Because poor Di just simply cannot get into Delphi and is missing us so much:-))  we came up with the idea of a note pad for her. I can copy messages from Affie Lovers from you all into it and put Di's own messages back to you. Not ideal but better than nothing so here goes.....

DI'S NOTEPAD

HELLO EVERYONE FROM DI AND KEITH SEARLE IN AUSTRALIA

14-10-05 Hi everyone! I recently sent a few photos to some friends in the UK and now Hazel has twisted my arm to let her put these on the web so that those of you with whom I've not been in touch can see where we are now living in Australia! 
We bought this house (4 bed/2 bath/lounge/dining/kitchen/laundry) last year soon after moving over, and the pictures show the ongoing work that Keith has been doing to the exterior. When we bought it there was verandah roofing just to the front and back - the previous owners had done this using second hand white bullnose roofing which was not exactly in keeping with the rest of the house! The back of the house had no verandah roofing at all so that was where we started, partly to keep any rain away from doors and windows, but mostly to keep the house a little cooler as the back of the house faces east so consequently we would get at least three hours of intense sun which made the interior of the house very warm indeed.  The decking gives us an area to sit out on if we ever get the time - and next door to that and under the roofing is my hydrobath and grooming area which has the dog run going out from it. 
As you can see Keith has now roofed much of the verandah, with just half of the front to do - and we both feel it looks a lot better in green!

Please click thumbnails

We haven't done a great deal with the gardens yet as we have concentrated on getting the house comfortable, but we have planted several fruit trees, cleared the ground under the palms at the back and planted that, and have planted bougainvilleas and frangipani at the front! More photos will follow once these are in flower.
The bird photos show just a small selection of our feathered visitors - and they are a constant source of delight, though my pleasure in them took a knock recently when the cockatoos decided they didn't like some of our plants and systematically shredded them! We have hopefully got over that problem by enclosing some in chicken wire and treating others with a spray-on deterrent which is obviously not tasty - so all being well the shrubs will now be allowed to grow on!
Just a few varieties of the birds we see regularly are sulphur crested cockatoos (17 this morning on or around the bird table), little corellas, long billed corellas (in the photos with the red on their head and chest), rainbow and scaly breasted lorikeets, pale headed rosellas, king parrots, Pacific Black ducks and Australian Wood ducks, bronze winged pigeons and crested doves, magpies, butcher birds (a pair of these come regularly for their mid-morning biscuit!), noisy miners, galahs by the dozen (if you watch Neighbours Susan Kennedy has a tame one), blue faced honey eaters.... - these are all visitors to the bird table with different varieties arriving regularly. We also see and hear around the garden  kookaburras, lapwings, egrets, various owls, eagles - again the list grows almost daily! 

The insects here are a delight - so many colours, shapes and types. We regularly see a particular type of beetle who appears to have been etched with a wonderful Celtic design on the wing cases!
Sadly, very few kangaroos or wallabies have appeared so far - though we are regularly visited by brush tailed possums.

Oh yes, forgot the dogs - our own of course!!! They have taken to the house and acreage like proverbial ducks to water! Our two nearly nine-year olds, Jared and Shana,  have a very large run to themselves, the laundry room, and the hallway which is tiled and cool for them during the day. Zeta, their half-sister and now 10, being the oldest has the rest of the house and the garden to herself - I think she was a little overwhelmed with 2 and a half acres to roam in initially, but it didn't take her long to discover all it's pleasures for herself - including scaring the daylights out of the postman from time to time as she races up the drive to try to catch him on his Noddy bike!! Don't think she knows there's a fence between her and the postie - unless that's part of the game!!"
Love. Di.

15-10-05  Jo Smith  - Hi Di, the place looks great, how nice to have all that room for the dogs, The Parrots are beautiful. Hope you keep sending pictures for us .  Jo

15-10-05 - Di - Hi Jo, thanks for your kind remarks! More photos will follow as and when we have the time - the idea was to get the rest of the verandah roof on before the rains come - but Mother Nature has beaten us to it and we have had wonderful rain falling since late yesterday afternoon. The grass is already looking greener!.

16-10-05 - H this is such a good idea, it was so nice to see where she is living now and also nice to know they are enjoying it out there.   Diz x  

16-10-05 -  Di will probably not miss me, but at least i can contribute to tell her I love those pictures. There's so much space and the bungalow I think looks lovely, like a real happy place to live. The parrots, wow, I can only dream of seeing them like that instead of in a zoo. Take care Gonny www.el-tayranils.nl

17-10-05 - Hi Di, You have so much space I am green with envy, and those beautiful birds. How I wish I had some of them in my garden, even if they do eat the plants. It must be wonderful to listen and watch them all day. Hope this noticeboard brings you closer to everyone. Take care, speak again soon  Love Mo  ps. sorry the rains came before the roof was finished, but bet its cooler for you all now. xxxxxxxx

17-10-05 - Hi Di and Keith. Happy to hear all is well with you out in Australia. I have sent several emails but they keep coming back !!!! Hope your poorly Afghan is OK. Lovely to see your new house and those beautiful birds. How good it is to see them in the wild and not stuck in a cage in some pet store. Talk soon, PAT (Zharook)

18-10-05 -Thank you all for your messages - it's a lovely way to be able to keep in touch with you.  However much of our time is taken up at the moment as unfortunately our little Shana is not at all well - after telling you all how wonderful the dogs were and how much they are loving it here! The vets still don't know for sure what is wrong with her - she will have more X rays taken on Thursday to see how things are. I will get Hazel to update the medical page for me. In the meantime forgive me if I don't answer all of you immediately. Pat - I will e-mail you privately!!".  Di

