Some Awesome Water Pictures

Chris took a "field trip" to go see the Burdekin dam and brought me back some pretty cool pictures to post here. Because of all of the rain we have had it is in flood stage right now and is a pretty spectacular thing to see. The Burdekin River is one of the larger rivers in Australia---probably as large as the Ohio River near Beaver, Pennsylvania but not as big as the Ohio is in Ohio. Does that make sense??? Anyway---Chris was thrilled by the trip and also saw emus in the wild, free ranging cattle who just wander across the road willy nilly and some kangaroos hopping up rocks so he had a full day of fun!!!

All Shook Up!

Just got back from seeing my first musical in Australia! A friend invited me to go to the matinee of "All Shook Up" put on by the Townsville Choral Society. It was a fun afternoon and I really enjoyed the play. Marie's daughter was in the play and she did a great job and it was a fun afternoon! The music was all Elvis Presley stuff and the cast did a fabulous job! Made me think that we need to go to more of these things. I did see that they were going to be putting on Jesus Christ Superstar sometime so I am going to have to get some info on that. Anyway, it was a fun afternoon and we spent an hour or so at the mall before hand getting haircuts, picking up a few groceries and finding a book for Chris to read!

It still has not rained today but it looks like it will make up for it in the next couple of days! I am waiting on Chris to call me to come pick him up---he went with his boss and another couple to go see the Burdekin dam which is at an all time high in several years and is supposed to be pretty amazing to see so hopefully he will call before the rain lets loose tonight and I can pick him up safely!!! I still don 't have my Australian driving confidence back after driving in the US for almost 6 weeks!!! Hard for me to switch back and forth! I am not as quick at this stuff as my hubby is!

It isn't raining!!! What's wrong??/

I know that it must be a special day today because when i woke up I realized that it was not raining. Now I know what a lot of you are thinking----it could be snow! While many of you who are reading this are digging out from the cold blast that has been pounding the midwest for weeks I have begun feeling somewhat like a mushroom! The wet season is most definitley upon us and now I understand why some of these folks have the big SUV's with the snorkles on them! Our little red Camry is just not going to be able to negotiate the flooded streets well enough to get Chris where he needs to go somedays I am afraid!

The wet season is simply a fact of life here and I just have to figure out how to live with it! I feel totally unprepared for any kind of bad weather though and on my list of things to get is another torch (flashlight), batteries, more candles and perhaps more bottle water. We are to get another huge king tide in the next week and chances are that means storms and electricity going out again. The people that live here are so much more laid back about flooded streets and highways than I am---------I just don't understand how you can get places if the water is way up over the road! And I am certainly not savvy enough about driving around here to know alternate routes but I guess the longer you live here the more "informed" you get.

But for the moment there is no rain and we actually slept with the windows open and no air con on for the first time in a long time! Today will be a good day---even if I don't see the sun ! As long as i can enjoy a few hours of no rain I will feel somewhat human again!

Waterfalls Waterfalls Waterfalls!!! And not just in our backyard!

We saw some of the most spectacular waterfalls this past weekend that I have ever seen! We saw some pretty wonderful ones in Hawaii but these were even more spectacular due to us being in the wet season. There is such a change in the vegetation from November! Everything is lush and green and growing like crazy---including the gardens in our yard here! I can't even get to the beach through our back yard now because the grass / weeds / whatever is so high and I am scared of what is living in that long tall green stuff!!! Plus it is continually raining-----so even if I did want to go to the beach and go down the now 4 foot drop off due to the king tides and storm surge i would be wet before I got there!!! So I am just kind of holed up in the house, listening to the rain, watching cooking shows and blogging on and on about things of a mundane nature!!! And yet here you are----reading----go figure!!!

A Spot of Tea!!!!

Teapot display at the Coffee Works

More teapots!

Gift shop at Nerada Tea Plantation

The Tea Tourist

Tea at Nerada Tea Plantation

Little "Honor Stands" by the highway where you can buy fresh tea!

More tea growing!

Thought I would post a few pictures of one of my favorite things---tea!!! When we went to the Tablelands this past weekend we stopped at the Nerada Tea estate outside of Malanda. We didn't get to take a tour of the factory since it was not running but we spent some time looking at the grounds and the visitor center which was very good. They boast that the Atherton Tablelands have the perfect climate, superb volcanic soil and no pests so therefore it is the perfect place to grow tea. The good thing is that they do not have to use any pesticides because there are none of the pests here that threaten other tea crops. The tea grows as a dense rainforest covering---looks kind of like a shrub growing all over the land. I found out that a tea plant can be kept producing for up to 100 years and since it grows as a small tree in its wild state it is pruned every 3 years to keep it at a manageable height.

