There's nowhere like home - and this photo pretty well sums it up.

 Wonboyn Lake is in an extremely beautiful part of this country.
  The estuary feeds into Disaster Bay at Baycliff - a rocky promontory providing a platform for rock-fishing and whale watching. 

Nadgee nature reserve, the most pristine bushland reserve in NSW, contains a wonderful array of native wildlife and wildflowers.  There is always something rather unique happening right here - often in the pittosporum in front of the bus windscreen.  Today l met an Eastern Bristle bird doing it's best to pull a reluctant worm from the ground - this rare and endangered bird is quite happy to wander around the caravan park.  We also have a healthy population of Antechinus scurrying about.

I have been on the go visiting schools in Gippsland recently and am happy to report that the literacy standard of these students is very high.  A few weeks ago l was at Darnum Primary for their Writers Café - a yearly event.  The whole school was abuzz with books and illustrations on every table and covering the walls of each classroom - each student had been busy writing and illustrating.  Maffra Primary, Malacoota and Cann River P12 schools were also stand outs.

 I am happy that "Jumping Jack Jones", my latest children's book, is heading for the printer soon.  Closely on its heels will be "How To Wash Your Undies" - a collection of short stories for adults.  The stories have a country theme and many follow our travels over the last few years.
Helen Leach has again excelled herself with a great cover and some fun black and white sketches to introduce each story.

 


Thanks to some great work with her red biro, Robbie, once again has whipped both books into shape with some skilful editing.  I'm sure many who read the short stories will identify with the locations and frozen moments in time.

I have included "Gift Of a Girl" - the story l won a third prize for in the PerfEx Literary competition.  With a push from Felicity at Hooked On Books in Batemans Bay l submitted the story while doing a book signing at her store.   I think she deserves a big chunk of this award. 

She also suggested l get stuck into a collection of short stories.  ABC OPEN editor Vanessa Milton added her voice of encouragement and has written me a beautiful foreword.

Check out the latest blogs on ABC OPEN Susie Sarah - you may be a amazed to find there are stories in there 500 words section and also some about living at Wonboyn. I have managed to keep up with the month-by-month topics. They make fantastic writing exercises.
                                                    
We also had a blow in visitor - meet "Pigeon Pie" - who got a little lost when flying home to Taree from Malacoota.  He has since headed home and we hope arrived safely.  Helen also experienced a visit from a racing pigeon.  They named him "Walter Pigeon"!

This weekend we head off to Lakes Entrance for a book signing at Just Books on Friday the 6th then a stand in the rotunda across the road on Saturday and Sunday to encourage writers and talk about migrant history - my grandfather bought his family out from Holland in the early 1950's so l have lots to share - l hope l get to meet lots of visitors and locals at the Seafarers Festival.

If you are in Malacoota on Saturday 14th between 8am and 2pm l will be signing my books at the local Newsagency.

Thunder is rumbling around the hills.  The rain-drops reinforce the yellow-tailed black cockie's early morning weather report along with the ants long range forecast - they were building up levee banks around the front doors to their nests days ago.   I guess the fishing is now over for the day.