Dentist and kangaroos…Another g’day in Australia!

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The dental office is easy to find.  Its outside the main entrance to Smithfield Mall on the nearest to Woolworth’s  Grocery store.

Visiting a dentist has always been a dreaded experience for me.  As many of you, from time to time I had less than ideal experiences leaving an indelible mark on my psyche.  These experiences left me with a degree of dental phobia and/or dental anxiety which is more common than we can imagine.

As a matter of fact there is such a thing as the “Dental Anxiety Network” specifically for dentists to ensure they are well educated in dealing with anxious patients.

I’ll admit to becoming anxious when I have to have anything other than a cleaning which causes little apprehension.  Its the fillings, crowns and surgeries that incite a sense of fear.  Some reports state that as many of 80% of patients have some degree of dental phobia.

The professional, clean and organized dental office, 1300 Smiles at Smithfield Mall made us both feel at ease.

As a result I didn’t feel apprehensive when our intent for yesterday’s two appointments was singular:  clean our teeth, no x-rays.  With neither of us experiencing any pain or apparent difficulty with our teeth, we hoped for good results.

Both of our appointments transpired at exactly the same time, 1:00 pm on Thursday, with a plan to shop when done.  The dental clinic, 1300 Smiles, is located  in the Smithfield Mall around the corner  from the meat market, the produce mart, the pharmacy and the grocery store, definitely a convenient location for the four additional stops I needed to make when we were done at the dentist.

Much to my surprise the dentist, Dr. Neil McElvanna, did my cleaning as opposed to a dental hygienist which is the usual procedure in the US.  Most hygienists in the US (our only experience until now) provide excellent service often after many years of experience.



The treatment rooms were spotless and were equipped with the most up-to-date equipment from what we could determine.

After my painless procedure was completed with positive comments as to the condition of my teeth and gums after almost three years without a professional cleaning (we don’t recommend waiting this long), Dr. Neil and I had a chance to talk.

After inquiring as to our life of travel, we discussed the recent pointless slaughter of Cecil, the lion.  Dr. Neil, with tongue in cheek, commented, “Too bad he’s a dentist.”  I then commented, “Too bad he was from Minnesota from whence we came.”  Immediately, we had something, however sad, in common.

We proceeded to discuss my way of eating which may have a beneficial effect on dental health which he said was evident in my lack of periodontal disease.  Sure, I had a degree of plaque which he readily removed that no matter how often I cleaned my teeth, I couldn’t entirely eradicate.  But, I had no inflamed or swollen gums or areas of concern.

Lounging in the grass.

In the old life, both of us had to visit a periodontist on a few occasions.  That was while we were still consuming vast amounts of sugar in various forms.  However, our good results aren’t entirely a result of not having sugar floating around our mouths.  It’s also a result of the systemic production of stomach acids, good gut bacteria and general good health from consuming a healthy low carb, grain, starch and sugar free ketogenic diet for the past almost four years.  


Now, with a clean dental bill of health and the fact that we may not see another dentist until we arrive the US in 2017 we can rest easy that both our medical and dental exams provided us with peace of mind only adding to our enthusiasm as we continue on in our travels.

This adult kept watch while the others rested.  With only crocs as potential predators and the kangaroos keeping a distance from the ocean and rivers, the kangaroo population continues to grow in Australia.  Here are the estimated stats for the kangaroo population.  There are an estimated over 20 million kangaroos in Queensland according to these 2011 stats.

The shocker?  The cost for both of us was a mere AUD $196, USD $142.89, which is only AUD $98, USD $71.45 each.  We had refused x-rays which of course lowered the price.  Had either of us been experiencing any pain or discomfort, we’d have opted for the x-rays.  Why be exposed to radiation when there’s no need?

This young kangaroo looked sleepy and ready for a nap.

Over these past almost three years since our last cleaning we’ve done a few things that may have also contributed to the good results:

1.  Using Brush Picks by The Doctors after eating.  We keep these picks with us at all times.  We recently purchased several packs of these at the Alive Pharmacy at Smithfield Mall.
2.  Oil Pulling each day using unrefined, cold pressed, organic coconut oil, swishing for 20 minutes.
3.  We brush our teeth twice a day using non-fluoridated whitening toothpaste (brands vary throughout the world.  We don’t use fluoride when we can avoid it).
4.  We brush with the above toothpaste adding baking soda and hydrogen peroxide onto the brush.  These items are available worldwide.
5.  We used pulsing toothbrushes.  (We’d purchased a good sized supply on past visits to Costco but, these can be purchased at pharmacies and grocery stores throughout the world.

Kangaroo family lounging under the shade of a tree and a bench.

We stress that if there is evidence of periodontal disease, the above measures would be effective only after a course of professional treatment had been exercised. We don’t recommend seeing a dentist only once every three years.  In our old lives, we had our teeth cleaned every six months.

The thorough cleaning, the pleasant and professional dental office and the expert care of the dentist, Dr. Neil and his staff, left us with a “great taste in our mouths!”

Resting in the grass.

With our medical appointments behind us with good results we have a renewed sense of freedom.  Thanks to our readers for their encouragement and support in assisting us in making the decision to get these medical exams behind us.

Our efforts for ongoing health continue with exercise, healthy diet, dental care and a positive state of mind which, armed with this good news, is certainly enhanced.

Kangaroos are shy unless they’ve been in an area where they frequently interact with humans.  These are wild kangaroos resulting in photos taken from afar.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue with more photos from our trip to Port Douglas as we plan our next road trip.  Hummm…wonder where that will take us?

Happy end of week to all!

_____________________________________
 

Photo from one year ago today, July 31, 2014:
We didn’t post on this travel date.  Back tomorrow with August 1, 2014!

We left Minnesota 1000 days ago…One year ago…Final costs of 77 days on the island of Madeira…

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This flower appears to have the face of a fluffy white lamb. Notice the eyes and nose. We didn’t see this until after we uploaded many photos from our visit to the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

Today is 1000 days since we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012, to begin our new lives, our worldwide adventures, our foray into the unknown. We’d marked the calendar that long ago for the 1000th day, at the time unsure if we’d ever reach it. (Some time ago, we mentioned posting our 1000th post which is different. We began posting seven months before we left so these are two distinct dates).

