Here's Looking at You1

Isabel and her Mumma Tez

New mother and daughter

Debs Alyssa Skene and her new daughter, Isabel Skene Eddy. Two beauties :-)

Here she is :-)

Isabel Skene Eddy
Born @ 9.13am on Thursday 12 April 2012 to parents - Debs Skene and Tim Eddy.

Isn't she beautiful?

The little girl has aRRIVED SAFELY

At 9.13am today Isabel Skene Eddy came into our world weighing 8lb 2oz and standing 56cm tall.  Mother, Debs, and daughter and father, Tim, and big brother, Oscar, all doing well. I have tears of happiness streaming down my face as I write this.  Just as well you can't see me. :-)

Photo to come soon

Thursdsay 12 April @ 12.25pm.  I'm in Toowoomba in the Hopemobile

Moree - Mungindi - Goondiwindi

From Moree I drove 122km west to Mungindi, where my niece and family live.  What a wonderful couple of days I had with Bianca, Cahrlie, Tom and Sam.  They live in cotton and wheat growing country and have a crop dusting business - very busy.

Charlie took me up in his helicopter for an overall look at the coutryside and at the spraying operation as well as the cotton picking procedures.

Charlie and Tom

Bianca and Sam

Flying low to spray cotton

On the ground with the cotton

Picker unloading a bale

Picker in action

I'm in the picker!

Cotton from the air - ready to pick

 So, after a beautiful couple of days I had to say farewell to them all at Mungindi and get back out on the road.  I drove to Goondiwindi  and stopped for a break by the McIntyre River.

I could smell petrol and wasn't sure that I should be, so I called roadside assistance and the RACQ man came in his truck to see what was wrong - if anything.  There sure was something wrong - the hose that takes petrol from the inlet to the tank was broken and petrol was leaking at quite a rate.

The Hopemobile had to be towed to a mechanic and the hose replaced

onto the tow truck

As it was late afternoon by this time and they weren't sure how long it would take to replace the hose, I booked into a motel for the night.

So, here I am in my motel room on Thursday morning, 12 April, having picked up the Hopemobile (with its new hose) getting ready to get back on the road - to Brisbane, where my newest grandchild will arrive today!!!  Very exciting. I anticipate receivng a call with the news of his/her arrival, gender, name, size etc and that all is well with everyone, while I am on the road from Goondiwindi to Toowoomba.

I'll keep you posted :)

On the road again

Well, right now I am sitting in the Hopemobile, having had 15 minutes in the thermal pool at the caravan park where I have stayed overnight in Moree, having showered and dressed and had my breakfast.  The sun is shining beautifully and all's well in my world.

When I left Carinya Downs on Thursday I drove north for just a short way to a property between Cowra and Canowindra where I stayed for 2 nights with beautiful friends, June and Ross. Above you can see Jo, almost 60 years old, ready for a drink at the tap. Also the cattle and some of the beautiful landscape.

After 2 special days and nights with them, I headed north for Parkes where I visited The Dish, the satellite that played a role when man landed on the moon back in 1969.

I drove on and stayed overnight in a quiet carvan park at Narromine.  That brings me to yesterday, when I headed off north again, driving through Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Narrabri and on to Moree. I stopped in each town and some points along the way, to enjoy the scenery and the local towns. Lunch by the river at Coonabarabran.

Wide open spaces and native vegetation - beautiful. This is on the road between Narrabri and Moree.

Meanwhile, no pain, feeling great and enjoying this beautiful country. I hope that everyone has had a pleasant Easter break, celebrating in whichever way you choose.

It's 8.13am on Monday 9 April, 2012