Mosman to Balmoral

What a day we had. Catching a ferry from Circular Quay to Mosman Bay was the first leg and then the walk. I inadvertantly said left when it should hve been right and so it was our first detour but after that we had a great walk to Taronga Zoo wharf, passing that to Clifton Gardens and then on to Balmoral. We walked for 4 hours and covered just on 8km most of which was a good track but there were 2 steeeeeeeep climbs. Today the backs of my legs feel a little sore.

There were a lot of the Eastern Water Dragons sun baking on the paths and they would run as were got closer. John had a fall about half way but carried on only to find when he got home he needed to put ice on the foot to help with the pain. Today the bruise had appeared but he is walking OK.

We stopped at Bradley Head reserve to have our picnic lunch. We were interupted by a family of kookaburras who perched in the tree nearby. As I was holding the last bit of ham and tomato roll, one of the babies swooped down and whipped the food, which was near my mouth, and off it flew. An older French couple came over to take a photo of the birds (they had seen what had happened). Unfortunately their English was very limitied and after a couple of words we headed onwards.
It was a great day and our next walk is Circular Quay, across the bridge, Lavender Bay, McMahons Point to Waverton. All these years and I haven't walked across The Bridge.

odds

Monday lunchtime we spent at Sutherland as the electrician took out the old oven then John removed a section it was sitting on so the new upright could fit in. All went well and I'm sure the tennant would be happy even though there was a gap between new oven and cupboard.
Tuesday Margaret and I went and had our movie fix and saw The King's Speech and Somewhere. Well I wouldn't recomend Somewhere as I walked out the cinema wondering what it was all about. Whereas the King's Speech was excellent as I really like both the main actors - Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth.

A strange visitor

Graham and Pat went to Culburra on Boxing day but they found a very wet rainbow lorikeet in their backyard. It couldn't fly so they presumed it escaped from a home cage and as they were going on hols the bird came over here. Over two days it was happy swinging, hanging upside down plus doing rolls and then his friends arrived. They sat on the verandah and all squawked together so we thought he must be ok and let him out. Off he flew to the blue yonder.

After opening our gifts, we had a cold lunch and as it was warm, the neighbours out to a family do, we spent some time in their pool. We had a roast duck for a change and it was delicious. I am so looking forward to spending my Bunnings gift voucher. Skype with Katrina, Diane and John and then a few minutes with Andrew, Fiona, Lucy and Henry. It was their third Skype and We thought they had had enough. All Skypes were lovely.

First crop

Don't they look delicious. I'm always amazed when I pick them and then taste the difference between bought and home grown. The fruit fly is about and hope they don't ruin too many fruit.

Cardie

The finished product was posted on Thursday and I hope that it not only fits but Lucy likes it too.

Merry Christmas

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and you have health and happiness in 2011.

Success

I sat through the google video many, many times but in the end the result was a pieced together puzzle ring. Now I have broken it a few times and put it together without the video and just hope I remember how to do it.

gardening

It was a gardening weekend for both of us. John attacked the hydrangers down the side of the house as they were taking over the pathway, while I spent time in the vegie patch. This year the raspberries have come on well and enough of them to take to the kitchen and have for sweets. John had cream (for the first time in months) on the raspberries, I like them just plain. Some of the tomatoes are ready for picking and ripening up. Its still a battle with the birds and snails over the strawberries. The pumpkin has gone berserk and the cucumbers are only pencil thin. Ruhbarb is plentiful and will need to be repotted when its a bit cooler.

This past week

Have had a hard time with Skype and could see and hear but my microphone did not work after the update. Katrina patietly sat while I fiddled and now its OK. Thank you.
We had yum cha in Chinatown with the walking group and got to try quite a few items we've never had before. A good couple of hours of chat and laughs.
Met some of the ladies up at the Catholic Club at Hurstville and thats the last time I'm going to the shopping centre before Christmas. BUSY is not the word but chaotic for parking.
I've seen two movies at the Dendy - Fair Game with Naomi Watts and Love and Other Drugs with Anne Hathaway. Both were entertaining and enjoyable. It was unusual to see lots of children at the Dendy - it was to see one of the Narnia movies.
Google seems to have the answer to every question and am now going to find how to put together my puzzle ring.

