BACK FROM THAILAND,WE'VE SHIFTED AND NUMBER 1

Back from a wonderful 15 days in Thailand. The children had a wonderful time and basically they wer very good,especially all together.They looked after each other. The big girls and boys decided it was worth coming back to, especially the shopping.Bangkok is still old and dirty in some areas but improved and it now has the most magnificent shopping malls, Big C , Paragon, Central,etc. One even has a huge oceanarium in it. I did pick up a tummy bug but that's just unlucky. When we returned the village gave us a nice and well attended farewell evening and now we are living with Vicki, Travis and Caitlyn. We have started the planning and negotiations with the builder for our unit. It could take up to 6 months but with Rick's friend Andy, the Supervisor , we hope it will be shorter. Happy Birthday to Nanny,my Trevor,Bruce, Michael and Scott,Geoff and Johari in October. Going to Nanny's to celebrate this afternoon. Just cop the size of the fried icecream at the ORCHIDS restaurant in Patong(beachside) Happy hours was always 2 cocktails for the price of one at the Patong Merlin,fine by us!

The Patong merlin from our Balcony

Best Food at just a market stall but so good.

.J One at Phuket

uMBRELLAS WERE PROVIDED AT THE pATONG mERLIN

NUMBER TWO`

The Floating Market

The kids danced too

The Princess & the monkey

back at hotel for Thai dinner & dance

It is so difficult to decide which golden and mosaic wonders one should select.

Tony took a family photo at the Royal Palace

She insisted on covering her legs too,Tony to the rescue.

On steps at Royal Palace,excellent guide ,Tony

The oldies are tired so having room service in

the Indra Regent.

bargaining for a tuk tuk, they just want to take you to shops!!!Bangkok.

The third lot

on the counter at hotel

Another foodhaLL in Phuket

The waiter,another of many who wanted photos with the kids.

Dinner at SILKS at Surey? Bay.Flash & Good

Pretty park near Phuket town that our driver took us to.

Four of the kids

An Italian rest.that failed the Branch test

Drinks & Football watching in Scott & Jo's room

Swensons and Hagen dass were visited as well

always eating

HOME AGAIN AND SHIFTED no 4

JUNGCEYLON WATER PLAY

THE SIZE OF MY LUNCH IN ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN JUNGCEYLON SHOPPING CENTRE,PHUKET

AT HANDLEBARS RESTAURANT

WE DID A LOT OF FOODHALLS

FAMILY AT PHUKET LOOKOUT

TROPICAL FLOWER IN PATONG MERLIN'S GARDEN

BELLA & CAITLYN , YOU'LL

SEE,WE'RE ALWAYS EATING

zOE OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR AT PHUKET

JUNGCEYLON

Here we go

Off to Phuket for 10 days and Bangkok for 5 days, at 8 am tomorrow morning. Not apprehensive, quite excited. Just hope all goes well. Later today taking our little Mac and Scott's Kiah to their kennel. Bet they are not excited, especially Mac.Hope to work out a way around the no photo bits.

IT"S HILARIOUS

Emails flyiong across cyber space,backward and forward,latenight phonecalls, SMS messages,that's the state of our travel. At the moment we are going toThailand but that could change any time. In the last week the decisions have ranged from Thailand to Malaysia to Bali and have sometimes changed twice in a day. As Trev said, I go to bed thinking I'm going to Thailand, I wake up and I'm going to Bali, For desert at lunchtime., I get Thailand served again.Poor old Vicki even changed her money from Baht to Rupea!!!! Just wish us all luck .

