At the tender age of 20 months The Bean has barely begun to understand Christmas and all it entails, but what a lovely couple of days we have had.
I’ve heard parents say that the best part of Christmas celebrations is watching the excitement as their child opens their presents, and I think I’m beginning to understand that sentiment. The Bean was carefully tearing the wrapping of a gift when she exclaimed “Oh WOW! Oh WOW! Elli HAPPY!” It was one of the first times I have heard her describe her own emotional state and, combined with the sheer joy on her face, it brought a tear to my eye.
Over the weekend the unthinkable happened—my DSLR died. It's probably fair to say that I in fact killed it with over-use. That camera was my faithful companion for the last four years capturing over 100,000 moments in time. My camera feels like an extension of myself, so of course it all of a sudden felt like a piece of me was missing. From capturing family, friends, pets and wildlife, to traveling the world with me, and capturing the birth of my beautiful daughter, the camera has been like a trusted friend.
Just 20 minutes from our home is a beautiful nature reserve that is back to its former glory after bushfires devastated the area almost 10 years ago. Tidbinbilla holds a special place in my heart—I did my work experience there as a teen and spent a lot of time visiting the reserve back when I was still dreaming of becoming a park ranger.
I have such wonderful memories of the time I spent there, not least of all experiencing all of the beautiful and unique wildlife that inhabited the area. Sadly, ninety percent of the animals lost their lives in the fires, but today the population is flourishing once more.
