The Last Post

Sound the bugle!
Well the bugle cries into the wilderness that is Yessabah and the house we are soon to leave. Much sadness to move away from a piece of this Earth that we have come to love so much.
To have a house that is surrounded by such a forest has indeed been a privilege.




The light in the afternoons is magical as it ours through the trees from the west, and creates strong silhouettes against the sky. The Big Old Gum behind the house has been home to many birds. Often we hear a cacophony of screeches as one bird tries to oust another, on quarrels as to who has ownership. It is a very favourite tree and leads the eye to Cullantine behind us, our bit of mountain.







I hope that many more birds can find refuge in the holes and secret places that are way to high for us to take a peak at.

It is one of those images that hits us every afternoon whether winter or summer. The light glows and the parrots and birds take that alarm call to have their last feed before darkness comes down.







Walking around today, saying goodbye really to many parts of this property that are loved so much and that hold many memories for us, did fill me with not just sadness but such a joy at the same time to have been able to witness all this nature in such close proximity.





We have had visits from so many birds, and in the last year of immobility I had much time to gain solace from watching and getting to know their movements 24 hrs a day.
Sadly though it has become too much to look after and keep on top of it all, let alone doing improvements that we wanted to do.
It will be always in our hearts no matter where we are, especially the sunset in the winter afternoon......



Along the drive. Mandy's walk with Charlie...












Towards the gate........









The yellow robin became a very good friend as Robins do, and watching the comings and goings at the water bowl has delighted us everyday. At times the bowl is covered with finches, or blue wrens, or bar-shouldered doves, who seem to walk around like pet sheep and only fly when scared.





The bougainvillea has grown now and started to creep along the front verandah, its taken a couple of years, but it made it before we moved on...












Our very good friends have allowed us to watch them over the years. We have watched young emerge from the pouch for the first time, and watched those same young grow and have young of their own..









Wild flowers out now...that's what's wonderful during the winter months...the natives......








Our very good friends...first to call in the morning and the last to hear at night...this is the favourite perch on the water tank..or the roof of the front verandah...Charlie doesn't move when they suddenly crash down close to her and grab an insect or spy a worm....of course they are also partial to snakes.....








What would have been like without the king parrots...haven't seen old gammy leg for ages and would like to say goodbye before we leave...hope he is still going strong wherever he is......










The bush is alive with colour if you only look....









Charlie will find it all very different...a garden block and nowhere to run wild, and also to learn she doesn't really own everything..
though she has the oval close and the golf course...and she will have the beach to run and chase a ball on...but this is how we will remember her on walks...always patient...easy to keep away from the wallabies...




Mandy will find another sunny spot for afternoon Sunday reading...












And we will watch the ocean and swim in it, watch whales and dolphins and walk in the National Park. A different adventure due to start on Sept 1st.....

We will keep you informed.....................