Some house-keeping.

I was NOT lucky enough to sit next to this young lady during my recent flights.


Some house-keeping.

During the week that I was away several things happened that I will try to tidy up with this house-keeping post.

The Commercial Hotel that used to have all the lady’s adorning the outer walls, while not yet opened as the restaurant I mentioned, is getting very close to finished and is looking very smart too.

The Royal Hotel down on the next corner has reopened, the renovations here were quite extensive, it has been closed down for about six months but chose the week I was away to reopen.

The new Hungry Jacks (Burger King in the States) store sprang up from a vacant lot also while I was away, looks to be only weeks away from opening, I prefer their burgers to MacDonalds but I like Macca’s breakfast menu when I’m traveling.

Before leaving Brisbane to return to Gympie I arranged to have lunch with a fellow blogger, Robyn, we caught up with the news of the last six months or so since we met before, Robyn tempted me to stay over another night as she was having a wine tasting at her home today (Friday) I reluctantly turned down the offer as I was anxious to get home…. Next Time Robyn.

Just to keep everyone happy here is Robyn sans sun-glasses.

I must take this chance to thank all the folk who wished Alan a Happy Birthday via this blog, and also to thank all the family for accommodating me, running me around, giving me food and liquid refreshments and generally being a lot of fun to be with, a special thanks to Paula for taking me to the airport at Perth…. above and beyond the call of duty!!!

I must not forget to mention Wazza, who delivered me to and picked me up at the Brisbane Airport and gave me a bed as well, it is a blessing to have good friends.

The trip to Perth was mainly about helping Alan celebrate his 50^th but of course it also provided the opportunity for the whole family to get together, we did a fair bit of this getting together on the Sunday after the party, seems nobody wanted to break the spell by leaving so we soldiered on until quite late before Marcus and Carolyn, who still had a three and a half hour trip in front of them had to leave.

I can’t remember an occasion when there has been so much laughter and so many stories (mainly funny) told in our family, and we are not a family who hold back on the fun at other times.

On the Monday, Walter, Jacqui, Vicki and I drove about 150 klm to inspect a tractor that Vicki’s son Daniel wants to buy, during the trip there and back we tormented Walter mercilessly about his Toyota twin cab ute, which was both noisy and rough riding but it got us there and back.

The tractor turned out to be a beauty, the farmer who owns it has a model farm…. absolutely everything in spotless condition, a man you could confidently buy anything from as it would have been maintained perfectly, it’s a John Deere 8220 and destined to be the second tractor, doing weed spraying with a 100 foot boom spray, light cultivation and hauling the chaser bin around during harvest to allow the header to keep working.

Sorry about all the detail for those of the non-farming fraternity, but I figured that Cliff and a few others would be interested, it has auto steer a special independent front suspension and a seat that is a dream to sit on… the cabin moves around but the seat stays constantly where it is, I offered to drive it home for him (2000 klm) just for the comfort of the ride, but it seems he wants to use it before February 2008.

No definite decision has been made yet but it seems likely Daniel will buy this tractor, not a decision to be made lightly as we are talking about $90,000 by the time it is delivered to him.

On Tuesday Jacqui and Walter returned to Bridgetown where they live, we delivered Vicki to the airport for her return flight to Adelaide and then quietly dispersed, I flew back to Brisbane the next day, and so another chapter was written in the book of Holt’s.

I almost forgot to show you my latest toy, Marcus found this
slightly bent about little John Wayne for me in a secondhand shop
in Geelong, a bit like the Duke in many of his best movies not
always in immaculate condition... just a few rough edges.

I am hoping to get around to visit with everyone over the weekend and start the week all caught up…. that’s the plan anyway, thanks for being patient.