Zoo day!

As promised, here's the photos from our day at Melbourne Zoo. I liked the one of Steve's Mom and Aunt Linda in the bamboo:)

Oh my goodness. I'd love to have a pet monkey!

Man, giraffes are TALL!

1 little zebra, 2 little zebras. Or zeb-ra as the Aussies say.

Lots of turtles everywhere! Dare ya to go for a swim in there!

Me looking surprisingly relaxed considering I'm in a giant bird cage!

I really loved watching the bear swim. He was really cute. He saw a leaf in the water and he was pawing at it, trying to catch it. When that didn't work, he tried to catch it in his mouth...pretty adorable to watch!

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...Did you just sing that line as you read it? ;)

We fell in love with the tortoise. Like Linda said, he just seemed so wise and knowing.

He even came up close and personal for a little chat with us. He was so attentive!

Penguins! They are the same penguins we see in the wild at St. Kilda, but much easier to photograph at the zoo in the daylight!

After a verrrry long wait, we finally got to see Mali, the baby elephant that was born in January. She was pretty cute and very famous!

They had a butterfly room, which kind of freaked me out. I'm not good with things fluttering all around and landing on me, even if they are pretty!

Didn't Steve get some great shots? Well done Babe!

Melbourne Zoo

Steve's Mom and Aunt are here visiting from Canada. We went to the Melbourne Zoo today. Steve has been there before but it was my first time. I was shocked at how big it is and how much there was to see! I find zoos can make me sad because it's just heartbreaking to see the animals caged up but I was really impressed with the enclosures for the animals at this zoo. They were very large, very natural and very open. The animals seemed quite happy! We had a great day AND we got to see the new baby elephant! I have lots of fabulous photos to post, thanks to Steve's happy snapping, but a long day in the hot sun has left this girl pooped! Be back soon to share more!

I really, really, really...

...LOVE this!

No idea where I found this photo. It's been hanging out in my inspiration folder for a little while now!

Birdie

I had a pretty long to-do list for this evening. Steve's Mom and Aunt Linda arrive tomorrow from Canada, so I wanted to do some cleaning, get their room ready, etc...You know, all the obsessive things that I truly love to do when guests are coming to stay! However, that was all put on hold when I pulled in my driveway and found this little guy. He didn't seem to have anything physically wrong but he wasn't moving and even stayed put when Jesse ran over to say hello. Not sure if you know this about Steve and I, but we tend to attract lost animals and wounded birds. Seriously, we always end up finding a furry or feathery friend in need! Steve got out the gloves and gave this little birdie a cuddle while I called the emergency vet (all the normal vets in our area were closed) and asked what we should do with it.

They said that if we could, we should bring it in and they'd have a look at it. If they could help it, they obviously would and if it was too late, they could help stop it's suffering. So, we bundled the little guy up in my Canada fleece fabric and off we went. The emergency vet is near the airport, a bit of a drive away. I have to say, I was a little nervous that the bird would find a burst of energy and fly out at me in the car! You may recall that I am a wee bit scared of birds, a fear I am slooowly overcoming!
The vet said it was weak and lethargic but nothing a little food and water won't help. She said he/she should be flying free in no time! I'm wondering if he took a hit in that crazy storm we had and has had a tough time getting back on track. I know I felt that way for a few days!
I'm so glad we were able to help him. I'm really thankful for moments like this that help to remind me what's really important in life and makes all those silly worries from a day melt away. I like to think we saved that little guy's life and for that I am grateful:)

"Tomorrow is always fresh with no wrinkles."

I snapped this picture through the windscreen (as the Aussies say...windshield to us Canadians, eh!), on the way home from the airport yesterday. I thought the sky looked really cool.
I really love seeing airplanes in the air. I always find it fun to imagine who might be on the plane, where they might be headed, etc...Do you ever do that? I have some days when I think, "Man! I wish I was on that plane!" and others when I think, "Man! I'm glad I'm not cooped up on a stuffy plane today!" Today was the kind of day where I think I would have hopped the first plane to absolutely anywhere. I'm optimistic that tomorrow will be better and for now I'll simply enjoy my nice warm bowl of tomato soup, my nice cool glass of chardonnay and a play in the park with my pooch later this evening. Hope everyone reading this had (or has!) a good Tuesday:)

Yarn!

So, the house is back in order (see post below) but now the TV cable has stopped working, since we moved the TV to rip up the carpet. NO TV!!! SAY IT ISN'T SO!!! Hard to believe that we went 2 years without even owning a TV and an evening comes without it and I'm a bit lost! It's also 22 degrees and we're running the heat to help get the dampness and remaining water smell out of the house. Whoa! It's getting hot in here! Anyhoo, I figure I'll pass a bit of time by doing my second blog post of the day!
Lately, I've become obsessed with making things with yarn. There's just so much pretty yarn out there and it's always on sale! I get very excited about the $1 yarn bin at the craft store. I think it could quite possibly be the only thing I've seen selling for only a buck since I moved to Australia! Seeing as I'm actually a pretty crappy and sloooow knitter, I tend to do more simple things like make wreaths and now this! I wasn't even sure what I was going to use it as when I decided to make it, but it's just so easy and relaxing and a great little something to do while you watch TV. TV....Ahhhh. In the end, I liked mine so much, I decided I'm gonna wear it! What do you think? Cute, right? I also made a little something else with yarn over the weekend, as I listened to the rain outside (and inside!) but I'll be back to show you that later:) Never mind the picture. It's hard to photograph yourself when your hunny is on the other side of the world!

