Jazz time again......

Just two days at work for me this week and then it was time to prepare for my big weekend with Mum and Astrid at the Jazz Festival.  I spent Thursday doing mundane chores like housework and washing and then packed my bags ready for Friday.

Mum arrived around 10 and then I drove on from here for the first time.  I really enjoyed the trip and with one break for coffee and another for lunch at Beaufort it broke the long drive up and it really didn't seem like we'd travelled the distance we had.  We met Astrid at our first stop and travelled together from there on. 

Once settled in to our rooms we walked across to the Marquee and joined Lorraine and Len in the front row for a fabulous night of music.  It was good to see old friends again and as this is my sixth festival with Mum I don't feel quite the newcomer I did at the beginning.

Saturday was an extremely hot day and around the state firefighters were facing the worst day since Black Saturday in 2009. We remained safe in Halls Gap but how the bands kept playing in the 45 deg heat (much hotter in the marquees) is beyond me, but play they did and we all enjoyed the music.   

At 5 pm the whole town lost power and all the smaller venues closed down.  The bands in the main tent kept playing without amplifiers until 8 pm when the festival director said it was not safe for them to continue to do so any more.  Poor visibility on the stage and the old folks had to be able to see to get home.  So with the program closed 3 hours early, no power and as a result, no food for sale in the cafés and shops we walked back home and put together some cheese, crackers and salad for dinner. With the temp still in the high 30's and no air conditioning we joined John and Shirley outside in the gardens and had a great night hearing stories about previous festivals.  Not the night we had planned but we all had a great time anyway.  We all retired at 10 pm when the power did not return at the estimated time but Mum said it came back at 12.  The air con came back on and the lights we had left on did too.  Oops!

The temp had dropped on Sunday and it looked like a lovely day but once outside we found that the wind had picked up and it blew all day.  Sunday is our picnic day at the festival and we spend the day outside the marquee.  We still did this but the gusts of wind continually blowing made the day very interesting.  The music was great though and the bands certainly were enjoying the cooler weather.  We finished the night as usual with our bar-b-que in the shelter shed and another great night was had by all.

On Monday we said goodbye to Astrid after coffee on the boardwalk and then we had a wander through the shops before lunch.  A little rest in the afternoon and then off to the Halls Gap Hotel for dinner with friends and more music from John and some of the boys who were still in town.  Another great night to end a very different Jazz Festival.

We were up early the next morning and packed.  We had coffee on the boardwalk with Shirley and John and then back in the car for the drive home.  As the roadworks at Beaufort were still in full swing we decided on a different route home and drove out through Dunkeld, Lake Bolac and down the Glenelg Hwy to Skipton where we stopped for lunch at our favorite little Art Gallery/Cafe.  From Lake Bolac on the entire landscape was very smoky and continued all the way back to town.  This was from the fires still burning many Kms away in Wallan and Kilsyth.   It had been an awful weekend for the firefighters with the heat and then the wind and it took them over a week to get some of the fires under control.  In fact one fire in the Hazelwood Coal Mine near Morwell burnt for a month.

Once home I said goodbye to Mum who got back in the drivers seat and settled in at home for an hour or two before Bill came home.  The air conditioning was all fixed and to be able to flick the switch again was wonderful.  There was still some tidying up to do but at least we were cool again.

I returned to work the next day for another short week knowing that we were off again on Saturday to spend the weekend with Cheryl and Shane in St Leonards.  More on that later.

So until next time.......

Frolicking Frogs in Lakes Entrance.....

Just three days back at work and it was time to be off again.  This time we were going to Lakes Entrance for the annual migration of the Victorian Frogs.  Yes it was reunion time again and we were looking forward to some great company, great food and great fun.

Leaving the camper home this time we drove down on Friday stopping for morning tea at our favorite little cafe in Darnum and then again for lunch at Bairnsdale.  We arrived at our motel about 3pm and found our neighbors Graeme and Sue had beaten us by half an hour.  They had driven down from Echuca and still got there first!

Over the next hour or so the others arrived and all seemed to gravitate to the car park in front of our units.  Very soon we all had a drink in our hand and had a great time catching up.  A couple of hours later we all moved on to the Sportsman Club where we continued to chat, laugh and drink.  Oh and we had dinner there too!  

