Family treasure and new additions

This will be the last post for a month at least (unless two little people decide they want to experience life on the outside early) as Aleta and I are flying tomorrow and Janine and Nicholas are coming out on Wednesday to await the arrival of their babies. The little crotchet silk set was made by Biz Nona 57 years ago to bring me home in and the lacy number was made 36 years ago to bring Christopher home . It has a little story. In the 70's there were strange pants you wore with lacy legs - that was a time of some odd fashions. This little dress is from one of these strange pants I used to wear!!! We will have to see who comes home first in the family heirlooms.
More photos but these are inversions - I thought they were worth posting. The spear grass looks beautiful dressed in these colours, its seeds adding a delicacy to the image.
There are two types of mangrove seedlings here but the highlight is midnight fishing in the background with the mangroves behind.

Frog's Coming Out!

Yesterday was a big day for the first frog. He had his coming out with lots of visitors admiring his new green coat. I think we have all learnt something in the lifecycle of frogs and we checked out our little 4 legged friend all day long and into the night. He did some jumping and moved from habitat to habitat and was still sitting astride one of the trays at 11 last night - yes I went out to check with a torch!!! - said I was a little mad. This morning he was gone so hopefully he will survive the perils of larger frogs, birds and tommy roundheads in the garden. There are a few more siblings sporting back legs so we should see a little community emerging over the next few days.

Legs and toes

I am always told I am strange but I am sure Nicholas thinks some incredibly interesting things happen when he is with Nona. Several weeks ago Midnight's bowl was full of little wrigglies - mosquitoes I thought but on closer inspection they were tadpoles. Everyone scoffed at my suggestion of frogs - no toads they all laughingly proclaimed but I stuck to my guns and was on a mission of restocking the frog population. Anyway toads never got in that wonderful pottery doggie drinking bowl. The bowl was lifted up away from thirsty visitors, especially Gus! and rocks and plants added to make a home for this mass of taddies. They love lettuce and paw paw leaves said the net so the feeding began. Each morning Nicholas feeds the 'tabowls letta and pawpaw'. One bowl has turned into several low ones as heat matters and the sheer numbers made for a very crowded home so Midnight now has his bowl back and the bench is covered with several habitats.

Now you would think the detractors would ignore all this nonsense but oh no there are daily inspections of the progressing growth. It has been very interesting as I just assumed they would all develop at the same rate but this hasn't been the case so we have some looking decidedly huge against their fellow siblings. Back legs hang like little pieces of string for a couple of days then start moving froggie like across things. I think we have all learnt something from my madness - am I laughing?Now there are some other feet and toes - they just had to be painted. I think Nicholas did a wonderful job on my knobbly toes.
The Cooktown orchids are all over the citrus trees and are a delicate shade of purple but last night the pinks of the sunset gave them this unusual look.
The speargrass is bending over with the knock-em-down rains and the dragonflies are everywhere so its nearing rain's end. The wonderful wet season is almost over but the water is still patterning the shore with delicate etchings in the sand.