A SHORT FOREST WALK

 I decided to extend my short walks from the village into Daisy Hill Forest which I can access from the village as it was built right next to the forest. There is also a public access at the end of our road just outside our main gate. However, the forest access isn't the main entrance to the forest and not many people use it, just locals. So I ventured into the forest for a short walk.

I love being amongst the trees and seeing the winter sun dancing on the undergrowth.

There is a handy log for a rest.

While sitting there I gazed at the canopy and the beautiful blue sky.

Time to head back  over the storm water culvert and I passed an artistic stump.

I can see our village peeping through the trees.

The public access at the end of our road. The village Gate 2 is on the right.

Instead of going in Gate 2, I walked along the footpath to Gate 1.You can see it is a quiet street with large properties on the other side.

When I woke up and opened the shutters I saw these cockatoos having a feast of flowers from my next door neighbour, Rhonda's garden and then fly across the street and perch on neighbour Eva's roof.

SHORT WALKS

After walking with my buddies in the early mornings, in the forest for 4k, for many years now I'm only able to do short walks around the village because I still have back problems. However, there are still nice things to see on my way to brighten my day. Looking for the positives. These photos are taken in the village gardens and the resident's gardens.

Some trees in the Zen Garden have been imported from colder climes and they lose their leaves. Most of our trees are evergreens.

My front garden

Outside the pool fence.

Zen garden.

DAY TRIP

 Bill and I have been a bag of miseries lately. Both of us have back pain. We have been staying home most of the time. However, our lovely friends, Peter and Val, asked us if we would like a drive into the country for a day's outing. It was so nice of them to offer to drive us up the ranges to Toowoomba and Crows Nest. We stopped at Fernvale Bakery for morning tea. Country towns have the best bakeries. This one has become so popular it is now a big cafe.

We parked in the backyard of the cafe where we saw this old truck now a garden sculpture.

We walked through the outdoor area of the cafe, where people were sitting in the winter sun. Some even in shorts and t-shirt. (must be from the colder southern states) Not us we looked towards the warm interior of the cafe.

A typical country cafe. Bll and our friends Val and Peter.

While waiting for coffee and cake I admired the door windows.

After our refreshments , Peter drove us over the Wyvenhoe Dam wall and into the the ranges. 

We stopped in the small town of Crows Nest for lunch at the hotel, famous for good meals. We weren't disappointed.

Then on we went to Tooowoomba and took a drive around the new international airport. By now I was getting tired and didn't take any photos. In the afternoon winter sun we headed home on the new highway down the ranges.

The days are short now and it was almost dark when we arrived home. We waved goodbye to Val and Peter and thought how lucky we are to have such thoughtful friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

 Today is my 82nd birthday. It's good to know that I made it to another birthday. Health has been on a slippery slope since I turned 80 but soldiering on. We had a little family celebration on the weekend with Sonya and her family. It's so nice to have them living in the same city now. They asked if I would like to go to a restaurant or have Bernie cook for me. I preferred the latter where we could be in our comfortable home with our bubbly family.

Bernie likes cooking and he bought all the ingredients and set about cooking a delicious lemon pasta and salmon dish with apple pie and ice cream for dessert.

Banjo and Bernie serve up dessert.

It's so nice to see these kids more than once a year. Fox.

We both have sore backs at the moment so it is lovely to be looked after by the young ones.

We put two candles in the apple pie but they dribbled wax into the pie so they were quickly extracted and held by the boys for me to blow out on my 82nd birthday.

Today is my actual birthday so Bill and I went to the local cafe for lunch. A quiet time together.

VOLUNTEERS LUNCH

 Every year our Managing Director Chiou See organises and cooks for the local volunteers like Meals on Wheels etc. This year she did it for the resident volunteers who keep the village ticking over with activities. We were invited because Bill makes videos of events and posts them on YouTube and then on the village FaceBook Page. I collect photos to make posters for each month's activities to pin onto the Storyboard in the Community Centre. All the office staff and Chiou See's family did the cooking, serving and cleaning up. It was a lovely meal and we had the Queensland Police Pipe and Drums to entertain us.

You may be wondering what could all these residents do to help in the village. I will list some but I can't remember all of them. They organise activities like the Workshop where the keen participants make and fix things for residents as well as have a car check and knife sharpening days. They man the BBQ for other events. There is a group which man the Bar for events. The Dinner Committee put on our dinners, the social committee organise trips and events. Some organise Friday night Happy Hour. Others organise Pizza Night and Movie Night. We have a singing group, cards, games, darts, pool, craft and chat, line dancing and the Circle of Men. We have people who distribute the morning papers and others who act as balloon fairies in the dead of night tying balloons onto the fence of those celebrating birthdays. Eddie catches and removes snakes that visit now and then. Some help in the garden and the list goes on.

We are having state elections soon and we had a budding member of parliament gave us a talk. See Bill doing his videography.

We had the local council member attend and take photos for her FB page about what is happening in her division. See my posters in the background.

The band had us participating in their songs. It was a fun lunch.

GETTING BACK TO WALKING

 Walking is good for healing back surgery so everyday I try to go a bit further. One bright sunny winter's day we went to Underwood Park for a walk around the lagoon.  We have had a lot of rain so the pond is a muddy colour.

There is a boardwalk which meanders through the Melaleuca trees which like growing in wetlands.

The trees make interesting patterns and reflections.

Walking slowly but it doesn't hurt while walking only when sitting and lying down but the sciatica has gone!

The ducks were very active splashing and flapping everywhere. The iPhone  camera is not the best for wildlife in the distance but they are a lot lighter to carry than my Canon Camera.

BLACK AND WHITE DINNER

 I haven't posted for a while. My recovery didn't go as well as expected and I have been laid up with unexpected pain. However, it is improving now. For the first two weeks things were as expected and I started participating in activities again. We even got to the monthly dinner, which had a 'Black and White" theme. We had to dress in black and white and the meal had a black and white component. Our guest speaker was funny and interesting. He was a local poet, Rupert McCall, who we had listened to on the radio some years ago.

My neighbours and friends including my cleaner gave me flowers after my operation to cheer me.

At dinner, most residents wore black and white. Ann our dinner coordinator outlines the night's proceedings.

Ann and poet Rupert McCall

Once again we thank the chefs and the Rochedale High School catering students for making our meal enjoyable.

Then Rupert entertained us with stories and poems from his career. 

 The sciatica in my right leg had gone but now pain started in my left leg and back. I had to have another MRI and I return to the surgeon on 6 June. In the meantime the pain has started to ease. Thank goodness, I'm starting to feel human again.