We had no clue when we posted today’s reminder for the 1000th day if we’d tire of traveling, find our health prevented continuing on, or if we found it financially impossible based on costs and inflation throughout the world. None of these concerns have impeded the joyful continuance of our travels.

On the return drive from Cairns, we stopped to check out this roadside stand.  We didn’t purchase anything when they only had fruit.

We are as enthusiastic in this life now as we were 1000 days ago. The fear is gone with knowledge and experience in its place. We truly feel like experienced travelers and yet, we still have so much more to learn, to see, to explore. 

Many of our readers have been with us since the beginning and we commend you for your loyalty, diligence, and input. What a gift we receive every day in knowing you are there!

We’d driven by this Farm Market many times on our way back and forth to Cairns, deciding it was time to stop to check it out.

Is it possible to imagine that some mornings I load my laptop, connect to the internet and start the app I use to upload this site without a clue as to what to put down in words and photos?

Can you imagine that some mornings when I study the folder on my desktop entitled “photos to post” that there’s only a mishmash of unrelated photos I’ve yet to upload for lack of relevancy to a particular another batch of photos?

Their meat case was filled with many pre-seasoned and pre-coated with flour and breadcrumbs, none of which work for us. But we purchased a few packs of bacon, chicken, and spinach wrapped chicken breasts.

Do I panic?  Not at all.  Do I say to myself, “Gee…I wish I didn’t have to do this every day?” Not at all. My little brain goes to work either from a morning conversation between Tom and me, a tidbit on the news, or at times a light bulb moment popping bright within my field of vision.

Sure, the day could come when the slate is blank and literally not a word, a thought, an urge, or a nuance will waft through my head to reach my fingers on the keyboard, which are usually itching to be in action. That could happen. In reality, someday, this will happen. But, it’s not today.

We hadn’t seen cherries in a long time.  Some veg is organic and others are not which is not evident by signs posted.

Can you imagine that the photo file is nearly empty and we don’t feel like going out on a sightseeing expedition? That’s a relatively common occurrence. Why wouldn’t it be? Do any of us have enough “share-worthy” information combined with photos to share every day of our lives? Hardly.

Neither of us is into “selfies” which eliminates an entire category of photo taking. Nor, am I continually updating my Facebook page with the “photo of the day or moment.” 

This package of crocodile is AUD $15, USD $10.91. Next time we stop by that store, I think we’ll buy one of these and try it.

On Facebook, I tend to post a photo of an inanimate subject that I find interesting such as in today’s photo at the top of this page that I “saved” from the Cairns Botanic Gardens” to post. 

We aren’t quite ready to try eating kangaroo and these sausages contained sugar and wheat.

The main photo was my favorite from the gardens tour day, saved in the same manner that one may save that last tender morsel on their plate to eat as the very last bite…a reward at the end for our patience?

There’s a lot of things we could do today. Sylvie and Andy purchased chaise lounges which they placed next to the pool so we could lounge there for our dose of Vitamin D, as opposed to sitting in a chair on the veranda. We couldn’t be more pleased with the kind and caring attention they’ve given to our needs and wants. Today, we could lounge by the pool for a while.

Tom put his hand out to show illustrate the size of this huge sweet potato.

We could take a drive to a new area further from Trinity Beach to return with hundreds of new photos which could see us through days of posting or, we could make several short trips to unseen spots in the area, although we seem to have already thoroughly scoured the immediate area.

Don’t get me wrong. We love getting out and taking photos. It’s getting us out the door that is always the challenge when it’s so easy to do nothing, one of our favorite pastimes. And doing nothing is not really doing nothing. We seem to be busy all day even when we stay home with the intent of doing “nothing.”

We purchased some of the bacon in the rear middle of this case.  Once cooked we realized that the rind was still attached and we had to pull it off like a long leather boot shoelace. Otherwise, the bacon was nitrate-free and delicious. As shown, many of the items for sale are pre-seasoned and coated.

I can imagine that many of our retiree readers totally get what we’re saying here today. Life doesn’t always consist of busy, meaningful, and active days filled with new discoveries and revelations. And, many otherwise quiet days end up a flurry of activity.

So, we’ll see what the day brings. I imagine that tomorrow when you stop by, you’ll see something new and shown for the very first time as we strive to do each and every day. 

Ibis are commonly seen birds in Australia.

Happy day to all of you whether you stay in, head out on a walk, or on an adventure. It all matters.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, July 28, 2014:

As we were fast approaching departing Madeira, we posted all of our final expenses as we do when getting ready to leave each country. For details of those expenses, please click here.

Wrapping up the Cairns Botanic Garden…What shall we share next?..A long ago host and hostess…

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We’d seen these gorgeous orchids in our neighborhood in Kauai, Hawaii, and found them equally breathtaking in Australia. Many of the plants, trees, and flowers are similar in both areas due to the tropical climate.

We’re always amazed by the number of readers that visit us each day. Who are you? How did you find us? We don’t do a lot of outside advertising and promotion other than an occasional blurb or story on another site that may also have a fair share of readers.

We’re hoping that the technical names of all of these flowers weren’t as important as seeing their beauty in our photos. Our slow and costly wifi connection doesn’t allow for intense data hogging searches.

We both wondered if the readers of the past 24 hours, a 25% increase was due to our multi-day story about the Cairns Botanic Gardens which may have attracted a few more readers our way. But after typing a search in Google we didn’t pop up on the first page.

Tom loves to read signs wherever we may visit.

Who knows what brings all of you here? In reality 1118 in 24 hours is nothing compared to millions that view an entertaining video in one day. Then again, we’re not a one-shot wonder. We’re the steady, dependable blog writers who appear each day, rain or shine, in sickness and in health, and even on the often painstaking travel days.

Roundabouts are popular on the roads here in Australia. We didn’t expect to find one in the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

All we can say is that we appreciate the consistent readership, comments, and email, all of which makes the what-could-be a lonely trail of traveling without our thousands and thousands of readers from all over the world traveling with us each and every year, especially now as we’ll soon enter our fourth year on the move. 

Many areas in the gardens were wild and seeming to be unattended, letting nature take its course.  This creek bed was dry.

