'Following procedures!'

So......after whinging about Elaine yesterday, I discovered two missed calls on my phone, in the afternoon, and a message from a Bronwyn.I rang Bronwyn back."Thank you," she said, " I wanted to follow up your phone call from this morning and wondered if you would be willing for us to take a statement." Bronwyn was high up in Blue Care.I reiterated that I did not think that Elaine could help herself and that it was just in her nature, (as a buffalo wrestler) and that she was not really a delicate person. I said that in no way had I intended for Elaine to get into trouble and certainly did not want her to find out that this had all come from us.......I was having visions of waking in the night with Elaine standing over me saying......."There's room in my husband's grave for you!"Bronwyn understood but said that they had procedures that needed to be followed under such circumstances. She was concerned that if Elaine was being heavy handed with Dulcie it was probably the case with other clients too.....who have yet not said anything."Can we do the statement over the phone?" I asked."We prefer to do it face to face," she said.I explained that I did not think Dulcie would be comfortable with that but that we would all discuss it when Will got home from work and that I would ring her in the morning.We did chat and I was right. Dulcie just wanted to let it lie now. I rang Bronwyn back this morning and explained our decision. I said I was sorry that we could not help them further. I said that it had not been my intention to set all this in motion and that I was just, in my role of 'Carer', looking out for the person I was caring for and I did not wish to cause Elaine or Blue Care any trouble. Bronwyn understood and was very apologetic for the whole thing and said they would be ensuring that it did not happen again but did say that we would not see Elaine again.It is all for the good....and hopefully it has helped others as well but I hope that it does not mean that Elaine is disciplined or let go.......but hopefully that she gets some further training and close monitoring......after all, she has a husband to bury and two 'Westie' possum killers to provide for.

'Setting the dog amongst the possums!'

We were still getting breakfast ready when there was a tap at the door this morning.I opened it to find Elaine on the other side of the screen door.Like waking to a cloudy day, it was a bit of a downer.Every time I see her I wonder if she has buried her husband yet...but daren't ask.She came in and sat down at the table asking how our trip away had gone.She had brought in the local free paper that she found lying on the drive where it had landed after being flung from a car.Dulcie was looking at it as she ate her breakfast.'How my dog saved a possum' was an article on the front page which I read out.Elaine jumped in. "My dog killed one! I came down one morning and there it were, stiff as a poker, with its legs in the air on the kitchen floor. My auntie who were visiting said 'is it a toy?' I said 'no, it's bloody real!"Dulcie had finished her breakfast."Are you ready for your shower?" Asked Elaine."No, I'll just finish my cup of tea," and she did."I didn't wake up until 8.00" said Elaine, "I thought, 'S?$%! I have to be at work by 8.30!'"It's marvellous how dedicated and professional Elaine is in her work.When the shower was over Dulcie came out shaking her head."She's as rough as guts" she hissed.Elaine left. Dulcie made an expressive hand gesture as she disappeared out of the door."She wouldn't feel herself, she's that fat! She's just rough. She grabs you!"I went downstairs and rang Blue Care and got through to Lynn.I explained who I was and said it was a bit of a delicate matter. She put me through to Robyn.Robyn sounded World weary, as if I was the 99 th person to make a complaint that day."We've just had Elaine," I said, " for Dulcie's shower and a few times Dulcie has said that she is too rough. I have asked Elaine to be gentle with her before but again today Dulcie said she was very rough. Dulcie is 92 and bruises very easily.  I don't think Elaine can be as delicate as the job requires.""Right, I'm sorry," said Robyn, " I will see to it that we send someone else next time."Little did I know that I would be setting 'the dog amongst the possums!'

Ocean Road.

How we have come to rely upon technology! We needed to keep our electronic devices charged up...our phones were our link with the outside World and our cameras!We did not have a powered site...but there were electricity points by the barbecues that we could use to charge up our phones. Other people were doing the same thing. There was another charging station over by the Amenities Block but it was harder to keep an eye on your things over there.We managed, though the internet signal was pretty weak, to keep up to date with the outside World.On our last night in camp Will decided to use the car battery to charge up his phone and the Ipad.The mosquito coils worked wonders and I didn't see one mosquito around our little table.We were 'in tent' by 9.00 pm.It took me ages to get to sleep again. At one point it started raining and I got up to put the towels that were hanging on a line into the car so they wouldn't get wet before getting back in the tent......the rain immediately stopped. Typical!We were awake by 7.00 am as most of the children roundabout were up and making noise with their happy chatter.We started to pack up our things, had breakfast and then finished off and by 8.3o am we were ready to leave but Roxy wouldn't start.....in fact there was no sound at all, absolutely no indication from her at all that she was still alive.I was thinking it was Will's fault for leaving things charging in the car.....but Will was thinking it was my fault for perhaps not shutting the door properly when I moved the towels in from the rain.....whatever it was there we were...not going anywhere.Will asked a nearby chappie if he had jump leads but he didn't.....so he went down to the camp office. He came back with a guy, his car and jump leads and.....in no time at all......Roxy was revived. Pure relief.We headed to Noosa. It was our intention to head home by driving down the length of the Sunshine Coast and stop off on the way whenever something took our fancy.......

