It’s going to be a big week
The sugar cane harvesting season begins next week. I know this because I used my Spidey senses to see the cane is now in flower (and one of my best friends works in the sugar mill, and it was announced in the newspaper, and it’s all anyone can talk about at the local store).
Sugar Cane Flower
Last week a cute little ‘loco’ chugged down the track and sat outside the RUC for a few minutes. These are the small trains that haul the bins of cut sugar cane back to the mill. Once the harvesting season is in full swing I’ll snap a picture of one pulling the bins.
My three children will be arriving for their ‘Christmas in June’ holiday next week. I know it’s supposed to be Christmas in July – but hey, I like to be different. Now they’re grown and have their own lives it’s great that we can all get together at the same time in the same place (and what better place to do this than the RUC!)
I haven’t posted any pictures of the RUC from the outside for a few weeks because I want it to be a surprise for them when they get here.
Have a great weekend (and week)!
Dianne Gray author 
Sugar cane and your own personal sweeties coming for Christmas in July in June! And all this with the RUC as the #1 topic of conversation!! We wish you the most fun ever and hope that the new digs are enjoyed by everyone…:) Merry Christmas!
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YAY! It’s going to be a lot of fun 😀 A day out on the Great Barrier Reef is also on the cards. This Christmas in July in June has been a l-o-n-g time coming 😉
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We are forever moving holidays to more convenient times for the kids. For example, this year, Thanksgiving may arrive in October to serve my son’s Army leave time. Or it may end up January. Who knows?
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We’re just rule breakers, Jacqui 😉 I actually moved this holiday for me because I haven’t been able to catch up with the kids for the last two Christmases because hubby was too sick. But all is good now and I’m looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces when they see the RUC 😀
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When I wake in the cold and dark and then see your pictures (even if it is a toot-toot) in the middle of cane fields…oh how I’d rather be there. I was imagining myself in Hawaii for some reason but FNQ – I could see myself lying back chewing on a stick of sugar gazing at the sun. Christmas in June you say – yes it appears youlike to be different 🙂 and that’s a good thing 🙂 Happy Busy Week to you and Merry Christmas!! xx
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Speaking of waking in the cold and dark, I was up at 3:30 this morning. I’ve got to stop these ridiculously early start-ups!
FNQ is absolutely beautiful. I’m sure the Melbournite kids will absolutely love the warm weather 😉
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3:30am – to write I hope -with E-cig and coffee in hand. 🙂 I am sure they will! 🙂
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You know me too well! LOL 😀
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😉
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It is a cute little choo choo. 🙂 Oh, deer, (yes, that was on purpose) Christmas in July doesn’t make sense to me. June is better because it’s the half way mark. Have a lovely family get together.
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Thanks so much, Justin 😀
I’m not sure why people have Christmas in July either. We’ll be lazing around in the warmth and there may be a cocktail or two 😀
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Enjoy the family next week, and I look forward to more sugar cane/RUC news and pictures. Lovely.
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Thank you, Jenny. I might have to start up a magazine and call it RUC News 😀 We have a lot of big white birds here that fly around when the tractors are cutting the cane. Hopefully I’ll get some good shots of them 😉
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My dad used to bring home sugar cane as a special exotic treat; we would each get our little chunk and gnaw o nit until we got tired of it. I hope you have a great visit. You have to snatch those precious moments when you can.
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I like chewing on the sugar cane as well, Naomi. In fact, there may be cocktails involved with the sugar cane this year 😀 I’m sure I can come up with something 😉
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Does the harvesting of the sugar cane disturb the snakes? You better put out a “NO TRESSSSSPASSSSSING!” sign.
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas in June celebration . . . a Festivus Maximus.
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LOL I’m going to get me a “NO TRESSSSSPASSSSSING!” sign anyway, Nancy! It’s probably too cold for the snakes now, but you never know, they’re unpredictable little critters 😉
Thank you for the Festivus Maximus wishes 😀
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Let’s hope they’re “sssssleeping.”
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LOL 😀
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I have never seen such a thing. Thanks for sharing Dianne!
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I’m glad you liked it! 😉
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I did! I did!
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Enjoy, enjoy….your new life is rolling in and from here it looks all good.
