With Dark Clouds....

 With dark clouds teasing us with the promise of rain on and off for the past few weeks I woke in the early hours this morning to the welcoming sound of rain falling. 

There is nothing quite like the sound of rain on a tin roof, such a soothing sound, listening snuggled in my bed as the rain fell giving the garden a much needed soaking after the intensity of a long hot and very humid summer.

The wind chimes outside my bedroom window gently played their song in tune with the rain as I drifted back off to sleep with the soothing sounds of the first proper rain of the year bringing a deep calmness to my soul.

I have always enjoyed winter to the relentless summer heat and I do miss a proper northern hemisphere winter of sleet and snow, there is something so purifying of a white winter, here though I am content with grey skies and rainy days, this morning is such a welcome relief to these long hot summer months.

A cloudy sky always draws my attention, the clouds add wonder to the normally clear blue Western Australian skies giving an atmosphere of mystery as they dance across the sky.

Many view a dark cloudy day as dismal, and those who I have encountered in the recent weeks have been saying that they really want it to rain, yet when it does these same people moan about the rain finally falling stating that it is a miserable day, how rain can be viewed as miserable is rather confusing to me, cleansing and purifying yes, but miserable, well I just don't understand that concept........

Getting His....

 Getting his big boy feathers little chick is definitely a rooster!

I have always had in inkling that she was a he, and over the past few weeks his behaviour first confirmed this with his rooster plumage closely following.

Unfortunately I won't be able to keep him, as two roosters are not a good idea as the older little one gets the risk of fighting with dad Aslan increases.

Sadly he will need to be re-homed and I am not sure how well I will deal with that, given he is used to free ranging and living a happy life I am trusting that he does find a loving home where this lifestyle can continue.

The colours of his adult feathers as they are slowly coming through are really beautiful, he is going to be a stunning rooster........

My New...

 My new favourite morning coffee place gives me a view over the whole back garden and a glimpse of the front garden.

Such a relaxing place to wake up and welcome each new day.......

Little Mog....

 Little Mog is back at home with his family having survived two weeks here with me.

Back out on his leash having outside time and relaxing with Cooper and Banjo he is one happy and contented cat......

The Scent...

 The scent of the ocean aroused the kitties from a midday nap when I placed three bags of shells on the floor for them to sniff, all three came running as soon as they sensed something new to explore had arrived.

The shells held these three spellbound for quite sometime as they investigated these unusual and strange smells invading the cottage.

I love watching Bear, Charlie and Nala having a new experience, they love it when visitors come and they get to explore shoes and bags, but most of all they love seeing something new and exciting, taking them completely into the moment as their noses tell them of  places far far away........  

White Sandy....

 White sandy beaches and a ominous sky such a breathtaking sight.

The waters calm even though the sky holds the promise of a storm....

Pacha Mama, I´m coming home - Yopi Jay

Not A Fan...

 Not a fan of zoo's or animal parks I stepped out of my comfort zone yesterday as I promised to take someone I support to see the animals there as a day out.

As always I was aware that not all animals and birds were indeed happy with their confinement, the dingoes in particular looked stressed and less than happy with their living conditions the black dingo looking the most depressed.

Seeing birds confined and unable to fly and live free always disturbs me, some of the largest birds had the smallest cages with no room to fly properly enough to stretch their wings and soar in the winds.

A lot of the animals and birds showed signs of stress, and I was really happy to get out of the park at the end of the visit.

The kangaroos seemed to be happy enough, in their enclosure they at least had a time out zone where they could duck under the railing and have time away from the hoards of humans who visit the park, and quite a lot of the kangaroos were actually in this part of their enclosure and it was not even yet mid morning.

All the koalas were snoozing away apart from the one little chap who you could get close to, he actually seemed to have smirk on his little face as I went up to pat him.

The happiest and cheekiest were the goats, not native animals of course but highly amusing and very social one was chasing me around trying to eat the camera strap.

I did speak to one of the attendants as to whether they followed a program to rehabilitate and return the animals to their natural habitats, the attendant didn't  answer my question though, perhaps she didn't know.

Looking into the eyes of some of these beautiful creatures did make me sad, their eyes saying what they cannot voice.

With Australia's diverse and rather unusual array of wildlife I know that parks like these attract tourist by the bus load, although how many take the time to reflect on whether this sort of environment is actually in the best interest of the animals who have not consented to living in such an unnatural way......