Thursday, September 25, 2008

SkyWatch *7, Birthday Skywatch

At sunrise, a little bird in the oak tree

At lunch on the riverboat at Waikerie

on the Murray river a Welcome Swallow

sitting on a mooring rope

Back across the ferry with afternoon sun lighting

up the sandstone cliffs and bags of oranges
and avocalos as well as a lovely perfumed posy
to take home

Wheat field with rapidly rising clouds

ziz zaging across the heavens

Hubby and granddaughters showered me
with presents



Youngest granddaughter, all of 16, baked
this batch of cream puffs for me with rum
in the whipped cream

and to top off a perfect day, my 19 year old grandson
painted a bluebird for me with his spray kit to a
perfect, brand new duco finish!

I felt more loved and cherished than ever before.
I thank my family for the wonderful kindnesses
of this perfect day.
To fly many beautiful skies, click on logo on the right.

92 comments:

  1. Such thoughtful gifts! Indeed they all speak of love. That alone is the greatest gift of all.

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  2. What a wonderful, perfect day just for you!! All the best from Edward and from me!!

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  3. Happiest of birthdays, Arija! Such lovely gifts! Wolves and gardening...and that lovely blue and white china is to die for. You are obviously well loved, dear bloggy!

    You are a libra, too, like me! Save me a creampuff! ;)

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  4. To be able to do and see all that on a day when for most of us is just another working/office regular day--what a blessing!

    Love your blog--a refuge for the soul, and a great solace... thanks for stopping my my virtual world....

    cielo

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  5. I read all the post on this page---what a delight! We're kindred spirits... I'm adding you to my blog list....

    "Experiencing the present purely is being empty and hollow;
    you catch grace as a man fills his cup under a waterfall."
    - Annie Dillard

    Cielo

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  6. Glad you had a happy day. I especially like the photos of the Murray River and the wheatfields

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  7. What a celebration of love for you! Beautiful gestures and gifts...and those cream puffs whipped cream and rum...mouth watering!!! Happy birthday!

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  8. Awesome catch! Great job... Hope you can visit my entry too... Happy SWF!

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  9. Happy birthday, happy birthday, Arija! What a wonderful day you had! I love the 4th picture best, the sky is perfect above the shilouettes of these trees (which I do not know what kind they are, I always think "Australian" trees), and you got so many lovely gifts from your family!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Love all the pics, but the welcome swallow and the rapidly rising clouds are my speacial favourites! Happy weekend!

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  11. Wow, I love the lines in the 4th one. Great blues. Wonderful shots. That last one... cool.

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  12. Happy birthday, looks like you had a happy day.

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  13. I like the last sky shot, just a hint of blue in the sky.
    The painting by your grandson is wonderful.
    Happy birthday.

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  14. Garden and table delights. Happy day.

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  15. Beautiful day and gifts, and I LOVE your scenery pictures!

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  16. Happy Birthday. You have a GREAT family. ;-)
    Happy Sky Watch!

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  17. Happy Birthday and Happy SWF. I love the clouds over the wheat fields.

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  18. Lovely, lovely photos. I think that first one may be - ta da - a wren.

    PS Happy Birthday!

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  19. Great photo's.
    What a great family you have to be so thoughtful on your birthday!
    Take care and thank you for commenting on my site.

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  20. I'm a day late but I add my wishes. You clearly had a wonderful day and are loved so much. My favourie sky photo is the zig zag one, I don't recall ever having seen such cloud formations. The swallow is beautiful too, ours have left the barn now, back to Africa. Amazing.

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  21. Happy Birthday and wonderful Gifts !!! Lovely SWF photos!

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  22. Sounds like your birthday had all the right components. Looks like you have very talented grandchildren. I wish you many more birthdays!

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  23. What a wonderful way to spend a birthday! Tremendous shots all!

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  24. I love the 4th photo! Great capture! thanks for stopping by my blog

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  25. Very nice series. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  26. These are all beautiful images, but the swallow captured my heart. This beautiful bird, of which I have so many dear childhood memories, that great voyager of the skies, having already arrived in warmer climes make my heart sing. Thank you! :-)

    Your grandson is very talented. I miss the Bluebirds of my home back in the USA, none here.

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  27. Happy Birthday!
    A beautiful series at that day. I love the 4th photo and the swallow, here the swallows have say good bye in the last weeks.
    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  28. As you did sow so you have reaped.Family love.
    Lovely SWF photos. Happy Birthday too.

