Tidying the Garden
With a spot of sunny weather, and an empty skip replacing the full one, we spent a littel time tidying the garden. And ended with a daffodil on my desk ...
The Cairn at the Dog Park
I noticed this cairn at the dog park today… I don’t know who left it. Or how many people added to it, or why it’s there, or in fact, anything ...
Friendship, Haiku, Pleasure, Wisdom
Little Seal Pup
We managed to get away and took Clever Girl for a long walk along the beach. While we were there, we saw a little seal pup. As we walked, we ...
Friendship, Haiku, Pleasure, Wisdom
Too Late Now!
I admit it – now and again; I get annoyed with Clever Girl and want to send her back. But I recently realised it’s too late now. We can’t let ...
5 Things I Learned From My New Dog
Clever Girl; photo by me. This morning. In between dashes across the deck. We recently got a new dog, and boy it’s been exhausting. Lily died at 16. And I’d ...
Do I Start Again or Start Something New?
Poor Pretty Girl is gone now, and I find myself not only orphaned but petless too. It’s been hard to start again. She’s left a large void behind her, literally ...
Friendship, Haiku, Pleasure, Wealth
In Memoriam Maidenbelle Snow Lily (2004 – 2020)
The Weird Joy of Life with Wildlife
Since my post about my garden planning, people have told me how weird they think life with wildlife must be.
How to Design a Peaceful Garden
I’ve mentioned one of my major goals this year is to create a peaceful garden that’s lush and abundant, provides habitats, weather protection and a mystical threshold. And the goal ...
The Melodious Dawn Chorus Daily
One of the amazing things about birds and animals, is vocal group communications, whether that’s the Dawn Chorus, Twighlight Barking, or the alarm tones that signal mass evacuations. And time-based ...
Are Traditional Family Values a Good Thing?
Here in Australia, we’re just a couple of weeks away from the Federal Election. Like all elections, the bulk of candidates are campaigning on Traditional Family Values. Traditional Family Values ...
Friendship, Haiku, Pleasure, Wealth
In Memoriam Maidenbelle Snow Tsar (2004 – 2018)
Signature Wardrobe Dog Walking Outfit
The other day at the dog park, one of the other walkers asked me why I dressed so nice to take the dogs for a (muddy and sweaty) walk and ...
Friendship, Beauty, Pleasure, Wealth, Wisdom
Alexandria’s Adventure in Morning Routine
The morning routine above starts ...
Alexandria’s Adventure in Bunking Off
I should first mention for those that don’t know, “bunk” (as in bunking off) is also a verb meaning to leave, most notable in The Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufresne ...
Sometimes, All You Need is a Day at the Dog Beach
The Grim Side of Garden Grooming
Another quick one today, as I am still down with the cold and cursing my lack of foresight in NOT buying eucalyptus body wash for just this occasion. If you are ...
Friendship, Beauty, Pleasure, Wisdom
Ruminations on Rodents
My side of the planet is leaning away from the sun as if it is too hot to bear at present, and according to the news, it really is in ...
Who are the Home Grown Heroes of My Beautiful Garden?
When I first laid out my garden vision, I mentioned a need to develop habitats for native species – my home grown heroes. I went so far as to announce that ...
Planning for the Virtue of Friendship: #1 Creatures
Before we get to planning for creatures, here’s a quick recap. The virtue of friendship relates to the development of excellence in relationships, and this combines aspects of household, relationships and ...
Planning for the Virtue of Friendship
I know I promised I’d get into planning for friendship with creatures in this post, but as I got going I realised I had to talk about what friendship is ...
Spiders in the Bathtub
A little off topic, but I had to share this. I recently watched BBC4’s Spider House documentary , and it was absolutely fascinating! While it’s about English spiders in English homes ...
Value #2: a Happy Household
Having decided that mere wellness is insufficient and that a state of flourishing is to be desired, the next step is to determine what will support me in that endeavour. Leaving ...