a very eventful year!!!!

Hello everyone,
So sorry for not being a regular writer even when we have been in internet reception.
We have been very busy and caring for our friends properties during January to July.
It has been a difficult year weather wise [just like everywhere else in Australia] and we all DESPERATELY need good quenching rains.  Not just 20 or 50 ml, but about 100mm [4 inches] and then followup rains also.
It was a pleasure to care for our friends home whilst they travelled Tasmania in Feb to May, and then again in June when they travelled to Mexico for their sons wedding.  We also looked after our friends farm out near Crows Nest whilst they were away visiting the ancestral property out near Barcaldine.
In May, Darryl and I travelled to Barcaldine to be part of the AMLC [Australian Motorhomes Lions Club] GWR [Guinness World Record] attempt at 2 world records.  The first was the longest line of LED lights.  the World record was 660metres.  When the lights were measured at Barcaldine it was just over 5,900 metres. 
There were over 930 vehicles registered to participated in the longest line of rolling RV's.  On the Saturday afternoon and evening all the RV's had to drive out to the Barcaldine/Isisford Road and park up along the edge of the road, and be no more than 1 metre between you and the one in front.  This line of vehicles measured nearly 11kms.  We were vehicle 671 in the line.  On Sunday morning we were to be ready by 8am to begin the parading part of the record, but before we could start we had to wait for a helicopter to come flying over as it was recording the line of vehicles parked up.  At the same time the official distance recorder was marking a 3 1/2km stretch of road with lines at each kilometre.  There were video cameras and still cameras at each km and again at the 3 1/2 km mark, recording it all.
Darryl and I started rolling at 10am and reached Barcaldine (7km away) at 12.30pm.  We had a quick lunch and then had to head back to Toowoomba as I had to be there for Tuesday to teach weaving at the state [primary] school.
It took quite a few months for the data and videos and everything to be collated and went to Guinness World records office to be validated.  In October we were informed that the 'longest line of LED lights was NOT accepted as the line did not form and image.  I can recall that we were told it had to be the longest line, not that it had to form an image!  We found out in November that the Australian Records Office HAS recognised it as an Australian Record.
In Mid November we were informed that the GWR office had approved the longest line of parading RV's and will be recorded in the GWR data as having 868 vehicles [the previous record was 630 vehicles in Italy].
At the end of April Barb had a fall and damaged the thumb on her left hand.  Originally she was told that there was a small piece of bone chipped off it, BUT no one has been able to find it on x-ray since.  In late August she was informed that the joint is full of arthritis and she now has to wear a brace to keep the thumb bone in its correct position.
Throughout first semester Barb was teaching weaving to the students of the state school one day a week.  She thoroughly enjoyed this, and at the same time was attempting to teach the students some Wiradjuri language with the assistance of the Wiradjuri dictionary.  She had applied to do the language course through TAFE and was accepted to start in August 2019.
During May the doctors at the medical practice in Toowoomba changed Barb's medication to a newer form of her diabetic medications.
Towards the end of July, Barb was experiencing Meniere's symptoms and was treating it as per her usual regimen.  It didn't really improve and Barb was experiencing breathlessness on top of all her other symptoms [vertigo, tinnitus, nausea, vomiting] and then she started vomiting incessantly.
This progressed to where she was experiencing chest pain.  Darryl made the decision to take her the 45mins into the ED [Emergency department] at Toowoomba Hospital.  We arrived there at nearly 4 am and Barb was still vomiting and unable to walk more than about 4 metres at a time, before needing to rest and catch her breath.  She was taken through into ED proper and placed on a trolley.  Barb was quite dehydrated but the staff managed to get a sample of blood and then there was a room full of people and we were informed that Barb was in a DKA [Diabetic Keto Acidosis] episode and  we were very lucky to have taken her in when we did.
She was in ED for most of the 24 hours, before being taken to CCU/ICU [Critical Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit] where more procedures were attended and more IV lines inserted to try and get her glucose levels down and her other electrolytes within normal limits.  She was in CCU/ICU for 24 hours before being transferred to the medical unit.  It was here that she was informed that the new diabetic medications that were started in May, had been mimicking her Meniere's, and because she was treating the Meniere's symptoms, the diabetes was getting way out of control.  She is now very well aware that she must double check her diabetes BEFORE thinking it is Meniere's.
Barb was unable to walk as she was very unsteady on her feet and was instructed that she would need a physio review before being able to get out of bed.  After 4 days, she was reviewed and permitted to walk using a wheelie-walker with assistance.  Ummmmm - well, using a wheelie-walker anyway.
Because she was still having a lot of difficulty trying to drink and eat and still experiencing lots of burning in the oesophagus, she was taken to theatre for a gastroscopy, and informed that she had severe ulceration and oesophagitis.  She was commenced on anti-reflux medications via IV and oral.  She was reviewed the next day and instructed that she could go home with oral medications and a repeat gastroscopy in 6 weeks.
Barb stayed with Beckie and family for nearly a week, as she was unable to lie flat due to reflux, and she could sleep sitting up at the house.  After a week, Barb and Darryl moved to their friends home in Glenvale and awaited a review at the hospital.  After the review they travelled to Beachmere [near Bribie Island] for three weeks R+R.  Darryl did some fishing and Barb rested and began learning how to regulate her new medications.
We returned to Toowoomba for the repeat gastroscopy - and given a clear result. 
We then travelled to Wallerawang to spend time with Karen and Trevor.  During this time Barb travelled to Sydney to attend her Post-Grads luncheon at Parliament House and then a mini reunion with several of her fellow trainees.  It was a great time and she managed to spend two days with Gloria and 3 days with Sue.  She also caught up with Sheila (who had travelled out from England), Mary, Celia, Helen and Jenny.
Barb returned to Wallerawang, after catching up with Nicole in Penrith. 
We then spent a week with Karen and Trevor, before heading to Wagga Wagga and staying with Ian, Wendy and Holly.  Whilst here we caught up with Jenny and Family, Lyn and family, Barry and Raylene, Sharon and Stacey and then children, Di and Darryl and many others,  Sorry if I have missed anyone!
Barb also spent time with the Hands On Weavers [HOW] and also visited the Family History Centre to research different branches of the family.
We left Wagga Wagga and headed back towards Toowoomba.  We also stopped for the morning at 'The Dish' at Parkes.  What a fantastic morning we had, albeit with the flies.
We arrived back in Toowoomba and spent some time with Beckie and the grandchildren prior to travelling to Crows Nest to spend time with our branch of the Australian Caravan Club.  We had a great time catching up with old friends.  Hopefully over the next 12 months we will be able to catch up more often.
In November, Beckie purchased a small cottage in Toowoomba and she and the children have moved into their HOME.  No more rentals!
We are now in Logan Reserve spending time with dear friends [who happens to be our mechanic] and catching up with Sue and Gloria whilst we are here.
We are returning to Toowoomba for Christmas with family members before doing a farm sit for our friends Sandra and Tom.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Safe New Year.