Most of us met for breakfast the next morning and found a great little cafe along the Main Street.  The eggs, pancakes and French Toast were all popular choices and the coffee was great so everyone was happy.  After breakfast we all went our separate ways for a short while and reconvened on the wharf at midday.

Lunch and a cruise on the Lake was next and we boarded the boat for the trip to Metung where we were delivered straight to the pub.  On the way there we had four beautiful dolphins swimming along in our wake and it seemed like they were never going to leave us.  Finally when the skipper really sped up we left them behind.  It was a real treat to see them all for such a long time.

A two course lunch was included in the ticket price and we certainly enjoyed that and a drink or two.  Back on the boat at 2.00pm we then cruised the Lakes as far down as Paynesville and loved seeing the new canal development there.  I think that some of the boats moored along here probably cost more than our house.  

Back at the motel some tried the pool and we went for a walk along the fisherman's harbour before coming back for a quiet moment or two.   There was even a boat here with Willie's name on it!

Before we could blink it was time to get ready for dinner and once again we all met out the front and walked over to the Fisherman's Cafe where we had the best night with lots of food, fun and laughter! I think Bills seafood platter for one could of fed a few of us but he managed it all on his own.  There might have been the odd drink or two consumed as well though we weren't counting.

For the people who had been in Echuca a bit of a surprise was about to be sprung with Ketut (Shane) swearing his undying love to Rhonda (Rhos) and sealing it with 'some great foot bling'.  I'm not sure who got the biggest shock - the staff or me!  But just like the ad we hope that they now fade away into the sunset and Cheryl and Bill can rest assured we still love them to bits.

It was a weary group that met for breakfast again on Sunday morning and coffee was certainly needed to kick start the day after our big night out.  Soon after we said goodbye to most of the group as they made there way home after a great weekend. Sue and Graeme back to Echuca, Anita and Greg to Canberra, Katie and Andy to Sunbury, Adele and Mel to Melbourne and Trevor to Macedon.  Another great weekend with the 'Frogs' and of course we are looking forward to next time already!

Cheryl, Shane, Bill and I were staying another night and so was Peter (Smacka) and Sharon. After saying goodbye to everyone we all wandered down to the Esplanade where the market was in full swing.  Not a bad little market and we came away with some honey and some books. 

Peter and Sharon left us then and we jumped in the car and drove down to Lake Tyers Beach where we had a yummy salad for lunch at the Waterwheel tavern.  I loved the sign at the General Store too!  Spiders anyone!

The pub overlooks the estuary and the beautiful 90 mile beach.  From there we drove to Nowa Nowa to see the sculptures which were well hidden but we did find these lovely carved seats beside the river instead. 

Next stop was to the old trestle bridge, sadly now falling in disrepair but still a tourist attraction at the moment.  Hopefully something can be done to save this wonderful piece of history.

Just about home we took a detour following a sign to Wyanga Winery.  The old wine press at the front gave us no hint of what was to come.  In the tasting room we met Henry who took us through the tasting with a totally 'politically incorrect' repertoire that had us all in stitches for the next hour or so.  It paid off though and we all left with bottles of wine and Muscat to take home.  It will certainly be on the 'must visit' list next time we are down that way.

A couple of hours later we reconvened with Smacka and Sharon and crossed the road again for dinner on the water.  This time it was The Floating Dragon and the food was delicious and the Fried Icecream big enough to feed all six of us.  No we didn't share it but I could not even get half way through it!  And not even a picture - sorry!

The next morning we walked down the road again for breakfast but only managed toast and coffee after our big weekend. Back at the motel we packed our bags, checked out and hit the road for the trip home but first we had one more stop to make to see Alan and Elke in Bairnsdale.  Alan had met us for dinner on Friday and Saturday night but Elke had been in Melbourne for some appointments so we had missed her.  We spent a happy hour with them having coffee and cake  (more food) before we said goodbye and headed for home after a great weekend with good friends.

