These are a few of my favorite things

Our guides were named James and Sam.

Sam drove… and was quieter. James sat in the front passenger seat, mumbling about famous Australians, animated arms and hands flailing wildly as he spoke. Sue sat in the back making fun of him, convinced she was out of his sight… which I debated. I laughed so hard I cried.

First stop… winery.

We sampled a Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Noir, a blended red and a white port followed by a red port.

My favorites, the Reisling, the blended red and the red port. We snacked on a lovely artisan cheese and bread platter, as we chattered and admired the view. Across the vines was the coast… and French Island. Fittingly. (My grandmothers name is French, my mother and her sisters all with the maiden name French, obviously.)

Next stop, the chocolate factory… our mouths already salivating with anticipation. Promises of tastings on our minds. There was a quick tour with lots of good info about how bitter little cocoa beans are grown, harvested, ground into paste and made into dark, milk and white chocolates.

The displays were pretty impressive. Someone had spent a lot of time putting together colorful scenes made entirely of chocolate.

We sampled and shopped. The store had seen us coming (us and everyone else). The chocolate was good but the prices were high… Not that it stopped us!

The van pulled away, the 7 of us and 2 other women from Oregon, high on sugar and wine… Sam still talking mundanely from the front seat, his arms not yet ready to take a break either.

Up the road further we entered a wildlife park. Aussie critters abounded. Wallabys with joey’s, echidna, dingos, koalas, native birds (including a barking owl… yes you heard right and it DID bark) and Tasmanian devils of course.

Pauline and I got chased by emu’s in the enclosure. Taller than me, with a large pointy beaks bearing down, they were going for the brown paper bag of food pellets I held. I didn’t stick around, instead made for the exit gate and escaped.

The koalas were much more mellow. Waking only 4-6 hours a day, its not a surprise. Super cuddly and cute, I could have photographed them all day… and it looked like a couple had the same idea about me.

We had dinner and headed for the highlight of the day. The penguin parade.

Little blue penguins head out to sea to fish and eat for about a week at a time. At this time of year, the chicks are almost independent and go fishing too. Only about 300 penguins come in each evening, versus the 2000 or so at the peak of penguin watching season. They ride the waves to the shore, then jump upright and waddle up the sand banks to their burrows.

At a foot tall and weighing roughly a kilo, they really are LITTLE penguins. They come in just as the light fades. Small groups make the walk together…. Calling to each other loudly. Safety in numbers.

OMG they are adorable! I want one!

The day finished with a 2.5 hour ride back. Stopping only to get surfing off Nana's bucket list. Yes! She is 80 years old!!!

It was close to 1am when I launched myself into bed and entered blissful unconsciousness.

February 25th in Melbourne

Again the ladies and I woke early. And again I was able to convince mum and Kathryn to run with me.

Sue happily took some “alone time” while the other 5 and I set off for the city without her today.

We caught a tourist shuttle that looped the city, pointing out its highlights and features. First stop.. the Rod Laver Tennis Center. Lynn Marie has a particular fondness for tennis, so this was a must see.

Me taking pics from the crowded bus.

Next we got off in the Italian section. Eyes wide with anticipaton… Lygon St was packed with cafes and restaurants and smelled of all things yummy. Of course we stopped for coffee and cake! Shopping? Who us? Yes, we stopped for a bit of that too.

From here we chose to walk back down to the city center. A half hour meandering through alleys of ethnic stores and sales…. Dodging Uni students with the wheelchair. Nana had no trouble keeping up, but I was feeling tired. (Mental note: sleep in !!!)

Arriving back at the house around 3pm, it was time to chill, snack, have tea and get ready to go out again. We had tickets to Mary Poppins on stage tonight.

Mary Poppins, what a hoot! A colorful, lively, singing, dancing extravaganza which left us laughing and clapping. Mary Poppins exited the stage for the last time, flying upright over the audience, umbrella up …with a wink and a smile. She was perfect.

Let's go Shopping!

I woke at the crack of dawn, or sometime just before.

The sound of the nearby light rail reminded me I was indeed in Melbourne, sharing a bedroom with my mother (who sleeps silently, thank goodness) and about to embark on my first day, shopping in a new city.

It took the seven of us about 30 mins to figure out how the train system worked… despite having a “trial run” at the station the evening before, and it being one of the least complicated and most intuitive rail systems I have personally experienced!

