A sunny Xmas Day

Well, we had to travel 1000klms to see the Sunshine, but we did it!!  Went back to Trangie, NSW to visit the family and have a day or two of rest.  It had been a couple of years, but it was probably good that we did it now. A few documented Sunrises for my site of course...

Red Ruby even got to see the Sunset!!

Then the trip home was a little more adventurous with the start of the flooding. We couldn't take the normal route home via Goondiwindi, so we went through Tamworth, and at Warrick we hit a slight traffic stopper...

... luckily their was a way out by going out past the Golf Course, and then we hit the traffic jam... 

The traffic in front

and the traffic behind...

Parts of the road had been washed away and Councils were trying to patch up as best they could...

and then with only 75klms to home, we hit this.....

 The Bridge closed to traffic at Kilcoy due to the river rising and almost 40cm of water over the bridge flowing at a good rate of knots.

After a 3hr wait for the water to recede (which it never did) we met some lovely folk who were headed back toward Gympie then Bundy, they too having experienced their own adventrures, so with no obvious results or headway we decided to back track through Esk, via Ipswich and back home up the highway to home.

Finally after leaving Trangie at 4am, we made it home safe and sound at 12:30am. What normally takes 11hrs.... took 20 1/2hrs.

A memorable Christmas to say the least, but also a small taste of what was to come...

Dicky Beach Surf Classic Carnival

Sat 11th and Sun 12th saw the Dicky Beach Surf Classic Carnival held at Dicky Beach for U14's to Open.

Day 1 (Sat) was a perfect day, weatherwise, and you can view all Day1 photos taken by Kay-Cheree here! (no sign in required).

Day 2 (Sun) was less than perfect, with umbrellas needed all day to keep the rain at bay. Day 2 photos taken by Kay-Cheree can be viewed here! (no sign in required).

Here are a few teasers...

Current Forcast.............WET, WET, WET

Hmmm, it is supposed to be Summer, although the order for the days seem to be rain, rain and more rain! My boys are making the most of the surfing conditions but I can only see smiles on the frogs and ducks and the little Dicky Beach inhabitants below are LOVIN' IT!!


This is the habitat...

This is the inhabitant...

and these were his friends

                                                  

The most recent storm through the coast y'day (16/12/10) has seen our Pajero showered in hail half the size of cricket balls. Just another life experience to deal with, but I know there are many people out there far worse off, with damage to cars and homes, no electricity, flooding etc.

My thoughts go out to you all in these trying times.  I often wonder if the 'creator' lays in a beanbag, hanging their head over the side watching the chaos created below... 

One thing I have learnt over time though, is that regardless of the depth of the problem thrown at us, it is definately how we deal with it that either makes it a problem, or just a hurdle to get over.  Definately share your emotions with others, the frustration, anger, hurt, pain, loss and sadness, but stay strong at heart and always follow the light towards the end of the tunnel....  the journey of life is never without its challenges, but it is these that make us 'US', giving us stories to tell our children and our grandchildren.

Signing off for now...
Kay-Cheree