Veronika Wild

Just for fun Scary Haunted House noises

  I'm celebrating today. I have just received the first copy of the reprint of my sister’s book. This means that at least one of my projects has come to fruition this year.   The first two small print runs had sold out and there were still some outstanding requests, but my sister hasn’t been in the best of health lately and couldn’t do it herself. It was supposed to be really easy.  Sabi deserves loads of credit for getting it out there in the first place, but best of all, it can now be bought through almost any bookshop anywhere in the world and can also be ordered online via Amazon, Booktopia, The Book Depository and possibly even this blog, when I work out how to put the widget on. Copies of the book are also available in several libraries, especially around Melbourne, at the Immigration Museum and in some University German Departments. I am talking about the English version here. The German version published by Verlag Sindlinger -Burchartz*   was released in April

Just a few snippets today as I have been sick this week and now have a lot of catching up to do. I have also been testing my camera as it wasn’t working properly when we went to Tahune. This is such a beautiful time of the year. The scent of lilacs is in the air. It always reminds me of that wonderful summer in Siberia * where lilacs are used as street trees. Most of the other trees are are now clothed in lush green although there are still a few cherry blossoms about. Mobile Healthcare for the Homeless Free Hearing tests for Seniors Week Free books and reading on the way to town For weary bookworms Post office does its bit for farmers too There are some divine aquilegas about too Hope you are all feeling perky and thank you very much for the lovely comments and feedback on the blog, which, as usual, I only seem to discover when I have enforced downtime. Nature’s way of making you stop and smell the roses – er lilac

This is what a lyrebird looks and sounds like. If you prefer to see the same clip with lower picture quality, but in David Attenborough's well modulated tones, see the clip at the bottom. I forgot to mention it yesterday, but just before we got to Tahune, a Superb Lyrebird crossed the road in front of us – a rare sight as they are normally very shy. The remarkable thing about the Lyrebird is its ability to mimic other sounds. I was telling Miss Ten that the last one I saw - also in this area, on my first walk to Adamson’s Falls, sounded like a chainsaw and she said, “Is that why they call them Liar birds?” You'll see why they call them Lyre birds when you have looked at one of the clips. For information about their habits, feeding and breeding click here .  Lyrebirds are not native to Tasmania but were initially introduced from the mainland by Lady Franklin in the 1800’s. In the 1930’s and 40’s fearing mainland extinction due to habitat loss   and the presence of