Communicating with other travelers…Avoidance of feeling overwhelmed…More of Tom’s great photos!

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It seems we awaken every morning at 5 am.  Tom gets up and I read in bed until I fall back asleep, usually until 7 am.  Up so early he has an opportunity to capture these amazing sunrises.

Tom is an avid follower of cruisecritic.com which is a site dedicated to travelers who plan to book or have booked cruises. There are message boards that enable devotees of this site to make comments, write reviews, and make and ask for suggestions from others.

I’ve never taken the time to investigate the site considering I spend plenty of time online each day posting, taking and editing photos, and conducting research, especially when our data is metered as it has been here in Australia.

Sunrise and sunset over the sea have always intrigued us.

Tom, on the other hand, learns a lot about cruises, itineraries, cruise ship’s specific cabin numbers to book from the diligent participants of this comprehensive, although uncomplicated site which is a huge asset for cruise passengers.

Often, the passengers discuss various ports of call and the best tour companies to use for a good experience outside of those offered by the cruise line which we’ve implemented on numerous occasions. Users often request to create a small group to participate on a tour at a particular port of call.  This has been our preferred method of visiting various ports of call. 

The sky in this area can change in minutes from clear to cloudy.

By participating in these small groups we have a perfect opportunity to meet new people. Some of our most fun experiences have been on full-day tours with three or four other couples/singles, many of whom we’ve stayed in touch with from time to time.

On occasion, Tom begins a dialogue with other members of cruisecritic.com who have may have considerable information to share with us as we may have with them. Or, at other times, online conversation ensues with idle travel chit chat back and forth which in itself is quite enjoyable for Tom.

All of these photos are unedited, as is the case for 90% of our photos.  We have little time to edit over 10,000 photos a year.

Most recently, we communicated via Skype with a lovely couple Tom encountered on cruisecritic.com who are our ages planning to travel the world for the next two years. 

With their many questions as to health insurance, wifi service, cell service, booking vacation rentals, filing US taxes, obtaining visas, and on and on, it was fun to share our research that hopefully may save them a little time. 

It was during this hour-long conversation that we realized how much preliminary work was involved in preparation for traveling the world. Perhaps for us, it may have required more time and effort with our intent to continue indefinitely. But, even planning to travel for a few years is comparable to planning more than a dozen ongoing trips, one after another.

These exquisite rays of light through the cloud is breathtaking.

Imagine how much time we all spent on planning one trip, let alone multiple trips over an extended period.  Linking everything together is a daunting task in itself. How do we end one trip and connect it to the next?  Wow! This can be overwhelming.

Luckily, for us, over this extended period, it’s considerably less complicated when we already have most of the next two years booked, only requiring we fill in a few gaps and adding one or two to the end at any given time.

The sun is hiding behind these clouds.

I don’t envy our new friends and the task ahead of them when I recall sitting at my laptop 12 hours a day researching the most infinite details of the process.  Although I don’t recall feeling “overwhelmed.” I had plenty of time to accomplish our goals of having the first two years of our travels booked long before we left the US.

A nerdy planner like me exercises a continual goal of avoiding ever feeling overwhelmed. I always say, “I don’t do overwhelmed,” attempting to avoid a possible scenario at all costs. When I was a 20 something single mom of two kids I experienced feeling overwhelmed. Those days are long behind me.

Eventually, later in the morning, the clouds wafted away and it was a sunny day.

As an example of the avoidance of feeling overwhelmed, today we have tasks to accomplish when we head out soon to include:

1.  Inquiry at phone store about using a hot spot for future travel in Australia:  We have our passports (required to purchase a SIM card), hot spot, and a photo on my phone of the passwords, all set to go.
2.  Inquiry at the post office for the cost to send a package to Vanua Levu, Fiji based on weight projections I made yesterday for all we’ll need during our stay:  photo of address on my phone to which we’ll be sending the package.
3.  Begin purchasing the list of grocery items now (due to low inventories at a grocery store) providing that shipping costs to Fiji are reasonable. List of items is on the grocery app on my phone.
4.  Grocery shopping: app on my phone with lists for a grocery store, meat market and produce stand and items to be shipped.

Sure, preparing for all of the above takes a few minutes of time. But, it is this commitment to advance planning that has made our travels all the more enjoyable and meaningful. 

We spotted this pair of kookaburras in the yard.