Then… the fun and laughter began. It wasn't long before shenanigans in changing rooms kicked in, not to mention loud, politically incorrect jokes… making fun of each other and ourselves without a care to what onlookers might have been thinking.

The butt of most jokes was Lynn Marie… wheelchair bound and blonde… an easy target and good natured enough to take it… and take it again! Relentless were my mother and aunts, threatening to leave her locked outside stores in her chair, taking the brakes off while on the train/bus and watching her fly forward when it stopped suddenly, telling her to “grab the top rail” to brace herself. No matter how wrong it was, I had to laugh too. Damn funny, especially watching the faces of shocked Australians near us!

We spent most of the day in and out of clothing and shoe stores. Breaking up the shopping only to stop for food and coffee.

Everyone bought something… husbands across the world, be warned.

One of my favorite memories remains the shop that seemed to specialize in outfits with an animal theme. I just couldn’t help myself… the fur vests were hilarious and my day would not have been complete without photos of us trying them on. Watching my mother tie on a feathery shoulder piece while Lynn Marie donned a fur vest and stroked herself like a cat, cracked me up. Tears ran down my face and I doubled over, unable to straighten.

No, I didnt end the day with this long-haired beauty in my bag. Some things are just better left for more adventurous fashionista's. But I did come away with a couple of new dresses... Cute little bargains, my favorite kind.

Heading Down Under

And so it began. A 1pm bus to DIA, boarding pass already in hand…. I was through security and in flight right on time.

Leaving Colorado.

Arriving into Australia at sunrise.

Sydney has a noise curfew, meaning our large aircraft was forbidden from entering the airspace over the city or landing at Kingsford Smith Airport before 6am and the only solution was to leave LAX a little later. No worries mate!

Once aboard, a quick check revealed the plane was almost full. How on earth I managed to score a row of 3 streets to myself I do not know… but I liked it. My plan, to have dinner then take a sleeping pill with a glass of wine and sleep the night away, was coming together. Except now, I found myself lazily stretched across 3 seats - with 3 pillows and 3 blankets - and once my earplugs and eye mask were in place, I did sleep the night away... Waking shortly before breakfast at approximately 4am and landing in Sydney close to 6:45am

I touched down at my final destination, Melbourne, an hour late and keen to find my mum, grandmother and aunts. As crazy as it sounds, finding them in the airport was easy. Mum and I had reviewed a map of the airport the week before and the plan to meet in a certain area was a good one. Without any trouble, I made my way to the main arrivals hall near their terminal. As I walked right up to nana, she failed to see it was me… and found herself in a hug almost before she knew what hit her!

Its true what they say… you only see what your mind knows is already true. She was not expecting me but thankfully the surprise was a good one.

By noon, the seven of us had arrived at our house for the week. We proceeded to unpack, shop for groceries and explore the neighborhood. The evening was rounded out with gin and tonics - which apparently lead to jumping rope/skipping!!!

Kathryn and Sue skip/jump rope together... or at least give it a good try!

Observing the entertainment... Nana, Pauline and Lynn Marie.

We hit the hay early. Every one of us had seen the early side of 5am.

Embracing the Snow

It had been snowing the best part of 24 hours. Not heavily, but a light dusting that went on and on... and not everywhere in Boulder either, mainly over my neighborhood and the south Boulder area.

I woke to 6+ inches coating pretty much everything. It was bright white, clean and crunchy, but I knew I only had hours before the (relatively) warm-ish temperature would turn it to a wet, brown slush.

At about 11am I made the quick decision to take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful Sunday morning, with my camera.

First stop... my neighborhood, where it seemed the responsible residents had all made a good effort to shovel the sidewalks already, but most hadn't got as far as digging out their cars, or bikes!

The streets were apparently not as big a priority for plowing on the weekends. No school buses to keep safe perhaps.

I was drawn to one of my favorite south Boulder trails. The thought of open space and snowy Flatiron views were enough for me to mentally push past the lower leg wetness that was gradually creeping upward, and the discomfort that comes with bare fingers on a winter's day.

From the trailhead...

Hellooooo beautiful!

My treat for the day came when some hikers pointed out an eagle, majestically perched above us. He seemed to be keeping an intense eye out for a rodent snack... Or perhaps, just liked having his picture taken!

And finally... A Boulder landmark and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).