November 17th 2015

My goodness me,
Time has flown by over the past few months and it comes as a shock to realize it has been 4 months since my last post.  My humblest apologies to all.
So what has been happening????  At the beginning of August Darryl and I travelled to Taree to see his family.  On the way we met up with Jenny and Peter and their friends at Kew.  They were all travelling north for their yearly break together.  We spent a lovely hour or so in their company before heading the rest of the way to Taree. From Taree we headed down to Wallerawang and had a short stay with Trevor and Karen.  Whilst there the Sydney City2Surf was on and Trev, Karen, Andrew, Julie, Ian and Holly were all taking part.  We stayed at Wallerawang and did a trip to Orange to visit our dear friend Sandie Smith and her lovely family Jenny and William.  What a lovely day we had.  It was great hearing their plans for moving closer to Sydney later this year.
The 'runners' arrived home on Sunday and some were a little wearier then others but in all they said that they had a great time.  It is always a pleasure to visit and very sad when we leave.
When we left we traveled to Wagga through Cowra and Cootamundra, Junee and on to Wagga.  We had not been that way for a few years and it was lovely.  We arrived in Wagga on the 11th August.  And it was great to wish Miss Pauline a very Happy Birthday.  Jenny and Peter arrived home the following afternoon and during the next couple of weeks we got to spend time with family and do some weaving with my lovely friend Gail.

 A Coolamon

 a big basket with the handle on the inside

 on left a fruit bowl using inflorescence from a palm tree and then a basket with the handle on the outside

It was lovely seeing my Uncle Jack and seeing him so well and happy.
We left Wagga for Condobolin and spent a few days with Wendy, Ian and Holly.  A very Lovely weekend with the family and sad to leave.
Because we did not have as long with the family in Taree as what we had originally planned - we left Condobolin and headed across through Parkes to Maitland and up to Taree again.  We spent another 5 nights there before leaving to head home.  We even managed to get Neville out of the house and down to the van park for a full day of fishing.

