Last day 2010

TZATZIKI

for Paul

This is for anyone who loves food but, especially Paul.  I use Tzatziki as a dip, on fish occasionally I shower in it.  The main tip I can give anyone is really squeeze every but of fluid out of the cucumber.  I also replace dill with corriander sometimes.  (Hey I'm not Greek)
Enjoy everyone. 





Promised Robyn, Cornish Pasties or Cabbage Rolls for tea tonight.  Yes in Aus most of us call dinner, tea.  Don't worry we know when to eat.  I should get further instructions from the Minister for Food and Recreation soon.  (Robyn).

She is at the Salvation Army packing food parcels for the needy and flood victims.  Still amazes me not one volunteer belongs to the Salvation Army.  Another thing that makes wonder is the fact that most volunteers are usually quite needy themselves.  Maybe because they can see the need, or maybe it helps them to cope with their own predicaments.  ( thank goodness for spellcheck)

My latest potato crop was a failure, I think all the rain had a lot to do with that.  It's hard to know what to plant with the weather we have been getting.
I might try planting seaweed.

Ok it's Cornish Pasties with a twist, could I use bacon please.  Why not!
( I'm not Cornish either).

Oops slight hiccup with the pasty pastry,  turned into a pie lol. (Not a pastry chef either)
Two and a half hours and that's another year shot to pieces.  According to the weather bureau the rain starts again tomorrow, at least we got the grass mowed before it came back. 

My favorite Desert rose I have to do some grafts off  of it.  I have quite a collection now.

Just Jack looking pretty. 

Ivy Hawkins:  Ivy was 95 when she passed away.  She still had all the marbles in the right place.  She had an incredible memory and loved telling Jack and I stories of London.

Ummm..... Jack please a small modicum of modesty would be appreciated 

This is Kane sleeping, this is one hell of a great dog.  He is blind now and he has selective hearing which comes good at feed time  

My Great Grand Daughter "Savanah".  Haven't seen her for a few years and will most likely never see her again. 

This Is Jess, she came from the pound, she was on her last day before being euthanized.  She has mental problems, she never learned to socialise as a puppy. 

Left pic   ^
Left to right myself, son Christopher and my oldest friend Sam.  I taught music to Sam and we have been friends for a very long time.  Sam and Yvonne in the right hand pic  --------> 

Really Jack this is too much!!!!

Anyone would think that we like animals.  Another year starts in a few hours, if I didn't have a few wines I would be letting my friends down.

End of 2010 TERRIBLE FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND

Well it's Thursday 28th December 2010, second last day of this year.  Robyn is helping to pack food parcels with the Salvation Army.  There is a half a dozen helpers up there freely giving their time to help those that are less fortunate than some.  Strange thing is not 1 of these helpers is a Salvation Army member, I find that strange to say the least.  Robyn has been helping a few days a week for 3 weeks now and I just can't help wondering why no Sally members are there helping?

Our local TV channel below.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8189957/no-end-in-sight-for-qld-flood-residents

At least the rain has stoped if just for a few days, we are having terrible floods all over the Eastern half of Australia.  Poor farmers have lost their crops, business's have lost their stock, must be a horrible feeling of helplessness for them and their family's.  Most are saying it's the worst they have seen in their living memory, what a tragedy.

Had a look at our local Animal Management Center (The pound)  I counted 72 dogs.
Now they can only keep these dogs for 3 days, they do there best to find owners.
People have to understand that when you get a dog, cat or any animal it should be for the life of the pet not, for six weeks over Xmas.


The other point I have been reading about today is "puppy farming".  How inhumane, humanes can be I just shake my head in disbelief. Maybe we should start culling humanes.


Another one I shake my head at is the wonderful teenagers who, on a jetski ran down a black swan down on the Gold Coast.  They missed it the first and second times and hit it the third time.  Luckily a resident filmed this moronic behavour.  These 2 arseholes will be appearing in court very soon. I can only hope that they recieve A hefty fine or jail would be better.  Hope he loses his jetski too, what mongrels.  Hope the parents are proud of their offspring.

