My Birfday! 2025

 

March 10th was a washout day, ex-cyclone Alfred was still in the area and dumped around 150 ml in the Gympie area and a whole lot further down the coast, so I got to sit at home and plans were put on hold.  David very thoughtfully went to the local supermarket and bought a cheesecake that had been discounted and brought that home as a consolation.  It was a nice thought!

The following Monday was a beautiful sunny day, so my birthday present from David was a golf game at a course down the coast which I hadn’t previously played at.  The course, Peregian Springs was spectacular -  lush rough, weedless fairways, manicured greens and lovely foliage, trees and shrubs in the background, including upmarket amenities on the course.  However the bunkers were disasters as all the rain had turned them into ponds (obviously the drainage was shot). Apparently over Winter they are going to be completely renovated.

Anyway despite the course being an easier rating than Gympie, I still lost 4 balls (in the drink).  However,  it was a lovely day for golf and Dave was the perfect caddie - advising, coaching and taking my putter to the green. Of course he drove the cart and the only criticism of the course layout was there were  huge distances  between greens and the next tee area so the cart was a good idea.  We had nobody behind us pushing the pace so it was a very relaxing day, I even had the opportunity to play a couple of balls. (Got my money’s worth) .  David outdid himself, even stayed for lunch and a drink.  Thank you sweetie.

Earlier in the week, some paddling mates accompanied me to a rural restaurant about 20 kms south of Gympie.  It’s an especially nice venue cause it’s situated on a working farm.  Various animals, mainly sheep and dry stock, heaps of domestic fowl are in different paddocks and there’s a gorgeous lake in the camping ground.  The gardens around the restaurant have flowers-in-season, vegetables, herbs, standard roses and different flowering shrubs and of course it’s all beautifully tended and tidy.  A great outlook for diners.  The restaurant area includes 2 roofed area with no walls except for the back area facing the shed whereby they’ve fitted a big sheer curtain.

Lovely bunch of dahlias from the folks.

A super birthday, thanks folks for sharing it.

A teenage mate of Dave’s, visit

 

Originally, Russell and David met in the first year of leaving high school which was  in a small West Australian Railway Siding of Dullbelling. Apparently it was the first job for either of them, probably around 1966 … nearly 60 years ago.  According to David, Russell was a city kid who had little experience in outback living and it was just as well, David was there!  Anyway they worked, socialised, drank and got up to the usual fun and games that youths did back then.  

Obviously their paths then veered in different directions.  They periodically kept in touch, one occasion in Sydney and later on in Perth around 1997.  Russell now lives in the US where he has been for several years.  Earlier in the year when he attended a Vietnam Vets reunion, and to catch up with his brother in Rockingham, Russell called into Brisbane on his way back to the States  to see David.

Dave and Russell

It was 5 days of much reminiscing and good old Aussie embellishment .  Lovely seeing you Russell.