Then There Were Five....

Russell Crowe started off with six wives/concubines.

Now he has five.

Duncan found Mildred, one of our older girls, had passed away in her nest overnight on Monday morning.  We're not sure if she was sick or just old, but Duncan said he noticed she didn't appear well for a day or so prior.  It took some time for me to figure out whether it was Mildred or Eglantine who had passed on - they look so alike!

The other hens have been grieving for Mildred, taking turns to go into the shed, peer into the box where she slept, and make high-pitched screeching sounds when they see the nest is empty.  Last night when I shut them in the shed, I saw that Eglantine and Russell were snuggling together on the perch.  So cute!

Unfortunately we can't bury Mildred with Maya hanging around.  Duncan had to take her body out into the bush so Maya won't bring it up to the house as a 'surprise'.  Like most dogs, Maya has a fetish for the dirty and the smelly.  Once she found a sheep's leg bone by the side of the road while we were on a walk (probably left there by a fox), and it had a hoof still attached.  She brought it to me, and I told her, "Yurrrrrk, get rid of it!"

I will miss my chooky.  We won't replace her.  Not with the move to Kojonup so close, and with us already inundated with eggs.

RIP Mildred.

The Uncontactables

I do not understand why people set up for themselves:

• A landline
• A mobile phone
• An email address
• Facebook/Twitter/some other sort of social media

....if they don't want people to contact them!

I have made it clear before that I get very peeved indeed when I go to the trouble of making contact with someone, and try to keep relationships alive only to be ignored. I know a few people who have a phone, but never answer it. It's not because it's a bad time for them either, they said they just don't believe in answering the phone! Others get annoyed when people try to make contact with them in any form.

The way I see it is this: if you are setting up avenues of contact for yourself and giving those details to others, then you can expect to be contacted! If you want to be a hermit, fine, just don't sign up for these things. Why sign up for them if you're never going to use them? And I don't mean you should be enslaved to them either; I’m not suggesting you need to check Facebook fifty times a day! But if you don’t like them, and never use them, what’s the point?

If you don’t like these things, cancel them! Deactivate your Facebook account, cancel your mobile phone plan, shut down your email address. Having these things gives the illusion that you are contactable there, and I don’t want to be wasting my time.

I don’t get it. Please explain…

Indescribable by Chris Tomlin

When you've been to the incredible places we've been to recently, I can't help but cry out, "You are amazing, God."

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation's revealing Your majesty.
From the colours of fall to the fragrance of spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God.
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim,
You are amazing God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go,
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow,
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light,
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night.
None can fathom.

Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same.
You are amazing God.
You are amazing God.

Karajini

After five nights in beautiful Exmouth, we headed inland to Tom Price to visit our friends, Joel and Sam.  For those unfamiliar with West Australian geography, Tom Price is a mining town of approximately 5,000 people in the Pilbara region (north) of WA.

On our second full day in Tom Price, Duncan, Sam and I (unfortunately Joel had to work) went out to Karajini National Park.  Here there is an amazing array of gorges and waterfalls - like an oasis in the desert.  A lot of the gorges are only accessible by four-wheel drive so we only went to Fortescue Falls and the amazing Fern Pool

My back was playing up for most of our trip which made the steep descent into the gorges quite difficult and painful.  Yay for my hiking stick which I used as a walking stick like a little old granny.

Fortescue Falls

Red dragonfly.  There were so many incredible looking insects.

Fern Pool.  What a BEAUTIFUL place God created here.

Sam and I in the water.

Swimming was SO good for my back!

We had a friend join us for lunch.

Sam told me about a drunk tourist she heard about who jumped off this gorge last year.  Apparently his mates dared him to and filmed him on the way down.  Miraculously he landed in the pool, but hit the bottom and ended up a quadriplegic.

Exmouth

Here are the photos of our fantastic holiday in Exmouth.  Despite the heat making it tiring to walk five metres, I felt so relaxed and at home there I could have stayed for much longer!

After snorkelling at the beautiful Turquoise Bay.

People snorkelling.

I have no idea why Duncan wanted to take a photo of me eating a banana.

Me in the water.

What is this strange creature from the deep?

Oyster Stacks.

The beach was just small rocks - hardly any sand.

Some kid did this, not me.

Duncan about to go for a snorkel at Oyster Stacks.

Three little monkeys - my cousin's kids, Charlie, Georgianna, and Isabella.

Charlie and Bella with their Lego.

Even I did some building.

Fondue night with my cousin, Leah, and her husband, James.

Leah trying to hide behind a strawberry.

Bahahaha Duncan!

James

Mmmmmm chocolate.

Yuuuuuum!

Mmm marshmallow.

Yes, Duncan, I am having more :)

We went out fishing on James's boat.  Duncan was so excited, he woke me up early in the morning and said, "The fishes!  I'm going to catch the FISHES!"  I was glad to see some whales.

Duncan had a marlin on his line for about 45 minutes, but lost it.

I was content just to watch, enjoy the ride, and sleep in the cabin. I took some sea-sickness tablets, just in case, and they made me sooo drowsy.

Eventally he got a dolphin fish instead.  It was a very tasty fishy.

Two little mermaids.

Duncan went out fishing with James and some others the next day as well, and saw some dolphins.  Leah and I, and a friend of hers took the kids to the beach.

This time Duncan got his marlin.  He still talks about it.  Pity we live inland.

It was catch and release though.

James's deckhand with the marlin.

The boat.

Leah and James's beautful house.

The day we left to head to Tom Price.

The big prawn as you come into Exmouth.