"milk"

All milky, taupy, blush & dusty French reds.  Just wonderful!  French General for Moda

I could have sworn this was the milk I was referring to on my shopping list! You know.  Have you heard about Amitie the 'grocers'?

And almost as practical as "milk".

mildura - day 4 - this is long - lots of photos though - make a cuppa first!

Our last day, both happy and sad.  We were so delighted to be able to spend so much time together with such generous hosts and such special friends.  Typically it's a couple of hours for lunch when we meet up in town.  To have this block of time together was just wonderful.  We all get along so well, biggies, littlies, girls and boys.   A real joy for us all.

Miss Z is Croc Crazy and wears her big brother's all  the time!  In a bid to secure his for herself, and to rid herself of her own, she helped Woo to put her pretty red ones on.

In the end she needed a little help!

We ate inside this morning as the temperature finally dropped (I may have been a little affected by the heat I think!) and headed into town/the river for a walk and look-see before we saddled up and headed back to the Big Smoke.  Ian works in earth moving, which I think doesn't fully describe the size or importance of his job.  One of the jobs they have on at the moment is an enormous overhaul of the 'new' park area along the banks of the Murray. 

We ran a trial on some of the new equipment.  Mmm, that's the big girls on the humiliatingly awkward pully-up-and-down-thinga-ma-jig!

The little boys look so much 'cooler' on the equipment than we did!

It was the perfect morning to go walking.

This is one of the old paddle-steamers, the Rothbury, built in 1881

Beautiful pink pepper berries, unfortunately not edible.

Miss Z

The Chief Photographer - half of these photos are his.  Thanks Ian.

This one is savvy!  She can sense a camera from miles away and will shut down the smile.  Maybe she thinks it'll steal her soul?  Anyway this is a rare photo of her beautiful grin which is usually on display, unless she hears the click of a lens-cap!

This is K175 and that's about all I know!  Oh Ian said that when they were little they were allowed to climb on it.  Grrr for OH & S.

I do love the levers. 

This one was taken by me holding the camera above my head and flailing around wildly until I got a shot.

Our little family.

Air kisses.

Now I tried to edit the next few but when your subjects are a) willing and b) drop dead gorgeous it's just not possible.  They melt my heart.

Friends.

My favourite.

The lilies again.  They make me happy.  Their wide, flat pads and little upside down tutu's popping up almost as if a ballerina has stooped to do up her ribbons.

The jacarandas with the jack .....  For you Alice, I know how much you love them and summer in Australia. 

And with that we packed up and headed for home, with the most glorious sunset following at our sides. 

If you've made to the end, congratulations and thank you. 

E x

mildura - day 2

                Miss Z with bed head!                                                      And Woo with not enough hair!

My darling Woo was up too early, followed by Tigs, also too early, so we snuck out the back for an early breakfast.  That's one of the nice things about a third day in a row of 39C heat, the mornings are perfect for sitting outdoors.  Wonderful. 

"Oh life is bliss, isn't it dahling"!

But a woman's work is never done as they headed over to sort out the pegs.

Apparently they were fascinating.

After breakfast we headed to Red Cliffs for the monthly craft and produce market.  The crafts were lovely and the produce too. 

If it hadn't been so hot - did I mention it was 39C - I think I would have brought home a lot more.

Delicious new season's local cherries.  Just 'perfick'.  (Channelling Pop Larkin for a moment.)  Ovation have just started the series of Darling Buds of May again - I'm in Heaven!  Watch out there could be a whole post dedicated to my love and appreciation of that beautiful 'cerise'!  Get it?  Oh well I did.

Now you really can tell just how warm it was by the colour of the boys' cheeks.

Ian is a wonderful, prize winning, photographer and gave me a few tips with my big camera aka Rebel (by name and nature).  This flower was no bigger than a stamp and I was astounded at how close I was able to get to it and how beautiful it was this close.

One of the vary rare moments they all sat down and 'chilled' out.  I just love seeing their beautiful heads all together.

mildura - day 3

Plain hot!  Not sure if I've covered it or not in my other posts but it was 39C for the first three days we were away :)

Somehow, though the children seem to have abundant energy.  The boys, little and large went to a family member's swimming pool while the girls little and large kept cool at the shopping centre ... oops.

This is one of the few photos of all four together, all smiling, albeit in different directions!

It's 39C you mad boys!  What's with the running?

That's exactly what the sensible little girls thought too!

No words needed ...

mildura day 1

At the risk of me losing my mind I have decided to post 'Mildura' in stages.  I don't think I could cope with another bX-kzyqj6!

We travelled miles and miles of these beautiful roads.

We left for Mildura to be with our friends early on Saturday morning. The forecast was for 39C!! It's a 6 1/2 - 7 hour drive there so we were well stocked with food, DVD's on the new player - thanks to Momo and Booboo and the smart new car for a luxurious journey.

A quick stop for muffins, fabulous bread stick and toasties at the famously good bakery in Malmsbury - oh what a pretty and historic town (we won't talk about the little prison there though).

We arrived into Mildura on Halloween afternoon and everyone settled in very quickly. The big boys, the little boys, the big girls and the little ones too. We have shared such an extraordinary journey to our children, particularly the girls. 

Although Halloween tends not to be celebrated in Mildura Tigs was super excited about it having been to the most wonderful Halloween party last year which really set the benchmark high.  So we couldn't let it slide and Robyn had prepared with bags of her favourite sweeties which we hid around the front garden.  As you can see in the distance the house is surrounded by acres and acres of vineyards which are stunningly beautiful but not really Halloween friendly as neighbours are not exactly next door!

Happy lads with pails full of loot. 

They were so sweet and tipped out their pails onto the bed and sorted the lollies out even-Stevens!  It set the scene for the most wonderful long weekend of friendship and camaraderie between these two chin-gu's (Korean for friends!).

bX-kzyqj6 or in other words b@**#y blogger

I know it's better to not say anything if you can only think of unpleasant things to say. 

But ... Blogger you are a royal pain in the deriere and I'm extremely cross with you. 

Thank you very much (more, much more, than a hint of sarcasm applied, read that through gritted teeth) for letting me stay up until midnight, writing the blog post to end all and then ... nothing, and then, even worse: 

Blogger apologises but we cannot upload your post.  Please quote bX-kzyqj6 if you would like to talk to support or to discuss it on the forum.  Click here to chat with others who have received the bX-kzyqj6 error.

I dread to think what the fellow bX-kzyqj6-ers have to say but something tells me that they are not all sharing cyber cookies and tea now, are they?

So, I will not be defeated.  I will forget about cleaning, ironing, cooking or caring for children (okay I'll still do that) but today I will get the 'post to end all' up.  Really it's just a lot of photos and I think therein lies the problem.  But it will be up today friends and family - particularly Mummy and Tena who read my nonsence regularly and although Tena hasn't asked for an updated post Ma has!

Thank you for listening.  Transmission ended - oh but I can't go with out something nice to say.

  These were growing wild on the Murray River.  Just beautiful.

Calm breaths now, iiiiiin and ooooout!  That's better.