What Now?

What are you doing for Christmas?

Nothing Special - We've already done Family Christmas

Which leaves us plenty of time to enjoy the Christmas Markets

Dec. 6.  Food & Wine Christmas Market -MCEC (Jeff's Shed)

Dec 14.  Indoor Pop up Market - Pentridge Coburg

Dec. 15  Handmade Design Market - Coburg Town Hall

Dec. 22  Pentridge Makers Market - Outdoor Pentridge Coburg

Didn't buy much but it was a good outing and fun chatting to the stallholders.

Day 2 - Glenelg Beach

Today we had a Free Day and decided to do something different.  Today we 'cashed in' our Mystery Picnic Voucher that DD gave us for Christmas 2019!

A little explanation may be necessary.

You choose the Location - 

For us it was Glenelg SA

Because we could get there by Public Transport and do the Picnic on Foot.

There are more 'exotic' locations but that involves driving.

The night before we received our first clue.

A puzzle that needed solving to take us to our First stop where we picked up our first Picnic Ingredient and unlocked our next clue.

You get the Idea.

We followed clues and continued to pick up Picnic Ingredients for the next couple of hours

all the while exploring a part of Adelaide that we hadn't previously visited.

Once the final clue was solved - We wandered over to a Picnic Table and enjoyed as much of our 'loot' as possible.  

There was SO much food!

A wonderful Gift and an awesome way to fill in a Day.

A Staycaton in Melbourne

Last Year's Wedding Anniversary was definitely a hard act to follow. It involved not only Planes, Trains and Automobiles but Ferries, Busses, Bicycles and a Segway!

This Year only involved the local bus, and then a Tram into the City. And a LOT of walking!

The highlight of our Short stay was a Visit to the recently opened "The Lume" Exhibition Space.  

It is situated at the very end of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (Next to DFO South Warf).

Here we were taken on a Multi-Sensory journey through the Life and Art of Vincent Van Gough.

From a Photo-Op inside one of his Iconic Paintings

to the Sounds and Scents of the Streets of Paris

And of course you can't go to Paris without Morning Tea in an Iconic French Cafe that becomes one with the Larger than Life displays.

(French Earl Grey and an Assortment of French Patisseries was our choice from the Menu.)

We wandered through Fields of Sunflowers before heading out.

An incredible Tribute to an Incredible Artist.

Birthdays Lockdown Style.

Yesterday we were given a bit more "Freedom".  

Our 5 km restriction was stretched to 10 km.  (Although I am starting to feel like a Puppy on a Retractable Leash, I understand why we have to do this.)

As a Kid, Try as I might I just could not understand Venn Diagrams.  

Today I happily drew one - 10 km from Us and 10 km from DD.

Somewhere in the middle they Overlapped.  

And we were able to see her for her Birthday!

Now, we ARE allowed a Picnic (with conditions) BUT I am sure the wind was straight off the Antarctic.  

So Picnic in the Car it was!

[And Bessie has a Great Cubby in the Back ;) ]

And while the Grown-ups were sorting Whose Coffee was Whose...

In swooped 'The Strawberry Thief"

For a Little One that has only just turned One - She did a very good impression of the Seagull that Stole my Sandwich!

There wasn't much left of the Birthday Cake Decoration by the time Miss A had finished - 

This Girl LOVES her fruit and devoured every single piece she took.

So Happy Birthday to MY DD.  

It may not have been the Celebration we would have liked but a precious memory anyway. 

Hope the next one can be celebrated in Style!

Shot of the Day.

 I must say I was pretty pleased with the Photo
Especially seeing it was taken on an iPhone 6s without my Moment Lens

(Or my Glasses!)

And considering this was within a few meters from our home
 - it might be one of "Our Girls".

Bridge Out No More

DH and I  have not been down to the Creek Walk since Covid-19 infiltrated into our small corner of the Planet. 

With shutdowns, Working from home and other restrictions it seemed that "Every Man and His Dog" all want to walk it's Paths at Once - and Let's just say it got a bit crowded down there!

Yesterday we ventured out to see what has changed if anything in the Last few Months.

The Formal Bike Paths and worn foot trails are still there and a beautiful Ford which of course you can't cross when it is flooded.

There are signs that there Used to be a Bridge, or perhaps it was just wishful thinking by whoever designed the bike path.  

Which led up to and away from the Creek but not OVER it.

The Last time we ventured this far we were met with activity of the Building Variety.

A new path was being installed. 

Maybe some lighting too?

We are currently restricted to "Exercise Outside for One Hour" and I was keen to fill my Lungs with Fresh Air that only Trees can Give.

But what do we Spy across the trail?

We had hoped that one day they would build a Crossing.

A small Wooden Bridge to get us from one side to the other without getting wet.

This was WAY MORE Engineering than I ever imagined!

This Bridge will handle everything that Foot Traffic and Nature can throw at it.

