Steaming with Enthusiasm

Our beloved Don Railway is run entirely by volunteers. The steam locomotive is not always in operation, and when it is in for repair or maintenance the diesel trains run.

The Tasmanian Government assists the Don railway with Tourist Development Grants, but mostly I believe the project to be self-funded. Check out their web-site: www.donriverrailway.com.au

Hydrodog!

Ree's dog Mouse got treated with a Hydrodog treatment! Not sure about the orange bits stuck in her ears though... As I was busy doing important stuff like cutting up onions for relish and clearing the gutter pipe, pruning trees and cleaning car,.... Margie was busy in her Hydro trailer.

HongKong Interlude

I was lucky enough to wrangle a week in HongKong. My pilot friend Jim decided to retire from Qantas and I did everything in my power to find tickets to fly with him! In Hong Kong I stayed with my friends Khami and Ned and their family which was fantastic.

Lucky to have Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, as it is the quietest and the least polluted time of the year to be there. It all came together fabulously, and I had an awesome trip!

Turners Beach

I so love 'running' my circuit around Turners Beach. As close it is to civilisation I feel like I am there alone and noone hears me cough! Running past the Berry Patch and across the railway, through the fields, a few miles along the beach,... loving it!

Bus driver Wally

Betcha didnt know I had a bus license? Here I am driving some Devonport Hashers to the OnOn. Below is a random picture of the Carols by Candlelight evening in Devonport.

Normally this is held at the Soundshell on the Bluff (very nice there), but this year Devonport City Council decided to hold it on some
flat oval as there was construction going on near the Bluff. The council has really ruined the festive season in Devonport. No Christmas tree, no fireworks, major road construction (in two places) going on... Not a pleasant place for tourists or locals alike right now.

Devonport Show

Time for the Devonport Show! Last year the second day was such a wash-out that entry was free! This year wasn't too bad. Rain on the afternoon of the second day added a nice touch to the agricultural show with the smell of rain, food and manure all nicely mixed and wafting together. The Loane's livestock was well represented and they even had their own pavilion for the judging!

Always interesting to watch the travelling interstate 'show people' with their sideshows and stands at the show, the other animals, and the people that attend. I helped catch a budgie, Ree smuggled water into a cage for a thirsty rabbit, we petted goats and cows,...

Litter bugs in Canberra

Nothing irritates me more than dumb people, women in this case, both smoking in the back seat of a car and throwing out cigarette buts. In Tasmania I have the litter-report form in the glove box... Lucky my mother in Canberra doesn't have one handy. This image was taken 20 October 17:37hrs. on Hindmarsh Drive at the Athlon drive lights. Call me pedantic, but at least I didn't report them...

Report littering: Call Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 or complete the Canberra Connect Feedback Form

Burnie Ten

Wow, did it. Ran the Burnie Ten. Was mostly a very slow 10km jog and brisk walk and good coughing! Took Ventolin with me and had a few puffs on it during the run.I had started antibiotics again a few days before as I got sick. Two weeks without antibiotics and I am done for. Hope the antibiotics keep working for me as I really need them obviously!

I ran the Burnie Ten 10kms in 1hour and 25 minutes or so, whereas last year I got 1hour 10minutes. The difference was perhaps that I was a bit healthier perhaps, but also because i took half a Viagra which boosts your system (and gets you over the line 1/2 an inch quicker). Next year i will do the Viagra again. For the Mount Kinabalu mountain trip Viagra didn't do much in my opinion as the event was more than a few hours. Viagra will only last so long (sorry ladies). Anyways, glad The Burnie Ten is over and done with. Was a fun event, loved every minute of it.

One friendly lady on the run asked me if i had Ventolin in response to my coughing fits. When I said yes she next asked me if i had taken some! People are pretty concerned about us coughers en-route. Hamburglar, a fit and young hasher ran with me for the most part of the run. I told her, 'see we are still passing people' as we slowly jogged past a few walkers. Then I would stop and cough and 50 walkers would pass me again before I break into a gentle jog again. I turn to her again and say 'see we are still passing people', and I could see her thinking 'yes the same once we passed three times already'... At the 5.5km mark some Hashers appeared out of the bushes to give me small beer. That was the only brief stop I had I think.

Here is the run as I did it: http://runkeeper.com/user/waltervp/activity/18494287 .

PS. In the official results it said I took 1:26 but failed to deduct the 2 minutes it took to get to the starting line. This is an electronic system, and the results for everyone shows the time across the finish line as well as the adjusted time. For some reason both of mine are the same (indicating I started right up front). I started the run with Jess McDonald whose tie was adjusted 2 minutes, so I am pretty sure my actual time was 1:24. Yeah!

120 Inspirational Coasters!

Wow, got a mention in the top 120 most inpirational coasters!

Hopefully the next bike ride adventure will inspire more people with disabilities to go out and take some unnecessary risks!! It's all very nice till someone gets seriously hurt, than it become hilarious...

www.coughing4cf.com for the whole story!

Watching life

View from the office was interupted by Aurora men climbing trees. The above ground powerlines are a bit of a worry perhaps. Can't we move the lines?? Make us all go solar or have wireless power....