Christmas Eve - Day 58 in a Year of my Life

I've decided to recap my year, some time between Christmas and New Year, instead of tonight.  Christmas Eve just doesn't seem like the right time.

Vegan Chickie and I have a tradition.  Every Christmas Eve, no matter where we are in the world, we watch the movie 'Love Actually' together.

We set a time and then text each other when we are ready to press 'play'.

I'm not sure how long ago it started - perhaps 5 or 6 yrs ago?  She may correct me if I'm way off.

So tonight we agreed on 7.30pm as our start time.

It's been an interesting day.

It started at the usual place after I got coffee.  I had to buy two small coffees because they had run out of large take-away cups!  On Christmas Eve!!

After about an hour with my boys at the Seat of Knowledge, I pedalled down to say 'good morning' to my Tawny Frogmouth family.

While I was taking some photos, I attracted a crowd of about 8 people.  I don't like to do that, because I worry that others aren't so respectful of nature and I fear for the safety of my birds.

I took the uv filter and lens protector off my lens and discovered how much clearer my photos are without them!

I did some last minute grocery shopping and then after much difficulty, Adoring Husband got one of the printers to work and I printed out a couple of photos of Fergie to frame for his lovely wife for Christmas.

I hopped on the trike again and pedalled towards her house, but got pulled over by a lady who had bought two of my photos after my exhibition.

She pleaded for me to stop for a moment and go to look at the photos, now framed, quite beautifully, by her husband.

They did look quite fabulous!  I'm glad that I stopped.  Her two grown children will be the recipients of my photos this Christmas :D

Back on my trike and off to see Mrs Fergie.

She has 90% deafness in one ear and 75% in the other, so it is quite an ordeal getting her attention!  She always had Fergie to hear for her before.

She finally caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye and she welcomed me into her home.  She opened her present and cried.  I cried.  I knew it would be emotional, but hoped that I could stay strong.  It wasn't meant to be.  Ugh.

I stayed with her for about an hour chatting about Fergie and his final days and what she has planned for her future.

Then I left, promising to visit regularly.

Adoring Husband and I drove to the Bowls Club thinking that there would be raffles tonight, which there would have been if more than 7 of us had turned up!!  I won $300 on the pokies instead :D

We left at about 6.30pm and drove all over town in search of spectacular christmas lights.

We were very disappointed to discover that, like us, very few people have made an effort this Christmas.  Perhaps 4 homes lit up in full Christmas glory and another 6 made a small effort.

I didn't have my camera with me but we plan on going out next week with our cameras and tripods to get some photos.

We arrived home at 7.25pm, just in time to receive the text from Vegan Chickie to press 'play' for our movie.

We love this traditional viewing and text each throughout the movie when it gets to our favourite parts.

Adoring Husband made a nice easy, but healthy, dinner for us and then watched the movie with me too.

It's been a pretty good day and today I'm grateful to have found the strength to visit Mrs Fergie for the first time since Fergie passed away.  I have put this visit off for so long because I was dreading it.  It was as difficult as I'd imagined but I'm so pleased that I did it before Christmas.

She loved the photos.

Nite all.

Day 57 in a Year of my Life

It's HOT!

So early in Summer and already we are experiencing above average temperatures.

I love living in Queensland and in particular, here, but at this time of the year when it gets really hot, I struggle and question our sanity!

How nice it would be to have two homes - one in a cooler climate for the Summer months!

Perhaps a pool would help?????  :D

Today, I delivered some photos that I was commissioned to take of somebody's house and garden.  I walked under the main tree as I walked to the front door and looked up (for the first time) and saw this ...

So beautiful.  I think I would like a tree like this in my garden ... right beside the pool :D

Today I am grateful for air conditioning and cooling fans and afternoon breezes that stop me from melting and fading away in the hot Summer weather.

Tonight I am having an early night and will make a concerted effort to create a more Christmassy and detailed post tomorrow.

Nite all.

Days 55 and 56 in a Year of my Life

I've been reading over my posts for the year and working out how to recap my 2013 but it's taking me much longer than expected.

I'm falling asleep at my computer (gosh, what does that say about my writing?), so instead of rushing it, I will recap tomorrow.

I only have one thing to share with you today

I hope it rains tonight!

Nite all.

Still Here

It's right on midnight and the world has not ended.

Here is a small collection of what was doing the rounds of facebook today.

Now I can be convinced that even though the world has not ended, it is the end of hatred and anger and the beginning of love and light :D

Nite all.

Day 54 in a Year of my Life

An uneventful day.

I still haven't gone over my recap of 2012.

I thought I would wait until after tomorrow, since it's supposed to be the end of the world, according to the ancient Mayans.

It's 1am.  I'm off to bed.

Some more photos from my early flickr days ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6305638826/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6294406034/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6327049083/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6351629117/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6361061225/in/photostream/lightbox/

Today I'm grateful for lunch dates - one of which, I have tomorrow, with one of my favourite people.  Lazy lovely lunches with friends.

Nite all.

Day 53 in a Year of my Life

Just thought I'd share some of my old photos that are currently stored on flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6091087647/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6126435543/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6141614123/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6174278843/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/6260679232/in/photostream/lightbox/

I know that one of these goes all the way back to 2008!!

It was a lazy day today.  I spent my morning at the Seat of Knowledge and I got my hair done at the hairdressers after I missed last weeks appointment!

We ordered our seafood for Christmas day.

Adoring Husband and I napped on the couch this afternoon - quite uncomfortable really lol.

Today, I am grateful for lazy days that allow us to wind down, relax and rejuvenate.  It has been a busy busy year and we are now officially in hibernation - in preparation for what the new year has in store for us.

Tomorrow I will work on a post to recap 2012 I think!

Nite all.

Day 52 in a Year of my Life

I had a lovely morning, seeing my boys for the first time in a week and then morning tea with the girls and catching up.

Before I went home, I decided to go visit the tree where the Tawnies were before I left.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8283391016/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8282364145/in/photostream/lightbox/

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw three together on one branch and as I scanned the other trees looking for the fourth one, I discovered not one, but TWO in another tree!

I was so excited and talked to the birds, and all but one of the them looked right at me as I snapped and chatted away.

I'll go earlier in the morning for better light and hope that they're in clear view for some more happy snaps tomorrow!

Today I am grateful for nature's surprises - just when you least expect them!

Nite all.

Days 49, 50 and 51 of a Year in my Life

Well, what a great weekend!

Absolutely exhausting with hours of walking and photography and silly pranks and driving and eating and drinking and meeting new people and laughing and basically enjoying ourselves.

The five girls that I shared accommodation with were fantastic fun and easy to get along with.

We walked for over 5 hours on Saturday night getting our many and varied night lights shots.

Luckily, I decided to empty my clothes out of my little suitcase with wheels and put my camera bag in it.  Then I wheeled the bag all over the city.  I would NEVER have been able to carry my camera bag around for that long.  It weighs 10 kgs!

So here is the view from our motel room and a few of my night shots...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280872002/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8279815347/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8279815953/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8279816341/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280874776/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280875250/in/photostream/lightbox/

We ended our night with a few glasses of champagne and some debriefing.  Some giggles.  Some D&Ms.  It was well after midnight when we all turned out the lights.

