The other January

We have had some amazing, positive news in the past week. Six days ago we started to see the first signs of some improvements in Rob's condition, as though he was "waking up" and starting to respond to us. By Tuesday this week I even had a semblance of a back and forth "chat" during my visit, with Rod responding with understanding and using familiar phrases. The same day he passed his "swallow test" and is now able to gradually resume eating solid food and drinking fluids. It is amazing, unexpected and wonderful progress he is making. We all have fingers crossed it continues! His improvement coincided with him being in strict Covid quarantine so we had to wear full hospital grade PPE to visit him over the past 5 days - but absolutely worth it to see the very start of this amazing progress. His Covid isolation ended late yesterday - more good news.

Alongside our concerns about Rod we have been lucky to have some lovely distractions that this month brings .......

.... watching Abi and Sam competing at Jump Club at Equestrian Park on the old Yarralumla Woolshed road.

 ..... and enjoying some school holiday cooking fun with Abi at our place. It only seems like yesterday when she used to like sitting on the bench to do the stirring!

This was the best Rocky Road ever (made for Joshy's birthday dinner).

After all that cooking we took Abi to lunch at Kan Sushi (just off London Circuit). I think this is Abi's equivalent of the thumbs up sign.

A very special person's birthday - worth celebrating!

Our city does a nice job of celebrating the January long weekend (with its troublesome date for celebrating Australia Day) with Night Markets set up around the lake and a special light show highlighting a bit of Australiana. It's a short walk for us down to the edge of the lake to watch this quite spectacular drone show, staged over the 3 nights of the long weekend. 

The lights are directed at the south side of the lake so our view from the north is of the rear of every image (but never mind).

We've had more time at Freshford with Abi too just to keep us sane and at peace with the world while there is so much other worry about other things.

Joshy captured this wonderful picture of Abi and Sammy in the Freshford paddocks about 10 days ago. It is such a special place for Abi and Sammy (and us) to have fun and learn together.

We laughed at the motley crew of kangaroos who camped out in the arena and refused to move during Abi's riding lesson this week. It was a very hot day and they were enjoying the shade and the soft sand to lie on I think.

A beautiful very Canberra bush landscape, all around us at Freshford.........