If Tom and I were bored with one another, which we’re not (emphatically), the audience would be a desperate means of communication with the outside world. The fact that we adore each other’s companionship only adds to the joy of our daily experiences from the adventurous to the mundane. 

We’ve yet to see a Cassowary in the wild.  But, when we do, we now feel more educated based on reading this sign, which Tom drew to my attention.

It feels as if we’re having one fabulous dinner party minus all the cooking and cleanup. The expense, on the other hand, we bear with what we hope is aplomb. 

Our self-tour ended at the visitors center, which was an interesting architectural design series of buildings with a gift shop, various displays, and a restaurant.

In our old lives, for those of you who aren’t aware, we were the proverbial host and hostess, often having “company” for dinners, brunches, and barbecues on the lawn. Those days are long behind us now, but we remember them fondly for all the fun and laughter.

The buildings were designed with lots of glass creating an unusual look.

After all of our guests went home, we both stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, washing and drying every last dish and glass we couldn’t fit into the two dishwashers which even those, we emptied before heading to bed. We washed the floors and often started a load of laundry filled with linen napkins and tablecloths. No, we didn’t stay up to dry and later iron the napkins.

As we entered the visitors center we spotted this python under glass.

To make a point, we were somewhat focused on being the efficient and yet playful host and hostess having a good time from the first slice of shallot to begin the cooking, to the moment we finally wandered off to bed, smiles on our faces for an enjoyable time seemingly had by all.

Close up of grouchy looking python face.

Do we miss that life? Of course, we miss the people, the family gatherings, and the multitude of friends from many walks of life that magically seemed to get along marvelously when we entertained the larger groups. 

Pretty in pink.

In the same way, one may have an amazing memory of a wild roller coaster ride, one doesn’t long to ride a roller coaster every day. It’s the multitude of memories we hold close to our hearts. But, that doesn’t mean we’re hankering for 100 people to come for dinner…or for the more difficult, dinner party at the holidays for 12 guests which inspired us to a more complex menu and table setting.

This brown and yellow flower caught our eye once again as we neared the exit. This is an Acanthaceae from Central America. We don’t recall seeing these in Central America. 

Life is full of trade-offs. We traded one life for this life. Is this a better life? For both of us, it is. We certainly don’t miss working every day (duh!) or the many responsibilities of the life we lived, that most people live, many happy and fulfilled. And, it’s not to say we weren’t happy and fulfilled. We were like most of you…somedays? yes…somedays? no. That how life is. 

Sure, we miss the people. That’s the only price we’ve paid. But they, like us, have adjusted to our being gone and hopefully, love us anyway. People retire and move away. 

What an interesting and comprehensive experience at the Cairns Botanic Gardens.  It was well worth the visit with a surprising free admission.

Other retirees that have moved from the frozen tundra of Minnesota moved to a warmer climate may see their families once a year. We see them every two years. We are readily available by phone and Skype (free for them, mostly free for us) and love speaking to them and seeing their faces. We chat with them via Facebook and email. Communication is not lost by distance. It’s only lost by the heart.

Here we are. It’s Monday near noon in Trinity Beach, Australia. It’s about 80F, 27C, the humidity is 68%. The sun is shining. We’re healthy. Our house is clean. We have a fabulous dinner planned. And later today, we’ll head out for more photos ops to share here with all of you, our readers, our friends.

Thank you. Thank you so much for traveling along with us. You mean the world to us!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 27, 2014:

This was my entire pile of clothes to be packed one year ago which remains about )the same size today. Although I’ve purchased a number of items this past year, I tossed all the old worn clothing to replace the weight of the new items. For details as we prepared to depart the island of Madeira, Portugal, please click here.

More Cairns Botanic Garden photos…Quiet day on the home front…Lots of steps?

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A beautiful bouquet already made by nature.

After yesterday’s workout and finally completing the post around 1:15 pm my day had gone haywire. Most days I’m done by noon and we can go about our day of either shopping, sightseeing, or hanging out at home.

Lipstick bamboo.

With the late start, I found myself running around like a Tasmanian Devil (hope to see more of these someday soon) in ten different directions at once. With laundry to do, dinner to make, Tom’s blood test results (they were perfect) to scan, and tidbits of organizing here and there, my day was full.

These must be a treat for the many birds in the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

Tom had a hankering for our bread-less sandwich. But none of that for me here in Australia. All the meats are processed as opposed to sliced real meat we’ve been able to buy in some countries. Also, all the meats were filled with gluten and sugar. 

Orange puffs.

Tom doesn’t care if he eats small amounts of sugar or gluten nor does he react to the perils of gluten and sugar in lunch meats so I opted for a salad with bacon, avo (Aussie slang), cheese, celery, lots of cos (romaine) lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and chicken chunks, my favorite salad.

We saw these Sausage Trees in Kruger National Park in South Africa.  These pods are huge.

Based on the fact that I was making two totally different dinners, I spent a considerable time chopping, dicing, and slicing for both of our meals. Plus, I got this crazy desire to make a new recipe for Low Carb Blueberry Coconut Muffins with less than two carb grams each.

Some creek beds were dry.

Although I don’t eat fruit due to the high sugar content, berries are relatively low in carbs in small portions and I can easily handle the five berries in a single muffin. It was the first time I’d made the recipe and they were moist and delicious. 

Moments later we saw this waterfall.

If you’d like the recipe please email me. It is written and prepared to go. If you want to replace the sweetener with real sugar, feel free to do so, but the carbs will increase exponentially making it an entirely different muffin, although it will still be moist and delicious.

According to a friend/reader, this is a Prickly Pear. 

By the time I was done in the kitchen, the laundry was done and put away, the muffins were cooling undercover (lots of flies here) and we were able to sit down and play cards until dinner.

Gecko on a rock at the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

Each day I wear a FitBit which keeps track of my steps and other pertinent health information. I’m only interested in the number of steps I do each day. When we’re staying home, I can’t seem to top 5000 steps in a day. 

Tom was busy inspecting this huge tree.

This place isn’t big enough with no steps to run up and down and, it’s impossible to go for a walk when the driveway is too steep to get down on foot. With no parking allowed on the road and the fact that we can’t block the driveway for the owner’s comings and goings, walking in the neighborhood isn’t practical.

