The First Two...

The first two buds for the year have unfolded on my pincushion hakea, I am always excited to see this tree in bloom. 

These are by far one of the most magical flowers in the world, well to me anyway!

The blooming of this particular tree always heralds the arrival of the cooler weather, and more importantly, the rains...

 

Charlie Is Struggling...

Charlie is struggling with the loss of Nala, like me he misses how cuddly Nala was. Charles is one who needs a snuggle partner, even in the hot weather. At night he now sleeps next to me, rarely moving during the night. In fact, the closer the better, as Nala normally slept close to me.

This afternoon I wandered in to see this beautiful vision. Charlie and Bear snuggling up having a midday siesta.

Mourning isn't just something reserved for humans; animals too mourn their loved ones deeply.

Living as closely with animals as I do, I have witnessed many moments where their strong emotional ties are evident. 

Before my beloved Aslan passed, he was always deeply affected by the passing of one of his hens. I always showed Aslan the body when one of his girls passed. He would bring the other hens, and he would dance around her cooing, trying to attract her attention. When nothing happened, he would stand and look, before turning and slowing walking away with his remaining harem in tow. The other amazing thing he always did, he came back to watch as I placed his girl in the ground. He would stand and watch, saying goodbye as his loved one was returned to the earth.

Grieving takes as long as it takes. And to me, a loved one is a loved one even if they aren't in human form. 

Those of us who form connections with animals rather than with humans do so because we find that these interactions are far deeper and pure than any relationship with a human can possibly be...

 

Always A Pleasure...

 Always a pleasure having the adorable Rufus along for a ride...

Bee-come...

 

Finally Fully...

Finally fully open, yet nibbled on by either the quendas or rabbits. 

Still not a hundred percent sure of what variety of plants it is though...

 

The Newest Addition...

The newest addition to my humble art collection. 

It's not on canvas, but rather on a block of wood, a stunning portrait of a willy wagtail one of Australia's cheekiest fantails...

Taking Time...

Taking time to rest and regenerate as life has been far too much, for way too long.

Thankfully, I have two fluffy purr machines to help me recover...

 

Stradbroke Island...

 Stradbroke Island, also know as Minjerribah was a place I visited way back in 2016. The photos were never posted as I had a break from blogging for a couple of years back then. 

For some strange reason the first few photos uploaded the wrong way around, and try as I might, I couldn't resolve it. So the photos of the boat ride over are not the first ones you'll see.

Anyway, I only visited the island for the day, but I remember clearly that I could have stayed forever. 

The island is on the east coast of Australia off the coast of Brisbane. 

It is the second largest sand island in the world, it isn't very large, 38 km long and 11 km wide. 

I managed to see one koala snoozing high up on a branch, some blue jellyfish and a few birds.

I also had a swim in the lake at the traditional womens place, the water has a brown tinge to it from all the tea trees that surround it. The oil from the trees give the water healing properties and my hair was so silky soft when I got out. 

Going through the photos I realised how much I enjoyed this day, and how memories surged forth as I revisited the images once again...