This will hurt me...

Evil magpie. Our front yard. East Derwent Highway, Geilston Bay. December 2011. Sunday Top Five again and today I venture somewhat into a self help territory: The Top Five Things That My Life Is Far Too Short For Me To Tolerate! People who bring me down . There are an awful lot of people in the world, so I don’t really understand people who waste their time with poisonous people. Relationships should be enjoyable, not painful. Find people who you get on with, who entertain you, not drag you down. A career that I hate . There are limits to this, as you have to keep paying the bills. Nevertheless, if the opportunity arises, I don’t see the point on settling on a job I’m not keen on. Keep looking, that’s what I’m doing! Unnecessary miscommunication . I can’t apologise for this one. I say what I mean and mean what you say. If we’re conversing, please speak clearly and frankly. Ask questions. Clarify things until you understand them. Life is too short for games. Unhealthy habits...

A caged bird never wins grand finals. ANZAC Park, Lindisfarne. October 2011. Some days it is hard. Some days it is less hard. Some days, even, it is easy. Some days it is so so. I think that today is a ‘less hard’ kind of day, with a possibility of an upgrade to ‘hard’.

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

In order to get to play group, Henry and I generally cut across the lower fields of Geilston Bay High School. I have noted something on these fields for the past two months, but have thus far failed to secure a decent photograph. That didn't change today, but I am noe prepared to settle for something less than a decent photograph. Can you see them? Look closer. Click on the picture to enlarge it if you like. See it now? Yes, as I posted some time ago, the birdies are back! Eastern Rosellas , to be precise. Here you can see the two that I got closest too. And here were a bunch hanging around just behind them. I'd guess that there are maybe a good thirty or forty that have taken up residence directly across the road from us. Them and a huge mob of cockatoos , numerous 'plovers' (well, 'banded lapwings' to be precise), and quite a few breeding pairs of magpies . It's not a bad scene each morning.

I will admit that today's photograph is not the most technically impressive, however I could not resist posting it. I can't say that I've ever seen four magpies all chatting happily together before (three maybe, but not four), so I was impressed enough to snap away. Henry and I took a long stroll today along the river this afternoon and found ourselves taking a well-earned rest watching the seagulls squabble at ANZAC Park, the home ground of the mighty Lindisfarne Two Blues football club. Now, I took a few shots of their splendid grandstand, and a couple more of Henry booting torpedo punts through the middle of the sticks from 60-70 metres out, but they couldn't compete with the four magpies. Now, you have to understand that here in Tasmania, we have a sub-species of the typical Australian magpie . Not only is the Tasmanian magpie slightly smaller than its mainland counterparts, it has a far more advanced inquisitive nature. Unlike their dim, obnoxious Collingwood bret...