Scribbles from the Chookpen(3)

Nuytsia Floribunda or Australian Christmas Tree in all its glory. Close ups emphasize why the name Floribunda.

The Branch/Donnes Xmas get together was a great success and very enjoyable once again. The day was perfect, got to 38 degrees but not really felt, up high on the back varandah .The two pops were cooking, as they should , but the Donnes girls pre-cooked as well as doing the eggs etc. It really was a lovely day.

There was great food and champagne as one does at a champagne breakfast.Then there was the lovely company.Sorry about the head Frank)

Bella & Sarah made grab bags for everyone.even adults and Riley wore the lolly basket!

The grandies played Pass the Parcel and statues

All the kids ready for one big bommy

View of Perth from the Donnes varandah

(0 unread) Yahoo!7 Mail, jacarla2002

(0 unread) Yahoo!7 Mail, jacarla2002 Sister Nanny does not have a blog so I'm publishing her pic of Penny at sunset.Looks more like fire but I guess that is one thing Christmas Island does not have much of.

Scribbles from the chookpen (2)

That IS an Aussie Xmas tree but not too many blooms. I'll try and get a more spectacular one further away.Ofcourse if you double click to enlarge photos you can see some of the yellow blossoms.

The daily walk here takes me to the Road where there is a walking path behind all the new houses in The Brook.I think it is slightly less than a brook, more like a trickle. Quite a pleasant walk but have not met any other walkers. Some dogs on properties, one of which a friendly black Labby.Have not done the whole distance as yet but doing a bit extra every day.I think it will take an hour or a little more ,there and back. Next event is the Xmas get together with Viv and their family,on Sunday ,a tradition which we all enjoy very much.

Scribbles from the "CHOOKPEN" -1-

The Branch "Chookpen" , so named by Rick who gives everything names. We have been here for a week now and use Rick & Karen's back bathroom, which we can access without much disturbance to the family. It works fine. Have bought some fans but may have to invest in a portable aircon later. Got flooded by one of the sprinklers the other night and lost all power. Thank goodness for circuit breakers or we could have lost our fridge (that's where the water was spraying in ) and my C-Pap machine.We have the patio suite in the annex with a small freezer and TV and frypan on a trolley.(the van has no oven).It really is quite comfortable and Mac is happy. So is Oi, who loves to play but Mac is boss,it's the little man syndrome , ofcourse.I am walking and will take some pics there later.Have not done the whole track as yet but will soon.Nearly ready for Xmas, just one poem to write and one pressy to wrap. In case I forget later ,Happy Birthday, Steven Blazevich and Denise Morgan,coming up next week.

The view, including the legendary "Dunny" which Rick created but is really a garden shed.

The devil horse Pixie who keeps uprooting the guyropes of our annex!

We went on a Trev tour of Freo to get Travis the Freo feel!!The view towards the harbour from the monument.

Sunday was Zoe's dancing concert. here she is in two of the costumes. She did very well and looked so much the teenager.

We took Vicki, Trav & Caitlyn to dinner at Roxby's to thank them for having us for 2 1/2 months and when we returned to Rick & Karen's they had lit up for Christmas.

As we came around the corner, how nice, they had lit up the Chookpen as well!!

More busy Times

On Monday and today the whole family was sick with a 24 hour wog that Caitlyn had on Saturday. I came off the best so took Caitlyn to the village with the strawberries, did some shopping, met Trev at the caravan & did some packing of the van.Then to pick up Zoe and Riley. They went for a swim and we admired Caitlyn's independent swimming when Oma suddenly remembered Caitlyn had no ear plugs (she has glue ears) and they were all whisked out.

Saturday's dinner at Arcadia Waters for the cafe helpers

All boxed up on Oma & Pop's bed

On Friday night,the happy couple,Kasha and Michael, celebrated their engagement with parents,grandparents,aunts and uncles,cousins and friends.It took place at a lovely old pub in Fremantle and we all enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

KASHA & MICHAEL

Anna

PARENTS cousins

family

Tuesday we picked up the Ford Falcon,Friday the caravan. Looks good eh?It will be our home for a while as from probably next Thursday.We advertised the Magna on the internet and sold it already on the weekend. Shows you can do it if you price them well and are honest.We could have sold it several times over, one even offered the asking price!

21st of November and they all came to celebrate Zoe's Birthday. The adults nibbled and had a few and the kids (does that include Kelly?), made Funny Face Biscuits. Then she blew out her 11 candles. She's getting to be quite a lady.

New things

Subiaco Oval was too small for Schonbrun,or at least, it had no doors to bring it through but we did have the horses and coach and pipers and dancers and scaters.

