Last photos of Queensland and general rambling and updates

I could possibly bore everyone for a few nights with photographs, but I thought I don't have that right (insert Aussie humour here). So this is the last I shall put up. Captions explain where we are or what it is. Spring is just around the very large corner, we are still in the thick of cold fronts, low temperatures, storms, wind, rain here in Melbourne. Anyone contemplating coming over here please be aware of our 'nice climate' which usually runs from mid September, heating up in December through to some times March. So there is a wide scope of months to choose your visit to the Land Down Under, though in Melbourne we have had severe storms icy winds and hail at Christmas time (but that's rare thankfully).

Which reminds me if anyone has any questions about where I live or anything they would like to know about Melbourne - please do ask, I will be your virtual Travel operator.

Ah yes the holiday has finished and I have my work cut out for me doing the assignments (I want to thank everyone who read and commented and liked that post). Your words have given me that extra boost and encouragement that I needed to continue.

Oh whilst I am here, thought I'd give an update on my Penguins (mum and dad) as I haven't for a while. Mum bless her, is getting crankier by the day. They have a huge lemon tree in their backyard that is full of lemons. Now mum uses lemons umm probably 1-2 a week. Their elderly neighbour who does so much for them now that dad isn't driving came round this morning and took a bag of them (he did ask). By the time I arrived mum was quite indignant that he took some of lemons and had to trot (well waddle) outside to see how many were left on the tree.
What can I say.. it seems the smallest of things now irritate her, especially that she is so confined to the house. I can't blame her I would go stir crazy myself.

Pop stopped taking his medication the last month for his shaky hands (because the script ran out)but I have noticed as has neighbour friend that he seems to be walking better. He can lift his legs and doesn't seem to 'totter' as much. Turning around is still difficult for him however, but he made comment today that they don't feel as heavy. Were the tablets that helped his hands, causing his legs to become weak? That's my theory, so I have told him to not take them for a while.

I have ranted on again and I am tired, amazing how tired one does get when one doesn't do anything all day. No that's a lie I made my Penguins a hot lunch and some home cooked vegetable soup for their dinner, so the day wasn't completed wasted.

Thank you again for all your support guys, it really means a great deal to me.

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View from our balcony on the pool in Cairns

Mr. S and I on the train to Karunda. Do we like the guy in the green shirt yawning? Manners anyone?

Cruising on the Daintree River.

At Mossman Gorge

Just another lazy beach

Dinner at the Raw Prawn (prawns, barramundi fish, octopus and mud crabs) oh and salad.

Another sunrise in Cairns

Writing whilst listening to a song from the Moby CD

stones kicked, dusty jeans
worn out boots, jus’ walkin’
watchin’ the sky, the sunset

simple things, beauty in the
illuminated skies
daylight and nightfall

watchin’ the clouds roll over
the sun giving one last
burst before the rain

hands in pockets daydreaming
smelling the rain ’bout to fall
all by myself

thinkin’ would diamonds
give me wealth or the simple
things like a walk deep in thought

breath in the sights
kick the stones don’t
need diamonds

for beauty is up high
and below and all around
kick the stones with dusty boots

heaven all by myself

Gathered thoughts

Outside daylight grants inspiration
inside darkness a different source

daylight

grass not tethered to its roots
nor my words bound to paper
a life of their own scattered

darkness

thoughts are strong
adhere to paper
words cement to the page

 

