Samford

 Warren needed an S to complete his snakes challenge with parjrun so that meant a trip to Samford to do their parkrun. 

Alarms set for 5.15am, leav8ng at 5.30 or 5.40, down the highway, not the usual way to go but we knew it would not be bysy at that time.

Lucky me, there was an adventure lab just across the road from parkrun, however as sometimes happens, I ended up in the middle of the runners as we ended up using the same pathway.

I did my thing,chatting to a couple of marshalls alo

Breakfast at Harry Potters.

Couple of tables at the cafes, very tired looking,

ng the way only to find that Warren was back before me and looking for his jacket.

Out on the parkrun track, mist on the paddocks, this is about 7.30am.

Chinchilla bush park

 We have stayed in Chinchilla a few times, mostly on our way west to sonewhere else. Furst time we stayed at the caravan park. It was a very small park, probably only room for about 20 vans and they hadfive motels rooms. I remember it as it was the first park that was over $30, at the time possibly eight or nine years ago, it was $40.

The next couple of times we stayed on the same road at the showgrounds. Quite basic but power, water, toilets and showers.

We needed to stay for parkrun and Warren discovered a new park, opened a couple of years ago. Wow, $30 a night, all toilets contained a shower as well and if needed the washing machines were free to use.

The sites were big and although there were quite a lot of vans there, it was quiet and only a couple of kms from town, parkrun and where our Sunday event was to be held.

I was surprised at how big Chinchilla is for a country town.

A seat in the park

Some old farm equipment

Vans were to park on the gravel roads

Warrens first CITO.

Rubbish collected at local park.

New pattern

 I have been making pjs for uniforms for kids, bit over them so I found a pattern online for an all day play dress.

Very simple.

These are four that I made. The pattern is in four sizes so I made one of each, 4,6,8 and 10.

It is stretch fabric so no need for buttons or zips.

I came home from U4ks and cut out four more of them. One has the police blue running from shoulder to hem, a second one has an incert around the waist, the other two will have pockets. 

Going away for the weekend does curb my output but having them already cut out will help.

Rockhampton

 Parkrun at Rocky, Friday night, they were short a time keeper. As we had travelled up to do it, there was a danger of it being cancelled. I said that I was available even though I had not done time keeping before but hey got to be a first time for everything, right!

Sheri ran me thru what to do as she had done it a few months earlier and then one of the other vollies also showed me what to do.

The start point was about 200 m from the gathering point, I had to set my phone and then call down from three and yell Go. Back to end and wait for runners to finish. It was an out and back with a loop in the middle so we saw the runners twice before they came thru the finish race. It turned out quite an easy job, just tap my phone as a runner came past at the end. It was a bit hard when several came more or less together. There were 173 in total, many walkers.

No photos as my phone was in use.

Next morning, Sunday, we were up early to go to a local park and emu bob, only four but between us we collected four large bags of rubbish.

At 6.45am

I had a maggie very interested in what I was doing.

Looking over the river, at the top end of the park was the train line, it was in use but no trains went through.

Pretty tree out in flower, seems a bit early.

Gladstone

 We dived into Gladstone on our way north. There was an old cache up a mountain?/ large hill. Thankfully if had been tarred since S had been there last. It had been raining and was pot holey.

The view was brilliant. We walked out from the road and I am hoping thatcwe didnt need to go over the edge, when I realused we were only six metres away. We saw a largep rock at the same time and yep, it was there with a guardian.

It was an very early cache, 2006 I think.

Next we went to a lookout

Sea view

And a pineapple tree. I think it is a type of cactus with fruit that look like pineapples but these are not for eating.

We also went to  the spit in Gladstone, nice place for a walk along the foreshore and around a park. Have since discovered that there is a new parkrun on that spot starting in August. That will be our August trip as Warren needs a number four in his Wilson challenge.

1770

 We stayed at an Ecco camp in 1770 on the way to Rockhampton. Who would have thought there is a town called 1770.

