Parties ... formal and informal!

8/12/2012
Saturday and we have been saving ourselves all day for Alana’s birthday party, not that it’s difficult keeping busy and off the grog as this property is high maintenance. Always something to do such as watering and clearing away half eaten Mangoes that the wildlife love to have a go at and scatter everywhere plus picking up Palm fronds that are forever falling.
 At  5-30  the taxi arrived to take us to the Star Apple Restaurant at Yorkey’s Knob, a really nice eating house on the beach that we didn’t know existed until tonight. There was Champagne, cocktails, beer if preferred to start, canapés of all varieties, some wrapped in vine leaves and of course, delicious prawns. The whole cuisine was Indonesian, the main course, three fantastic curries of awesome  flavours, we reckoned it is a long time since we ate food of such high quality. Glyn and Alana certainly pushed the boat out for this party.
 More Champagne and wines then a taxi, for some of us who don’t  know when to stop, up to Apres Bar at Palm Cove until full, finally getting home and bed around 2am.
 Jane is now firmly into a Champagne lifestyle which may have to alter somewhat when we get back to the Hart in Newbold.
 We have had a super day, met yet more very nice people and firmed up some already good friendships, long may it continue!


9/12/2012
Oh dear, down with a bump after last nights excesses, not a massive hangover but savage enough, unfortunately it hasn’t put Jane off Champagne!
Liveners at the boat club and a bowl of wedgies there for brekky.
Back at the Ponderosa we thought we would just have a quiet time and take it easy for the evening when, first the Millers turned up ( Allen and Lorraine ) followed by Phil and Julie, who just happened to be passing…………here we go again!


10/12/2012
Had to buckle down a bit today as we are supposed to be looking after this place and we didn’t do a tap yesterday. So, busied about here and next door generally tidying up and getting some water into these enormous gardens.
The heat wave, thankfully, is over and we are back down to a manageable 32c with the occasional shower, never enough to settle the dust though. As a result the watering continues ( no hose pipe ban here ) but the water bills get higher, not our problem!
Now we have yet another job as Phil and Jules jet off to Bali for  a week, we are looking after the units while they are away. It’s no big deal as we have done the job before and know the score. It’s also payback time as everyone has been very kind to us. So for the next week we have three jobs………… never had that many in the last 15  bloody years.
We did the official caretaker handover tonight during a BBQ with Phil, Jules, Glyn and Alana, a case of Phil chucking the keys at me with a, “ here ya go mate, they’re all yours, I’m off to Bali”.

11/12/2012
House minding should be a doddle ( stupid American text never heard of doddle ) of a job, and it is, providing it is a house. Today was our first day of looking after three  at the same time, all very big properties. At least they are fairly close together, within a couple of  kilometres radius and we do have the car to get about in. Kevin and Joan Rangers house is the largest and most difficult to get to being at the top of a very steep hill. Once there it can be a real time waster as we can’t help but stand on their deck looking out over the ocean, fabulous views. Right now there is a cruise liner moored off Yorkeys Knob and from this vantage point we can see the tenders ferrying the passengers ashore to spend the day sightseeing. Must be nice to be on one of those ships visiting this beautiful part of the world………. but they will be gone in the morning……….

12/12/2012

12-12-12, how odd is that?
We had been invited to a Christmas party at Cynthia and Allan’s which should have been last weekend but they cancelled as Cynthia was unwell. Feeling a little  better she decided on having morning coffee so we all trundled along there this morning. That was, all that are around at the moment, six of the gang being away.
Allan and Cynthia have an acre block around the house with lots of fruit trees and a vegetable garden. You can grow absolutely everything up here in the tropics but unfortunately the local wildlife know this and poor old Allan has had his fruit and stuff decimated by Bats and Sulphur  Crested Cockatoos amongst other animals and birds. The cocky’s  have a peck at a mango or whatever then move on to another, the Bats are riddled with rabies so would you eat a mango after they have had a go at it? Of course he isn’t allowed to frighten any them away for fear of being prosecuted by idiot animal rights and loony eco greens. He could, of course, put nets over all his trees but he worked out that he would need to sell all his fruit at premium rates every year and live until he is 180 before he starts to show a profit.
 Roll on the 21st the whole world has gone barmy!