We also went to the Coffee Works Museum and they had a whole floor devoted to tea and that was wonderful! Some of the above pictures are of some of the teapot displays that they had there. I did not see a single teapot like any that I have!! Can you believe that??? But it was a pretty neat place and I wouldn't mind going back there again.

On the way home we stopped at one of the "honor boxes" along the way where you can put your gold coins in the little metal box and buy some packaged tea. I now have a healthy supply of tea in my pantry! Chris planned this part of the trip very well and I think he even enjoyed seeing the tea process---next time we hope to go when the factory is running so we can see all the processes.

Back home, suitcase in tow, laundry to do!

We are back home at Saunders Beach and had a great 3 day weekend in the Atherton Tablelands! Chris planned such a great trip and it seems like this was the "liquid" trip as we toured or visited several distilleries, wineries, coffee plantations and tea plantations!!! It was fabulous and very relaxing! I will blog more about them over the next couple of days but for right now I am a little tired and want to just chill out in front of the tv with a nice tall glass of iced tea!

The good news is that on the way home we stopped at the Townsville airport and picked up my red duffle----no big deal--the guy just went and got it and handed it over! If he only knew!!! They all act so surprised when you show appreciation and shake their hands and thank them for something---like they aren't used to that but good grief!!! Qantas did not ever even have me as a passenger this trip so how they ended up with my bag to handle I have no clue but I am just grateful and intend to send an email to someone thanking them--who I don't know but I will figure it out!!! So I just unpacked my Hoops and YoYo mug, Chris' Ivory soap and the signed book that I got for Chris from Cotton Ketchie and I think the rest can wait until tomorrow. I have a load of laundry in and am ready to just veg out for the night. Will post more pictures tomorrow when I get it all organized a bit!

More pictures of our weekend!

Rows and rows of mango trees

Golden Drop Winery---Mango wine

One of the coffee tasting stations at Coffee Works

Beer Soup??????? Ick.

A huge Curtain Fig tree outside of Yungaburra

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! THANK YOU, QANTAS!

I just got off the phone with Howard from Qantas in Brisbane and he has my bag!!! Of course it arrived totally un -announced and since i was never on a Qantas flight the entire trip they had no clue what it was doing there. It arrived on the same day I got back to Townsville and yet no one told Qantas it was coming. But thanks to Howard who actually checked my new luggage tag (Queen of the Road!!!) and tracked me down!! Yippee! It should arrive in Townsville tomorrow---Monday---and I told him we would pick it up at the airport since it would be a pain for them to figure out how to get it to me at Saunders Beach since they have no idea who to charge it to!!! So life is good. I quite honestly did not ever expect to see it again. So I had to update you all since several of you had commented to me on it!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures as promised!

Waterfall at Millaa Millaa

My handsome hubby in front of waterfall

Finally made it to a tea plantation: Nerada Tea Plantation, Malanda

Redneck Australian Mailbox----no joke!!!!

A Long Weekend in the Atherton Tablelands

Chris whisked me away for a long weekend get away! Monday is a day off to celebrate Australia Day so Chris planned a long weekend for us which is wonderful!
____Australia Day, also known as Anniversary Day, Foundation Day and Invasion Day, is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, marking the start of British colonisation of Australia--thanks Wikipedia!!!!!!____

After spending 30 minutes or so on the phone with the Northwest Airlines folks to try to pinpoint where my suitcase is i have pretty much decided that despite Chris' best efforts to impress upon them that it is in their best interest to locate it the suitcase will never be seen again. I am trying not to obsess about this but I am afraid I am not being successful at it. But the weekend away will help me refocus on the important matters at hand and that is not one of them!

We got on the road early and stopped along the way to photograph some waterfalls which are pretty spectacular now with all of the heavy rainfall. We also stopped at the Neranda Tea Plantation and took tons of tea pictures and checked out the gift shoppe and museum part. They were not operating today so we did not take a tour of the facility but hope to do that some day. After all this time I finally got to a tea plantation!!! Chris had planned this all out for me and it was a wonderful thing!

We stopped at a great little dairy (Mungalli Creek Dairy) and had a delicious lunch of frittata and quiche and the best ice cream we have ever tasted----I had mango and Chris had macademia and it was rich, rich, rich!!! One scoop was all you could handle! The restaurant was called "Out of the Whey" and we sampled some of their cheeses also which were really yummy.

We stopped at another beautiful waterfall in Millaa Millaa and it was probably the best one I have ever seen and we might stop on the way back to go swimming there. No danger of crocs or stingers up here!!!

We made it to Yunngaburra and checked into our B & B ----a cute little place called the Kookaburra Lodge---nothing fancy and the room is small but it is clean and will definitely be good for a two night stay. We can have our breakfast on our veranda and enjoy the sounds of the birds and geckos (I will never escape them). Tonight we are going to walk into town for dinner and hope to catch some platypus (platypi???) in the viewing areas that are around in the town. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Chris has always wanted to see one so we will see if it happens!!!