We picked up some food at the supermarket in Agnes Waters before going to the park which was just as well as there were no facilities as far as food went near the camp site.

It was a large park with caravans dotted around and two tiny houses nearby but nothing was closer than 100 metres away.

Sheridan had booked a cabin, think it may have been the only one. She had directions to get there and the place was unlocked so we didnt need to stop in anywhere.

This was inside, large room with queen bed and lounge chairs.

My bedroom and bathroom is to the right. Bathroom window didnt have curtains or blinds. We could see another caravan across the way out the bathroom window. There was a airing clothes horse in the bathroom along with washing machine so Sheri perched that on the towel rail with a spare drapped over. Did make it feel much better.

Large screen porch with kitchen in one corner, dining table and another couple of couches

Camp kitchen across the way. Our cabin didnt have a microwave but camp kitchen did so I wandered over to heat dinner.

There was a wooden box on the dining table, when opened, it said to use it to place mobile phones in for a real digintal detox, we didnt but there was no TV and no internet.

Running carnival

 Fourth weekend in June each year is the Wondai running festival.

6.30am, the runners in the 42 km marathon start.we saw them go, there were about30 taking up that challenge.

Half marathon at 21 kms set off at 6.45am with 97 people.

7am was the 10 kms, 7.15am was 5kms and then a junior one of 2kms.

Before the start. Warren was a later sign up hence the higher number.

Almost finished, maybe 150 metres to go. Lucy had spotted them by then and it was hard to get a good photo.

The photo board with their medals. The 21.1 board was at the start and I couldnt work out what it was for, then it hit me. The half marathon is 21. 1 kms.

Their names were announced as they came over or through the finish and they were given a slice of a tree on a lanyard with the date of the event. They are both holding them.

Wondai

 Nice little place Wondai.

Charlotte the emu. Apparently she used to roam the streets of Wondai and when she passed on, they made a statue of her.

Lucy waiting patiently while I took photos.

The start of thd running carnival.

 Bullocky team in front of the Visitors information centre.

Dingoes around z pond at the roundabout.

Next biggest town on the way back to our camp. Wondai was quite busy so we were going to get something for morning tea. Good idea but a, fail, bakery and cafe were closed, it was Sunday morning but still! Took a photo of a mural.

Bird feeding

Each afternoon at 4pm, the owners of the bush park feed the birds just outside their home and office.

Duck or bird drinking little area, these ducks are cement.

Not quite the twelve that they are named after, known as the aposile bird.

Here she has  the ducks from the garden.

 

Bush camp.

 We are 13 kms from Wondai, about 7kms from Murgon and the same from Cherbourgh.

Very nice bush caravan park. The two events we are here for are or were in Wondai. Both have now been completed.

We are alongside a cabin, huh, owners were a bit concerned that as the ute is not a 4wd, we may not have been able to get into no. 2 camp spot. It is not a drive thru, if it was not possible then we could take no. 4 which was a drive through.

Bruce (and Warren)did a good job of getting the caravan up into the nice flat spot.

Had to reverse twice but that was my fault, I thought he wanted it paralell to the back wall but no he wanted it paralell to the side wall. Nice and straight now and a bonus the ladies toilets are just across the road, 35 metres away.

The back wall and the bush, havent seen any creatures around except magpies and a couple of crows.

My cardigan

 I made z cardigan but I dont like it. It fits but the way the colours came out is not the best. I will undo it and repurpose the wool.

However I will make another in plain colour.

I was being lousy and didnt buy the pattern. It was $12.50 and stated that there was no increasing or decreasing. Basic stich throughout so I thought it was rather expensive so I made up my own pattern.

Two panels each 9 inches wide, stitch the two together for the back stitch the sides together. Sleeves needed to be wide enough to around the arm hole left. Single then a double stitch around and Bobs your uncle.

Its the colour that I dont lije and I know I would not be comfortable wearing. I do have enough of red yarn but could I see myself wearing red, probably not.