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I think the road ahead has far less rocks than the one I left behind 😀
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So it begins, the harvest, and officially your life in the RUC… good stuff. For mine, June sounds good… we have a family get together in June… I’ve just missed it for a few years as I now also need to be at TA, and they won’t move the weekend.
Have a fine time christening your new home 🙂
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Oh dear – tell them to move the weekend so you can all be together, Ella 😦
I hadn’t thought of a Christening – great idea, and champagne all round. Thank you! 😀
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How interesting, and the loco is so cool. Look forward to seeing the loco pulling it’s load. 🙂
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It’s such an interesting concept, John. That little thing can drag a lot of weight! (but you don’t want to run into one on the road – yikes!) 😉
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What a wonderful surprise it will be for your children and us to see the semi-finished version of the RUC. Have a wonderful family gathering. Stay away from the cane fires. {{{hugs}}} Kozo
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I really want to get some shots of a cane fire, Kozo, but not many people burn anymore (they’ve become environmentally friendly) 😉 I’m sure the kids will love it, it’s been a lot of years since they lived here in the old cane barracks and it will certainly bring back memories for them 😀 {{{hugs}}}
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Sugar cane harvest time is normally associated with burning the cane first… with burning comes the rats… with the rats the snakes… is the RUC now snake and rat proof.?? Nice to have the family coming for Christmas in June’s July, hell who cares when things happen and what we call them … time for a family gathering and a party… make up one’s own name is alright with me…
I can’t wait to see the RUC’s photos so hope the family gets there soon….
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I’d love it if they still burned the cane, Bulldog, but no one really does it here anymore (they’ve all gone ‘green’). I remember in the ‘old days’ watching the cane fires and all the little creatures jumping and slithering out! I hope someone burns a block this year so I can get some pics (but I’ll still be standing on the tray of the truck so I don’t get in the way of the rabble trying to escape!) 😀
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They still follow that practice here by us and for me that smell of burning cane, the sweet smell, is wonderful… also used to help capture the snakes when I could just to relocate them…
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What a great job! 😉 I really miss the smell of the burning cane…
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Yea!!! for you Dianne. Family and cute little choo choo’s. How could anyone ask for more? I can wait for pictures till the kids come home. I’m patient. kinda. maybe. oh ok. 😉 Have a wonderful time!
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Thanks, Jackie! It’s a bit like Disneyland here at the moment 😉 Pictures will be here in a few weeks and I can’t wait either! 😀
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These are really sweet pics, Dianne. How exciting to have your three children all together for Christmas in June. I bet they’re just dying to see the RUC, and you must be itching to show them around your new home and beautiful surrounding area. Have lots of fun preparing for their visit. 🙂
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It’s going to be wonderful 😀 We all lived here in the run down old cane barracks when they were children, but how things have changed now. I’m sure it will bring back so many childhood memories for them. I think the first thing out of their mouths will be ‘why didn’t it look this good when we lived here?’ LOL 😀
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😆
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Have fun with your children. I know how hard it is to get all three together after they grow up!
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It’s really hard, Deborah! They all have jobs and their partners have jobs and they’re coming as well so they all needed to align their holidays – phew. You need to be an event coordinator to do things like this 😀
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How far is the mill Dianne – just around the bend or lots of miles away?
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It’s about 10 kilometers away, Roy,which is good because it’s far enough away that I don’t get that molasses smell from the smoke stack when they’re processing the cane 😉
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Have a great holiday with your family! I hope you got all the projects completed you anticipated doing a month or so ago when you wrote about what needed doing before their arrival. Getting ready for something is always a mixture of fun anticipation and dread that you won’t be ready! (At least it is for my wife!)
I look forward to seeing the Loco pulling harvested cane! Somehow it harkens back to a prior day to me. Not sure why.
LOL on the why didn’t it look this good….. They can’t ever say, I’m so glad it looks this good NOW, can they? Oh well. Such is life as a parent.
You’re anticipating them together being WITH you… we’ll have our daughter with us on Independence day but that will be the last holiday we share with her for a while now that we’ll finally be mobile — different stages in life!
