Saturday, May 31, 2008

End of Autumn..

Aaarh, another autumn gone, my favorite time of the year....I think it's the earthiness of the colors, the yellows and browns, the light that just glows. Spring is breathtaking with the spectacular, but autumn just has this fading kind of golden glow.
My red flowering ironbarks! 25mm of rain bought these babies to life...the birds just go crazy in all the ironbark plantations where I planted them, you can hear the birds all over the farm.


Zorba the foal, who is about to be weaned from his mother spends lazy old days chasing birds around his paddock, this galah (which isn't real obvious in the photo), is almost teasing the foal, it flutters a few metres ahead and then waits for him to catch up chasing it..
Zorba and Rosie, and about the tenth photo of the foal poking his tongue out at me while taking his picture....I swear they know cheeky.
A paddock sown with wheat..
Late afternoon sunlight on native gumtrees down the road..
Ducks circling the house dam...



The ewes haven't had the easiest of times delivering lambs this year, but here are some healthy and playful lambs gamboling up and around an old empty dam in the corner of a paddock, (with their mothers watching closeby)..

Monday, May 12, 2008

The Dam Olympics..

Forgot the weightlifting...
Ya know it's that time again, adrenalin begins to pump, the balls come out, the blessings are made....

Athletes begin warming up...


The word is out gymnastics maybe a curly one this year...









But we can always enjoy the watersports, the swimming in particular is a big splash.





Yellowcard...



...and the judge who issues yellowcards, although she is a little colorblind.


Some of the high jumping...


Give everything you've got babe, it's bound to be exhausting.

More of the officials...


High jumping on hold, while boy spots girl...













Track and field


Dont look back. Something might be gaining on you. -Satchel Paige

















The Australian Team...








It's just the quiet contentment that you know you gave all.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Hope..and Believing...


On the way to a meeting yesterday I heard an interview with a man named Geoff Sewell.
He also sang a song dedicated to his daughter,"Sienna"...it is called, "Sienna's Song".. and it had me in tears, not a good look to walk into the meeting with :)

The rest of the interview was the most touching and heartfelt story about believing and love and not giving up...and...(this from his biography from his site):


"Geoff is also committed to community service - he has first hand experience of dealing with Autism and Epilepsy and continues to raise awareness and funds for these conditions using his profile.

The proceeds from 'Sienna's Song' on his debut solo album will go to families affected by Autism in NZ to provide hope and early intervention. Geoff through Amici forever raised over $30,000 NZD for Autism NZ in February 2006 and over $50,000 AUD for Autism Australia. He and his Incognito triathlon team raised over £2,000 for the UK National Autistic Society in August 2006 and for UK charity Treating Autism in 2007.

He supports various Autism charities and trusts in NZ and the UK.

He is a contributor/fundraiser for the National Society of Epilepsy in the UK and raised over £60,000 through his 'Stars for Epilepsy' concert series over three years. He is an ambassador for the IM Health initiative promoting wellbeing for all New Zealanders to match the country's 'pure' image. And Geoff is Patron of the Havelock North High School (NZ) new auditorium project (his old high school) and one of the first indicted into their Hall of Fame in 2007.
Geoff and Simone have two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Olivia, and live in London, UK.


Life is a daring adventure or nothing..."




...and this:


07/05/08 - Songs of Tragedy and Triumph Over Autism


THERE have been a few pivotal moments in the life of Kiwi singer Geoff Sewell.
Eleven years ago, following the death of his older sister Julie, he quit his job as a chartered accountant to become a professional singer.

Within five years he was part of one of the world's most successful pop opera acts, Amici Forever.

In 2006, however, Sewell quit the group when he and his wife, Simone Lanham, discovered their daughter Sienna had autism spectrum disorder.

The discovery led them to reassess their lives and concentrate on caring for their daughter. Today that commitment has led Sewell to use his musical talent to help other families cope with and learn more about the illness. To read the full article click here


I can't find the podcast for the interview I heard, but I have a feeling this following, may contain the crux: (again from Geoff's site):



News Story - Close Up, TV ONE, New Zealand
Geoff's new solo album has just been released. And today is a very special one for the Sewell family as his daughter Sienna celebrates her 5th birthday. Sienna has autism and one of the songs written by Geoff's wife is dedicated to her.
Click Here To Watch The Story
What I am trying to get up on my blog is the song he and wife, (Simone) have written, it is so beautiful. Sienna's Song, about his daughter.
It's not going to happen though, can't even find a copy of the beautiful lyrics she has written.
Later.











Saturday, May 3, 2008

Josie's Mellow Yellow Questions...

Being the free world that it is...and always up for a bit of a challenge I am doing Josie's question thing..answering these questions with just one word:

Where is your mobile phone? ..Car

Your significant other? ..Ego?

Your hair? ..Wild

Your mother? ..Many

Your father? ..Died

Your favorite thing? ..Life

Your dream last night? ..Forgotten?

Your favorite drink?..Life

Your dream/goal? ..Achieving

The room you’re in? ..Books!

Your ex? ..Don

Your fear? ..No'fear

Where do you want to be in six years? ..Climbing

Where were you last night? ..Celebrating

What you’re not? ..Mathematical

Muffins? ..Sultanas

One of your wish list items? ..Rain

Where you grew up? ..Country

The last thing you did? ..Breathe

What are you wearing? ..Honor

Your TV? ..Others

Your pets? ..Beautiful

Your computer? ..Research

Your life? ..Learning

Your mood? ..Passion

Missing someone? ..Yearh!

Your car? ..Washed

Something you’re not wearing? ..Glasses

Favorite Store?.. Books

Your summer? ..Burning

Like someone? ..Always!

Your favorite color? ..Blue

When is the last time you laughed? ..Today

Last time you cried? ..S'okay

Autumn lambing...a little dry, but we cut plenty of hay over spring and they have that, and grain and mineral supplement blocks...just looks barren the country. The alpacas are the guardians of the lambs, protect them from foxes, noble creatures and very inquisitive..










Last spring...
Daddyo's....

We three rams .....



If you knew, what I knew...

Headless rams...

You're beautiful to me...

.....and remember:
"In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must, above all, be a sheep."
Albert Einstein.