Annies Crazy World

I looked after my nephew (age 6) this afternoon so that my brother could do a few hours work…We started playing UNO when my brother left, there was no rules in the box so I had to remember how to play (I couldn’t remember how many cards toto deal so we had a different number each game) then teach him how to play so it took us a while to get started but once we had the game worked out we had a lot of fun, I was impressed with him counting the cards as he dealt, firstly in English then in Italian which he is learning at school and then in German, his mothers native language and we chatted on about all sorts of things…We did have fun and we were still playing when my brother got home 3 1/2 hours later, I was surprised that so much time had elapsed because I wouldn’t have thought that I could sit on the floor for so long with out getting very uncomfortable.

I didn’t actual take any photos today so for tonights holiday image I have taken a photo of the things that I bought for my crazy quilting…

The car is somewhat dusty because the road to West Point is a dirt road…This morning the Kids wrote Bye Bye Mumzy in the dust on the back window…They didn’t want me to leave and I didn’t want to leave but my bags were packed and it was time to go, they dropped me at the ferry terminal for the trip back over to townsville…Bye Bye Magnetic Island.

I had arranged to meet Patti, a crazy quilting friend, and she picked me up from the ferry…We had coffee and scones before heading off to look at a few shops and doing a bit of a tour of townsville, she took me up to the Castle Hill lookout where I took the photo looking over Townville to Magnetic Island.

We went to a restaurant for lunch and I ordered a Calamari Salad…Umm interesting meal, The Calamari served on a bed of lettuce was nothing special but when I got under the lettuce I found the most wonderful hot baked potato and sundried tomatos in an oil and vinegar dressing…YUM so yummy that even though the Calamari itself was a bit ho hum, I will remember the dish as one of the nicest that I have ever eaten.

After Lunch Patti dropped me at the bus stop, fortunaly we were early as I was just in time (I had the wrong departure time) to catch the bus to Ingham where my sister in law and Nephew picked me up…

I still have a couple of days staying with my brother before returning to Canberra but today is my last day on The Island…

It is Sam’s day off, we borrowed his friends car, I made a list of what I would still like to do and he spent the day driving me around the island.

First on the list was a few photos that I wanted to take…The tree above is some sort of fig, I love the way they send there root down from the branches to the ground and I particularly liked how some horizontally growing branches gave this tree a woven look.

Next on the list was to photograph some of the many painted telegraph poles…

On the left we have Echidnas.

On the right Koalas.

Below left has Possums and Curlews…and Below right Frogs.

We went and fed the Rock Wallabys at Geoffrey Bay. I was thrilled to get this photo of a one with a Joey in its pouch.

Late afternoon we headed off to West Point to watch the Sunset.

And tonight he took me out to a Seafood Restaurant for an early birthday dinner…I Love Seafood.

My Photo however is not the restaurant we ate in but the one next door, which was a mexican restaurant that had been abandoned/deserted, there was a mirror that had been taken from the wall but just left on the table, a candle holder still sitting on the shelf, the potted plants were dead and like a ghost town it had drifts of leaves that had blown in…Sounds a bit eerie but contrary to my description I actually found something about the scene, set against the red brick wall, that I found quite enchanting.

I went to Picnic Bay with some of Sam’s friends, it was a warm day and when we got there it was time for an ice cream.

The shelter sheds in the photo and those at the end of the pier, painted by the local shool children, are lovely and bright.

I like this photo taken under the pier.

Isn’t she beautiful?

She is a Blue Winged Kookaburra, in the photo on the right you can just see a hint of blue on the wings, in the right light the tips of her wings are a luminescent blue.

This morning I did some washing and other domestics and then spent the rest of the day reading.

The photo above is a part of the Butterfly Walk.

Trivia Question: what colour are Bouganvillia Flowers?

Answer: Bouganvillia Flower are all White…The magnificent displays of pinks and reds that we see are the plants Bracts.

These Bouganvillias are Framing the footbridge behind the Horseshoe Bay Beach Front Shops.

Spent the afternoon lazing in a hammock beside the pool, where Sam works, reading a book.

I have been introduced to a new game, or at least new to me, which I rather enjoyed playing…Boche, played with a small wooden ball and six steel balls…

Reflections…The reflection of the Pergola roof in the Bouche Balls reminded me of Spider Webs.

We took the Boche Balls to the Beach today for a little Beach Boche…I liked the photo below of the Boys playing Boche, They looked cute as they moved in line to the next location, it reminded me of a Charle’s Angels type formation.

Fishing at Sunset, well Sam was Fishing, It was Very windy and I was in the shelter reading a book.

On the 17th October 1982 Samual W was born, 25 years, Happy Birthday Mate…

We started celebrating his Birthday when we got up at 5 am and went to Authur Bay to watch the Sun Rise.

After the sun had risen we explored the beach, took photos of seaweed and shells we found on the beach and enjoyed the peace and beauty of the early morning.

Remember on day one I blogged a photo of the Red Baron on Horseshoe Bay, and I said more about the Red Baron in a later post, this is the later post…

The advertising for Red Baron Seaplanes says…An experience worth coming to Magnetic Island for … This movie star is now gracing the skies above beautiful Magnetic Island. The historical Grumman Sea-Cat starred in the movie The Phantom and is now being cast in a new adventure. It’s the only two passenger, open cockpit bi-plane on floats in the world. Billy Zane flew in it, Catherine Zeta Jones flew in it, now it’s your turn to fly in the Red Baron for an experience of a lifetime.

Ready To Fly

Authur Bay From the air…The white line just to the left of centre is the roof of the house that is behind Sammy in the photo above…The outcrop of rocks between that house and the plane is where we ate Lunch on Day 15…and on the peak of the two hills are the Old Forts that I walked to on Day 11.

The Flight took us around the Island and to finish the pilot banked around a couple of times so that we were on our sides…as the advertising said it was an experience of a lifetime…

We had Lunch at the local Pub and borrowed their 25 table number to take a B’day Photo…

After lunch we relaxed at the Beach Front for the afternoon.

This evening we made him wear a party hat to be in the right mood and gathered with friends for a lovely evening to finish his special day…

Party Is Over…Looks like it might be Bed Time.

I will leave you with a photo of an unwelcome guest…Cane Toads were introduced to Australia to control the cane beetle, which they did, they also made themselves at home, with no natural enemies they survived and thrived becoming a huge pest…

This morning we went to Nelly Bay for Sam to do some things, when he was finished we bought some sandwiches and drinks and took them back to Arthur Bay where we climbed up the rocks above where we had been snorkeling and ate our lunch sitting on the top…The photo on the right is the view looking down the other side of the rocks.

Sam made a cheese platter for our dinner and, with an early start planned for the next day, we had an early night.