We have no doubt that other travelers may not be interested in spending the amount of time we spend in covering all of our bases for our next step along the way. And, in fact, other travelers may not encounter any issues without this degree of planning and may have a seamless experience on a single trip or two.

But, planning well into the future for years of travel is a task I wouldn’t want to tackle again starting from the beginning. Doing it piecemeal as we do now, is painless and actually quite fun for us. 

These large birds are very friendly and bold, known to snitch food from plates of outdoor diners who’ve been cooking on the barbie.

Avoiding stress, confusion, and uncertainly always become our primary goal, whether it’s a trip to the market or to trip to Southeast Asia. It’s never perfect no matter how much we plan with unexpected scenarios getting in the way at times. But, we’ve found that by having those areas we can control, under control, we’re able to create a less stressful and more pleasing experience.

Happy day!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, August 11, 2014:

The Seine River dinner cruise was an amazing experience we’ll always remember especially when we got this shot of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. For more photos, please click here.

Who are the other travelers out there like us?…Easy to imagine…Final Port Douglas photos…Lots more new photos coming!

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Boats docked at the marina in Port Douglas.
Urgent Note:  This morning our site was down for a short period. If this occurs again, please note that we are aware of it as soon as we fire up our computers in the morning. If for any reason we can’t get it back up again due to a glitch or if blogger.com is down, we will immediately begin working with our web developer to either get it back up again or create an identical site on another server using our exact same website address: www.worldwidewaftage.com  Please keep checking back daily. At this point, we aren’t aware of any possible issues that could cause this to occur in the future. Today’s occurrence may have been an isolated case. Thank you for your patience.

This morning while I was getting ready for the day, Tom hauled his laptop into the bathroom to read something to me. He read aloud a post he’d received from CruiseCritic this morning from a retired couple who’d sold everything they owned and are traveling the world for two years.

Train tracks ran along the edge of the marina.

We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces when he came to the part that we’ll be on the same cruise with this couple from January 5 to January 19th from Sydney to Auckland. How fun will that be?

Tom has yet to have a single cocktail or beer since we arrived in Trinity Beach almost two months ago. If we do go out to dinner, he can’t drink since I am no longer his designated driver when the driver sits on the opposite side of the car that I’m used to, drives on the opposite side of the road that I’m used to and shifts with their left hand.  I’m not that coordinated! 

To sit face to face with others living the same life as ours and discussing all the pluses and minuses should be enriching and enjoyable. As soon as we’re done uploading today, we’ll write to them and make a plan to stay in touch so we can connect while on the cruise.

With their two year-end time and our indefinite end time, there’s a difference for the long haul. But, having sold everything they own, house, cars, and stuff should create some interesting conversation. We’re curious as to what they’ll decide to do at the end of the two years. We’ll let you know what we find out.

Purple flowers in the park.

We have no doubt that there are many retirees traveling indefinitely like us throughout the world but we’ve yet to encounter such a couple face to face on our past 11 cruises. 

There are plenty of pubs and bars along the esplanade in Port Douglas and at other beaches.

We’ve looked online and found many travelers without a home base with minimal stuff at varying stages and ages and have enjoyed reading their posts, lurking in the background such as the case with many of our worldwide readers.

Is this a cherry blossom tree?  (This photo was taken through the windshield).

In each case, we find similarities that are refreshing and interesting from another’s perspective. Also, there are many differences which mostly include a plan to settle down somewhere in the future.

We continue to spot these African Tulips in one tropical/humid climate after another, originally spotting them in Kenya two years ago.

Of course, there are literally millions of ex-pats all over the world who have left their home country to live in another country, adopting an entirely new way of life. 

Many juice bars and coffee shops lined the streets often filled with tourists.

Many ex-pats buy homes and condos, rent houses or apartments, buy cars and furnishings  Some even acquire work permits in order to get full or part-time jobs to supplement their income. A certain number of ex-pats go as far as to forfeit their home country citizenship to become citizens of their new country.

It wasn’t too difficult to find a parking spot.

It’s highly unlikely that we’d ever settle down in another country (or anywhere for that matter) than the US. In essence, at this point, we can’t imagine that we’ll ever settle down anywhere until we’re on our last leg. 

This boulevard was a clothing shoppers haven with numerous boutiques and shops.

Even if an injury, surgery, or illness stops us for a period of time, our plan will be to take time to recover in a vacation home near medical care and once back on our feet, pick up where we left off.

Once beyond the shopping and dining areas, the streets were lined with vacation properties.