Have a look a cruelty at it's lowest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96WLXBiEZkU

If your read this parents you did a great job not raising your kids, same mentality as terrorists

WAIT THERE'S MORE

This was in Toowoomba Queensland folks

Another SUB-HUMAN was  seen towing a Shetland pony behind a car AT SPEED.  His excuse was, "I was drunk".  Need I say more.  How about we all get drunk and beat his sorry arse black and blue.  Same excuse we all have a

skinfull of booze first and  that will make it OK.  Do you believe this crap?

Hey I have had my share of incahole through my life sometimes been legless.  Done a few silly things too, BUT there is no way I could do that sort of  crap.

AGAIN parents are you pleased

Then I came upon this video to make me think
how lucky I am

When the mind says goodbye

See I am lucky

Walk Through This World With Me

The first professional recording I did in 1972.

Between Xmess and New year

Love this dog:



How was that?

MERRY CHRISTMAS & Happy New Year

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
Hooray Moneymass is over or is that Xmess
Either way we had a great day with our P.N.G. friends and what a feed wowowow! What a lovely family day we had with Natasha's Dad, Mom sister, brothers and baby Hughie (no pun intended there). 


Well I did get my carbon steel fry pan now I never ever want to see an aluminium pan with Teflon or any other coating.   They are useless anyway if you cook at the temp you really need to the Teflon is wrecked.   So once my new one is seasoned it will be non-stick and just as good as my wok to cook in.  And the steak & kidney pie I cooked for Robyn came out great.  Never done one before so that was a good result (if not a lucky one).


Still raining, there seems to be no end to it.

It's gonna be a wet one for us,  Weather bureau has predicted 1/2 meter + in some areas.


Well rain still here 28 Dec.  Had one hell of a squall yesterday, lasted 15mins horizontal rain and we had to close every window in the house.

What is a Hero?

This may show you.  This video was sent to me by my Poker friend in Florida, thanks Fancy I will spread it around.

A lot of kids should watch this they don't know how damn lucky and privileged they are.

My Dad

My father was in the R.A.F. in England.   I don't know that much, he never spoke of it much at all.  I could never imagine in my wildest dreams him  shooting anyone but I know he did.  He was a Tail Gunner in a bomber,  he earned 6 medals alas I only have one of them.  I have a few pictures of him in the desert and I also know he was a P.O.W.  He and other men at one point were adrift on a raft or a life boat for a few weeks, how the hell they survived I don't know.  He came back from the war with shrapnel in his back and was a hunchback for the rest of his life.  The way the world is turning out he would probably just shake his head and say, "why did we bother".  But the world was different then and people cared and he cared.  Thanks Dad.

Thursday 23rd December

For this year Jack and I had our last visit to the Royal Children's Hospital Brisbane last night, he made them smile again.  Unfortunately I can't take any pics for privacy reasons, it's a pity in a way because  I see a great interaction between K9 and child.

I always ask if they have a dog, cat or birds as pets, that's the ice-breaker and usually gets them talking.  Sometimes it's the Mom or Dad that seems to need the attention, that's OK too many of them need a distraction more than the child does.  I see tired eyes on both parents and children. 

Last night there was a young mom feeding her baby and she needed a "Jack a comfort cuddle", Jack obliged in his usual way and I think I heard a little sigh of relief from her as she continued to feed her little one.  They all got photo's of Jack and I hope many of them go home for Christmas, not a good place for a child at Christmas time.

I always have another volunteer with me to visit the kids,  Many of these volunteers are not much more than kids them selves.  They do a fantastic job some play games with kids, some take a library and games trolley around and some just clean up a little.   Whatever they do they are kind and useful human beings who care and they have my full admiration for the kindness they bestow upon these unwell little souls. 

JACK'S DAY OUT

OK we are getting ready to go see some old folks, Jack had a brush and only got half a bucket of fur off him this time.  We will be back soon to tell you all about it.

It's warm out there today 33c (90f for other people) I guess summer is here.  Well Jack worked his little miracles again today, getting smiles from some  that have forgotten how to smile.  It also gives me a chance to chat and break their boredom a little.    Hearing stories of family's ,some local, some far away and some overseas.