Eumundi and Coolum.

So......after I signed off last night......Will was preparing tea and got out the Coriander and was just about to chop it up when a big grasshopper thing crawled out of it....He said it was a 'Weta'.....he still chopped up the coriander and added it to the pasta afterwards....how Australian.The Inconsiderate Darby and Joan played their 'club' music until 9.30 when it finally went off.....and then the snoring started nearby. Despite all this the next thing I knew it was 4.30 and I was cold so crawled under my sleeping bag and then it was 7. 30 and time to get up.....children were already wailing.We had breakfast and headed out fairly early to The Eumundi Markets. They were amazing.....I think they are the best markets I have been to so far. We paid to much attention to one stall and got the hard sell spiel.....silicone rubber toppers for bowls and cups that don't leak and you can even put them over the end of a cut onion to keep it fresh. She went on to tell us about two other amazing things that I don't know how we have lived without before we got to the price. We could have the lot for $75.I said "I feel like I've been on Dragon's Den."It went over her head. The same programme is called ' Shark Tank' here.I wanted to say "I'll make you an offer. I'll give you all the money but I want 75% of the company and an extra set of onion covers."........but didn't.We didn't buy anything except some Tibetan Momos for lunch which were quite delicious.After the market we headed to Coolum to climb Mt Coolum. I wondered at the sanity of it as we set off in the heat of the midday sun. It was a steep climb but the path up was beautifully done and must have taken ages to create. Mt Coolum is left over from an ancient volcano.....it felt like the lava was just beneath the rocks the way they radiated the heat.We got to the top and were soon joined by three Japanese people...two women one man. The man was playing music on his phone.....he stood on a cliff edge for a photo op and I was so tempted to push him off.I am turning into 'Victor Meldrew!'On our way down we came across a man sat on the stone steps."I'm feeling a bit dizzy," he said. I must say he did look like he ate a lot of pies but part of me was pleased with myself because he only looked about 30......and I had made it to the top." You do look pale," I said.Will offered him some licorice bullets and some of my vimto!.......but he declined. He said he would head back down soon.We carried on going down." That might be a life changing moment," I said, "he might become super fit.""Or he might say 'Sod it!' and never do exercise again and stick to eating pies," said Will.A man ran past heading up.....he looked like he had been basted ready for cooking he was glistening that much. He was soon followed by a young Asian boy bursting with muscles and just as basted.We stood aside to let them past and carried on down. Soon the Asian boy was behind us coming down again."It's hot!, he said." Well, you are the one running up the hill," I said."It's the best workout," he said. " I do it a couple of times a day.""You are going to run up again?" I asked turning as pale as a 30 year old dizzy pie eater."Yep,  few more times."He was obviously mental. We left him doing push ups on a rock.Once down we drove to Coolum Beach and went for a dip. A sign warned of jellyfish.....but we didn't see any.We had an ice cream and then drove back to Boreen Point picking some stuff up including mosquito coils on the way.Will blew up 'Lemony Snicket', his yellow Iilo. We went out for a dip in the lake.Unfortunately 'Lemony Snicket' came back deflated. Will blamed it on a shark. Still we have mine left...."Soylent Green."It is now dark...we have had tea.....with more 'Weta' coriander.....but the mosquito coils seem to be working.There is much chatter all around and crickets calling but no noise from Inconsiderate Darby and Joan."Would it be mean of me to hope that they died in the night?"

Noosa.

We had a lovely walk today around the Noosa National Park.  It was pretty cloudy for most of the day.I don't know how far we walked but it felt a long way and I was pretty tired. We saw a koala and a turtle.....but they were not together.Back at Boreen Point......the place is jumping! The World and his wife.....and loads of their annoying children are here now. I used to be surrounded by them day in day out and I was pleasant and made them laugh.....now I just want to slap them!The campsite is packed and they are still arriving. We went for a dip....but the place we swam yesterday was taken with two guys fishing.....for what? The only fish we saw yesterday could be caught in a kids fishing net. We walked down the beach to near where we caught the old couple skinny dipping and swam there. It was much rougher today but just as warm except for the cooling breeze when you climbed out.We are self catering tonight.....pasta but have already enjoyed a medley of dips, cheese and pate. We are slathered in repellent but the mossies don't care.....they are taking over the world. Soon the planet will be filled with my wing-ed children. Muahahahahahaha!First they will suck dry any child allowed to run around a campsite screaming and talking loudly.....long after it is time for their bed! I swear the group next to us are a flipping school trip! There must be a dozen kids between them! I may cast some condoms nonchalently amongst them on the morrow......but I doubt the Boreen Point store has them.....like mosquito coils.I hope I can sleep tonight after only 3 hours last night....at least the wind has died down and it is cooler so no need for Inconsiderate Darby and Joan to use their generator.