TEDDY BEARS EVERYWHERE

Sometimes I walk through Exillis and Dorset Park instead of Daisy Hill Forest. Yesterday I came across many teddy bears to cheer me up.

An easy path to walk on.

A rare sight in Brisbane, Autumn leaves and then I was home.

WHERE'S THE BEAR

On my walk home through the forest the other day, I saw that the teddy bear had gone from his tree stump. I wonder where? Maybe he has gone on a picnic because our country is starting to ease restrictions. We are allowed to go on picnics in family groups.

 The teddy bear that sat on this stump for many days has now disappeared.

 I started to notice all the different types of eucalyptus trees we have. They have different types of bark. 

I'm not good with botanical names but we call this one a "Spotted Gum".

 This one is an Iron Bark.

I don't know the names of these but I like the different patterns and textures.

MORNING WALK

I miss my walking buddies of a morning but we are not to walk in a group of four so we go by ourselves now. Sometimes I meet up with one of them and that's okay as long as we stay apart. The good thing about it is I can stop whenever I like to take photos. Trouble is I only carry my phone when walking so the shots are not the best. Here are a few things I see on the way.

One of the hills

A billabong

What's this? A bear in the forest.

A line of hairy caterpillars crawling across the track. The picnic area is drying out again.

ANZAC DAY IN COVID 19 TIMES

ANZAC Day is the most important day of the year to remember our Australian and New Zealand veterans and service men and women. Usually, all major cities and country towns alike have Dawn Services at cenotaphs to remember the ANZAC soldiers who landed on Gallipoli Beach at dawn in 1915. Later in the day there are  parades  of service men and women past and present and a minute's silence at 11:00 am. The city streets are usually crowded with people showing their appreciation.This could not happen this year due to Covid 19. People were advised to stand at the bottom of their drive with candles at dawn and listen to a service on their phone or tablet. So this was done throughout the nation to let our veterans and those who were killed know that we still remember them. It was different but successful under the circumstances. However, the old "diggers" (ex-servicemen) missed marching with their mates then having a drink at the pub together..
The village staff and residents organised a special day in the village. Lanterns and wreaths were made for the resident's driveways and gates. At dawn people stood in their driveways or at the end of their street and listened to the service. Some residents decorated the rose garden with candles and a flag it looked lovely. Later in the day our very own ex-servicemen residents marched through all the streets while the residents waved and clapped from their driveways or balconies. They had a wreath laying ceremony at the end, which residents could watch live on their issued iPads. Our CEO and staff loaded zoom on the iPads and one of our residents, Julie, to walk with the veterans and video them and the ceremony so all the residents could see it. It was a nice tribute to our veterans even though the usual activities were cancelled throughout the whole country.

Residents making lanterns for everyone.

Residents making wreaths

Dawn Service

Morning Parade. Our very own veterans lead by our CEO 

For the Navy

For the Army

For the airforce.

Our CEO, Chiou See Anderson, lays a wreath from Elements Retirement Village.

Some of our veterans and a minutes silence to remember the fallen.

Our little village cenotaph.

The flag flies at half mast but is raised again after midday.

MY DAD

My Dad died 37 years ago today. It's a long time ago but I still miss him. He was a kind, helpful
and funny Dad.

Dad and me on the ship migrating to Australia from England in 1949. An adventurous thing to do for him, to take his family to an unknown country where he had no friends or relatives.

Ten years later after they had established themselves in Sydney.

When we went on caravan holidays, Dad always liked to have an afternoon "Think".

He was a great Dad, who died too young at 68 from bone cancer.

GOING ON A BEAR HUNT

After seeing how communities are embracing the children's story "Going on a Bear Hunt". We decided that it wasn't only fun for children to find bears on their daily walk but us oldies could join in the fun. So residents in the village started putting out bears for us all to find as we walked around the village of an evening. Here are some of the many that I have found.

Getting stuck into the rum

These bears are wearing their Easter hats.

These Bears got into trouble for not socially distancing so the next day they were behaving themselves and wearing masks.