All in all a wonderful day----I am feeling a little foggy and jetlagged still but hopefully that will pass soon. I slept like a rock last night----but I dreamed I missed my flight somewhere and it took me awhile after I woke up to realize that it was a dream. I think the whole flying thing has me stressed out or something.

I had to take pictures on Chris' camera today as my battery was flat so I will get those uploaded soon and include some of the pictures from today. I know you are all waiting!!! LOL

Back in Oz!

I am back safe and sound and at Saunders Beach once again! It was quite an eventful trip back---ended up taking only 2 of the scheduled flights, changed flights (and airlines even ) on 3 of the flights, totally lost my luggage and it is probably somewhere still in the US, met some nice people along the way, got friendly with the Northwest, American and Air New Zealand folks who were helping with the luggage thing, actually got in early to Townsville and had my darling husband waiting for me at the airport to whisk me home. I must say I am glad to be back and happy to be wtih my hubby again----I really missed him and I can tell he missed me. He had all the laundry done, the dishes done, the bed changed and things were in good shape so I know if he HAD to he could be on his own!!!

Additions and changes to the house while I was gone: a couple new baby geckos running around--- pooing everywhere which kind of grosses me out---, a new rental car (red this time!!!), overgrown bushes and palms and shrubs, a beach that lost about 10 meters so now the trees that were on the edge of the property are on their sides and we have to make a new path to the beach, and mysteriously missing mail that was supposed to be delivered on Monday so i guess I am going to have to track that down. We don't get a lot of mail but there are some things that I know we were to be receiving while we were gone so who knows where those are! Kind of like our mail issues in the US---we just don't have good luck with any postal system i guess!

But it is great to be back with the man even though I had a fabulous time in the US catching up with everyone. It is a grueling trip tho and I think next time I want to travel with Chris----it is just nice to have someone with you, you know??

So later today we will start the process of trying to track down my luggage which should prove to be interesting. I had to buy a new luggage tag in the US because somewhere between Columbus and Raleigh they lost my tag even tho it was a really sturdy one. My new one which my BFF Ann found for me says "Queen of the Road" which maybe was not a correct phrase!!! So I am going to make do without a lot of my regular things which are in the suitcase but at least I am here!!! The things I am most upset about losing if it is never found.....my new Hoops and YoYo thermal cup that my niece gave me that talks, my Australia photo book, my latest Cotton Ketchie book inscribed to Chris, my favorite pair of red shoes, my Bath and Body Works stuff, my favorite bras (blush blush) and all the make up I bought that I can't find here. So keep your fingers crossed for me that they figure out who owns that huge 68 pound red duffle bag!!!

I will blog more later but I know that my adoring fans have wondered where I have been. Stuck on planes and in airports but I am done with that for a bit!!! Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!

0 degrees Farenheit

Oh the joys of being in Ohio---the cold weather and the snow!!! We did see the sun for a bit and it got the snow off the road for a bit. I ate with my sissy at one of the established US eateries....the Waffle House.....I know you all are jealous!!! Don't hate me!

Joke of the Day!

>
> The Bathtub Test
>
> During a visit to a mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director,
> "How do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized?"
>
> "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, and then we
> offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to
> empty the bathtub."
>
> "Oh, I understand." said the visitor. "A normal person would use
> the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
>
> "No," said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do
> you want a bed near the window?"

And the Snow Keeps Coming!

Still snowing in Ohio.....it really is pretty but I have no desire to go out in it at this time!!! We had planned to go to a movie tonight but have since changed our minds since it has snowed off and on all day. I had planned to meet Paula in Canton tomorrow (at Starbucks---yippee) but we will wait and see what the roads are like in the morning as she told me their roads were horrible. No sense in risking anything unsafe!!!

So today was all about laying around, reading, took a nap, helped my mom with her computer a bit, laid around some more, ate, read some more, chatted on line, fiddled around on Facebook, talked to Chris, talked to Micah, messaged Aaron who is ignoring me, and that is about the extent of my day. Chris said it is to rain there the next 10 days and I went online to see the pictures of Saunders Beach on the Townsville Bulletin website and it is amazing how the beach will be totally different by the time I get back from the king tides and the big storms----trees that were once there will no longer be standing, etc. At least our house is back far enough and up high enough we won't have any issues other than the electricity being off for a long time --guess the trucks got stuck trying to get in to fix the problems. Oh the joys of being "in the wet" as they call it! I guess I will learn to love that part of life in North Queensland too!

So not much to blog about today----I am definitely going to be ready to be back with Chris in a week! I miss him and I imagine his diet is pretty much a cereal and toast diet at this point.......he might surprise me and cook something but that would be a little bit of a surprise!!!