I want to make the next one longer, this only came to my waist as per the picture I saw. I will use a th8nner yarn as well. On the back burner at the moment but I will try again.

Mothers day gifts

 Long way away seeing that it is in May but good to be prepared. Our crochet tutor's daughter works at a school, think she teaches or admin. Anyway this year she thought it would be good to have a small gift for each mum. She asked her mum, our tutor if she could make a small something. After agreeing, she was then told, 200 items were needed!

Upshot was Robyn asked the group for ideas and some of us made several crochet different key rings. Apparently the mothers were delighted.

Now the push is to do something different for next year and a few ideas were put forward. When I was at the Nest, the craft place, I saw wooden coat hangers. I bought a set and crochetted a cover for them using up scrap yarn. Also played around with making slippers. They were done over about four days.

I do have plastic tubing to cover the handles.

Slippers are for inside use, sizes are adults 6 to 9. Thicker yarn for one on right and probably fit up to a 10. Very quick and basic.

Polo tops

 I have been making pjs and polo tops for uniforms for kids.

There was a nice piece of fleece in an astec design, I made one top and there was a reasonable amount left over. Not enough tomake another but too much to just throw out.

As we need to add some uniform fabric, they already are a mix match. My pattern requires a small piece doubled for front and back with sleeves needing much more fabric. I had the spotted piece in similar colours but it was quite thin.

At first, it was going to be the body and the sleeves in the spotted but with still a narrow strip of the grey and white so I added it down the middle of the sleeves.

This is the result. I hope some kid likes it as much as me.

Bottom bed drawer

 Wkhen we were shopping for our new king sized bed, I wanted one that had drawers. Our Queen sized bed had two drawers either side and as we dont have a lot of drwer spzce in our bedroom, I didnt want to lose these.

I got the bed with two large drawers at the bottom of the bed. Felt a bit bad about it as the display bec was the only ond that had drawers. I wanted to buy it and they took 50% of the price, that was a bonus that I didnt expect.

Anyway, I digress. I keep winter clothes in there. Dec.ided to see what was in there a coupke of weeks ago as the weather was getting colder.

Pretty sure I didnt even look in there last winter as only one pair of the pants fitted me, several pairs of socks, rarely do I wear socks and there was a pair of pjs. Hum, thet didnt go to op shop but the pants now cone up to jyst under my boobs and the top comes down to my knees.

Now my summer pants are packed away in the bed drawer.

Park run at Ocean view

Up at 5am, shower, dress in warm clothes as its going to be cold, like 8degrees. Coffee for breakfast ready to leave at 5.45. GPS told us 45 minute drive but we lijs to have timd up our sleeve plus it was dark out which brings out ghe big hoppers (kangaroos).

We had three choices to get there, straight out from our place and up the mountain, road is mainly gravel with cut outs for water run off, okay it taken slow during daylight. Second way was to go north and then cut back along a windy mountain road. We chose the three option, head south and then west before hitting the mountains. The way west was through bush but at keast by the time we got there, it was starting to get light so we would bs ablt to see any furry friends. We didnt actualy see one until on our way home, one had been hit during the night, it was dead on the side of the road.

We were one of the first to arrive with Chrus and Sheri just behind us.

Between us we did three voluntree roles, Sheridan tail walker, Warren walked with her, Chris did bar cord scanning and I did finish tokens. There were only 27 runners. Pretty hard course through the vines, up and down hills.

After we went to oyr favourite bakery in Dayborough for breakfast, home by 10.30am.

 

We're gone security minded.

 So much stuff on the news about home invasion etc so we decided to put up a camera. 

Warren wanted to put it up in the eves of the house, which meant heim getting up a ladder, I wasnt real keen on that. We visited a friend down the street who had cameras and has also had two lots of unwelcome visitors in the last three years, hence the cameras.

Hers are quite intense and wired in. One set is above her garage and another on the corner of her house.

We decided to put it up over the garage which covers anyone coming up to the front of the house and also going into the back yard.

It takes a photo when theres movement. Works off solar.

