Journey Through Life

Spring

2018-09-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Where is spring?
The weather feels more like winter. The sun is hiding and a chill is in the air. I'm thinking of going back to bed. The moment I begin to walk up the steps to reach my bed, the phone will ring. Or someone will come knocking on the door. Maybe I'll curl up on the lounge and read a book with a blanket over me. I don't want to find the heater and unpack it from the box. I just put it away.

I had visitors yesterday. I hadn't seen them since 1991. Now my life has settles I will be able to go visit some family I have seen for years.

Taking care of parents, family and friends, took up so much of my time. Followed by a lot of health problems. I have more time to do what I want for a change, since I have improved. I don't have severe pain like I had. Time for me to adventure out and see some of the country.

The tree with the empty beer bottles were in the lounge room, where we had lunch on one of the bus trips. This was a day outing with friends. I have a couple of trips planned over the next month.

Vision

2017-04-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

This was taken when we went on a bus trip.

The animals moved around the shopping center. There were a few different shaped ones. Kept the children busy while the parents shopped.

Vision.
A few days after I had hip surgery, I had this surreal vision. May have been from the effects of the anesthetic. Or the tablets I were given.

I had been a sleep. I seemed to be in a different place to the ward I was in. The room had shrunk to a two bed size. There was a person in the bed next to mine. I could hear breathing but no movement on the bed.

A doorway led to a single bed room. There lay a female of aboriginal descent. The room was mostly in darkness but for a small amount of light from the street outside the hospital.

I could hear cars. Slamming of doors. Then came knocking on the outer door to the hospital. The opening and closing of the door. Footsteps thundering up the stairs. A shadowy figure passed through the doorway to my room then disappeared into the other room. The person stretched out on the floor beside the bed of the patient. Was this figment there to be a guard? Or a ghost of a lost soul?

The wind was blowing a gale outside.

Rain whipped against the windows.

Surrounding the front of the hospital were chanting aboriginals. Were they chanting to save the life of the patient? Or were they wanting to take her away from there. This noise seemed to penetrate the walls to enter the building.

I waited for the fighting to begin when their voice wasn't heard. But nothing happened. The chanting continued as the siting kept going through the night.

I must have entered a different mode of sleep. The next I knew morning had arrived.

With the scenes buried in my mind, I opened my eyes to look for the body on the floor of the small room. The patient. The window wasn't even wet from rain. No chanting.

I was back in the room where I had been before I went to sleep.

Was this just a dream? Or had this scene happened on the site of the hospital before it was built? Or just the anesthetic playing with my mind?

Finished

2016-11-26T16:27:00.001-08:00

I have finished the blue Poncho for the lady who ordered one to be made is different shades of blue. I don't want to do another for awhile. This pattern I had to concentrate to keep the right amount of stitches on each peak. I was still counting them in my sleep. Now. I can go back to making boring squares with the left over bits of wool. I am doing some today to have a spell from work. Once the plumber has been to do his job, I will have to get back to finish my cleaning. And weeding of the garden.

The Magpies have brought their young home to be fed. They are so entertaining. Can be noisy at times when begging to be fed. The young squabble like any family for attention. Fight to get their own way. Yesterday. One of the young wanted to be fed first. The father went to put food in its mouth. The other one ran at it to push it over the side of the steps. Both fell to the grass fighting. The father left holding the meat. He look at me like he was disgusted with their behavior. I stood there laughing at their antics.

This morning, one cried for the father to feed it. Then the other started. He fed the first one. Turned his back to feed the other. The first one grabbed a big chunk of meat to run away to eat it without any help.

The holding up of the foot is a pose to beg for food. To have you feel sorry for an injured bird. Not that it has been hurt. They have a bag of tricks to gain sympathy.

Days grow longer

2016-11-21T17:43:00.001-08:00

My Desert Roses have begun to flower. Maybe because I have moved them to a different location.

I am on the last of my jobs to be done. I have cleaned all through the bottom section of the house. Made a room ready for when I get the call to go to hospital to have the first of my operations. I am to have the right hips replacement fixed first. The surgeon has to scrape out all the Arthritis from the joint before he puts in the new joint. Then I have to have the left hip and knee fixed. Hopefully I'll be able to live without pain.