Maybe “talk is cheap” or we don’t have a clue what we’ll be doing in several years. That could well be true. Four years ago, we’d never have imagined we’d be living in Trinity Beach, Australia, heading to the market and fitness center today and in a month from now heading to Fiji for four months where we’ll live on two separate islands.

Who takes a photo of sand?  I couldn’t resist when the sand at the Four Mile Beach was the finest and softest sand we’d ever seen. It was almost as fine as powder.

In a few months, on Halloween, it will be three years since we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012. In January, it will be three years since we left the US. Our family expected we’d give up after a year or two.  And here we are, now planning well into 2017 and soon into 2018 and beyond

It all boils down to only a few aspects for us:

1.  Are we happy? Yes!
2.  Can we afford to continue? Yes!
3.  Are we healthy enough to continue? Yes!

If and when any of the above changes to a “no” we’d have to make a dramatic change in our lives. As for questions #1 and #2, those two are entirely within our control. Number 3 is the challenge and the unknown. 

Yep, there is a Target “Country” in Port Douglas. Target originated in Minnesota, USA, our former home state.

For us, happiness is a choice we make by spending each and every day being grateful and in awe of our lives, in each other, and in the world around us. Keeping our relationship young, vibrant, and harmonious is a huge element of our happiness especially when we’re together constantly, attempting to never take one another for granted.

Then again, no relationship can ever be taken for granted when we heard this morning that Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog are breaking up after 40 years!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, August 5, 2014:

We took this photo of the Seine River from a bridge as we continued on our daily hikes through Paris. For more photos, please click here.

Finding supplies we’ll need in Fiji…In part, today’s story is for the girls only…A treasure of a find in a church by the sea…

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St. Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas is near the pier and is located on the ocean with fabulous views.

As we begin thinking about leaving for Fiji in slightly over a month, I’ve started to evaluate our inventory of toiletries and supplies. Looking online for stores on the remote island of Vanua Levu makes me realize that we’d better have the items we’ll use with us when entering the remote island. 

Most of the shops in Fiji sell typical tourist clothing and trinkets, none of which we’ll need or want. Vanua Levu is not the main island that most tourists visit for holidays/vacations in Fiji. It is the second largest in the chain of Fijian islands and considered to be the most beautiful and unspoiled. More on that once we arrive.

This church was originally built in 1880, destroyed by a cyclone, and rebuilt in 1911.

With our desire for the “most beautiful and unspoiled” we always pay the price of having everything we’ll need with us that we can carry with the exception of food and in that case as well, much will be lacking. 

Will we be able to find organic free-range eggs, grass-fed butter, grass-fed meat, coconut oil, coconut flour, almond flour, ground golden flaxseed, and flavorings we use to make a few low carb muffins and treats? 

The numerous stained glass windows have an ocean theme.

With the high cost of flying with overweight luggage, there’s no sense in attempting to bring the dry goods into the country, especially with certain restrictions on importing foodstuffs. It’s not worth the expense or potential trouble when we enter the country.

As for clothing, with a recent shipment from the US on its way to us as we speak containing one pair of everyday shoes and five tee shirts (for me) and jeans (for Tom), we’ll be tossing the worn items when the new items arrive, essentially avoiding any additional weight over our already additional weight.

What a pretty spot for a small wedding with the view of the sea out the window at the alter.

With a shopping list of toiletries we’ll need on an app on my phone, yesterday we headed to the Smithfield Mall so I could go to the largest pharmacy in the area, not where we’d purchased my few prescriptions but, another pharmacy compared to CVS in the US. Well, not quite.

Many women out there will relate to my list, especially those who like pretty fingernails and toes, who wear some makeup, and have a nighttime cleansing and moisturizing routine. As you can see from my photos over these past years, that’s me. 

Seashell stained glass.

Some women who fuss considerably less than I do, have suggested I get rid of it all; cut my hair, stop wearing and using cosmetics, wear glasses instead of contacts, and go bare bones. That’s not me. From the time I was a little girl, I loved “girlie” things. Why I’d change that now escapes me. 

Would I stop shaving my legs and other parts as well, to avoid the inconvenience of finding the appropriate blades to fit my shaver? This is me, traveling the world, not becoming a different person. I still and always will enjoy the fun of getting dressed and ready for an evening on a cruise or, in fact getting ready for each day.

