Maybe in Oz

This year we said goodbye to a cat/panther/mountain lion/puma.  Sigmund was as amazing friend.  As a kitten, he was hell on wheels. You had to be careful when you walked around, as he could attack at any moment.  He also loved to play fetch, and hide and go seek.  Sig had the longest limbs and toes.  When he sat they didn't fit tucked under so he had to fold them in front of him.  The only thing bigger than his paws was his personality. When we made the decision to move, Sig was lucky enough to stay with David and Christa and their family. We are very thankful for them and for taking care of Sig.  Sig passed quietly, curled up with one of his toys. We received the news while on holiday in Thailand. In the land of tigers, we said goodbye to our own. Rest peacefully buddy, you were amazing and exactly what Phil needed when going through a rough time in his life. Such a handsome boy Coiled up like a snake Inspecting the new fridge ...

Over the Melbourne Cup long weekend we went to Noosa to participate in the Noosa Triathlon, the largest of its kind in Australia. We flew to Brisbane with a friend and then drove 90 minutes North to Sunshine Beach, our hideout for the weekend.  The first trick was fitting two bikes, two bike cases, and three people into the SUV we had rented.  It took a few tries, but finally we were all in and on the road. After checking in on Saturday we drove the bike course so the boys could check it out.  Then it was back to the house for nap time.  We stayed in a rented house with a pool and wonderful outdoor area where we spent most of our time relaxing. Sunday was the big race, and there were so many people participating that Phil's start time was a full two hours after the first racers began.  The boys swam, biked, and ran the Olympic distance course and then we celebrated their hard work with a relaxing dinner along the water front. The boys getting ready ...

I just got back from a whirlwind week in Texas.  I went with three customers; one British Kiwi, one Polish Aussie, and a Papua New Guinean (is that such a thing?) and met a Welsh American coworker there.  One customer I had traveled with before, and two I had never met. We all flew into Dallas and from there traveled to beautiful Mabank, about an hour South.  We were tipped off that a short detour would take us to "the best steak house in the US", Four Winds, so of course we had to give it a go.  It was truly out in the sticks, and after several u-turns we finally found it. It's on a ranch that apparently used to be owned by some Dallas Cowboy (the football team, not the dude with the big hat).  There is almost nothing around, but inside the place was packed and they served up a good hunk of meat. Mabank is not exactly a large city, it's pretty much 4 blocks long, and then you turn right and you're in Gun Barrel City.  It has a population of 3,000, bu...

As a going away gift Phil's work gave him a $100 Gold Class gift card.  Gold Class is the upmarket way to go see a movie.  It's a small theatre that seats less than 30 people and everyone gets a recliner.  There is wait staff ready to serve you snacks, drinks, and meals as you wish. We had heard about Gold Class and the gift card was a perfect excuse to try it out.  Turns out the tickets were $40 each plus a $10 booking fee.  $90 to go see a movie.  Ridiculous. The Gold Class Theatre lounge When we arrived at the theatre we were ushered towards the Gold Class wing.  There we approached a check in booth similar to airport lounge and were brought inside this bizarre waiting area.  We were seated at a table and handed menus.  How strange.  The waiter came back and took our order for both before the movie and then halfway through (food and drink not included in the ticket price).  After a few minutes of sitting around wondering ...

Donna Buang - stripper or mountain?  Probably both, but in this case it's the mountain.  A couple of weeks ago we took a beautiful 90-minute drive through some very green countryside and headed out to Warburton.  This was my first time out there but Phil had been riding there once before and thought it was worth a second visit.  He and his mate were very excited to get outside and do their first outdoor bike ride of the season.  I dropped them off and they took off on the 20 km ride up the mountain. Les and Phil ready to start the ride Meanwhile, I took the dog and we drove just a couple kms down the road to the start of La La Falls.  It was a very pleasant ~3.5 km hike to a pretty waterfall.  The best part of the trail is that dogs are allowed.  Maybe loved it, getting out and sniffing some new land, exploring the little water pools and bridges, and then splashing around in the falls. Canopy at the start of the hike  Cute li...

Last weekend we went back to Wilson's Botanic Gardens in Berwick to take the dog for a walk.  It had been two weeks since we'd last been there, and the changes to the park in that short space of time was remarkable.  Two weeks go it was 23 C, last weekend it was 28.  The trees that were covered in flowers were now covered in leaves, and the trees that were just sticks were now covered in flowers.  They're gradual differences when you're not really paying attention, but comparing side by side the change is very apparent. It's also been two weeks since my husband decided to quit his job.  He'd been contemplating it for awhile, but finally had enough and turned in his notice.  Monday marked his first day of "retirement".  It's a change for sure, but hopefully, like spring, another two weeks will bring us some good changes too. 2 weeks ago the pink flowers weren't in bloom 2 weeks ago this stunning tree was bare 2 weeks ago this tre...

Last Saturday was a beautiful Spring day so we took the dog for a walk at Wilson's Botanic Park in Berwick (pronounced Barrick), just a few minutes from our house.  San Diego doesn't really have seasons, which means flowering trees are still a novelty to me.  I couldn't resist taking a bunch of pictures of the sights- makes it worth the cold winters!   Maybe and I walked around the track, taking our time to chase rabbits and birds and enjoy the sights along the way while Phil ran four loops up and down the hills.  Then we headed down the street to Berwick Village for yummy scones with jam and cream, an Aussie favourite of ours. reflection on the lake Maybe enjoying the trot Yellow Gum Tree Maybe posing at the yellow gum tree look out over the park flowering trees the other lake area  adorable baby ducks frantically swimming away from the dog pretty orange flowers front pond more gorgeous flowering trees ...