Friday

I have to admit, there are some very nice places on the Gold Coast.  I met Jo for coffee today at the Southport Yacht Club ... except that this wasn't at Southport, it was at Oxenford ... and there is an artificial (lake) and a coffee shop.  It doesn't get much better than this!  I had the camera in the car and since I was a bit early, I thought I could take a shot or two ... unfortunately I was still driving when the pelican flew over the mirror-like lake casting a perfect reflection.  D'oh.  That's the second time in two days I've missed a shot because I've been driving ... yesterday on the way back from the Infamous (adult Cabaret) tent, I saw what I initially thought was a pelican starting to track its way from the Highway up to my old high school, when I realised it was a MASSIVE sea eagle.  OMG.  I looked for a place to pull over but there were too many yellow (No Standing) lines and not enough spaces.  Again, d'oh. I went from there down to the Broadwater, hoping the sea eagle would come by for a fish ... but it did not.  There are always seagulls there though so I could still practice my BIF (Birds In Flight) photography and I managed one shot I was very happy with.

On the way home yesterday morning I saw smoke on the horizon ... well, not actually on the horizon, not that far away ... it was in a nearby street and I went to have a look.  I had missed the worst of the smoke because the fire engines (three of them) were on the scene quickly after the alarm was raised.  The single-storey dwelling was damaged at the back - the roof collapsed - and there was extensive smoke damage throughout.  The newspaper reports (and locals at the scene) really had no further information, except that the fire seems to have started after a tradesperson left a heating "something" on ... I think that's what it said.  I've just been back to the paper to confirm it but, alas, I cannot find it and it is now lost to the ages. 

Sooz and I have been out walking at the Broadwater every day this week ... I am noting it in my diary as BMW - Broadwater Morning Walks.  There appear to be a bunch of regulars who gather down there at different times - either swimming, walking, drinking coffee ... a whole range of activities.  I've started taking the camera down with me ... yes, yes, the phone takes good pictures, but there are times when you really do need a camera.