I have washed all the windows and replaced some of the curtains, which fell to pieces in the wash. I didn't like how some of them were made. They collected too much dust. My bed is made and the room set ready for after the operations. I didn't want to try to walk up fifteen steps.

Now, I am at the gardening stage. I am trying to get ride of all the weeds to place my pot plants on the beds. I haven't been able to give them much water of late because I have been waiting for the plumber to come fix some taps. I did give them a drink this morning. I went out with a pair of plies and a can of spray. The tap freed enough for the water to run. I connected the new hose and reel. The one I had to buy to replace the one which was stolen a few months ago. I took it from the tap and put the reel back in the shed so this one didn't grow legs to walk away. At least the ground should be a little softer to dig out the weeds. I do a little bit until the hips begin to ache then have a spell.

During the winter months, I had been crocheting rugs for charity. One lady seen the round one and decided it would look beautiful as a Poncho. She is headed for colder climates in the near future. She asked. 'Can you cut the middle out?' I thought she had lost the plot. You can't just cut the middle from a piece of crocheting.

I did. Cut out the middle. Not with a pair of scissors. After a few wrong tries. And a few headaches. I had to pullout what I had started because it looked wrong. Trial and error with a little frustration, I finally worked it out. I took about ten rows from the middle. Made a chain long enough to go over the head then set to work on what was left of the pattern.

There was a lot of excitement when I arrived with three Ponchos completed. I didn't know what colors she would like. I hoped I'd have a couple for myself.

Val took the red one. Wilma top one. I was left with the middle one. For now. Betty came over to ask me to make her one in different blue shades. I bought wool on the way home and have begun to build it. I hope she will like the shades I have chosen.

Ah. Well. I have used up a bit of my spare time. Time for lunch.

Spring flowers

2016-09-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

These are a couple of my flowers in bloom now. I have been trying to weed out the winter weeds to bring my gardens back to shape. My window of opportunity to do this is closing fast. The rain is impeding my progress. And pain. I have an appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday to see about having a hip replacement.

These are another two rugs I have been crocheting to go to charities. I am working on a round one and have been building different patterned squares to fit together when I have enough made. I have to go to replenish my stock of wool before I have to go to hospital. I will be unable to drive for a few weeks.

Nails. Not needles.

Craft work. Today. Has changed since I was a child.

More ways to do the same work. To work with a few stitches in another manner.

Many types of cotton. Or Wool.

Sizes in hooks. And needles.

Every item you need is available in the shops.

My mother used knitting needles. I was never allowed to touch them.

“You’ll break them,” I was told. “Needles are too dear to replace.”

Wool was also “too dear” to waste.

Eventually. I was given a few scraps of wool. Wool no longer of used to my mother.

No needles. I might injure myself.

Where there is a strong will. To achieve what you want. There will be a way to do what you want.

You just have to be inventive. Search for a replacement tool.

I needed a strait object with a point on the end. Oh. Wait. I need two.

Knitting needs two needles.

I kept my bits of wool in the doll’s pram.

If my mother wasn’t going to give me a set of her precious needles. I’d find my own.I walked out of

the caravan. Disappointed. I smiled. To hide a plan I had. Maybe dad would provide what I needed.

No. He wasn’t about to ask. I crept past the car to dad.s work bench. In one of the tins I found

treasure. Better still. My treasures. A full jam tin full of shiny six inch nails. The oily coating didn’t

put me off. I grabbed a few pairs of nails. I used a clean rag to clean each nail. I hid them beneath the

mattress in the doll’s pram.

I had what I needed. I could practice to do the stitches I’d watched mother do.

I took the doll from the pram to discard on the bed in the annex. Naked.

The dress, bonnet and booties, I put on Ginger, my tabby ginger cat. I then placed him in the pram to

wheel him around to the other side of the caravan, where a swing from the branch of the tree. Lilac

flowers carpeted the ground, I sat on the swing while I rocked the pram. Once Ginger was asleep I be

gan to practice to knit. I finger castered a few stitches on one nail. I knitted until the small came to an

end, slipped the stitches from the nail. Pulled out the work to roll into a ball to start over again.

