Still more rain and one particularly fussy bird

Well it seems our smart weather forecasting bower bird decided his first bower on the left wasn't quite up to scratch so he has built another female attracting construction on the right. The shell collection is not as impressive but a closeup of his new dancing place shows the attention to decoration is stunning to say the least. He tends to strut from one end of the bower to the other calling to the attentive audience of several females - he obviously knows he does himself proud!
I don't think we have had a dry day in February yet. 377 mm of rain in the last week is a lot of water dropping from the sky. The beach is awash with thousands of mangrove seeds piled in mounds changed daily with the tides but the almond trees are still hanging on, even flowering with some seeds already forming. These two wild almond trees have defied odds and survive along with several others I thought would surely die. High tides again gouged the shoreline carving new patterns......
pulling rocks away and exposing more of the beach kaolin layer, piling the mangrove seeds against it. For the pottery lovers this shows just how close the kaolin is to the ocean.
A couple of videos for the family. Looking up and down the road from the back gate - the kids all love to ride their bikes through these drains but school was in so it was quiet. And of course Nicholas scaring Auntie Aleta - he had just watched Monsters Inc. so was really into scaring us all! This is Nick's favourite movie even though he has watched it heaps and heaps - just ask mum and dad how often!

Cyclone Helen tries to come to town

Today has been filled with lots of rain and continual checking on the weather site to see the progress of the former cyclone called Helen. The mine went into Code Blue which means filling the trucks with bauxite and tidying up then homeward bound for the workers to do the same. I am so glad I didn't start to move my pottery as the low pressure system decided it would turn as it came closer to the coast and now is lower in the gulf leaving us on the outer rim but its still windy and the sea crashing on the shoreline is filling the air with its incredible sounds. The wind has picked up tonight so an early morning visit to the shoreline might reveal the results of nature's forces at work .This is Evans Landing, normally a road but now awash - children enjoying the waves and on the wharf lots of people fishing for grunter - one of the nicest eating fish.


These temporary dongas felt the force of nature and apparently yesterday the water washed in even higher so lots of cleaning will be needed when the men return from their Xmas break!
Now for all of you familiar with my beach scenery this will bring home the might of nature - the usual dry flat is now awash with waves.
This is the top of the beach and the entrance - to the right my mum and dad always stow their shoes to pick up on the return but now the ocean is carving the ridge in its forceful way.

Remember my clever little bower bird - here's his collection of bits in his range of pinks, purple and red - he decided to build his nest away from the shore and I wondered if he had some premonition of things to come. I feel his choice has proven his innate ability to predict the coming weather.

His bower is at the bottom left of the picture under the bush and the water is not too far away. He is safe for now so hopefully he will not have to relocate again.

Nicholas and I decided we needed to have another present wrapping session with Nicholas as the present. He was completely cooperative and stayed still while I covered him in paper telling him he was the present. He is so clever this little grandson of mine and then took to the walking present bit as well. He walked straight ahead without peeking acting the part with me in absolute stiches behind.
Don't you just love the comical look of determination - meanwhile mum is literally running trying to keep the camera clicking to capture these wonderful moments.

Now this looks like something out of a Japanese movie - the paper transformed with that wonderful swirl into an incredible kimono fit for a little king! We had so much fun with that wrapping paper, later using it to slide and write on. Nicholas loved every minute in the hallway. Life provides us with some unforgettable intimate moments and how I love the digital camera allowing endless clicking to capture all these moments converting them in an instant.

Papa's 80th Birthday

This is a special day - Papa celebrated 80 years. As we couldn't make it we decided to capture a crazy sort of greeting only this family can do. We all wished him a happy day and wished we could have been there to share it. Jeffery left today and will be up there with Papa and Nona tomorrow so will pass all the hugs from Weipa way.
Bruce and I were to be heading down for the big event but a lot happened this month so the flying away was put on hold as Bruce has left for better things workwise but its been a sad thing for family and we all spent the last night together around the table. Red to black - both marking the skin really well so he will be washing darkened work clothes.

I will have family to keep me going and lots of muddy hands doing my pottery as well as watching the two girls bloom as their finer shapes are moulded into a beauty only becoming of mums-to-be. I said I will be having twins - when they visit - as they are due within 5 days of each other and in the same month Nicholas was born. Must be something in the air up here as there are over a hundred pregnant women in town and still going. Such a shame the new hospital still won't cater for all these young mums who have to fly out a month before they are due - makes it very hard for little families especially if they have to rent for that time.
Now Christopher makes a mean banana cake and so does Nicholas - he watched intently and repeated all the steps mixing like a demon - a chef in the making!
Now the cake making moved outside and the colours just got a whole lot better and creamier. Tania even had her knee decorated so she could feel part of the action.
I just had to add this - after the night's high tide worked its magic on the dreaded plastic bag reminding it that special creatures like fish need protection from its clutches. I didn't think plastic could actually look so beautiful and to think the human hand was not at play in the artistic creation - the scourge became a thing of beauty in the early morning light.
The rain disappeared after that first huge storm but perhaps the bowerbird knows something as this year he has positioned his bower at the side of the road below the track down the hill - some distance from the beach - usually his bower is on the top of the beach above high tide. His beautiful creation is littered with white shells and bright pink and green. Some years its blue which takes his fancy but as always his little dancing area is immaculate - no wonder the ladies converge in great numbers when he prances with his little pink feathers rising on the back of his head a contrast to his dappled drab grey. He also oftens visits for a swim in my water bowl for all my feathered friends - mimicking many birds as he splashes loudly. He is another new bird addition to the front of the house.