The Red Centre And More

Uluru

We rolled down the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs. On the way we did stop at the cheapest fuel in the Territory. It is also the UFO Centre of Australia (I do not know exactly why and I did not ask). At $1.09 for diesel, I am not asking any questions.

Green Nomads

Sunday morning at first light, we went out with the Alice Springs bird guru, Mark Carter, for an incredible morning of birding. We nailed three of our target birds, two in the first hour. I reckon a lot of folks come looking for the Rufous-crowned Emu-wren and the Dusky Grasswren, so he keeps a close watch on them. We got wondrous views of both and I am very grateful! Then we moved on to look for Little Button-quail and flushed three. Lynn and I got good views of them flying, but as with the Chestnut-backed Button-quail of Chinaman Creek, there was no time for a photo. I am very grateful for the view and to be able to add another button-quail to our list.

        

Rufous-crowned Emu-wren... we now have all the Emu-wrens!

Dusky Grasswren

On Monday, Robert and I went looking for more Button-quail and we flushed another. Robert got one photo that he posted to the Crap Bird Photography Facebook page. It was just a blurry smudge (but more than I got). Then we went to the spot where he had gotten Grey Honeyeater a couple of days before. In only about ten minutes, I was looking at my third Grey Honeyeater of the year. I worked very hard for the first pair (see blog entry here: http://rbrucelivinggratitude.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/grey-honeyeater-joy.html) This bird was much easier to find and a bit more cooperative (although he did not hold still much). I am very grateful.

Grey Honeyeater. I love them.

On Tuesday, Lynn and I went out and had a look at Uluru. It is beautiful, majestic, massive and moving. We had planned to see it better the next day only to awake to dense fog and drizzling rain. Plans changed. And we have been discovering that Troopi’s old and very tired canvas must be replaced. It is leaking. But I got on the internet, and then the phone, and now next week she will have new waterproof cloth replacing her old pop-top canvas! We will come back up to Alice Springs to have that done and then we’ll be heading on again. And our girl will be much more comfortable! I am, and will, be SO grateful.

Lynn and me at Uluru the evening before the wetness took it all over.

Wild Camels

RB Life List: 652
Lynn Life List: 631
Couple’s Year List: 613

Post Script...

A few times over the months that I have been doing this blog, I have used the phrase, “keeping it real.” I do always want to be genuine. That is extremely important to me. So is affirming the positives and being grateful, and so are writing blog entries that are fun to read. These things can clash and I feel less than genuine. The smiling selfie faces are sometimes a bit forced, the “I am so very grateful” is written in reflection after the fact and well, I am occasionally not as happy as I seem to be.

I have some continuing health issues, NOTHING as bad as some of my friends and loved ones are going through, but enough to have me running at less than 100%. BUT I am massively grateful that I am in as good a shape as I am.

And all of my life I have dealt with ADD, OCD, as well as anxiety and a certain amount of depression. I have made much progress, but it is a process and I am in process. These things are exacerbated by the uncertainty of our future, and the unbelievable comfort zone smashing that we are doing out here. Were we really prepared for this adventure? No we were not. Can we “afford” it? No we cannot. Will we finish it? Yes we will. We are doing the best we can and for that, I am deeply grateful.

So, I do not write blog entries about the expensive ticket that I was wrongfully given by a cop in Alice Springs, or the pain (and fear) when my knee pops out of the joint, or the gut wrenching anxiety that comes, well, here I am writing about it. So I will shut up and just say that I AM grateful. I am grateful for where we are, who we are and who we have become. I am grateful for where we’ve been and where we’re going. I am grateful for the birds! And I am very grateful that some of you love us! We love you as well! If the selfie smile is forced at the time, from my heart it is always completely sincere.

Peace. Love. Birds.