Birthdays

There are 27 birthdays in July in our extended family. Mostly we just think kind thoughts about the birthday person.

Peet and Max did have birthday celebrations and if my camera ever re-appears I will post pics.

We made Max a 'ranger' cloak and 'oak' leaf pendant to complete his costume ala The Rangers Apprentice. Then at night we packed show bags for the Red Cross and had Lefkas for dinner on the river bank with the Parry girls. And birthday cake of course. (The Parry's came to Red Cross to pack show bags but Lucy had a seizure that afternoon and was in hospital so Jess and Maddie came with us and even stayed the night - happy day.)

Peet was happy with his Rugby ticket - and with replacements for some of the many things he has lost this term - pencil case, football and wallet - and a new flanno. He spent the night doing maths homework - from the teacher who hates him and gives only him too much homework!

18

Jesse is 18.

I said we could do anything she wanted for her birthday. (Actually I said we couldn't take the whole family to Laos and when she suggested a party I kind-of sighed and said ok.)

After a little thought Jesse said the thing she wanted to do most was for the whole family to climb Mt Ngungun - the smallest of the Glasshouse mountains.

I am not sure whether to be suspicious or flattered that not one of my family members - all of whom except Peet have climbed it before - thought to tell me it was really a bit out of my league.

I sent them on ahead and went on at my own pace. I made it - but it was a quite a climb. For me anyway - some of the kids actually ran up!

Jesse got her wish and successfully turned 18 with presents of a ticket to the Union test, vintage blue topaz earrings*, a book of course, Jane Eyre on DVD, a wallet from Lee & Joan and a bracelet from Anne.

(On the way down the mountain Thomas and Peet ran, Roger jogged, and Jesse and Louisa raced Max and Alec - through the bush. I was wishing I had sent them all with whistles and imagined how embarrassed I would be if we had to send out a search party.)

* Jesse does not approve of new jewelry -'no African is going to die in gold or diamond mines so I can look tizzy' were I believe her exact words. And then there's the water and energy issues - we can go on and on. Anne's bracelet is plastic which is preferable to precious metals and gems in Jesse's eyes.

Ekka

It's Ekka week in Brisbane.

It's also our year to go - we go every second year.

But nobody wants to go - except Louisa and Max - who want to go desperately.

Some serious sidetracking was in order. So on Friday (Pine's show day) Roger cut shields out of plywood, and Louisa and Max sanded and painted.

Then we gathered the rest of the family and Lee & Joan and walked across the Goodwill bridge to the city Botanic Gardens for a picnic afternoon tea.

Jesse and Louisa made weekender biscuits, chocolate slice and puff pastry kabana thingys. We took fruit and water and Joan brought a flourless chocolate cake from Jocelyns Provisions.

We ate, we rested, we climbed trees.

Roger kicked Max's football into a tree - there were a few tense moments. But after ripping a frond off the palm tree and using it as a poker Roger got the ball down. (I am not really sure he should be allowed in Botanical Gardens.)

There was an hysterically funny but probably-should-be private moment involving Max, the toilet and a bunch of bamboo.

Late in the afternoon Thomas and Alec left to go the Elders quorum bowling activity and the rest of us walked back across the bridge and went to Lefkas for dinner.

Mission accomplished.

West

Alec said "one weekend soon I am going to drive west as far as I can, camp the night and come back the next day."

I said "great idea - let's all do it this weekend."

Peet said "I can take the day off school." (Peet can always take the day off school.)

So after a little bit of schedule re-arranging and roof rack buying we headed west.

First stop was Toowomba so Alec could put the roof on the chlorine pit that is one of the last things to do at the Gowrie land.

It's spectacular. Louisa and Max played on the swings while Peet did his maths homework - the teacher hates him and gives only him too much homework apparently!

Then we headed west.