Pink beauty.

Instead, we amp up the walking and subsequent steps when we’re out and about. No matter what they say, managing 10,000 steps at home in a day is outrageous unless one goes for long walks. 

Even the smallest flowers are lovely.

We only manage to do this three or so times a week when we visit a good location suitable for walking. Add in my HIIT workout and Tom patiently waits for me in the car while reading a book, that’s about as good as it gets for us.

The Flecker Garden was laid out in a manner that aided in seeing everything possible with ease.

In a way, I think walking is overrated as a means of fitness. Getting up and moving around seems to be more important for us than sitting all day. Doing the resistance and burst training seems to work well for me, adding greatly to my strength and stamina. 

We see tons of people walking who don’t appear to be very fit, especially on cruises. That’s not to say that we’re highly fit. We’d probably both flunk fitness tests.  With our bad shoulders, neither of us can do a single pull-up or push-up.

Easy to navigate walkways and occasional steps led to a different level in the gardens.

By the time we had dinner, I was ready to wind down. We like to watch a fun show during dinner each night. I know. “They,” whoever they are, say one shouldn’t eat and watch a show. Who cares what “they,” say? We’re discovering “they” were wrong on many points regarding our health and well being. 

We enjoy dining and watching a show. It’s almost comparable to having popcorn at the movie theatre which we don’t do anymore (not because of the movie, but, due to the fact that we don’t eat popcorn) watching an entertaining show makes the meal seem as if it’s a social event. We do talk and make comments to one another. It’s kind of like a fun date.

This was one of my favorites.

Over the past several months, we watched all seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, disappointed when it ended.  Now, we’re doing Breaking Bad, well into season three, another show filled with gore that may not be appropriate for dining. Tom always cringes when they show a character puking while we’re eating. He’s gagged a few times. It makes me laugh. He keeps watching.

We watch one episode a night and without commercials, it only lasts for about 45 minutes, perfect timing for dinner. Once we’re done, he does the dishes and then the remainder of our relaxing evening continues. 

In reality, our lives are simple and uncomplicated except for managing bookings, financial details, and travel days. The remainder of our days are spent just like yours except for the excessive amount of sightseeing we may do at times.  We didn’t do much of that in our old lives. Do you?

                                               Photo from one year ago today, July 26, 2014:

The quaint village of Campanarios was preparing for the annual “Festa do Santíssimo Sagramento,” a religious celebration during which most of the village participated.  For details and more photos, please click here.

The news follows us…We can run but can’t hide…

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The surrounding mountains remind us of Kauai, although it’s very different here than in Hawaii.

We watch the news almost every day now that we have a TV. Once we arrive in Fiji in early September for four months on two different islands, we won’t have a TV. The only news we’ll be able to access is online from that point forward. Unsure as to the quality of the wifi, it’s questionable.

We walked out onto a very short pier for a slightly better view of the beach.

We haven’t had a TV in a number of past locations and we’ve managed fine without it. After all, it’s only news and documentaries we care to watch, aside from at the moment Australia’s version of Dancing with the Stars that started last Sunday and in a few days, Australia’s version of The Bachelor.

A long stretch of uninhabited beach in Cairns.

We’re not too proud to admit we do enjoy these types of mindless drivel from time to time.  Seven days a week, we spend the entire morning researching and preparing for our daily posts. A bit of mindless drivel in the evening is a welcome break from our lives of travel, including writing, researching, and photo and the accompanying challenges and level of planning and concentration required to live such a life.

Oh, we love our lives and particularly enjoy the diversity of our lives. Learning new information about the world around us, visiting venues in our current place of residence, meeting new people with perhaps a different manner of speaking and communicating their hopes, dreams, and views and, the constant search for anything of interest that may appear in the lens of our camera and into our hearts.

A huge tree along the Cairns Esplanade.  Looking online, I couldn’t find the name of this tree, but soon we’ll visit the Cairns Botanic Garden (yes, botanic, not botanical) and I’ll update this photo with the correct name. Any suggestions out there?

We spend a period of time some days doing nothing of significance. I’ve gone as far as downloading a few mindless drivel jelly-type games on my phone. I can easily wile away an entire hour of news or a documentary on the TV in the background while playing either of these silly games, paying total attention to both.

Cloudy day at the beach in Cairns at low tide.

Recently, Tom and I have begun playing the card game Gin again after a long respite when I was winning so often he got bored and even angry at times, once throwing his cards across the room. I laughed. We quit playing. Now, when back home, we play each afternoon around 4:00 pm, my preferred tea time.

It’s always interesting to visit beaches at low tide when as more birds wander about the sand in search of tasty morsels.

Actually, now the winning seems to be more evenly distributed and the challenge has improved for both of us resulting in the playing being more fun. No card throwing. No swearing. Plenty of laughing.

We walked along the Cairns Esplanade encountering an occasional jogger or bicyclist.

After we busied ourselves with sightseeing, planned or unplanned, we hunker down to the now-familiar “home” for the time being and do what most people do when not out and about…a bunch of nothing…a series of repetitive, familiar comforting tasks and forms of entertainment which we gravitate toward during idle time.

We hadn’t seen this species prior to the visit to the Cairns Esplanade. After considerable research, we found they are Silver Gulls.

As we watch the news trying to figure out what’s happening in the world, we discover little. Once in awhile the US Today Show pops up on the guide which we’ll watch with curiosity as to what is going on in the US and are often disappointed to see that so much of the news revolves around the rampant sensationalism of Hollywood and its celebrities.

It appears these birds are Silver Gulls, common near the sea in Australia with their pink feet and beaks.

Also, we’re amazed by the constant bashing and criticism of other well-known individuals throughout the world for their human-like flaws and foibles. When did any of us become so perfect that we so easily bash others?

The park at the Cairns Esplanade was quiet with few visitors on a cloudy day.

I particularly cringe over the constant promotion of ways of eating and foods that continue to make the world unhealthy and unfit including the ongoing promotion (by the food industry) of a low fat, high carb diet. Ah, I won’t get out the soapbox that I continue to haul all over the world with us.

Are we missing something wrapped up in our own little world? Based on what we’ve seen lately on a smattering of US news, we aren’t. We both have news apps on our phones and laptops that we reference daily. Our intent was never to be totally isolated from that which is transpiring in the world around us.