“Those nail I bought have all rusted. They must have given me a cheaper brand,” complained Dad.

Years later, dad found out why his nails. Rusted. I had used then replaced the nails once the wool

didn’t slip without being snagged.

Once I had mastered the knit stitches, I began to crochet. I had begun to do sewing at school. I

graduated from samplers to duchess set once I knew all the stitches. I did the sewing in what spare

time I had. Work came first. Each set I finished I had to crochet an edge around the.

One lady came to be shown how to crochet. Mother refused on the bases the woman was left handed.

I practiced to go in the opposite direction with my left hand. I showed the lady the stitches.

What I learned way back when, I used to male rugs which are given to those in need. I have enough

crocheting I had completed over the years. Many stuffed toys I knitted. But I only do the crocheting

in between times I’m not writing. Doing my work. Gardening. Or times I am forced to take time out

from the pain. I know when to take a break. Not continue way past my pain threshold.

So I went out to buy a few nails to prove I could still knit with nails.

Craft work is another of the hats I wear. This hat keeps the mind from vegetating. And gives me

thinking time. Besides going for a catnap. To sort out any problem I have with my writing.

I am trying to discard a few of my hats to concentrate on the few I want to have more time for.

The above story is something else I do when I have spare time. Or I do while crocheting. I find I do more writing when crocheting because most of the time I don't have to concentrate, or count the stitches, which frees the mind to wander over what story I'm working on.

Long hard road

2016-07-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Phew. I've just been doing some work I'm not suppose to be doing. I went out to mow half of the back lawn. I shut off the engine when the hip began to complain. And I had to stop to take a few breaths. I will be pleased when all the not working properly parts have been fixed. Well. The exercise took some of the chill from the body. I was shivering when I was sitting at the computer before hand.

This photo is of oranges falling on the ground at an orange orchard we visited last Thursday. I bought a box of lovely, sweet, juicy oranges.

I have been editing and formatting novels I have sitting on the computer. I tried to do self publishing but I'm not a friend of that type of publishing. I would prefer to have a real publisher. Or an agent to handle all the work to get out into the system. I have enough to keep a publisher busy for a long time.

One of the ones I worked on "The Long Hard Road" is a sort of life story. It is not written as a day to day, what happened. No dates are mentioned.

The story begins way back in the 1950's. How we lived in a tent, shed without all the walls and no home comforts like running water or toilet. Living in a caravan. Crossing flooded creeks to save a man who was sick. Abuse in a marriage. Death of a daughter from a brain tumor. Right up to the day my last parent died in the early 2000's. The stress my life had been under during all this time. The illnesses I suffered through. I came out the other side without giving into the dark side of life without turning to drugs. What happened to me has made me into the person I am today.

Time to slow down

2016-07-24T16:57:00.001-07:00

At the end of last year, I had to change doctor. Mine was leaving town. I had only been checking in every six months for repeat scripts. I didn't complain about what I was feeling because I felt he had lost interest. "You must remember you are getting older," was one of his comments.

I did find a new doctor at a different clinic. Boy. What an eye opener. I didn't have to tell him what pains I had. He watched me walk into the room and the questions began. I was examined. What I'd been told was wrong with my muscles was wrong. I nearly jumped from the bed when he moved my leg the wrong way. He listened to my chest. Took my blood pressure. Then began typing on the computer. Pages came spewing out of the printer. I had to go for blood tests. X-rays. Scans. With each result I had to go for more.

The only test I didn't like was the stress test. I didn't mind the tunnel scan. Except for being injected with the dye. The next day I had to return for the second part.

A belt thing was strapped around my waist and connected to the computer.
A blood pressure cuff to my left arm and the computer.
An IV line was put in to inject a drug in me to stimulate my heart under exercise conditions.
There was a doctor and nurse with me telling me what to expect.
I couldn't be put on the treadmill because of my joint problems.
I had to stand beside the bed to walk on the spot.
The drug was to take two minutes to pass through.
The doctor explained all the sensations I should feel over that period.
The test started.
"How do you feel," the doctor asked while the nurse watched the computer screen.
"My legs feel funny. My stomach..." is as far as I got.
The next I remember is being grabbed by many hands and lifted up to the bed.
In the distance I could hear a voice telling me to take deep breaths. Another telling me to wriggle my toes. When I opened my eyes the room was full of doctors and nurses.
My blood pressure had dropped so lo, so fast, I blacked out.
I felt such a fool. I had never blacked out in my life.

