"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire

Today dawned sunny but a rather cool 5 C. It did warm up to 24 C which made for quite a lovely day. Eden had a dance rehearsal at 11 am in Applecross, so we all piled into the Hyundai and away we went. She is required to have a bun in her hair for this recital and Kathryn has a little difficulty getting the pony high enough on her head due to brushing of the hair issues and sensitive scalp (which Kathryn also had as a child). So Grammie stepped in and managed to get her hair into a high enough pony with only a few squeals!! Kathryn finished it up and it only had a slight tilt!

Eden posing for the camera. We are going to her ballet recital on Friday which I am sure will take me back about 30 years!!

Kathryn dropped us off at a lovely little park in Applecross, a suburb of Melville which is right across the Swan River from Perth. We strolled along the waterfront, found some black swans to photograph and put in a half hour while Eden was practicing. It was cooler near the water and I was regretting not bringing my jumper (sweater). Then it was back to Atwell for leftover pizza and a late lunch. The afternoon was taken up with story reading, a little gardening and watching Madeleine. The girls seemed to be a little off kilter today so we just let them play and sort out their conflicts.

 I think I got the best shot of this with my iPhone - a passionfruit flower.

 A black swan on the shore of the Swan River.

 A view of the city of Perth from the opposite side of the Swan River.

 A memorial to Heath Ledger who was born here in Perth. Rather a sad reminder of the brevity of life.

The girls discovered this little guy on a broom handle on the back patio - even grasshoppers are larger here.

A beautiful little park, but very busy with young moms and children. I guess school holidays tend to encourage the families to get out and enjoy the spring weather.

And the end of a busy day, two tired girls watching the telly with Grampie.

We will be heading to Caversham Wildlife Park tomorrow in hopes of seeing some kangaroos and koalas, so there should be lots of photos up tomorrow.

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard

Well I think my body and mind have finally adjusted to Australian time. Went to bed at 10 pm last night and woke up at 5:30 am which is my schedule in Canada. Yayyyyy. Andrew and I went for an early morning stroll and I have been wanting to do some hills but they are pretty much non-existent here. It is very flat but we are hoping to spend some time farther south near Albany in the Stirling Range National Park. We want to hike Bluff Knoll which should be a challenge and we are planning to stay in a rammed earth cabin at the retreat there.
Another thing I have noticed is that street names are very descriptive here. In Atlantic Canada we pretty much stick to road, street, avenue, drive but here they are much more creative and use names like rise, terrace, retreat, close, mews, way, loop, gardens, circuit. It's kind of interesting and fun to see the different signs.
Eden has had her school holidays since we have been here which has been great as we get to spend a lot of time with both the girls. The school year starts in February here and they have 4 semesters with 2 week holidays in each semester. Then they have about a 6 week break over Christmas.
We took the girls to the local library this morning which was fun and they picked out quite a few books. Andrew also found 4 heavy books on Australian birds and trees. He ended up carrying them until we found a trolley (shopping cart) in the shops (mall) to put them in. Kathryn made some pumpkin biscuits (cookies) this arvo (afternoon) and also a homemade delicious pizza for supper. Andrew and Tim drove over to get their car which had been at the mechanic for the day and Andrew had his first experience driving on the left side of the road. I don't know if I would ever feel comfortable enough with it, but he seemed to think it wasn't such a big deal.

Andrew driving a well-loved Volvo. And no, he didn't end up on the front lawn by mistake. Everyone here uses their lawns for parking!! 

It was another low key day, but we are enjoying every minute and trying to treasure all the happy moments away so on those long January evenings when the snow is swirling around the house, thoughts of sunny Australia will help to get us through the winter.

Thanks for travelling along with us!!

"The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?" - David Attenborough

Sunday October 4 was low-key, as it ought to be. Tim was leading worship so he and Andrew went early to church which is held in a scout centre at Bibra Lake, a nature preserve. Andrew spent an hour wandering around with his binoculars. The first birds discovered were two kookaburras and yes they were in a gum tree.  While photographing the kookaburras, he was attacked by a magpie; apparently there was a nest nearby. No blood was spilt. In the evening Kathryn and Tim did the Bread Run; they pick up bread from a bakery at closing time and deliver it to some families in need. Then they had a supper date. We looked after Eden and Katie and had fun doing puzzles. It is good to be near and be able to help out!

 The Laughing Kookaburra is a rather large kingfisher and it sounds like a monkey. Can you see two??

 The assaulting magpie. These are everywhere and not to be trifled with.

Puzzle time with Grampie. 

"Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?" - Rose Kennedy

Today we slept in until 7 am - shocking, I know, but decided to still have our daily walkabout. Andrew purchased an inexpensive set of binoculars and has been using them every day. We came home to a Tim produced a breakfast of pancakes with strawberries and Canadian maple syrup drizzled on top. So very delicious. Then it was off on a day trip to Fremantle (the short version is Freo). Today is a BIG day in Australia--Grand Final Day. This is the "super bowl" of the AFL between the Hawthorne Hawks from Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles from Perth. (Freo was defeated in the semifinals.) Fremantle was relatively deserted this afternoon because everyone was watching the footy game.

This port city, west of Atwell, reminded me of Wolfville in a lot of ways. They have a weekend market there with lot of fresh produce to choose from, little shops to browse through and buskers for entertainment. I am discovering that through the pictures, I can relate the story a little better, so I hope you enjoy today's stroll through Fremantle.