The Nikonian was a very cheeky monkey after we all went to bed, trying to steal my toes in the dark and then pretending to be a ghost in the night and THEN taking a photo of me sleeping and drooling on my pillow and posting it on Facebook!!!

She knows that she should be very afraid.  **Expect me when you least expect me**

The next morning we all ate a hearty breakfast and wandered around the markets for a little while before leaving Brisbane and heading north toward Woody Point.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280873650/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280872666/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8279814347/in/photostream/lightbox/

I loved the jetty there and would really like to go back for a sunrise or sunset shot with better light.  These were taken in the middle of the day.

Everybody sat under a shady tree near the shipwreck for an hour or so, killing time so that we didn't arrive at Bribie too early for our Christmas gathering.

I, for the umpteenth time, had to go searching for a toilet (I have an app for that!)

We drove to Bribie Island, headed over to the surf side, but it was quite busy and we couldn't find a place to park quickly.  Since we were responsible for finding a place to set up for the party, we returned to the other side of the island to search for a good spot.

Because it was such a beautiful day, all the tables and sheds were full of people.  Luckily, one of the newer members had already arrived and found a table.  They also found 'us' and we gathered all our gear and joined them.

Gradually, about 30 members of our group arrived in dribs and drabs.  We met lots of newbies and caught up with other more established members.  We discussed cameras and various photos that we had taken during the year.

We talked about how we discovered The Master's course and what we got out of it.  How we discovered photography and why we love it.

We wandered around and took photos of the Tawny Frogmouths in the tree, the sunset, the Glasshouse mountains across the waterway and anything else that looked interesting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280874092/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8280874390/in/photostream/lightbox/

I drank too much wine for the second time this year and both times, funnily enough, have been in The Master's presence .. I do hope he doesn't think badly of me!

We didn't leave Bribie til after 7pm and we didn't arrive home until almost 11pm.  I collapsed on top of our bed and that's where I stayed until 8.30 this morning.

Absolutely exhausted but it was so worth it.  I had a ball and I can't wait til our next gathering.

Today, I am grateful for that happy exhaustion, when you have pushed yourself to keep up with everyone and filled every minute with experiences that create happy memories to last a lifetime.

That was my weekend :D

Now I am climbing into bed at almost 1am.

Nite all.

Day 48 in a Year of my LIfe

Yet another exhausting day with the energiser bunny, Chicklet.

I got to babysit again this morning while Mama and Dadoo went grocery shopping.

Chicklet and I went for a long walk along the river path while I drank my morning coffee and then we came home and had some breakfast of yoghurt, nuts and crackers.

We watched some kids TV on the ABC - Bananas in Pyjamas and the Pig show (I am a bad grand mother and cannot remember the names of the shows).

Not long after that, Chicklet went for her morning nap before we went to lunch at my favourite eating place nearby, and I got to have my favourite Duck Quinoa salad and then a delicious dessert, of the house vanilla ice cream!

It was a good idea to walk off all that delicious food, so we headed for the park!

Oddly enough, there was less playing on the equipment and more of Boz carrying Chicklet around the park, until Mama suggested that we go to the swings!

I got to take lots of photos of Chicklet giggling and having fun, and even Mama had some fun on the swing.

Finally, in yet another state of exhaustion, we walked home and once again, collapsed on the couch.

A bit of Playschool on the telly, a good healthy feed of apple, cucumber, banana, orange and nuts.  Lots of water to drink and then Mama and Chicklet shared a chocolate icy pole.

A shower with the mother and baby ducks.

Brushing the teeth was a bit of a struggle until Boz got her toothbrush out and we all did it together :D

Bed time.

**sigh**

This is my last night here.  Tomorrow I head off for the photography night shoot in Brisbane with some friends from the flickr group, which I am looking forward to very much.

I will definitely miss my baby though.  I've had such a lot of fun with her and I'm definitely feeling very grandmotherly now - exhausted, but happy :D

Flickr seems to having trouble with the site tonight so I can't add the links to the new photos of Chicklet.

I will attempt to do that tomorrow night, if I have time.  Otherwise it will be Sunday night .. if I have time.

Don't be concerned if I don't update in the next two nights.  There is a lot happening and I may not have time.

Today I am grateful for having such an amazingly happy and full life.  I feel like I haven't had a moment to myself for months, but it's been a fabulous and satisfying year and I can't wait to recap here, after Christmas, on the year that was mine.

If the Mayan Calendar is correct in predicting the end of the world in a week's time, I will leave this earth happy and content.

Nite all.

Day 47 in a Year of my Life

We are all Zawsted!

Even Chicklet is exhausted after a very big afternoon at Underwater World.

You remember that it's my favourite place in the world, right?  Except maybe in the 'real' underwater world, which I have never been to ... never scuba dived and never snorkelled!  Can you believe that?!

Through the first door, was the 'touch pool' where Chicklet got to touch and hold a blue starfish!  What an exciting start to the day!  She wanted to touch EVERYTHING after that, and luckily was happy enough to touch the glass that protected all of the sea creatures.

She loved the fish and sharks and she loved the turtles.  We ALL loved the underwater tunnel and the Bare-chested Chef took lots of photos with his Samsung Pad.

I took my camera, but didn't take any photos.  I really should have attempted to get some photos of Chicklet in different areas, but I was too busy either playing with her or wandering through the tunnel in awe with Vegan Chickie.

Chicklet loved the room that viewed the seals underwater and spent most of the time climbing the giant 'step seats' with her teddy and then scooting back down.

She got to stand up at the glass wall and see the seals up close.  One of the seals came down under the water and put her nose against the glass really close to Vegan Chickie and Chicklet.  What a thrill!

I think Chicklet enjoyed the acoustics in there too because she was singing and laughing and talking REALLY LOUDLY!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8268462373/in/photostream

It was ok because she scared all the other people away and we had the room to ourselves most of the time!

When we were leaving, out of all the stuffed toys at the gift shop - colourful sting rays, star fish, seals, sharks, crocodiles, frogs, clown fish, sea horses, eels, turtles etc etc, Chicklet fell for the fluffy brown otters,  which was quite strange because we only saw the otters for about a minute before they disappeared down their tunnels and out of sight.

We had a good three hours at Underwater World, including lunch, so I guess we have good reason to be 'zawsted'!

So Chicklet has been there, done that AND got a t-shirt.

A good time was had by all!

Today I am grateful for sharing a family day and sharing a 'first' experience with Chicklet.  Seeing everything again, as if for the first time, through her young inexperienced eyes, was amazing, and watching her Mama and Dadoo enjoying her excitement was equally enjoyable.

I love my life.

Nite all.

Day 46 in a Year of my Life

Ugh!  Motion sickness on a train... blah ... it sucks!

Twenty minutes after I sat down, the wave of nausea descended and it took every ounce of willpower to suck it up and get through the two hour journey unscathed.

I had even ordered a big gluten free breakfast before I felt sick but was unable to even take a bite, so it is in the fridge ready for tomorrow morning's breakfast.

