Cockroaches

 For as long as I can remember I have called dates "cockroaches". I don't know how or when it started but I guess you could say it is a family nickname.

Now not confusing them when eating or cooking is very important.

This is a date, or more to the point these are dates.
 

This however is a cockroach and not something that should be eaten.

Now I bet that wasn't the post you were expecting and for the record yes that is a DEAD cockroach and yes it is on my floor. It is however now gone (you can breath a sigh of relief) and is a common occurrence (EWWWW!) due to living in Cairns, which I swear is one big cockroach nest. There presence in no way reflects on the cleanliness of my house, mind you if they like a fairly clean house then it can reflect away.

Brolga

I love seeing Brolgas around on the Tablelands. It takes me back to Western Queensland and the excitement of seeing a small family. Of enjoying watching the red capped heads and grey bodies casually move around the landscape. Now any farmer on the Tablelands will complain about how much of a pest they can be. They flock to paddocks in their hundreds and feast on corn or seed, a dinner party they think has been put on for them. Dispite this I still love seeing them and the novelty of see so many well that is something I appreciate.
 

At them moment the brolgas are usually seen in freshly harvested, disked or ploughed paddocks. They are having a lovely time feasting on what nature brings them, well what the farmer's work brings them.
 

 

 

 

 

Wild Bird Wednesday

WALT Enjoys More of Cairns

Well I headed back to work with Anne on the Friday (honestly this is work??) and helped her out by being a passenger in a taxi during role play. Shhh don't tell her I was sleeping through it all, but that air con was so nice and all that travelling, well you get the point. I just had to check out Rusty's Markets after my bear nap, I needed some action.

I found some of my favourite treat at a stall. I think I might have to move here they make and grow nearly everything locally, well the important things anyway like honey and wine and beer and tea and coffee ...

... and mangoes.

We had a farewell BBQ and with all my previous cooking experience I was able to show the students and thing or two. Now Anne tells me that the BBQ was for the students but I am sure that they put it on just for me.

It was pretty tasty especially after all that hard work sleeping preparing and cooking I did today.

I really shouldn't have shown off my cooking skill because Anne decided during my stay to put me to work on some strawberry jam and mango chutney. Now that was some hot work all that chopping and mixing.

As a reward she took me to check out the Centenary Lakes. Great reward that was, no swimming, urgh!

 

 

 Then she took me to Holloways Beach. Now that was more like it, relaxing on the sand and beautiful water for swimming.

She made sure I knew where the vinegar was for a stinger sting, like I could miss that red post. Pretty interesting what vinegar can be used for, first chutney and now stinger bites. By the way stingers are box jellyfish and irukandji jellyfish. Nasty things, glad I didn't find one.

We explored a little of the Atherton Tablelands as well. It was a bit cooler up there, and wet. Anne took me to Gallo's Dairy Land.

I seem to have this animal magnetism going on.

I was spoiled with some chocolates, now that is what I call a reward for all that cooking and teaching.

We also check out some of the nature stuff. Those waterfalls are pretty awesome.

Then it was time for me to leave even though I would have loved to see more and spend more time relaxing by that pool. I did make sure I had one last mango before the trip. I hope I don't get post sick.

  WALT is on his way to his next location, a little closer to home. Safe travels WALT.

 

Tranquil Views

 One lovely morning last week I decided to check out yet another beach North of Cairns however I got a little sidetracked along the way by water lilies in flower at the Centenary Lakes. They are oh so pretty and tranquil looking that I had to stop even though, it turned out, it wasn't the best weather for taking photos of white flowers. They certainly glowed in some photos. It did however make for some nice clear reflections.

I did make it to the beach, a little later than first anticipated, but that is the awesome freedom that comes from a day off.

I'll leave you with a pile of photos of one of the lakes and will get back soon with some more posts and photos. I can't believe how slack I have been.

some glowing lilies

 

Open Slather

WALT makes it to Cairns

On Tuesday WALT or 'West Australia's Lone Traveller' arrived on my door step. Now by now Walt is a bit of a seasoned traveller having come from Brusselton West Australia via Millicent South Australia, the Gold Coast Queensland, Broken Hill New South Wales, the Redland Queensland... and Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. You can read more about it here. Now over to WALT.

Phew, I made it back to sunny Queensland again. I have been looking forward to relaxing in the tropics but boy the humidity is on a high, it's a bit hard to take with all this fur. It is pretty quiet around here, a huge change from all those busy homes with kids, sticky fingers and squishy hugs. I think I am going to miss all of them, maybe I should do some more visiting. Mr Sparky isn't even around, he's off on holidays this week. Anne at Grit and Giggles assures me though that I'll still get the hugs. I'm glad about that, I'm a bear, I need them. 

After chatting and cuddling and enjoying sharing my many adventures I gave into the heat that was making me wilt and Anne set me up with an icy drink and sent me off to the pool. Now this is life in the tropics, ahhh.

Anne burst my tropics relaxing routine bubble on Wednesday. Off to work we went. While she got into work I sat back and enjoyed the view and the air conditioning.

Watching the ships coming in and out was pretty cool.



I did join in with the class though helping out the students with asking about how much items cost and buying things.

 

We had great fun talking about acronyms like my name (happy to help Anne) and which sound in words gets stressed. Anne was getting a little crazy by then and popping out with songs that went with the words or making up silly sentences.

But after all the hard work and giggles Anne surprised me with a trip to the Cairns Wildlife Dome. It was sooo cool. I got to hang out with the birds. Some were a little noisier than others.









I also got to sit back with the Koalas.



See, they are sooo not a bear.

By the end of it Harvey and I were best mates. He is an old fella like me so we had plenty to talk about. He must have like my scent or something I didn't think much of his though but whatever attracts the ladies, right.

 

Maybe I should try some au de eucalypt.

I got wrapped up with the snakes, well snake skin, that was as close as I was getting to them.

 

I also checked out some croc poo and was warned that if I fell in when we checked out the crocs that that is what I would end up as. Bit shitty if you ask me trying to scare a bear like that.

 I think I was pretty safe though, Goliath was enjoying his feral pig far too much to worry about stuffing his face on fluffy old me.

 Well I'm going to get back to relaxing by the pool with an icy cold drink and I'll let you know what else I get up to later.