Hats off....

To my new followers for joining the throng....

It was a lovely day in the park on Sunday....there was the smell of sausages smoking on the barbie...the birds were singing in the trees and humanity was out communing with nature and generally enjoying themselves....

Some lovely people delivered nature to my door last week....

The flowers are a bit past their prime now but they are still beautiful...

You could have flowers for ever and be donating to Japan Earthquake Relief at the same time...

if you bought this bag from Minaniemi on Etsy - a local Brisbane designer....

Minaniemi means 'Smile to everyone' in Japanese.

Isn't that lovely?

But remember - my goal is 50 followers, so we've a way to go yet before I can do the draw for the prize of a $50 gift voucher at Etsy...

Get your friends to follow now!

Minaniemi!

Giveaway

These pelicans were hoping for a giveaway...

They were not disappointed....

Neither for that matter was I....

A very beautiful lunch at Brett's Wharf after a fantastic Citycat ride on the now peaceful Brisbane river....

Looking at our tall buildings

and the mangroves....

I love how in a mater of hours they vanish....

Don't you miss out on the Etsy giveaway.....

Once we get to 50 followers, all the names go in a hat for a $50 gift voucher at Etsy....

I don't think you can get real Pelicans on Etsy,...or lunch for that matter...

but you can get just about everything else.

Go on, follow and post a comment to go in the draw.

Fabulous Fifty!!

On this day - fifty years ago - John F Kennedy declared his intention to put a man on the moon before the decade was out.  Fabulous but true!!

Oh - and I was born...

Today is National Simultaneous Storytime, organised by the fabulous folk at ALIA.

When was the last time someone read you a story?

When was the last time you read someone a story?

Here's a fabulous story....Feathers for Phoebe by Rod Clement

Children all over Australia listened to this story at 11am today.



I'm a bit late but you can listen to this story anytime you want and a very good one it is too.

What's your favourite story?

Want to find out about some great free stories to read on your e-reader?
Check out this fabulous blog by friend Helen.....

I want to share the birthday joy by giving one of my followers a $50 (Australian) voucher to spend on Etsy.  For you fabulous folk in the US of A - that's worth $52.5331!!!!

But I need to get to 50 followers.

When I get to 50 followers, then I'll use a trusty method from my good friend Grand Purl Baa (used on Melbourne Cup Day every year to pick the winning horse).

Everyone's name will go in an ice-cream bucket, they will be chucked ceremoniously across the kitchen floor and the first one wins!!!

But you have to follow my blog and you have to comment on this post.

Ready...set....go.....once upon a time......

Fog

It was a foggy start to the morning. 

People have been busy over the weekend getting ready for the Council clean up...

Other creatures have been very busy decorating trees and bushes.....

I enjoyed a fabulous coffee towards the end of my morning walk at our new coffee shop in Kirkdale Road - it will be a pizza shop too, but the oven hasn't arrived yet. 

The coffee is SO cheap (by Brisbane standards) - $3 - and is made from Genovese beans. 

Called Cap'lina, I wish the local owners all the very best - their service is cheerful and attentive.  The shop is open from 6am til midday during the week and til 1pm on the weekends.  It's where Saba hairdressing salon used to be.....

Hoorah for small business - 'tis the backbone of this great nation.

Daytripper

I went to the beach this week - some people I know are still swimming but I am a wus of the first order so I declined.  We went for a drive on the beach which I still find a surreal experience.  Can you believe that the noise of the surf is so loud that people can't hear you when you're driving along?  Bizarre.  So everyone has to be very careful and look out for each other - not that there are many on the beach but still.....  

We saw some of these chaps - about three pairs altogether - having their dinner by the sea.

They hopped away when we pulled up to take a look at them. 

Main Beach, Stradbroke Island is very beautiful - that's for sure.  You can't really see it in this photo but they have started mining on this side of the island - but not for much longer.  

It's a contentious issue - mining.  It has provided incomes for many families on the island for years and it will be very difficult to adjust.  I hope that in the next eight years, other less damaging and equally rewarding enterprises can be found to replace it.