Saturday

Toowoomba is lovely this time of year especially because it is much cooler this Summer than it usually is. Generally speaking, it has been the coolest start to Summer here in Australia, since I was a child - and that's a good few years. S is loving it!

We arrived this morning, leaving Latimers just after 7. For the first time we came on the new "Darren Lockyer Way"Which is the same old Warrego Highway we always use, but it has recently been sign-posted (and named?) in honor of this football "great". S asked if the Lockyer Valley was named after him - and while my initial reaction was to say "no", but we know the valley had to be named after someone- and it might as well have been Darren's family as anyone else.

We stopped at Roses Cafe for breakfast and greedily devoured a copy of The Chronicle (the Toowoomba paper) hoping there would be details of their Christmas lights - and were very disappointed to find that there had been a map - but it was published last Saturday - and we couldn't find a copy of it on the web. There was an article though about a lighting display in one of the parks which had been attacked by vandals who had stolen loads of "power chords" and there was some concern that the organizers would need to pull the plug.

The reason for our early start (we usually arrive up there at lunchtime) was so we could catch up with my niece and her family. They had another commitment this afternoon so they had made time this morning to come to Mum's place. M continues to grow into the cutest little girl. She is now just over two and, true to developmental progression, she has entered the "terrible twos" although she wasn't being one of them when we saw her.

Then, after a spot of shopping, it was off to see E (aunt) and D, always good value. What was going to be a quick visit turned into a very enjoyable nearly three hours. They are off in their caravan just after Christmas and will meet up with one of the other aunts in rural NSW on their travels. They just love that caravan of theirs - their second, and much easier to manage that then pop-up one they used to have - their first foray into mobile homes - and possibly even RVs. D hails from America and even though he has been out here more than 20 years now, he still has that measured, thoughtful way of conversation that epitomizes some of our US friends.

Then, as night was falling, it was time to do the Xmas lights tour of Toowoomba. Our plan of action, without a map, was to go to the areas where we had been in previous years, and see if they were still doing them. Two out of three were and that was very exciting and at one house that was particularly ablaze with lights of all shapes, sizes and hues - and, as we were told, had featured on that night's news - we heard that the park lights were in fact "on". And the "Winter Wonderland" as it was called, was absolutely magnificent! Entry was via a gold coin donation in support of the local Lions Club and each of the displays in the park was sponsored by a business. You just have to marvel at the ingenuity and talent of people and how they can make a string of lights brighten your heart.