Culburra

There was a lot to do at the house but as it was overcast all but one day, the jobs got done. The one good afternoon we enjoyed walking on the beach and feeling the sun's warmth. There has been a great job done by council to regenerate the grassy area at the beach in preparation of conserving the sand (you can see it behind me). There were only a couple of other people to share lovely the beach.

Cockatiel's nesting box

The week started well with the Probus meeting at which the speaker gave a talk on how to tell a joke. Unfortunately it was just an hour of her jokes and now I dont remember any. There is an art in telling them which I dont have.
John worked three days, so it was pleasant to potter about, mainly in the garden. But mid week I took out the cockatiel's nesting box and pulled something in my back. Since then I have not done anything, I even had to cancel my Friday walk about the harbour. It was one I had been looking forward to. John and I will do the walk ourselves by catching the ferry to Mosman and walking on to Chowder Bay in a few weeks. There were 10 eggs and two dead babies, so I think its rest time for the birds and they can try again next year.
I walked for half an hour this morning but that was too long and so am back to square one.
On Thursday we are going to Culburra for 6 days, then back for the walker's Christmas party and then off to Port Macquarrie for 3 days. Consequently there will be no blog for over two weeks. I wish I had a laptop.

Birthday

I had a lovely birthday by going to the movies - Red with Bruce Willis and it was the usual shoot-them-up theme. We had a good laugh. The celebration continued the next day with the ladies at Miranda for lunch. Lovely. The Skype connection was excellent and we had time talking and watching Henry and Lucy.

After a ferry ride to Cremorne Point wharf we walked the loop having a wonderful time with lunch and then a longer ferry home.

I've started on the black cardigan for Lucy.

Spraying the pigeons

Here is John hosing the pigeons that come to visit the hens when bread scraps are thrown on the lawn. They are a menace and carry lice.

One morning this past week I met up with Diane for coffee at Gardens R Us in Moorefields Road and caught up with news.

We were not impressed on Tuesday when John and I went to see the movie - Eat Pray Love, the scenery was great but not the story.

Instead of our normal shopping on Saturday morning, we drove down to Kangaroo Valley markets. It was a lovely drive down to Bowral then inland, about half way to Moss Vale. Again another disappointment, as there were only about 10 stalls, with no fresh fruit. So off we drove to Berry for lunch and home.

The walking group met at Bondi Junction and caught a bus to Codgee Beach where we started the walk to Tamarrama; after lunch walked the trail of Sculptures by the Sea and we were lucky as the exhibition finished today. John did not come as he went to Rodney and Jo's new house but the bbq had not arrived so will go again next week and help out but he did get a nice lunch.

Animal Cruelty

On the morning of leaving to Coffs, John went down to the shed to get a couple of bottle of wine. On our eleventh day of hols, we get a message from Pat - chook in locked shed. At first we couldn't remember where the keys were and had both Pat and Graham searching the usual places and in the end Graham screwed the square air vent off the door. The chook shot out for water. The hen had no water or food for 11 days. Today that hen must have forgiven us as she laid her first egg in over two weeks.

John's 66th Birthday

Happy Birthday John. No balloons or streamers, just a quiet day and evening.

The wedding

Louise and Wayne were married at the Tangaratta winery on Sat. 30th at 5pm. Everything went perfectly and the weather could not have been better. A bus picked up all the guest who stayed at one motel and drove us there and back, so everyone could have a drink.

Tamworth

Armidale was a lovely old town and we walked looking at the old buildings which were so grand. As I didnt take any photos there but I did of the Tamworth PO

coffs

Coffs