Show Time 2016!

It is that time of year, the time when we whinge about the price to get in the show gates and still go and do it anyway. 

We actually had no specific plan to head to the show this year, but ended up checking it out for a couple of hours last Friday. It was peoples day or the show holiday. I had to work that afternoon and evening so Mr Sparky's get in and out method suited me fine. It was going to be crowded. Last time we went we went at night but this time we hit the show just after the gates opened for the day. Unfortunately that method doesn't leave much leeway for photo taking, other than the odd quick snap here and there.

So here is a super quick look at parts of the Cairns Show for 2016.

Shhh ... spot Mr Sparky ;)

Art

The show ring

Handy crafts

Cakes

Quilts and woodwork

Dairy cows

Lead steer

Sideshow alley

Sideshow alley

Sideshow alley

Sideshow alley

Sugar cane

Historical display

Car display

Animal farm

Poultry and birds

Plants and flowers

Fruit and veg

Orchids

We last went to the Cairns Show two years ago. Not much has changed but it was good to have a look around in daylight hours but I am a bit sad I missed out on fireworks. Oh well, Cairns Festival is coming up so hopefully I'll get to see some then.

Tuesday's Treasures

Through my Lens

Drips, Drops and a Frame

 

 

The Tablelands is very soggy at the moment and after it clears up for a couple of weeks (the local farmers have their fingers crossed, everything crossed for that) it is going to be a very wet winter according to forecasts. I can only hope others who need it get a wet one to. I know The Station is certainly in need of it with much of North and Western QLD missing out on their wet season. There are some record sales going on around various areas but not records for what price the animals are going for, that isn't so great, but records for numbers booked into the sale yards. Stations are having to sell to enable select stock to survive the usually drier months of winter. As I said for them let us hope it is a wet one.

 

The Tablelands is another matter with some farmers needing it to stay dry so their calves can dry out and survive and so they can harvest their crops and dry hay. For instance the farm I babysat at are trying the harvest peanuts but every day it stays wet and they stay in the ground or on the ground is another day they loose goodness and quality risking diseases. Then there is the fact that they want to make peanut hay from the plant and that requires dry weather for the harvested plant to dry.

 

So there you go lack of rain or too much rain makes the farming game a challenge. Agriculture certainly is a gamble, relying on the weather, and at the moment it doesn't seem to be going their way.

 

Here are some very drippy, droppy photos as the title implies ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the view from a house we went to visit on the weekend near Ravenshoe. I think I envy their view ... do you?

 

 

Last but not least do you remember that sneak peak of a frame in the making? Well this weekend it was worked on a little more. We had to wait until we went back to the farm to do this. Mr Sparky cleaned it up a bit ready to varnish and then coated it well. Other than the glass and backing it is all ready to hang now and Mr Sparky has chosen the photo he wants to take pride of place within this frame. I'll share when it is all together. Now just where to put it.