Gold

I went for a walk today
and saw
a beetle as colourful as a bird,
a trail of bright bird feathers
like a rainbow - but
no pot of gold,
except
an old Baptist church
empty
waiting
to become the newest Mcdonalds in town.

Game on

The maniac in the blue Ford comes from behind me. He overtakes me and weaves between the cars from left to right lane like he has a death wish. No indicator, nor patience and no regard for anyone else.

I exit the Warrego highway at North Ipswich and stop at the stop sign behind a big old Council truck. It blasts the horn and startles me. What is his problem?

I follow the truck, both of us turning right. On the other side of the overpass is a car with the driver door open. The truck misses swiping the door off by a dog’s tail. The car door closes and the car takes off behind the truck, dust and gravel spitting out behind the tyres. Then I realise it is the maniac in the blue Ford.

The Ford is swaying back and forth on the single lane, trying to pass the truck. The guy is insane. I want to get his licence plate, but I can’t read it from this distance and my self preservation is telling me not to get closer.

At the T junction, the lights are green.

The truck stops in the left turning lane.

The car stops in the right turning lane.

They are stopped side by side at the green light.

Finally the truck lurches forward. The car burns out smoke and screeches in front the truck. They both turn left.

The light is yellow; I stop and watch the vehicles curve up the hill. The car is dancing back and forth in front of the truck. The truck is hemmed in. The truck pulls over and the car stops in front of it.

The truck driver gets out in his orange fluro workvest.

The Ford driver gets out, dressed entirely in black.

I turn my CD off and pick up my mobile phone.

They step toward each other.

The light is green and I turn left. I have lost sight of them.

I curve up the hill.

The two men are on the footpath shaking hands.

Did I see that right?

I look in my rear vision mirror. They are leaning against the front of the truck, arms crossed casually over their chests, chatting.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

If your surname is Potter, you would be brave to call your son Harry. It would be like calling your child Jesus, or Elvis if you were a Presley – or Elvis at all really. I have never met an Elvis in real life.

So what of the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince? It is one of the better ones, exciting and relatively coherent. I don't think it is as dark as some the past ones, but it looks lush especially the signature scene of Harry and Dumbledore on a rock in the ocean.

But by necessity, the movies are merely summaries.

When you have read the books you can fill in the gaps. I wonder if a person without the details is left confused.

In the book, Harry is obsessed with who the Half Blood Prince is, in the movie this is not strongly depicted. When the identity of the Half Blood Prince is revealed it falls flat. Ho Hum, who cares? (I won’t say who it is in case you’ve successfully managed to live under a rock)

The familiarity we have with these characters, and the extra snogging, mean some laughs in the right places. If you do not end in tears...well you have a heart of stone and are probably a deatheater.

We saw this movie at the Regent in the Brisbane mall. The life of the elegant Showcase Cinema is hanging by a thread. Read about the Save the Regent Campaign

I’ll be pulling the book out for a reread soon. Testament to a good tale is that you enjoy having it retold. Is that not how every good myth and fairy tale continues its life?

"Sun Room", Wivenhoe Pocket

India quite likes the view too.

Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen

Boring, boring boring...the good guys are going to win so get on with it already. Not that I have a problem with the good guys winning, I just like the journey to engage me.

The "Transformers" were probably cool but they move so fast it was hard to tell.

Of course, what I think means squat and the movie will make masses of money and they'll make another one and my kids will want to go and see it. I will stay home and watch Dr Who reruns. You see I don't mind when the good guys always win.

Miriama - 9.5/10 humour, action, excellent animation
Tama - 8/10 cool, funny, exciting
Wayne - 8/10 cliched escapism
Kathryn - 2/10 please don't make me watch it again.
http://www.transformersmovie.com/

Thunderbird Park, Mt Tamborine

Thunderbird Park is unpolished. This is not a slick tourism establishment. There is no gift shop with overpriced Koalas.
We stayed in a 'lodge' just metres from a running creek. We sat by the fireplace and watched the water bubble past. There is also a pleasant shady campgrounds that allows dogs.


Thunderbird Park is a hub of outdoorsy activities. More than we could do in our short stay. It all started years ago with mining. You can pay for a mining license to look for Thundereggs. Thundereggs are a mystery. A round grey rock, which cut open, may or may not reveal hidden beauty. It is fun hacking in the dirt with a pic, but we would have appreciated more detail on what to look for. We ended up with four buckets of rubbish.


