Year: 2020

 Today we celebrate the first day of Spring, Dougall being allowed out for walks, and National Wattle Day.  The wattle is the National Flower of Australia and a flowering wattle was introduced into the Coat of Arms in 1912 and was officially declared Australia’s National Floral Emblem in 1998. Wattle Days were celebrated at different…

 Meet Silvio He came to do some rendering today on a wall. We chatted. He has a lovely thick Italian accent and a dodgy knee and it looks like he likes pasta. He came from Sicily in 1965. He was 18, planning to be a ship’s captain but he dropped out of school and decided…

A Monday unlike others, so thank you everyone who sent FB greetings, cards, flowers, voice messages and calls which made the celebration extra special. The day, which rolled out simply, was filled with much cheer with favourite birds, feathered and otherwise, who came to share some of it with me. It could not have been…

Sunday afternoon and off we went to our favourite new little fish restaurant on Kangaroo Point. For those of you who are locals check it out – its lovely and their little menus are delightful.  http://onefish-twofish.com.au/ We enjoyed”The Toast to the Queensland Coast” today and to walk it off we went towards the Brisbane River and…

Today just after lunch it was 23C. I put on my Panama which shields my face and eyes and my sneakers, (who would have thought I would be converted but I have the boys to thank for that) and I headed out. I headed out into the warm sunshine and I could feel its rays…

Some of you who follow this blog (and there aren’t many, so thank you) may have noticed that it has been a while since I posted a “Discoveries with Dougall”. Our exuberant neighbourhood Boxer was taken ill with paralysis tick and last week he was in emergency care. These ticks emit a toxin into the…

Glorious sunshine and open skies – and off we go to our closest ocean getaway. Redcliffe, named after its red cliffs, originally called Humpybong, and inhabited by Aboriginal people. It’s Queensland first penal colony. Famous for being home to the BeeGees and one of the first places to be settled in 1824 when the ship…

 Following the Biden- Harris advice and the increasing numbers of infections we have donned our face masks – made by the amazing Robyn Jacques with all proceeds going to a Cambodian Charity. Notice the bespoke nature of the masks – football for the Arsenal supporter and birds for the birdwoman. 

This walk was in the suburb of Keperra. Quiet streets and tended gardens. Cul de sacs and parks – we were on a hunt for the Native Nursery which was shut but to which we will return. And in line with the thought, better to travel well then to arrive, here are some of the…

Waking up to this is heavenly even if I had to spend half hour extricating the thorns from my fingers today. Off to Bunnings (Weekends would not be the same without a visit) for rooting compound for the cuttings. Happy Sunday everyone.