I’m not one of those women that take hours to get ready even for more dressy occasions. From the time I step into the shower each morning, I’m out the door of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go in less than 30 minutes, all prepped for the day, ready to go out the door if necessary.

Sailboat stained glass.

Once a week, I do my nails with enough products in my possession to last for the next few years. Once a month, I do my own pedicure, removing the old polish and starting again, although, if the polish wears off sooner, I’ll do a quick retouch. These items easily fit into two small zipper sandwich bags only taking a small space in our luggage along with the other toiletries items.

None of this takes me more than 15 minutes all of which I enjoy doing.  I certainly have the time.  Also, it’s good to be able to stretch enough to do one’s own toes as we age. I’m always stretching to ensure I can continue to do my own toes. As seniors, it’s important to stay limber enough to go about normal daily activities which include bending and stretching.

That consists of my litany of “girlie” prep, all of which I thoroughly enjoy as a part of who I am, none of which I intend to change if I have any say in the matter. 

Clamshell stained glass.

Yesterday, Tom waited for me on a bench reading his book while I wandered through the long indoor mall on my way to the Smithfield Pharmacy, optimistic I’d find everything on the list as follows:

  1. Hairbrush – found
  2. Hydrogen peroxide for teeth cleaning – not available (will find elsewhere)
  3. Eye makeup removed pads – not available (found alternative, via a separate bottle of remover and cotton pads)
  4. Polish remover pads – not available (found alternative, via a bottle of remover and cotton pads)
  5. Night face cream – brand not available (found alternative)
  6. Retractable brow pencil – not available (found alternative requiring a pencil sharper which I already have on hand)
  7. Portable, replaceable, sonic toothbrushes – not available (found alternative)
  8. Whitening toothpaste – our favorite brand not available (found alternative)
  9. Emery boards for pedicures – not available (found alternative)
  10. Organic, low chemical, deodorant/antiperspirant – not available (didn’t find an alternative)

Product availability is different in each country we visit. It is imperative that we adapt to those differences by accepting that we can’t always find our favorite and familiar items. 

Historical photos posted in the entryway.

Sure, four of the items on this list are for me, the remainder is toiletries used by both of us. If we couldn’t find them here in modern Australia, we certainly won’t find them in Fiji. Thus, before we leave here, I also need to find the above listed and not found items which should be fairly easy at other stores:

  1. Hydrogen peroxide (most likely available at other pharmacies)
  2. Organic deodorant/antiperspirant (most likely available at health/vitamin shop)

With my heavy bag on hand after spending slightly over AUD $100, USD $73, I headed back out to the mall looking for my next item, some type of nightshirt for me to wear to bed. Recently, my one remaining pair of cotton pajamas has felt too hot at night and after washing frequently has begun to fall apart. Lately, I’ve been wearing one of Tom’s tee shirts instead. 

Tom’s tee shirt is too big for me, resulting in my continually untwisting it during the night. With many warmer climates facing us in the future, a comfy cotton women’s nightshirt would be ideal. Entering a store in the mall that had a women’s lingerie department, in no time at all, I found a small rack of nightshirts.

Another stained glass window looking out to the beach park and pier in Port Douglas.

My dilemma was the size. I didn’t recognize the size numbers, different than in the US and other countries we visited where on occasion I may have purchased a few items. With the help of a friendly salesperson, she found my size in the backroom. I purchased two at their sale price of AUD $18, USD $13.10.  What a bargain! 

After changing into one of the comfy, baggy but not too baggy nightshirt last night after dinner, I was thrilled with the fit and the comfort of the fabric which ultimately attributed to a better night’s sleep with no middle-of-the-night untangling required.

St. Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas was originally a Catholic church, is now multi-denominational performing services for a variety of religions.

Content with my purchases, I found Tom as expected awaiting my return while sitting on the bench outside Woolworth’s reading his book. After a quick trip into the market for a few items to last until Thursday’s upcoming shopping trip, we were on our way home.

Today, we’ll be working on financials, updating the spreadsheets with the recent purchases and if the sun stays out, we’ll head down the steep steps to the new comfy chaise lounges by the pool for a 40-minute dose (20 minutes each side) of Vitamin D. 

Later in the day, we’ll be off to the fitness center, which will complete a day not unlike a day in the life of any retired person, anywhere in the world, living life on their own terms, with lipstick and polished toes or not.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, August 4, 2014:

We walked a few miles to the French Army Museum in Paris, Musee de l’Armee de Invalides.  For more photos, please click here.

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.