I have to live live at a slower pace for awhile. I am waiting to go for a different heart test. And to see the surgeon if he is going to replace my hip. I wondered what was stopping me from bending to the right or down to cut my toenails.

So I am trying to catch up with my blogs I have let sit idle.

Stigma in a name.

2015-04-20T15:32:00.001-07:00

Stigma in a name

Handicapped.
Some people show distaste for those with a visible handicap.
The word handicap has many different cognations.
I don't see it as something a few people are afflicted with.
To me. Everyone is born with one, or another, disadvantage.
Sight is one. If not born with it blindness may form at a later time.
The same for hearing. Due to a reason, or accident, you lose your hearing. Hearing aids are needed. These are a curse of many people.
Bones and muscles may not form properly in the womb. Other problems might cause different, and difficult, reasons to cause an inconvenience for the child and parents. The cost of the health cover for years. The stress on both parents and patient. Wearing down of energy to cause health problems.
Then there are other handicaps for horse racing. Golf. Athletics. Car racing.
Different diseases which cause many people to become handicapped.
A car accident.
A fall from a horse.
A plane crash.
Dementia.
Stroke.
For many years, I cared for my mother. After years of hard work she became handicapped. Her problem was caused from smoking. Her body no longer made enough oxygen to keep her breathing without the aid of a machine. She had to walk around dragging a length of tubing to keep the level at the right percentage.
Even though I have my own handicaps due to Arthritis, I was expected to care for my mother. I hung in there until I was so exhausted I neared the edge to a nervous breakdown.
I broke into tears at the hospital. I was so tired I didn't know which way was up.
Until then I didn't know there were so many organisations available who might have been able to relieve me of the pressure of caring for my mother. Within weeks, my mother was settled into a nursing home.
Since my mothers death three years ago, I have tried to regain my life, energy, and dissipate with the excess stress which caused the body more problems.
I have just spent a few days away with a group of people who all had different degrees of handicaps.
Everyone was friendly.
Helped out each other on the bus, in the apartments, and with walking around the streets.
One young man had trouble speaking. When he couldn't make anyone understand he used hand signs. I have picked up the toilet and drink signs. He likes doing high fives with those he calls a friend.
I kept pretending I mixed up the names of two other males. Both seemed to feel left out. Needed attention. So I added them to doing the high five game.
Not once did I snub, or complain, about any of them I treated all of them the same way I'd wish to be treated if my difficulties deteriorate in the future.
A fear of heights, spiders, and many other such things can also be a handicap when you have set your heart on an occupation but can't manage your reaction.
Swimming is another fear. Because of something which has happened in the past you don't like water.
I know a lady who fell out of a car in the past. She formed a fear of riding in a car for months. I notice she talks a lot when she is travelling in any type of vehicle.
A child who has had a bad experience with a Santa Claus will have a fear for a long time. This is a handicap when Christmas approaches.
Derogative names are at times used by unthinking people. These people don't realise the damage they can cause. An act of stupidity when they treat the inflicted as a second, or third class, citizen. Each need to take a good look at their own life. Temper can be another handicap. Temper kills like any other handicap. Can cause someone to become more disadvantaged for the rest of their life.
Not one person is born. Perfect. With no flaws.

I have mine. But I still like to look on the bright side of life.

This is a piece I wrote on the topic of being "Handicapped". Didn't have some of what was needed for where I intended to send it. There wanted more of personal suffering while living with a family member. So I wrote another piece.

