August book page for Maureen and a correction

At last I can show you the page I made for Maureen.  I was really beginning to think I would need to start again it took so long to go from here to Victoria!  I started off with som sun printing using a paper mask, then painted the masked areas - Maureen's theme is 'Oriental'.  I am happy with the finished result.

I have taken another photo of the vine on the Vine Arbor and have to confess that I made a blooper.  The label I read on the left of the screen as you look at it, belonged to another mucuna which is not flowering at present.  This mucuna, called Flame of the Forest, is actually planted on the right and has taken over!  It is native to Cape York and New Guinea.

This is Ficus Racemosa and is native to this area.  I love the way the fruit form on the trunk almost.  This will eventually grow into a huge tree, but hopefully not in my time as I like the gardens underneath it.  When the shade gets too dense, nothing but a few fishtail ferns are likely to grow under the tree.

These lorikeets were having a lovely time - I haven't really captured the colour - the sun was in the wrong place and I had Jock on a lead in one hand and the camera in the other.  The birds did not seem at all worried by Jock.

Neither was this cheery Willie Wagtail, a member of the Flycatcher family.  They are always so happy and cheerful and fly right up in front of us, flitting back and forth.

I have had enough of the computer for a while, my eyes are almost square.  We are planning to fly to New Zealand in November and I have been looking (and booking) online for flights, car hire and accommodation.  The internet is wonderful for doing all that, but takes hours and hours to do the research.  We will have a family reunion to begin with.  My brother's widow and her four children, their partners and their children all live in Auckland and we haven't caught up for over twenty years.  We have never seen any of the great nieces and nephews of course.  My sister is coming too, so there will be non stop talking for several days, as well as lots of photos.