December 20011

December

Hi Peregrinos Relies and all good friends

Where do I start, better be at the beginning I guess chuckle. The month started off cool and quite wet, here I show the brown grass of summer but rain on the river, the fire risk is very high this year!
































Wild flowers did well

I continued painting my Segovia painting and finished it just before Christmas

Segovia

These photos shows a Butcher Bird that came up to look at it through the window while I was painting












and a kookaburra seen on my walk






Here a shot of opposite the café showing Jacarandas and reflections and our super black swans











and the walkway near there








People enjoying the warm December sun, we have such a hard life here chuckle










I was asked to cook Empanadas for Christmas day so did a trial run as its getting near now

Maisie's roses start to bloom well

Christmas Eve was at Silvia's Mum and Dads place and the Champagne and food was out of this world !











Most Christmas photos can be seen on Maisie's blog
but just to wet your appetite , Silvia made this !!!!!!






















Well like many of you we ate far too much but managed to stay sober enough to drive home.







Christmas Day came and we spent the morning resting, then drove to Matt and Aveni's place for more yummy food. Turkey cooked in the BBQ so the cook can swim to cool off! See Maisie's blog for more photos of the food we ate and fun we had watching the children opening their presents, and the wine we drank.


















Here you see one of my presents, a Spanish cook book chuckle. My Empanada was popular later at teatime, this present was not a hint at my poor cooking skills chuckle


This is one of them! OK so the pastry cracked taking it round there ; )













After the huge lunch Maisie, Josie and I walked to the Swan River that's not far from Matt's house, and had a pleasant stroll in the park there! Look at that lovely sunshine, pelicans and our beautiful city of Perth.

















Boxing day

We returned to our house that evening and Boxing day was spent here and John Silvia came to stay with us

See my 2 Paintings of Santiago cathedral hung especially for Christmas!

While we did have lights on the outside of our house we couldn't compete with a neighbour's


Benjamin was thrilled to see it.

This Magic cloud I saw next day, look you can see where Santa drove his sleigh through it!

New Years Eve

We drove the little Barina to John and Tricia's to celebrate the out with the old and in with the new year. Here you see me with my new image for 2012.




And the Flapper I was with




Maisie's blog shows more of the fancy dress seen that night. We managed to sing Auld Lang Syne and toast all and absent friends with even more Champagne before crashing out on the front room floor
No driving home that night!

Happy New Year to you all Maisie and Mike