We’ve certainly seen our share of palm and coconut trees this past year.

Today and yesterday on Australian news we continue to hear about the disharmony between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj and now, enters Katy Perry and her opinions. Surprisingly or perhaps not, the Australian news, so far away from Hollywood and the US entertainment industry is also caught up in reporting the scuttlebutt.

This unexplained orange sculpture is along the path on the Cairns Esplanade.  Any comments from our Aussie readers as to the story of this sculpture?

Yesterday, at the market, I noticed the magazines at checkout; Kim’s baby bump, Tom Cruise’s new movie, and Bar Raphael’s wedding plans. Oh, good grief. Give me a break. I want to hear about Stephen Hawking’s plan to discover life on another planet, the newly discovered Earth 2.0 or, what is really happening in the world and how the current horrors are being addressed.

It boils down to this simple fact: One can run but can’t hide. No matter how far away we travel, it’s still there.  Although, I must admit that when we lived in Kenya without a TV, we didn’t have a clue what was going on and we didn’t miss a thing. 

Cute name for a restaurant in Cairns.

Instead, our news for the day in Kenya centered around when the power was going out again, were we really safe at the grocery store surrounded by armed guards and 24-hour security at our home, or how many venomous centipedes inside the house can Tom squash under his shoe in one day?  It’s all relative.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, July 24, 2014:

As we ventured out on a road trip with only seven days until departure from Madeira we continued to revel in the beautiful scenery. For details from that date, please click here.

Photos from a new area…Off to a Monday morning appointment…Never late if we can help it…An amazing video from one year ago…

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Rocky shoreline at Ellis Beach along Captain Cook Highway narrowed the farther we drove.

Most mornings, we are up and dressed for the day by 7 am. Knowing we had to head out the door at 8:40 made it difficult for either of us to stay asleep beyond 5 am. Is that an old person thing? As we’ve aged we’ve noticed that we always attempt to be early for appointments rather than simply on time.

We drove further than we’d ever driven to Ellis Beach.  We’ve yet to head to Port Douglas but that road trip is coming soon.

What’s the deal with that? In my old business-orientated life and certainly in Tom’s railroad life, being on time was a vital part of our work and persona. Why be late when one can be on time? Why bear the embarrassing consequences of lateness when in most cases it’s entirely avoidable?

From this location, we could see the backside of Double Island and another view of Scout Island.

I’ve never understood the mindset of those people who try to do “one more thing” before they head out the door often making them late for the person waiting for them. Does doing the “one more thing” make the person waiting feel happy and respected?  Hardly.

House atop a hill on a peninsula in Ellis Beach.

In the case of professional appointments of one type or another, the person waiting may feel less personal about it but they develop a perception of the late person that is difficult for them to ever shake, at times having an effect on the quality of the service provided throughout a working relationship.

Ellis Beach is another pristine unpopulated beach.

Isn’t it ironic how right now, at this very moment, we could each make a list of 10 people we’ve known going back as far as 20 years or more as always being late? It’s a sad perception to leave in the minds of those who may otherwise care deeply for that individual.

This life we live has no room for tardiness. One can’t be late for a flight or a cruise. Imagine the additional inconvenience and cost one would bear from being late and missing a departure time. 

It’s surprising to see even a single person walking along the beach.

Of course, on a rare occasion being late may be due to an unforeseen occurrence. But, older people tend to factor in an extra period of time for the “unknown” when possible. In our minds, other than sudden illness or injury, being late is entirely avoidable with good planning.

This morning, in our somewhat obsessive manner (for lack of a better descriptive term) we hustled about the house tidying up, moving things out of the way, and even cleaning, knowing that Sylvie and Andy are coming to do the floors when we leave for the doctor appointment.

Zooming in as much as our less than stellar camera would allow, we spotted this fishing boat off the coast of Double Island.

We’ve worked out an equitable cleaning arrangement between us and the kind owners who could have chosen to do nothing to help us. However, their thoughtful mentality consisted of the fact that they usually provide cleaning for their short term renters, why would we be exempt from that service for us long term renters.

They’d offered to do the entire cleaning and bedding change but we refused in an attempt to be equally thoughtful. The compromise definitely reached amicably was this: we clean and do the bedding and they do the floors every two weeks vacuuming the area rugs and washing the floors. 

The sand is soft beneath our feet and yet few find their way to lounge in the sand during the winter months here in Australia. The temperature is ideal for beach activities and yet people stay away. Perhaps, apprehension about sharks, stingers, and crocodiles keep visitors off the beach.

Of course, in the interim, we (I) use the dust mop almost daily and sweep as needed. Tom is oblivious to crumbs on the floor whereby even a small gathering of dust requires my immediate attention. Weekly, I dust all the tables and surfaces and daily clean the bathroom and kitchen (Tom does dishes and cleans the kitchen after dinner and again after breakfast). This works perfectly.

Coming up at our next location, Fiji, we’ll have maid service twice a week  (included in the rent) which for us is more of a bother than helpful when we (I) always feel a need to clean up before they arrive.

More rocky shoreline.

The other aspect of our getting out the door in one hour from now as I write this is my desire to upload today’s post before we go, a lofty task this early in the morning, when usually, I submit it to the world wide web close to 11 am or at times later, depending on the content and number of photos.

Most often, I take my time, local news on in the background, coffee in hand, with no sense of urgency. Today, it’s different. We’d like to experience our first meal in a restaurant by the sea on a sunny day like today without the thought of rushing home to upload the post.

At this spot, there was a parking space where a few caravans had stopped to enjoy the sunny day. To the right, is the curve in the road, Captain Cook Highway which follows along the shoreline for many miles/kilometers.

Don’t get me wrong. I never dread this daily undertaking. Never. But, on days like today, having not planned a post in advance, my inept uncoordinated fingers are flying across the keyboard trying to avoid errors and hoping to be ready to go out the door in plenty of time, so we won’t be late.

And I promise we won’t be late. Not in posting before we go to the appointment nor in arriving on time for our 9 am appointment with Dr. Konny (yes, correct first name spelling). 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with comments on Tom’s doctor appointment, my final test results, and how we actually spent the remainder of the day including our dining experience in a restaurant by the sea. Have a good day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 20, 2014:

One year ago today, we drove on a mountain road in Madeira under this waterfall. On the post that day, we included a video as we drove under the waterfall, the entire time squealing with delight. To see that video, please click here.