After I recovered from that, I got to be a grandmother all on my own for a bit over four hours.

It was the most mentally and physically exhausting fun I've had for a long time!  Challenging, to find just one more burst of energy to get through each new session of play time.

I have carpet burn on my knees from playing 'doggies' - because dogs, of course, should be on four legs at all times!  They should also be walking around the room constantly and chasing other dogs and playing with balls and barking at people through the front door.

Boz must not, for even a moment, lay down on the couch to rest.

A leisurely walk to the Pirate Park was the closest I got to relaxing, so I walked REALLY slowly, to make it last lol.

At least thirty times, my arms lifted Chicklet to the top of the slippery slide, so that she could race the other kids down the slide.

We climbed the ladder.  We crossed the bridge a number of times.  We made sand castles.  We made Chicklet's feet disappear under the sand.  We made mud fish in the wet sand.  We ran through the bark under the trees.  We studied seed pods.  We watched the ducks swimming in the river.  We bounced.  We jumped.  We scooted.  We spun.

We walked back home, getting coffee and 2 chocolate tiny teddies on the way.

We changed out of our dirty clothes, got a new nappy, cleaned all the toys off the floor, played doggies again until Mama and Dadoo came home.

We all discussed our day, had dinner, washed the dishes, showered Chicklet and now have all crawled into bed exhausted.

What a day!

Today, I am grateful.  I am grateful for today.  A perfectly delightful, delicious, glorious, wondrous, happy and exhausting day with my most precious granddaughter.

May there be many more.

There will be photos tomorrow.

Nite all.

Day 45 in a Year of my Life

Been procrastinating all day!

I did make a list and I am partly packed.

It's almost 10.30pm and I have to be up at 4.30am, so I am off to finish packing.

Today, I am grateful for 'to do' lists.

I am checking everything off the list as I go, so I should be in bed by 11.30pm.

Looking forward to spending some real quality time with my little Chicklet.

Nite all.

Day 44 in a Year of my Life

Lots of uneventful things added up to fill my day.

Bought my ticket to the Sunshine Coast for Wednesday.

Had coffee with my boys at the Seat of Knowledge.

Delivered some photos.

Had lunch with Adoring Husband in The Bay.

Did some grocery shopping.

Watched a movie.

Rushed to the river for a spectacular sunset, but the clouds blew away ... again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8261455498/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8261460092/in/photostream/lightbox/

That is all.

Today I'm grateful for failed sunsets ... without them, I wouldn't appreciate the GREAT ones when they come along.

Nite all.

Day 43 in a Year of my Life

I haven't slept well since we came home.

Something about our bed just doesn't do it for me and I can't even remember the last time I got a solid nights sleep in it ... unlike the bed in the camper van where I fell asleep almost immediately every time my head hit the pillow and the only time I woke during the night was when a certain piece of my anatomy required emptying!

Having said that, it almost goes without saying, I am very tired tonight, so this will be short and sweet, so that I can crawl into bed and hopefully get a few solid hours in.

This afternoon, we got to see some old friends, who moved to Tasmania from here, over two years ago, and have now moved to The Bay.

'The Sex Therapist' and 'Laughing Buddha'.

SOOOO good to see them!

They asked me to do a quick photo shoot,  so that they could give framed photos to family for Christmas.

When I say 'quick', it was the fastest photo shoot EVER and I was lucky to get 15 minutes of their time!

Quick and painless.

I haven't finished editing the photos yet, but this is one that they have selected for their grandchildren.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8256676371/in/photostream

I feel a bit embarrassed because I know I could have done so much better with a bit more time.

However, they are happy, and that's what counts!

Today I am grateful to have old friends living close by again.  I look forward to some girlie time with The Sex Therapist - we always have a good old belly laugh when we are together.  I'm sure there will be fun times to be had in the coming months!

Nite all.

Day 42 in a Year of my Life

Well, my Tawny Frogmouths are no longer cute little chicks ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8252895383/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8253947962/in/photostream/

... but the curious chick is still curious and he watched me as I walked around under the branch that he was perched on, just as he did when he was tiny.

Three weeks is a long time in the life of a bird.  It's now only their size that distinguishes them from adult Tawnies.  They are very much smaller than their parents.

I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee from the bakery this morning and even though I arrived quite a bit later than usual at the Seat of Knowledge, it was good to catch up with my boys.

On the way home, I stopped at a garage sale where Aussie H was helping out and found some colourful crockery, which I bought nice and cheap.

I've been thinking for a long time about creating a big colourful ceramic collage on the floor of our outdoor area.

This is going to take a LOT of crockery!

So while I collect a lot of inexpensive mixes of crockery from various garage sales, I'll start playing with different ideas in a sketch pad.

There is plenty of time to play with at this rate and I have lots of different ideas swimming around in my head.

Hopefully, it will all come together beautifully in the end, and it will be a work of art to be proud of!

Today, I am grateful to Aussie H for taking such good care of everything that is important to AH and I, while we had our holiday.

The psychotic dogs are happy and healthy.  The only lovely layer that we have left is looking fine.  Our home is happy and the job is still steady.

It's a huge responsibility to take on and I hope that she knows how much we appreciate her efforts.

We have lots of little ways to show her in the coming weeks how much it means to us.

Nite all.

Day 41 in a Year of my LIfe

There are no words to describe how happy AH and I are with our new Mitsubishi Outlander.

We both purred like pussy cats all the way home today and it was lovely to hear AH announce "I LOVE THIS CAR!" a number of times along the way.

There are no photos for today.

We caught the courtesy bus to the Bowls Club this afternoon and got to catch up with everybody and hear all the local news.

We are very grateful to be home safe n sound - thanks to our NEWWWWW CARRRRRR!

I'm looking forward to seeing my boys in the morning :D

Nite all.

Day 40 in a Year of my Life

And here it is ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8248677077/in/photostream

We drove it out of the car yard at lunch time today and almost immediately named the female voice on the inbuilt GPS "Genie".

The car feels like it's floating instead of driving and Ah and I are both still swooning over it.

We drove from the car yard to Noosaville to see Chicklet and Vegan Chickie for lunch and then a quick visit to the pirate park, before heading back to the van park, so that AH could figure out how he was going to pack the car in the morning before we drive home.

Yes, the holiday is over.

Time to go home. It will be less than a week before I return, for a couple of days with the family and then a night in Brisbane for a night shoot with the photography group, followed by the Christmas gathering on Sunday.

Today, I am grateful that 'Jimmy the Salesman' came through with the car and put a smile on AH's face and so that we can finally go home.

I'm sure that Aussie H will be grateful that she can return home to her own bed and that her duties are finally over!

Nite all.

Day 39 in a Year of my Life

http://www.bohemianbungalow.com.au/

This is where Adoring Husband and I had lunch today.

It all started when we decided that we would go searching for Wappa Dam and Wappa Falls.

For the first time, Adoring Husband didn't use the inbuilt GPS in the car and we headed towards the town of Yandina, knowing that Wappa Falls was near the town and then we would follow the signs.

We got very close, but we took a right turn at a t-junction, that should have been a left turn.