Cheers,
Peter
A retired Photographer looks at life
Life Unscripted
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It’s not ready, Peter, but with all the hassles I had with the first lot of builders, I’m not surprised. It doesn’t really matter though because as long as we’re all together it will be wonderful 😀
Thank you so much for your best wished 😀
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Ha! That little train is super cute! I can’t tell from the photo, is it running on tracks or not?
Rohan.
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Yes – it runs on tracks, Rohan. Those tracks go everywhere around here. Those trains are definitely super cute and remind me of the little trains they have at the fair LOL 😀
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How fun! Have a great time with your children, Dianne! Thanks for sharing the pictures of the sugar cane ~ so cool! Enjoy! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Jill. I’m so glad you like the pics, those flowers won’t be there for much longer 😉
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So exciting to have them all there at once! Can’t wait to see the RUC reveal…
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Thank you, Annie 😀 I hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods. I’m thinking of you 🙂
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It goes on Dianne 🙂 on and on…
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So glad to hear about your kids coming home and getting to see your project, with Christmas to boot! We have sugar beets all around us and they are just starting to plant them now. I remember as a kid my cousins and I used to run on the road and get the dropped beets. We would chew on them but they weren’t very good. I think the thrill was getting the beet not eating it and now I can walk out in the field and dig one up if I want. Thanks for bringing up some old memories for me.
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It’s wonderful to recall childhood memories like this. I’m so glad this post sparked such lovely times for you! 😀
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How fabulous that you’re getting a holiday with your fam! June, July, doesn’t matter – it sounds like you’ll have a ball either way. Can’t wait to hear all about it (and see the latest RUC pictures! I’m so excited – you’ve really turned up the suspense here Dianne! 🙂 )
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Thank you, Amb! I’m sure we’ll have a great time and we’re going to try to recreate the picture I have at the top of my blog were we are all standing looking out at the cane fields – I hope it works! 😀
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What a great idea! I hope it does too 🙂
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I am one for the obvious too – have a great reunion!
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Thank you so much, LouAnn! I’m sure it will be fantastic just to see them all together again 😀
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Christmas in June sounds nice! Enjoy the family. 😀
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Thanks, Lily!
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You are going to have so much fun! And so much to show them bullet holes, tic tac, sugar cane, put them to work sanding one day (that is what my mom would do) and all the hustle and bustle of a houseful of people. Can’t wait to see the sugar cane pics and hear about whatever crazy thing that happens while you are all together. 🙂 Enjoy!
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Thanks so much, Elisa! I saw tic tac the other day hiding in the sealed dog food bucket (not sure how he got in there!) It’s going to be great being together, if not a little crazy and busy 😉
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One way of harvesting sweetness:-) Hey, does that mean you get two christmases a year?! Now that’s cool. Hope you have loads of fun and I look forward to the photos once the surprise can no longer be spoiled…wishing you a wonderful weekend.
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Thank you so much, Harula 😀 Yes – two Christmases (woo hoo!) I hadn’t thought of it like that 😉
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Your Spidy senses are top notch! LOL Have fun with your kids and I look forward to seeing pics of the harvest and of the RUC!
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It’s going to be lovely, Darla. I’ll make sure I have my camera with me at all times! 😀
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I hope you all have a blast. 😀 I’m sure they’re excited to see it!
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I’m pretty sure they’re excited and I’m pretty sure it’s very cold where they are coming from so they’ll just love the tropical weather 😉 We will have a blast! 😀
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Have fun for me. It’s all rainy & gross over here. The plants need it, though. 😀
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Have fun Dianne and enjoy your family. I’m looking forward to seeing all the improvements you’ve made to the RUC. I’ll bet it’s really starting to look and feel like home!
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It’s really starting to look more like a ‘home’ now than a construction site, Donna Jean 😀 I’m really looking forward to their stay 😀
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They will get a surprise for sure. Now I know what the sugar can looks like I was interested to read about the little train. Such a different place to where I live and fascinating. Have a great time with your family Dianne.