The newsagent in St George told Roger that we could find a place to camp on the stock route on the way to the Beardon Dam. (They also laughed at us and wished him luck with the cold night predicted.) So we called in for a quick look at the Dam and a toilet visit to be completely blunt.

Then we found our spot. Beside this gorgeous river (which was actually a beautiful Australian brown.) With not another living soul in sight.

We cleared a spot for a fire

collected fire wood

and lit the fire with one match - and it burned a beauty all night till we doused it heavily since there was masses of dry grass everywhere and Louisa was nervous.

While I put a camp oven dinner of pork chops and veges together the tents got set up and chairs were put out, Alec's swag was rolled out and a teepee strapped together to hang a torch from.

Then we sat back to bathe in the moonlight (which was the closest we came to bathing) and listen to the noisy stillness - which we broke often with long laughter. (Max thought of a great game - someone jumps over the fire while he sits beside it with a water pistol full of oil - to squirt into the fire - and we all watch the jumper really jump. Roger said 'right 20 years old before you go camping with friends', some one else chimed in '35', then '50'. Max: 'you can still pull a trigger when you're 50.')

Marshmallow roasting, camp fire talking and prayers, then crawling into tents. The girls tent was a bit luxurious - we took a crisp white cotton sheet, a doona to go under the sheet and a feather doona in a white cotton cover to make up our queen size air mattress and felt a bit like princesses snuggled up there together. The boys tent was - well - not as refined. There was lots of 'Oh Peet you're disgusting' followed by raucous laughter from that tent. Alec slept in his swag - and if there will be one big winner from this camping trip it will probably be a fortunate swag maker since swags are now at the top of everyones list of wants.

I was woken up by Max singing 'tango to the toilet' and asking for help with his shoes. Bless Roger's heart - he got up very early and lit another fire. So as we straggled out of bed we could sit by the fire, eating cold cereal and following it up with hot milo - till Jesse had the bright idea of Nutella on toast - slightly burnt toast as it turned out.

It also turned out that the Nutella which had been left in the car overnight was hard as a rock - but Alec was determined. (Nutella is our car trip treat - whenever we have a long drive we buy nutella and white bread and I make truly sickly sandwiches as we drive.)

Peet slept late and we amused our small minds by loudly saying 'nutella on toast' or 'steak for breakfast' (which wasn't even true) to see if he was really asleep - he was.

A bit of exploring and rock skimming followed and when the tents were finally dry we packed up the car and started for home.

We drove home via Surat - the most interesting part of which was the airport which did double duty as the pony club, the rifle range and the rodeo grounds. Hope they have a good booking system.

Just out of Surat we drove past a sign that said 'Historical Site'.

This is me: "I wonder what that is - I wouldn't mind stopping and having a look."

This is Roger - pedal to metal and no response.

This is me: "OK maybe next time."

A couple of k's down the road this is Alec - quietly from the very back row: "Pig"

Roger - screeching to a halt and making a screaming u turn - "where?"

And within moments we were all out of car - Max didn't even have time to put his shoes back on.

But it was worth it - 2 pigs with about 12 piglets. The boar looked like he might like to have a go at Alec - and Louisa took off back to the car. But all's well that can be turned into a good story and she said later in the car 'I loved running down that pig.' I guess we'll stick with that story.

Later we saw Emu's, and kangaroos of course.

Because by now we were a bit addicted to stock routes and open fires we bough some steak and white bread for lunch and stopped on a stock route outside Glenmorgan. Further along the stock route was a botanical garden which boasted 300 species of plants - but as Louisa said 'make that 299' since Roger backed the car into one of them.

In Glenmorgan itself is a car museum - Roger managed to stop there too.

Love small towns.

And so with John Williamson* playing most of the way home and 37 hours after we left we made it home - tired - very dirty - but feeling like we'd had a week away.

* Jesse has been unerringly loyal to John Williamson ever since we went to the Ekka when she was 11 and fluked a special concert with him playing and us lying on the wooden Ekka benches watching the stars.