Looking ahead

 Recently I have seen some advertisements for items that I have felt would be of great benefit down the track as I edge further into my seventies. I don't like buying too much online but I did succumb to the temptation in the end. 

Support our country cousins

We are always encouraged to support our businesses in regional areas so a friend and I took a half an hour's drive from Toowoomba to Crows Nest yesterday as it was a really beautiful 21C day. I had never been there before apart from once when my sister and I were on our way to the Sunshine Coast and she missed the turnoff to Hampton and kept going up the highway to the lovely little town just a few kilometres up the road.

Please help our farmers

Our Aussie farmers are a tough and resilient lot. Probably like farmers the world over. They are at the mercy of the weather, the markets and our all powerful supermarkets for starters. They are used to dealing with drought but this current drought is just crippling them and they need our help. They will never ask for it but too many of them are suffering in silence and many are taking their own lives unless organisations like Aussie Helpers gets alongside them and shows them that they are not alone and that people around our huge country are thinking of them and wanting to help.

Used with permission: Aussie Helpers

Tracking the flu in Australia

A few years ago someone on the old Down to Earth forum wrote about the Flutracking Project in Australia. As it says on the website 'Flutracking is an online health surveillance system to detect epidemics of influenza'. I signed up and from next Monday, when this year's survey begins, it will only take me 10-15 seconds per week to answer a few questions about whether we have had the flu in our household. It is hoped that 3,000 more Aussies will sign up this year so would you like to be one of them.

Have you heard of the Australian Backyard Bird Count?

A couple of months ago I signed up to take part in the 2015 Australian Backyard Bird Count.  
We have a large variety of birds that visit our backyard each day and I was looking forward to the 'count' from the 19th to 25th October but forgot I was travelling on one of those days and would be in Mt.Isa the rest of the time. So I guess I will have to work something out so that I can still do the count.

Why Do I Love Australia?

As all Aussies would know (because we all take notice of when our 'long weekends' are), it is Australia Day on Monday. I know that nearly everyone loves where they were born and I am no exception. I travelled a little when I was younger but I always loved it on the return trip when the Australian coastline came into view and would feel quite teary. I did live in another state for a few years but I really love Queensland where I was born and bred. I thought I would show you why.....