Snow in Sebring, Storms in Saunders Beach!

The snow in front and in back of my mom's house in Sebring, Ohio and the beach at Saunders Beach----Chris says I am going to have a brand new beach to walk when I come back because of the king tides!

I am now in Ohio with my mom and enjoyed a "villa" meeting and luncheon today and now we are just going to chill out after a huge lunch!!! Yummy lunch too----kind of a beef stew i guess over a biscuit and coconut cream pie for dessert. Of course everyone had to hear about Australia and I am sure I don't do it justice but I shared what I could with everyone!!! It is snowing here still and i am going to have to buy a new snow shovel for my mom as hers is pathetic!! The little strip on the edge bent and now it has a mind of its own and won't go straight!!! The maintainence guys seem to be a little slow on getting things plowed and shoveled but it is like everywhere else---they have had to make some cuts in their numbers so I am sure their crew is down in numbers. i tried to clear it off a bit but wasn't totally successful but let me tell you--------a lot better than last year in IOWA!!!!!!!!!!!! That was pretty miserable all winter!

And while I shovel snow Chris is dodging raindrops. He called yesterday and said that in less than 24 hours they got something crazy like 8 inches of rain so of course everything is flooded including the carpark where he parks when he is in the Townsville office. I am sure it will still be raining when I get back in a week and half so I will be sure to experience the wet also!!! He lost power around 9 pm so we will see if it comes back on....hopefully or else he is going to have a mess with the freezer and fridge. Ugh. I don't even want to think about that!!! So I will await his next phone call with the "report".....

I had a fabulous time in North Carolina with all my friends and it was hard to say goodbye to them but now this week will be fabulous wtih my mom and some time with my sister. I am so blessed!!! i will try to find something more exciting to write about....give me time!

Another Day in Concord!

I got a little bit of a baby fix today because I got to hold precious "Baby Joe" for a bit! What a sweet sweet little boy! I was so happy to go back to Epworth and catch up with some of my coworkers and see how things were going ! I made it over to the famous Epworth hot dogs but didn't sample as I was stuffed from lunch but it was great to be back! Everyone has been so wonderful and I have been so blessed by seeing everyone. I am very glad I made the trip to NC.

I know the blog has been lacking-----i have been busy running here and there and everywhere and haven't really had much to blog about that would interest anyone. I have shared my pictures of Australia wherever I go and people have enjoyed seeing them so I am happy that I did one of those photo books!

A couple more days in NC before I head back to Ohio for some time with my mom and sister---can't wait to see them some more tho I am not looking forward to the snow. Blah!

Concord for the Day

So it isn't the best picture of the two of us in the world but Cheryl and I had a great time today catching up and it was great to be in Concord seeing some friends and former coworkers! Had a lovely lunch with Teresa, Sis and Cheryl, visited a friend in a transistional rehab place and another friend at her home and finished the day off with having dinner with Cheryl and Hailey! Great day tho the weather is rainy and cold and gross!!! I talked with both the boys and Chris (twice!!) today so I have had a wonderful day!!! I am settled in for the night and ready to hit the day tomorrow with Ann ---I think we are going to the mall and that will be fun!!! My time here is going too quickly, that is for sure!!!

A day with Friends!

Ann, Me (!!!), Melia, Terri and Judy

I had such a wonderful day on Sunday!!! I feel like I have come home or something! Spent the morning at Epworth attending Jacob's Well and the 11 service and caught up with a bunch of people which was great! I went to lunch with my good friends Mary and Jimmy Stewart and Faye Barringer to one of my favorite places in Concord---Mr. C's and we had a great time catching up! I love those folks! Then I headed back to Mooresville to Judy's house where she held a wonderful open house for me so I could see a lot of people in one afternoon. It was so great to see all my friends and catch up, see how some of the kids have grown, see Judy and Alan's new dog who is adorable and just have a great afternoon! After that I met some of the "girls" for dinner at the Fusion Bowl where we probably laughed too loudly and irritated folks but who cares!!!! We had a blast and it was great to be with some of the best friends I could ever have. What you can't see in the picture above is that the sign I was leaning on was a sign advertising Samual Adams beer....written underneath on the chalkboard is the message "bring in your church bulletin on Sunday and receive a free soft drink". I guess at least it is not a beer!!! Made me laugh!

Had a pajama party with Ann last night which was fun and today we are off for more adventures I guess!!!! The week will go by too quickly I know!!!!!

More pics!

1. Micah and I at Dad's for lobster and crab night! Yummy!
2. Grandma Bonnie's farm outside of Big Springs, Ohio. Great memories!
3. Carlton snoozing---Christmas wears him out!
4. The boys and I at Paula and Carl's on Christmas Day doing not much of anything!