Hi again, remember me?

I have been very busy since the end of last year.  I got married to my soulmate in December in Las Vegas, had a lovely honeymoon in the US and also started a new job here in Australia.

I wish I was more organized and then I would have been able to do all the things I wanted to do.

I really miss blogging here and posting my photos so I will be doing more of that now that I have settled into married life and the new job.

What I found out though which surprised me was that at 57 years of age I don't learn new things as fast as I did when I was younger.  Starting a new job in a different field has been very stressful, challenging and I found out how much confidence can desert you when you need it the most.

Here's a lovely picture of my garden in early Autumn (fall).  I have posted this part of the garden before at different parts of the year.

I will post some photos from my short vacation to Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, NSW in my next post.

Las Vegas - Shocking Santa

Once Santa has come you can then get back to being
a little naughty but nice.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Melbourne Cup

Today is the running of the Melbourne Cup and most people in Australia will stop to watch the race which is held at 3 pm.  The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday of November.  Today as I was not working I took the opportunity to go to a luncheon with my partner and watch the Melbourne Cup.  People get dressed up at these functions and so I wore a hat.

Many people get dressed up even when at work by wearing a hat while watching the Cup being run and most businesses will allow people to stop work to watch it.  Some companies even have lunches or snacks so it becomes a fun activity for their staff.  In Victoria it is a public holiday but in other states we work, but stop for the race.

For a few years we would go to Melbourne the Saturday before the Cup was run on a day called Derby Day and I enjoyed that even more than the Melbourne Cup itself.  Here is a photo of me dressed up for the day. One year I would wear a hat and the next I would wear a fascinator.   It was a fun day at the races and I always enjoyed it whatever the weather was like.  This year the Cup was won by Americain watched by 120,000 people at the racecourse.

Another picture of my garden now its full into Spring

I really love Spring and its now much warmer during the day here in Australia while the nights are still a bit cool
 My garden has come to life and I have the most beautiful pink Azalea flowering at the moment that I would love to share with you. My orchids are still out but finishing now. 
Getting outside into the sunshine really lifts your spirits and I am so glad it is Spring here now.

Are my cattle dogs susceptible to human flu?

We as humans are prone to the  flu virus but can we give it to our cattle dogs? The answer is no. The flu virus is a type of disease that is transmittable from animals to animals (zoonosis). Zoonotic diseases are broken up into two aspects - those that humans catch from other animals (anthropozoonoses) and ones that other animals catch from humans (zooanthroponoses). There is no evidence that humans can pass the flu to their Aussie blue heeler. The form of flu found in dogs comes from horses. Similarly, dogs do not get the strains of flu that humans are vulnerable to.

In today's world with flu pandemics such as Swine Flu, White Pox, FMD or Foot and Mouth Disease, and Influenza Virus it is easy for us to ignore the fact that our cattle dogs can also catch their own version of flu. Much like in human flu, the main symptoms of this illness in Aussie blue heelers are nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing and fever. In some cases, however, cattle dogs can get real sick.

If you notice your cattle dogs start to cough regularly, you should visit your nearest vet clinic so that they can assess your Aussie heeler dogs and provide an appropriate treatment. If left neglected, the biggest problem with dog flu is that in some cases, your dogs may develop pneumonia, which is considerably more dangerous.

How can I protect my cattle dogs from having flu?

Protecting your Aussie blue heeler dog from getting flu virus is very easy. Always clean their environment to help minimize the risk of being infected by flu. Keep your cattle dogs away from populated dog areas. Keep your dogs away from street dogs. Most of all, visit your vet clinic to know more about the precaution you need to do for your pets.

So don’t be alarmed, if you feel like coughing or sneezing with your cattle dogs around then feel free to do so. Don’t worry about having your dogs hang out with you on your next sick day – they’ll be fine.

Orchids in late Winter

I have some lovely native orchids out in bloom at the moment in my garden and I thought I would share one of my photos with you. Hope you like it.

 I hope to have some more lovely photos from my garden now that we (Australia) are approaching Spring.
All the best to you and your family from me and mine.

Persuading other people using your Charisma

People have different personalities that makes them unique. It’s a bit hard dealing with every individual since not all of them are the same; some are easy to deal with, others are not. 

Charisma makes a lot difference when dealing with other people. Charisma is like a magnet that attracts people and inspires them. It is like an aura that surrounds a person and makes them wanted. Charismatic people have the ability to persuade not only other people but also his/her surroundings to be able to bring their dreams alive. The influence should start within themselves and they should act on it in order for those people to think and do things the way they expected.

You should not give up once a person is not acting in the way you wanted or believe on the ideas that you want to convey with them, because each of us has different points of view and we never get easily influenced by other people’s insights and actions. Remember, we have our own power to act on the things that we consider, and no one can control us. We’re not like robots, we are human and we want to be free… free to express our mind and act on it.

But once you get their trust, they are willing to follow everything you desired them to do. They hand over their faith and depend upon you to take important decisions on their behalf. They look for direction and are willing to be driven. Charisma gives a power to take such responsibilities and work towards the benefit and for betterment of other people. Charisma is equivalent to leadership, which provides direction with purpose in the life of others.

There are certain things that coerced this world, and charisma is one of them. It is a quality of a person that builds over time by obtaining the knack that are admired and trusted by other people. You need to work on it and learn to value it. Most of all, learn to respect others opinions. Show them respect, and they will respect you in return.