We drove for a few kilometres and just as AH decided he wanted to turn around and I told him to keep going, and we came over a rise and found the turn off to Eumundi.

AH suggested we go there for coffee.

We found a free parking spot on the main road, which was lucky because the markets were still open, and it was busy.

As we got out of the car, AH noticed some signs to a restaurant saying 'Now Open', so we walked across the road and up the steps into this beautiful new restaurant.

We didn't know it at the time, but it was their first day open.

A beautiful bohemian style decor, with both very new/expensive, and very old/vintage furnishings and knick knacks everywhere.  Bright and colourful, spacious and warm, musical and arty, friendly and comfortable, light and airy ... so many ways to describe a lovely place to spend some time.

The food was amazing, the service warm and friendly, the prices reasonable and on our way out the owner introduced himself and asked us if we had enjoyed our meal/experience.

He told us that he frequents 'Fratellinis', where the Bare-chested Chef is currently working!

So, thanks to a wrong turn earlier in the day, we got to enjoy another excellent 'foodie' experience.

We've been so lucky with our eating experiences on this holiday!

Here are a couple of photos from where we sat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8247199710/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8246132551/in/photostream/

We did eventually find Wappa Dam and Wappa Falls.

There were no 'falls' due to recent dry weather.  The Dam was old and fenced off with warning signs posted everywhere, although there were nice little barbecue and picnic areas nearby.

So today, I am grateful for travelling adventures that take you where you least expect.  Wrong turns.  Getting lost.  Taking a risk, by not turning back.  Finding holiday gems and creating happy memories together.

Nite all.

Day 38 in a Year of my Life

S O   H O T!!

Today, my iphone weather app told me that it was 32 degrees.  I could have sworn it was hotter and I kept looking at the app, waiting for the temperature to rise.  It didn't.

Then the news this evening reported that it was 38 degrees here today!  I KNEW IT!!

I've been trying to think about what to write in tonight's post, but my mind is blank.

I received an email from Fergies wife an hour ago telling me that he lost his battle and passed away on Saturday.

I'm sad, but I am grateful that Fergie is no longer suffering.  May he rest in peace.

Nite all.

Day 37 in a Year of my Life

The temperature is gradually rising here and I don't know if it was the heat or if the holiday has suddenly caught up with me, but this morning at around 11am, I needed to sleep.

Sleep I did, not soundly, due to all the activity in the park, but I dozed on and off for about three hours!

When I finally raised myself from the comfort of my bed, Adoring Husband went for a drive to the fish markets and came home with a huge feed of sand crab, Morton Bay bugs and prawns.

When I woke up, I found a couple of texts from The Nikonian suggesting that storms may develop this afternoon, or perhaps a nice sunset, so we got together at 4pm and drove to a beach at Coolum.

We got coffee and walked down to the beach to take in the sights and enjoy the salt sea air.

There were two other photographers already on the beach.  One on a pregnancy shoot and the other on a romantic couple shoot, which also included the three children at the end.

So we watched them for a while and then grabbed our cameras and began snapping away at all the activity going on down there.

Surfers on the waves, people walking their dogs, a young woman stretching on the rocks, kids skipping stones, reflections in the water, clouds stretching across the sky ... so many things happening ... every time we turned around, we found something new to photograph.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241714880/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241715304/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241715702/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241716354/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241716712/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8241717124/in/photostream/lightbox/

Neither the storms or the sunset eventuated, but we were both happy with our shots for the afternoon and went home feeling pretty pleased with ourselves.

What a nice afternoon.

Today I am grateful for the chance to rejuvenate.

Even with the hot weather, the breeze blowing through the windows of our van, was cool enough to allow us to sleep comfortably in the middle of the day and I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Our holiday continues for a few more days.  I am ready!

Nite all.

Day 36 in a Year of my Life

We took a drive south today for 90 minutes to visit the 'other' granddaughter 'Poppit' whom I met for the very first time.

She is a gentle little soul, perfectly at ease being placed in the arms of whoever her parents choose to pass her to.

It's noticeable, as she is placed in your arms, how she relaxes into your body and at times even rests her head against your cheek or your shoulder.

She has the biggest bluest eyes and a little strawberry birthmark on her left cheek (or right cheek as you look at her).  Thin brown hair, that her Daddy reckons is turning grey and an apetite that apparently is sending them broke.

She takes short 30 minute catnaps during the day and according to both Mum and Dad, she has a very short attention span.

She was a delight to spend time with, and Poppy (aka Adoring Husband) sat down and fed her at the table.  Shredded chicken then pureed peaches and then pureed blueberries.  Milo, the Jack Russell, sat under the table and enjoyed the meal just as much as little Poppit.

After Poppit finished her lunch, we all drove to the local Tavern and had a delicious lunch ourselves, on the deck, overlooking the marina.

Here are a few little happy snaps of Poppy and Poppit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8237770930/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8237758974/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8236692341/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8236692795/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8236693403/in/photostream/

So today, I am grateful that Adoring Husband got to spend some quality time with his little 'Poppit' and that his son and daughter-in-law are so relaxed about sharing her with us.  It was a lovely day and Poppy drove home feeling very proud and happy.

Nite all.

Day 35 in a Year of my Life

It's been a fabulous day with the family.

A delicious lunch at our favourite Noosaville eatery and then some fun at the park with my Chicklet.

Delightful to see that Poppy (aka Adoring Husband) is now in favour and was lured all over the playground to test out the equipement!

Chicklet loved the Octopus toy that we got for her from Underwater World and dragged it all over the place and in the dirt and down the slide.

I remembered to take photos!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8234858066/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8234857794/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8234857596/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8234869402/in/photostream/

Today I am grateful for family time, Chicklet smiles, Poppy playtime and watching my happy hippy family loving each other.

It warms the cockles of my heart :D

Nite all.

Day 34 in a Year of my Life

It's been a funny kind of day.

The first half was so pleasant.

Adoring Husband and I had breakfast overlooking the ocean at a little cafe called Olivers at Mooloolaba.  Fabulous coffee, good food and very friendly service.

Then we did some window shopping along the Esplanade.

A bit of grocery shopping and a new book to keep Adoring Husband out of my hair for a little while.

But then the mood changed.

Unfortunately, this afternoon when I checked my emails, I received bad news about the amazing gentleman that I met back in July.  He rated a special mention in my blog that day ...

http://agechallengedrqqzy.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/funny-how-life-happens.html

... today, his wife informed me that his brain tumour has continued to grow and he is no longer responsive.  It is just a matter of time before his body completely shuts down and he passes away.

Such sad news.

So today, I am grateful to have met Fergie when I did.  Before his stroke and before the diagnosed brain tumour.

He was larger than life and I'm so glad I got to spend a little time with him and learn a little something about the man before he left this earth.

He had so much energy and his excitement and enthusiasm for his massive shell collection and his fabulous garden was contagious.

His presence was just a fleeting moment in my life but his effect on me was overwhelming, even for that fleeting moment.

This is the last photo I took of him after his first surgery for the tumour and while he was in Maryborough Hospital.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8052465066/in/photostream 

I will always remember that twinkle in his eye.  Such a cheeky man.

