Seriously wet

This is the fourth consecutive day of quite assertive rain. The golf course is boggy and closed. Linda is here for a couple of days before she starts her new job, but no walks, swims or outings have been possible so far.  The artists have been doing abstract paintings, nothing finished so far, so I do not have permission to photograph.

We have been keeping our spirits up with a CD of some of the gloriously uplifting music that David will be playing this weekend in his performances with the Sinfonia of the Mid North Coast.  http://sinfoniamnc.com/

This orchestra, assembled from the whole district, has two concert series per year and I am really looking forward to hearing them. The program includes Mozart, Bruckner, Bach and some of the Carmina Burana. For some pieces they will be performing with a 20 voice SATB choir so it should be a treat. I may have to get my tissues out for Laudate Dominum, apparently the soprano is very good.

Speaking of getting the tissues out, have you seen "Oranges and Sunshine"? This movie by Jim Loach is a must-see. I kept thinking of child psychiatrist Margaret Pentony's sombre words about "core damage" done to little children by severe abuse, from which there is usually only limited recovery. The person never quite becomes whole. This is chillingly portrayed in a number of the adult characters here. It is a matter of shame that this deportation program was done on the quiet between two governments in quite recent times. The British government got these children off its orphanage books, and the Australian government seems to have taken them gladly to be treated as work units.

On a lighter note, I continue to enjoy the birdlife around here. A few days back I went to a U3A talk on birds of the Great Lakes area (ie around here). Amazing birdy habitat, these here parts. Seabirds, waterbirds, forest birds AND plains birds. This is a rare one David and I spotted in a very tall euc grandis just over the road a bit. A Pacific Baza, a largish pale grey bird of prey. Please note, this is an internet downloaded photo. My camera is just not that good!