Author: Xerraire

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Southern Beekeepers Nature Reserve

Southern Beekeepers Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 240 kilometres (149 mi) north of Perth. From 1889 until it was officially closed in 1971, a stock route between Dongara and Perth ran through what is now Southern Beekeeper’s Nature Reserve and Nambung National...

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To Cervantes and Lake Thetis

For our next outing, we were going North, to Cervantes and beyond. The year Laura came with me to Australia, we had only driven through Cervantes, and we didn’t see much. I was happy to get another look at it, this town with a very Spanish sounding name. Our decision...

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After the Orchid Hunting

After hunting for orchids on Johnston Road, it was time to go home. In spring, our weekends are a lot about Orchid hunting, and it often means we have a long way to go to find them. But you know what? Sometimes we don’t make it all the way that...

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Johnston Road and the Rabbit Orchids

We learned from the Orchid Group that there were rabbit orchids in the burned area in Johnston Rd. Last summer when I was here, Johnston Road and the area of Yarloop made the news. There was a devastating fire that damaged the bush, homes, everything. It was a huge tragedy,...

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Fairies at Bibra Lake

As if getting our very own Pink Fairy Orchid at the plant sale this morning wasn’t enough, we followed that up with a visit to Bibra Lake where we found the biggest patch of pink fairies all in one place that I have ever seen! My personal feelings are that...

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Pink Fairy Orchid of Our Very Own

John and I got up early on Saturday, on a brisk Western Australia morning and headed for the King’s Park plant sale in hopes of getting a pink fairy orchid of our very own. We were early as the area hadn’t opened its gates yet, we waited in a growing...

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Return to Manea Park

Last time we went to Manea Park, it was in October. This time we would try Manea Park in September, hoping to get a glimpse of different orchids, and most of all the prize of Western Australian orchids, the Queen of Sheba. Someone in the orchid group had spotted one....

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2016 Kings Park Wildflower Festival

You’d think that we might have had enough of a wildflower or two the day before, but not so. We chose Father’s Day (it’s in September in Australia) to go to King’s Park for the Wildflower festival that Perth has every year. Find yourself in a carpet of wildflowers in...

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Watheroo

So it looks like John is having a two part Father’s day this year and part one was a day’s outing to Watheroo and surrounding areas. Armed with what looks like a hand drawn map of Watheroo given to us 6 years ago, by we can’t remember who, we set...

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The Drive Home

Continuing from the Coalseam Conservation Park blog…our drive. So the drive back home was in and out of wet weather, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying our first weekend outing and taking in all the Western Australian scenery.   A drive in the Western Australian countryside, some might say...

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Coalseam Conservation Park

So where does the name Coalseam come from? Coalseam Conservation Park is one of the few areas where black coal can be seen at the Earth’s surface. It is also the site of the first coal mining in Western Australia. The Irwin River has cut through the local rock exposing...

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Driving to Coalseam

Not really understanding what a coalseam really is, we took our first Saturday together and decided to drive to Coalseam Conservation Park. Driving is truly the key word, as it was far and the weather didn’t cooperate much for us to do a whole lot else.   Next blog, Coalseam...

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Moonfall Studios Portraits

Presenting our Webpage of Portraits, Weddings, and Engagements Those in demand portraits: Laura, John, and I, have had a few portrait photography projects together, sometimes just two of us, and a few times on our own, apart from the other. We’d like to do more and to show others our...

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Mireia’s First Bath

Mireia gets her first bath When my children were ready to get their first baths, my mom made such a fuss over the event, that in my world it’s become a huge milestone in life, and an honor to be invited to be part of it. (I was also here...

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Mireia

The last few blog posts of mine have been about past family members. The truth is our family tree is also moving forwards as well! June 1, 2016, Mireia Violet was born. Mireia is a Catalan girl name. The meaning of the name is `Admirable` It’s a Catalan name, and...

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The Places of Fletchers and Buckwalters

Continuing on my quest to learn all the places my ancestors came from. Updated Post! 1973 names on this list now! The last blog I did the Bosley Family Tree. This post will be on my mother’s side, the Fletcher – Buckwalter Family tree. This part of the family tree...

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The Places of Bosley and Boyce

Updated, now with 1552 names on the list! I’ve been doing a lot of research on Ancestry.com and other sites looking for some hints into my parents’ heritage. I found more than I ever thought possible. My Dad’s name is Bosley. I always figured it was English, but for years...

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The Toothpick Holder

In my organizing of the kitchen, I have come across an old toothpick holder. If I am guessing right, my mom would like me to take her kitchen and make it my own. Her system wouldn’t be my system, but it worked for her, and that was always fine with...

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A Father Daughter Duet for Father’s Day

I have compared to losing a Dad as something like losing your own backbone. You don’t think about it much until it’s gone. It’s been there supporting you in every way, and then suddenly it’s not there anymore. How do you even function? Thankfully, he was very memorable and in...