The progression of a sunrise over the Coral Sea…Pinching ourselves…Not used to it yet! TV in Australia…

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Tom’s first photo of sunrise over the Coral Sea at 6 am this morning. 

A few days ago while we were busy with our record-keeping flipping between screens on both of our laptops, a wildlife show flashed on the TV. Australian TV offers a constant stream of interesting documentaries of both its own continent and that of other continents which when we staying in we often keep running in the background.

Quickly, the scene began to change.

It was from watching documentaries that we’ve been inspired to visit many parts of the world. It was in 2004 that we watched a documentary on the Great Migration that stuck in our brains. It was nine years later that we found ourselves in the great Serengeti and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. 

He said it changed in seconds, not minutes.

We must admit that while I’m preparing the daily posts and Tom’s busy searching for future travels we keep the TV turned on to Australian news and documentary type shows. Without cable TV and only an antenna at our rental, there’s no BBC, US news, or world news on any of the channels here, although on occasion the US Today Show will pop up for no reason at all. 

TV programming by antenna only is lacking, to say the least except for the few treasures we’ve stumbled up. We were warned about this by our shipmates on the last cruise.  Most often one can only find “footy” (football/soccer in Australian talk), old reruns of MASH, and a few tiring game shows. 

Tom doesn’t usually capture amazing shots such as these.  I’m impressed!

We seldom, if ever, sit down to watch the TV itself. It’s only at night after dinner that we watch a few of our favorite shows. Instead, as we’ve mentioned in the past, we feel lucky when there is a flat-screen TV into which we can plug my laptop via an HDMI cable to watch a few favorite downloaded shows. In a few past vacation homes, we had no TV at all and we were content to watch the laptop’s 15.6″ monitor.

At present, we’re watching “Breaking Bad” (starting season three tonight) having recently completed the fabulous seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, an all-time favorite. Also, we love BBC shows, recently completing Poldark and Crimson Fields, both amazing shows recommended by our friend Liz in Bristol, UK.

By the time I walked out the door, it had already changed this much.

Let’s face it, we’re just like most people who wind down at night to engage in a number of favorite pastime activities such as read, listen to music, drink wine and/or watch a few shows. We all need some “downtime” and the fact that we live a life of travel doesn’t change that fact. 

He handed me the camera, but at that point, the magical scene was nearly gone.

By evening, especially after a good meal and cleanup, we have no interest in searching for new places to visit in the future and our brains aren’t working well enough to maintain record keeping or handle financial matters.  Those tasks are best served during the day when we’re most alert.

What we’ve found most peculiar about Aussie TV programming is the fact that shows don’t necessarily start “on the hour or half-hour” and aren’t necessarily on at the same time each day or week or, on at the time listed on the online guide. One can easily miss a favorite program if counting on the next episode occurring on the same day and time a week later. 

Tom had already captured the very best of it.

As a result, we’ve made little effort to watch any Aussie produced shows other than documentaries that pop up on occasion when we happen to take notice. As mentioned a few days ago, we’ve loved David Attenborough’s documentaries but, there are numerous documentaries about life in Australia, the Outback, and travel around the continent.

Many of these shows we’ve stumbled upon have inspired us to visit various beaches, book more Australian cruises, and consider returning to Australia during the gaps in our itinerary as shown in yesterday’s post. 

Mountains and the sea are a perfect combination here in Trinity Beach.

The Australian documentaries are beautifully produced and give the viewer an appealing perspective of this vast relatively low populated continent. With its 23.5 million residents (2014) and size comparable to the US with its 319 million (2014), Australia relatively unpopulated for its size with most of the population residing near the perimeters closest to the sea.

Watching an occasional documentary has inspired us in many ways to further appreciate this unique continent.  I supposed we could say that most continents we’ve visited thus far are unique in their own ways for their terrain, lifestyle, and of course, their people. 

The beauty of the sunrise wafts away.  The beauty of a new day just begins.

Yesterday, we took a drive with more good photos to share over the next few days. Tomorrow morning, we’re off to Tom’s medical appointment and my final test results. Since he won’t be able to have breakfast before we leave due to upcoming blood tests, we plan to go out for coffee and breakfast in Trinity Beach by the sea, weather permitting. Photos will follow.

The dawn of a new day.  We’re grateful for every day we’ve been given.

For today, we couldn’t resist posting these sunrise photos Tom took this morning when getting up before 6 am.  I heard him go outdoors and I followed shortly but by the time I got outside, the amazing sky had begun to wane. The more intense photos shown here today are his and mine are the less than vibrant batch. 

Have a lovely Saturday or Sunday, wherever you may be!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 19, 2014:

While in Madeira one year ago, we visited one of the other rental homes owned by our landlords, Gina and Carlos. As we toured the beautiful house, our eyes were glued to the many works of art on the walls including this above needlepoint made by Gina’s mother and aunt. As a result, we posted photos of many of these works which can be found by clicking here.

A special day with some very special creatures, both human and animal…Stories coming soon…Doctor appointments?

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This adorable Kookaburra posed for me in the yard while sitting on the fence next to the rain gauge. These birds are much larger than appears in this photo.

No grass grows under our feet here in Australia. It seems that we’re out exploring every few days, more than we’ve done in other countries.

There’s so much to see here compared to many of the remote areas we’ve lived around the world. We’ve always stated here that sightseeing on occasion was befitting our lifestyle, but not doing so quite as often as we’ve done so in Australia.

After a while she/he relocated to the roof, looking down for a possible morsel of food. They are known to snatch food off of plates when cooking on the “barbie.” More on Kookaburras will be coming in a few days with our wildlife posts.

Who goes sightseeing, several times a week in their everyday life? And part of our lives is simply the “every day” not necessarily filled with typical tourist activities. However, we’ve found plenty to see several times a week, sharing it here with our readers.

While in Australia we’ve made a choice to avoid spending money on tourist attractions when possible when we’ve been busy pre-paying for vacation rentals and cruises as much as two years in advance. Tom is on one of his cruise booking frenzies and I don’t moderate what he chooses for us. 

