Taking a break ....

Having lived much of my life in 'cyclone country' and, many years ago on a Christmas eve, experienced first hand one of the biggest cyclones to hit our east coast I understand the drill, the preparations and, the potential devastation these monsters can wreak. 

Many of us have blog friends (some mutual) on the east coast of the US and it has been a harrowing time over the past couple of days for so many people during the passing of this awful storm Sandy which has left so much damage and heartache in its path.  
All of my blog friends are safe and well and my prayers and thoughts are with those who were not so lucky and are now left to face the days ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like so many other bloggers I am taking a break from posting - possibly for several weeks. 
It is time for me to put my complete and total energies into some other matters for the time being. 

I doubt I will be able to stay away and not visit your blog though, and hopefully leave some awfully clever or cheeky comments. (I'm not that disciplined to stay away altogether!)

Take good care and I'll leave you with a couple of pretty pics.

(Two parrots I haven't shown before)

Male and female "grass parrot"

HAPPY BLOGGING

A dog's Post Script

Salons ain't salons

Whilst reorganising my photo files I came across this one from my trip to Cairns Nth Qld (in May/Jun) during my Townsville stay with my daughters.

It is the most fun, clever and unique Hairdressing Salon I've ever been into.

Do you know of a salon just as imaginative and creative which could feature on your blog?

HAPPY BLOGGING

A dog's Post Scipt

About a man ... someone I knew ... a tribute

Four days after being admitted to hospital for the last time 9 years ago, from his 22 month  battle with prostate cancer, the man was ready to die; he said he was, he said he wanted to, he said he was tired of trying to live, he said he was tired of hurting. He said he couldn't understand why his God whom he loved with all his heart and all his soul wouldn't take him home. The man's big strong heart kept pumping and refused to let him die, and there was not a switch to flip, or a tube to pull, or a knob to turn to end the man's hurting. It was whispered to the man that it was OK to let go, to not hold on any longer and it was then that he whispered to his wife, his beloved "I am ready, but there is no room for me yet". These were his last coherent words, said with calm and certainty. He continued to breathe for another 12 days. Then the man finally died in the arms of his beloved.  The man had said he was not afraid to die, he just did not want to leave his beloved.    
The man and his beloved had a story - a love story,  and it lasted twenty years.

So the man's beloved honours the anniversary of his passing by writing something each year and carefully places the writing in its special place. Some things the man's beloved will share, others she does not. The man's beloved is very fortunate and blessed as those who love her, let her be how she must be at any time, but in particular on September 16 each year.  She will go about her daily business on this day and pause, and gently close her eyes and remember - she will remember their love story; and the hard and difficult  times, and the happy and good times and then fiercely she will hold all of it tightly to her, lest the memories ever fade, ever dim, even the tiniest little bit.

I will go now and bring in all of the dogs bedding - it is wash day.

 I won't forget to empty the vacuum cleaner, or put the rugs back down or start dinner. 

I will return to the present and embrace and celebrate - life.  My new but different life.  My life.

But just for one more indulgent time I will gently close my eyes .... and remember,  all over again.

Goodnight sweetheart - goodnight.

Farewell to the tropics .... for now ...

Header Photo: Part of walking trail at Hervey's Range Tea Rooms
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight is my last night in my home town with my extended visit coming to a close .... well, for now - but that's another story.   It's the tropics and it is POURING tonight.  It is good, it is needed.
It has been such a precious time with my children; simply blending in with the routine of day to day life and immersing myself in this north Queensland tropical town (albeit in the crisp, cool months) all over again; revisiting the old, and exploring the new..... and catching up with some old friends.
I wonder what Christmas in the tropics would be like?  Mmm, now there's a thought.  Here in Oz we melt.

This time tomorrow night I will be back 'home' (full day in transit!)  Many things have occurred during my absence but most concerning for me is that the 'Team' have not faired entirely well but an update on that will ensue after I have all of the details.

I'll be back blogging in a few short days, and I'll leave you with some pics to enjoy - a tribute to these amazing people in my life - who just happen to be 'mine'.

'Home-girl' & hubs

Grandson - 'Jack', a real "star"

'Spice-girl' & hubs

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

.......... and a few shots I've taken with my new CAM, playing with some of the features when visiting the Hervey's Range Heritage Tea Rooms. 'Spice-girl' totally surprised me with a Sunday drive up to the Tea Rooms - it was a beautiful day and a wonderful outing. (click any pics to enlarge for reading or better detail)
                                                                                           (This is my personal favourite)

...... and an Aussie billabong out the back along the walking trail

and a little further I was charmed to see a real "bush Chapel" through the trees - so totally unexpected

...... a lot of old things were strewn around

 

..... and some shiny new beauties were carefully parked, but not a sign of the riders anywhere Jim B.!

