Watery Wednesday - Feb 2010 - 2

McCrae Beach

Mornington Penninsula

We have arrived at February - the last official month of summer

That doesn't mean to say the warm weather will disappear tho'

Going through old photos recently I came across these

taken a few years ago now

in March if I recall

This is the beach at McCrae

one of the suburbs that border Port Phillip Bay

as you make your way down the Mornington Peninsula

About an hour and a halfs drive from our house

we would go there when our children were small

and this day I had gone down with a daughter and grandchildren  

It was really quiet that day - not many beach umbrellas

so you can see the lovely sandy beach

and the view back up past Dromana to Safety Beach

These are reasonably safe beaches

and at the height of summer would be jam packed with with families

Here you see how far the tide goes out

which makes it ideal for Beach Cricket

http://www.cricketvictoria.com.au/page/beach_cricket.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_cricket

As I said these were taken a few years ago

The little tiny girl on the right
at the back of the picture

started High School this term lol

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Progress Report

It can stay 

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/no-snow-no-worries-for-australian-team/story-e6frg1wu-1225827905652

http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/02/08/12786651-sun.html

Let the Games begin
with some snow for our athletes at Cypress Mountain lol

Come on Aussie - come on - come on

It comes in all shapes and sizes and variations on the original theme 

dating it would seem right back to the 1940s

when it was painted on aircraft in the Second World War

see here for info

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-flags/boxing-roo.htm

Yes its the Boxing Kangaroo

First seen in recent history

when the America's Cup was taking place in Fremantle

the 1983 design looked like this

and it would seem that the original flag is coming back to Australia

Read the news story here

http://www.perth2011.com/press/view/mediareleases/20/

The rights to the design were then sold to the Australian Olympic Commitee

At the moment a large flag with this design is causing quite a hoo ha

Its hanging over a balcony

in the Winter Olympics Athletes Village

Vancouver

I wonder how this story will end?

http://www.news.com.au/national/the-ioc-in-canada-doesnt-like-our-boxing-kangaroo-flag/story-e6frfkvr-1225826954047

http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/national/national/general/boxing-kangaroo-flag-ban-ridiculous/1743379.aspx

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/winter-olympics/olympic-team-defies-boxing-kangaroo-flag-ban-20100205-ngpn.html

all images were gleaned from the internet

Skywatch Friday - Feb 2010 - 1

Views from Tower Hill

Charters Towers

Northern Queensland

about an hour and a half inland from Townsville.

The views from this lookout were spectacular

we were able to see for miles - way out into the distance

The day was warm but there were loads of those big fluffy clouds in the sky

If you look carefully to the top right hand side of the second photo

you will see a bird - not sure which sort

and after a lot of moving around using the viewfinder

I was able to catch it in amongst the clouds

enlarge these photos to enjoy the view

and see the bird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charters_Towers,_Queensland

http://www.about-australia.com/queensland/townsville/destinations/charters-towers/

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Do you ever wonder?

Do you ever wonder who has walked down a path before you

Yes I know that sounds 'very deep'

but this is what I actually mean

Last year whilst we up in

Bowen, Queensland

we would take a walk on the beach each day

Each time we stepped onto the sands

I'd look one way up Queens Beach

and then the other way

And if I saw footprints in the sand

I would often wonder who they belonged to.

Were they enjoying life- having a good time

a very easy thing to do in the winter sunshine

of Far North Queensland

I really like this great impression of a foot I saw in the sand

And this big shoe print - looks like a man's to me

Walking on his own by the look of it

'cose

I couldn't find any dog paw prints close by

And these might be the group of women

who would walk each morning

just after breakfast

Now when I think back

to the lovely peaceful restful 7 weeks

we spent up there in the sun

while it was cold and wintery in Melbourne

2400 kms away down south

I sometimes look at the photos

and often wonder who

the footprints belonged to

Floaters and Flashes

Well my trip to the eye specialist was worth it 'cose he reassured me that  'All is well' 

Seems what I was worried about and what prompted my GP to refer me, is for many people all part of the aging process:(

I'd been seeing little black specks in my eye for a while - and yes I knew these were called floaters - but then I started to these sharp flashes of light in one eye just as I was falling off to sleep, like someone had turned on a torch and shone it straight into my eye.  So when I started to get little white blobs falling down one side of one eye ( looked like white raindrops sliding down a window pane but at the side of one eye) I finally mentioned it to said GP.

When I made the appointment the receptionist advised me I wouldn't be able to drive home so Dh got comfortable in the car, ready with Jon Faine and a book to while the time by; luckily me getting the first appointment for the day was great as I didn't have to wait long before I was called in.  History taken with the Orthoptist and then it was on to the Ophthalmologist for the main event.

It was a very lengthy examination, looking inside, outside and all around the eye and it was after the final eye drops that I realised what they meant about not driving - everything certainly was fuzzy lol 

It wasn't till way into the afternoon before the pupils had returned to their normal size, the soreness or I imagine irritation from the 4 sets of drops that were administered had diminished and I could focus again.  The specialist was very reassuring and I was advised what to look for in case something does 'go wrong inside the eyeball' so now can carry on as normal.  There shouldn't be any problem with craft and not be too worried with seeing things lol

I'll tell you what tho' this aging process can be a real killer sometimes - mentally as well as physically lol

I found a few links you may be interested in

http://www.berwickeye.com.au/floaters.htm

http://www.darlingdownseye.com.au/index.php/patinf/floaters

http://www.agingeye.net/visionbasics/flashesandfloaters.php

http://www.ezekieloptoms.com/eyeHealth/floaters.html

Watery Wednesday - Feb 2010 - 1

Abel Point Marina

Airlie Beach

Queensland

Back in Queensland again lol

As were staying just an hour away from Airlie Beach

we dropped in one day to book tickets for a day cruise

to some of the Whitsunday Islands

Lots of white clouds showing up against the blue of the sky

and accenting the greeny look to the water

There weren't many boats tied up that day

but I loved the look of the sleek masted sailing ship/yacht

 and the much larger exclusive expensive looking yacht 

berthed next to each other in this world class marina

No casual access to the walkways so this is as close as I could 

click the photos for a clearer view

Here are some links to this marina

http://www.abelpointmarina.com.au/

http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/WhitsundaysPlaces.php?id=8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlie_Beach,_Queensland

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February 1st

February 1st 1963 a little girl was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England

There was snow (lots of snow) on the ground, the country was in the grip of a terrible winter similar to the one they have just experienced this year. Her poor Dad had trouble walking to the phone box at the end of the road to ring the midwife. She managed to cycle from the other side of the city and helped welcome this little girl into the world at 9am that morning.

May 1963

This is my little girl now

Happy 47th birthday J

Does anyone know the answer to my question

For some reason the words to this poem have been going through my head

Only its the singing version - I remember it from my childhood

Could someone put me out of my misery and tell me who it was that sang it

I can hear it as plain as day

Theres a sort of rising (almost galloping) tempo to it as the verses unfold

and then it slows down for the last line 

Vespers

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands, little gold head.

Hush! Hush!

Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy.

I know that's right.

Wasn't it fun in the bath to-night?

The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.

Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,

I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door.

It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.

Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,

And pull the hood right over my head,

And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,

And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.

And what was the other I had to say?

I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be?

Oh! Now I remember it, God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush!

Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

Alan Alexander Milne 1882-1956

Joke time - Its an aging thing

Some of us may need to enlarge these pictures:))

Off to see an eye specialist on Monday
Hope all goes well
Cathy