Growing like crazy in the yard are these common Yellow Allamanda.

All I do is document the booked cruises in our master excel spreadsheet in a manner in which my brain is able to decipher dates and dollars. It’s from these calculations that we determine how much we can spend on “extras.”  At the moment, it’s limited. 

We’ve yet to dine out when groceries have been very affordable. If we can dine at home for US $30, AUD $40.28 a day as opposed to spending US $60, AUD $80.56, in a restaurant, it’s a no-brainer, especially when much of the food in restaurants these days have few items I can order.

Bottlebrush blooming in the yard.

We’ve been able to find a wide array of activities we can do without cost other than for gas to and fro. Also, writing stories and posting photos for a variety of tourist attractions in many countries with our vast and growing worldwide readership, we find our entrance is often hosted by the venue’s management, as in the case for any “journalist.”

As was the case yesterday, when we were provided an extraordinary experience at the Cairns Tropical Zoo.  Over the next few days, we’ll be preparing the story and hundreds of photos to present in a two-day story of our appreciated and educational tour, meeting many interesting and endearing Australian animals, we’ve never seen in our travels.

We drove up the mountain behind the market to Kuranda. When we began the steep and winding trek it was sunny. By the time we arrived at the first overlook, it was cloudy and rain began to fall. We turned back with a plan to return to see the village at the top on a sunny day.

Hold tight, dear readers. In the next week, our two posts about the zoo will be online with many details and some photos that make me swoon, recalling “meeting” the loved and well-cared-for animals in this magical place.

We could imagine how beautiful this expansive view will be when we return on a sunny day.

In the interim, we continue to drive to more and more special locations searching for the scene that swoops in and captures our hearts and well as our camera.

Today, with much encouragement from responses from many readers, I have a medical “check-up” at the local doctor clinic. Feeling well, I don’t know what to “complain about” but a check and blood tests are in order. 

The mountain and ocean view reminds us of Kauai, Hawaii.

When my appointment and tests results are completed, we’ll schedule Tom’s similar appointment and then we’ll be done, except for the soon to be booked dentist appointments which we’ll schedule shortly before departing Trinity Beach in two months. Then, we can be off to Fiji, where medical care will be limited and perhaps uncertain.

This afternoon after the doctor’s appointment I’ll get back to work on the zoo stories and choosing our favorite of the many photos. 

The sections of land always create such an interesting view both from the air and overlook at higher elevations.

Yesterday, we had a tremendous response from our old friends in Kauai and our readers in regard to the story of the Laysan Albatross chicks fledging and Bob Waid’s fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing that meaningful event with us.

Have a wonderful day!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, July 8, 2014:

One year ago today, we booked and posted the cruise information for Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas for next April with its itinerary mostly traveling part of the perimeter of Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, recently the cruise line canceled the entire cruise when the ship had been reserved for a private event. We found a replacement cruise and our deposit was transferred over. With Australia as huge as the US, cruising is the best way to see as much as possible.  Please click this link for details.

Finding vacation homes…Not so easy…Holes to fill in our itinerary…

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This was one of our favorite spots located on William Esplanade in Palm Cove Beach due to the colors reminding us of the village in Placencia, Belize from so long ago.

With a 65 day gap to fill one year from today, we’re chomping at the bit to fill this spot with somewhere we’d love to visit. It isn’t as simple as it may seem.

Our proximity at the time is a huge factor. We’ll be at the fabulous house in Bali located in a lovely area for 59 days (visa restrictions) to be returning two months later for two more months. We were provided an excellent price for our two separate stays and loved the property so much, we couldn’t resist the two separate visits.

The Palm Cove Beach Club. In Australia, many accommodations and parking spots are made available for disabled visitors as shown in this parking spot.

At the time when we checked flights and vacation rentals in and out of Bali, we didn’t think we’d have trouble finding a place to stay. Per our previous philosophy of advance planning as much as two years out, we now realize that waiting may have been to our detriment.

With the slow wifi here in the house, which Tom uses, and the cost of the SIM card I’m using, searching is costly and time-consuming. My connection is excellent with the SIM card but I can easily use one gigabyte a day at a cost of AUD $8.74, USD $6.69 per day. 

Spas and beauty shops also were readily available in the area.

This amount is less than our monthly cable bill in our old lives, less than a flavored coffee at Starbucks or a single cocktail in a bar compared to the daily use of one gig. In this context, it doesn’t seem like so much after all, especially when we have so few other expenses; car, fuel, rent, food, health club, and occasional entertainment.

Today, we’ll continue the search which now over the past year will have changed in a very important manner; locations we may have considered in the past are now less safe to visit for obvious reasons we see daily in the world news. Of course, we all know that there is no country or island in the world that is exempt from these horrific possibilities. 

The Palm Cove area wasn’t developed until 1986, making most of these venues less than 30 years old.

Caution will always prevail in our lives, but our sense of adventure and desire to see many parts of the world will also play a big role in where we decide to go. After all, we’ve already been to many of the areas that we wouldn’t visit now as war and strife have escalated in the past few years. We continue to review warnings from the US Department of State Travel information that we take seriously.

There were some apartments and permanent residences along the esplanade.

Let’s face it.  We’ll always make mistakes in our planning. In essence, we probably shouldn’t have booked the second stay in Bali. But, now we’re committed after paying a substantial deposit which we’d forfeit if we canceled. 

There were a number of resorts and hotels interspersed among the row of restaurants along the beach boulevard.

Did we learn a lesson? Of course, we did. It’s the same lesson we learned in staying in Kauai for over four months. Did we have a great time? Yes! Better than ever expected. 

But, without a doubt, it was too long. Ironically, we booked Bali for this extended period over a year ago. We’ve learned a lot in this past year and we continue to discover more and more as to what works for us as we continue on. 

The restaurants were varied in their ethnicity and styles of food.

At no point will we ever say we have it all figured out. With the world changing around us, we continually adapt and change accordingly. Also, with more and more experience we discover circumstances that appeal to our wants and needs.

These two side-by-side restaurants have thick vinyl windows to protect the diners on windy and rainy days and nights.