Thanks Fergie for inviting me into your life and sharing a little bit of yourself with me.

Nite all.

Day 33 in a Year of my Life

Oh how I love the quiet days!

I spent the entire day sitting at my laptop today.

I deleted almost 2000 photos from my library, played around with some recent photos and looked at some old photos yet to be edited.

Tomorrow will be another reasonably quiet day, ahead of a big weekend visiting family, both here, and at the Gold Coast.

So, since it has been such a quiet day, I have nothing to report!

Oh ... except a lovely phone call from my little Chicklet, even though she didn't say anything, I could hear her breathing lol.

A couple of photos from yesterday ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8228784360/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8229665452/in/photostream/

... and that is all!

Nite all.

Day 32 in a Year of my Life

We tried for another sunset tonight and the cloud formations were looking very promising.

Adoring Husband and I planned on heading out to Caloundra to try for the sunset and then possibly some 'night lights' shots for one of this months flickr challenges.

'The Other One' messaged me earlier in the day to say that she was leaving work early and asked if we had any plans for a sunset shoot.  So we invited her along.

The reason that we chose this particular spot, was because 'The Nikonian' had suggested it on Monday, when we were in the area, but we got side tracked and never made it to the boardwalk.

It's a great spot for photography with a nice winding timber boardwalk along the edge of the beach, great rock formations all along the beach area, beautiful surf with swimmers and surfers everywhere, kind of a mini city skyline and then the Glasshouse Mountains off in the distance, just where the sun sets.

As the sun got lower towards the horizon, the sky to the south appeared to be growing darker and darker, until we noticed that the very dark stormy clouds were banking up and getting closer to the sun.

About twenty minutes before the sun was due to set, the dark bank of cloud covered it and all hope of a pretty sunset were dashed.

The evidence seems to be pointing fairly and squarely towards 'The Other One'.

It seems that every time she joins anyone for a photo shoot, the rains come, the clouds close in, the birds disappear and the photoshoot is doomed to failure.

Her one saving grace tonight, was that the full moon was rising in the East, so as we gave up and turned away from the sunset, we were greeted with a bright ball of a moon rising through the trees.

She then took us for a walk along the boardwalk to where I could get a good shot of colourful night lights reflecting over the water.

So all is forgiven.  I am very happy with my shot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8226030327/

However, the failing sunsets are becoming a regular occurrence, so I'm going to suggest some kind of natural healing process to clear away that negative energy.

An enema would cleanse the toxins, but that seems a bit harsh lol.

So I suggest that about 5 minutes before arriving at the shoot, she winds down her car windows and let the wind blow through the car and remove all bad energy before she parks the car.

The final step to creating harmony in a sunset is to do a little pirouette immediately after locking the car.

I'm afraid that if there is another failed shoot ... the title "Anti-EVERYTHING" will stick permanently!

We were all going to have dinner, but the cafe that 'The Other One' suggested was closed (yet another example!), so she headed home and Adoring Husband and I went off in search of dinner.

We found a great little place in Mooloolaba called 'Fish on Parkyn'.

http://fishonparkyn.com.au/

AH had a barbecued seafood dish and I had rolled pork belly.  Absolutely delicious!

Now it's after midnight and I am yawning uncontrollably while listening to AH snoring behind his bed curtains.

Today I am grateful for the glorious full moon that appears every month and that magical feeling as it slowly rises and makes it's way through the twinkling stars into the dark night sky.  It reminds me of my childhood and the nursery rhymes that my grandmother used to read to me at bed time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8226234299/in/photostream

Nite all.

Day 31 in a Year of my Life

This afternoon, Adoring Husband suggested that we stroll up to the lily pond to feed the ducks and see what the pond looked like on sunset.

Just as we arrived, Adoring Husband spotted a little Azure Kingfisher, so I grabbed my camera and quietly followed it around the boardwalk that surrounds the pond.

Unfortunately, it was very skittish and the ducks and water fowl frightened it, as did I, so after a while he disappeared.

While AH fed the ducks with the enthusiasm of a small child, I watched and waited for the sky to change, hoping for some lovely reflective light off the pond water.

Sunset, was again, a bit of a fizzer.

Just before we left the lily pond, the kingfisher reappeared on a branch that was sticking out of the water near the island in the middle of the pond.

I struggled to get my camera out of the bag again, but he had flown by the time I raised the camera to get a shot. **sigh**

Adoring Husband then suggested that we take a walk around the van park to see how big it was.

WELL!  Was I surprised?!

I'm sure it should have it's own postcode!

There are streets and streets of permanent cabins and caravans.  A dozen or more sites with little brick ensuites and storage rooms.  Another large amenities block on the other side of the park.  A large camping area for tents.

We walked down to the pool area and for the first time, I stepped inside the gate and walked around the very large resort style swimming pool where there are various kids areas like the big buckets that fill with water and then spill onto the kids below or the mushroom that kids can stand under and the water flows around them like a waterfall.

Little picnic areas around the pool and bubbling areas like mini spas.

Through to the other side of the pool and through the pool gate, there is an enormous play area for kids.

• A fenced park with a seesaw, slide, swings, merry-go-round, monkey bars, bouncing animals and sand pit.
• A giant chess board.
• A mini soccer field with goal net.
• A mini basket ball court with hoop.
• Two colourful hopscotch games painted on concrete.
• A par three mini putt putt course.
• A games room with a pool table, table tennis, foosball, big old electronic games, a mini kitchen and a blackboard.
• A gymnasium.
• A giant colourful jumping bubble.
• Giant outdoor movie screen.
• Bali Huts.
• Skipping rope - like a pole that the skipping rope winds out of so that one kid has the rope while one skips.

I think that's all.

Such an amazing place for a family holiday.  I am gobsmacked!

Earlier today, we took an Ecotour on the river and experienced three different eco systems.

We sat in folding chairs on the shaded top deck of the flat bottomed river boat and enjoyed the views and the happy, jovial commentary by the captain.

There was a beautiful breeze all day and we saw White Breasted Sea Eagles, Whistling Kites, Brahminy Kites, an Osprey that had just caught a fish as we came around the bend, White and Grey Herons among many other birds.

We got to walk through natural mangroves and rainforest on a winding boardwalk and upon our return, the captain of the boat had cooked our steaks (he asked us how we liked our steaks before we went for our walk) and there were salads and bread rolls and a fruit platter for lunch.

It was licenced, so there was wine and beer and other alcoholic beverages available, as well as soft drinks and cold water.

Morning tea was provided too, which consisted of chocolate brownies and lamingtons.

Unfortunately, the combination of the vibrating engine, boat movement, wind, the long lens and distance, none of my photos turned out well enough to share.

I really didn't mind and I think I'd be happy to go on the tour again without the camera, just to enjoy the experience on it's own.

Highly recommend the tour ...

http://www.cruisemaroochyeco.com.au/tourist-cruises/2/

I am grateful for today.  A day of soaking up so much of what nature has to offer, feeling the wind in my hair and breathing in the fresh sea air.  A perfect day for which to be grateful.

