Dance. Smile. Laugh.

Browns Island in the early morning sunlight

Abraham Lincoln once said 

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, 

or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

I want to think like that EVERYDAY.

The power of the mind is a marvelous tool.  We are WHAT we think and have the ability within ourselves to change our lives .... IF we choose to.

Dance. Smile. Laugh. 

Marvel at the ABSURDITIES of life. 

Of which there are many!

The home we’re currently in shares a property with 2 other units.  They’re all inter-linked but very private.  One of the units is currently undergoing renovation but said renovation is causing much mischief!

In order to renovate the unit scaffolding had to be erected in OUR driveway ... which is VERY narrow. The unit being renovated doesn’t use the driveway to access their garages, but both us and the other unit do.  In order to support the weight of the scaffolding they wanted to put a support pole in front of our garage doors.

Understandably we wouldn’t let them as the renovation is be on-going until the end of February.  As an alternative, they’ve erected support scaffolding in the garden of the next door neighbour.  That’s where the fun begins. 

The Shag Tree ... and nest!

Next-door neighbour, despite having agreed to it, is a tad aggrieved at the size and quantity of scaffolding in his garden.  He’s also frustrated at the noise and dust emanating from the renovation

 ... as are we.

A breeding pair of Pied Shags.

He wrongly assumed it was us doing the renovations and took his frustration out on the plant material which is growing under the scaffolding but over the dividing wall.  Years and years of growth get lopped off and dropped onto our driveway.

We couldn’t even OPEN the garage door.

One phone call or knock on the door would have cleared up any misunderstanding but instead we had a driveway FULL of plant debris to clear up.

Remembering to view roses as thorn bushes with flowers made me smile.  

Even our taciturn neighbour MUST have some good qualities!

Odin, a 5month old Golden Lab we met ... this is what Sam must have looked like when he was younger.

Life is very much an art form with artists from all walks of life  adding to the canvas that it IS.  

Be in love with your life however imperfect it might be!

Nico's been practising his rugby in secret!

“Keep looking up ... that’s the secret of life ...”  

so says Snoopy