10 on 10 [loch sport]

 heading out at the start of the day

 me and my boy

 me and my man!

 ours...

 ... alone!

 freedom

 summer toes and lazy days

 sand kissed

 safe - if Daddy's there

tired and happy - the end of the day

hangin'

Image by Tigs.

Spring afternoon.

introducing ...

No not you precious.  I think we've all met you before Spice, but for friends who have yet the pleasure of knowing her let me say she's the Queen Bee.  Okay back to the introduction.  Hmm-hmm.  Drumroll ......

Please make some noise foooor ...

Amazing Gracie!

With her adoring new mum, Flossy.

She's such a dear little thing and a very welcome addition to our crazy dog loving family (with one notable exception - he knows who he is, the children definitely know who he is but he shall remain nameless! And by the way since when did one against three win???)

Woo is smitten.  She played, danced and twirled with Gracie for hours!

Everyone in on the action and yes I am chomping on something.  And if anyone is remotely interested it was the most scrumptious Baclava from a fab Lebanese bakery, Oasis.

Just hangin' out.

Meeting Millie - the only pup to acknowledge her existence - but then she's just a friend not new nose-out-of-joint family!  I tell you those whippets are, hmm how do we say it politely?  Okay.  Aloof.

Woo at her most obedient (notice the leash?)  She clipped it on and asked for her commands herself lest you start dialling Child Protection.  I know I've told you before how well behaved she is as a puppy :)

Gracie with Woo's Doodoo - yuk. 

Gracie with her own new Cozie.

Millie passing on her tug-o-war skills.  First gently ...

...then a little tougher.

Super cute - now if only those whippies would join in.

 

And then ... even the humans were keen to join in :)

The King and Queen of Snootiness - sulking together!  I heard that Banjo even grizzled at dear Gracie this evening ...  Not nice Banj.

Just where a puppy should be ...snuggled on the lap of a loving and gentle and utterly enamoured child.

Ready for some ABC Kids  and a nap.

Welcome to the happiest home on the block.  You'll always be loved and cared for in the most magnificent way.  From a rescue program to 5-star luxury and more love than you knew possible. 

You've landed on all four paws little one.

E x

Auntie E x

my sweet loves

Happiness is a lovely day together,
ending with a sleepy snuggle safe in Daddy's arms.

cold and frosty morning

A day too beautiful to waste and not to share.

We decided to keep out of the way of Sonia as she tried to clean up after us - no mean feat.  Woo in particular has the ability to undo faster than anyone, or even a team of housekeepers, can redo!

The last of the fog rolling away and a big ol' jet airliner roared out from within it.

I often forget this view of the property but actually it's very beautiful, not as broad a perspective as my usually favorite view but stunning actually.  I love the hills folding across each other, like origami.

The fog may have lifted over us but their was frost to be melted first.  The pups helped by racing like mad things across it in zig-zags following the bunny tracks.

I love how we've only just arrived at the bottom here and Woo is saturated.

The back of the dam up to the top.  I love every square inch.

I have a grand idea for hosting a summer party down here.  Hay bales, a banjo player for the first couple of hours and a crooner with a guitar for dusk on singing Pete Murray songs that we can all join in with - actually Pete Murray himself would be better!  I picture big old dressers laden with food and pitchers of cool homemade lemonade.  An old reliable tractor to ferry guests dressed in their finest cotton summer dresses and sandals.  Sunhats for everyone,  big floppy ones for the girls and debonair fedora-style straw hats or even cool straw cowboy hats for everyone.  I'll think about that part a little more.

There will be paper pompoms hanging from the bottom of that big old tree and lanterns lining the way from the tree to the house.  It would be so beautiful.  I'll be sure to let you know the date - bit don't hold your breath.  Dreams can be big you know.

Magic dew drops.

Boy and Dog.  I just love this image.

Rocker!  Actually he was explaining something to me.

Proper bush-bashing and brotherly help.  Look how filthy she was by this stage.  Only Woo.  Tigs is still relatively clean.

Shouldn't every child be able to run free and happy and uninhibited?

Miss Mimic doesn't want to miss out.

Dear old ancient Pippy having a ladylike paddle - a rare treat for her.

Ambushed!  Those beastly pups stalked her for some way around the dam and then ATTACK!

The morning was so perfect that even the dratted thistles looked glorious.

And as we sang our usual Grand Ol' Duke of York up the hill Tigs, with his grandfather's supervision began noticing these adorable little webs. 

No bigger than a 50c coin. 

I'm sure they were actually fairy sheets hanging out to dry.

twenty

Saturday was one of those perfect days.  The sort where the sky is vast and glorious and the sun is warm, but the air crisp.  The sort that feels so magical.  I don't know why, but when I'm alone on those kind of days I feel like crying.  Somehow I feel uplifted, but so small in the universe that I weep. Fortunately this Saturday I had the company of my family to enable me to fully enjoy the glory of the day.  As you can see it was a day not to be wasted.  Just look at the sky and our beautiful city skyline in the distance.

We headed to the beach for breakfast and a play on the wooden boat park, kicking swimming lessons to the curb.  I wanted to relish the day together and not be bogged down with the schedule.  Tigs had been unwell for much of the week and had even missed a few days of school, so I was not too fussed about him swimming.

As you can see he was flat out enjoying the winter rays too.  In fact he was 'dead' on the ground.  His games lately, are so wildly imaginative.

Tigs climbed ...

...and Woo followed.  She's taken to parroting him, including every stance , hand gesture, inflection.  It's very funny.  She managed to have plenty of fun in spite of the fact that she is now falling prey to Tiggy's lurgy.

What a day.

This Saturday also marked twenty (yes twenty) years since my love and I first met.

 We haven't had the chance to hang out together much lately.

It was a lovely way to celebrate, simply and together as a family.