Nite all.

Day 30 in a Year of my Life

Photo-free day today - not by choice - just nothing of interest to photograph and it was a bright hot sunny day with bad light.

We drove to Golden Beach where we found a nice little cafe for breakfast, then we headed for Glasshouse Mountains and up to the lookout for a very disappointing view.

We took a few side streets along the way to sticky beak at some out of the way places, but nothing that piqued our interest.

On the way home, we decided to stop at the cinemas and we watched Breaking Dawn Part 2.  It was my second time and I enjoyed it just as much as the first :D

To get back to the car, we had to walk through Sunshine Plaza, so we happened to come across a little stall in the middle of the centre where I picked up some gifts for Aussie H and myself :D

We arrived home in time to watch the last half hour of the cricket on TV.  It was a nail biter of a finish, but the game ended in a draw.

Adoring Husband is now cooking dinner and I think I am going to have a very early night.

I've been up since 5am and it has well and truly caught up with me.

Today, I am grateful for Adoring Husband's ability to make a quick, healthy dinner and then serve it with a smile, when I am feeling too tired to do much of anything.

Nite all.

Day 29 in a Year of my Life

Just to clarify (for those who read yesterday's post) ... last night after midnight, I was not feeling so grateful for happy laughter.

At 1am, Adoring Husband was not feeling so grateful either - he was still awake listening to the party.

Today, other neighbours have made comment about the noise and apparently have complained in the office.

The noisy party people are still in the park and by the looks of it, are gradually gathering on the porch of their cabin ready to start again lol.

Let's see what happens tonight!

(Hours later)

All is quiet tonight.  The only noise I can hear are the frogs.  A lovely sound to fall asleep to!

I have posted a few photos to flickr today.  Some from Underwater World and one for the 'Reflection' challenge which closes on 28th November.

I still have to find a good shot for 'City Lights/Night Lights'.

Here are the links to my photos on flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8215919485/in/photostream  Seahorses

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8215908661/in/photostream/  Three Sleepy Otters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8216980804/in/photostream/  Magnificent Lobster

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8214294729/in/photostream/  Reflection

Today I am grateful for surprisingly good sleeps in our campervan beds.  The soothing soft sounds of the night that lull me into a relaxed state and the gentle breeze that acts like a hypnotic massage and sends me off into dreamland.

I am sleeping more soundly in the van than I do at home!  Ya gotta love that!

Nite all. 

Day 28 in a Year of my Life

After a very full day, we returned to the caravan park at about 4pm and there was a party well in progress at one of the cabins diagonally across the road behind us.

Much laughter and hilarity was floating across the park and settling all around us.

We left to go out for dinner at 5.30pm and returned at 7.30pm.

The party was still in progress.  Laughter and hilarity continued - one woman in particular with a very distinctive and loud laugh.

It is now 9.40pm and the party continues still.  The laughter is louder and the wind is not in our favour.  The language is now turning a lighter shade of blue.

I am curious as to how long this party continues, considering the number of signs posted at various parts of the park requesting that we all consider other patrons, by keeping the noise to a minimum and making sure social gatherings don't go too late.

However, aside from the language beginning to creep in to the conversations, tonight I am grateful for happy laughter.

The happy laughter that rings out loud indicating that everyone is having a good time.  The laughter that sounds like friendships are being cemented.  The socially happy laughter that makes you wish that you were invited to the party.

People having a good time and being together.  BE HAPPY ... that's what it's all about!

Nite all.

Day 27 in a Year of my Life

Sitting here with the last dregs of a glass of wine, watching Mama Mia on TV, after a disappointing sunset shoot on the beach with 'The Other One' and 'The Bird Whisperer' from our flickr group.

Still, we got to spend a very pleasant hour or more over coffee beforehand. where we caught up with all sorts of goings on and solved a few problems of the world.

Even though the sunset was a fizzer, it was nice on the beach in the fresh air and listening to the waves crashing and watching the dogs chasing each other and feeling the wind in my hair.

We all scattered over the beach trying to find a good spot in preparation for the sky changing colour, but alas, it never happened!

So we parted company on dark, all looking forward to catching up again in about a month for our Christmas break up.

Earlier in the day, Adoring Husband and I visited the Ginger Factory and Nutworks and the Chocolate Factory, where we stocked up on all things sugary and delicious.

Fudge, nougat and macadamia nuts for dinner tonight - dreadful, but we forgot to pick something up for dinner.

We had a cooked breakfast and then Saltnpepper Squid with salad for lunch at the Ginger Factory, so a little sweetness for dinner, instead of a cooked meal won't hurt for a day.

Here is another photos from last night's sunset shoot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8209091039/in/photostream/

Tonight, I am grateful for cool breezes on the coast.

It was quite warm today and threatened to be a muggy night, but the breeze has sprung up and is delicious and cooling as it sweeps through the open windows of the campervan.  I love the sound of the wind swishing through the palm leaves of the trees behind us.

It will be a very nice way to fall asleep tonight.

Nite all.

Day 26 in a Year of my Life

After I return from holidays, I will rethink my blogging options.

Google has decided that it will cost me $10 per month if I wish to continue posting photos.

If I'm going to pay money, then perhaps there are better options out there.

I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, we moved towns today.  Only twenty minutes away from Mapleton, which is where we stayed for the last five nights.

This is a lovely park.  Clean and spacious and we got a site right by the amenities, so that I don't have to run far to the loo in the morning!

Nice clean showers and a full sized mirror so now I can see how I look each day!  It's been most disconcerting walking out the door and not knowing whether I'm presentable or not!

This afternoon, the Nikonian picked me up and we got coffee, sat on the beach and chatted, then headed off to Moffat Beach to meet up with Mellylicious to try for a sunset.

It was a bit of a fizzer, but there was a moment when some colour came into the sky and the clouds looked a little interesting.

It didn't matter.  Great company of course and it was fabulous to catch up with the girls.

I've only posted one photo so far to flickr and MAY post one more later, but here is the link ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8207457849/in/photostream/

Trying for a reasonably early night tonight.

Today I am grateful for chocolate.  I don't have a photo of it, but it brings so much happiness to so many and as I sit here at (almost) 11pm typing out this post .. I am enjoying a row of Cadbury Hazelnut chocolate as it melts in my mouth.  Heavenly.

I would also quickly like to make special mention to Maleny Dairy again.

Adoring Husband and I tasted their full cream milk today.  People from our generation remember what milk tasted like when we were at school?  Oh the memories that came flooding back.  Absolutely delicious.

Tonight we had some of their cream on a big fruit salad of blueberries, raspberries, mango and banana.  It is just the way that cream should be - thick, creamy and almost the colour of butter.  It's enough to consider moving to the area!

Nite all.

Day 25 in a Year of my Life

Today had a cow, a nikonian and a waterfall and 6 million steps.

Adoring Husband was hanging out to visit the Maleny Dairy and do the Factory Tour **yawn** this morning.

He and about 6 other children under the age of 4 all enjoyed playing with the animals, learning about the milking machines, inspecting the processing line and then tasting the yoghurt, flavoured milk and custard.

