Ms Fifikins

I love Saturdays. I think they are my new favourite day of the week, closely followed by Sundays and public holidays! Don’t get me wrong, I do love my job, but being able to unwind is important!

Today MIML™ and I went on a bike ride. Yes, we do that semi-regularly, but today’s was a little different… it was 220km long.

This is where we went:

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And it was superb riding weather! Bit of a breeze and lots of sun! After petrol we went to Port Douglas for a leg stretch, then onto Mount Molloy. Don’t get me wrong, the ride from Cairns to Port is lovely and I never cease to smile coming around the bend at Buchan’s Point seeing the ocean, but the ride up the range was almost perfect- sweeping bends, rainforrest and a lovely road surface. I even managed to get my boot on the road going around one bend! It felt great!

Charley Boorman said the burgers in Mount Molloy were the best in the world and he wasn’t really kidding! They were awesome! Look:

Yes, that is a 50c coin! I daren’t think how many eggs were used or calories consumed!

Back on the bikes to Mareeba where the temptation was to see how fast the bike could go (I got up to 125km/h when overtaking a truck being driven in a lunatic manner!) and then back down to Cairns. Yes the Kuranda Range is a pleasant ride, but nothing compared to Mossman-Mt Molloy. The good thing though was riding late in the afternoon with shadows of the bike on the road and bugs splattering over my helmet visor

Oh and the best bit… Between the two fuel stations I used 8.48l and averaged 26.01 km/l. Yeah, not bad!

The bum is fine, but the back is a little stiff, but that could be due to yesterday’s gym workout too! Next ride is going to be heading south and going Innisfail to Atherton. Might even attempt the Gillies Range…

A lot of people complain that private school kids finish school not being able to think for themselves. Perhaps this is not the case in all instances…

Last year the kids school sent out a promotional DVD to all parents. Not sure why. Don’t think it made it to the school’s website. Not sure what we were meant to do with it as parents- play it at our cocktail parties? Put it on loop in our waiting rooms? Anyway, I think these kids show a pretty good grasp of critical literacy. Apparently they got in trouble, but as they say all publicity is good publicity and knowing that senior students can take the piss and have a laugh might mean that they are getting a decent education after all!

Had a gorgeous date Friday night with the MIML™ (man in my life.) We had dinner at Verdi’s. Possibly the nicest pizza I have had in long time. Of course the company was superb too. Now we went for pizza, but couldn’t pass up dessert. Yes, we may have the emotional intelligence of a pair of teenagers, but when the specials board is written up with “Brandy Snaps filled with cream and masterated strawberries” curiosity got the better of us. I couldn’t bring myself to ask the waiter what the chef had done to masterate the strawberries, but the MIML™ has a brilliant poker face and was able to make quips that brought tears to my eyes and made the couple at the table near us giggle too.

We joked to each other that if they came out as phallic things with cream oozing out… thinking that they would actually be baskets. But no. This is what I was greeted with:

Yes, the jokes kept coming. And yes, I know it is macerated! But hey. We have dirty minds!

Edit: Oh and they tasted damn fine too!

I have always said the best time to visit Cairns is between May and October. Looks like the season has changed early this year though.

Humidity has lessened and the temperature has dropped. And I can still sit out on the deck and type away in a strappy sun dress. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Winter and do miss certain aspects like blowing steam out of your mouth or snuggling up in front of a fire. Oh and I love being all rugged up in my cape with a scarf and a woolly hat with the cold air blowing against my face. Memories of walking dogs through fields in Jersey in the Channel Islands with my Aunt and Uncle in January where frosts hung around until well after lunch flood back as if it were yesterday and not 17 and then 12 years ago!

I don’t know if the wet is really over yet. I see showers forecast for the next couple of days. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the rain, but I also love the long stretches of milder days full of sunshine where you do need a doona at night, even if the ceiling fan is still on and sometimes you even get to wear long sleeves…

So if you are planning on visiting then any time from now til about Grand Final weekend (Last in September for non sporting people!) is a great time to come. Just give me some notice so I can prepare the guest quarters/dungeon/downstairs room etc!

I don’t think Gershwin ever visited Cairns in the summertime! Jasper made a comment yesterday about our ‘Hot Summer and our Cold Summer’ in Cairns. When I quizzed him further he said that we have our hot summer in summer and our cold summer in winter. Maybe he is right. Some people say that you put up with the 4 months of wet for the other 8 months of the year.

I actually love the wet. I planned on going to bed half an hour ago, but then the heavens opened and the music of a tropical downpour commenced. Having a tin roof helps, but the rain through the leaves and puddles of water having more water spraying into them really adds to the symphony. We even got a bit of thunder tonight.

I tried to snap some shots, but I think the darkness won. Here goes anyway:

The view from the deck

The other end of the deck. At least the flash hides the mould on the white posts!

Under the deck the drains have overflowed and there is muck everywhere.

Water, water everywhere…

Aprés moi…

Don’t ask why the chair is in the garden bed. I think the mower man put it there. The back yard is pretty much under water at this end. Front yard will be too, but there is no light out there to see. The council put out a map last year of the safe places to be in case of tsunmi. We are one street back from safety. Hope the same map applies to flood waters.

I was thinking last night that I haven’t got my cyclone kit prepared yet for the year. Need to get some batteries, find the transistor, get a new torch, stock up on bottled water and baked beans. Oh and have an extra bottle of gin in there!