Shiny Red Toys

We've had the pleasure of the company of our friends Mel and Sheila this week.  The weather has been rather inclement with rain (hooray!) and strong winds.  The boys managed to get out for a couple of fishing expeditions however, and here we have a photo of my very happy husband with his 4 kg Australian Salmon, yum yum yum.  Tony, this photo is especially for YOU!  >evil grin<

The roos continue with their early morning visits right outside the front door.  Lucy, in photo, and Patience now don't even wait for me to put the food on the ground, they come straight up to me when they see the container and eat right out of my hand.  Lucy's child Lucky is not quite so brave and waits his turn in the background.

The magpies turn up when they see the roos feeding, cos they know they can pinch the odd bit of roo food if they are quick, it is rather amusing to see roos chasing magpies away from the grub.  One young magpie, Teeny, knows the best way to get attention.  See her there on the right?  She sits at the window, knowing full well that Neo is on the other side of the glass, taunting him mercilessly.  Neo doesn't quite know what to do, he lashes his tail, makes little chirrupy noises and doesn't quite know whether to be brave or not.  After a while Teeny will call me in her magpie speak, demanding her breakfast oats.  I am at the mercy of cute wildlife....

Neo, when he's not at the window watching the fun outside, has developed a fascination with paper.  I keep finding chewed bits of newspaper and pamphlets around the house, and the best new thing to do is watch paper coming out of the printer, grabbing it in one's teeth and nicking off with it.

The most exciting thing that has happened was yesterday, when I said goodbye to my gorgeous little yellow Hyundai Getz and said hello to its big sister, a beautiful shiny red Hyundai I30. 

It's a bigger car with a 1.8 engine, a trillion airbags, cruise control (which I've never had and I already love!) and more power for chugging up and down the hills.  It will bit a lot more comfortable on long drives.  Look at how freaking shiny it is!  I suspect that wont last :-)  I am currently reading the manual which is the size of an encyclopaedia, working out what all the little buttons and doodads do.

We bought one last fruit tree before we swapped cars.  A Coe's Golden Drop plum.  We've gone for three European plums, the Coe, a Greengage and an Italian Sugar Plum...possibly a D'Agen.  All old fashioned, oval shaped plums, with high sugar content and great flavour and good for preserving.  Looking forward to those.   Looking forward to all the fruit actually, I dream of wandering through the orchard, pulling lunch straight off the trees.  Luvly.