transfer my daylight words into the night
or will they forever remain

liberated

Tornadoes

The wind started roaring there was a storm about to strike
people scurried back and forth barricading all their windows
with everything in sight, locking doors and moving chairs
and tables round the house, hoping the storm that was to be
would surely quickly pass, the trees they started blowing
bending to the left and to the right, the branches
cracked the leaves were torn and scurried down the
street, the warnings were set high for the tornado
that would come, the deadly winds, the rain to
fall, the death they’d surely face, they
gathered treasured memories and hid
them where they could, they sheltered
pets to keep them safe, against
the fast and furious winds
sandbags then were
placed on ground
to cease
any water
from getting
inside, they listened
and they waited fearing
for the worst, scared and
frightened children, parents
huddling them and sheltering
them from harm, for life can end so
quickly and mother nature shows no mercy
and what is sacred must be saved, gathering
those that you dearly love denying them of a
an early grave, the forces of the winds pick up
the doors battered against their frames, the cars picked
up and thrown in air, nothing would be saved, the windows
blasted open, glass filled the frightening room, the children
started screaming, would they all now be doomed, the trees that
once stood proudly in the front yard severed down, the bins and
other rubbish scattered all around, then almost as it had begun the
wind failed to make a noise, it had passed, it was no more and they
had all been saved, a miracle, a sign from above, no matter what the
reason, they had their lives, their house still stood tis was the
hurricane season

We don’t have them over here but this is what I envisaged them being like.

81 more sleeps …..21 easy steps….

Yes that’s right my friends. 81 more sleeps till the jolly slightly ’rounded’ man in his red suit awkwardly alights onto the suspension robe hanging from the slay to jump onto our roof, stealthily making his way across the tiles or tin & jumps feet first down our chimneys (for those that have a chimney that is).

For those of us who don’t, well sshhh we have to pretend.

It’s Christmas at my place this year, the family takes turns (well individuals do within said family) which got me thinking….

How does everyone’s Christmas Day pan out…how does it start? How does it end?

I already have beads of perspiration on my forehead just thinking about it. This is how mine goes.

 

Whoever has the blessed event at their home does the “Mains”, then one is usually in charge of sweets and the entree . The veg is distributed to whoever puts their hands up.

1. Lists that have been written a month or so prior are finally disposed of.

2. Either time has been taken off work to shop (usually 2-3 days before the big ’25’) with the hoards of other totally maniacal Christmassy folk in the Supermarkets, grocers, butchers trying to get their hands on whatever is on said lists (yours truly included) or I leave EVERYTHING to the last minute and panic ensues.

3.  Everything purchased (don’t be silly of course you need double or triple the amount you actually end up eating!) and as for the alcohol list (being the most important) half the bottle shop is purchased. Then it’s onto the table setting – do I buy nice linen serviettes this year? Or stick to the bright coloured paper jobs (yep they’re cheaper and only used for wiping grubby mouths on anyway). There are the obligatory bon-bons, again the cheap version where you are lucky if they actually to pop when pulled apart and you may get a nice poem or something not too nasty inside (or the cheaper ones where you get the ridiculous paper party hat, plastic toy and jokes (yep you guessed it the party hats win).

4. Do I have enough wine glasses, champagne glasses, beer glasses? Do I have the full set of white crockery (heaven knows you can’t serve Christmas lunch on a patterned plate!) Did any of these break during the year and forgot to replace?

(More beads of perspiration)

Twas the night before Christmas…

5. The table is set, table cloth pristine & ironed, serviettes, glasses, Clean SS cutlery (without left over dried food) bon-bons, candle Christmas centre pieces. Stand back admire, move fork to the right a bit, towel dry the water marks of any glasses. Nods head…smiles.

The big day…..

6. Ah yes up at the crack of dawn, nerves already kicking in, hoping that I time the cooking of turkey, chicken, pork correctly. Usually turkey done in the BBQ (turns out a treat it does by the way).

Is it too early for a drink?? … 6.30 am yep possibly.

7. Prepare the rum egg nog (they did so like it last time) though note to self careful about how much I consume before meal is actually served.(Of course I have to do the taste test – something to calm the nerves).

Pacing….I do a lot of that I pace, I re-check, I pace.

8. Ok so all should be good, veg is being brought, salad too and sweets. All I have to do is put the meats on and dish up the nibblies.

Sounds easy??  Pace ..pace another try of the egg nog (just to make sure).

