HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROD!!! XXX

Hurrah! At this rate you will be able to meet Maisie while she is still puppy!
She can still Just fit on my lap, but I seriously wonder whether she is crossed with a bassett hound by mistake, as she is so l o n g! Her head is very springer, though!

See you soon, Love Katharine

It is brilliant news - and I am ashamed that I have not got in touch with you before now, but I have been taken up with Mum's death and funeral, but I am going to email you!

Lots of love, Katharine

Hey the photos of the train models are great, I love that sort of stuff, looks like lots of fun.

Glad to hear work's picked up heaps, looking forward to catching up some time.

Hey Pip, unfortunately I'm not playing soccer this year, so hope you can do it for both of us, expecting you to cover for me.

cheers for now Tina.

Rod you really are a wonderful photographer! Thank you so much for such lovely pictures of what I think must be my favourite spring flowers! They were wonderful were'nt they, and with this ghastly weather we have been having, I think they looked wonderful, and not a bit like the woman we met led us to believe! I certainly did'nt think 'they were beyond their best'!

I am glad you enjoyed today, so did I, despite the freezing cold! The photos at the begining and the end of your 'batch' show it in the icy blue of the sky! The frost patterns on the ferns going back up to the top were lovely!

However, bon voyage, and I shall just say cheerio for now, as you will be back before you know it!

I don't know why I am writing all this, when I could easily call you in the next room, but there you go!

Hey, great to hear that England is keeping the cold snowy weather for you for a while, although I think you may need to trade the car in for something a bit more reliable ........ like a snow-mobile!!!

Well its Australia Day today, so "g'day mate, put another lamb on the barbe (or some tofu in your case), toss us another VB (or wine for us) and enjoy the 35+ degrees". We went to a friends place today and they had a home-made "slip-n-slide" in the back yard, which all the kids loved, ... including myself. I talked another adult into doing it, but we were the only adults, I tell you, grown-ups just don't know how to have fun anymore. Anyway I did think of you as we literally sweltered in the heat, eating our BBQ, drinking our wine with ice or beer in stubbie-holders, I was wondering how you would be spending the Australia Day. I do hope you at least had your Aussie flag tattoos on your arms and cheeks !!!!! It was fantastic to enjoy a slip-n-slide, which for so long we haven't been able to cause of the water restrictions. Thankfully, no fires today, so that was a relief.

AJ's back at school on Thursday, a big Year 2, so now he's the "big-kids" of the infants, and I think the attitude is really settling in. But we still know how to bribe and "guilt-trip" him, so all is good.

Enjoy your new-found freedom, chat soon, lots of love Tina, Andrew and AJ xxx ps Give Anouk a big kiss for me, and a great rumble. pps Has Pippa found a soccer team yet!!! (football, sorry)

Hi Rod - It's so good to hear you are in England now - it's weird, but I feel relieved for you. I imagine Saudi (and most of the middle east actually) to be a bit of a hole so must be good to be back in civilised society (yeah, I know sounds a bit politically incorrect, but you know how much I care about that!). Well, I hope the final end to the trip has been achieved and that you guys can soon be in your own place over there in the UK (not cornwall of course;) )

lotsaluv

Katia

What a lovely lot of photos. Just like a travelogue. You will have to take up a new profession. We have certainly enjoyed your communiques from the middle east.

You will notice the difference when you arrive in England. Everywhere covered in snow and COLD.

Love, Mum and Dad

HI ROD!!!!

Almost done!?!?! Pippa's going to be so excited to have you home, and I guess you'll be stoked to be there too :)

My money is on you getting rotten sick though, going from the desert straight to snow coated england!

Congrats on making it this far in any case!

Hi Rod,

Sorry life hasn't seemed to pick up for you in Saudi. I hope you had a good Christmas though even if New Years was trying. Thinking of you both - wedding was awesome!

Merry Christmas Rod, (and Pippa), although you have had an unusual christmas, I think the photo of the christmas tree was excellent and you are right, you are probably closer to the real christmas (being in the desert) than any of us.

We spent a couple of days in Albury where it was 35 degrees and humid, I think the Global Warming has even hit Albury, as it used to be a dry heat, but not any more. Spent lunch in the Botanical Gardens with Andrew's nan, right near where we got married, so it was loooovvellly. Then dinner at David's. It's so weird as their eldest kids are now 15, 14, & 13 and all taller than me (I know that's not hard, but its still weird).

The next day thought of you heaps as we headed out to STANLEY for Berry picking, not far from your old haunt - picked blueberries, raspberries, different types of blackberries. Not only reminded me of your old place, but also how we used to go mulberry picking when we were kids. Ended up with red stained hands and mouths, and just had to finish it off with a pie and chocolate eclair at BEECHWORTH BAKERY. Is your mout watering !! Don't worry, I pigged out for both you and Pip as well as myself. We finished the day with a visit to two wineries and I did you proud by trying all the whites, all the reds (including Shiraz's) and some ports. As I said, I tried to cover all bases for you, Pip and myself.

Enjoy the next couple of days prior to your mid-leave, it may feel weird having xmas and new year there, but just think of the adventure that you went there for and how you've experienced stuff that most of us never will in our lifetime. I'm sure Pip's family will have some xmas "cheer" left over for you, its just an excuse to do it all again really, and looking forward to the next installment.

Cheers Tina, Andrew and AJ xxx

G'day, from Dad, Mum, Sandra and Stan

It is that unmentionable day of the year, and we are about to have a niceHOT day, 26 deg. already and it isn't yet 9.00.

I suppose you are working.

Sandra and Stan enjoyed your Blog and all the photos. They don't send cards anymore because you are always in a different place. They are thinking of you anyway.

Love Mum & Dad