Annie's Blog

 Gosh. Now it is NOVEMBER! How time flies while having fun.  Or perhaps bring otherwise engaged ...mainly in (thankfully) minor medical procedures. Most notable being cataract surgery ..all done but waiting on new glasses!  Went to the beach the other day ..thinking I'd beat the schoolies! Almost. There were a lot of people swimming at midday on a warm day....and kids running around in school uniforms etc  https://photos.app.goo.gl/ Nn3JuFyyf5T5Ag9g9 This is a bit of a boring way to show photos! (I'll leave it here for the moment  to see if it worked ok) I will have to try to show at least one here differently! ( whew, I did it ...not sure how!! ) It has been very warm lately and as I write this we have had a very wet morning, with a little low sitting over us here on the Sunny Coast! Looking forward to some family gatherings to come in the next months!! That is me with my sunnies after surgery! Haha. Been doing some reading, a fair bit before the cataract surge...

 In some parts of Australia, life is pretty OK and normal Some parts of the country are very dry, and VERY HOT... there is a funny Australian saying that goes "flat out like a lizard drinking"... and that is how many people have to cope with the extreme heat at the moment... doing nothing. prayers for those in the heatwave, that the cool change will come on cue or early (and safely) tomorrow with slightly less gusty winds and thus less fires and tragedy. Strange to be having funny heavy (normal) downpours of rain here, while others long for rain, and knowing that the monsoon has arrived in the north of the continent at last, with the threat of more cyclones. In Australia, one never knows quite what the next week will bring... well, maybe the week after, ( the weather bureau seems to be pretty good for the current weeks predictions).  So often spot on. Amazing that they are still playing tennis at The Australian Open.  Glad they cancelled games...

the weather has been on again off again, but not too bad really, being winter still officially... so we managed a short trip to the beach last weekend until the rain chased us home  the clouds were quite spectacular  but despite the cold, and the impending rain  there were still some brave swimmers It is always about team work on the beach with the life savers ah, it is nice to be at the beach and to see the ocean again.

One advantage of the weather lately has been admiring the various blooms .. these irises were looking quite delightful on Sunday... the birds like to come out of the rain I love listening to them as they warble happily away. this magpie was quite happy sitting there yesterday as I took several photos of him  quite a nice sunset last night didn't really indicate the rain that was to come today the butcher bird was happy to take refuge today and similarly warbled a song for me thanks for coming little fellow... sorry I had to use the flash to get a nice photo of you, promise I won't do it again! pop in again tomorrow, I think the rain will still be here, according to the forecast. hopefully the low might be passing by us faster than they were predicting.  Unfortunately we don't really need the rain after the last lot a few weeks ago of 16 inches.  Oh well, what's another couple of inches after that many? I just hope it doesn't fl...

It is raining here, a little...and prayers are going from my house to those of family in NYC and those on the Eastern seaboard of the US may God go with you in your preparations as the hurricane Irene approaches and as you weather the storm out. Dear God watch over the little ones and keep them safe. Thanks that the hurricane weakened as it got to NYC...though there seems to be a lot of rain and flooding around. May He also be with all who find themselves in uncomfortable places, and need His help and reassurance. Including those who lost family members in a house fire at Logan this week. Eleven lives lost from two close knit Islander families. Unimaginable grief and loss. May God enfold you in his arms and console you.

Have been a little variable during the week, ranging from startling blue skies... over the playground... to snowy and rainy.... for other contributors to skywatch this week...please click on the picture over in the sidebar...

we have been having some lovely follow up rain after our good shower a week or so ago. I noticed the poor scrub turkey sheltering high in the bushes during the rain.... this fungus on this tree appears to me to be flowering....? a drive in the country...not too far from the city... there used to be an old friary out here....I remember the fellows going to uni on the motor bikes with their habits flowing...seemed very funny at the time! But I am not sure that there are any of them left there....I think the Anglican church uses it for other purposes.... the flowers at home.... even the petria is flowering now.... For more contributions from around the world...please click on the My World icon over in the sidebar....

We have had some nice rain here during the week. As distinct from the huge amount of rain and floods that other parts of the state, as well as parts of NSW, have received. And still no rain yet for the fires in Victoria, although they are predicting some showers there tomorrow...here is hoping! a couple of wonderful sunsets during the week too! and some fine blue skies as well! I went to Toowoomba (up the range) for a day or so, and there were very noisy bats in the trees at the gardens! On the way home I took a detour to have a look at this lovely church. Had another storm this afternoon. I took the photo above on a trip across town this afternoon. The above near the church, and below in Toowoomba..a lovely silver lined cloud! To see more skies from people around the world this week, please click on the skywatch icon over in the sidebar...