The valley of royal visits

I didn't get at all excited when Prince William visited the valley earlier this year, but I am ecstatic about today's royal visit.  I looked out the kitchen window this morning and this is what I saw.   

A magnificent king parrot in full breeding plumage and, blending in with the surroundings, his more delicately but still beautifully marked queen.  True avian royalty if ever I saw it.  These pictures may give you an idea of their colours but not their size which is quite regal.

I spent such a lot of time hiding in bushes in the autumn, trying to get a good photo of the flock who were feeding on the seeds of the japanese maples and had very little luck.  Then today, these two came in and posed for a long time allowing me to get quite close.

Look at the colour of his beak!

She posed so calmly.  I suppose she is used to being snapped by the paparazzi!

The colour on her breast and cheeks is so dusty and soft.

On the topic of Royal Visits
I believe Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of Daytime Television, is headed down under.

In saying this I must add that I find the Oprah phenomenon quite puzzling.  A lot of her shows I have seen have focussed on decluttering one's life, on careful budgeting with the cutting up of credit cards as a first step, and that knowing oneself and finding purpose is more important than the material consumer world.  Yet here she is flying 300 guests from Chicago (let's not even talk about the environmental impact) to Australia to try the wine, and to go shopping in Melbourne.

However, since talking with my son  in the U.S. on Skype this morning I have a clearer idea about why Oprah has been invited and courted to visit.  He tells me that Tourism Australia (or whichever government departments are footing some of Oprah's bill) have already had excellent bang for their buck.  It has been all over the media in the U.S. and Australia is on everyones' lips.  It is a funny world we live in.

Anyone and everyone seems to visit this valley at some time and if Her Highness deigns to call in, I will  be happy to boil the billy and put out the scones but she should be warned...I don't do curtseying!