Sunset in Winter: Sydney, Australia

Sunsets vary widely in their beauty. Some are quite spectacular, while others are almost non-events.

In Sydney, the winter sunsets tend to be delightful.

Here is one that I recently photographed.

Enjoy!

A Glorious Sydney Sunset

Ducks are Beautiful!

Ducks on the Pontoon

Ducks are beautiful!

Sometimes they visit our local swimming baths. One of their favourite resting places is on top of the pontoon.

This doubles as a diving platform and swimming-race marking point. It’s the 50 metre mark!

So nice to see our feathered friends enjoying the winter sun.

A New Review : AMELIA’S CALL

I’m thoroughly delighted to announce a new review of Amelia’s Call has been posted on Amazon.

Thank you, Catrina!

Here it is!

4.0 out of 5 stars Choices faced July 27, 2013
By Catrina M. Rudd
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
A new bride and new groom wear the rose colored glasses of love, lust, and excitement until the vows are done, and they believe the world is theirs. This is a story of what comes after ‘I do’.

Amelia faces hard choices that change her rose colored tint. Challenges force her to evaluate everything, as is the case for every marriage. Her decisions make or break their future, and leave the reader wondering in reflection.

Ms Sharp has really brought the reality of life to the forefront in a manner that is truly compelling and emotional. This is an excellent story, and I strongly suggest picking it up.

http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store/dp/B00DLYLK4M

Boomer Lit: ‘Encore’!

Hello and thanks to those who have visited my blog!

For the moment, this is my final chance to give you a taste of my fiction writing, so I ‘ve decided to select one of the particular favourite vignettes of Goodreads reviewer Mark.

This sample is from my seventh title, ‘ENCORE’.

DEAR DAVID

Dear David,

I don’t think I could have believed it’s really you, if Gina hadn’t sworn she saw my photo on your hall table. Certainly, the snapshot she took last Sunday tugs ta my far-away memories; the blueness of your eyes I can never forget.

She tells me that the country life has kept you young; judging by your image, you certainly haven’t gone to seed, as have many of our peers!

So much water has passed under the bridge that I’m almost afraid to accept your invitation. In truth, I don’t know if I’m ready yet to let go of the past; and by that, as you’ve probably guessed, I mean the memory of Lloyd. He was, after all, my husband for thirty-one years.

I hope my decision doesn’t bring too much pain or disappointment to you. I know what it’s like to be left alone; and, dear David, I regret to hear that you’re even more alone than me. Gina  is a great comfort; a wonderful daughter; and Tom, her husband, is as close to me as my own flesh and blood.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *

Are you enjoying this?

Then please consider adding this title to your collection. With a five star review from Goodreads member Mark, and a four star one from Brenda, surely it has something going for it!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/540946144

http://www.amazon.com/Encore-ebook/dp/B00BEBZRAW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

There’s No Accounting for Taste….

There’s no accounting for taste!

That’s the conclusion I came to after witnessing the menu of a couple of wild, sulphur-crested cockatoos who had perched on a neighbour’s front fence.

Forget about expensive, shop-bought seed treats!

These

The lemon-loving Cockatoos

were eating, with obvious relish, that most unpalatable of fruit: lemon!

It takes all kinds to make a world…..

Copyright ©

Adorable Water-birds: Wild Ducks!

Ducks in the Baths

One of my favourite activities is bird watching. Whether they be land or water-based, birds strike a delightful chord in my psyche.

Fortunately I live near a natural park that takes in river flats, and even has a swimming enclosure.

Here, water-birds are by no means rare. From swallows to pelicans, all have been seen.

One of my most treasured sights is that of a flock of ducks. Over the years I’ve seen a number of species. These are some that recently flew in to visit.

Simple pleasures are so often the best…..

House Swapping, Parrot Style

Surveying the nest: Rainbow Lorikeets

Do our native parrots covet others’ homes?

That’s the question I asked myself this morning when I saw what had happened.

For many weeks I’d watched the tireless diligence, the devoted effort, of a certain white cockatoo. Every day he’d be hard at work, chipping away. Every morning I’d see an impressive pile of wood-chips on the path below. Quite often, the lady of the house would come and inspect her partner’s progress, maybe give her opinion, and then fly off again.

And so it was with amazement that I witnessed today’s event. A small flock of Rainbow Lorikeets were eying up the nest, and apparently liking what they saw.

Have they decided to become squatters?

Who knows?