We aren’t putting ourselves in a position of urgency in selecting how we’ll choose to fill this gap. In looking at a map, the options are plentiful. In considering our budget, the options dramatically change.  We accept the possibility that filling this gap may ultimately cost more than we’d hoped.

Once we fill this spot, we’ll certainly share the details and costs here, not hesitating for a moment to share the reality of having to spend more than we intended. It’s all a part of the reality of our lives. 

The Williams Esplanade in Palm Cove has one restaurant after another.

We have certain criteria and expectations which include a quality place to live, in a good neighborhood, a living room with a good sofa, with interesting views, wifi (if possible), a full kitchen, and on-site laundry facilities. We don’t like typical apartments in a big city which if we can avoid we will. Don’t hold us to this. We may have to change our minds as time marches on.

A number of shops occupied this small shopping center along the boulevard.

It’s Sunday here in sunny Australia. We plan to stay “home” today, spend time on the veranda, make a nice Sunday dinner, and get back to work on the search to fill the gap. 

We hope your day is filled with sunshine!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, June 28, 2014:

Veranda view from our upcoming home in Fiji where we’ll be living in a little over two months. We’d booked Fiji a year ago today. For more details, please click here.

How did we get so lucky?…A thoughtful purchase and a new friendship that means so much…Photos of last night’s dinner…

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This morning we were excited to have our first cups of homemade coffee in almost a month. It was perfect! Some habits never die and why should they, when a solution such as this was generously provided by our thoughtful hosts?

Yesterday, Saturday here in Australia, was a very good day. That’s not to say that generally speaking, most days aren’t good. They are. But, some days have a special quality that leaves us with a smile on our faces for those unexpected little treasures in life. Yesterday was such a day.

In the morning, our hosts and property owners, Sylvie and Andy sent us a message saying they were coming to clean the house at 8:30. Early birds that we are, the time was no problem for us. We’d be up since 6 am.

Our landlords, neighbors, and new friends, Sylvie and Andy. Sylvie is from France and Andy is from the UK and has lived in Australia for over 20 years.

They offered to wash and dry the sheets, remake the bed, wash the towels, and clean every inch of space.  Wow! That was an amazing offer. However, we’d already done the sheets on Thursday, one week after the day we arrived, all the towels were already in the wash and, the prior day I’d swept the floors and dusted the shelves.

The bathroom and kitchen were already spotless since we clean as we go. When we arrived, we’d inquired as to a cleaning person coming once a week to do the entire place for which we’d pay the cost, if it wasn’t too much. 

With Sylvie and Andy busy working all week, we didn’t want to pester them about a cleaning person, instead, doing everything we could with the cleaning products we’d purchased; bathroom and toilet cleaner and Windex along with a broom and dustpan we found here.

Tom’s dinner last night, included one pork chop, three gluten-free cheese sausages, one gluten-free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a side salad, and a muffin with New Zealand grass-fed organic butter (muffin not shown).

Tidy folks that we are, on any day of the week, there are few areas that require cleaning. The only area of concern was the floors which we’d swept almost daily. 

After over a week of cooking and then eating in the dining room, even after we’d swept the floor several times, it could easily do with a good washing. Plus, the area rug was covered in bits of white lint that I’d tried to sweep to no avail. I hesitantly asked that they only do the floors and the rug. 

At 8:30 sharp they both showed at the door with vacuum and mops in hand. We felt awkward letting them do the work but, they insisted. They explained that any other guests renting the property didn’t have to clean when they stayed for shorter periods.

Tom and I moved outside to the veranda while they worked. About 30 minutes later Andy stepped outside, done with the work, to join us for a lively and animated conversation that we thoroughly enjoyed. Going forward, they’ll do the floors and we’ll do the rest, a fair and easy compromise for all of us.

My dinner last night included two lamb chops, two gluten-free cheese sausage, one gluten free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a salad, and a low carb muffin with grass fed New Zealand butter (muffin not shown in this photo).

A short period after Andy left, he excitedly joined us outside again, holding his tablet anxious to show us an online photo.  He’d found a coffee pot, an actual drip coffee pot! And above all, he was driving to Cairns to buy it for us to use.

Although we hesitated for a moment, not wanting them to spend the money, Tom and I looked at each other, both agreeing it would be greatly appreciated. It made no sense for us to buy a coffee pot that we’d have to leave behind. However, it could be a valuable item for them to include for future renters.

As Tom and I busied ourselves during the day with our usual this and that, the day flew by. While I was in the kitchen making my usual 4 pm mug of hot tea, Sylvie and Andy showed at the door inviting us to their home above us. 

They’d purchased the coffee pot and wanted us to bring our bottle of “thickened cream” to give it a try at their house and then we could bring it downstairs for our use during our remaining time in their lovely property.

The sunrise from our veranda yesterday morning.

We’d yet to see their exquisite modern home and couldn’t help but ooh and aah over their beautifully designed, decorated, and appointed home. The view, one story up, was all the more enchanting. 

Sitting on their veranda we thoroughly enjoyed “happy hour” together, until finally, we had to leave when the mozzies came out in full force and it was time for us to go back downstairs to make our dinner, all of which I’d set up earlier in the day for quick final cooking. I prefer to prepare as much of a meal earlier in the day so that when hunger hits us, the final prep is quick and easy.

As we were about to leave Sylvie handed me a bucket filled with cleaning supplies, a bird book, and a set of measuring spoons for baking the few low carb muffins we make from time to time. Check out the photos below.

This is the bucket of cleaning supplies Sylvie and Andy gave us for our use and also measuring spoons and a bird book.

After the excellent dinner for which we’ve included the above photos, we settled in for the night watching an episode of America’s Got Talent, a highly smile-worthy show that we’ve watched for years.   

Using the HDMI cable daughter Tammy had given us at Christmas which we plugged into the high def TV we enjoyed almost two hours of light-hearted pleasure.

We are grateful to our lovely property owners, Sylvie and Andy, for adding so much to our experience in Trinity Beach, for their kindness and friendship which surely we’ll treasure now and well into the future.

Happy Father’s Day to those dads who are in our current time zone where it’s Sunday!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, June 21, 2014:

This Bottle Brush plant and its unusual colors particularly appealed to us as we drove through the mountains of Madeira. For more details, please click here.