To Green Patch Camp, Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia
We had a nice chance to chat with our camp neighbors this morning -- Joe and Jasmine with their young children, Jack and Emma. Jasmine's parents were also camping nearby having driven down from near Queensland to spend time with the grandchildren. Since we didn't have far to go today -- Jervis Bay is just up the coast -- we were in no big hurry. Also, it was a grey, wet day, so we were in no particular hurry to get to camp.
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| Jack, Jasmine, Joe, Emma and Emma's grandparents |
Once at Jervis Bay, we prepared a quick lunch and were entertained by the incredibly colorful bird life. It is truly amazing. I can only imagine how disappointed an Australian birder would be upon arriving in California and finding mostly small brown birds. At lunch, the dining gazebo was inundated with Rainbow Lorikeets, red and blue Crimson Rosellas, and green and red/orange King Parrots, not to mention some unidentified ducks and a lone Kookaburra...“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree…” literally in this case.
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| Rainbow Lorikeet |
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| Crimson Rosella |
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| Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree... |
There is no denying the uniqueness of the Australian flora and fauna. Not surprisingly, Eucalyptus trees are everywhere (at least here on the east coast) but the variation in size and form is huge. We've also come upon the very unique Banksia tree with it's serrated leaves and unusual cone-like seed pods.
Our evenings (and days) have become very slow and relaxed. We all pitched in for dinner, took a walk on the beach and then retired to the van to read our family book. Having finished Red Scarf Girl a while back, we are now halfway through Little Women, which I have never read, but is one of Meg's favorites. Doesn't hurt to catch up on some American classics along the way.
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| Cutting tomatoes...very carefully |
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| Manning the pasta |
I love having a family book to read! Steve and I each still have a book we read to Morgan and switch off nights reading with her. I got to read the entire Little House and Anne of Green Gables series with her! Steve got Lord of the Rings and A Wrinkle in Time. I feel it's a tradition we'll keep as long as we possibly can. It's fun, too, as she gets older because we can dive into more challenging material. Steve is reading a history book with her, and I think I may introduce her to my beloved Scarlett O'Hara next! :)
ReplyDeleteKeep the updates coming. They are a sight for sore eyes here in the States.
Banksia serrata - one that needs fire to shed its seeds. An old favourite.
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