 Nev with a  dolphin in the background

 dolphin in the water

 Darryl and Shirley fishing

 It was great to have a pod of Dolphins and calves go up the river whilst all were fishing.  I also found the Cundletown Bakery does gluten free bread.  So ordered the minimum amount (3 loaves) and it was LOVELY.  Very soft and light and so enjoyable.
We left Taree and headed to Gumma Reserve at Macksville.

 the creek at  Gumma Reserve

 arty-farty Old Man in the tree

A great low-cost camp and we had two very enjoyable nights there before heading up to Evans Head where we had two more nights before  getting home.
My next week at Ladies Group was BUSY as there was the postponed NAIDOC day celebrations for Wynnum coming up the following Wednesday so we were busy making sure that we had plenty of craft items ready.

 part of the stall at Wynnum

The day dawned with some quite dark clouds and quite wintry, but in the end it was a lovely day and all the grandchildren had a ball.

 The grandchildren with their version of face-painting

We had the grandchildren for almost three weeks and returned them to their dad just before school went back from the holidays.  We then went home and prepared our van for a week long camp at Beaudesert with the Australian Caravan Club for their National Muster.  240 vans descended on Beaudesert and injected about $200,000.00 into the community for the week that we were all there.

 There were visits to the Robotic Dairy, some wineries, Tamborine Mountain, Kerry, Rathdowney and Boonah.  On the Wednesday I held a weaving workshop using material

There was a members market on the Thursday morning and that was also a lovely day, where I managed to sell some of my basket weaving.  I now have a couple of orders that I am working on. On the Friday night we were invited to Beaudesert High School for a Mocktails night where Bradley was doing some of the cooking.

 Darryl, Brad and I at the end of the night

 some of the vans at the Showground

We were no sooner home from our week at Beaudesert when we travelled to Coolum for a X-RAAF Catering reunion.

 Darryl with Wayne Vollmost and Adrian Gard

Apparently this is held every two years and I was glad that I managed to talk Darryl into going.  He had a great time catching up with some of his old service friends and I met a distant cousin.

Myself and my cousin

Apparently there is to be another reunion next year but in ----- WAGGA.  Will be interesting to find out the dates of that one :D
We were only home three nights when we travelled to Benarkin State Forest up near Blackbutt out from Caboolture for a memorial weekend for a friend who was killed in August.  It was a great weekend with  lots of friends reminiscing for an absent friend.  We had four storms roll through on Friday afternoon and some showers on Sunday, but it was a wonderful time.

part of the road into Benarkin

On our way home we dropped the van off for a service and to get some work done on our water tanks - which hopefully have now been fixed.   We will try it out soon.
This coming weekend I am participating in a Garage Sale for the Jajari Jimbaljin Women's group and hopefully we will make some money for the Women's group to make more craft for their stalls.
We have a trip to Grafton in the first part of December for a memorial weekend for my dear friend Valerie Mawhinney - on what would have been her 60th birthday.  Darryl and I are looking forward to catching up with Val's family that weekend.
We have been working in the shed these past two days and it is amazing the amount of stuff that we have got.  So we will be having a garage sale or two to get some of it to new homes.
So that is all for now.

4th July to 17 July

On the 4th July we travelled from Taree to Raymond Terrace and parked the car and van outside our dear friends - Doreen and Ken's - Home.  We then spent three wonderful days with them as they both had a flexi day on Friday.
On Sunday we were lucky enough to see Melissa and her two lovely daughters - Addison and Tayla - and also saw Bruce.  What a great time we had with Doreen and Ken - It was just like it had been when we lived next door.....
On Monday we drove to Maitland and stayed with our dear friends Jenni and Gordy.  Last time we spent time together was back in 2011 at Glen Innes.  A lot has happened in the intervening years, but it was so good to spend Quality time with them both.  We are going to make sure that it isn't three years between visits next time. :)
On Tuesday 8th we headed out of Rutherford to Cessnock and the airport where we were to meet up with our niece Amanda, her daughter Ally and Amanda's partner Mark.  When we got to the airport it was to find everything locked up and no-one home :(  We tried to phone but no response :C  So after leaving messages we decided that we would continue on our way.  We will try and meet up with Amanda, Mark and Ally next visit :)
We were going to travel via the Golden Highway out to Sleepy Hollow and then up through the Bylong Valley toward Rylestone and on to Wallerawang.  As we were making good time ( we were at Bylong at 1pm) we stopped to have lunch and decided to continue on to Karen and Trevor's home, getting there a day early.
Whilst at Karen and Trevor's I managed to get my hair trimmed with Karen's hairdresser, went into Lithgow several times :D and then did quite a lot of sewing on the craft for my stall that I am going to have when we go to the Australian Caravan Club's National Meet later this year.  With the main sewing completed I can now work on the handsewing and the knitting of Rebecca's cardigan.  I promise Beckie that it WILL get finished :D, regardless of the knobbly knuckles that I am starting to get on my fingers of my right hand.  Our good Doctor will check them out when we get home :).
We have been waiting on mail and it arrived on Thursday - now we have the new rego sticker for the car and are 'legal' again - the rego doesn't expire until the 17th but good to know we have the new sticker....  Ben contacted us today and will be sending us mail - so will wait for his mail to arrive too...
On sunday the 13th the temperature got down to MINUS 4.1 outside and MINUS 0.2 in the van overnight. brrrrrrr