Happenings in August

Well, I have all these lovely pictures on my phone and camera and can't download any of them because I don't have my own computer anymore. I thought I could use another computer but ofcourse they don't have the type of phone or camera disk downloaded. What a shame. We have definitely sold and at the moment are living in the sitting room and kitchen with one double bed,a filing cabinet for a table and some food and , until tomaorrow, a fridge. We have attended lovely birthday events for Julie and for Joh's girlfriend (dinner at Hillareys Harbour) and a dress up night for Jacqueline at Fremantle prison. That was a great night and thank you so much Jacquie and Frank.We all were witches, warlocklocks and other creepy creatures.Mick & Viv went off the next day on their extensive North American tour. Our holiday, which is suposed to start on Saturday, is in an on again ,off again stage because of problems in Thailand. The government has not declared the area a danger so at the moment we are still going because the insurance does not cover cancellations.If Thai Airways cancelled the flight, we would be OK and could go somewhere else. So it is a wait and see situation. The kids seem to be fine with it. Today we took some stuff to Vicki's.I took orders for strawberries fom the village because there are 3 strawberry farms along the way from Vicki & Travis's place. Bought 11 kilos and they gave me a 3/4 punnet for free, which was nice so I shared them with Zoe and Riley. When we return from the ""IF"" holiday, some of our neighbours are staging a farewell at the club for us,which is very kind of them.We move the last things before Sept. 24th so the place can be painted and re- carpeted. We have to pay for all that but we knew that. On Thursday we help Net's dear friend Lynda cel;ebrate her Birthday, she's here from Queensland and needed a break. We wish Lynda hope and Happiness in the future. Sorry about the photos, will need to consult the experts.Wish us luck for our trip.

Sold

Bad quality but get the picture!!!

House is sold and I'm packing. Settlement is 30th September but we have to get out a week before so they can refurbish. As we are going to Thailand for two weeks , from 6 till 22 SEptember, we have to get most of the stuff out before we go. No problem, I can do that. The period in between, while our transportable is being built is the most awkward. Wish I could just fly away for six months or so. What to keep, what to sell, what to keep out. All too hard.

A few phone photos added of sooky wooky Mac, Caitlyn on the toys at Bertram, ducks in our pond as the first sight of spring.

August and Albany

It is still in the thick of winter although the rains have lessened ,it is still bitterly cold.

As we were feeling a bit stressed with the house sale, we decided a few days in Albany would be appropriate. Scott & Jo & the kids looked after Mac and they and Vicki & Trav arranged their own babysitting for a couple of days. We mostly had good weather and the break was good for us. The first day there we headed for the Sandalwood fFactory and I really wish I could afford more of their stuff, but it was lovely. It is an Hour and 1/4 drive to the Lily but we decided on that for morning tea. After all where else but here do you find Dutch windmills? So disappointed because they don't do morning or afternoon teas or lunch any more except for their own guests. We had coffee at the bottom of Bluff Knoll instead.

The Lily

Not a great deal of change in Albany, one new shopping centre, the most beautiful hotel pulled down and a few new holiday resorts and houses. The country is still so gorgeous though, that it does not matter that progress has been slow. We went to the old whaling station, on the recommendation of grandchild , Zoe, and that is well done now. Rather unique is the fact that the huge oil tanks are now theaters and photo diplays,very impressive and the coffee was nice too. We came there via Albany Highway and called in to Many Waters at Arthur River and saw old friend Jean Morrell and sons Neil and Peter. That was nice.

On the way back we went via South West Highway, Denmark. Walpole and North through the forest and apple country. Just beautiful countryside. Always makes one wish one could live there but not possible with family in the city. Our house was open again on Saturday and it appears the people in NSW still want to buy our place and as they have had an offer, have offered for ours. But, let's hope that is it, we'll believe it when they have signed the lease of life contract.

Photos follow in the next blog entry.

August, Winter and Albany

Sheep and Canola in the SW fields. Arthur River, really looks like a river now.

Fields of Canola on SW Highway

It really shits me,this getting old . We had to stop & stretch the legs far too frequently.

Not bad for $ 80.00 a night,All seasons ,Albany,but already messed up with Trev's pillows.

Trev Looking over inlet from bottom of Mt Clarence

The old whaler,(from the top of a whale oil tank)

Unfortunate biker at Toffee

Factory ,Denmark

In the SW forest

Magic ,heading north to Manjimup

Caitlyn Beaded

We made the front page.