Kelly Bear and scary cleaning lady.

I don't think I'm that scary but I do tend to whirlwind the housework.  Fur-nephew Kelly, who is visiting today, decided the bed was the best place to be while I was vacuuming, whence Andrew and Rosie had already retreated.

Note that Rosie is sucking her teddy's head, which she likes to do in moments of high emotion, including when I vacuum!

Tuppy on the other hand, likes it if I can manage to keep up a running game of tug-o-fetchy with her with one hand while vacuuming with the other.

It's my fault we started this because as a pup she was showing signs of wanting to have a go at the vacuum head, so I got out a toy to distract her, and bingo, dog conditioned that floor cleaning time is also game time!

Ah well, It's better than a chewed vacuum cleaner!

We took Kelly up to the block for a safely-fenced walk with our two this morning  He really enjoyed running around sniffing rabbity smells.

 I enjoyed this view past some of our giants at the top of the block today.

It is a bit of a grey day, but spring is definitely in the air. The smell of honey coming off this variegated-leafed Hakea was nuts!

I don't know why they call them variegated-leaf.  As far we can make out, every leaf has the same amount of spikes that get you coming and going.  Andrew calls it  Bastard Bush, along with some other local prickly varieties, based on pain factor rather than taxonomy!

Prickly Moses is another Bastard Bush, but I plant them as a companion to our Jarrah saplings because it supposedly deters the fungus, Dieback, that Jarrah is so vulnerable to.

At first glance you'd think it was the tthree year old Jarrah tree flowering oddly at the bottom only.

But a closer looks shows it is two plants.

This Grey Honey-Myrtle has gone to town with flowers this year too.  

And this is another one of our Raspberry Jam trees, looking good!   They grow more slowly than some of the other locals but are very hardy and of course the birds and bees love them when they flower.

   Andrew has been busy framing up this painting this week.

It was done from a photo taken of some kittens asleep under the kitchen table on a hot day.  They were the babies of our then cat, Molly.  No I wasn't responsible enough in those days to think of getting her spayed soon enough to avoid this 'oops' litter.  Then my relationship of the time broke up rockily and I left her and the kittens with the ex, who was always the cat and poultry man of the family.  Where I was moving to, a share house, already had 13 cats, I kid you not!  They were nice kittens.  Very friendly and cuddly.  I hope they got good homes.  He was a bit of a dick, no doubt about it, but he loved his cats.           

Anyway, I did the painting many years ago and never got around to framing or hanging it anywhere.  My youngest niece saw it in my stack and asked if she could have it, so she is getting it for a birthday present.  She is becoming a bit of a collector at a young age:  She also cadged a couple of canvases off our Aunty Wendy the artist!

This week my current novel made the 100 000 mark, so that was a lovely milestone to reach, and am coming along with the song I am writing and also my arrangement for Jabberwocky.  I'll make you a video soon, I promise.  Just have to find a mimsy wabe to do the filming on!

My lovely Yamaha acoustic guitar, Pele, has developed a metallic ring when played, which I am having trouble finding the cause for, dammit!   She has been mellow and beautiful to play for more years than I can count.  I hope I can resolve it soon.  I still play her, but it detracts from the music.