Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas

It seems like ages since I've blogged, however, I couldn't let Christmas go by without sending good wishes to everyone.  

Our life has been taken up entirely with our travelling and, oh boy, what an amazing time it has been so far. We've been in Northern Thailand for 5 weeks, and are now in Vietnam making our way up North and will return to Australia in early February.

The camera has been given a good working out, I shall include a few photos in this post... I became a bit overwhelmed as to which ones to choose, so they're a random lot.

Gosh, we've had adventures galore, seen weird and wonderful sights, eaten delightful food (and some not so delightful too!! but we try everything).

We get around by planes, buses, ferries, taxis, trains and even on the back of scooters - wow, who'd have thought... me on the back of a scooter taxi on the roads packed with traffic who follow the rule that if you flash your lights and honk your horn you've got right of way.  A mad dash around Bangkok on a Tuk Tuk in the evening (exhilarating) and a leisurely ride on a Cyclo straight through the craziness of Ho Chi Minh City's bumper to scooter traffic (scary and terrifying fun ... if that makes sense??).

We've been on the receiving end of some incredible acts of kindness and such generous hospitality by people, it's reduced us to tears.  Seeing the living conditions and the results of basic lack of health care that we take for granted in Australia is such an eye opener too.

That's it for now, it's a bit of a one-sided post as I won't have time to be popping over to visit any of you kind blogfriends, each day is full to the brim while we're "on the road" and then we flop exhausted, but happily, into bed... see you all when we're back in Australia.  Until then, enjoy the pics and have the happiest of Christmases, keep safe and eat lots!!  Kindest regards, Susan and MD xx

Stunning White Temple near Chiang Mai... complete
with white fish (Koi)

Loy Krathong celebration of the full moon
We were in a crush of people, all orderly though
not scary at all.

Purchases from the early morning market.
The little banana leaf packages contained a sweet
sticky coconut rice mixture - very addictive!

A Temple by a Lake
A blissful spot

At the handmade Umbrella Factory at Chiang Mai
This lady was cutting spokes

MD thought I'd love this umbrella to take back home...
he was right, I did !
Just hope Customs let me keep it - fingers crossed.

Another of the beautiful National Parks in Thailand
(Phu Sang)

I'll never take rice for granted again after seeing the
hard physical labour that goes into harvesting it.
The itching and rashes the harvesters suffer are terrible, plus
the strain on their wrists and arms. MD bought some support
bandages for one lady's wrists and the relief was
immediate, the joy she showed was such a pleasure
to see. We're going to follow up with more for others.

Um... we got lost!

Some of the funny things we saw in the markets

This lovely hilltribe lady in Mae Salong (a tea growing area)
kindly obliged me with her photo. 

Hmmmm.... feeling hungry?

At My Tho, Vietnam, on the banks of the Mekong River
Christmas is celebrated widely in Vietnam, so

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A bloggie-break...

Am popping over to visit everyone once more and then I shall be taking a bloggie-break,
a huge bloggie-break....
a ginormous bloggie-break!!

So many bits and pieces to see to before we take off on our overseas adventure in a few weeks' time.
We're currently getting ready for a little 'farewell tour' to visit our children, grandchildren and other members of the family before we fly off.

Thought I'd leave behind a couple of favourite photos I took last week in the garden...

Very pretty Pineapple Feijoas.  Oh, I can hear those Bower Birds smacking their little beaks in anticipation - they just love the Feijoa fruit.  

Thank you everyone, for your kind and happy wishes for our trip. It's been lovely to read them in your comments to my last few posts. We intend to enjoy every second of it! 

So, I'll say cheerio for now, and may the next few months be full of peace and happiness for each and every one of you, and your loved ones.

Susan xx :D)

Bits of this n thats... really random - all over the place!

I want to post, but just can't make up my mind what I should post about!

(here's a cabbage)

Lately, I can't seem to focus on one thing at a time. Keep finding half-done things around the house.

(here's some more cabbages)

Reckon it's because I'm getting all excited about our trip. 

(here's a whole garden bed full of cabbages)

I'd been admiring those ornamental cabbages for a while now, each time we went into town for our shopping. A few have started to go to seed, but I feel that makes them even more attractive.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

  

MD cooked up a treat brekky the other morning - bacon and eggs. Yum, a once-in-a-while treat which we devour with gusto.