I had no help

Okay .Me. I was the daughter. Or I was suppose to be.
I had my own health problems with Arthritis. And stress related problems.
Being the only child everything was placed squarely on my shoulders. The weight of my mothers condition put a lot more strain on me.
My mother expected me to be able to carry the load as though I had no problems of my own.
We lived in the same house. I still live there.
My life was not my own. I was at her beck and call day and night.
I had to do the housework. The yard work. Shopping.
There were no one available to help with the care. Except for one of her sisters who came in for a few hours to talk with her. To give me a few hours to go out shopping.
Before my mother collapsed and still able to go out things weren't so bad. She was able to do some cooking. Did some crocheting and sewing. Was able to stand for a little while to be able to wash the dishes.
We'd just returned home one afternoon when my mother collapsed. She went to the toilet. She fell and hit her head on the wall. The oxygen level had fallen too low. This was a problem that hadn't been picked up before the collapse. She stopped breathing at the hospital. The doctors worked to bring her back.
From then on, she had to live on assisted oxygen. She couldn't leave home without it.
When she was stable enough to leave the hospital, the doctors organised to have a machine delivered to out home. Set it up. Giving me instructions on how it worked.
My work became ten fold more. I now had to be a nurse as well.
The cause of the lack of oxygen was put down to years of her smoking. Her lungs weren't making enough.
Help. No one told me there were options out there to take some of the stress from me.
Not that my mother would have accepted the assistance. She believed I was born to be there as her slave.
I just kept my thoughts to myself and soldiered on. My life and health flowing down the drain.
I wasn't getting my right amount of sleep. I listened to the dragging of the tube along the floor each time she went to the toilet. Listened until she returned to bed.
No one asked if I had help at home. They took it for granted she was better off at home. My mother thought the same.
Then came the moment of her last turn. The doctors put her on life support. She was flown to Brisbane. When she was reasonably well enough she was returned to the local hospital.
The time came for them to release her. That is when I went into meltdown.
Things moved fast then.
Someone came to assess her condition in the hospital.
Mum tried to lie her way through the interview.
I kept shaking my head.
The lady soon saw through her replies.
The day she was to go into rest care for a few weeks a place came up at a nursing home.
Looking back. The doctors should have let her be at the first attack.
My mother suffered through the next few years. Each time the oxygen level went down a few more brain cells died. She lived in the land of the fairies even though she still knew my name. We had to laugh at some of the things she said or we would have sat there crying.
The day she died was a blessing for her. And for me. Now was my time to heal. Catch up on all the years of missed sleep. To regain my life.
More information needs to be out there to let carers know what help is available. Where to go. Who to call. A booklet for the nursing staff to hand out to tell the family where they can look.
I was working in the dark. Only when I was close to the edge of a nervous break down did assistance come my way.

Information overload is needed.

Antique collection

2015-03-29T20:10:00.001-07:00

We went to a shed full of olden item from the past. There were a few thing I'd have liked to buy BUT I have no room to put them. So I took photos and brought them home that way at little cost to me. And I don't have to search for room to place them.

After our visit here, we got on the bus for the long drive home. We arrived home about six. Exhausted from the enjoyable day. We were away for nearly eleven hours. Had to rise before the birds to be on time for the bus.

Recent Trip

2015-03-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

We stopped at a park to have morning tea. There was a Hippie Market not far from us. One of the stall owners had this joey. We all asked could we have a pat. It was very friendly.

This is Borumba Dam in the Mary Valley. I took these from the lookout.area. I'd hate to be those backing down the ramp to put the boats in the water. If the brakes failed the only place to go is into the water.
This was a very peaceful area. Everything green and refreshed after the past lot of floods.

We went to Imbil for lunch and to look around the town. We had a wonderful lunch at the hotel.

Time with family.

2015-03-01T21:36:00.001-08:00

After a day spent with extended families for the funeral of my uncle, some of us spent the day at the beach, before they had to return home. Some we only see once a year because they live in another state. The trip was long on the way up because floods had closed the main highways. An extra 500 km had to be traveled through back country to be here for the funeral. The sun shone down during the service.

Happy New Year.

2014-12-28T20:11:00.001-08:00

Santa and his mother. He drives the bus for our trips and she cooks the cakes for our morning teas. This was taken at out Christmas Party. Some went on the Christmas Bus Trip. I decided to stay home to rest.

My story of my Christmas. Some might say boring. But I've enjoyed the time spent resting, and catching up on jobs forgotten when I had a virus, and broken toe. At least I have found the plants among the weeds.

Argh. Humbug.

