Hi all

The first 2 weeks of June my twin brother (Robert) and his wife (Carlene) and their daughters Renee (4) and Emily (2) visited me in Adelaide. They travelled about 2000km (from Tasmania) to spend 12 days with me. Last they went back home.

Here are some photos from that enjoyable time we had catching up and spending days together.

First, the "players" of this scene / series.

"Back row" Left to right: Me (Paul), Rob, Carlene
"Front row" - left to right: Renee & Emily.

I can often get a great view from my roof... seeing down towards the sea (one way) and the hills (the other way). I guess this is the "cost" of living in a fairly flat suburban area. (Some people get great views from their windows or balcony, don't they bahadir!)....

So I took Rob and Renee up on my roof to show the view when the sun was going down one evening. Renee is actually standing on the air-conditioning unit (evaporative cooling) that's mounted on top of my roof, so she could be as tall as us and see all around too! As you can see, she found this quite exciting (but also a bit scarey to be up "so high").

In a playground, Emily is having fun (though I think she was a bit tired at this stage, I think it can be seen in her facial expression). Two year old children do need their afternoon nap!

Here Carlene and Renee in a "mum and daughter" moment, in the Barossa valley (famous wine growing region just outside of Adelaide).

for this photo, as I didn't take it... obviously.

This is me (aka "uncle Paul") with Renee & Emily. It is winter here, hence the lush green grass that only 5 weeks before was dry and dead looking.

We went to Beachport (a small seaside village about 4 hours south west of Adelaide) - for a long weekend.

Here Renee and Emily are standing in front of the cottage we rented. Was nice and relaxing!

Thanks for looking everyone. Any comments / feedback would be appreciated. I might send some more photos of my family's visit another time. Thanks again!

Paul

Funny to see people in winter garments as people are rushing to beaches and summer houses here! I've just returned from a brief holiday by the sea myself while my kids and wife are still at grand father's facilities : ) Anyway, I am happy to see my good friend with his kins in these demonstrative photos Ah, what a difference children make everywhere, don't they? I find them almost a different species, the perfect kind of species superior in many aspects! For example I admire them attending each other's games after a briefest 'may I play?' or 'would you play?' without a second or third thought...Well, thanks God some adults remain with the least deterioration Sure they can be quite noisy and messy, but one will always miss their presence, do you agree uncle Paul?

I believe you wouldn't change yours 'a real house with a big garden + a view of the sea and hills' with a flat in an apartment block whatever view it might have! Even my kids often ask me when I could build one...

Oh, I see! Pretty good composition and exposure there Who shot it?
Well, joke aside, that's one of the things I like about winter with a changing weather offering quite a cold but crispest atmosphere sometimes!

Hi my friend

Thanks for your valued words of reply. Yes, I know the feeling "season swap" between north and south hemispheres. That makes such an international photo forum so interesting too. (I admit the winters here are very mild, as are yours) - but I still prefer warm weather... give me "rushing to beaches and summer houses" (wearing light summer clothing) than the winter clothes here at the moment!!

How was your brief time at the sea? Were you there with others? I hope that your wife and children are enjoying "grand father's" facilities!! Can he adopt me as another grandson? Any photos from there?

Yes, children make a big difference to daily life. It was good to have them here. Indeed, we as adults can learn a lot from children still. As 2 Sundays ago at church we were looking at the story in the Bible where Jesus says: "To enter the kingdom of heaven one must be like a child". That is- not childish, but humble and open like a child.

You're right, I am thankful that I have am able to have a free standing house with a garden. Even though sometimes the "grass is greener" when I think and remember how balconies of apartments can often afford interesting views. However maybe I should build a tall "photo / observation deck" on top of my roof, for those special "landscape" shots possible from there?

The photo of me (and my 2 nieces), I'm not 100% sure who took it, but I think it was my twin brother (bad "old age" memory... ha, at 34!) However I have a few photos that my sister in law took of me at a children's play ground, maybe I should share that for a laugh!

The winter here (although not "cold" but most standards) does offer a nice enough change of season and thus a change of light and atmospheric conditions to present new effects and focus for photography, which is appreciated.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Regards

Paul

Ok, so here is the photo of my twin brother and me, "playing" on the children's playground! (don't worry, we were not kicking any children off their toys... in fact some children had fun watching us... and there were still many other slides, "cubbies" and things they could play on in the meantime).

So the "spinning disk" that I am standing on can be rotated by oneself, or by having another "turn" you (as my twin brother did to me). Obviously our aim was to see how fast we could do it before any of us fell off ("children stand clear"). Carlene (my sister in law) took photos of us doing this. Thanks to my camera's speed (3 frames per second) and exif information, we worked out that I was doing one spin per second, which might not sound fast, but believe me it's fast enough.

I was the "champion" at this, and many people (including some watching children and my nieces - as well as my brother and sister in law) were impressed by how well I could maintain my balance till of course I eventually "fell off" due to dizziness and the speed.

Happy viewing everyone!

Paul

Hey, you two look great!! That spinning disk has proved to serve as a time machine bringing you back to the joy of childhood as far as it seems from here : ) The photo is a keeper indeed depicting the picture of happiness! How about the remaining 'three frames per second' pictures ??