Spring Is Here!!!

Sunday 1st September, 2013

Today is Father's Day in Australia and I want to wish my darling husband a very happy day.  We don't do anything special.  He knows he is loved and appreciated 365 days of the year, not just today.

I can't believe August is gone and here we are in September, the first day of Spring.  Yahoooo!!!  What a gorgeous day weather wise we are having too and it will continue up until Wednesday then on Thursday a change comes in, temperatures will drop 12-14 degrees and we'll be back to winter for a couple of days.

Who would have thought that on the last day of winter (yesterday) we would be walking around in T-shirts and shorts.  The weather was so nice we thought we would take a drive into the hills and go up to Hahndorf.  Many other people also had the same idea.  It was great to be out and about and feel the warmth of the sun on the skin.

After we finished at Hahndorf we came back to Robyn and Bob's and went out to dinner at the Rosewater.  The 'Split the Bill' promotion is finishing this coming Friday.  Whether they decide to continue it we will have to wait and see.

This morning Tony and I were up early and headed on down to Port Adelaide. The Maritime Museum have hosted 3 tall ships from Holland and the Lord Nelson, a tall ship from the U.K.  This morning the 3 Dutch ships were leaving.  We saw them arrive on Wednesday afternoon and thought that we would like to see them leave.

The 3 Dutch ships were the 'Europa', the 'Oosterschelde' and the 'Tecla'.  After leaving the inner harbour at Port Adelaide we went to Outer Harbour where we hoped that they would be in full sail.  They didn't disappoint and looked magnificent.

Many people in their boats had come out to say goodbye to these magnificent tall ships.  There were all sorts of sailboats, fishing boats, pleasure craft, row boats and canoes.

'Europa' in full sail

'Oosterschelde' in full sail

'Tecla' in full sail

The Port River is home to several dolphins.  When the ships sailed in on Wednesday four dolphins were there piloting them in.  Today there were a couple of dolphins at Outer Harbour 'playing' in the water.  Geez they are hard to photograph!

This little fella on the other hand wasn't camera shy.  After a busy morning diving for his dinner he came onto the rocks to dry out his wings.  He put on a great show of diving too, maybe he thought we were all there to look at him.

Every weekend you can take one of many boat tours that take you out on the river to see if you can see the dolphins.  It is hit and miss.  We have been on it where we have seen no dolphins, at other times we've been lucky and have seen several.

After the ships sailed off into the distance we went and had some lunch and then took a trip out to Virginia Nursery.  This kind of weather makes you want to get out in the garden to tidy it up after Winter.

This month Tony has to do Jury duty.  Last Friday he had to go to the Courts and do an Orientation.  They were put into groups and each day they have to ring up to find out if they are required to attend the court.  When he rang Friday afternoon his group were told that they have to report Monday afternoon for Jury selection.

He said he doesn't know how he feels if he has to sit on a Jury and decide someones fate.  I suppose it depends on the case and the evidence put before them.  Most people who have sat as jurors have said that it has been a very rewarding experience.