Mud map of Australia 

Ocky and Max on David's mower 

Northern Lights

I've been reading a trilogy by Philip Pullman this week. The first book, Northern Lights is also known as The Golden Compass. In it, a young girl called Lyra uses an instrument known as an Alethiometer (pictured below) to measure truth. I found myself wishing I owned such a beautiful and intriguing instrument! The trilogy itself is interesting reading - I am currently reading the third book and am still wondering what will ultimately happen.

Lyra's Alethiometer 

Avian Influenza

If you're like me, you've probably dismissed news articles about the bird flu as having little or no impact on your life. Think again! Did you know that the World Health Organisation lists the risk of a pandemic as serious and likely? Have a look at the WHO website for detailed information.

The world is currently at level 3 (out of 6) alert, and once we reach level 4, it seems that nothing will prevent us from going all the way to level 6. It's not a pretty picture.

UPDATE: if you read the comment below, you'll see that Tim has kindly provided another website about alerts - thanks for your input!