May 7. Day 128. The workers united....

I am fully aware that saying you are a member of a union can extract a response akin to saying you are a child abuser or axe murderer.
But I am quite prepared to say I pay my union dues, in fact I am proudly a member of a union. You have to remember that Labour (the workers) is not the same as Labor (the party). As I see it, if you work for a large employer (and I always have) and you take the union negotiated pay rises you gotta be prepared to put your money where your mouth is.
This is not to say I am a flag waving, card carrying member nor do I support everything unions do but I'm a worker and the unions should put a bit more of the power balance in the hands of the workers. And as someone who has been made redundant twice during my working career, I know that the Strawbs were taking crap when they said "You can't touch me I'm part of the Union" but it's still good to have someone fighting for your interests.
Anyway, I have never been to a Labour Day Parade and I will never march in one but today I thought I'd arm myself with a camera and see for myself. I found it quite emotional.
I do have a word of advice for those who organise union rallies. Can we get some new chants?
"The workers united, will never be defeated" and the "What do we want. The right to..." war cries are getting a bit tired and old. Much preferred the BLF who had a group of cheerleaders heading their section of the parade proudly waving pom poms to "We're Not Gonna to Take it".

May 6. Day 127. Monkey business

I admit, it is not all that long ago that I would have thought teaching children meditation and relaxation was new age mumbo jumbo.
Perhaps it is increased age. Perhaps it is increased wisdom but I have now come to think that teaching our kids to chill in a high pressure, high competition world is probably among the best life skills we can pass on.
So it was a delight to watch groups of children front and centre in today's Buddha's Birthday celebrations at South Bank. They showed off their meditation and relaxation and quietly chanted.
I admit to not knowing all that much about Buddhism but the doctrine of peace and forgiveness seems compelling (the bits about reincarnation and vegetarianism I feel less attracted to.
I also love the fact that as a western society we are now so much more open to the beliefs, philosophies and cultures of other nations.
Perhaps this is why there were so many people just milling around watching this Sri Lankan children's dance troupe perform a monkey dance. Or perhaps it was just because they were so incredibly cute.

May 5. Day 126. Animal Farm

Those who don't think you should work with children or animals obviously don't have a love for either.
Yeah okay, they are difficult to stage manage. Yeah, they do wild and unpredictable things but surely a big bucket of cute makes up for that.
Sadly my own son has never really enjoyed getting up close and personal with all creatures great and small. I've never let that stop me. Why should the kids have all the fun?
It is exactly that type of thinking that inspired Brisbane blogger Girl Clumsy to decide to hire an animal farm and invite her city friends - with or without kids - to come along.
Brilliant idea.
The adults were having just as much fun as the kids but for me it was the wonder on the faces of the little ones as they got to touch and feed the animals that was really special. The way this little kid is patting that little kid. Priceless.

May 4. Day 125. Pot of gold

Just about every child who grew up in is part of the world would have one - the childhood pic taken at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. In something that now feels a bit reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, we were flocked by birds. The family album has compulsory photos of children with plates of food weighed down the rainbow lorikeets in a feeding frenzy. There was often a slightly horrified child captured with a bird on his or her head. And the screeching - something not unlike outside the hotel where One Direction is staying or my house at homework time. Surprisingly, I don't recall the rainbow lorikeets as being common in the Brisbane suburbs as a child. Now they are everywhere but this has done nothing to lesson my fascination with them. Today I think I struck gold over this rainbow

May 3. Day 124. It's a zoo out there

What perfect walking weather Brisbane woke up to this morning. There was a real crispness in the air that makes you know you are alive when you step out of the house but glad to be alive by the time you get home.
The suburbs were still snoozing when I headed out this morning and I decided not to take one of my more common routes straight to the river. Instead I walked the suburban streets and there were very few signs of  human life.
But the animals were up. Dogs rushed to the fences, the scrub turkeys were busy digging up gardens and at this house the whole zoo was on parade.
I love the fact that some little hands had carefully lined up a whole collection of plastic zoo animals on the letterbox outside a home.
In the garden bed below there were a number of dinosaurs dotted in the ground cover.
It's nice to see that in a world were fun so often equals a screen, kids can still find enjoyment in playing outside with a bucket full of plastic figures.

May 2. Day 123. Let there be light

It's hard to believe that when the Great Arbour was first installed at South Bank in 1999 it was criticised as being cold, sterile, stark and industrial.
Now the snake-like structure that weaves its way through the parklands is a thing of great beauty and a credit to the designers from Denton Corker Marshall.
The bougainvillea climbing 448 steel tendrils softens and shades what we thought was cold metal and its purple blooms provide a dramatic splash of colour.
South Bank is Brisbane city's playground and every every playground deserves a decent climbing frame, does it not?
Although it a thing of great beauty in its own right, the arbour was looking especially beautiful this morning all decked out with bright orange lanterns in readiness for Buddha's birthday party on the weekend.
Icing on the birthday cake really.

May 1. Day 122. Puppy love

I knew the dogs in our street before I knew the people.
Scout, for example, is a small dog with a very big attitude. She has to bark before she will come and say hello and when she does it will be a full-on jump on you type hello. Chloe, however, is a bit of a princess. The adorable tan ball of fluff, adorned with a pink diamante collar, proudly walks the street checking you out while pretending not to while her human Maria stops for a chat.
In case you haven't guessed I'm a dog person. In fact, I consider myself to be a dog owner who just happens not to have a dog at the moment.
It's been a while since Oscar went to the great dog kennel in the sky.
The head says DO NOT GET ANOTHER DOG. You are not home enough. You now live in a house with cream carpet. You know that you sneeze and wheeze less in a pet free house.
But the heart says but I would love a furry friend. I would love a companion on my daily walk even if we had to stop and sniff things and wee on posts (Note, I wouldn't sniff things or wee, nor would you need a pooper scooper for me). That unconditional devotion of a dog is precious.
For now I am listening to the head but every time a pooch such as this one I saw this morning jumps up on the fence and says hello the resolve weakens just a little.
It's puppy love,