06 June 2010

Posting Once a Fortnight??

Yep, it seems that I only get around to blogging once a fortnight now.  However, I've been doing lots in that time.

My youngest granddaughter turned 16 last week.  This is a girl who's very quick witted but extremely laid back, much to her mother's frustration at times.  She is a very talented netballer...her position is shooter and her stats are 98%...without trying particularly hard.  If she actually had a little fire in her belly, who knows what she could do, but...that's her.

Then Cooper turned four...can you believe it?  He's enrolled to start Prep next year...I feel so old (not really).

Last Sunday a friend and I went to Tamborine Mountain.  It was a beautiful sunny day, with a bitterly cold westerly blowing.  After fortifying ourselves with a cup of coffee, we explored Gallery Walk, up one side and down the other, with all the other hardy souls braving the cold wind.  However, once we were walking, it wasn't too bad; or we were so cold there was no feeling...have to work that one out.  There are some very clever people who have shops in that stretch.  Artisans of all kinds and we had a wonderful time peering at this and that and marvelling at people's imaginations.


I had packed a picnic lunch (quiche, salad and a yummy chocolate brownie for afters), which we had sitting in the car.  It was too cold to eat anywhere else.  We had a stroll around the Sunday markets and I scored a rather nice photo frame.  It didn't cost anything...the lady who had the stall said that what was on this particular table she had was free, so I spied the photo frame and grabbed it.


After leaving Tamborine, we stopped at the Bearded Dragon Hotel where there was a band playing in the grounds, had a drink and sat and listened for an hour or so.  Very pleasant indeed.


Today, it was Cooper's fourth birthday party.  His actual birthday was Thursday but his party was today.  My daughter had arranged for some widelife people to come up from the Gold Coast with a range of native animals, which had been hand reared, for the kids to hold and pat.  The kids were so good and the animals so quiet it was really quite civilised in that no one was bitten or eaten...


Here are some photos.

The birthday boy dressed in his khakis.  His top says "Raised by Chimps".  I must admit before I saw the whole word, I thought it was going to say "Raised by Wimps"...

With a bearded dragon

And a carpet snake

His all time favourite, a baby salt water crocodile


A tawny frogmouth...so called because of their wide mouth.



I get snaky


My turn to hold the dragon


A green tree frog.  This one comes from the southern states and is a paler green than the Queensland tree frogs, with yellow spots on his back.  A very pretty frog.

Cooper holds the tree frog


A squirrel glider.  I couldn't get a better photo because it kept going after the pot of honey, but as you can see from the keeper's hand, they're not very big.  We have a colony of these in one corner on our block of land.  Unfortunately, cats like getting them, that's why my two are indoor cats...unfortunately there are cats around that aren't kept indoors at night and they kill these beautiful little creatures.

16 comments:

Liz Hinds said...

Oh no, no, no! You brave lady! Not snakes!

That frogmouth has a look of a mythical creature about it.

But, snakes, aside, what a great party that must have been.

Gledwood said...

Hang on aren't those croxx the biggest, fiercest ones in the world? How come it didn't turn round for a good snap? Was its mouth taped shut?

I would be up for the frog, but only a baby/tiny one. I'm squeamish like that.

I did used to have a pet frog. It was a dwarf African aquatic frog, who lived in an aquarium with fish. They're one of only 2 types you can keep as pets without the need for mountains of rocks coming out of the water, they live at the bottom of the tank, coming up for air once every half hour. If I ever get fish again I want a huge tank with lots of those frogs in it...

Gledwood said...

PS I notice no hand-reared funnel-webs or mouse spiders. Yurks!!

Hootin Anni said...

Great post....you HAVE been busy with life. As for picnics in a car because of weather?----been there myself. But ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, a snake on your shoulders?!!! You brave soul. If that were me...I'd still be running.

The Chair Speaks said...

Both Cooper and you are so brave to handle the animals so beautifully.

Merle said...

Hi Robyn ~~ Time just gets away on us doesn't it. I wouldn't like to hold a snake for sure. I hope that Cooper knows not to pick up wild ones that are poisonous. Glad you are having fun, visiting and birthdays etc. Glad you liked the meals on wheels joke. Take care my friend. Love, Merle.

Gattina said...

Yes, we live with killers ! but that's nature (at least concerning animals !) Cooper became a big boy now ! How cute he is ! I have to wait another four years to catch up with you, lol !
I am very disappointed not to see a kangaroo and my favorite bird laughing it's head off !

Peter said...

Good of the "widelife" people to cater for Cooper's birthday party.
Have you been to Montville Robyn? chock-a-block full of great craftware and the like.

Lee said...

Aha...you were up my way, Robyn! I've not been to the markets in ages and ages...probably over three years and they're just across the road!

Great pics and you're a braver person than I am Gunga Din! There is no way I would put a snake around my neck! No way! I'd rather put them in a bin!

Snakes are not my favourite people! I did manage to touch one once...but that's as far as I will go. One of my staff members on Hinchinbrook Island was a snake catcher (and keeper)...he used to catch them around the resort and we'd send them across to the mainland to a reptile park.

I've been pretty slack in the blogging department, too...so don't feel guilty!

Carole Burant said...

All I can say is that you're much braver than me, I don't think I'd let a snake that size come anywhere near me! lol All the other animals/reptiles I think I could handle:-) I'm always fascinated with the variety of animals that you have that we don't have here. Hard to believe that Cooper is 4 already, wasn't he just a baby last week????:-)

Sounds like you and your friend had a wonderful time at Tamborine Mountain. Isn't it amazing how artistic some people are? Makes me so green with envy! hehe Oh yes, a picnic in the car, been there, done that as well:-)

You're not the only one who hasn't been blogging as much lately. This time of year, I have so much to do outside and of course I also redid my bedroom so computer time was almost nil.

Good to catch up on your latest news. Take good care and behave...well, ok, you don't have to behave! lol xoxo

rel said...

Robyn,
Once a day, once a week or once every month or two we all come back to the blog don't we? It's aan avenue to our immortality I think or our inate longing to tell "the story". whichever, it's good to hear all is well with you and yours, or as well as one can be who holds snakes around their neck---ugh!
It is quite a clever activity for a birthday shindig though.
I'm thinking you're losing weight?
rel

Walker said...

Now that was real cool and a lot better than a scary clown thats for sure.

You have been busy as you should.
Then blog lol

RennyBA's Terella said...

Thanks for keeping us posted and what great pics! I remember some of the animals from my visit to Australia - quite exotic to a Norwegian you know :-)

Btw dear blog friend: Sorry for being absent for a while. Of course I could have written a lot of excuses, but I guess the most important is to assure you I haven't forgot you (and do appreciate all you're nice comments on mine)!

Gledwood said...

Hey ~ I thought that tubby little squirrel was drinking beer there for a sec...

I was just going to say having just seen your comment at Gattina's, you should post up some Aussie currency. If you've got a camera with macro, try and get a close-up of the transparenty bit. That's what I remember about Aussie banknotes (when a friend went out there) ~ the transparent bits. And aren't they made of ultra-durable anti-tear plastic?

Angelo said...

WOW! Now that's a kid's party that I'd enjoy! That is so cool, Happy Birthday Cooper (belated)! Animals from down under are so interesting.

I'm glad you're still blogging Robyn, even if it's every 2 weeks. Somebody said that blogging was cool 8 years ago! I guess everybody's on FB now.... I will resist, I hope you do too.

Tinsie said...

You are MUCH braver than me.