New moon… New Month.

A pair (female on right) of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos in my Jacaranda. Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007.

Those Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos ‘kissing’. Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007.

New Moon

 

Last night, a sliver of silver low on the horizon, above the sea;

The moon visible through the clear sliding door of my patio

but couldn’t wish on it, not through glass – bad luck!

 

So eyes-down  I opened the door, stepped out bare-feet on concrete 

past the patio setting, minding the balls Sonja has strewn

and stood, out in the cool (now Autumn) air and wished.

 

Can’t tell you what I wished for or it won’t come true – it’s not for me.

I am lucky in love.  My family are healthy and happy, I have you.

All that I need.  So how could I possibly ask for more, for me?  

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2014

 

If you’ve got time, read more about these magnificent Carnaby’s but also, have a look at the best photos I’ve ever seen of them, up close, taken by Grace and posted on Perth Daily Photo today.

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Boxing Kangaroos

Photo: G.Forde © 2014

My very clever brother has written some more music to his  videos of  Kangaroos Boxing  in the early morning,  taken at a nearby park and blogged on  Perth Daily Photo.

Western Australia has preserved ‘green belts’ so kangaroos (and other fauna) can roam from one feeding ground to another.

Those areas usually include a lake, providing natural habitats for our native flora and fauna – particularly in my region near Yellagonga Regional Park.  (Also the subject of a Picture Book I’m working on.)

We’re used to seeing kangaroos around but know not to go near as they are deceptively cute and can be very dangerous.

Those strong back legs are used to rip open the stomach of their opponent while they rest on that ‘third leg’ – their extremely strong tail!

Driving from the city, just before turning off the freeway for home at sunset, we often see a ‘mob’ feeding near the access tracks on the left.

While studying at University I sometimes attended lectures at our local ECU campus here in Joondalup which also was regularly visited by a local ‘mob’.

 

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Floral fence

My sister-in-law Grace does an amazing travel blog Perth Daily Photo voted the best last year by our West Australian newspapers.

Currently she’s profiling a unique show on Cottesloe beach  ‘Sculptures by the Sea’  also showing the cloudy weather we’re having at the moment.

It’s such a refreshing change –  such a contrast to our normal clear blue skies and heat.  So I feel in need of some color:

Last year, she commissioned my artist daughter Jessica McCallum, to brighten up a plain and very common style of fence in Australia.

I’ve included one Mural photo to give you a taste, but there are more…  enjoy!

Fence Mural by Jessica McCallum
Photo © Grace Forde

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Nessie sighting…

Today’s news stories about a ‘Nessie’ sighting this side of the globe has reminded me of something I wrote a while ago for my sister-in-law’s very popular travel blog about Perth; http://perthdailyphoto.blogspot.com.au

Every day she uploads photos she’s taken in and around Perth, Western Australia  (she particularly loves our pretty city)  discovering new and interesting places all the time.

On May 30th last year, she’d taken a fabulous photo at Mullalloo beach and wanted me to write something to go with the photo.  Naturally, I was happy to oblige and sent a short poem back within half an hour.  She was totally amazed with what I ‘saw’ in the frame…

The Surgeon’s Photo

 

Like a summer’s day Nessie in her deepest loch

with itinerant Hugh Gray’s camera watching on shore,

she bows her head to honour the sparkling blue

and dances in the sunlight between the stars.

She is a he whose strong arms plunge out to sea

powering over and above possible danger beneath,

relentlessly pulling liquid waves to his chest –

a celebration of strength, youth and fearlessness.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2013

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