It occurred to me that we're both very different in how we go about eating this special treat .....

MD's way, all nice and neat

My way... all chopped up, splathered with Lancashire Relish

... all good either way.
Especially good when followed by a cup of his excellent coffee.

Needless to say, there's no thread or theme for this post.  It's sort of a Lucky Dip type of thing.  Fun though, who knows what will pop up next!

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

I recently made a terrarium out of the goldfish tank, it sits outside on our verandah.  The photograph has picked up the reflection of the verandah flooring and created a nice effect I thought.  The plants are thriving in there.  I keep the glass lids on, so no constant watering required.

Oh yes, see the plant in the black pot in the terrarium photo above? Well, following are some closeup shots I took.  It's a funny shaped little flower isn't it. 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

A little peek over the fence at our elderly neighbour's most beautiful tree of blossoms.  

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Last night, while we were outside changing the gas bottles, this is the sight that greeted us under torchlight! Party time for snails and slugs...

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

I got a bit curious the other day, when this helicopter was circling and hovering over our little valley.  So I zoomed in for a better look.   What a job eh - hanging out the door. Bet his Mum makes sure he wears his singlet to work!
(They were checking powerlines).

Oh, that reminded me of another 'blue sky' pic I took a while back. The Hop Bush down in our backyard

and another pretty... the Woolly Bush

... just one more!

Thanks for dropping by. 

I'm off to catch up on my blog visiting now, cheerio!

Curious Cows

We were out for a drive and I saw some cows.

MD knows the signs (of my twitchy camera fingers) by now, so he pulled up.

I remembered back when I had my cows, that a little gentle call of "come on, come on" would always bring them over.

It worked for #23

#33 got a bit spooked ...

... at first, but then she just couldn't resist 

#27 stopped chewing long enough to come and give me the once-over

and Jess was downright friendly

All the rest of them had a bit of a discussion and decided it'd be safe enough to meander over and get their photos taken too.

But, by that time, I saw signs of movement over at the farmhouse and, as I was practically trespassing, and had disturbed the whole mob, thought it was best to get going. 

Good fun!

Here's a link to a previous post about my favourite cow I had years ago

Nyerimilang Park, and a bit of news

Regular visitors to this blog will know we spend a lot of time in the Gippsland Lakes area.  

We recently soaked up the tranquility of the Saltmarsh Track  - one of the many interesting walks within Nyerimilang Park.  This coastal park also consists of a picturesque wildlife sanctuary, historic homestead, and beautiful botanic gardens.

(According to the lore of the Indigenous people of East Gippsland, the name Nyerimilang means chain of lakes.) 

MD is looking out over the large saltmarsh.
A few mosquitoes were making their presence felt.

Lovely Wattle just starting to bloom.

We startled some birdlife on the marsh.

The saltmarsh environment surrounding the tidal Maringa Creek

It's obvious where the mosquitoes were breeding!

A quick end to the track - the recent floods had left a lot of water still lying around.

I couldn't resist picking some wattle.

MD picked a piece of this Native Correa for me to strike.
(the piece is in a glass of water on my kitchen window in previous post)

I like the way the lichen covered branches intermingle with the wattle blooms.

I've been doing a lot of posting lately.  That's because, soon, I won't be. I'll be having an extended bloggie-break.

We're (excitedly) preparing to go on a long overseas trip through SE Asia.

Wow - we surprised ourselves! Seems we just can't get that travel bug out of our system, still just a couple of adventurous grey nomads at heart.  

More about that later... 

Some more bits of this n that

Avocado on toast for brekky.

Hope I don't plant that seed - I have so many avocado trees in the garden, it's not funny!

I like our town's mosaic roundabout.

I always notice this house when we park outside the hardware shop in town. 

The plastic flowers in these pots are usually changed to Daffodils for Spring 

- hope all is ok at No 12.

Peace Doves, Peaceful Doves, Doves for Peace.

Whichever way you say it, it's a good thought isn't it.

So that's why life seems a little fuzzy at times!!

Drying the bok choy for the stir fry - does anyone have a better way?

My Darling,  ticking off another on the list of "Things to be Renovated"

This man deserves a nice chicken roast for lunch!

I love to decorate my kitchen window - it's the frogs' turn this week