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We’ve had a pretty wild ride over here the last couple of weeks: Ray and Willa turned 10 and 8, respectively; Gemma keeps trying to turn 5 even though her birthday is still more than a month away; Brian took an unexpected work trip down to Port Moresby; and more, actually! Despite a bevvy of situations we could expound upon, I think all of us would say the most unexpected and surprising of them all was a brief few days with a fair-weathered friend. He (or she… how does one know) came from nowhere and now is gone again, but we had a great time for the days he (or she) decided our property was the Place To Be. Willa named him (or her) Buddy.

My absolute favorite photo is Ray. Her nonchalance at doing school work while a strange cockatoo just chills on the railing behind her is superb. Just classic. Ah, PNG. Land of the Unexpected indeed.