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  29. Happy birthday! What wonderful gifts from a loving family! Your sky is as beautiful as any Australian sky! The sky is always different, isn't it?!
    Thanks for your visit!

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  30. I would feel loved and cherished, too! Great photos. Happy birthday!

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  31. Hallo,happy birthday.Wonderful photos,all of them.My photo with the reflection in the car window was taken from inside the car,and I haven`t even opened the window.The photo is seen in the car mirror.Hope you understand,my english is not very good,but I do as best as I can.Have a nice day:o)

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  32. BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS!
    have a nice weekend!

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  33. Happy Birthday - I think we must be the same age. Those were the days but then, I can't complain.

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  34. Happy Birthday! You did have a lovely day, didn't you?

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  35. It looks like you had a beautiful birthday filled with nature and nurtured by your family. And what talented grandchildren you have.

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  36. you have beautiful set of photos, perfect capture and I love it...

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  37. What a lovely birthday you had, there's so much to see and admire here. Thanks or sharing it with SWF, and for you visit and link at mine. I don't know anything about the stories of the people of Austrailia, but up here Coyote is a trickset figure, so maybe there is a parallel somewhere - maybe a dingo?? I'll have to make a trip to google!

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  38. Those are all such wonderful shots. I love the bluebird your grandchild painted.

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  39. Oh such a pretty entries....Happy birthday.

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  40. wonderful cream puffs - what a nice touch, those red flowers on the plate

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  41. Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!
    Happy Birthday, Arija!

    And Happy SkyWatching too!

    That's about all the better I can sing. I have been asked to leave a church choir (Methodist), the director said my ear was bad. So,
    Happy Birthday, Arija!

    I like your pictures, you did those birds really well. And your grandkids were sooooo nice for you! A Nikon D40 is on my list (wish). You do really well with yours.

    I also am very sorry I didn't make it to see your pretty ship post last week. Thank you for coming again even if I didn't get to reciprocate. [I could blame it all on Ike, but I did do some blogging, just couldn't get around to all.]

    That's neat about reversing your age numbers, I will do that for my next biggie. I liked the cars too.
    ..
    My Aussie blogging friends tell me you are having really bad dust storms there now. Be careful!
    ..

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  42. Marvelous sky, lovely landscape!
    Thanks for visiting my blog!
    Hope to see your flowers also!

    Santilli

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  43. Awesome pics. Love the blue of the water in the pic from the fairie and the painting was breathtaking! What a great gift!

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  44. Marvelous skies, but I like the extras, too... the swallow, the desserts, and the painting. :-)

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  45. I hope it's not too late to say Happy Birthday! You obviously had a lovely day and thank you for sharing it with us in these beautiful photos.

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  46. Your pictures are so nice. Crisp and clear with gorgeous colors. Thank you for shareing.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  47. Great day, great series of photographs. The painting is beautiful.

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  48. This is a wonderful set of photographs. I especially like your bird shots. THey are great.

    Thanks for dropping by my SWF post today.

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  49. OH, MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY!

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  50. Happy, Happy Birthday. What a wonderful day you had, and those precious gifts, just awesome. Great photos and thank you for letting us share in your special day.

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  51. Many happy returns Arija! You have a table with lovely birthday gifts. A really great picture from your grandson and yummy cream puffs baked by your granddaughter, you are really blessed!
    The photos of the birds and country side are very beautiful.

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  52. You have captured some beautiful sky. The colors are wonderful. What's really getting to me however is that plate of cream puffs with the rum whipped cream. *sigh* Many blessings and happy birthday!

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  53. Happy birthday -- and the same in Finnish: Onnea syntymäpäivänäsi!
    My eyes and soul are resting on these beautiful views, thank you! Your summer is on its way, isn't it; our summer is just gone, summer that never came this year...

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  54. great photos, I especially like the zig-zag one. My birthday was wednesday too.

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  55. Happy Birthday to you. Great post.
    Cheers

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  56. I love the cloud photos.

    And happy birthday! I wish you the best.

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  57. A most Happy Birthday to you Arija from these many miles away and 1/2 way around the world... September is a good month!!!
    Ariya

    I am so happy you are cherished... it is the ultimate!!!

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  58. Hope you had a terridic day - nothing like being with your love ones on your birthday!!1

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  59. Beautiful and btw, we share many similar book loves :-)

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  60. A belated Happy Birthday to you Arija, all the way from South Africa. It looks like you had a wonderful day. Showered with love and gifts.