My husband, my hero.

I picked Steve up from the airport this morning and we headed home to our wet, smelly house. Steve had seen the pictures, but I don't think they gave a true sense of just how wet and SMELLY everything was. I love my husband for many, many reasons but today he reminded me of just how wonderful he is. After about 27 hours of traveling, we instantly sent to work on making our house a home once more. I'm not saying I can't manage in a crisis on my own and considering the weekend I've had, I think I did quite well (toot! toot!) but let's face it, sometimes it's just better with two. And, I have to say, Steve and I make a pretty good team!

What a mess!

First, we tried hanging the carpet differently, to speed up the drying. We realized that was wasn't going to help within about 2 minutes. So, what did my awesome hubby do? He called the owner of the house and told him we were going to pull up the carpet. It had to be done.

Then we set to work. As we pulled it up, we realized there was more water underneath than we even knew about.

I didn't even know this part was wet!

Bye bye carpet. Bye bye.

We scraped...

...we pulled thingies up and threw away...

...and once again, order was restored to my life! It will obviously need to have new carpet or whatever and it's far from perfect but right about now, it feels like the best thing in the world! No more smell. No more mess.

Yes, let's rest and relax. We deserve it! Thanks Babe! You rock!

So I'm a little stressed...

I spent most of the day cleaning up the house and trying to find a fan to help with the carpet. Apparently fans are no longer stocked in any shops because "it's winter now". Um, you do know we live in Australia and it is only March, right? Wasn't it just 35 degrees last week?
Anyway...now this...

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - MELBOURNE AREA

for FLASH FLOODING

For people in the Inner, South East, Eastern, Northern, Western, Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula, Port Phillip and parts of the Mornington Peninsula and Outer East Local Warning Areas.

Issued at 6:39 pm Sunday, 7 March 2010.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 6:40 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Craigieburn, Footscray, Greensborough, Melton, Preston, St Albans, Sunbury and Werribee. These thunderstorms are moving towards the south. They are forecast to affect Caulfield, Geelong City, Glen Waverley, Melbourne City and Ringwood by 7:10 pm and Dandenong, Frankston and Rosebud by 7:40 pm.

Very heavy rainfall and flash flooding are likely.


So that's me. That's where I live. So far, it hasn't been that bad yet, so fingers crossed that this one misses us!

I've decided to light some candles, grab some munchies and just hang with my bestest buddy...

...and live in complete denial that more heavy rain is forecast for tonight and all day tomorrow.

I pick Steve up at the airport in the morning. I missed him yesterday before the rain. I really really miss him since the rain!

Storm hits Melbourne

Yesterday was calling for a rainy day with the chance of storms. To my surprise, I woke up to sunshine and hot weather. I had originally planned on taking the day to bum around the house and relax, but with such a great looking day ahead, I changed my mind and headed downtown. I made a hair appointment and did some shopping. I went into the shopping centre at about 2:15 pm and hit the craft store. I was heading down the escalator at about 2:45 pm when I heard the chaos. Hail, people running to see...it was nuts! It was sunny and warm when I went in a half hour before and this is what it looked liked like when I tried to leave...

Crazy winds, rain, hail. According to the news, hail was as large as golf balls in some areas and winds reached 100 km an hour at the airport. I'd say the hail was about the size of ping pong balls where I was. People were trying to find cover, old ladies with their shopping carts were crying because they were stuck in the flood waters...it really was insane! I don't think anyone saw it coming!

A lot of people passing were covered in red welts from the hail. Everyone was dressed for summer. I was wearing a sundress and sandals.

The hail looked like snow!

I was supposed to have my hair appointment at 3 pm but the power went out and the whole salon started leaking...everywhere!!! Needless to say, I rescheduled! I started really worrying about our house, which leaks in even light rain. Plus, I had no idea if trams were running, so I wasn't sure how I was going to get home. Luckily, they were and I'm pretty sure that my guardian angel must have played a part in the fact that just as I reached the main street, where everything was the most chaotic, the tram going to my house was just pulling up! At this point, I had my long dress pulled up above my knees, my shoes off and was wading through very deep water! Everyone looked like drowned rats! The tram took forever, but I made it home safely. Traffic lights were out all over and some streets had water up to car doors and deeper!

This was our front door when I got home. I love having a camera on my phone!

The backyard took quite a beating, but luckily, I think all those leaves and tree cover saved our car from getting dents. Lots of other people said their cars were dented but our seems fine.

Sadly, the house didn't do so well. I snapped these pics this morning. This is in the kitchen.

Living room. The carpet is SOAKED. I have no idea what to do with it. It's so smelly! I miss Steve!

Most of my pictures that I had hanging on the wall are ruined.

