We're back (from outer space)

Jonathon (Mac) is back and working beautifully so we are finally back in touch with the world. We headed off to Brisbane last Saturday for Denise's 50th party which was at the Plough Inn on the Southbank. Neither of us had been to Brisbane for 35 years so it was quite a different town that we drove into. Freeway madness, lots of skyscrapers but it still has a big country town attitude LOL.

Sunday was a wee bit slow as the heads were not great, so off to the Valentino dress exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art. As you probably guessed there were lots of women and very very very few blokes, but that didn't stop us wandering around ooooh and aaaarrring with the best of them LOL.

Really the exhibition is amazing and if you ever get the chance to see these fab clothes do it. From there we headed over to the rivercat and spent the next two hours wandering along the Brisbane River.

Along the way we came across some bowling friends so dropped in for a chat (Pic) always time for a billy tea with friends LOL.

The trip along the river was quite an eye opener. We had no idea that there was so much development along the river. Thousands of apartments, one on top of the other. The Jacs were in full bloom which made the river banks very colourful and hid some of the concrete LOL.

After the cruise we ended up at Kingsleys restaurant at the Riverside and what a great find that was. Overall a pleasant trip to the city. From there it was off to the Brass coast for a night to catch up with Di and the local gossip. Yesterday (Tuesday) was spent on the road as the trip home was 7 hours. Waiting for us as we drove in was another orchid out in flower. AAAAAHHHHHH it's sooooo good to be home.

Sorry Mac is in hospital, hopefully back this weekend will update the blog then -da

Good morning from the not so sunny central coast. I suppose by now most of you know that south east Qld has been getting hammered by rain and severe storms which have caused flooding and landslides around the sunshine coast. Well the good news is we have missed most of it and only in the last 24 hours have we had any rain and then not much, but the winds !!!!!!!!!!! they get your attention.

On the critter front things keep getting more and more interesting. Last night was our first green frog (very cute), several lace monitors and Ron saw his first giant frill neck lizard. I also staggered onto the world's biggest spider as I was crossing from one house to the other the other night. He would have been about 10 - 12 inches across and I am not sure who got the biggest fright LOL. If you know how I get on with spiders you will surprised that I am still alive LOL.

Almost all of the little annoying things have now been fixed, we have a washing machine with an on/off button that works, a dish washer that has an on switch, solar panels that are finally pumping back into the grid, flood lights on the pool deck and the decks have all been oiled. Ron and I have also stained the outside furniture and it all looks great.

The garden is coming along heaps and bounds. So far 24 grevillea (yellow, pink and red), several banksia, ferns, local grasses, a couple of tiny Blackboys and now some orchids have all been planted. The herb garden on the other hand has been decimated by the local bush turkeys, bloody things.

Our resident kookaburras are expecting and are very happy to let the world know at 4.30am each day how the long awaited hatching is going LOL.

It's very sad...........

Almost reminds you of a teenagers bedroom, doesn't it LOL, but someone is still celebrating.

For the first time in 3 weeks we have the house back to ourselves, it has been great having all the visitors but now we can get those annoying bits fixed. We are making headway with things like the washing machine, dish washer, gas certificate (so we can get some more gas, sort of important) decks are being oiled as I type so we are almost finished.

Plotting and planning the new painting and I promise it will be a much happier subject than the last one. I have entered "Out in 2010" in a competition at the Bendigo Art Gallery so it will be interesting if I make it to the final cut.

For those of you that are interested, it's the Laird's 30th birthday this month and Southern Star (newspaper) have done a big story on it - of course Saunders gets lots of credit LOL LOL LOL LOL and of course we get a passing mention LOL LOL LOL. You can see it online.

Yes I am scared ----less with spiders and the one the size of a dinner plate that greeted me on the landing last night certainly got my attention, but this little fella is fab. I think I might adopt him/her as my new pet.

Guess who's looking at you.......

Just couldn't get past those great eyes, LOL. Well Bailey and Julie have returned down south and the trip home was interrupted with the explosives truck rolling over on the highway and catching fire.  The highway was closed all afternoon and then only one lane all the next day.

But while I was stranded in Rocky I found a fantastic display case at Harvey Normans, marked down from $1600 to $600 because it was ex floor stock, so now the Clarice has somewhere to live when it arrives in Dec.

Dirk and Denise and the local neighbours will be joining us for the Grand Final round 2 so we have been busy getting more sausage rolls and party pies ready. Balloons and streamers all over the place and not a piece of "red" anywhere LOL.