Moggie Madness

Okay, now don’t go thinking I’ve gone and gotten two new cats.

Max (left) belongs to my sister and his doppelganger, Princess (right) belongs to my aunt. They are currently co-habitating at my sister’s place while my aunt and uncle are on holidays. Despite their similar appearance, they are not from the same litter or even the same parentage. I find it just amazing that with all the different varieties of coat colour and patterning in moggies, occasionally you find two very similar that are in no way related.

As far as temperament goes, they are complete opposites. Princess is a cuddle cat and very quiet, whereas Max is a free spirit and loves to make himself heard.

Most of you would be familiar with how the moggies came to live with us. For those who joined in late in the game, you can find out all about Mojo and Rosie in their respective posts. It would be a bit remiss of me not to include them in the photo challenge, although originally I thought I had that many photos of them up already that you are probably sick of looking at them. But my life would be very empty without them, so they too are a blessing. I tried really hard to get a new photo of the two of them together but Mojo just wasn’t playing nice in terms of getting a nice photo. It’s like he doesn’t want the WWW to know that secretly, he does like his housemate and occasionally gives her nose kisses. So it’s back to one of my most frequently photographed subject and all round mummy’s girl, Rosie.

Of all the cats that could have come home with me from the shelter, I’m glad it was Rosie that chose me. She may shed a tonne of fur in a week, chew anything and everything and wake me up at odd hours of the morning for a cuddle but it just wouldn’t be the same here without her.

After last year’s relatively unsuccessful AFW 365 attempt - a new photo each day for the whole year - Leigh has cottoned onto another photographic challenge. This latest one is called 52 Blessings, you’ll find a photo group on Flickr by the same name which started partway through last year. The idea is that each week, you post a photo of something that you are grateful for and say why. So from this week on, every Sunday this year is going to be a “52 Blessings” day. Well, providing I can keep it up.

This shot is taken from the portico outside the front of our house and it shows a few things I am grateful for. First and foremost, the rain that is pouring down at the moment. After a fairly tough year for the Water Commission, it seems there is some relief finally in sight. The rain is finally falling where it needs to and the catchments are getting much needed rain. I just hope the powers that be can keep it coming.

The second thing I am grateful for is the roof over our heads. Despite rising interest rates, the cost of petrol and groceries, we are still able to manage although other couples and families are struggling. It may not be a posh mansion but it is home and there is a good feeling knowing that the only reason we will have to move is if we want to.

Thirdly, my hedge row of lilly pillies beside the driveway that I planted as seedlings four years ago have grown into beautiful healthy plants, despite the fact that they only receive water from the sky or the fish tank. With the recent rains, they will be flourishing!

I’m definitely having one of those days today. My head hurts, I had really crappy sleep today and I have to go back and play some more tonight. I think my “happy face” is going to be pretty much the same as this one Thank god for I Can Has Cheezburger?….it really puts a smile on my face when I just don’t feel like it.

See here for moar funny pictures to make you giggle!

Well I would have eaten peaches if the king parrots hadn’t gotten to them first.

Not content with having spent four days last week in the middle of nowhere, I had to go do it again for a night. Only this time, in the middle of nowhere somewhere south-westish of Ipswich in a place where the nearest pub looks like a country farmhouse. I took the camera, hoping to catch a few snaps of the koalas that I know are on my friend’s property somewhere but they remained elusive. Still playing with the damn camera and learning which bit of the mode dial is used for what, so I experimented this time with the sport function while her two bigger dogs were having a bit of rough and tumble play. Well it kind of turned out, except it wasn’t quite the shot I was after.

Lovely spot and they have heaps of room to run around in and go crazy. Just as well…..Nick (the setter) is somewhat manic and needs plenty of room to stretch his legs.

Now that uni is over for better or worse (hoorah), I have all this free time on my hands. So what better way to make use of it than learning how to use my camera properly. *hehe* Rosie has been a good sport in this endeavour….Mojo has not come to the party so far - point a lens in his direction and he just curls up so tightly that you can’t see his face. Poor boy….guess he has been photographed a bit too much over the years although I’m still hoping to get that elusive macro headshot of him. Here are a few of today’s offerings - the lighting was pretty low at the time and so that I didn’t get that “laser eye” effect, I turned off the flash. I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out….I’d love to know which one you think is the better shot because I know which one my favourite is.

Apologies for the background….unfortunately it is one of hers and Mojo’s favourite places to stretch out and relax, even if it does look like a Willy Wonka wrapper *hehe*

Conditions weren’t overly favourable for outdoors photos in the Barringtons but I did snap a few when it did happen to stop raining.

My most frequent subject was our resident peacock - he just loved to show off and made us felt more at home because his frequent calls reminded us of the cats announcing their presence around the house. I love peacocks….especially the colours of the male but I’ve honestly never seen a bigger poo come out of a bird as the one he left on the roof of my car.

And not gorillas in the mist, but roos in the mist instead. There were eastern greys galore up there but also a plenty of pademelons…..we even saw a northern brownnbandicoot coming back late one night from dinner. There was so much birdlife, not all of them I could identify. I believe there were also platypus in the creek at some stage because I could see some old nesting sites along the creek bank when I went for a wander early in the morning.

And a few shots of the property…if you look closely in the first one, the orange area is the house we stayed in WAY down the bottom of the gully. And a shot of the track you have to take to get down there. In the third photo, towards the top of the slope, you will see where the track has been cut into the side of the hill, where the orange soil is exposed. That’s where I took the shot of the house from part way up the hill. I thought I would put it in to add a little bit of perspective

Our nearest neighbours weren’t even a loud cooee away….no landline, no mobile reception and the only noise to be heard were all part of nature. Instead of the hum of the motorway, we slept to the sound of a gushing waterfall and maybe the odd moo of a cow or the crowing of a slightly confused rooster at 3am.

And the best part?? We didn’t even have to lock the doors because let’s face it - who’s going to rob us?? The peacock?