THE YEAR HAS FLOWN

This is Mia and her friend Mia with Santa in Katherine, hard to believe it's Christmas already. Riley just spent 5 days doing work experience at a local diesel place, he loved it and this is what he looked like everyday....cute We had a visitor for a few days, no name but gorgeous, Diva was not sure about it and Micro could care less.

Two cute boys !

I have finally pressed the pay button at Virgin Blue which means that on the 31st December i will be jetting to the land of the hobbits....New Zealand. I chose New Zealand because it was 1. all i can afford and 2. I've never been there and i think i will have a good time. I will only be going to the south island, nearly 3 weeks so that should be enough time to have a good look around. The kids are off to Bali with Bruce so why stay home ? now that i have paid I'm getting excited about it. Time to dust off the luggage again, i mean that literally. We are finally getting some rain and its really nice here now, everything is green and the river is flowing.

BROTHER AND SISTER REUNITED

These were taken on the old road beside the cemetery and the river, we often take the dogs along here for a walk.
It's nice to have my babies together again. I can never thank Aunty Judy and Lin enough for the care they have given Riley this year....You 2 are the best of the Aunty bunch.

The 2 little hunters.

Mia is trying to teach Diva how to jump through the hoop, good luck with that Mia. Micro looks on with amusement.

It's hard work jumping through hoops and her feet get hot. It is so sufficatingly hot up here at the moment, the wet hasn't kicked in properly.

"THE BOY IS BACK IN TOWN, BOY IS BACK IN TOWN"

Riley is back from boarding school. We drove up to Darwin last Friday, he flew in at about 6pm, he looked good, hair a bit long but otherwise happy and healthy. We met some friends at the wharf whose son had also just flown in from school and we had a nice meal and caught up with all the news while looking out at the lovely harbour. It was hot and muggy but there was a breeze now and then which dried the sweat ! the heat was a bit of a shock to Riley and Thynne, who goes to school in Queensland, they need to acclimatise again.
Saturday afternoon we watched Riley play his first game with the Big River Hawks, Katherine under 18's. he played against his old team St Marys, he liked catching up with them all. he played really well, i don't know how they did it because it was as hot as hades and no breeze.

We caught up with friends Gemina and Ando which is always a laugh.

My darling girl is so patient and sweet, takes after me !

The Hawks lost against St Marys but Riley travelled up to Darwin yesterday to play and this time they won and he kicked a goal, he's pretty happy. We're happy to have him home, as Mia said 'we're all together again, like a family'..... albeit slightly dysfunctional...

PORT ROPER

Recently Mia spent a weekend at Port Roper with Bruce and Reedy, who lives there. They went to fish but only caught one Barra, she said they still had fun and she saw lots of Sting Rays a Croc and some big fish whose name she cant remember.
The lone Barra that Bruce caught.

The new boat. I want him to name it Bello Mia....beautiful Mia, you name boats after girls don't you ?
A Mud Skipper Mia spotted.

These are the fish she cant name, she did well getting the picture i thought.

Tthe fisher woman herself with her new rod and reel.

This is what happens when you slip on the wet boat ramp and you are bare foot !

Sunset on a great weekend. Port Roper is the mouth of the Roper river on the Gulf of Carpentaria, it flows all the way to Mataranka. It is about 500klms long from start to finish.

On this day last year we were in Milano, times flies fast.