September to December

September saw us tidying up the garden (long neglected), some of which you can see below.

Back corner of the house - before

Back corner of the house - after

October kicked off with a day trip to Sydney to catch up with Pam, Robert and Regan, and mutual friends visiting from Perth - Rod and Wendy.  The drive there was uneventful and we had a very pleasant day.  We had drinks on Pam and Robert's boat (the Poseidon - we kid you not) and lunch at their house.  The boat is very impressive as you can see from the photos below.



Wendy, Rod, Pam and Rhonda

The Poseidon

Another highlight of the last third of the year was a short trip to Hong Kong in October.  We had hoped to catch up in New York with my cousin Malcolm and his wife Cathy during our USA trip, but they weren't free at that time.  They did, however, have a window of opportunity to visit Hong Kong (where Malcolm does business) in October.  Rhonda and I were free so we thought "why not?"  My sister Carol was also free so she joined us.  Photos from the trip are below.

The view from our hotel room

Sign near the lifts in the hotel.  We'd have been happier if it read: IF THERE IS A FIRE .....

Carol, Malcolm, Richard and Cathy out for the day



Malcolm and Richard at the peak overlooking Hong Kong

A Dog Latrine, on a walking track near the peak.  Hong Kong dogs must be very clever to read

Richard and Cathy somewhat fearful, Malcolm well under control

Carol, Cathy and Malcolm on the hydrofoil to Macau - we went for a night - as you do

The hotel opposite ours - much better looking

View from a room - not sure whos

Portuguese-style architecture near the centre of Macau

The inside of one of the gambling resort hotels - brilliant



Rhonda took a selfie on our way across water, on the cable car, to the Big Buddha

The quite long stairway to the Big Buddha

Malcolm, Cathy and Richard at the top

The Big Buddha waving goodbye to us - glad we didn't leave anything at the top



Cathy said I couldn't have another ice-cream

Couldn't resist including a shot of the poster below, displayed at the local Hyperdome shopping centre.  Hope that none of you were given the gift of guilt on Christmas day.

If only they taught hyphenation at school

 

We were fortunate enough to go out to lunch yesterday ,and had a guilt-free time (not to mention preparation-free and cleanup-free).  We joined Lynn and Craig, and Robin and Joanne.  Haven't done this for quite a while, but wouldn't mind doing it more often.





Christmas lunch with Robin, Craig, Lynn, Joanne and Rhonda

That's pretty much it for the year.  We'll be sleeping from 2014 to 2015 again, at the end of the month.  Hope that anyone reading this blog has a happy New Year and a peaceful, healthy and successful 2015.



June to August

Not much happened in June, but we did get around to paying someone to paint the garage.  It has made quite a difference, and the courtyard is now looking more complete.  Before and after photos are below.

Before the painting

After the painting - our neighbour gave us permission to paint the side of his garage, and the window at the back of our garage is covered with a coating - so we cleaned it off after a couple of days

The big event during this part of the year was our trip to the USA, with about a week in each of New York, Washington DC and San Francisco.  We set up a blog for that trip, available through the link below.

Our trip to the USA


After we returned to Australia we didn't do much, just life as normal.

March to May

The big event for March this year was Rhonda's walk along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.  There were 10 ladies, from the Canberra region, Victoria and Queensland - mainly from Brisbane but with one participant, Rhonda's very good friend Claire, all the way from Townsville.  The walk was an organised event and very professionally run.  The photographs below speak for themselves.

Most of the walking party - including Rhonda (fourth from left) Ann (third from right - who basically organised everything) and my sister Carol (second from right)

Despite watching the cliff edge for quite a while, no fallers were spotted

It may not look high up, but it was, and windy - Rhonda at the top of a lighthouse

Claire from Townsville with Rhonda

Some of the ladies, after a hard day of walking, during the dinner break - or, actually, a wine break with some food



The edge of the land, or the edge of the sea - either way it's the coast

Some of the Twelve Apostles

That is a very small selection of photos from the walk.  While the ladies were living it up I was lonely in Canberra - until I used my Christmas present - a session on a flight simulator - I flew in to London and the old Hong Kong airports and didn't crash.  OK, to be honest, I apparently tried to crash while the co-pilot saved me and the hundreds of passengers I was responsible for.

 



Richard (barely) in control



Autumn colours in Canberra

We watched a bit of television in April.

The ABC really need to proofread their captions!

And drank some coffee.


I swear that the image appeared by magic in this coffee that Rhonda ordered

A misty morning on the lake - next to the National Museum where Rhonda works

One of the highlights of April was going to a concert featuring Hugh Lawrie (the comedian, actor, musician) and the Copper Bottom Band.  It was brilliant.  Even though we're not really into blues music, we were converted.

Rhonda at the Hugh Lawrie concert - great seats - I would have been next to her, but I was taking the photo

In May we returned to Perth for Rhonda's Mum's 80th birthday.  The photograph below is the only one from the day that didn't feature people embarrassing themselves or others.
 

Family and a friend (Hughie at the front on the left)

January to February

The year started, if we're perfectly honest, at the stroke of midnight on 31 December 2013.  Not that we cared, because we were asleep.  January was pretty boring.  I know that because nothing happened that was significant enough for us to bother taking a photograph of it.
Before we knew it we were in Bali, after a short stopover in Perth to catch up with Rhonda's family.  We stayed with Rhonda's brother Mark and his wife Linda (and their dog Shiraz)

Relaxing with Shiraz

The trip to Bali was to go to the wedding of Daniel (son of my brother Peter and his wife Gosia) and Michelle.  We'll let the photographs speak for themselves - stunning scenery and a very enjoyable wedding.

Bali sunset

The wedding venue

Michelle and Daniel

Wedding guests mingling after the ceremony

The top table

Michelle and Daniel cutting the cake

Pam, me and Carol having our feet eaten by miniature piranhas

Apart from the foot eating, pictured above, we also enjoyed massages by hand and hot stones, facials, and other pampering - very cheap in Bali.

Carol wearing various bugs

Richard being friendly to butterflies

Rhonda getting too close for comfort to the bugs

Richard, Carol, Pam and Rhonda dressed to enter the grounds of a temple

The grounds of a temple

Stunning countryside

Pam, Carol and Rhonda took a cooking class

Rhonda was very happy with her efforts, and looking forward to eating it all herself

The view from the sun loungers, at our hotel, that Peter and I studied in preference to attending cooking classes

This pretty much sums up downtown Bali

Richard, Richard (Ryan's dad), Jessica (Carol's daughter, married to Ryan), Pam, Carol and Ryan relaxing at Ryan and Jessica's villa (rented)