I recon that it will withstand the most ferocious Floods and determined arsonist*.

*[Ref: Post 6:00 am Walk]

I can't wait for them to finish it - And when it is finally open I will dust of my Bicycle and Pump up it's Tyres and Go for a Ride!

And by then I sincerely Hope and Pray that I can spend more than an Hour doing it!

Twenty-two Years of Adventures..

Where have you been?
        "There and Back Again"

Why?
        "... to see how far it is"

How long did it take?
       22 Years.

It was July 25th 1997 when I drove my first ever brand new car Home for the Very First time.

And looking through the Albums for that First Photograph of my new car has definitely been a Trip down Memory Lane!

She has faithfully and Safely taken us to Adelaide and Yarra Glen.

From Limestone Caves at Buchan to Pelicans at Streaky Bay.

And the most Southerly part of Mainland Australia at Wilsons Prom to Deniliquin in NSW!

We have driven along the Coast and through Majestic Trees of the National Forests.

Down many "Rabbit-holes" seeing what is around that corner or where the road will take us.

On Bitumen and Dirt and sometimes Sand.

With Three at once on Learner Plates.  Now THAT was an Adventure!

Each time we climbed aboard we trusted her to bring us home safely.

And sometimes - just sometimes we were reassured that we would be kept Safe.

Only ONCE in 22 years did she ever leave us "High and Dry" but even then we were but a few Kilometres from where she was built and Help was at hand.

10 years later that Muffler repair was still going strong!

22 years of Hey Mum can you....

Pick me up at the Train
Come get me I have the 'Barry Sax'
I need a Freezer - can you help
We just bought two 12 foot trees.......

22 years of Recording
Every trip to the Petrol Station
Every Odometer reading
Every Price per Litre for every fill

All - 850 times
34,529 Litres
260,648 km
How much? - I could but I didn't!

Today with more than a few tears
I said Goodbye to my Old Girl.
As she "Sailed off into the Sunset" without Us.
Our journeys together are now over and She has been donated to
"Kids Under Cover"

Perhaps she will find someone to take her on more adventures.

I will miss her greatly.

6:00 am Walk

When I was Growing Up,
"Down the Creek" was very much "Out of Bounds".
And although I had the occasional visit (Camera in hand, when the Creek was flooded) it has not been somewhere I ventured, until just recently.

Since retiring, DH and I have been enjoying exploring the Bike Paths and Informal Tracks along Edgars Creek.

We have passed others out Walking or Out with their Dogs or just using the Bike Paths as a means to get Safely to Work.

Parts of these tracks have been here for Years, but with the Housing development of the KODAK Factory site opening up the area, and a lot of work from the 'Friends of Edgars Creek' Group, this beautiful area is more easily accessible.

I have been delighted to find the Bush Walk that I have longed for was less than 10 minutes from my Home.

Today we came across the SES, Fire Brigade and Police ....

Who gets up at 6:00 am and decides it is a good idea to set fire to a Bridge?

Looks like it will be a while before we can go That way again...

With the route for our walk decided by someone else, we turned towards Home - with a small detour to the Cafe, a cold drink and perfect Coffee.

Good Morning Wednesday

"Morning has broken like the first morning, Blackbird has Spoken...." 

- well, it was actually a Magpie that Carolled in the Morning 

But it did wake me up and I did grab my camera.

Because I was not going to miss this for anything!

Sunrise over Curdies Inlet

Peterborough Victoria Australia

And - at the end of the day it was hard to drag them away from

"Just ONE more shot Mum"

when each wave is bigger and more majestic than the last.

Two days was not nearly enough!

* * * 

Check out

On the Road with Myrtle and Me

for more of our two day adventure on

The Great Ocean Road.

Today . . .

7:00 am - L Plates on and  hit the road.

8:20 am - Arrive at RFT (reason for trip), drop off DS#2

8:21 am - Decide where to go next...

9:36 am - 2nd Breakfast! 

Venue: Baked in Sorrento

Verdict: Best ever Vanilla Slice and Coffee from award winning Bakery.

11:00 am Sorrento Surf Beach

12:30 - Can't walk any further

No - really, this is the end of the line

the last stretch of sand on Port Phillip Bay. 

From here on it is just rocks until 

,

You get to the other side

but then you are not on the bay but Bass Strait

This is Point Nepean

Point Nepean has a fascinating history, 

from Quarantine Station to the drowning of a Prime Minister 

It was a lot of walking to get here.

We decided we had already walked off our Morning tea.

2:31 pm - A Mini Kitchen

Rye Victoria

How could we resist when the directions were

"It's new, I haven't been, 

but it's painted all White and with Yellow umbrellas out the front - 

It looks Pretty and it is always full."

Strong Coffee, Apple Crumble Pie and a Lime/Lavender Friand

Verdict:  When can we come back?

When can we do this again?

4:30 pm Home again.

What an awesome day