 Frost on the spare wheel

 frost on the gas cylinder cover

 frost on the ground

 ice balls on the Patrol

 Ice on Trevor's Ute. 

That night as i was going out to the van it was only MINUS 1.1 outside at 10pm brrrrrrrr

Next morning it was MINUS 5.1 degrees and we had a frozen ice drip from the sullage hose and ice on the sullage bucket

 ice on the bucket

 icy drip

Tuesday 15th, checked with Ben what day he posted his mail ----- but he hasn't yet!!! So we will leave Karen and Trevors on Thursday and he can post the letter to us at Berry....... Duffer that he is..... :D

Thursday 17th we left Trevors at about 9.15 am and headed down to Rydal, Hampton and Oberon.  The weather beureau has been predicting snow for the past four mornings and we haven't got it yet.  Checked with Oberon Police Station before we left and all the roads are clear.

  Low cloud on the rise just after Rydal

 

 Wind Turbines at Hampton

The rest area after turning toward Oberon

Arriving Oberon

  The Big Trout at Oberon

 

We did not stop at Oberon but just drove through.

 Oberon Dam

 

 Looking toward Goulburn

 Moss growing on the side of the road

There was some steep decents and some tight hair-pin bends but it was a very lovely drive.

As we neared Goulburn we went through a Village named TARALGA.  This is also a village where some of our family's ancestors were based, so we stopped for a quick look.

We then kept driving and stopped at Goulburn for lunch.  It was bitterly cold there and there were sleet showers coming through as we ate.  We then decided that we would continue on to Moss Vale and make our way down to Kangaroo Valley.  We were having 35km/h winds with gusts up to 80km/h so decided to stop at the van park in Moss Vale and wait out the wind which is supposed to ease off on Saturday ( at this time any way).  So we are parked here for two nights and the heater is on :)

 

 

Wallerawang

We have had some Cold mornings here.
The first night it got down to 4.9 degrees, the next was 2.7degrees and then 5 degrees and last night was 11 degrees.
Had to go into town yesterday and buy Buster a coat to keep him warm at night and this morning the poor thing had both his legs in the one armhole????? :)  looked funny - so alterations will need to be made to the jacket.
I had a topsy morning this morning but am feeling a little better now - albeit with nausea simmering away.....
Will be with Trev and family until at least Friday - or maybe Saturday morning.
Then on to Condobolin.

Wallerawang

Arrived in Wallerawang late on Sunday afternoon.  It was such a long drive from Taree - 7 1/2 hours but felt like forever......
Monday it rained all day and was COLD......  Thank goodness we had left the warm gear in the van :)
Tuesday we left at 9am and arrived at Balmain Hospital just before 12.  Yep - nearly three hours from Wallerawang to Balmain.....

 Darryl and Aunty Shirley

 Uncle Tony, Aunty Deanna and Darryl

 Aunty Deanna, Barb and Darryl 

We spent two and a bit hours with Great Aunty Shirley and then headed back to her house at Balmain with Aunty Deanna and Uncle Tony.  We got some lunch on the way and had a lovely 3 hours catch up with them and checked out the renovations to Aunty Shirley's home.
We left there just before 6pm and headed for Wallerawang.  and yes - it took us just on 3 hours to return home.......
We were going to visit Aunty Helen and Uncle Keith today but have been unable to raise them on the phones.  So have left messages and hopefully we will get to see them tomorrow.
Cold and overcast here today - hopefully the weather will improve but they are predicting rain for Christmas Day.