He even stepped forward to have warm cow's milk squirted from the udder into his hand so that he could taste fresh milk.

I remember doing that as a child and turning my nose up then, so I stayed at the back of the small crowd.  No thanks :)

I did, however, taste the strawberry yoghurt, strawberry milk and the custard.  It was all very tasty.  It's not that 'strawberry' is my favourite ... but it was gluten free and the chocolate was not.

Unfortunately, they don't distribute further north than Gympie, so we won't be able to access this deliciousness after we get home.

After the dairy, we met the Nikonian at Montville for lunch.  It was a most enjoyable afternoon.  Good food, good laughs, good company.  She makes me laugh.  Crazy lady.

On the way home, it was about 3.15pm, so we decided to do the Kondililla Falls walk.

Big mistake :/

It was a long walk with lots of steps ... I mean LOTS of steps.

We got to the lookout for the falls and looked down to where the rest of the track would take us ... which was a LONG way down and decided that if we went all the way down, we might not make it back up again!

So we turned around and climbed all those gozillion steps back up the hill, with many stops along the way.  I wasn't sure if it was my heart or my lungs that wanted to explode out of my chest!!

Narrow winding tracks, some uphill and some flat and some even sloping downward.  The tracks sloping uphill just seemed very steep and never ending.

After all of that, I sent a text to the Nikonian telling her what we did.  She thought it was hilarious and told us that if we had done the complete circuit, instead of going back up the steps, it wouldn't have been such a hard slog coming back.

Ugh!!

I bet she is still laughing!

I think it would have been easier if I wasn't carrying 10 kg of camera gear in my back pack.  Not to mention a certain number of extra kg that I am carrying around my mid section.

Some Underwater World photos from yesterday ... cl

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rqqzy/8204960237/in/photostream/  (click on the link to see them in flickr.  Google won't let me add any more photos.

So today, I am grateful for having lungs and a heart strong enough to withstand such self abuse!  I'm grateful that I was able to slowly, but surely make it back to the car without collapsing lol.  I am grateful to be feeling surprisingly good tonight - as if the walk/climb was somehow cleansing.

It was a beautiful walk.

Nite all.

Day 24 of a Year in my Life

Underwater World = AWESOME!

I am truly convinced that I was a marine animal/mammal in a previous life.

I feel most alive when I am near the water.

Today, walking through the underwater tunnel was one of the more emotional experiences in my life.  I struggled to hold back tears for much of it and I just didn't want to leave.

It made me feel so safe and secure, and brought such overwhelming joy, like it's where I was meant to be.

It's so weird that I am too afraid to swim in the ocean because of my fear of sharks, yet I felt so comfortable there today.

MAYBE!!!  Whatever I was in my previous life, got eaten by a shark!!  Ha!  lolol

I took heaps of photos today, but I'm saving them for another day, when I have time to go through all 350 of them properly.  I'll have so many photos to go through when I get home - you will be inundated!

Tomorrow we are off to the Maleny Dairy in the morning and then into Maloolaba for some window shopping and lunch.

Today, I am grateful for new educational experiences.  Even after 52 years of living on this earth, there is still so much to learn, to see and to do.

Adoring Husband and I learnt a LOT today.

Nite all.

Day 23 in a Year of my Life

Today, instead of "I am grateful for ...",

I am grateful THAT ... my legs held me up for the entire five hours that we were at Aussie Zoo today in 33C heat.

I haven't been through all the photos yet, so there will be more to come over the coming weeks.

Exhaustion has set in and I my bed beckons.

Nite all.

Day 22 in a Year of my Life

Well, if you read my post yesterday, I mentioned that the storms that were forecast, seemed to have disappeared.

I was wrong!

The news on tv showed 3 huge storm cells travelling across south east Queensland.

One of them caused major damage to areas of Brisbane and the winds were quite frightening to watch.

We looked at the radar on the Bureau of Meteorology website and watched as the nasty red and orange storm cells moved closer to where we were.

We were feeling very vulnerable in our little campervan but we made everything as secure as possible and as the storm got closer, we climbed into bed and waited it out.

It was LOUD and when we turned out the lights, the lightning show through the windows of the van was spectacular!  Then the rains came and it rained and rained and rained all night long for about 12 hours - which was also loud on the canvas that covered our beds.

Thank goodness, the winds never eventuated, so we were safe in our little camper, although this morning in the light of day, we discovered that our van leaks!

Adoring Husband informs me that the leak could affect the electrics of the van if we aren't careful ... so we will be careful!

Eventually, this morning, the rain stopped, so we decided to head off to explore some of the area.

We started at Montville where we had a delicious morning tea at The Edge Restaurant and then I did some clothes shopping in one of my favourite shops.

Lemon curd and macadamia butterfly cake - YUM!

We also visited The Master at his gallery, where he showed me some of his lightning photos from the night before.  Some people are brave enough to stand out in a storm to get the spectacular shot.  I admit that I am a bit scared of lightning, so I'm not sure if I will ever get THAT shot.

Then we had lunch at Poets Restaurant.

Crispy Duck Cake

Adoring Husband said he couldn't tell the difference between a salmon patty and this.  I think it looks and it smelled pretty darned good!

I did a little more clothes shopping and then the rains came (again) and even though Adoring Husband really wanted to go to the Maleny Cheese Factory, he drove me to two lookouts to try to get photos of lightning as the storms built over the mountains.

We didn't see any lightning.  We heard LOTS of thunder.  We watched the dark clouds building and moving quickly over the mountains.

Then we went to the Cheese Factory :D

This afternoon, we have experienced more rain, more storms with lightning and thunder.  Thankfully, no wind.

Today, I am grateful to Mother Nature for providing a spectacular couple of days worth of weather, and for withholding those nasty winds from our end of town.

We live to play another day.

We will attempt Australia Zoo tomorrow!  Let's hope the weather will be kind!

Nite all.

Did Ya Miss Me???

I've had no internet access for almost a day!  Who knew I would feel so lost without it?!  I really disliked missing out on updating my blog.

Cambroon Caravan and Camping Park.

http://www.cambrooncaravanpark.com.au/

The most deceptive website that I've experienced so far.

The only thing I saw that was true to this site, is the deer, which wander around aimlessly behind a two metre high, poorly constructed, very old chain wire fence that spoils the landscape with it's ugly haphazard meandering over the entire front section of the park.

I didn't see any cows or horses or owls or snakes.  I didn't see any signs directing me to these 'supposed' highlights of the park either.

There are six power poles (from memory), each with 3 power lines strung from them, which criss cross above the park like a noughts and crosses game.

The barbecues and picnic tables are so old and decrepit that I didn't even attempt to sit at them or use them.  They looked like they might collapse with one touch.

The amenities were 'supposedly' cleaned when when we arrived, I am doubtful.  Only one working shower and toilet in the old green besser block building.  The hot water was turned on after we arrived.

The shower cubicle had timber swinging bar room style doors into it, with a wide enough gap between the doors to give a nice show if anyone cared to look.  From there you stepped through a glass screen door to the actual shower.  I don't know how well the shower worked because I didn't go beyond the glass screen.