Argh. Humbug.
Christmas has been. And gone.
All the hard work spend to celebrate one day.
All my cheer had left before the day arrived.
Joyful was washed away with exhaustion. The heat zapped away any remaining hope and little energy I had left.
Sound like I'd been preparing to have a house full of family.
No. This year I decided to chill out.
Not slave over a hot stove.
Not overeat.
I turned down all invitation to be with family. And friends.
The body told me to rest, and relax. To rejuvenate the system to be able to carry on into the mew year.
I believe Scrooge had the idea partly right. Except for working too hard.
I rearranged my time between pulling weeds. Watching houses. Computer work. With sleep and resting.
Not so exhausted, now. I'm catching up on my work.
I've decided to stock up what I need for Christmas well before the summer arrives. Have everything ready to serve out to eat. Cold. Less work.
The other option which came to mind was plan a holiday in a cooler climate. All service included.
No cooking.
No cleaning up.
No exhaustion, or stress.
The muscles won't be complaining of being over worked.
Even though I live on my own I don't have very much alone time. There always seems to be someone wanting a piece of my time. Time I might have to spend doing what I like to do.
I've sorted and filed all photos taken this year.
Edited a novel I have been working on. And have continued with the story.
Added work to one of my blogs.
Set more seeds to shot to give me more different coloured Desert Roses.
And still I haven't come up with a past, present, or future trait for a family Christmas.
This year, my Christmas Motel had a “CLOSED” sign on the door.
I ate when I felt hungry.
Slept when my body told me.
Worked in the garden when there was cool time.
Tried not to burn the skin when I stayed longer outside than I should have.
The battery is on charge to start my round of places to be in the New Year.
I even had an unexpected, flying visit from my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, this morning.
Now, I've brought in the washing. I think I might take a “Nanny Nap” while the weather is at its hottest.
Maybe the brain will be back in working mode after the New Year.

Happy New Year.

These are Sunflowers grown by Mother Santa. Mine are only half the size. The seeds shot where I emptied the bird seed mess in the garden. I didn't intend for them to grow. I have left the plant grow for the wild birds to eat the seeds.

Today I pay the piper

2014-11-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

Why couldn't the sun have risen...later?

Every muscle ashes.

I rolled over to return to dreamland.

Oh. No. I wish the driver of the tilt train would keep his hand off of the whistle.

Ah. Well. I'd better rise to finish the job. Or try to.

Dressed. I gathered up the clothes to wash. Carried them down the steps to the laundry.

Once the washing was set I went to make a much needed coffee.

Slipping on gloves, I grabbed the handsaw on my way out the back door. I collected the rubbish bin on my way.

The parrots screeched. I had dared to disturb their morning feed. If anyone wanted to sleep in they'd be awake, now.

I had a job to do.

Anyway. I'd skipped my breakfast.

Picking up the pick I started the clean up. I kept a look out for toads. Or snakes. I cringed at the thought of either one appearing from the rubble.

My hands. And back. Complained.

Taking up the handsaw I cut the limbs into smaller pieces to fit in the bin.

I cursed. Why did I listen to Alice?

I had more work to do...now.

No more. I've had enough. They have to go.

The birds can complain all they like.

I need water. The ground is as hard as rock.

I looked. The hose too short to reach where I slaved. I didn't have the strength. Or energy. To carry buckets of water from the tank. When I need some rain its left the area.

Shoulder muscles burn from exhaustion. Tears of desperation aren't far away. Crying was out. I don't like to play the wimp role. Taking a deep breath I struggled inside for a drink. On the way inside I looked at the washing on the line. Would I have enough energy to make the bed. Or will the making have to wait until tomorrow?

Thump. Push. Groan. Remove the pick.

The sweat trickled down from my forehead. I wipe my face on the sleeve of my shirt.

The bin is full. I pressed down on the parts to squish them down to make more room. I rake up the pieces to throw on top.

I'm exhausted. The heat from the sun has zapped away all my energy. My clothes are saturated and it's only nine o'clock.

I don't care if anyone sees what I have done I'll try to remove the rest. Later. Come rain. Hail. Or darkness.

I need a shower to wash away the...grime. The evidence of what I should not have attempted to do.

