today we...

Today Paula and I decided to go on a whirlwind tour of the beautiful Swan Valley on a warm and sunny winter afternoon. There are dozens of wineries about 25 minutes from our house from the ocean with good food, good wine and lots of fun. We tasted different varieties of Syrah, Merlo, Cab Sav and a few others that I didn't recognize. We stopped at a German microbrewery and had squash soup with salads and a pint of our favorite beer. Fifty yards later we were at a beautiful winery with fields of vines where we sipped the finest Cabernets of Australia, laughed our selves sick in the sun and told lies. Another fifty yards down the road and we were at another winery buying a cask of port. Yummy. We didn't get very far down winery row!!!







Paula thinks our friends will get similar casks of port for Christmas... They had better be dear friends. The port here is second to none in the world. We cherish every drop laughing and giggling at each other after every sip. So, if you do show up on our door step with an empty glass, we'll understand. Really. If you don't, well, more for me!
Our settling in process is nearly done. The only thing missing is our furniture. Still don't know where that container might be. I do know it is somewhere between West Australia and Sigapore where it had to be transferred. We all miss our things. I especially miss my bed! But the kids have gotten into a routine of going to school then a snack and off to the nearby park to play. Although it is winter here, it is really like late spring in Oregon. Showers on and off with intermitten sunny days and beautiful sunsets over the Indian Ocean are common. Come September, we will be back in the ocean for another nine months of summer. Everyone is chomping at the bit, especially me. I can't wait to start catching lobsters and spearing big fish. Its the hunter-gatherer in me I guess...
Love to all. Steve

A Bit of This; A Bit of That

Last week kind of got away from me! The kids have been on winter holiday for the past two weeks, so we haven't had much of a routine. Today they are back in school, beginning the 3rd of 4 terms in the school year. Today I think I'll just ramble...pardon my lack of focus, in advance.

Back in the States during winter everyone heads to Hawaii, Florida, Mexico. Here it is mid-winter and people are vacationing in Bali, one of many resort islands that make up Indonesia, and all sorts of exotic points North. (remember it's opposite day, every day!)Lots of newly tanned people walking around. Makes us look forward to summer that much more.

Amazing storm last week in Perth. Very high winds and rain. We went to the beach to watch the inevitable show that Mother Nature provides during such a storm by the sea. Spectacular. I took pictures, but they don't do justice.



We finally saw kangaroos! We went out to a nearby cemetary at dusk recently, and as promised by locals, there were lots and lots of kangaroos eating grass and having a 'roo party. We were all completely enchanted. They are quite tame and it's not hard to get close. Of course, they could decide to box you in the face should you get too close, so we kept a respectable distance. I would say there were at least 30 of them in the area where we were, with pockets of many more all over the cemetary. Wow. I must say, they are kind of cute and have an inquisitive look on their faces and freeze just like deer in the headlights of an automobile.



We are all having fun trying to imitate the Australian accent and use their odd vocabulary. Here are a few more we've giggled about; "the lot"; meaning "the whole thing"; "reckon"; they reckon everything here. It sounds like a bad John Wayne movie all the time. Here they don't go to the pharmacy, they go see the "chemist". That one conjurs up bad memories of school classes from long ago.

Christmas in July. Some folks do that here. There is no chance for snow on Christmas Day here, or for temperatures much below 90 degrees either, so Christmas in July is the alternative. It's the coldest time of the year, so they figure it's more like
Christmas is for the rest of the world now than in December here. Alrighttty then!

The kids wanted to spend most of their winter holiday playing video games, watching TV and sleeping late. Too much fun. But, Lucas went to a Christian camp for a few days, the kids went to and hosted sleepovers, and there was a trip to a local indoor swimming facility and a hands-on science exhibition. We managed to keep busy but still have lots of "down" time. Sam is still taking guitar lessons, and is beginning to see some fruits of his labor. It's getting better and more fun for him all the time. Cami has a birthday coming up soon, August 1st. Her first birthday she will ever celebrate during the winter. Ha! Cami will be eleven years old. Happy Birthday Cami!
v

Adventure to the Big City

Last weekend we decided to get on a train and go to downtown Perth; the big city! Living in Medford makes most any city seem large, so Perth seems like a big city to us. Actually, it has a population of about one million. It is a lovely city, quite beautiful and situated along side the Swan River. When we all decided it would be fun to take a train ride, our original destination was Freemantle, which is just about an hour south of Perth. We jumped on the train near our home and when we arrived in Perth to catch a different train to Freemantle, we discovered there was some kind of service interruption and we couldn't get there via train.
Time for Plan B.
We decided to walk around Perth and see what a Sunday afternoon would bring. It was fun to discover that Perth was alive with plenty of people, shopping, musicians on the street, great food and a cornucopia of culture that made our head spin. Walking down the street you can hear many different languages spoken, as well as many versions of heavily accented English. Clothing specific to the cultures represented here is equally as interesting. It's hard not to stare openly at times! We just took it all in and enjoyed it. We finished the day at a food court where we could choose between a "Subway" for a familiar American-type sandwich, the Aussie standard fare of fish and chips, or an impressive array of Asian fare. Steve and I were in heaven with the Thai food we selected; I would eat it every day. One thing I am fast becoming to appreciate is the food here. There is an influence of so many cultures, it's quite fun to try new things.
We arrived home tired and happy, declaring that our next train excursion we will make it to Freemantle.

Bloomin' Winter!

Yes, it's winter here and I can't help but think that the rest of the world is snickering at Australia a bit as they partake of the delicious activities, food and carefree attitude of summer. Yup, we wish it was summer here too. Whatever.

We've got bloomin' flowers! Take a look at some of the flowers blooming around our home right now in Perth. Those green globes hanging from the tree in our backyard are as yet unripe lemons. Yup, in the summer we will be able to make LEMONADE! Roses bloom and tiny daffodils emerge and show their little yellow faces.

Now that I think about it, I'm fairly certain I can handle a winter where I can have cut flowers all year round.