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It’s very different, Oma 😀 It’s wonderful in this blogging world where we can see so many vastly different areas where people live. Thank you so much for the well wishes 😀
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Okay, your knowledge retrieval system about sugar cane is amazing! 🙂 Great pics! Always love hearing about the ‘doings’ around the RUC…
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LOL – my mind is like a steel trap, Billy Ray! 😀
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Well, I’m glad your kids will finally get a look at the place so we can, too! 🙂 Somehow, it’s easy for me to forget that Australia has a tropical side. Maybe it’s because, here in the US, we usually only see things like the Outback shown on TV and in movies. So Australia seems to be all deserts and kangaroos—and humongous crocodiles. 😉
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It’s very lush and green where I am, JM 😀 I guess it’s because we live so close to the ocean, but once we travel inland a bit it gets very deserty (not sure if that is a word) 😉 I don’t think I could live in the desert – although some people do and love it 😀
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When I worked at J. I. Case, the sugarcane harvesters fascinated me. I got a chance to watch them on a film one time; it was amazing how many operations these machines did with one pass down the field. I’d love to watch the harvesting in person someday.
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It’s really interesting to watch, Barb. And for some reason in the past few years we seem to have attracted flocks of cockatoos who follow the harvester down the field – I can’t wait to get a shot of that 😀
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I’ve missed the updates on the RUC! Hope you enjoy your Christmas in June!! 🙂
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Thank you so much! The RUC is coming along nicely. Everyone is out there today cleaning up the mess (old bits of wood, left over walling and part of a mango tree that fell down, etc). It’s really noisy so I’ve taken a few minutes out to eat and check blogs 😀
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I’m so excited to see the final product. You must be over the moon.
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Ho, ho, ho, Have a great time Dianne!!
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You’re a classic, Denise! Thank you so much! 😀
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I liked this and before I could scroll down past your MANY comments, my Dad showed up for a visit (lovely!) so, my posting got delayed. :0)
SO nice to have all your kids/family home at once on any given month. You’re going to have a wonderful time. I’m so happy for you!
I can’t wait to hear all about it AND see the most recent RUC pics.
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I’m so glad your dad showed up for a visit – you’re certainly forgiven! 😉 Thank you so much for the best wishes, I can’t wait until we’re all under one roof again and the camera will be out in full force 😀
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I hope you have a wonderful time with your kids, Dianne! And I can’t wait to see your RUC pictures! 😀
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Thank you, my dear! I’ll be very ‘snap happy’ in the next week 😀
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Finally able to pop in and add to the chorus — have fun with your kids! I can’t wait to see pictures of the RUC now. I swear, you are living a dream in that location! We live on a state route, and approx. 2,000 semi trucks go by our house every day. We might as well live right on the interstate. Plus, they’re diesel and dirty. That’s it! We live in the diesel pit stop of the world! At least that’s how I feel when I look at your serene pictures. But I’m not a complainer, and I love my old house. I just pretend to roam around the RUC and the fields when I see your pictures. 😉
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Oh, Maddie! Please feel free to use my pics whenever you feel like it 😀 Our road is a dead end so we don’t get much ‘through traffic’ – but when I lived here 12 years ago a truck company set up down the road and the trucks would thunder past every few hours, it nearly drove me insane! After a few ‘near hits’ with them when I was driving home I organised a petition with the local farmers to have the speed limit changed and we got it! The trucks were still there, but they had to slow down. Anyway, I think I’m just blabbing on here, but the upshot is I totally understand about the trucks going past and the noises they make. Thank goodness there is no truck company there now and it’s all very serene 😀
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We don’t use the living room or an upstairs bedroom, because both are in the front of the house. When we moved here, we gave our son the master bedroom because it was in the front, and with Rich working afternoons, the constant “shaking” and noise of the trucks would keep him from sleeping. It isn’t as noticeable in the other rooms, and over the years, I’ve learned to block it out.
You put in your share of grief by living with that trucking company years ago, so you have earned your serene place. Maybe one day I will have one, too. 🙂
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Have a wonderful time with your family. You’re smart not to post any pics on your blog so as to keep the latest and greatest at the RUC a secret from your kids!
