To insanity and beyond ...: .... and men complain about women!

I know seagulls freak some people out but I really like these little guys. They’re persistent ... opportunistic .... brave, despite being scared .... and they have amazing recollect.

I’d always thought one seagull was pretty much like the next .... but they’re not. They’re the same - but different - pretty much like they’d define humans I guess ..... or dogs. They have such expression on their faces and a very definite leader of the pack ... or colony, as in their case.

The beach this morning - it's not raining but it's sure windy!

I could sit for hours on the beach photographing them ... they’re such comical characters with their posturing and posing. As for the noise .... gosh .... they’re noisier than my 16 year old and I didn’t think that was possible. He’s the MASTER of white noise ... you know the kind I mean ... a continuous drone that eventually fades into the background because it just doesn’t stop.

I’ve compared him to a flock of sheep before ... and it’s very apt. If you’ve never heard the sound a large flock of sheep make, do yourself a favour and go and listen. You’ll be surprised at the din they create. They just don’t stop communicating .... and men complain about women! We are QUIET in comparison to a flock of sheep - or colony of gulls!

Sam just LOVES helping her carry the logs!

My interlude with the gulls is short-lived when Sam arrives on the beach. He gambols across the sand, his mind fixed on one thing and one thing only .... getting a hello cuddle and pat from me. The gulls head skywards ... they know when their time’s up! Even the hound only gets a passing nod as he races past her.

She's not so keen on his help though.

He’s such a gentle giant but gosh, he sure has a hard head. I’m obviously not throwing logs quite as quickly as he’d like so today he decided to help me. Unfortunately his timing’s a bit out of kilter and, as I threw the log, our heads collided and I was left staggering across the sand. He’d sure make a good rugby player!

Help ... it's gone too far!

The weather the last few days has reminded me of Wellytown. It’s been WILD and WET ... and very WINDY. Julia and I nearly got blown away yesterday and we got soaked ... EVEN Indy was wet when he got home. Carol, sensible soul that she is, decided NOT to join me in the waves. I think she had the right idea ... it was NOT

The hound to the rescue

pleasant out. The camera remained firmly packed in my backback .... safe and warm in it’s watertight hole.

It didn’t even improve during the day. We participated in the Moreton Miles again last night and battled driving rain and a strong headwind as we bustled our way around to Mission Bay and back.. The highlight of the fun run/walk

... and she hands it over and runs back to her log

for me were the huge puddles the rain left behind ... I LOVE jumping in puddles .... it brings out the child in me ... and in my lemmings! Hot Chocolate .... as opposed to cider .... was the order of the day as we trickled, quite literally, back into Moretons.