Remembrance Day, 2012

In Flanders fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae (1872–1918)

Thank you.

In Memorium

Today I lost one of my oldest friends.

Rainbow was a Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet who has been with me nearly 26 years. As far back as I can remember, he has been there.

He was a cheeky little rascal. We had raised him from a featherless chick who was knocked out of his nest during some redevelopment work, and my uncle brought him to us. No one else ever thought that he'd survive, let alone thrive. He spent the first couple of months being carried around by my mother in her shirt (folded up and pinned with a safety pin).

After being hand raised, he didn't think that he was a bird, he thought he was a person and jabbered on and on, often talking too fast for anyone to understand him - or screeching over the top of you just so that he could get in the last word!

We had Rainbow for nearly 26 years, and he outlived 3 mates, our 3 dogs, 1 cat and numerous chooks.

It's hard to believe that he's gone. I thought that he'd be with me forever.

Bye, Bye Baby.