This shot was taken half a block from where we live, isn't it breathtaking? This is their harvest moon, as we are now moving into Autumn here. The tides of the ocean are created because the Earth and the Moon are attracted to each other like magnets. The Moon tries to pull anything on the Earth closer. The Earth is able to hold onto everything but the water. Each day there are two high tides and two low tides moving back and forth. (high, low, high,low,etc) There is 12 hours and 25 minutes between the two high tides. The strongest tides are during the full moon and the new moon, so the picture above has a very strong tide.

Well, I am officially a surfer! Though this picture looks like a fake backdrop, I have witnesses!! I also have a new found respect for all surfers, they make it look so easy. You actually take a beating from the waves and swallow a lot of salty water. It is all about timing and balance and trying again and again and again. I may have to invest in a wet suit though, as when the waves toss you off your board, you are lucky to come up with your bathing suit still on!!

Here is me doing "The Big Swing" at camp. Oberon High School has many excursions, where the students go away for 3 days or so and do activites such as biking, hiking, canoeing, climbing or "The Big Swing". On this camp, I was with about 100 Year 7 (grade 7) students. I was hoisted about 80 feet in the air (by ny students) and then released. I fell straight down and then started swinging back and forth like a pendulum. I will not lie, I almost tossed my cookies, but I am here to try everything once and experience all that I can - whether it scares me speechless or not!

This little fellow was on our deck this weekend. I named him Freddy. Though I could not capture his tongue, he is known as the blue-tongued lizard. Harmless, in fact, if you are brave enough, he will actually lick your hand as he smells through his tongue and licks things to know what they are. Now, do you think that I was brave enough??