Quick Trip to Adelaide and Melbourne

Daina's family group with Benn and I tagging along

Finally! Daina has been in our lives as Benn's right hand (wo)man for over 7 years now, and it was only 2 weeks ago that I got to meet her parents Angela and Fred, and the extended family. It seemed that every time Murray and I planned a visit to Adelaide for this purpose, either Benn and Daina couldn't make it, or we couldn't. This time, all the planets were aligned, and although Murray couldn't join us, I was made very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her family. After meeting them it was easy to see why Daina is such a delightful young lady. They arranged a dinner at their home so that many of their family could meet me, and catch up with Benn and Daina. Angela put on quite an amazing spread, and Fred did the honours on the BBQ. 

Family dinner at the Borrillo home - wonderful hosts

Not to let an opportunity pass, Benn and Daina needed some weeding, laying new wood chips, and pulling up, re-sanding, and re-laying of pavers in their rental property. Daina's dad Fred and I got roped in, and the four of us worked solidly for around 4 hours and completed the job at hand. Mighty fine job too if you ask me! Mind you, all four of us were a tad stiff and sore the next day, but I'm sure Benn and Daina will agree it was worth it. 

Benn, Daina and Fred finishing up the paving

After 3 days with Daina's folks, I then went and stayed 3 days with my childhood girlfriend. Josie and I met in 3rd grade of primary school in Alice Springs, and whenever we catch up, it is like old times. Her husband was 2 years ahead of us at school, but the 3 of us were in the same school play one year. We had some laughs singing the old song 'Minnehaha' from our play Hiawatha. We still knew the words - well, some of them. 

Josie, me and Barry footpath Thai dining

Josie and I had a mutual friend Liz - Josie and done her general nursing with her, and I had done my midwifery training with her. However, I hadn't seen Liz since I left Adelaide about 37 years ago. The 3 of us had morning tea together and reminisced about our nursing days together. So wonderful to catch up with old friends ('old' as in we go back a long time - we could never be 'old' as in years - ha ha).

Liz (arm in sling) with me in her garden

Blayke, Heath and Danielle

After a most enjoyable time in Adelaide (although if Murray was there and if we had our car, it would have been great to catch up with more friends, including Rick and Pam up in the Barossa) it was time to fly to Melbourne where Murray met me at the airport. He had driven down from Ballina. The weather wasn't flash, as there were violent winds one night, with trees uprooted everywhere. At least we were safe in a brick home, instead of feeling vulnerable in our motorhome, which is where we usually are when we have strong winds! Anyway, apart from the weather, we had a great time catching up with family and friends. We stayed with some ex-RAAF friends for the 3 days, and as usual, it was a good opportunity to catch up on each other's family and retirement plans. Another friend who I used to work with invited us to lunch at their place - her husband and Murray have interesting discussions on sports, the share market, and what is going on in the world! Always great to see them. But the icing on the cake was visiting Murray's kids and grandkids. All 3 of Murray's adult kids came to join us for a Pizza/Indian take away dinner at Adrian and Danielle's home. Adrian and Danielle's 2 sons are really growing up fast and kept us entertained - such gorgeous looking lads. I didn't get to see Jeremy's son Dane (Murray's) youngest grandson, as he was heading to bed at that time. Murray spent some time with Dane after I flew back to Ballina - even accompanied him to swimming lessons one day. Jeremy showed me a video of him where he was hell bent on drinking water from the garden tap - delightful antics. Three gorgeous boys.

Murray with Blayke

Murray with Dane

Garden Delights

Back garden the day we got home after 4 months away

As you know we just let our garden go while we are travelling in the USA, so it is always a pleasure for us to come home and get the garden shipshape, and then plant our summer herb and vegetable crops. The photo above was taken the day we got home. The photo below was taken 2 weeks later, and the one below that was taken 6 weeks after we got home. You can see the gradual transformation!

Back garden after we had been home 2 weeks

Back garden after being home 8 weeks

We also like to have a selection of fresh herbs and vegetables, so Murray created a new garden out the front for vegetables, with the back garden we previously used for vegetables now being home to some prolific tomato plants (seeded by birds), and lots of herbs that I use in my cooking. The following 2 photos are of the new front vegetable garden, and the date stamp shows you the progress. The last photo is this group was taken on my iPhone yesterday, so no date stamp - it was the 3rd of Oct.

Front vegetable garden yesterday - 3 October

Murray was very industrious in the first weeks home - as well as establishing the new garden, he also laid paving stones down one side of the house. It gets no sun, so we couldn't get any grass to grow there. It is where he pushes his lawnmower from the front to the back, and it was often damp and dirty. So now it looks great. Not content with the side paving, he decided to create a cobblestone look at the back of the house. In the right hand photo below, you can see the tomato and herb garden to the right of the cobblestone paving. 

Side pavers (flowering Jasmine in foreground)

Cobblestone pavers at rear of house

As well as enjoying our home and garden, one of life's pleasures for us is spending time with our family and friends. The following photos capture us having an afternoon tea and impromptu baby shower for Yudian at our place, followed by my aunt and 2 sisters with me at my sister Gemma's for dinner, and finally Ret and Murray choosing from the menu at our RSL on the river here in Ballina - a most beautiful place to watch the sun set, and sometimes see a few dolphins glide and jump past us.