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I Love My Nana

If Ezra could write the blog, what would he say? I might take a guess…   Nana loves you too, little guy. You are a sweet little boy.

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New Music 2016

It’s no secret that I LOVE music and am a collector of music. What a few people likely didn’t know, is that I haven’t had new music in a long time. This year for Christmas and my birthday, several people gave me gift cards from Amazon. What a great gift....

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Perth Sculptures: Bessie Rischbieth

So I wanted to see more of the new part of Perth, the Elizabeth Quay, the walking bridge and anything else new in the area. So we made plans to see a few sights, do some shopping, and hang around for sunset.  As we walked around, there was a new...

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First 4×4 Dirt Track

John has experience, but this was my FIRST time on a real 4×4 dirt track. I learned when the guide book says, “Engage four wheel drive low range.” that in 4×4 talk, this actually means “Don’t go down that track, there will be ruts deep enough to fit small children!”...

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Christian Confidence

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  ~ John 3:16 Sometimes on the weekends, John and I will take drives to the country. I really enjoy it. Our little “escapes” sometimes leads us...

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Anniversary: Castle Rock

The last visit we made on our wedding anniversary was a visit, or should I say, re-visit to Castle Rock beach. We first went to Castle Rock with Laura in 2010, and because she loved it so much there, it quickly became a favorite place of mine. We thought about...

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Anniversary: Cowaramup

Still our anniversary, moving on from Busselton, Reptiles, and ice cream, we went to Cowaramup. We had passed through this ‘cow town’ before, so it felt a little “deja moo.” Cowaramup. The name is believed to be derived from Aboriginal word Cowara, meaning Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Locals from the region often...

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Anniversary: Ice Cream

Miller’s Ice Cream to be exact. The day we got married, 4 years ago, later that afternoon, we went out for ice cream. We went to the typical place to go for ice cream in that area, Simmos. This day we learned there was a new place in town, and...

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Anniversary: Spiders and Snakes

Continuing on with our anniversary celebration, it was a day for spiders and snakes. Now I know my husband is familiar with Jim Stafford’s song, Spiders and Snakes, and he should know that wedding anniversaries should be filled with romance, but he took me to a reptile house anyway. Later...

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Anniversary: Busselton

Last year, for our 3 year wedding anniversary, we were far apart. This made our 4 year anniversary extra special. So much so, that we packed a lot into the one day, and I will blog about it over the next few blogs instead of just one. We decided to...

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Sculptures by the Sea 2016

This was going to be my first Sculptures by the Sea. I don’t know why we hadn’t gone any of the summers I had been here before. This year, we went twice. (Something that just seems to happen, that we have to go to the same event twice).  Given that...

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John’s 60th Birthday Party

Georgie, John’s sister, gave him his 50th Birthday party, so when she suggested she do the 60th, it seemed right. Initially I had thought to have John’s birthday at the Perth Zoo, but the expense of renting a place was just too much, so Georgie and I went with a...

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George Müller of Bristol

George Müller was a native German (a Prussian). He was born in Kroppenstaedt on September 27, 1805 and lived almost the entire nineteenth century. George Müller died March 10, 1898 at the age of 92. He saw the great awakening of 1859 which he said “led to the conversion of...

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Perth Sculptures: Swan Fountain

Another Perth Sculpture, also a fountain. This blog post is continuing about Perth Sculptures, but is better described as a fountain. I’d say it is a good mix of both. This fountain stands in the center of a small lake (Citizen of the Year Lake) in the “Burswood Park Heritage...

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Perth Sculptures: Willem de Vlamingh and Swan

Two more sculptures in Perth worth noting are the Willem de Vlamingh and the Swan that is next to it, both created by Joan Walsh-Smith and Charles Smith. Continuing with the tour of sculptures in Perth, I found them interesting because I do love the black swans in Perth, and...

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Perth Sculptures: Mary Durack

One of the most captivating sculptures we saw in our outing was the one of Mary Durack. It shows an older version of a writer with her younger self as a child. The inspiration for this sculpture is Dame Mary Durack, renowned Australian author, engaged in a dialogue with her...

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Perth Sculptures: Olympic Torch

Continuing on from a previous post about sculptures found in Perth, here is another one from The Burswood Park Heritage Trail, ‘Keeping the Flame Alight” a commemorative Olympic Torch Relay Sculpture.   From the Smith Sculptors Website: This sculpture identifies and specifically celebrates the most important and key element in...

Our Wedding Day 1

4 Years Married

As I write this, 4 years ago tomorrow John and I got married. Last year we missed our own wedding anniversary, we weren’t together as I was caring for my very sick mom. Not that she liked it that way. Had it been up to her she would have sent...