Lunar Eclipse

Like everyone, I was mesmerised watching the moon last night. I had charged the camera but realised I charged the wrong one and the only one that might have got some decent shots needed to be charged!

However, it was glorious to watch and there are better photos out there in the media, so look at those.

These were my best ones, though I quite like the artistic reject shots too. there's some sort of warmth in them.

There was also this on Twitter that made me laugh - but seriously, how do flat earthers explain this?

Linking with #PhotoSunday 

 

Kookaburra

 

More animal stories from the weekend - on the first night, a kookaburra zipped in and took food off my husband's plate, some spaghetti bolognaise. He flew back to his tree and then called all his friends who came over to see if they could get some. We finished our meal all hunched over our bowls, guarding our food.

The next day we had a sentry on duty while we BBQed, and took care when eating meat. However, while serving dessert, the kookaburra swooped in and took off with a Portuguese tart.

The following morning he got a piece of toast from one of the kids hands as it made it's way to her mouth!

So despite our best efforts not to feed the wildlife, they got fed all the same, and almost every meal included some shrieking. 

Thankfully he didn't want the cocktails or champagne!

Linking with #SaturdaysCritters #NaturesNotes #DND #AwwMondays #WildbirdWednesday #KeithsRambling #FridayBliss #GardenAffair

In the wild

There are not many people in this world that I'm jealous of, but David Attenborough is one. I think of all the magnificent and amazing things he's seen and I just can't fathom it. What an extraordinarily lucky man to fit all that into a life time! However, as I said to someone on the weekend, I am only 5% David Attenborough and 95% too sensitive for nature. 

We witnessed nesting birds attacking a monitor lizard for a good half hour. They were chasing it away, but alas, in the end, the lizard made his way to the nest.

In a distressing display, we saw him make his way up the tree and eat the eggs. All the while the birds kept trying to defend their babies.

It was upsetting and traumatic to watch. If I could have thought of a way to stop it, I would have intervened. 

You can see the birds still attempting to attack

And so, it made me realise I could never be David Attenborough so while still a little jealous, I'm not as jealous as I was. The noisy anguish of the birds was heartbreaking.

One bird coming in and the fanned tail of one moving off after attacking

I guess, it's that lesson in 'you can never really put yourself in someone else's shoes' or every good thing comes at a price....(I did also spend the rest of the weekend looking in trees to make sure a lizard wasn't going to drop down on to me! Esp on the golf course).

Linking with #WildbirdWednesday 

 

Champagne Sydney

The weather under La Nina has, let's face it, been crap! Last summer was barely a summer at all, poor people everywhere are facing floods for the second or third time in a year! Even if not in flooded areas,  mould or leaks are springing up. I was looking at a clip of an over flowing dam and thinking it was only 2 years ago when the same dams were at 10% and I was having Navy showers...the extreme weather events are disturbing, to say the least.  

However, the weekend was perfect. My husband had arranged to borrow our generous friend's boat to take a visiting Greek friend out on our gorgeous harbour. Alas she was sick so couldn't come but everyone else had a blast and we celebrated finally being back on the water. (Our last boat day had been cancelled due to the weather and the time before was overcast and a little subdued).

It was a joyous affair with good friends, great food and far too much champagne! (The wonkyness of some of the shots is due to my legs not rough seas! But the colours are worth sharing).

It was indeed as they say, a sparkling Champagne Sydney day! Note there are no filters on any of the photos.

It was the perfect way to start the festive season (in Australia, from Halloween to end of Jan becomes pretty much one long party as there's non stop 'catch up before xmas' and 'beat the rush' parties - all aided by an enthusiasm to 'enjoy the weather')

For those that remember, the karaoke, while very enthusiastic (& later hijacked into a dance party by me) was pretty dreadful!

Linking with #WaterThursday

Halloween - a love story....

My youngest, who had two Halloweens impacted by COVID celebrated (dragging her friends little sister along with them as cover) and had a very happy Halloween this year, so that made me very happy.

One kid remembered my Squid Game costume from last year (reused in part as Nairobi from Money Heist but that wasn't as popular or recognisable) and that made me very happy.

One kid informed me "This is the best house! You are the winner!" referring to my small cans of soft drink that my family had mercilessly mocked me for, and my youngest even complained about how stupid it was in her sleep (sleep talking) so I feel redeemed for what I thought was a good idea...along with bags of chips. Just for something different.

So as always, Halloween made me VERY happy!

Now the love story. These two met on the weekend, and over time, with a bit of falling over, moved a little closer together.

By Tuesday morning, the wind had pushed them into each other and I felt a pang of guilt at having to separate them. 

Perhaps a love bite?

My neighbour made me some Madeleines hot off the press. They were amazing as only fresh Madeleines can be.  I lent him my copy of Swann's Way.  Like Proust, the simple madeleine makes me very happy!

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking this old post with #AwwMondays because the kiss does make me go awww, with a chuckle....

November

November means packing away the Halloween decorations & it means ignoring the Cup.

November means sorting my charity xmas gifts and preparing Share the Dignity's #Itsinthebag campaign (to be delivered between 18-27 November this year).

It means summer outdoor concerts, weekends away and parties (getting in before the Christmas rush). It means planning my Sydney Festival.

It means family birthdays.

November is busy and happy but not the crazy rush that comes with December.

And this year November means the World Cup, so I'm hounding friends for my sweep, and will be spending the early hours running around town to watch games....

Bring it on!

 

Linking with #MakroTex & #Allseaosns  #FriendshipFriday #SundayBest #WWandP #SkyWatch #HeidisHeavenlyGaze #WordlessWednesday #Imagining