18-10-05 -Hazel, please pass on my well wishes for Shana. I hope everything turns out ok. Diz x

18-10-05 - I am so sorry about Di’s Affie.  I hope that things are not as bad as they seem. Lesley (Wilbus)

18-10-05 -Hello Di, Omg - talk about a bolt out of the blue. I have my fingers crossed for you here. I hope it all works out for Shana, bless her. Much love and hugs Mo x

19-10-05 - Dear Di, Everything crossed here for your Shana.....prayers said as well, Strong hugs Gonny

19-10-05 - "Hi Lesley, Mo, Gonny, Diz, Pat and all - thank you all very much for your kind messages! My litle girl almost makes me feel a fraud as to look at her you wouldn't think there is anything wrong!! But that's afghans for you!! Been there, done that in the past as Pat will remember with our Maya!!!! Mr. Maggs, the magpie, knows not to trust vet reports - he's been on the receiving end of Shana charging down the run to chase him - in spite of the fact she is meant to be resting!! I will keep updating Hazel as to progress - in the meantime thank you all again - we really do appreciate your very kind thoughts".

24-10-04 - *Shana saw the consultant vet today who diagnosed a spontaneous pneumothorax, where the lungs are leaking air into the chest cavity. He is going to actually discuss her case with a "human" respiratory surgeon, and get back to us tomorrow. She may then have a CAT scan to see exactly which part of the lung is leaking and where the leak/s are. May do a chest drain - but all this is to be discussed after his talk with the surgeon tomorrow. Unfortunately he also pointed out an enlarged lymph node - that's been a fear of mine from the beginning Will write more tomorrow once we've spoken to him again. She is a very ill little girl, though being an afghan she is hiding it very well indeed!!*  Di

24-10-05 - Di our thoughts and prayers are with you and Shana, Love Hazel and all at Affie Lovers xx

24-10-05 - Hi Di, Am so very sorry, that things look bad for Shana. I guess she's handling things in true afghan fashion.........with dignity. We could all learn from them couldnt we. My fingers are still firmly crossed for you all. Lots of love Mo and the girls xxxxxxx

24-10-05 - Hi Di, Just to say I'm thinking of you  and Shana, and keeping my fingers crossed that your very brave girl pulls through this..  Jo xxx

24-10-05 - Dear Di, Thinking of you and Shana and fingers crossed for her.....Love and hugs for Shana, Gonny

24-10-05 - Hi Di, just wanted to send my best and say I am thinking of you at this time and hoping that Shana makes it through this. Hang in there girl. Luv Nikki (Dean)

24-10-05 - "Thank you all very much for your good luck messages for Shana. I appreciate all your good thoughts, and pass these on to her!! Don't know where she gets the afghan dignity from, but it's there in abundance now - she's always been such a harum scarum girl!! I will continue to be in touch with Hazel who will pass on any news to you all. Please keep all those fingers crossed for us, won't you? Di."

26-10-05 - Di I haven't forgotten you, am having trouble sending emails tonight but will be in touch asap. Hope you get news very shortly. Still got everything tightly crossed and was very glad to get your email and hear that Shana is holding her own. Love Hazel

26-10-05 - Hi Di, As you know - they are still crossed. Hugs to her again please. Love Mo xx

26-10-05 - Hi Di, Sending white light and prayers, Hang in there Shana............. Love Gonny

28-10-05 - It looks as if there is a ray of hope Hazel. Let us hope & pray that Shana's determination can get her through this. love Lesley xx (Wilbus)

28-10-05 -Hazel That is excellent news. Afghans are such fighters when they are down, and never cease to amaze with their powers of recovery.
Elizabeth (Beck)

2006

23-01-06 - Di has asked me to post the following good news for you.

"Many of you will remember that our 9 year old afghan, Shana, was very ill with a spontaneous pneumothorax in November last year and at one time we almost lost her. I am now delighted to report that following a check up X ray today she has been declared fit and healthy! Her lung has reinflated and there are no further signs of lesions. Judging by the noise she makes in the garden we suspected this may be the case but are so pleased to have it confirmed by our wonderful vet!  Shana's half-sister, Zeta, is also very well indeed following removal of the enormous haematoma she had removed in November - she is back to chasing anything that moves be it postman or large truck going by - and feels she must now steal food to fill the huge void left by removal of her lump!! Thank you all for your good wishes during our very traumatic time - now we hope for a very quiet year afghan-wise!!"Needless to say we are thrilled to bits at the news today!! Di Searle (Salamkhan)

23-01-06 - Hi Hazel  That is wonderful news About Zeta And Shana. Please pass on my best to Di & Keith. Elizabeth (Beck)

23-01-06 - This is absolutely wonderful news Hazel - I am so pleased...love. Lesley xxx

23-01-06 - Hi could you please pass on to Di. We are please to hear the Shana and Zeta are both doing well, How is jared these day's. All the best Claire & Aaron (Istani)

23-01-06 - Thanks to Elizabeth, Lesley and Claire for their good wishes. Could you please tell Claire that Jared is absolutely fine and loving it here. There is no afghan racing held here at the moment but Jared did take part in an exhibition race on the Gold Coast on Christmas Eve where briefly he led the race, tussling with Jacky's Cooper for the lead. He finished a very respectable third considering at 9 he was the oldest by far - Cooper is 3 and the other two contenders were no more than 5!!!! He still likes to be heard at home (his duets with Shana have to be heard to be believed!), but on the whole he is content to just sit and watch the world go by, unless the magpies and ducks get too close and then he will chase them away!  Di (Salamkhan)

Di's baby dragons

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Updated 23-01-06