The Aussie Connection

Hi all. I'm Meraiah Foley, the 30-year-old niece of Aunt Alison and cousin and second-cousin to Peter Foley. That's me on the left. I live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, Tim. That's him on the right.

Of course, I miss living so far from my home state of Oregon (and how I miss those mountains) but it's late spring here in the southern hemisphere and the flowers are in fullest bloom. Can't beat that.

This is a picture of us earlier in the year in New Zealand's Southern Alps -- that's Lord of the Rings country, for folks who have seen the movies. Behind us is Mt. Earnslaw and the vast, wild Dart River valley. When we're both not working, Tim and I spend a good deal of time sea kayaking on Sydney's beautiful harbor, camping or hiking in hills like these.

Tim, who works as a photographer for Reuters, is currently on a five-week assignment in Iraq. I'm chronicling all his experiences on our weblog, would love for any of you to stop by and leave a few words. And, of course, you're always welcome to visit us Down Under.