There is also laser skirmish, horse riding, abseiling, bush walking and of course mini-golf. I think this course was built by a local farmer after he finished some fencing. I came so close to beating Wayne. In 20 years I have never won a game against him that required physical coordination.

The highlight, the reason we went to Thunderbird Park, and the reason I have rope burn is Adventure Parc. This is a high ropes course, which starts off cruisy. No problems, just a bit of walking on ropes and wood blocks. By the end of the course we had all reached our physical limits. Wayne was the only one to finish, but the kids and I did almost all of it. Just for the record, I hate flying foxes. How can I enjoy hanging upside down, go fast, not knowing where I am going? Too much like real life.






All in all we recommend Thunderbird Park as long as your kids are upper primary or older, and you don't mind spending some money on the activities.

Wivenhoe Pocket, Queensland

This is the perfect favourite place for winter breakfast. It is protected from the wind, and also sunny and warm. If only I had the time for leisurely breakfasts.

Goldfish have personalities too.

It doesn't matter if my house is messy, as long as the fish have been fed, the dog walked, the children are willing to smile at me, and the All Blacks have won the Rugby. I think I have ticked off all those this weekend.
http://www.allblacks.com/

My home patch

http://www.upstreampaddle.com/lowood.html

There is adventure in all our backyards. This is my river, the Brisbane River, which channels water to a million people, is muddy, populated by lung fish and fun.

Winter in Wivenhoe

Winter in Wivenhoe Pocket is soft and sparkling. Like a cushion made out of glittering blue Velvet.

Avocados are ripe again

Avocados come from South America. The name is a corruption of the Aztec word ahuacatl, which is the same name given to a piece of male anatomy with a similar shape. I’ll leave you to work that one out.

We decided to buy our house, pretty much oblivious to the actual house. But there were these four mature avocado trees laden with fruit. We have two going off this year. This is what I have learnt about growing avocados.

Homegrown avocados are superior in taste to store bought ones. The longer an avocado is left on the tree, the higher oil content it will have, and consequently the tastier it will be. No doubt commercial growers whip them off the tree as soon as they can, and the taste does not develop.

Avocados do not ripen on the tree. You can leave them on the tree until you want them.

The trickiest thing about avocados is knowing when to pick them. They only way to know if they are ripe is to pick a couple and wait and see what happens. Putting them with bananas or kiwifruit, as often suggested, is useless if they are not ready.

There are several varieties of avocado, and some of them have quite a high tolerance to cold weather. (It gets cold here, but we do not get frost.) We have four mature trees; we do not find they are prone to pests, except birds who tend to arrive at the very end of the season when the avocados have been on the tree as long as they can stay.


Avocados need water. Sadly, a dry season can produce nothing.

One down side to so many avocados is you can’t pickle them for later. (Not that I know of) Of course, having too many will make you a hit with your friends and neighbours. My friends only invite me to visit in avocado season. I have been wondering about that...

The most irresistible thing about avocados is guacamole. I am sure most people know how to make it, plenty of garlic and some lemon or lime to taste is my preference. My tip is, when you put the cling wrap on the bowl, push it right down so it is in contact with the dip. Then it won’t go brown. Also make it ahead of time so the flavours have time to fester.

Grass, Wivenhoe Pocket

One of my favourite places...yes, it is grass.

Green grass is something we don't take for granted in Wivenhoe Pocket. Grass is just as likely to be dry and crackly.

Lying in the winter sun, on the green grass, or in the shade on a hot summer day. Perfect!

The right place at the right time...with a camera!

Adventure Sunday

Tama says the best thing about the our walk was going through the water. The second best thing was the chocolate. The worst part was thinking the mud on his hat was chocolate.

Finding our way up the normally dry gorge was certianly challenging.

It's Raining Agian!

Marsden Parade 8.30am

Bundamba Creek

Wivenhoe Pocket - My Garden

Under the grapevine,

by the rosemary bush,

bigger than any rosemary bush you have every seen,

watching the parrots steal guavas.

Claremont House

Claremont House

Elegance, sandstone and cedar on the Bremer River.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/exhibit/online/timewalks/other/ipswich/claremont

Sweet Contradiction

The moon looks most fine when against the black sky.
Coffee is never more divine than with chocolate.
The funniest of comedies are full of tragedy.

Autumn

Crisp.
Morning fog hugging the trees
and daytime skies blue
and blue.
My hand in my winter coat
finds
last years tissues
soft,
clean,
reassuring
like cashmere.

My backyard

Winter wattle