Well, got home this morning - left at 0630 on the Sunshine Coast Friday, arrived Canberra at 0014 today (Saturday). Only animal encountered was a rabbit running across the road - the kangaroo scare whistles continue to work a charm! Stopped in Coonabarabran for Fish and Chips, driving toward the storm (some magnificent lightning). The absolute LACK of traffic all the way from Toowoomba to Canberra along the Newell Highway was astonishing. I overtook 2 cars the entire trip, didn't even get stuck behind a single truck in the Never Ending Forest (Pilliga
) and generally just had an enjoyable, event-less journey.
Our new diesel fuelled car proved yet again it runs on an oily rag, requiring one $27 top up in Dubbo just for my peace of mind (I could have actually made it home on the original tank fill in QLD and still had 9km left
).
My Bunnings gift card that my wife online-ordered for me for Xmas was waiting in the mail (she works 0830 to 1900, so doesn't get the chance to shop). Now to spend it on fancy schmancy wallpaper panels for her
- I think it was arranged this way deliberately
Grandma continues without deterioration to the point the doctor removed the nasal feeding tube and said she can go home if she prefers (she said no). Now the prognosis is anything up to 2 months (and she is only on palliative care).
Oh, and to keep it astronomy-related, the seeing in QLD was the best I had EVER seen - New Years eve, albeit a little cloudy, showed remarkably steady skies. I was itching to find a telescope somewhere! the skies at my dark site on the family farm in Moonford were just jaw dropping.