life

This is my last night in the Sunny Coast with my Chicklet family.

I had a great day with my little Chicklet today, while her Mama and Dadu went to the movies.  We had lots of walks and played at the park and watched Playschool and played with all the new toys.

She asked if she could come home with me tomorrow, which was nice, but I suspect it was more about riding the 'train' than actually being with me lol.

I will miss her, but I'll be back in the not too distant future of course.

I have no photos from today .. too busy being a grandmother.

No other news.

Today, I am grateful for time.  Time spent with my family and feeling the love.

Nite all.

Day 261 in a Year of my Life

GO QUEENSLAND!!

Winning 8pts to 4 right now.

I had a pleasant wander around Noosaville this morning.  Found a lovely gift for Vegan Chickie's work area ... three beautiful silk sunflowers ...

... and also found some great little gift shops to browse.  Time passes faster than you think when you're browsing.

It was a nice way to spend the morning while little Chicklet was at the library with Dadu.

The Bare-chested Chef cooked up a storm this afternoon and we had the most delicious meal for dinner.  It was a Malaysian lamb curry that I can't remember the name of, with coconut rice, roasted peanuts, cucumber, pickled cauliflower, boiled egg and dried anchovies.

Everything was placed in separate plates spread over the table so that we could help ourselves and it was AMAZING.  I should have taken a photo!

Today, I am grateful to have a very good chef for a son-in-law and I'd like to add that his cheffing ability is just one of his many assets.

Nite all.

Day 260 in a Year of my Life

Four hours with my little sweetie possum, Chicklet, today.

We went to the shopping centre and bought some toys to play in the sand, then we went to the park where we made crab castles and then we came home and did some reading and I impressed with my juggling skills.

The day started out very rainy, but turned into a beautiful sunshiny day.

Today, I am grateful to have the most amazing and wonderful grand daughter EVER!

Nite all.

Day 259 in a Year of my Life

Chicklet time is wonderful and fun and joyful and educational and silly and exhausting!

We read stories and jumped over string and watched movies and played catch with Mike the Monster.

I was a horse while Chicklet climbed on my back for a ride around the lounge room.  I was a tiger with a tiger tail and mask, while Chicklet wore a dinosaur tail ever so briefly.

The dinosaurs didn't get much of a look in today.  Bunny rabbits and monsters were the choice of toys.

Games on the ipad filled in time while Bozzy Wozzy rested.

We've got another big day planned for tomorrow and I hope that I can get some nice happy photos of her.

Meanwhile, tonight, I played with some photos from the weekend.

Today I am grateful to have found a coffee shop nearby that sells delicious coffee and I am grateful that my body is holding out while Chicklet pushes me to my physical limits - which admittedly aren't that strong to begin with!  Perhaps I will leave here stronger and fitter!

Nite all.

Day 258 in a Year of my Life

After only 4 hours of sleep, we got an early start this morning to attempt to capture a nice sunrise at Mooloolaba.

Before sunrise

Three minutes of colour 

Stormy coastline.

After a little light rain, a brief wave of colour, the sky cleared and we three girls sat in glorious sunshine to eat a hearty breakfast to help us continue through the day.

And let me tell you, I needed a hearty breakfast to get through the afternoon with my little Chicklet!

I've been a dog, on all fours, chasing her around the couch.

I've been a dinosaur (Triceratops to be exact) stomping around the lounge room floor with her in the role of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I've been a dancing dinosaur!

I was even a hurdling dinosaur!

I was also a snapping crocodile and a back flipping frog.

A grandmother of many talents I feel.

Today I am grateful to know the names of, and recognise the bodies of, many more dinosaurs than I ever imagined possible.  Who'da thunk that a two and a half year old could provide me with such knowledge?

Best get some sleep in preparation for more dinosaur action tomorrow!

Nite all.