She sang Botany Bay

Mirusia(?,the Aussie Angel)

The dancers

The man himself

The stage,the people,the screen

This is the first blog on my new laptop. Swore I'd never have one but after all, it seems the best way for me to go as Rick and Vicki both have wireless internet. Ofcourse I can't print out or anything like that but that will come when my stuff is unpacked.

House is still going far too slow and the builders seem to have little communications between offices. Threre will be no trouble once it gets on it's slab, Rick's friend Andy Mollan will see to that. It is all these preliminaries that are giving us the heeby jeebies

Got a Ford Falcon to pull the caravan, we are picking up the van tomorrow. We also have Michael and Kasha's engagement party in the evening. MUch Love and great Happiness to those two.

Saturday is busy too. After grocery shopping, we go to Scott & Jo's to mind their kids and I will be having dinner with the Cafe girls from Arcadia Waters. It is our Thank You dinner.Trev & I will sleep at Canning Vale. Vicki & Travis were informed that CaITLYN HAS GOT AN ENTRY INTO THE pRIVATE SCHOOL HERE , SUBJECT TO AN INTERVIEW. They are tickled pink, ofcourse. I have taught them to play Mah Jong and they are already able to pick out and change games during play and are beginning to beat me!!!!!!!

Let's see how the pics from Andre Rieu's Concert come up, it was too far away but with the large screens it was not too bad. Some people felt it was too expensive for the seats we got for our money. Maybe it was but it was a wonderful show and the music was superb.

The Day has come

Well the day has come that Andre Rieu will play to us West Australians and......believe it or not, it is RAINING. Here he is at Subi Oval checking the sound.

We also won't have the Schonbrunn Replica because they could not get it in, it seems,as Andre said, they forgot to build a door. Although disappointing, I'm sure it will be wonderful to watch , if only that BLOODY rain will go away.

Well,wish us good luck!!!!

We bought a caravan and may even go and live in that and go away every now and then, get it next Friday.

Just the Littlest progress

At this stage the only house we are going to see is that of other people. Sad but true. We actually went to our pre-start meeting yesterday with TR Homes's, Sam Fisher. A lovely young lady but we have not even gone to council yet. When it finally does go in, it could be up to 6 weeks to get the building permit. Then 1-2 months to order the materials and then they start. I don't think I would have agreed to any of this had I known. I hate imposing on people and hate living without my own THINGs (and there are plenty of them). But each time I want something, it is either packed somewhere or I can't remember where it is. The imposition is the worst of it, I guess ,but also the uncertainty. I haven't even got my own computer, but am thinking of rectifying that. Trouble is running that idea past the old boy , who is not at all computer friendly. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Zoe, she is 11 tomorrow. Matthew also but he is only 32.

And here our own gesture to acknowledge Xmas, Father Xmas hanging on our bedroom door

W ithChristmas tree set up now, a little early but Caitlyn had been making decorations with her mum and she was such a good girl that Vicki decided last night was just right. It is pretty, all red and gold and Caitlyn is very thrilled.

Mac can't be friends with Travis for some reason and the feeling is mutual. It's a pitty really.

The other day missy Caitlyn came home from daycare , full of vim and wearing the Indian maiden hat she had made.Here she is .

Busy Times

Strawberry bath anyone?

I have just put on the Morrocan Lamb chops and we'll have prawn cocktails,my turn to cook. The week has been a very busy one with mostly things concerning the unit. Monday I was ready to throw it all in, Tuesday we were ready to buy a caravan and disappear down into the never never.Paperwork and Council problems plus having to find a plumber able to connect to Rick's own sewerage system ,is not making things easy.Today went to fill orders for strawberries for the village. The strawberry farms are along a road near here. Ever seen a bath full with 22 kg of fruit???

Yesterday the "Wackie" Girls met at Hazla and John's appartment on the Rockingham foreshore, the boys came too. This is their view, Garden Island in the background.

Looks almost like a cemetry but is the path to nowhere .

Lo0k hard on the dead branches in front of another branch

So ... I walk , still but only 1/2 or 3/4 of an hour because there just is very little area to walk where Mac can get off the lead. Plenty of bush but not the place to walk especially as it is mostly marshland and will be full of snakes. There is a path there and I also walk the path along the freeway but that has a lot of bike riders.My degenerating back is also deteriorating more so not quite so easy to do the long distances.Here's the walk path and another with black cockatoos which decided to drop a gumnut just near us this morning.There is also a long row of new plantings that runs along the path to nowhere into the bush sanctuary.