A couple of weeks later we had some very sad news from Alan.  Elke had gone to hospital for shoulder surgery and a few hours later there were some complications and she passed away.  Very unexpected for all their family and friends and our hearts go out to them all.  I attended the funeral the week after with Shane, Trevor, Steve, Andy, Kate, Mal and Adele and truly don't know how the family managed to say goodbye as they did.  A very sad time for all and once again proof that none of us ever know what is just around the corner.  Always live life like there's no tomorrow - there may not be!

Until next time.......

A bittersweet visit to Perth

The day after Lorraine and Hans went home we were on our way to the airport to fly to Perth as well.  This was an unscheduled but not totally unexpected trip.  We had finally received the phone call we had half expected for a long while now. Bill's Dad had passed away during the week and the funeral was on Wednesday.

We left early on Tuesday morning and were in Perth by lunchtime.  Tammy was kind enough to let us stay with her as with more family arriving all the spare beds were gone at Anne's place.  

Once we were settled in and unpacked we drove down to see David, Sarah, Corbyn and Amelie.  We spent a hour or two with them and then drove over to Anne's to see how we could help over the next few days.  We finished the evening having dinner with Gareth and Taegan in Vic Park before going home to catch up properly with Tammy.

Maree, Faye and Brenda had all arrived early on Wednesday morning and we all met at Anna's place before driving to the funeral parlor in Belmont.  The service was a lovely, simple ceremony celebrating the life of a wonderful man.  While it is always sad to say goodbye to someone we love we can also be happy knowing that Dad is no longer suffering as he had done for the last few years.  

As always when families gather for funerals there is joy as well as sadness as afterwards they come together and share memories of their loved ones.  With everyone gathered at Anne's place the afternoon turned into night and the stories about Dad and Grandpa had us all laughing and crying during that time.  

We started to say goodbye again the next morning with Maree and Faye flying back to Melbourne and after dropping them at the airport we stopped at Morley for some birthday shopping for Amelie.  We were staying in Perth as it was the Australia Day weekend and Amelie's birthday is on the 24th and Gareth's on the 26th.  We returned to Anne and Paul's that night for a bar-b-que with Brenda.  

On Friday morning we dropped in to say Happy Birthday to Amelie and deliver her presents.  We had a fun hour with her and Corbyn and it was lovely to be able to spend some time with Sarah too.  

From there we drove to Fremantle and met Anne and Brenda at the Markets.  Next stop was for a drink at the Little Creatures Brewery and then we had fish and chips at Cicerello's on the wharf.  We all drove back to Anne's and said goodbye to Brenda as she was flying home to Brisbane that night.

Back at Tammy's later that afternoon we finally had time to stop and had a wonderful dinner with her and Paul.  It was really good to see them both again, the last time being about two years ago.  

Saturday kept us busy with a visit to see Sandra, Vicki and Victor in Beechboro and later we called in to see Pat and Russell in Kewdale.  It was really nice to spend the day with friends but soon it was time to go and get ready for our big night out with the family.

Gareth celebrated his birthday at the Greenwood Tavern and we joined him and Taegan for dinner.  Anne, Paul, David, Sarah, Corbyn, Amelie, joined Marion (Taegan's Mum)' Dylan and his friend, and we all had a great time in Birthday Party mode.  It also gave Nana and Poppa a great opportunity to spend some more time with Corbyn and Amelie.

And the fabulous birthday cake Marion made for Gareth was absolutely delicious and a wonderful end to a great day.

The next morning we had breakfast with Tammy and Paul in East Vic Park and then it was time to pack our bags again and head off for the airport.  Our time in Perth had come to an end and we had a plane to catch.  What had started out on a very sad note had ended with smiles and love all round.  A bittersweet week but it was so good to be able share the ups and downs with family.  

And so now we say Rest In Peace Dad, you will always be in our hearts.

Until next time.........

A fun week with friends....

Back at home it was time to get ready for Lorraine and Hans visit from Perth.  They arrived Tuesday night on a warm summer evening that was to become the beginning of a four day heat wave.  Thank goodness for air conditioning.

I cooked dinner to welcome them and we had a great night catching up on all that has happened over the year since we last saw them.  Time flies when you are having fun and it was soon time to say goodnight as two of us had to work the next day.

