Bloomin' flowers!

Some of the flowers we have blooming around our place right now. The one directly above is from my folks the day they left to go back home. It's just stunning with it's bright red lanterns and the birds love to hide in it as they're approaching the birdbath. And then of course, I couldn't go past the hibiscus bloom in all it's radiant glory without just basking in it for a while. And lastly, the orchids are just blowing me away with their long lasting quite exquisite blooms...

Calling in the snakes

My Mum, who visited recently, bravely exclaimed two night before she was to leave that she really was disappointed she never got to see Strangles the Python on this trip. S/he hadn't been seen for months. Anyway, this glorious creature turned up as if s/he heard the call! What a thrill for Mum!

Gathering in Mullumbimby

Friends, family and fun on my 50th!...and Mum's 81st!)

Mum and Dad visit!

Mum and Dad came to visit us after their fabulous cruise on a luxury liner over the top end of Australia. Here we are enjoying coffee at the Byron Beach Cafe at Clarkes Beach. Look at those beautiful blues in the background!

A Curt foto fest

A 'Curt feast' for his Moms eyes! Sorry I haven't updated much Rose. Life has a way of getting in the road! Apart from the fact that we so rarely seem to have the camera with us, isn't that always the way. Life is good. My folks are here from WA so we're having a break all round and just enjoying each other. Will post more pics this week........

More tree happenings

Couldn't resist posting this pic of the boys working hard!

In honour of Pablo

Meet Pablo, he's the beautiful young Columbian born galactic traveller on the left of this pic just above, staying with Sage (seated next to him) our next door neighbour for many months and during his time there, he became a friend of ours too. He spent many hours helping Curt with the heavy jobs, the harder jobs around the garden mainly, cleaning up elephant grass, pruing trees, carting heavy rubbish. And we'd spend many hours afterwards just talking about life, the universe and everything. I always liked to feed him, thinking that his Mum would have liked that. Pablo also loves to sing, forming a group with some other friends called The Mozzarella. Here he is jamming with Curt and his friend from The Mozzarella.
He left yesterday, he's off exploring new worlds, heading up to Brisbane. We'll miss him.
Hey Pablo, if you happen to check this blog out some time, I've lost the link to your "my space" address, would love to link others to your Mozzarella music!

Tree happenings

Curt's foot is so much better, thanks to all those who sent healing vibes. It's timely too because he's started a new project, one that will eventually lead to the demolishion of the delapidated old studio at the top of our block and the building of a new pole house for guests, utilizing the trees we had taken down when we first landed here.
Some of the guys from next door came to help with the arranging of logs and sawn wood. They're all pretty adept at climbing trees and felling them too. Dav is seen here removing a dangerous limb that is overhanging the old studio.

Lame horse

Does this look like a man in pain? LOL...hardly. But this is day four, day one was not pretty. That blinking rock went right through Curts rossi boots and pierced the skin! Whipper snipping can be dangerous, even with all the proper gear. His swollen foot looked like a balloon.
Anyway, having Curt outa action gave me a new appreciation of all those things he does around the place...cos I was so busy doing those things and looking after the lame horsey (his chinese sign) that I had no time for claying. Crossing fingers he'll be alright by the weekend...I have a ton of stuff piling up that needs doing...

Nimbin Mardi Grass festival and Curt's birthday

Nimbin Mardi Grass festival always falls on the same weekend as Curt's birthday and since the Kombi club organized a campout for it, it was a dead cert that we'd go.
The above pic is the line up of VW kombis on the way there...
The next pic is driving through the crowd in Nimbin...
Then there's Curt laughing at the ATM line, since we were organized this time and didn't need to wait in line with them this year!
The one with Curt doing a headstand (see what Nimbin does to ya!) overlooks the view we woke up to every morning... on a beautiful property in Nimbin of some of the Kombi Club members.
Then there's me chillin' in the bus...
And the rest are pics of the festival parade..spot the gunja fairy!
Info about what the Nimbin Mardi Grass festival is all about is http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/

Event of the month..Mels new glasses!

After persevering for many months with specs that Curt repaired for me umpteen times, I finally got some new glasses. Very speccy specs! Rimless, graduated lenses for long, mid and short range, non reflective and light as a feather...I totally love em! And cos they're on my face all the time, Curt loves em too...mainly because I'm not saying 'where's my glasses?' anymore!
And look who poked his head out the top of a pipe? Couldn't resist taking the shot.

Kombi Club Campout

43 kombis from all over the east side of Australia took part in a campout in Eden NSW (near the Vic border). Some drove many thousands of kilometers to be there. The Qld crew met Curt on Pacific Hwy near Mullumbimby and proceeded caravan style down for about 3 days and 1300 km to meet the rest of the crew over the easter weekend.
Here's a pic of Curt's Kombi, renamed Blue Thunder cos it farts blue flames when it backfires going down hills. And a pic of Curt racing toy Kombis.

Close enough to say hello

Every now and then, we have hot air balloons sail past our place but never as close as these. Not only did they return our waves but they were so close we could say hello to each other.

Mellow out in Mullumbimby

My folks who live in Perth saw this article (link below) in their local paper...imagine, an article about Mullum! Uh oh, does this mean the secret is out about our gorgeous laid back little town? http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23271800-5005040,00.html
The sun came out on my day off...so I dragged the banana chair out under the jaccaranda tree and spent an afternoon reading a wonderful new book by Hadar Jacobson on metal claying.

More clearing...and movie night

Ok, so it's not my best look! But this is what I look like when I see the graze on Curts leg caused by the chainsaw and a second of distraction! I was about to do a 'mum' on him, you know, all about chainsaw safety, but stopped myself. He knows. At any rate, he's ok. Just a graze. And what a pile of work he's getting done! He's had the help of a backpacker who's hanging out next door and needs some spare cash. It's great cos Curts much more motivated when he's working alongside somebody...they've had multiple trips to the tip, still getting rid of piled up crap lying around...a dozen old batteries, washing machines, old bikes, just tons of rubbish that was all piled up near the orchard., probably been there for a decade. They've also cleared all that elephant grass from around the orchard area. Amazing how much space there is now! The next photo is a pic of Pablo, our Columbian traveller come work buddy. He's also in the top photo, with some of the crew staying with Sage right now, it's movie night at out place...just a gorgeous bunch of girls...very firey too . The other pic is of our driveway now the elephant grass, barbed wire, old star pickets, you name it... is gone...this is the same spot where Curt was coaxing the car back on four wheels in an earlier post. Big diff eh!

Mt Chincogan and our friendly python

Did I tell you we had a lot of rain? Well, it's still raining...and with the rain come the creatures, seeking shelter. Here's our friend making his way to his usual hidey hole in the ceiling of our tool shed off the verandah.
And a spectacular shot of Mt Chincogan from the road leading into Mullumbimby. I love that drive back from Byron Bay into Mullum, something about those mountains that touch something inside me. A sense of peace. A coming home...