Well this is the first time in 15 years that we have had Christmas at our place! So this is a big deal for us. In celebration we have gone all out and found a real Christmas tree - a caribbean pine with very long needles, but it seems suited to the climate up here.
We have family coming from Perth, Nelson, Cochabamba and Dublin, so we are very excited. Phil has been very busy with his "nursery' of plants in our tiny back yard, and has even put up a platform for the bird feeder, which keeps falling into the neighbours yard every time we get strong winds. Here you can see a white cheeked Honey-eater feeding while the Lewins Honey-eater waits patiently for him to finish.
The wet season has started along with thunder storms and we recently discovered that lightning is nitrogen fixing, which is partly why the grass seems to have grown about 10cm in the last week! It has been very hot and humid, and we have been loving it. I have finished yet another quilt (on the wall below) and have had to pack away all my sewing gear to make room for family to stay.
Finally, what are we getting for Christmas? A weber bbq! We have been doing trial runs to make sure that we know how to use it effectively. We have already cooked steak, a roast chicken and a leg of lamb and are very happy with the results. 
So that is it from us - Happy Christmas everyone! May you find time to reflect on the reason for the season. 