Over the next 3 days summer made its presence felt by turning up the heat to 45, 42 and 43 degs and while I was quite comfortable in the air con at work Lorraine and Hans braved the heat and got out and about to the markets and the shops.

Lorraine took care of dinner for the next two nights and we were spoiled with Salmon one night and fried rice the next.  I created the next night with a Spicy Calamari salad and for a first time effort it was pretty good.  I was quite impressed with my culinary daring and we all survived!  A real plus.

The weather cooled on Saturday and we all walked up to the market for some bits for breakfast on Sunday.  We had been perusing cookbooks and found some new things to try but first we took the night off and went Downstairs for dinner.  A very yummy meal as always.

We spent a leisurely morning at home cooking and enjoying brunch before venturing out to the market again for the nights supplies.  Pumpkin pizza with feta and pine nuts was dinner that night with an amazing new Chocolate pudding to finish.  And it was was healthy too.

Two momentous events happened that weekend, the first being our air conditioner decided that a four day heat wave was quite enough and it gave up on Saturday afternoon.  A subsequent visit by a tradesman declared it 'terminal' and we now have a new one.  

The second event was on Sunday night just as we were sitting down to dinner.  Hans received an email from Virgin  reminding them of their flight the next morning.  Oops, they thought they were leaving on Tuesday morning!  Thank goodness for reminders though it did take Lorraine a little while to be convinced Hans wasn't joking.  Needless to say packing was on the agenda after dinner.

We were all up bright and early on Monday morning to say goodbye to our visitors.  It had been a wonderful week and we loved spending time with you both.  We look forward to doing it again soon.

For Bill it was off to work and I had to find an air conditioning guy to come and see what the damage was.  As I mentioned before the answer was not good but all is well now and we are enjoying life in air conditioned comfort once more but it was two weeks later.  Hopefully much cheaper power bills as well.  

For now there's not much else so it's goodbye from me until next time...........

It's a New Year.......

and time to pack the camper and head off for the first adventure of the year.  We had been home for two weeks and that was quite long enough so we were on our way to Linton to spend a weekend with the birds at Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary.

We had a good run up and long before darkness set in we were all set up and dinner was cooking.  We had the place to ourselves again and thoroughly enjoyed the peace and solitude this lovely spot gives us.  Bill got up early the next morning and spent some time at the waterhole watching his feathered friends start the day.

After breakfast we drove over to Devils Kitchen to see how the Peregrine Falcon was doing.  Last time we saw her she was sitting on a nest but that was so long ago we didn't expect to see any young still there.  

Bill was thrilled to see the bird as we arrived and we spent some time just watching and waiting for it to fly.  He is still after that elusive shot of a perfect take off!  Fly it did, to the other side of canyon, (he missed it), and so he set off into the bush for a different angle.  

Another flight back to a new vantage point and Bill retraced his steps in hot pursuit to find not one but two birds perched on the ledges.  We're not sure if it was the mate or a young one but it was a little smaller.  

They really are magnificent birds and we could watch them for hours but by now the need for caffeine won out and we drove to Smythesdale were we found a quirky little 'Antique' shop that doubled as a coffee shop.  

Returning home for lunch we spent the afternoon at the sanctuary and during an afternoon walk we found this rather cheeky chap looking down on us from above.  

Waiting for his friends I think.  As evening approached I spent some time with a book while Bill returned to the waterhole where he was entertained again by a shy Echidna, Swamp Wallaby and lots of little birds before coming home for dinner and a quiet night in.

The next morning was a little chilly but that didn't stop Bill or the birds visiting the waterhole before breakfast.  Our next stop was Devils Kitchen to say good morning Peregrine followed by coffee at a great little Art Gallery/Cafe in Skipton.  These little country towns have some amazingly talented people in their midst and we love checking them out whenever we visit.

After lunch it was time to pack up again, say goodbye to Linton once more and head home for another week at work.  It really is getting harder and harder to leave these tranquil places but needs must for a little while longer.  

So our first adventure of the year was a wonderful little interlude with nature and we loved every moment

until next time ........