We took a drive up to the Alpine region where the horrible bushfires happened 6 months ago. On a cold, rainy winters day, and since most of the rubble has been cleaned up, it was really impossible to appreciate just how awful it must have been.  Six months along, landholders are still bulldozing piles of fallen trees and burning the wood to clear their properties. It was amazing how much regrowth has already sprouted up though. 

From the cockpit...

What used to be someone's front yard & mail box.  If I remember correctly, the spray painted circle with and X through it on the rusted box were symbols used as salvage crews painstakingly searched every property and indicated if any remains were recovered. 

Whole neighbourhoods were flattened

Back to winter!

After a fabulous 7 week vacation, we are back to reality. And back to winter, brrrr.  We took the tram downtown and had a long walk and a yummy Japanese lunch; we have missed the authentic Asian food available here.

Lansing

Here they are playing, having fun and making a good photograph nearly impossible

Berry Picking

We went strawberry picking and came home with 15 lbs of berries. Needless to say, we are having strawberry everything right now. The kids were entertaining, and perhaps a bit disruptive to the serious pickers. All Anna wanted to do was eat the berries and stomp on the ones in our crate, and Noah kept wanting to take off his shirt for some reason (and it wasnt hot, or even warm that morning). Go figure, that's Noah. In any case, it was lots of fun for them.

We went to watch the airplanes out at the airport again recently...and we let Noah get an ice cream cone from the snack-van that is parked in the viewing area.  He was so excited about it, but he was also a really sweet boy and happily shared it with Anna.

Zoo

The kids and I find ourselves at the zoo ridiculously often.  Noah knows it like his own backyard.  He is particularly taken with the peacocks.  Of all the animals in this world class zoo, he adores the free-roaming fowl. Go figure. His other favourite site at the zoo is the bulldozers at the future marine exhibit.  He'll plop down beside the chain link construction fence and watch the diggers, dump trucks, mixers, etc for ages.  

Bulldozers and diggers and dust, oh my!

I warned Noah not to get too close to this group of peacocks so he immediately sat down (in the middle of the footpath mind you) and watched them until they were out of sight. If you know Noah you will agree that the child doesn't just "sit down". Ever. He must really love those birds!

On the way home...the zoo is a fabulous way to wear him out.

More feeding birds & sisters

Noah had fun feeding the birds some bread...

...and also feeding his sister some woodchips. Im not sure if I should be more concerned about him giving Anna woodchips, or about how eagerly she opens her mouth to accept the woodchips??