da Scriffles

Scriffles: To Do Before December 20 list.

Bake cheesecake.

Clean.

Bake gingerbread.

Catch up with A.

Give presents to B.

Ring C.

Email D.

Dentist.

(DO YOU SEE A TIGER OR A BIRD HERE?)

Take mum to Mooloolaba to see brother and his kids - and swim at the beach.

Wrap Christmas pressies.

See Where the Wild Things Are.

Finish listening to mediation CD.

Exercise daily.

Turn air-con on or nothing will get done today.

Oh yeah! Publish book.

(YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE BOTH A TIGER AND A BIRD!)

Scriffles: Cheese cakes. Done.

Scriffles: What's a beach sunrise worth?

We walked up to the lighthouse, collected shells, watched huge fish swim near the rocks with schools of whiting. Saw a Kite carry a fish across the sky: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahminy_Kite

Saw beautiful yellow-tailed black cockatoos climbing treetops that tower over the beach: http://www.avianweb.com/yellowtailedblackcockatoo.html

Tiny, tiny, little crabs scuttled over the sand. A flock of 10 pelicans flew in formation over our heads in the afternoon. Caught a wave or two, kicked waves into submission. Dug huge holes in the sand. Went to sleep listening the ocean. Went to the beach at dawn by myself. Mum called from the balcony as I slinked out the beach gate. I felt like a kid on Christmas morn being caught sneaking a peek at the gifts before everyone was awake. Great visit. This year has been a record for the past decade I think. I've been to the beach twice this summer already. So many summers have slipped by. Caught a double wave on the boogie board and wooshed all the way to the shore! Yi-i-HA! Didn't watch or read any news. I heard some interesting Mooloolaba news. A local fisherman catches whiting and freezes it in container loads to ship off-shore to be filleted. It's cheaper to do that than pay someone in Australia to do it. Listening the ABC now and hearing that politicians have decided to pay themselves more. Why don't we pay the crabs to dig holes on the beach? They do such a good job. What about paying the mangroves to filter our water? They are better house keepers than politicians. What's clean water and fresh air worth? More than a politician? More than a journalist or a lawyer? As much as a Peace Prize?

<p>Sunrise over Mooloolaba from Lisa Yallamas on Vimeo.</p><p>At 5am there's hardly a soul on the beach to watch the sun come up. By 8am it's like New York's Grand Central Station on a Monday morning. </p>

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Scriffles: Drenching rain stops holiday traffic

Rain for the new year:

Left Brisbane four days before Christmas.

Drove from Brisbane almost to Sydney admiring the billowing and blooming clouds.

Gorgeous.

Well. Two days (after arrived at Pearl Beach an hour-and-a-half out of Sydney) the Heaven's opened.

Here's how it went.

Day One: crossing the Great Dividing Range through Warwick's farming district in Queensland over the border down the New England Highway to Tammworth.

Day Two: Tammworth over the Mountains via Thunderbolt's Way winding up to Walcha (prounounced Wacca) - simply gorgeous!

Cattle crossing a road that is like a winding roller coaster - simply gorgeous!

Pacific Highway. Not gorgeous!

Reached Pearl Beach two days before Christmas - got two good days at the beach.

From Boxing Day - rain.

Trip Back to Queensland

Day 1: Traffic at a standstill from Kempsey. Head off into coast road via tourist trail through national park through Macleay Valley beside the river - gorgeous.

Stayed at Nambucca Heads - would have been goregous without rain. The boat moored out front of unit had about 10 inches of rain water in it.

Day 2: Traffic at a standstill at Ballina. Head inland via Bruxton Highway through Lismore, Nimbin, Tweed Valley, Currumbin Valley - drenched banana and sugar crops and roads but gorgeous rainforest drive on long and winding road. Home safe. Gorgeous...