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  61. Thank you for visiting my sky watch. Your photos are beautiful. SA is a lovely state I used to holiday in Adelaide when I was young. Love seeing photos of the Mighty Murray, my inlaws live upstream in Vic.

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  62. Joyeux anniversaire.
    Happy birthday
    Onnea päivän sankarille !

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  63. belated birthday wishes!!!

    lovely set of pictures too!!

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  64. Happy Happy Birthday! Looks like a wonderful time and your grandson is quite the artist! Not to mention, the cream puffs made my mouth water :) I'm glad you were able to salvage at least one picture from your fires - a beautiful one that! Thanks for visiting!

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  65. Beautiful, beautiful photos of sky and birds. What thoughtful and talented grandchildren. Everything about this post speaks of love. MB

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  66. The sky photos are beautiful. The presents are really nice. Your bird picture is good. The food looks delicious.

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  67. Beautiful pictures I love the painting.Happy Birthday and thanks for stopping by my place.

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  68. Happy birthday to you!

    I love the swallow on a rope shot!

    Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  69. Must have been a wonderful day!
    I'm a little late but still: happy birhtday.

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  70. What glorious photographs - and then to end with those fabulous cream puffs - my mouth is watering.

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  71. What a lovely birthday surprise from your family. Many happy returns! A perfect Sky Watch day!

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  72. I have been checking out your very beautiful blog this morning!

    Thanks for visiting me and letting me find your place in return!


    Junie

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  73. What a lovely birthday! You received some lovely gifts that your family put a lot of thought into.

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  74. Happy birthday Arija.

    What absolutely magnificent gifts you received for your special day. One can never beat a gift made with love. Your grandchildren are really amazing.

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  75. all those shots are amazing! the 3rd with the mountain is my fave!

    and happy birthday for yesterday to you!

    thanks for stopping by my sw :)

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  76. Happy Birthday - sounds like you had a wonderful day :) The photos are perfect, I especially like the two over the corn fields with the clouds forming.

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  77. I also meant to say, I took note of your comment on my blog regarding not knowing whether it is morning of afternoon in New Zealand. I have now added a digital clock as well which will solve the problem. Thanks for pointing that out to me :)

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  78. A beautiful skywatch post! Happy Birthday! Looks as if it was a wonderful day!And you were showered with wonderful gifts! I love the capture of the wheat field and that fabulous cloud! And the ziz zaging across the heavens ~wow! And those cream puffs have my mouth watering!
    The painting your grandson did for you is fantastic~you have some great talented & loving grandchildren! Thanks for visiting, & your super sweet comments~much appreciated! I love the name of your blog~garden delights!:)
    I will visit your beautiful site again!
    Again~wishing you a Happy B~day!
    Cat

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  79. P.S.
    I forgot to mention I LOVE the blue china~a plate and cup in the one pic~ What pattern is it..or who is the maker..? It is lovely~I kinda have a thing for blue & white china, especially blue willow, & flow blue!
    Cat

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  80. Nice photos and love the gifts! Thanks for coming to visit too!

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  81. Beautiful post!
    Your grandson is very talented!

    It's nice to hear that you had a happy birthday :)

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  82. A beautiful post to celebrate birthdays and sky watch friday. Thanks for sharing and your kind comments on my post earlier.

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  83. Great photos. Happy Birthday too.

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  84. what a perfect birthday....hope you have many more.

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  85. All I can say is that the wheat field image is incredibly stunning! Just love that blue!!

    Happy Belated to you! :-)

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  86. Oh what a perfect day with family..Everyone was so thoughtful. They were raised well with the right values....A very Happy Birthday Arija!!!

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  87. Dear Friends all,
    Thank you so much for dropping in on or near my birthday. Your good wishes and appreciation mean a great deal to me. This was by far my nicest birthday to date. No diamond bracelets (not very useful for gardening) but sooo much love!
    In the autumn of one's life, if one is lucky, one realizes that all things fall away and only unconditional love remains.
    Thank you all for being there for me at this time.
    Arija

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  88. I was sure that I wished you a very Happy Birthday...!!!

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  89. I'm running way behind. Happy belated birthday, Arija! Excellent gifts and photos. Your grandson is very talented!

    You may get this twice, I'm having trouble with my connection tonight.

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  90. Amazing cloud in the wheat field there!

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  91. Lovely gifts indeed and such beautiful photographs as well!

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