Gold class

 Warren had been watching a series of movies a few years ago on Disney. We no longer have this as we didnt see the point as there was nothing else we wanted to watch on it.

However a new movie was released and aired at cinemas last week. 

I suggested we go and watch it.

Warren thought that if we were going, we would go gold class. 

Tuesday is the cheaper day today and it was raining so what better day to go.

Gold class seats, more room and recliners, lunch delivered when required. We choose a seafood basket to share about halfway and we got drinks to take in with us.

Two tickets and lunch was $55, drinks were $18, large drinks as I was thirsty.

Movie was good but I felt it was too long and we both put our fingers into the tartare sauce while reaching for food in the semi darkness.

Probably three or four years since we have been to a cinema. The ads for the next up and coming movies did not entice us to visit again in the near future.

Linville

 When we travel west, we usually stop at Moore, a small town about 70 kns from home. Great pull off spot with toilets and c.offee shops although I usually prepare our own.

There is no caches there!

Lat time we passed through, I said we needed to correct that and suggested in May that we do something about it. Today was the day.

Linville is seven kilometres out the road and the rail trail goes through there and on to Moore. We drove there first and walked along some of the bike trail. The train line hasnt been used in many years and has been converted to a bike and walk8ng trail. Warren and I did it on e bikes, five years ago for his birthday.

Warren getting a cache, it was under the rail bridge

The community hall had a piano outside with an invite for anyone to play.

Acroos the road was a free camp, several caravans were camped there. There was a toilet block with showers, $2 for a shower. Hole in the wall at the hall for shower money or there was a qr code to pay online.

 

An interesting gateway

Down the back were these glass panels, pretty but unfortunately no information. 

We ended up having lunch at the pub, which is supposed to be haunted. Jyst as well we stopped there gor lunch as two of Moores coffee places were closed for business and the other has morphed more into a bike place with drinks and icecreams.

Two caches were set in place, one a traditional and the other a multi.

Uniforms for kids

 I havent been to U4Ks for a couple of months because of holidays. They only meet every fortnight and last time my sister was visiting up the coast. It was their only free day on Wednesdays meeting day. 

Anyway, I have been sewing in the meantime. Opal, convenor, piled some extra fabric in my bag the last time so I did have plenty to sew. I also got some pieces from ths opp s,hops.

I moved my ironing board today and my pile of sewing for u4ks was in danger of falling off the bench that I had been putting finished items.

Decided that it was aj good opportunity to iron and pack said items for this weeks meeting.

Eleven pairs of shorts or pants

Eight sets of pjs

Ten rugby style tops some long sleeved.

Bigger shirts, size 10 was the pattern but could fit up to 12 I think. The red has long sleeve and second red has short sleeves. Sleeves do use a lot of material.

Also made 15 drawstring bags from a bed sheet, it looked too much lije a sheet to make clothes, 5 pencil cases with off cuts and 16 hats.

Still have three pieces of fabric and three days before our meeting, hope to use it all.

New fangled toaster

 Our prep trip in the caravan tossed up a few things we either didnt have or we thought it would be good to have.

I went shopping to cross some things off the list.

While in Nanago, I bought a small frypan, we had take n the one from home but wanted aone that would stay. Love the idea of deciding to go somewhere and just throw some clothes and food into the caravan and head off. Probably never happen but one can dream?

Pillows, a toaster, serving spoon and egg slide. Pack of utensiles got the big spoon and egg slide, left the slotted spoon and spagetti spoon at home. Nice big fluffy pillows but no toaster unless I wanted a four slice toaster. We never had a toaster in the camper trailer but it is our go to snack now seeing that no cakes or biscuits are in the house or caravan.

I did think about buying a new toaster, 4 slice for home and taking the home one in the caravan, then I saw this.

Ten dollars more than the 4 slice toaster, its a little higher and has two shelves. Toast or cheese on toast or similar. Cross between toaster and air fryer, it does work quite well. Has a timer and a temp gauge.