Such a cheesy week…..


One that started with a trip to deliver the finally finished sampler to the new home owners along with a lot of unused household paraphernalia being given a new lease of life in a new household with much younger owners who will use it.

There was much more than these few items, I went through many cupboards/drawers thinking “do I need several xxxx , do I need three sets of xxxx, is there a need for all those sets of glasses – all those xxxxx,…..you get the idea. Then photos flew across…wherever they fly….and it was ‘Yes please’ or ‘No thank you’ time
So big smiles from me seeing empty spaces and big smiles from them receiving gifts of things with lots of life left in them

Spring seems to have finally got the message so having some bright sunny (not too cool) mornings early last week meant I could breakfast outside (a very simple one this particular day). A quiet time that sets me up for the day- no tv or radio – just me, myself and I plus a book or maybe some birdsong if I’m lucky…..one that definitely brings a smile to my face.

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Now you’re probably wondering why I’m smiling over a spindly looking Australian native red bottle brush (Callistemon) – something which seemingly is ‘ long lived, requires minimal maintenance and almost impossible to kill’ source

A few years ago the council planted several around the car park of the ‘local’ shops. This is the only one to survive. They didn’t die from ‘natural causes’ ….no some young hooligans vandals horrible little so and sos thought it funny one night to try and destroy them. Pulling them up or breaking the stems on the ones they couldn’t get out. As I said this is the only one to survive – and doesn’t it look grand with those crimson coloured ‘bottlebrush’ shaped flowers.

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Another trip (half hour from home) out into the Valley on a cloudy day, noticing the amount of growth the vines are putting out, seeing the area waking up and coming alive again, had us smiling at the thought of happy winegrowers rubbing their hands in glee.
St Hubert’s ( or Hubert’s Estate as they like to be called now) are looking for hospitality staff, there’s a confident feeling about a good season ahead.


But……there’s also a few months between now and the middle of February when picking starts and you never know what the ‘weather gods’ have in store for anyone farming there….so…you just never know how things will pan out. There could or there could not be big smiles at the end of it.

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You know, even though they are put there to ‘advertise’ how to get help in a ‘sad situation’ – the sight of another Australian native, this time a marsupial, a wombat, often seems to always bring a smile to people’s faces.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wombat

Sadly they are often involved in the ‘sad situations’….being nocturnal, slow moving with dark fur they often end up injured or even as road kill. Seemingly a group of them is called a wisdom – you often wonder why they don’t use some of it and stay off the road

Tuesday just gone – October 22nd was International Wombat Day
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/wombat-day/

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Most of my time and smiles this week have been directed towards ‘our big girl’ who flew in from the west for a few days. She enjoyed time with family and old friends as well as reacquainting herself with local suburbs – it’s quite flat (easy walking terrain) where she lives on the coast north of Perth so she was full of smiles at having the chance of a daily walk in a different environment…… round our tree lined undulating ‘hilly’ streets……until her leg muscles reminded her they’d been working in a different manner.

She’s away back home now and I really must get back to visiting blogs and commenting again. I’ve been very lax and it hasn’t been high on my list of things to do recently……(bad blogger) …..that’s about to change

And how about your week……have things gone the way you wanted…….
have you had much to smile about

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🧶 Smiles at journey’s end….

(Photos will enlarge with a tap/click or using two finger spread).
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I’m not sure what makes me smile more……

Coming across fields of cane stretching along the road at Proserpine and knowing there’s less than an hour to go….

June 2024

Or catching our first glimpse of The Dandenongs in the valley at Yarra Glen and knowing we’ll be home in much less than an hour…..

September 2024

Yes, we’re home, home to changes….and being grown up enough having to accept them. Wishing it was the end of a journey and I could smile about it.

Another CT scan after getting home (thank you sympathetic GP ….and Medicare) showed all my aches and pains in Bowen weren’t totally due to ‘the bed’. This report noted far more changes than the most recent one – moving to severe in more levels than before plus pinched nerves (remember the numb foot).
Spinal Stenosis is a pain….. one I certainly didn’t sign up for – diagnosed well over 10yrs ago so you’d think I’d have accepted it by now!