Water Features

2014-07-20T20:42:00.001-07:00

The topic for the month is slow exposure.
I hadn't had time to read all the information about to use my camera.
So how did I do slow exposure. Well. There was only one way to find out. Experiment.
I like snapping people - unawares. I get better action shots that way.
I decided to practice what I thought would work.
I focused the camera on the water feature. Zoomed in for a close-up.
Pressed down on the shutter button. I held it in place for a few seconds then let go. I took another one.
I switched to assessing mode.
I had succeed.
Both photos had a different shape in water which slowly fell.
So I stopped at each water feature throughout the ground which were on display. And another of a fountain in a lake from the sixth floor of an apartment building.
Following are some of the different shapes I captured with slow exposure.

Also the sun rising above the building next to where I stayed. Slow exposed.

Edgar turned 94

2014-07-06T16:13:00.001-07:00

I have been slack with keeping up because I was busy writing a story for last term. I finally finished it on the last day. The piece turned into a long short story of 10,000+ words.

I'm posting photos of my uncle who turned 94 on the 30th June. Family joined at a restaurant to help him celebrate. I nearly didn't make it.

I had exercise class in the morning. Didn't make it. I stopped on my way to do a message. On arriving back at the car, water had pooled beneath the front of the car, and was still dripping. Believing a hose had burst, or the radiator had sprung a leak, I headed to visit my mechanic. I left the car with him.

Thank God for friends. I had a friend's car in the spare shed. I didn't make the exercise class but I did make the lunch.

The bad news of the day was I had to have a new radiator. The inside of the old one had begun to disintegrate. Must have been in the car since new so I can't complain of the expense.

This week I'm trying to catch up with things left sitting, waiting for my attention.

Ferguson Tractor

2014-04-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Old is new again. This tractor has been restored with loving care to attention, and detail, by my cousin. For months it has been stored in my spare shed. Today it moved out. The new owner came to collect it. The happy new owner is on his way back to Mt Isa with his treasure.

Resealing the Road

2014-04-13T19:47:00.003-07:00

This is all the machinery. And men. Who fixed the street with new bitumen once the old stuff had been removed. The work had just been finished when the rain set in.

I've had to stop weeding the garden. The lawn is growing. Fast. It had only been mowed about a week ago, Well. It'll have to wait until the rain stops. The ground dries. And until I return from my couple of day on strike. I need a couple of days to regenerate some energy.

I am catching up on writing that has been waiting for me to complete other assignments. I have uploaded. And sent photos. I was suppose to do a couple of weeks ago.

I have finished my horror script. All except checking for typing errors. Have finished re-formatting another script I had over half done. I just have to finish it.

So I'd better get back to finish while the weather stays bad.

Road Works

2014-04-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Catching up on computer work. Today. The council has moved in to dig us the street to repair some of the damage.

I was planning to go out the front to finish of cleaning the gardens, But I didn't want the men to think I watched to do the work properly. Or sticking my behind in the air to distract them from their job.

I have a good excuse if someone calls wanting me to go somewhere. I can't exit my driveway without great difficulty. Had a bit of trouble coming home yesterday when they had started around in the other street.

Day of the Triffids Art

2014-03-07T16:30:00.001-08:00

I went to a show at the art centre on Wednesday night. We were given the novel "The Day of the Triffids" to read. Had to say what we though of the story. What we got out of the read. There were three people picked to tell what they found in their read.

Alison McDonald used plastic bottles to do art work on the story. She made Triffids. Marvelous what can be done with a lot of imagination, and a pile of empty plastic containers.

Below is a few of the photos I took where they were set up on the blackened walls of the vault.

Crumbin Sanctuary Pt 2

2014-03-01T19:20:00.001-08:00

Missed a day. was busy typing up the script I had been working on.

This morning, I have been out doing some weeding. And remodeling parts of the garden with plants that don't need much water. The sun became hot so I came inside before I became burnt. And so I wouldn't doing more damage to the areas of the body which has been aching.

So I'm setting some more photos to upload while I type up more work. These are more I took at the sanctuary.

The first three are paintings on the tunnel the little train passes through. And where the people walk to reach a different section of the park.