9. Ok nibblies now out – checks the time I do that a lot also checking the time and pacing.

10. Meats in, chicken in the oven, turkey in the BBQ (you did remember to fill the gas cylinder honey??)

11. Ham glazed wrapped & in the fridge.

 

The moment arrives….

12. Hi Hi, yes yes Merry Christmas my other half greets at the door. My family knows I’m a stress head, so I hear them cautiously walk into the kitchen. Hi Hi Merry Christmas, yes yes kiss on cheeks, hugs, yep same to you (how’s the turkey going?)

13. Egg Nog anyone? (Don’t mind if I do)

14. Right good the gangs all here (the day has begun). Champagne and strawberry time (yee-ha I say). “Please go sit in the lounge get comfy” (in other words PLEASE get the hell out of my kitchen why I have my panic attacks).

15. Pace – go out to BBQ, lift lid, cooking nicely. Inside check oven yep yep chicken doing well. Take ham out to get room temperature (champagne gulped). 5 minutes? I have that..into lounge so how is everyone etc, my look at all the pressies under the tree (our tradition is to open after mains). Then there’s the weather talk in Australia we can have 40 deg C or we can have rain and hail..(be prepared for either).

16. Right entree time (can relax for another 5). Yum yum, fresh salmon or trout or antipasto platter or prawns whatever head Entree Chef prepared.

Back to kitchen pace pace timing it’s all in the timing.

17. “Won’t be long I yell” (another champagne gulp). Meat retrieved from BBQ, looking crispy and golden and delicious. Chicken from oven also looking yum. Veg have been re-heated or crisped, gravy made. Other half checks in on me and does a U turn seeing my expression.

18. Sit down (wait for the compliments of how beautiful everything looks) ..what come on..someone has to say it??

Ah there we are, thank you- thank you it was nothing (bloody hell it wasn’t nothing do you know what time I’ve been up?)

19. Onto the presents – the giving out by the selected party, the unwrapping, the oooh and the aahhs and the you shouldn’t have (no REALLY you shouldn’t have).

20. Then a small break (more alcohol consumed) before the sweets. Usually consisting of a huge bowl of fresh berries in season or pavlova or christmas pudding or all 3 (do not think of your waist line Jen.. not today).

21. The day comes a close. Our bellies sated our chatter drawn to a close. Another Christmas passed.

IF we are lucky there will be no family tiffs or tempers or words raised (usually due to the nog and other drinks). We shall talk about whose turn is it next year, what the weather will bring and slowly one by one (after I’ve had helped cleaning and washing up that is) each family member will bid their goodbyes.

aaah yes Christmas in our household …it’s a day full of prior panic..it’s a day of nerves, time checking and pacing, a day full of hoping all goes well, a day when all said and done passes with smiles and laughter and maybe some tears…

How’s yours???

PS: Sorry for the length of this post – I swear I was stone cold sober when writing it 🙂

Is there such a thing as too many blogs?

For it seems I cannot help myself and probably should slooooow down, but there is so much rattling around this brain of mine it’s hard to do that.

For instance I just stood outside, yes we now have Spring in Australia (though today you would have hardly thought it). The blossom trees are flowering, the fressias have emerged from the cold dark soil with their brilliant colours. The lemon tree is prolific with fruit and of course the birds now start tweeting and making themselves known at 5am (bless them…)

So why when all this beautiful nature is surrounding me that the day is cold and it even hailed this afternoon? However I do live in Melbourne (acclaimed for having 4 seasons in one day) and now even when it still is very fresh outside the sun decides to appear. I just don’t understand. I wish to have the weather of Thailand, tropical, humid and even when it does rain you can splash amongst the puddles or lift your face to the sky to be rained upon.

When Spring does commence in earnest, I shall be happy for the warmer days and shan’t complain. When our summer hits with its temperatures of up to 44 degrees (that’s Celcius not Farenheit which I think is around 107) then I shall probably complain that it’s too hot!

Ahh yes an age thing of always commenting on the weather…. well there you have it.

Perhaps I should have titled this Seasons.