Hi all,

After more than a week of off and on rain, I think it's finally stopped.. The sun's shining outside, and I've just been for a long walk gathering golf balls in the bushes..

Not many to be had at the moment, as the players have no doubt been shunning the wet outdoors too, but I still managed to find about 70 on a 3 hour hunt..

Kveta is currently staying with her niece, Romana, (her brother's daughter), and her (Romana's) son.. (still in the Czech Republic, of course).. She's got the camera at the moment (we've only got the one between us), so I've not been taking any new pictures since she's been gone.. But here're a few from a couple of years back, before I'd left England, with me and Amelia..

Me and my little niece in 2006

I'm missing taking pictures, so over the last week, I've been doing some online research to find a new camera, and finally decided on one that I've ordered from Ebay.. It's a relatively new model from panasonic that's supposed to be shock, water and dustproof..

It's gotten pretty good reviews, so I'm excited to see it in action.. It'll be a while though, as I've yet to pay for it, due to waiting on a bank to paypal transfer..

Amelia and me on the campello beach

Another thing the camera is supposed to do, is take HD (high definition) videos, which in all likelihood will soon be the norm in digital cameras, but i think this is the only point and shoot camera, that's waterproof, that does that at the moment..

So hopefully there'll be more videos forthcoming on youtube once I've gotten the hang of it.. - Anything's gotta be better than the one's we've got on there at the moment.. (I'm still not too keyed on how to edit videos, and it always takes me a lot of time trying to figure it out)..

Summertime fun, Spain, 2006

peace,
mango.

Mid winter here.. daytime temps have been averaging between 13 and 16 degrees these past few days.

I'm still alone here while Kveta is on her hols.. She's just returned from 2 weeks in Turkey with her mother, and is back in the Czech Republic again.. I spoke with her on the phone last night, she had a reasonable time, although the sea was dirty where they were, and a little too choppy. Fruit choice was good enough though, but I think she's decided to go either to Italy or Greece next time, as overall it wasn't exactly what they had hoped.

View from a hill on Phuket Island, Thailand - 2004

About a week ago, I emailed Anne in Queensland, and ask her some questions about this whole immigration thing (she's from more or less the same part of England as I am, and is about 2 and half years ahead of me, in terms of being here in Australia and dealing with all the bureaucratic nonsense.. - She's already got her full residency, and is even eligible for her citizenship already).

Anyhow, she put my mind at rest a little about this whole procedure, explaining that things basically seemed to be running well.. And then 3 days ago, I got another fat envelope from immigration, with a list of 5 more things that I need to get done.. I felt nauseous flicking through it all.. I'm not sure why I get so stressed when faced with this paperwork.. Perhaps it's because there's this nagging fear that my application might be refused.

View from the top of the small mountain above tiger cave monastery.
Near Krabi, Thailand - 2004

Talking with Kveta helped me relax some, with her reassuring me that it was basically our destiny to be together in tropical Australia, and that her mother, the renowned Tarot Card reader of the Czech Republic (a talent that Kveta has inherited), says that the cards are all good for us. But that doesn't stop me cursing  the folly of humanity that prevents us from travelling as freely as natured and the great white spirit intended us to.

I wonder when earthlings will finally grow up and move from the dark side into the light....

Born on this day, 1936, that's 26664 days ago, and makes her 73 today..

Mum in Spain - Christmas 2004

She's currently in Spain with Dad, for another 10 days or so..

Happy birthday mum!

Haven't seen either of them since I left England in November 2006,and no idea when I'll see them again..

Kveta's currently in Turkey, with her mum, staying at some place called Alanya - 250 meters from the sandy beach of Kleopatra.. I haven't heard from her since she got there a few days ago.. It's quite possible that I'll not hear from her until she gets back to the Czech republic on the 16th..

I've been watching the whales from the headlands with a pair of binoculars I found when I used to look for scrap metal.

life's good.. I'll likely include a photo later, no time right now..

hugs,
mango.

Last thursday, 28th May, Kveta sprouted metal wings and faster than the speed of sound, flew toward the czech republic..

Her mum was there to pick her up from the airport, and drive her to the sleepy village of Valy where the rest of her family live, not too far from the German border.

So, that leaves me home alone to fend the fort.. It feels a little empty without kvetas presence and although I enjoy spending time alone, I'm naturally missing her too..

And these are slow lazy days, raining and windy out, with occasional patches of sunshine that I take advantage of by walking the local golf courses in search of strayed golf balls hidden in the bushes and long grass.

Today the counsel housing maintenance crew are visiting, doing some work in our small one bedroom flat.. Changes the locks on windows, painting a moldy ceiling and a few other odd bits, so the windows are all fully open right now, and it feels like winter inside.. (Winter officially got started 2 days ago - 1st June is the first day of summer here, down under).. and I can tell you, once more, I am soooo looking forward to leaving this place behind and heading north into the sunshine..

I'm thinking a lot about that lately.. Sydney is so not the place either of us really wish to be in, but due to the insanity of the world, it's a necessary hindrance while waiting impatiently for paperwork to clear.

Crow eyeing our durian jealously

The car needs work on it still. The front windscreen needs replacing after getting cracked while a friend attempted to fix a leaky roof, and there's definitely some electrical problem as the battery keeps running flat if not used for 24 hours or more..

Anyhow, I don't think I've much else to report today.. All's otherwise well.

Hugs to the world,
Mango