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They’ve seen the old pics, but not posing any for a while is keeping them on tenderhooks – I can’t wait! 😀
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Have fun with your family! And enjoy the RUC! Can’t wait to see the pics (:
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Thank you so much! I’m sure the camera will be attached to me for the entire week 😀
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I hope you have a great visit with the family. Christmas in June is a fabulous idea! I can’t wait to see the progress on the RUC and the sugar cane 🙂
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I’m flying around like a mad thing at the moment, Janna. Cleaning and sanding and washing – can’t wait for them to arrive so I can stop 😉
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I think it’s the first time ever i am seeing sugar cane flower! It’s beautiful, so Zen somehow! I am so happy for you that your kids are arriving! xxxx
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Thank you, Lena – I’m very happy as well. It’s been really difficult for us to all catch up at the same time over the past few years. YAY! 😀
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We had loads of sugar cane fields where I lived when I was younger.. I did chew on it once.. Not the best!!
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LOL! 😀
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That is the cutest little locomotive ever! I hope you have a wonderful visit with your children, and that they fall in love with the RUC as much as you have.
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Those baby locos are very cure indeed, Janna – it looks a little like a fair ground here when they’re pulling the cut sugar cane back to the mill!
Thank you so much for your best wishes 😀
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Merry Christmas!! What a great idea and what a grand place to share with your family. I can’t wait to see photos of the RUC.
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Thank you, Ly! It sounds so funny saying Merry Christmas at this time of year – but it feels great! 😀
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Enjoy your time with the family, Dianne 🙂
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Thank you so much, Maggie! 😀
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When my wife and I were in Australia, we couldn’t get enough pictures of those trains. They are the best, and best of all, speak to an economy that was once local in nature.
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So true, Allen 😉
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Christmas in June… that’s a nifty idea. Do you also get together in December? Or just in June? Must save a lot of money on presents if you only do this in June. If you do both, than it’s a good excuse to get your kids to come visit you. Maybe I should try that with my sister. Oh wait…. I keep telling her I have lots of stuff for her and her kids… it doesn’t work.
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We haven’t been able to get together for Christmas for two years (because my hubby was really sick) 😦 so this is our Christmas to make up for it 😀 We’ve decided now that we’ll do it every year from now on. There’s a lot of pluses – we’re not travelling in peak season, all the mid-year sales are on and flights are cheap 😉
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I hope you don’t have to go out there and harvest too! Hoping that train will do all the work. That’s great that everyone will be together soon. I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing Christmas with no door sanding involved!
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I’m working on my last four doors! Woo hoo! I’ve done one side of them, now just have to do the other side and hang them. It’s been a mammoth effort. Luckily I don’t have to cut the sugar cane 😉
Thank you so much for the best wishes 😀
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Awesome to hear that your kids will be visiting! That sounds super fun! Love the spidey senses comment by the way that gave me a good giggle 🙂
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So glad we exchanged giggles today! That’s what life should be like every day 😀
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What’s with the Christmas in June? Did I miss something? The fields around me are bright yellow with rapeseed – it’s beautiful. They glow against the dark clouds in the sky – we had a week of sun and I am away next week, so it will of course be awful weather fro now on. One week of sun is pretty good for us here though.
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Take the sun while you can get it, Piper! 😀
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Oh how wonderful! What does sugar cane smell like? Cotton candy I hope! Oh have a wonderful time with your kids, Dianne!! 😀
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Thanks, Linda! 😀
I guess I should have built my house out of gingerbread and lollies and chocolates with all that cotton candy sugar cane around! 😉
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Aha! Oh I really really love that idea!
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Dianne, You are so very deserving of the Christmas celebration with your family! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 🙂 Like all the others I can’t wait to see the RUC your children will see, but even more am sincerely happy for you and the time you will spend together as a family! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Penny 😀 It’s all going really well! I’m so busy that I haven’t had a chance to even look at my blog, but I’ll be back into it next week 😉
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Go, go go Dianne, and have tons of fun! 🙂
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Let us know how it goes!! xx
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So far so good, Lisa. They’ve all taken off on a tour of the Great Barrier Reef today so I’m sure they’ll have a ball (and I’ll get some cleaning done 😀
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Huge week! I can’t believe how much you do!!!
My son Daniel & me did the Great Barrier Reef. It was a precious memory.
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The Great Barrier Reef is fantastic and I love the fact that it’s virtually on my doorstep 😉
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