I didn't see any cabins that looked like the one on the website.

The ones I saw in the distance looked very old and not well maintained from where I stood - almost like broken shanties.

Street noise was very bad where we were parked - even though there was not a lot of traffic, when it did come, it was loud!  Especially the motor bikes - there were about 40 motor bikes parked outside the Kenilworth Pub when we went past and Kenilworth is only about 5 minutes from Cambroon, so they were coming and going during our 14 hour stay.

It appeared that the slopes near our camp area had been sprayed for weeds because there were lots of large dead areas amid the green grassy hills.

There was a dam enclosed with the sad old chain wire fence too, but it was covered in a reddish orange scum that moved with the wind across the top of the water.

No TV reception, no radio reception, no internet, no phone.  Take a CD player if you want to listen to music.

I guess if you want to have a weekend of roughing it, full of outdoor activities and no contact with the outside world, then this might be the place to visit.

The lawns are mowed nicely - it's tidy.

The potential is there to be everything that the website promises, but it needs a lot of work.

When we arrived, at first 'rustic' glance, I said to Adoring Husband "I like it!", but the longer we were there, the bad vibes really pushed their way under my skin and I really coudn't wait to leave.

We had booked for two nights, but we lasted 14 hours - began packing to leave at 5am.

That's how I saw Cambroon Caravan and Camping Park.

Looking forward to exploring Maleny, Montville, Glasshouse Mts, Beerwah and any other little hidy hole that we can find in this area over the next couple of days.

Had a delicious breakfast at Monica's Cafe in Maleny this morning and then lunch at the Mapleton Tavern today ... beautiful views, although a bit too hazy to get the best of it today.

The weather has been threatening all day, but we've had no rain and even the storms that were forecast, seem to have disappeared.

We've had a nice quiet day listening to the radio, catching up on my blog and fb.  Gathering our energy ready to start playing 'tourist' tomorrow.

Yesterday was disappointing.

A little stop along the way.

Today, all is right with my world again and we are looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

Day 19 of a Year in my Life

It's been a huge day for me today.

A few hours with my precious little Chicklet.

Another delicious lunch at Thomas Street Eatery.

Playing at the park with Chicklet.

Meeting up with my little brother and his non girlfriend for afternoon drinks.

A couple of hours rest and then off to dinner at Fratellinis ...

http://fratellini.com.au/

... where the Bare-chested Chef and Mike, our waiter for the evening, served us a three course meal 'to die for'!!  My favourite was dessert 'semifreddo'.

We had an antipasto entree which, among other delightful bites, had THE MOST DELICIOUS prosciutto I've ever tasted!

My Quail Risotto main meal was delicious and I know that the others loved their meals, by the moans and groans of delight that were floating all around the table.

Dessert had everyone feeling simply orgasmic and my brother had double espresso coffee afterwards that he said was the best coffee that he had tasted for a long time (and he is a coffee connoisseur!).

The service was excellent.  Mike was friendly and efficient and knowledgeable, offering very good descriptions of the meals and making some excellent recommendations.

The restaurant itself had a lovely bohemian atmosphere with drapes and cushions and candles and lamps, fairylights and potted trees, mismatched and colourful dining furniture.

It was quite busy there tonight with lots of friendly happy groups eating and drinking and enjoying the evening.

Another highly recommended eating place for you to discover at the Sunshine Coast!

We dined outside - terrible photo taken in the dark with my phone - but we were having fun!

So, tonight I am grateful for good food, good wine and good company - food is almost always the basis of wonderful memories of gatherings with family and friends.

Nite all.  

Day 18 of a Year in my Life

Had a wonderful day today catching up with the family and playing in the park with little Chicklet.  She's a crazy girl!

Did some shopping at Eumundi Markets ... always fun :)

Had a most delicious lunch at 'Thomas Corner Eatery'.  I hesitate to post their web address because I don't want it to get too busy there but how can I not share something that absolutely deserves to be shared.

http://www.thomascorner.com.au/food.html

The food is wonderful.  I highly recommend the Slow Roasted Duck on the lunch menu and then if you have room for dessert ... the dark chocolate mousse.

The staff are very friendly and efficient and the atmosphere is delightful ... so good that I even forgot that we were situated on a busy corner!

So today, I am grateful for good food, good company, beautiful holiday weather and a surprisingly comfortable bed in our campervan!!

I am grateful for a fabulous day two of our holiday, even though it has left me absolutely exhausted.  I should have worked on my fitness before we came away ... too much time on the couch at home!

Nite all  

Day 17 of a Year in my Life

We are here at the Sunshine Coast, all set up in our campervan, after quite a stressful drive today.

Lots of traffic on the road.  Especially trucks!  A couple of stops at roadworks, which slowed us down a little.

Learner drivers, wide loads, speeding cement mixers, slow caravans  ugh.  I'll be glad to get off the highway on our next leg and stick to the inland roads where there is less traffic.

I got to spend a few hours with Chicklet this afternoon, while Adoring Husband went for a drive looking for a caravan park to stay in.  He then set the van up and was able to set up the awning for the first time.  It was all looking lovely by the time I arrived :D

Chicklet was just adorable today and I enjoyed every second that I spent with her.  Not a single photo was taken because I was too busy enjoying her company.  Can't wait to see her again tomorrow.

Here is our camper all set up in the caravan park.

We hope to get up for sunrise tomorrow morning to witness the lunar eclipse as the sun rises over the ocean.  We'll see how motivated we are tomorrow!

After such a stressful drive and then a few hours with Chicklet, the energiser bunny, I am in for an early night.

So far this bed seems comfortable enough!  I'll report back tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful to have arrived at our destination safe n sound and also grateful that I get to spend some time with the family before we head off on Friday.

Nite all.

Day 16 in a Year of my Life

I signed up to NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month.  http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

I signed up yesterday and have written 1500 words so far.  I don't expect to complete the task (50,000 words!!!) ... aside from me being the Queen Procrastinator, we will be travelling for the rest of this month, so I'm not sure how often I will be able to write along the way.

I'll have a good attempt though!

I haven't written mine on the site - because I didn't realise that I was supposed to!  I have mine written on my iPad, but I guess I can transfer it across later.

One more sleep and we're off on the big campervan trek!

I hope that somewhere along the way, during our trek to 'nowhere in particular', I get a vastly better photo of a natural waterfall, than this one.

Tonight I am grateful to have the kind of life that allows me to share little adventures like this one with Adoring Husband.

I am grateful to be able to create new memories that we can look back on, in years to come, and have the perfect images from our photographic journey to peruse and ponder.

Need to get some sleep in preparation for a happy travelling day tomorrow - first stop is to visit my little Chicklet!!  Yay!!

Nite all.

Day 15 of a Year in my LIfe

My river and it's beaches at high tide and low tide, at sunrise and sunset, with blue skies and clouds.

I am grateful to be living so close that I can get to my river in a matter of minutes.

I am grateful for the wonderful energy that I feel when I am near it.

I am grateful for the natural wonders that it provides with it's aquatic life and bird life.

I am grateful for the ever changing colours it can provide in just one single day.

Nite all.