And everything that lived on these shelves in the sun room is wet, including most of my craft supplies. It's still raining here and calling for more storms. I'm hoping nothing too major though! Now, I'm off to start cleaning up. Wish me luck!

Check out the paper for more pictures and video...it really is shocking!

Ask away!

Okay, so lately I find keeping in touch with everyone everywhere nearly impossible. There's just never enough time to call, email or facebook all the people I think of in the run of a day. I've even found the blog tough to keep up with at times but try my best to make it a priority. I *love* blogging and love sharing with everyone who takes the time to read what's happening in my corner of the world!
Anyway, I was thinking and wondering...do you guys have any questions for me? You know, anything in particular that you wonder about that either I never post about or you don't get to ask me because we never get the chance to chat? Cause if you do, this is your chance! I'm a pretty open person, so if you have a personal question (well maybe not too personal!), a crafty question or even just a question about Australia, I'll do my best to answer it! I'll wait and see what you all ask and then I'll do a big blog post with my repsonses. I think it'll be fun! Plus, it'll be a fun way for us to get to know each other better:) Don't let me down...ask away! xo

PS. I'm modeling Steve's sunnies in this pic...they look much better on him!:)

Missin' my Man!

Steve left for Vancouver this morning for work and I already miss him. I'm sure he misses me too. You can tell from this picture just how much he adores me and loves my cuddles! ;)

My first soy latte.

Not so bad! Too bad they always spell my name wrong!

I think I can, I think I can!

2010 for me is all about being the best me I can be, inside and out. So, needless to say, feeling sick and run down all the time has been really discouraging! Thanks to my lovely blog readers who left suggestions on how to build up my immune system. They were all great and I'm going to try them all! On a really positive note, my cold felt much better today, my spirits were back up and my chiropractor who I see weekly said that she felt more 'life force' in my body today than she has ever felt before. I've been seeing her for about 5 months, so that's encouraging! Yes, I said 'life force'. She's not your standard chiro. She basically teaches you breathing techniques that keep your body connected and your energy moving freely. She pokes you in certain places while you're on the table, but in a really gentle way. No snapping or cracking with this lady! Sounds a bit nutty, but it seems to be helping and that's the main thing! I'm off to have a cuppa, Aussie slang for a cup of tea. Herbal in this case. Probably peppermint:)

Photo found here.

This is what I should have done...

With yet another cold, complete with sinus pain and headache, I dragged myself out of bed only to have one of the busiest, most stressful days I've had in quite some time. The kids definitely left their listening ears at home today, regardless of how many times they assured me they hadn't and they were working. Does clicking your ears as if to show that your listening ears are on count if it's done while climbing all over each other and laughing and giggling when you're meant to be "sitting properly, criss cross applesauce" ? I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I seem to be catching one daycare illness after another and frankly, I'm really sick of being sick. There's just no chance for my immune system to build back up before another kid sneezes in my face while I'm tying their shoe or picks their nose and then grabs my hand to go play. Ick! I'm taking extra vitamins, eating well and getting lots of rest. What more can a girl do to keep from catching every little germ? Seriously, any thoughts?

picture found here

Fight for the right to party!

Steve and I both left work early today to go get our fingerprints done. We're eligible to apply for permanent residency again as of April, so we're starting the process early to be able to send it off as soon as we can! We're determined to be permanent residents!
While downtown, we got caught up in a protest. Heaps of people spoke out in support of live music venues being threatened by new liquor licensing laws. I don't know a whole lot about it, to be honest, but I always find it really inspiring when you see people taking a stand for what they believe in and being passionate about what they care for. Plus, they seemed to do it in a really peaceful way, with lots of music, drumming and smiles.

Jazz it up!

On Valentine's Day weekend, Steve and I went to Bennetts Lane Jazz Club for our first ever jazz show. The atmosphere was cozy and intimate.
We went because Holly Weinert, one of the girls I work with was opening the show. She's a fabulous singer, so we're always up for seeing her gigs! She was awesome (as always!) and Carl Riseley (the jazz guy) was fabulous! He had lots of charm and lots of talent! We really enjoyed it. It was a really nice thing to do on Valentine's Day weekend:)

St. Kilda Fest

Melbourne has some pretty great festivals. We decided to check out the festival in St. Kilda a couple weekends ago. We met up with Bruce (one of the guys that Steve works with) and his fiance, Claire. Claire and I have emailed for awhile now but haven't had much luck with finding the chance to meet. It was great to finally meet her! She's a grade 1 teacher and really lovely. We share a love of laminating things, singing children's songs after hours and having a clean house. Needless to say, we had lots to chat about!

The festival was really big. I wasn't it expecting it to have as much as it did...it just kept going and going, with the main street being closed off to traffic. Lots of bands playing on various stages, vendors, food and people! How relaxed does Steve look in this pic? I love it!

We watched Megan Washington play. I really liked her. Cool music and she was fantastic on the piano!

What's a festival down under without a croc and a snake?

It was a pretty hot day, so it was nice to have the festival by the water for cooling off. I really, really love having the beach right in the city! Steve, Jesse and I often hop in the car and go to the beach for a quick swim and then head home. Very refreshing!