Hi everyone, finally something to show you:  one very hungry baby banana bird, aka blue faced honeyeater, or Entomyzon cyanotis!

My daughter took the photo, because I didn't feel inclined to climb up on to the trampoline in order to take it!

She also took a hilarious video of it, which you can see below, courtesy of YouTube:

I think you should also be able to see the video if you click here.

I was delighted to be invited to donate a miniature painting to our local art gallery association, to be auctioned at our annual art festival opening night!

I thought you might like to see this progression?

The drawing:

The painting in progress, showing my favourite tool for mixing paint:  wooden iceblock sticks!

 

The framed miniature:

 

(- & yes, my daughter was the model.)

I cried when I heard that Steve Irwin died.

I cried all through his memorial service.

I cried all through Terri Irwin's Australian interview with Ray Martin.

Steve and Terri's daughter, Bindi, has always reminded me of my daughter, when she was younger.

This is my tribute to the Irwin family and Australia Zoo.

The printing is from Bindi's speech at her father's memorial service:  "My Daddy was my hero."

Underneath are quotes from Terri Irwin:

"He was the best Dad in the whole world."

"Life is like a book, and this is the next chapter."

"Steve's here, with me forever."

On the way down to the Sunshine Coast of south east Queensland, Australia, we drove through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, through Mapleton, Flaxton, & Montville.  I love it up there, the views out to the Pacific Ocean are magnificent, & it's so green & lush & fertile - it looks like plants just joyously spring to life there!

This is Lake Baroon:

I'd love to have a house with views of Lake Baroon on one side & the ocean on the other!

Montville is a picturesque tourist village on high, don't miss it if you visit Queensland.  My favourite art gallery there is here.  Here is an accommodation guide for the area.  Doesn't Amelies Petite Maison look gorgeous?!

We stayed at the Breakfree Caribbean Resort at Mooloolabah, & we could see the sea from our balcony:

How's this for an inappropriate juxtaposition?

An "adult" shop right next door to a baby needs shop is just wrong!

We visited the farm a couple of times on our recent mini vacation in south east Queensland - the farm I grew up on, between Gympie and Maryborough.

My father still works with draught horses!

 

You can see some of my mother's flower garden in the foreground.

Usually I only hear swamp pheasants in the distance, but Mum had one in a tree in her garden! 

 

You can see a watercolour painting of the pheasant coucal or swamp pheasant (Centropus phasianinus) here.

A few miles away we saw a peacock running down the road!

 

It must have wandered away from its home.

 

I think it was trying to race us!

 

All these peacock photos were taken from a moving car.

Did you miss me?

I was busy finalising work before our Spring mini vacation, but now I've been home a few days.

Here are some of my gorgeous deep red hippeastrum, I think these might be "Roma":

They only flower once a year usually, just when I'm about to leave for a spring break, & the flowers only last about a week, two if I'm lucky.

Read about hippeastrums here.

It is so dry here, our lawn is brown, & look what I found in our rain gauge:

I don't know about you, but I prefer rainwater in mine.

These two photos were taken before our mini vacation in south east Queensland, Australia.  Stay tuned for holiday photos, next edition.