g’day mate! cheers for takin’ a look in on our blog. so, how’s yer bum for warts?…

…no, wait!! please, don’t stop reading there. really, i.. err.. didn’t mean to insult your bum. it’s just that today is “talk like an australian day” here at the blume home. well, to be honest, you’re likely to hear at least a little australian vernacular any day you visit our house. (in fact, if you and i ever worked together, you likely heard some aussie slang out of me during our session, too.) that unusual quirk of mine is due to my life-long fascination with the land down under, and to about five months i spent studying and traveling there. since i’ve been back in the states, i haven’t met many people who share my appreciation for the australian language. (using “cheers” in place of “thank you” gets me a lot of funny looks in public; “how’s yer bum for warts,” needless to say, will earn you a slap more often than it receives a simple, “i’m doing well. cheers for asking.”) thankfully, there are a few who understand the lingo. and the brawny young man in the photo above happens to be one of them. robby was a classmate of mine in brisbane, where we studied ecology at the “uni” of queensland, followed by a lot of tramping around the country.

here are a few phrases that came to mind when i heard robby had gotten engaged:  “crikey! that’s bonzer! good on yer, mate.” then, after i met his lovely fiancee, laura, for the first time, i wanted to add:  “ooh, clever boy! nice sheila you got there. what say we celebrate with a glass of wine and some vegemite!” (actually, ix-nay on the egemite-vay. i would hate for anyone to gag to death just before the wedding.)

truly, i couldn’t be more ecstatic for these two. they’re such a great match. before their engagement session, eileen and i got to visit robby and laura’s house, which is going through some serious renovations — from “bachelor pad” to “home sweet home.” (i know it hurts to take those manly movie posters off the wall, robby. but it’ll pay off; i promise.) we then drove to this picturesque little park just down the road, where these two have already spent lots of quality time together and plan to continue making memories for years to come. hopefully, all those memories will be as wonderful as the ones we shared with them on this perfect fall day. they’re so sweet, easy goin’, and tons of fun. (note their antics on the playground! loads of monkey business.)

we had an awesome time with you two! can’t wait for your wedding on st. simon’s. it’s gonna be bonzer!

i often get messy on photo shoots. but this time was ridiculous. to get the reflection i wanted in this image, i had to wade out chest-deep into the water. and it was cold!! well, all in the name of art, i suppose. (besides, it kinda made me feel like the crocodile hunter.)

see what i mean? good times…

…and “monkey business.”

“no rules, just right,” indeed! 😉