This selection I took while I took the train ride around the park. The legs were aching so I opted for the ride. I had enough trouble lifting my right leg up a short distance to sit in the open carriage. You can stop at different sections to visit different attractions.

This is a lizard that caused a stir where people were taking a break to eat before continuing on their journey through the park. I coaxed it from where we wanted to sit. The lizard wanted more fun. It sneaked up behind a group of Japanese young adults. There were a few screams. Leg lifted. Then the table was empty.

Some of the people who were on my bus. I like taking action shots. That way I catch them. Unawares.

These were taken in the entrance shop.

These were taken while we waited for Clive, our driver to come open the door to the bus.

We had to return to Tweed Heads to collect the rest of our passengers before we set out for home. I was the first one dropped off. At 7 p.m. Sunday night.

Crumbim Wild Life Sanctuary

2014-02-28T01:35:00.000-08:00

We visited the sanctuary on Sunday while we waited for the card players to finish their games. Then we had to return to the club to collect them before the long journey home.

Some of the photos are of the shop. scenery, kangaroos and Kolas. There are too many for one go so I'll do a couple of uploads. I have been slow in doing the photos. For the past few days I have been suffering from pain in one leg. Had to finally buy a stronger pain tablet. Not a favourite. I don't like taking tablets if I can handle the pain. The body doesn't like me popping pills. I end up with more problems then the ones I started with.

I don't know if too much walking upset a problem. Climbing in, and out, of the bus. Or the bit of weeding I did on Tuesday. Maybe. I twisted the wrong way in bed. I woke with the pain on Wednesday. Because of the stronger tablet, I had to go for a Nanny Nap this afternoon. I set some of my photos to upload then went to sleep. Woke a couple of hours later. Now. I'm trying to catch up while the news is one. Am setting some to upload while I listen to my next story, and do the dinner dishes.

Lunch Cruise

2014-02-27T01:59:00.001-08:00

We had a lunch time cruise around the broad water of the Gold Coast. The Captain pointed out all the places of interest while we feasted on prawn, chicken, salads and fruit. Tea. Coffee. And other drinks were available. The water was calm as a millpond. The only waves were from other crafts speeding past. There was even a guy rising into the air from the water on a jet spout machine. Not a cheap to have a go at lifting from the water with the machine on you back. The trip lasted for two hours.

Her are a few of the photos.

Sand Sculptures

2014-02-25T17:13:00.001-08:00

After breakfast. We made our way back to the Gold Coast to view the sand sculptures. Clive let us off. Not many places for buses to park. With walkers. And walking sticks. Slowly. We made our way along the broad walk to look at the completed works. And the ones which the artists were working on. The work was under cover of a tent to protect them from the elements. And destruction of any kind.

Here are the photos I took while on the walk. Scenery. And sculptures.

The blue building is called Skypoint. We went to it in the afternoon. It is 77 floors up. Then. If you have the nerve after the jet ride to the viewing area. You can don a special suit with a harness to then step from the building to walk about 289 steps up to the spire. Sorry. Not my piece of cake. I was able to look at the horizon. But not. DOWN. Didn't want to lose my lovely lunch.

Skypoint

The rest are of the Gold Coast.

Have to stop for now. I have to go out. A 93 year old friend is waiting to be collected on my way to play hoy. The morning has flown past while I have been doing photos, and typing up work I did while watching a police story on TV. Since I am changing tact with my writing, I need to watch some different genre. I prefer to do so on the web because there isn't any adds. I can really concentrate on how to put things together.

Saturday Breakfast

2014-02-25T15:00:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning we woke to an overcast day. Chilly. At time rain drizzled down. But this didn't put a damper on our enjoyment. We left our motel at eight, New South Wales time. First stop was McDonalds for breakfast.

Everyone fill up on pancakes. I had apple and a drink of coffee.

Confectionery Wonderland.

2014-02-25T03:15:00.001-08:00

Chocolates. Lollies. There were that many different kinds. Shapes. Flavours. Sizes. Easter Bunny's. And many more different luscious temptations. Most of us did buy some. But I carried most of mine out as photos. Much easier to carry. Not expensive. Temptation to eat them all at once not there once arriving at home. None of them to pass my lips to add inches to my hips.