I’ve become increasingly unsteady on my feet lately which had me thinking about my responsibility to those I volunteer for.
Assisting them to and from the hair salon plus on and off the mini bus as well as out and about on outings days, making sure they don’t come into harms way so (sadly) I decided to discuss other less active roles I could take on.
Wednesday sees the start of a new one ….overseeing a quiz activity……possibly including a stylised form of Bingo……..there are some very knowledgeable residents in this particular ‘household’ (same concept but with a different organisation) so I’m hoping they all know the answers 😊.
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And on to something else. . . . .well a couple of things……
things that definitely haven’t finished their journey

At last, the Guernsey has a finished front, back & two sleeves – now to rustle up the energy to pick up the neck stitches and work those rows…..remembering I used 2×2 not single rib for the waist and sleeve bands – a mistake made on a previous knit🙁.
Nothing worse than seeing that after everything’s been made up – there’d definitely be no smile then

As for the book I’m trying to finish – even the author said it wasn’t her best work.
…….in her online diary, she told her younger self “Focus on what you’re good at. A BIRD IN THE HAND is a flawed first novel, ….source.
the problem (for me) is the amount of words she uses plus the amount of characters that keep on appearing so I’m thinking of flicking through from p1 and noting names and relationships as a reminder of who’s who – case of the ol’ grey cells are slowing down in many ways.

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The weather has been decidedly Melbourne since we got home – not sure where Spring has got to – we’re past the equinox now (temps and daylight will be going up🙂) and even though spring flowers have appeared Winter is still hanging around… much rain, many cool days and cold nights with the odd sunny day here and there

Definitely C&A time still! …….My mothers play on ‘coats and ‘ats’ –
(C&A were a High Street clothing chain back in the day)

However there were many smiles when I saw that once again my two little clumps of Bluebells had made it to the end of their yearly journey 😊

Past their best but pleased I got to see them. Sept. 2024

Hows your life been recently- would you like to share some of your smiles?

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I’ll be sharing this post on Kat’s Wednesday feature – Unraveled Wednesday……where the talk is all about craft, books and life in general. There might be more ‘life in general’ than books and craft in this post but you can find out what others are up to HERE

Linking also to Min’s weekly feature – Wednesday Words and Whimsy – there’s an interesting world of wonder and joy out there, you’ll find the link HERE at the end of all Min’s posts

Just up the road a bit….

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guthalungra,_Queensland

Guthalungra (about half an hour north of Bowen) has a population of about 112 – is predominantly an agricultural area, mostly grazing with some crop production. source
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You won’t see cane or mangoes along the roadside but you will see cattle
Not in the numbers like in the Rockhampton area
– aka Australia’s Beef Capital
just enough to notice they’re there.
Usually ‘humped Brahman in origin used to tropical conditions and very different in look to what is bred down home in Victoria

Difficult to photograph at high speed – usually 100kmh on the open road.
So I laugh when I see some of the shots I’ve captured
(I’m the passenger btw not the driver)

Like……A man on a Mission.
Moving determinedly across the paddock at a rate of knots

Meanwhile just down the road they were playing Follow The Leader

And Lunch is always being Served for this mob – so it’s ’eyes down looking’

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There are too many words here to make this a Wordless Wednesday post.
even though not a word was spoken between them and me

What’s it like just up the road from you?