As we go room to room we hear these stories of where they came from, how they got here.  Some just stare into space until, their hands touch Jack's fur and that brings some life back into what seems to have been a void just seconds before.  We come across a kind volunteer playing violin with some backing tapes of Christmas carols and songs.

There's about 20 or so residents there singing along with the violinist who has found a place  in the world to practice his art and give a little more of his talent to please his audience.  He talks of his childhood and how he started to play the violin at a very early age.  As he talks Jack and I quietly go around the room and they all give Jack a pat and a smile, some want a second pat and I see the excitement on their faces when he goes back to them.   When we get down to the front row I apoligise to the musician for the interuption  and thank him for his patience, He gives an approving nod a knowing smile and starts to play again.  I hold a treat up high for Jack and he stands on his hind legs and to all there, this wonderful dog is dancing a Christmas jig.

 

Today I met Peter, the Grandfather of another Delta society volunteer.  Although she wasn't  there today his kind Grand daughter Elise, and her dog , "Asti" well they do  the same as us and put smiles on faces.  The best part is she ends up seeing her Granddad and "Asti" the dog, well Asti was Peter's dog before he came into care. Asti trots into his room happy to see his old master.    So now Peter still gets to see his Granddaughter and his own dog.  Now isn't that worth a million dollars.?  It is to Peter!

OK we're out of there, Jack has his cold water in the shade of a tree near the car.  We take a bottle of frozen water with us every time we go out.  by the time we have travelled and worked our way around the facility it has 3/4 melted and lovely and cold.  So that's it for this week, and we go on our journey home and I just realise how much difference this Border Collie I rescued from the pound changes so many lives, including mine. the best part is we get to do it all again next week.

Thats got to be worth another smile.

THEN THE STORM HIT
Large Hail came as well golf ball size.  Back yard was flooded and all dog beds got wet. 

Guess they sleep inside tonight!

Darn it the dog had to swim out to the tree to pee

One of my favorite peices of music is Pachabell's Cannon in D.  I have been listening to this wonderful peace of music for many years.  I has become popular in the last 10 maybe 15 years, for me the last 50 or so.

NEARLY CHRISTMAS FOLKS

And its almost Christmas or is that Moneymas?

Sunday morning rain incessant rain!

          Sitting here listening to more incessant  rain, it's hardly stopped for weeks now and I can't throw the ball for the dogs again.  Well I can but then they will get all muddy and seeing as this is an "open house" for animals it is probably not a good idea.  7:30 on Sunday morning Robyn has gone to work just me and 3 dogs and 1 cat.



I see some of my friends are joining my blog that makes me smile and thank you friends, please feel free to leave comments that's a big part my effort here.  We can all ponder some of life's mysteries and share our thoughts.  Well that's enough for now there is a huge  Bowen mango in the fridge waiting for me, such a hard life.


Took me a while to get to the mango,  I keep some of the flesh and put in my fruitfly traps, I keep constant vigile on the little buggers.  We have a neighbour nearby that leaves fruit on the ground, this is a delight for fruitfly, however, I may have to inform them, there is a very hefty fine for leaving fruit on the ground. 


I'm Smoking 2kg of pork today with rosemary and garlic anyone coming for dinner.  Can't wait to get the smell of rosemary and garlic on my hands then cup them over my nose and breath in, YUM!!!!  All the crackling and roast vegies, Potatoes with sage and thyme, carrots with mint, choko and maybe some fried cabbage with salt and pepper.


Pork and vegies were great! 

THAT'S IT FOR THIS YEAR

Well the last training session for 2010 tonight Fri 10th. 
Very steamy on the grounds with all the rain we've had.
Puppies and people make me smile.  :))

And Ruffy? Roughy the Aussie Bulldog was late again:)


Where's the Poker Pirates??

DOG saying, "I love you".

Husky Dog Talking - " I love you "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM

No drought anymore

Well we have floods in 5 states so I guess the drought is broken!

Then Again Australia is the driest continent on earth so its a nice change for some, devistation for others.

Millions of dollars in lost crops and animals, some lives lost and no real end to it yet.

We are lucky we're high and dry not like some.

Darned dog had to swim out to the tree to have a pee this morning.