This will hurt me...

Both lads were considerably more taken by the baby emus than they were the grown ups. Yes, they still had the propensity to rush straight at you, but that's easier to take when they are a foot high, rather than the full six or seven!

This jet ski photographed zipping about the Derwent gives me an idea. But first... Yesterday's journey up the valley of love and into the Salmon Ponds was curtailed by that most frustrating of visitors: torrential rain . It seems that meteorology and astrology are still closer than one would like, especially when planning a day out. Imagine my surprise then when I open the blinds this morning to a clear blue sky. They were, of course, predicting rain. We might have to dust off the jet ski and get out there and start harassing the whales. Whatddaya reckon Henry?

Here is a startled birthday boy opening up a present last Friday morning. Trains were what he wanted, and trains were what he got!

Oh 10 Murray! What will I do when you're gone?!?! To console myself, we're all heading up to The Salmon Ponds for the morning. I am hoping that watching Henry and Ezra swim with the fish will brighten my spirits...

It's hard work being a vampire: sucking blood; laughing maniacally; seducing virgins; picking cotton. Sometimes you just need a break...

Here is a self portrait. I’m calling it Portrait of a lady in a dirty window . Shocking, isn’t it? However, it is apt! Samhain , Nos Galan Gaeaf , Hop-tu-Naa , All Saints , All Hallows , Hallowmas , Hallowe'en or HALLOWEEN . It’s Theme Thursday and we’re talking about the festivals traditionally held at the end of the harvest season. Huh? No wonder Australians have trouble with the concept of HALLOWEEN. For the record, in my thirty-two L O N G years on the planet, I can’t say I’ve ever seen ghosts ‘n goblins, trick ‘n treaters or Michael Myers stalking Tasmania’s streets at the end of October. [That said, I did once see a woman as pale as a ghost turning tricks that looked like Michael Myers in late November one time.] Despite the best efforts of Hollywood, sitcoms, and innumerable companies; it seems Australians are impervious to the [ahem] charms of a corporatized variant of a celebration of the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darke...

They say that Test Cricket is the sternest test of a man's character (the inherent weakness in a woman's character appears to preclude them from being tested in a real Test). Thus, every evening I get Henry and Ez out into our makeshift nets and hurtle cricket balls at them for hours on end. You might be wondering where the pads, gloves and helmets are. Well, I regards pads, gloves and helmets as a sign of weakness of character . A bit of chewing gum, a moustache and a cheeky grin is all a REAL MAN needs...

In the morning light, from this angle, you'd never know that the Aurora Australis was painted bright orange. It looks battleship grey here! They must have had a couple of bags of chips on them, you can see some seagulls hanging about on the scrounge.

I am the champions, YOU are the losers..."

She's back! In what must be the world's fastest trip to Antarctica and back, the Aurora Australis is back in town. I suspect that they never made it all the way down, and headed back to get some extra loaves of bread. Penguins, you see, can never get enough Vegemite sangers .

Unfortunately, host duties prevented me from fully exploiting the innumerable photographic opportunities. That said, I have the feelers out for any attendees that might have snared any interesting shots on the day. I did manage to capture, along with the above video, a shot of Henry and his lovely assistant Evie [100% certified organic] confronting the dangerous beast that Ezra and I prepared the evening before.

Prior to any sacrifice of a crocodile, the chief butcher is afforded a song and three hearty cheers. Congratulations Henry! Well assisted Evie, you couldn't have done it without you!

Last year Elmo made a surprise appearance at Henry's birthday party, then we cut him up and ate him. Yesterday, the party was stormed by a crocodile ! Brave soul that he is, Henry tackled the wee beastie and subdued the bugger, before carving him up and offering his delicious - and strangely banana-flavoured - flesh to all and sundry. Video at twelve!

Ez and Jen: just hangin' out.

We now have FOUR [4] regular magpies around our joint these days, looking for a feed. It's getting ridiculous ! Today's Sunday Top Five ! Top Five Birthday Treat Foods From Henry's Birthday Party: Party Pies Sausage Rolls Mini Frankfurts Potato Crisps Crocodile Cake