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Things that made me smile

It was smiles all the way up the highway
Home to the Vic border, up to the Qld border, across to Rocky
and then on up to Bowen
Good weather (very unusual) – no rain, no fog, no frosty mornings
Light traffic – unusual for the Newell, the Leichhardt and the Bruce
Few trucks, less Wobblys (caravans) hardly any local town traffic.
Open roads! Unheard of in the Dubbo area
Look, an overtaking lane and nobody to overtake’….made me smile to hear The Golfer say that. He dislikes being in a ‘convoy’

Strangely for me I took no photos until we came to the Queensland border

A welcome sight – even through a dirty windscreen

After a quiet week settling in – hello library beach and supermarket
(no blog reading or commenting yet though)
nothing was planned for Saturday
a cool dry sunnyish but very windy morning arrived so washing is up to date

Lunch time a surprise visitor arrived in the form of Mr Whippy
nothing funnier than ‘retired’ adults clutching their money – waiting in line
for a childhood pleasure

Followed by a surprise visit of dark clouds rolling in and the retired oldies
retiring inside their vans and cabins
because – the heavens opened and the rain came down

Then a short time later blue skies reappeared
But unlike Incy Wincy Spider nobody came out again 🙁

Because…….
there was AFLfooty and rugby and cycling and car racing and horse racing
sport galore and maybe more on the telly!

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Incy wincy spider climbed up the waterspout
Down came the rain and washed poor incy out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
So incy wincy spider climbed up the spout again

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsy_Bitsy_Spider

It doesn’t take much to make me smile- how about you??

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Another week of smiles

After the calm of last week ~ it was fun to see the ‘not so calm’ earlier this week

An early morning ‘not a soul in sight’ always makes me smile.
Thats the beautiful Rose Bay Resort in the background

https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/see-do/attractions/bowen-beaches
Foraging for a selection from the sea turned up these small (almost miniature sized) pieces right beside my chair. I left them behind so they could make someone else smile

Our weekly treat of lunch out was at the historic Grand View Hotel in Bowen
https://www.grandviewhotelbowen.com.au/about-us/

Getting there early bagged us a spot outside, pleasantly warm but windy.
It’s not called ‘ Blowin’ Bowen’ for nothing 😊
(Shutters to block the wind not the sun – look through for a glimpse of Front Beach)

The place was renovated a few years ago – all a’la’ posh now, lots of white along with ‘colour’, hardly a speck of timber to be seen, supposedly ‘good food’ ….with high prices, (caesar salad in a wrap?)
Professional Photo Link 👇

Grand View Hotel | Bowen, Queensland

unfortunately to me (and yes call me old fashioned) being nothing like it was when we first ate/drank there – just after it was used as a set in the film Australia – it seems to have lost a lot of its country town flavour.
The covered quirky outdoor ‘wet season’ smokers spot does make me smile though. 

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And I’m just popping this in because it could be a bit of fun

Just as we were leaving I spotted this. If I was an artist I might be interested.
Art classes with drinkies supplied
Angela ~ this would put a smile on your face 😊

I really have been living my life under a rock
This seemingly is world wide big business

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_and_sip_industry

I searched ‘paint and sip Australia’ and discovered they’re all over the place!

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EC hosts Sunday Selections – a meme that’s been going for a few years now. 
It’s a place to share thoughts and photos…..old and new. 
Do pop over and see what she is showing today.

Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

Boys and Dogs and the Ocean….

Most of my recent morning visits to Rose Bay have been
just before or just after low tide.
A time for youngsters (and dogs) to have fun without being knocked off their feet

13/8/22 – 9.15am

A time to marvel at a band of sea fog floating across the horizon

15/8/22 – 9.15am

A time to feel the joy – watch out, here I come!

20/8/22 – 9 am

And a time to….well, to smile and enjoy their fun

20/8/22 – 10am

Pop over to EC’s and see what beautiful photos she has to share today. 
Sunday Selections – a place to share thoughts and photos…..old and new

Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/see-do/attractions/bowen-beaches

Things that made me smile….

Today I’m joining in with Elephants Child and others at Sunday Selections. 
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I smile each time I see these roadside tourist billboards thinking how lucky I am to be wintering in a fabulous part of our country.
Bowen is at the northern end of The Whitsundays

Big smiles all round (or rather, down the Highway) when I saw that just like last year, the ‘little yellow girls & boys’ were still working hard protecting road workers by indicating where overhead power lines were.