(Click to enlarge if you would like to read it - and scroll down and across etc)

We did NOT choose the Kopi Luwak from the menu selection!  Has anyone out there indulged in this?

Click HERE to find out about CAT POO Coffee!

HAPPY BLOGGING and TAKE CARE

'Another' full moon in the tropics...and a bit of flesh

Header Photo: (taken from our day on the Strand, and 'Homegirl' is shocked at what she sees [below])
                          Yes, you guessed it folks - a NUDE lone bather on our family friendly beach. ;)

Oh, I digress from my post's title. 

Here's another stunning full moon rising behind 'Spicegirl's' house this evening.  

It was quite wonderful to be able to easily watch the partial lunar eclipse happening tonight but the photos I took did not show it at all. :(

PS: Just recently Blogger has (once again) changed it's format for the dreaded Word Verification.

I discovered this when visiting a few of my favourite Blogs who insist on keeping Word Verification

(which is simply NOT necessary) sorry no offence intended. Anyway it is now even more difficult,

with 8 tries at one Blog, 4 tries at another and 5 tries and 2 knock-backs at yet another!!

I am almost at the stage where I will be joining hundreds of others who now refuse to comment on

Blogs with Word Verification. I will continue to visit but am unsure if I will continue to comment,

such is the frustration of this unnecessary feature.

The ONLY WAY you can tell if you have Word Verification turned ON is if you SIGN OUT of

your own Blog and visit your own Blog as a visitor and have a try at COMMENTING!! If you

find your first try 'easy', you were just plain lucky!

(Get rid of your Word Verification and if you feel its necessary, select the "wont show until after Blog owner approval" instead.)   :)

HAPPY BLOGGING!

Day 32 ...... weekend trip north to Cairns

Header photo:  taken by Rose from lookout near top of Atherton Tablelands


We left Townsville 6.45am Saturday and arrived in Cairns at noon.  The trip up was picturesque, green, lush and oh-so-tropical, but with a twist - it was bordering on chilly which is unusual for the far north tropics. It showered on and off which was kind of nice as well.  I took hundreds of photos but more than half are either fuzzy due to travel blur or, blurry due to 'shake'. And many of the perfect shots are totally uninteresting!  Hence, why I am not and never will be the world famous photographer I see in my dream-state.

Travelling north to Cairns we kept to the coastal highway, with the return trip on Monday being via the glorious Atherton Tablelands.

The further north we traveled the more sugarcane farms and banana plantations we passed.

We got that 'room with a view' but no sunshine!

Coming home via the Atherton Tablelands - beautiful farms abound up here.

and the jungle meets the road in many sections....

..... beautiful rainforest trees at every turn

Catch one of these in the many lakes Jim!

With many towns on the t'lands averaging an elevation between 600-920 metres I could easily live up here!

One would need a week up here to fully explore all of the t'lands natural wonders - pristine creeks, rivers, waterfalls and deep volcanic lakes. And not to mention the quaint little villages.

HAPPY BLOGGING

I am now looking forward to paying everyone a visit and catching up on your posts!

Day 21.... architecture.... and some oddities...

I have a busy weekend ahead and it starts tonight with a sleep-over at my best friend's house. And on Sunday there's a pool party here at 'Spice-girl's' to celebrate her hubs birthday. So I may not get the chance to visit your Blog until Monday. But I will, and look forward to it as there are sure to be lots of new posts up out there.
I'll leave you with some Townsville architecture and other bits and pieces. Enjoy!

The old (above) and the newer (below) - inner city

The old above and the newer aquarium - inner city

Two lovely old pubs on the Strand - above is the Queens Hotel and below is the "Cri"

Some beautifully designed homes on the lower reaches of Castle Hill overlooking Cleveland Bay

I'm awfully sorry to interrupt this post, but I no longer feel comfortable in calling this local 'strange', 'weird' or 'odd'.  The dedication to the 'sport'/'past-time'?? is striking to say the least,  and my admiration swells - she's been at "it" for 3 days straight now. . . . . . .

On a far, far more worrying note is how these locals dress to go out for afternoon tea.  I can only but fervently pray that neither of these peculiarities are in any way catching or heaven forbid that as time passes they become appealing to the visitor...er, you know, like to 'give it a go'.............

And I'll leave you with the lovely old Customs Building on the Strand.

Happy Blogging!