Rockhampton road trip

The things you see on a road trip.....destination Rockhampton.  I spied with my little eye and this is what I saw. A penny farthing on the back of a ute A party animal aka karaoke and party entertainment dj A convoy of trucks in "cam" - thanks to my copilot Jennie for the correct army terminology The decay slayer, still doing dental work in Childers Four loaded log trucks Three Mile, Six Mile and Eight Mile Creeks Little Pig Creek .....and Porkies Motel, No Vacancy at $80 a night.

Chaos reigns

It is so good to be home again. Dogs are home from kennels and everything is back to normal. Chaos reigns again. The cats have been enjoying the luxury of a dogless house and have been taking advantage of having the full run of the house, upstairs included. Now, that Willow is back on deck I am working hard to stop her chasing Poppy and Frank. Funnily enough she doesn't chase Rennie, probably because Rennie doesn't run from her. Poppy and Frank do, so they run, Willow runs....after them.

Saw an amazing old German Shepherd in Emerald. We were once again stuck in a traffic jam (the result of only one bridge in town being operational) and I noticed his strange gait. Once he came closer it was evident why he was walking strangely....he had a huge rabbit dangling from his jaws. Thankfully it looked well and truly dead. I am convinced the dog was looking for the perfect place to bury the rabbit, all part of the plan to resurrect it in time for Easter.

Technology bites

It is fair to say that we have faced more than the usual number of challenges with technology for this training program. The best laid plans go astray and we really are flying by the seat of our pants adapting our needs as data sources drop out. Jennie is currently delivering a session on databases, from the iPad as the laptop spat the dummy. Council IT were unable to provide appropriate quantities of equipment so we tried to use our own. Council fire walls and security being what they are though, we are not allowed direct access. Mybe we look suspicious and they think we are going to access the Mayor's private calendar.

So, we survived yesterday's challenges and have our fingers crossed for today. Still issues, just a different set to deal with.

The most amazing thing is the Council staff....I have never seen such a bunch of hungry, mannerless people. Our food once delivered by the caterers is under threat, so we have taken to meeting the delivery girl at reception, bringing the food up to the training room, then storing it under the table. Can't leave it in the kitchen, and even had some food taken while we were sitting there with it. Incredible.

The disco glow from the tv at night is now under control. Bed time routine now includes throwing my jeans over the tv screen so that the legs dangle down and block the eerie blue glow. As for the air conditioner, that has to remain off, unless I want a matching green glow decorating the room.

We had a long day yesterday with an early start, then finished the day with a public session on iPads. Saw my first iPad 3. Woohoo!

Today we finish at 4.00 so we are hopeful of having a look around town for an hour or so after work. That will be nice. Need to track down a nifty little shoe shop that someone put us onto when we were in Bagara. Hope to report "mission accomplished" next time I blog. A friends red patent leather Celine wedges inspired me recently. Shame I would have had to kill her to steal them!

Emerald lives up to its name

We flew in to Emerald Monday afternoon. I was stunned by how green everything was and was also surprised to seee the amount of water lying across the paddocks, encroaching on farms and homes, flowing under bridges and creeks running at capacity.

On arrival we collected our hire car, checked in to the very new Mayfair Hotel, then headed out to look for food. After a huge, but uninspiring lunch at the Irish pub, we hit the road venturing out to Springsure to visit Janine at the library. We took with us an orange and poppyseed cake from the local bakery, which cost the princely sum of $6. Unheard of at home for a whole cake. We made it to the library in time for afternoon tea, so enjoyed tea and cake while talking to library clients and staff. A pleasant way to have a tour and see what challenges the library staff a facing.

The scenery between Emerald and Springsure is beautiful, with Virgin Rock a highlight. It made me realize just why the European artists like Eugene Von Guerard and Louis Buvelot were so inspired by the light and landscapes they saw on their arrival in Australia. It really is inspiring.

A highlight for me was the visit of the local Primary School with two prep classes joining us for storytime and craft activities.

Childers en route to Bundaberg

Have headed off again to deliver a professional development program for work. While heading to Bundaberg, we actually broke the journey in Childers. It is interesting that a lot of the regional towns are now bypassed by the main freeway. There are pros and cons to taking this action - major impact of no through traffic would have to be the loss of life of the town centre. It must cause issues for these regional communities. Childers seem to have the mix right. The freeway goes right through the main street, with a side road access for those wanting to stop off, park and engage with the community. That is if you know it is there. For those of us who don't, we just deviate off the highway and reverse into a park, hoping not to upset too many fellow travelers. Oops.

Childers is well worth a visit. I was amazed by the welcome from locals. Not just the hello in the street, but also the referrals to other points of interest. We stopped at one point of interest, got referred to another, stopped there, got a referral etc. Incredible insight into the value of the word of mouth. The Childers Backpackers Memorial is well worth a visit. A simple, yet emotive remembrance for those young visitors who perished in the fire. Local thought seems to be divided as to whether the Art Gallery should be collocated. For me, it didn't detract and in fact I think some people would visit the gallery then also see the memorial. That said, perhaps some people don't feel comfortable to traverse the "art" to get to the emotion of the memorial. Sam de Mauro is the Brisbane based artist credited with the creation of the memorial.

My favourite piece of public art though is the owl sculpture. I tried really hard to fit this little guy into my handbag.

Lunch too was a high light. With two recommendations we had to have lunch at the Childers Hotel. $10 for chicken schnitzel, chips and salad, and it was so good. Then again, so was the icy cold beer.

Walking back down town after lunch we passed the historic NAB branch. The only one located on the highway, between Brisbane and Rockhampton according to local lore, and the Decay Slayer, translate that as the local dentist.

As for the old guy propped up on the bar, by the time we passed through again, he was snoozing.

With the highway running through town it really is a passing parade, Winnebago's. trucks, even a logging truck.

One final note to end with.....mosaic everywhere. My sort of heaven. With the shop fronts, shady awnings and pressed metal ceilings, the shopping centre is unique and picturesque. Add the mosaic pavement embellishment, and the public art throughout town and Childers really is a highlight. I was so pleased we had made time to visit the staff in the public library, otherwise we too, might have driven strait through. As it was, we had a wonderful insight into a unique regional community.

Dementia

I have a dear friend who has dementia. It wouldnt be true to say she "suffers" from dementia. She doesn't as she is oblivious to her situation. I am the one that suffers, seeing her so far removed from what she once was. That said, there are still hints to her wonderful spirit, her sense of justice, her way of looking at life, her determination and that sense of humour. I still laugh out loud when spending time with her. She no longer knows who I am, but she recognises that I am a loved one, so time spent together is still precious.

Words to live by

A friend who is a keen cyclist shared this one with me....compartida, la vida es mas. From the shirts of the Spanish cycling team, it translates as "shared, life is more.". What an amazing thought. It's a good thing I am not into tattoos or this might now be residing on my body. Instead I have taken it to heart.