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From a distance I thought this was a real house gecko on the painted shed doors out the back of a Proserpine cafe – a laugh and a smile when I realised it was a decorative door handle

This is a real one!
A smile when I saw it clinging on for dear life to a dusty window frame in another shop….followed by a frown.
They are supposedly nocturnal so why was it out and about?


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Murals are a ‘big thing’ in Bowen and this is one I hadn’t seen before. Another of those drive down an unfamiliar streets and get a surprise moments!
Painted by James Ellis – the same young Brisbane street artist I mentioned last year.

Eye catching isn’t it.
Well placed and visible from a distance.
Playful dolphins make me smile any time I see them

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And finally a little scene from Rose Bay one morning last week
Low tide, the seas were like a millpond – just right for kayak lessons on the shoreline
I’m not sure who was going to have the most fun.
Dad or the two littlies brandishing their paddles

Do pop over to EC’s and see what beautiful photos she has to share today. 
Sunday Selections– a place to share photos…..old and new

Things that made me smile

I’m joining in with Elephants Child and others again today at Sunday Selections. 
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Watching the antics of these two seagulls. To me the one of the right appeared to be a male, strutting and parading in front of what seemed like a very impressionable (or maybe unimpressed) female 😊


‘Come on’ he said ’I’ll take you out to dinner and we’ll watch the sunset afterwards’ Don’t you love a man who’s true to his word

Seeing the psychedelically (is that a word?) painted wall at the fish and chip shop. Soft and warm and comforting in the evening sunshine

Smiling yes, but turning these words written on the wall over in my mind. Does fast food (yes the ‘happy meal’ sort) really make children (or even adults) think that way

Turning a miniature piece of washed up coral in my fingers imagining human feelings of tenderness in the shapes I could see

Smiling as I read this warning sign at a beach in Mackay and wondering…….when you see the words marine stingers – strong currents – crocodiles listed as hazards……why would anyone want to swim there?? Your guess is as good as mine😊

Savouring the thought of Coffee and Cake always puts a smile on my face……this time it was further up the beach at the Seabreeze Hotel.

Do pop over to EC’s and see what beautiful photos she has to share today. 
Sunday Selections– a place to share photos…..old and new

Photos will enlarge – just tap/click or use the 2finger slide

Things that made me smile

This past week or so have been rather difficult for me
As I mentioned before I’ve taken to walking fairly close to home
mainly to ‘help lighten’ my mood and exercise my legs
but also to see whats going on now the spring like weather as arrived
Not too far away is a special park I go to
Regular readers will have seen photos before of the views and pathways
(See my header above)
Fancy a look at what I saw the other day??
Because its school holidays there were loads of children and adults 
enjoying the sunny day but it was other locals that took my fancy to begin with
 
Ducks swimming quietly making soothing ripple patterns on the water

This long gangly looking water bird is one I’ve not seen before
I could see it popping its head up and peering around,
then bobbing back down again
I’m sure if anyone saw me creeping up to try and capture a photo through the trees they would have thought I was loopy lol

A white face Heron I think
Then there was this ‘all seeing all knowing’ what I thought to just be what we call a Cocky (Cockatoo) high up in a gum tree. 
Turns out it was a Long Billed Corella


I could see this little huddle of girls in the distance
(far enough away for them not to be identified)
Looking at the one with her hands  on her hips
I really wondered what they were talking about.
Whatever it was she certainly seemed to want ‘her’ way lol


 
 
Coming out to cross the road and make my way home
I felt we are really lucky to have the benefit of this reserve close to so many homes
It took a while to take shape – there were drainage problems to start off with – but that all seems to have been taken care of.  The grassy areas that died off during the drought have greened up and the whole place has a nice inviting look about it
Then coming back up the road I saw something I hadn’t see for quite a while
A couple taking their babe for a walk in what looked like a ‘proper’ pram and not a stroller/pusher three wheeled contraption
It made me smile to see the father’s ‘in charge’ attitude
very different from when my babes were in prams
 
 
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