Last Sunrise of 2014

The last sunrise of 2014.

I'm not sure what I think about that.

Where did the year go? What filled it?

I have just over 14 000 photos that show part of what filled it. 

Glorious sunrises, even if they were greeted by tiredness. 

Birds and flowers showing the beauty and colours of nature.

A few photos of family but not nearly enough.

Amazing waterfalls showing that rain does happen.

Crazy whipped up waves and water cascading down the mountains showing that rain does happen but so do natural disasters.

Relaxing evening or morning beach scenes showing the beauty and how lucky I am to live in the tropical north.

Fun from work at Nova, fun and learning with students and experiencing everything through new eyes over and over again.

Tasty food filled with love for sharing.

Spectacular sunsets, when I could, that were cherished for their beautiful ending to a day.

I wouldn't say this year hasn't been a particular highlight but I won't write it off either. It had its ups and downs and sped by far too fast.

I've never come to the end of a year yet and thought, thank goodness it is over, and I hope I never do. There is a reason for everything and even when there are bad times, there are also good times.

I am eager for the next year, 2015, imagine that, 2015.

I am eager for more experiences, more learning, more special moments, more of the ordinary, more love, more time with family, more beautiful sunrises and sunsets and so much more.

Are you hanging out for the end of 2014 and ready for 2015?

Are you ready to seize every moment, the good and the bad, of the next year.

Do you have plans for New Years Eve or New Years Day?

We might make it to the fireworks, we might watch Sydney ones on T.V or we might sleep. New Years Day has nothing planned except probably lasagne for dinner. I will probably have a very sore toe so feet up will be how I spend my time. That is a thing I will be happy to leave in 2014, the experience of getting two ingrown toenails taken out within about 6 months of each other, same toe. Getting it done again today means I just fit both into 2014.

Home Sweet Home - The Tour

 

I thought the early morning rainbow when heading to our new home after dropping Mr Sparky off at work was a good sign for the day, for the first day in our new home.

 

 

Out the front of our place.

 

 

Front gate to our townhouse.

 

 

Front door plastic plants and all. Real ones are on their way.

 

 

Looking inside the front door. Excuse the mess hadn't started to unpack at this stage.

 

 

The laundry to the right of the front door. Washing machine arrived later in the day and the giant wash-a-thon commenced.

 

 

Kitchen area, not huge but there is a little bench space.

I think it is a one bum kitchen, two at a squeeze.

 

 

Kitchen and living area looking towards the back of the house.

 

 

The living area. As I said not unpacked or put away so stuff is everywhere.

 

 

Out the back door we have out own patch of grass and garden. As I have discovered this becomes a pond in the rain.

 

 

Looking back towards the house. The pots on the lattice are my new herb garden now. How convenient of someone to leave them there.

 

 

Heading up the stairs.

 

 

At the top of the stairs is a linen cupboard and the door to the main bedroom. Obviously a lot of putting together to go on there.

 

 

At the top of the stairs looking towards the second bedroom.

 

 

The main bedroom has a little balcony so we can see out over the back fence to the grass beyond.

 

 

The squishy ensuite. This one is definitely a one bum room. The second bedroom has one to.

 

 

Air con in the main room a definite must.

 

 

The view from the balcony. This as I have found out turns into a swamp or wet land in the rain with birds and frogs galore.

 

 

And there is that rainbow.

 

Down on the Farm - Click go the Shears

 

Click go the shears boys, click, click, click
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow
And curses the old snagger with the bare-bellied yoe.

(Australian folk song)

 

 

Okay so in modern times there is no clicking of shears more a buzzing and in our case, last week, it was only two sheep being shorn by a travelling shearer who has equipment rigged on the back of his ute and shears the sheep outside.

 

 

 

 

"Where's my Mum?"
(No joke there lamby didn't recognise its Mum after she was shorn and ran around for ages blahing for her when she was just nearby.)

Down on the Farm - a Little Clucky

I move the chunk of old, grey timber leaning against the rippled iron and slowly pull the large corrugated iron door of the hay shed open. I peer around the the edge of the other door and see nestled among the hay a soon to be mummy keeping her clutch of eggs warm. They aren't her eggs but she has happily taken them as her own and like her other friends will hopefully protect and raise them as her own. Fostering of the best kind.

While I was home 'down on the farm' there were quite a few clucky hens. I was lucky enough that all three clutches of eggs that were being sat on by broody hens hatched while I was down that way. Chicks galore can be found at different ages, running around in a few different pens with protective mummies trying to round them up and hide them whenever anyone is around. They are just so cute a fluffy.

This very cute bunch hatched by the Wednesday of the week we went down to my Grandparent's place. So in these photos they are a few days old.

 

And these cuties hatched the next week. These photos are taken just after the last chick hatched so not all of them quite had the hang of walking and had to have a snooze every few steps.

 

 



 

 

Did you nice the different breed hens yet all the chicks look the same? That is because the chicks are all the same breed they are not either of the breed of hook that hatched them but Barnevelders instead (black chook with pretty gold lace pattern on feathers).