And in other news...

David has been in Queensland, visiting the grandies. More details of that when he gets back with the piccies.  Now he is actually in Sydney and will have a follow up appointment with his thyroid specialist on Tuesday, and then come home on Wednesday. We will have been apart two weeks! I think this may well be the longest time we have had apart in our 23 years together.

Meanwhile, friends are being very kind and feeding me. I have successfully put about the notion that without my personal chef at home, I may starve. Last night, the Boroughs put up with me and in fact put me up for the night, so not only was there a beautiful dinner, but I got to drink lots of champagne! I met their gorgeous new family member, Mimi.

Here she is, photosynthesizing, Robyn says

 This morning Chris and I went for a swim before breakfast at One Mile Beach. the water was warm and so clear I could see great big fish darting away from us as we went in. I think they were bream, big enough for breakfast. Fortunately, no sharks seemed to be wanting them for breakfast this particular morning.

Also today I was invited out for lunch by Tim and Jenny, our wonderful future neighbours. This crew of reprobates includes two other couples, also neighbours: Terry and Barb, and Bruce and Elaine.

We have been warned about this crowd.  Warned that our livers and waistlines and reputations may well suffer. It seems they know how to have fun. 

This is our new house from Jenny and Tim's kitchen window. Directly in line of sight?  Our bathroom window.  Hmm.  Should we have specified frosting? Tim says, no, it would interrupt the view.

Trying to save my liver and waistline (the reputation being irretrievable) I have been walking every day.  This is Blackhead beach.

The tide was the lowest I've seen, and I was able to reach the far northern end, usually blocked by sea and rocks.  This is looking south from inside the little sea cave.

The colours in the rocks are beautiful and we will incorporate these in our house.

 Finally, I want to share with you some photos from the distant past that have been sent by kind people who know I have very few from this long ago. Some did exist but they were lost in the Canberra fires when my ex Ric's house burned down. When I left him I was only able to grab a few photos of the children and everything else was retained at Duffy, including my own baby album. So these are very welcome and precious. This first one is me and Ruth in 1965, on our way to a Duntroon Graduation ceremony.  We were 15.

This is from 1976, it is a night spent camped in Red Johnny's cave in the Budawangs.  This area is inaccessible these days.

This is also 1976, at Termeil on the south coast. A magical place and we usually had it to ourselves.  Access to our campsite was via canoe. The start of a long career in skinny dipping. Don't tell my children.