Mother's Day Down Under

Happy Aussie Mother's Day to all you mothers up in the Northern Hemisphere. Hope your day was better than ours. We had grey skies, blustery winds and intermittent sprinkles. We could use the rain, but I hate the chilly breezes that go to the bone. High today was 65F, but the winds made it feel lots cooler in the morning and after the sun set. (You'd think that after having survived Milwaukee winters I'd be a bit tougher!)

These photos were from last Thursday. With the wetter weather, we have had an influx of Galahs and a few "long-billed Corella cockatoos." The Galahs are by far the prettier and more plentiful, catching one's eye with their rich, rosy hue. They seem to be perpetually smiling and sweet.

The Corellas are about 1/4 bigger in size. They look more like old, spectacled grandparents with wrinkly eyes. The also remind me of elephants becuase of the hook in their beaks. I love the dramatic reds and blues around the eyes and the ouch of red on the chest. Both groups seem to be okay with each other and graze for grubs all together peacefully.

It's hard to take a photo that captures the whole gathering. This first shot is of about half the flock. They come in the early morning and late afternoons, which is great for photography. They seem pretty used to paparazzi and don't mind my getting down on the ground near them for shots.

They make me smile when I come across them on my way to the parish office. In the shortcut to work, I have to cross this big field the children use at recess. That's when I first run into my feathered-friends. I also see them again at the end of my work out, either running or returning from boot camp (in the school with some of the teachers). The same parrots are in the same field, munching away.

Thursday we also had a pretty sunset. Here are some of the shots with the last rays of the day coloring the fast moving clouds. As always, God is good!