A Very Full Weekend

Wow!  What a full weekend I have had!  And it started on Friday - not Saturday.  I went out to lunch with my family at the Springwood Hotel where we ate up big and talked and caught up with each other.  But I couldn't stay as I had an appointment with CRS at 2pm to look for work.  It took only an hour and so I arrived back at Mum and Dad's place by around 3:15pm.

There were more of us, but this is what was left after a few hours.

A Santa Clause Party... right on the Brisbane River!

A weird picture I took of tree roots

On Saturday, Mum and I went out to a 365 Project Meet-Up.  This is where a group of 365er's get together to chat, hang out and photograph and swap stories.  Well, this was for the members around Brisbane.  About 8 people showed up with 6 of us being the photographers of the lot.  Much photography and fun was had - including a few funny photos and interesting ones.  Like the one I took of around a dozen Santa Clauses on a City Cat having a party!  They call out and I called back and they waved!  How cool is that!

Well, the hours zipped by quickly and soon, we took a stroll along from the Thornton Street Ferry terminal to the next one down.  I used to blade from Dock Street to Horton Street Ferry Terminal; then return to Southbank, and then blade back to Dock Street.  This took 2 hours.  Since that time - it's been years - a lot has happened, a lot has been developed and I'm pleased to say if I went and bladed along now, I'd be able to arrive at the Storey Bridge without having to remove my blades.  How cool is that!

Well, we all took a break before going our own ways.  Before long, it was time to return home and find out which photos worked and which ones didn't.  So, Mum and I boarded the Thornton Street Ferry - heading for Eagle Street Pier - and found our way to Elizabeth Street to catch a bus home.  Just before Garden City, I pulled out my Go Card and almost got off the bus; forgetting we were staying on until the Springwood Bus Station... oops!  Goes to show how used to my own routine I am.

Today, Mum and I were out again to the Logan Art Gallery's Christmas Party for 2011.  The day started out hot as hell and - by the time I had gathered together my little esky and my drinks - it was going to become hotter and stickier.  By the time we had our photo taken and were on the bus and got going, we found out the air conditioner wasn't working; thus making our day out very warm indeed!  So, when I pulled out my drink and guzzled it down and then my bottle of water, I found it was lovely and cold; and I thought to offer Mum to put her water bottle into my esky to keep it cool.  Just as well I did!  The day turned into a right boiler and the bus made every water bottle on board undrinkable; except the ones Mum and I had in our little esky.

The bus took us to Bribie Island where we enjoyed ourselves at a craft market which was situated next door to the Matthew Flinders Art Centre.  I hadn't been to a market in ages; so I gave the art centre a miss and jumped straight into the market and looked around in the heat of the morning.  It was lovely.  There was so much to see; and I didn't see it all!  I found some great coffee from Byron Bay - which I bought some of for $8.00 - and then I bought a cake of lovely Lemon Myrtle Soap for Mum for only $2.00 which was made from all natural ingredients!  Its scent was delicious!  I also tracked down some Neem Soap.  this stuff is made in India from a tree which is a noxious weed; however, they can use every last scrap of it - from the roots to the flowers to the oil, to the leave and the bark... the whole tree is used.  In comparison to something here, it's the same as our Camphor Laural; grows everywhere and anywhere, and yet, not matter how much they cut them down, they seem to have more.

The Bribie Island Bowls Club - a great place to eat!

What we all received as a thank you this year.

Trips the Cat????

Trips The Cat - as he usually appears.

After the markets, we were on board the bus by 11:45am to be taken to lunch at the Bribie Island Bowls Club.  And after such a warm atmosphere on board the bus, this place was an oasis of cool!  The air was lovely, the drinks were well-received and the service was brilliant.  I found the Ladies' toilet to freshen up only to return to find a delicious vegetarian dish already waiting for me at the table.  I didn't have to line up like everyone else.  And the dessert of Bread'n'Butter Pudding with freshly whipped cream was just superb!  And yet, I was served up a bowl of ice cold, fresh fruit salad... which I couldn't eat, so I shared with Geoff, Viv and Mum.  After we drank our drinks and had our coffees (I made mine an ice coffee due to the heat), Annette, Chelsi and Marsha handed out the gifts of a pen in a wooden case.  The pen was wooden as well!  How beautiful!  I loved it!  This is something I will definitely use.

Well, we didn't wish to move from the bowls club - actually we were all ready to have a siesta.  However, the day had to move on; and so did we.  Our organisers gave us the option to get on the bus or walk to the next destination. Mum and I thought to walk to the Seaside Museum along with a few of the other volunteers.  It was a lovely day and the sea breeze was a lot cooler than the air on the bus; and a lot fresher too.  Along the way, we walked past a carnival for Christmas where a school band was playing, a radio station was working live, people were there with their pets and there were farm animals as well; it was great!  

Finally, we arrived at the Seaside Museum and we were greeted by lovely cool air-conditioning.... and Trips the cat.  He wasn't a real cat, he was a stuffed one - a replica - of Matthew Flinders' cat.  He laid there on the front counter where everyone could pat him; or not if you don't like that kind of thing.  Well, one of the ladies picked him up and we found the base of him looked like a frisbee!  It was hilarious!  I found this place wonderful and every interesting.  I took plenty of photos and we all ended settling down and colouring in too until it was time to go back to the hot bus.

Unfortunately, it was so hot on board the driver opened some of the windows for us - cooling the interior down a bit - and we had a reasonable trip home.  However, the air-conditioning really wasn't doing us any favours.  Once home, I had a nice cool shower and ate some dinner.  And I'll be off to bed soon; as it's been a very long three days.