Friday, May 10, 2013

I showed no control whatsoever!!

Well - I will start with the Rotary book-fair first. Now as a bit of background I love Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Every year at this fair there are only 5-10 in the whole place and if you don't find them quick enough someone else gets them :-( So hubby and I have a strategy - I check the sci-fi section and he checks the 'P' section. We arrived about 15 minutes early and got a park right by the door - but it was raining so we stayed in the car until people started congregating around the door. 

Here's us sitting in the car by the entry door!!
We got a chance to look at our sections early on and I scored 3 Terry Practhett novels I don't have - taking my total to 22 of the 40 main Discworld novels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld 

Then one thing lead to another - I found 4 of the 7 George R R Martin's Game of Thrones novels (this is one of the few times a series or movie has lead me to read the books - usually it is the other way around), a fair few Sara Douglass' (an Australian sci-fi author) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Douglass which lead me to look for Margaret Atwood (don't ask me how) as I am loving 'Oryx and Crake' and then picking up State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (just finished The Marriage Plot) and Majda recommended a Patrick Rothfuss on Goodreads and even though I didn't find the first book (The Name of The Wind) I have the second (The Wise Man's Fear) ready to go when needed now!! Oh and a couple Matthew Reilly's - another Australian author but this time action-thriller.

Riki with my haul of novels
After that we went for coffee with friends we met at the bookfair and what should be outside the coffee shop but an information stand for Lyme's disease! Knowing Majda likes parasites Riki and I got very excited and took a picture

Learning all about Lyme's disease - it's the stand in the background with he sign "Lyme Lives Here" - they decorated with green balloons!
This is a bit of a controversial topic as health authorities say there is no evidence that Australian ticks carry Lyme's bacteria but lots of doctors are seeing evidence of patients with Lyme's disease symptoms. Here is a web link with audio for anyone interested!!
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2013-05-12/4675072

Last weekend - we drove down the highway to Bellingen (about an hour drive) to go to the Bellinger River Agricultural show. Bellingen is a beautiful township which has a very laid back and alternative lifestyle. It is also fairly rural. So we had lots of fun watching the horses, chickens, working dogs, reptiles, woodcutters and eating some scones with jam and cream!!

The beautiful Bellingen River - this river often floods cutting off the north from the south
Riki watching the horse jumping and dressage from the stands
This won the award for largest pumpkin!
Fresh made scones with jam and cream
Wood cutting competition
A man explaining how they train their kelpie puppies to be working dogs - the dogs were adorable - sorry about the bad pics :-( That's a kelpie puppy in his arms and the 4 sheep they were rounding up on the left
This chook's a winner!!                                
Baby crocodile - Steve McEwan's Reptile World show
http://www.reptileworld.net.au/

Phew - it's been a busy couple of weekends!

Things coming up:
Mother's Day - tomorrow - my mum lives 5 hours away but we speak a lot by phone! I sent her a little gift by mail
May 24th - Going out for dinner to farewell a work colleague who is moving to another job  - at Barrel's Global Surf, Pizza and Tapas bar at Sawtell!
Made With Love Markets - handmade markets - June 9th (also Queen's birthday long weekend) http://madewithlovemarkets.com/


                         


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