 In a little place called Harmony, just an interesting sculpted piece with a couple of coots.

 At the market, watching this guy fill a very unique homemade polenta cone with soft serve. The cone was actually a u-shape and he put vanilla in one end and chocolate in the other. They were $5. each and it was mid-morning, so we passed up the opportunity to try one.

 These little cupcakes looked so yummy.

 An interesting concept - purchase a book not knowing the title for $15. Like Andrew said, it could be a recipe for disappointment.

 Strolling through the city centre. 

 Our lunch venue - we decided not to eat outside with the seagulls - they were very aggressive. A fun place for a feed of fish 'n chips.

 This is Princess Miranda and her older sister looking at the huge aquariums set up in the restaurant. Very entertaining for them.

 Eden taking a closer look.

 A very good reason not to go ocean kayaking. This damage is from a shark bite. 

 Mama and daughter on the dock.

 Andrew found a new woman at Bather's Beach but she wasn't very responsive.

 Walking on the sandy beach to the 'roundhouse' in the background. This was a prison (or gaol) built in 1830 and is the oldest building standing in Western Australia.

 View from the other side of the roundhouse - High Street.

 A few reasons for imprisonment - really?? Some of these seem a bit unreasonable.

 Fremantle Hotel - would love to see inside this building.

 This is the way a roundabout should be built - New Minas should take some notes. A tree in the middle is much more attractive and you can actually see what the traffic is doing, rather than having a hill there that blocks the view of the flow of traffic.

 And this is the cutest little bird ever - he's a willy wagtail and when he walks along the ground, his tail just wags back and forth. Here is a video showing his cuteness.

And this is a guy that is pooped at the end of the day - the girls tired him out!!

Having a fantastic time in the land down under with a sweet family.

"Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." - Hans Christian Anderson

Friday, a week since we left Nova Scotia. It would be nice if time would slow down just a bit. We are trying to absorb every minute and cherish the time we have with these special granddaughters. We ventured out this morning to do our first bush walk. We decided on 'Sixty-foot Falls Walk' in the Ellis Brook Valley Reserve, about a 20 minute drive from Atwell. It was about a 2 km hike through the bush and uphill for the first half. The girls impressed me with their ability to keep up with the adults and there was only one meltdown, but that was quickly resolved. On the way up, Eden accidentally stepped on a little snake, the only one we've seen so far. Andrew and Eden were the only ones to actually see it, which I was kind of grateful for!! We were on the lookout for the elusive splendid fairy wren - a brilliant blue bird and we were treated to a couple of viewings - it was pretty exciting! I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

 "Lemon tree - very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon, is impossible to eat." 

 Andrew picking a mulberry - an unwritten law is that any fruit that is overhanging outside of private property is free to anyone passing by.

 A mulberry.

 My guy's creative photography - a frond of a tree fern.

 The beginning of our bush walk.

 Eden - the budding botanist, helping Grampie to see all the beautiful flowers; this one is a feather flower.

 Spring is here and along with it, many delightful, never before seen, species of flowers. This one is a fringe lily.

 Our first water break.

 The prettiest one, in my opinion, (blue lady orchid). Such a lovely shade.

 We've seen this one a lot but not sure what it is, I'll call it 'pretty in pink'.

 So many lovely flowers. We think this one is a graceful honeymyrtle.

 The sixty foot waterfall with only a trickle of water. Kind of disappointing, but they had a rather dry winter.

 Halfway through and enjoying our apples.

View of Perth from the top.

 One nasty inchman ant with a wicked bite.

 Stunning!

Last one, I promise - the dominant shrub was the one-sided bottle brush. 

  Two cuties having a rest - wandoo eucalyptus trees in the background.

 Overlooking a massive granite quarry on the way down.

 Having lunch at Macca's (McDonald's) - see the palm trees out the window??

And as we end our day here in Australia, I listen to Kathryn and Tim practicing the songs for the worship service on Sunday. My heart is full - no words.

"A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living." - Charles R. Swindoll

Well another low key day in the land of Oz. More sun - what can I say? After a short walk this morning, I made biscuits (or scones if you are Australian). Biscuits are cookies. We are learning a new language while here. The girls correct me if I call their shoe cubbies their bins - bins are for garbage. Sometimes they look at me with this questioning stare wondering what I am talking about. It's quite funny. Working with a propane stove was a new experience, but we found a recipe for Mary Berry's very best scones and they tasted great with creamed salmon on them for our lunch. If you don't know who Mary Berry is, you need to watch "The Great British Bake Off" - awesome show!! I am looking forward to catching up on season 6 when I get home.

 Katie and Grammie having a look at Mary Berry's cookbook.

 Eden found a feather that she wanted changed into a pen. Grampie came through with his creativeness and Eden spent about an hour 'painting' pictures.

 And in the middle of this cuteness, we have the famous Australian redback spider - not so cute. (Lego piece for scale.)

 After supper bike ride, to get the girls tired out before bed. It worked!!

Eden is a pro on her two wheels!!

A good family day, still trying to adjust to the time change, but I think we're almost there. Looking forward to another adventure tomorrow, so stay tuned. Hopefully we will get to meet some kinder Australian wildlife??