Here in Sydney we have had the wettest start to April in many, many years. Umbrellas are out in full force and I’ve been going on-line trying to find myself a pair of colourful gumboots.
Yesterday started out sunny which was nice for a Sunday. Carl had a meeting at Sea Scouts that was to be followed by a family bar-be-cue. He took off in the car and I promised to be there with Alfie by the time the meeting finished. Only we had to walk. And as we left the house the clouds came over and it started to rain. AGAIN. And I’d promised the dogs a walk and an outing so we had the girls on their leashes and I had a big mummy-bag (has everything in it for any kind of situation/emergency) over my shoulder and then we had the golf umbrellas over our heads. And off we went.
The scout hall on the beach
Now Alfie just loves Sea Scouts and he is very motivated to gain badges for his uniform. One he is trying to gain is his Bronze Award and it has many components. One part of the award is to make a first aid kit. So Alfie made his very own first aid kit and we brought it with us in the mummy-bag. Alfie said, ‘I’ll be really happy if someone gets an injury’. And I think he meant that in the nicest possible way.
Alfie’s hand-made first aid kit. It even has a red cross!
Another part of the Bronze Award is to take an adult with you on a walk and explain to the adult how to cross roads safely. So as we set out on our walk, Alfie exhausted the subject of road safety. It was riveting.
On the way to the Scout Hall we passed by a traffic island that Alfie loves because there is a tree in the middle of the island that’s known as ‘Old Man’s Beard’ because of the long trails of hair like stuff that hangs from the foliage. As we had finished work-shopping the topic of road safety, he asked if we could cross over to the traffic island and see that beard up close. So with our two umbrellas and dog leashes all in a tangle, over we went to the island and there Alfie picked some beard to show everyone at Scouts. But being up close on that island I was able to see that some good citizen had turned the area into a vegetable garden with every imaginable herb, lots of spinach, a thriving chilli plant, rhubarb and shallots. I wondered how this system works. Can anyone just help themselves?
‘Old Man’s Beard’ with a community vegetable garden
We left it as is and hurried along to the scout hall that was built about a hundred years ago and is full of all those things that boys love like ropes and camping equipment and canoes and kayaks and little boats and tools and flammables and many places where you can get yourself an injury.
Two very wet dogs leaning over the balcony above the boat shed
When we arrived, can you believe the rain stopped, the sun came out and it turned into a lovely warm day. The bar-be-cue was set up on the sand and in the past, typically the lunch has consisted of a fairly ordinary sausage sandwiched between two slices of white bread. But this year’s organiser decided to make the event a little more upmarket and he provided an organic ratatouille he’d made plus many salads.
These don’t look very appetising but they were actually quite nice
Organic ratatouille
Alfie spent the day in a canoe and quite forgot to eat lunch and my two dogs sat under the bar-be-cue waiting for someone to slip with the tongs. And they didn’t leave hungry – five sausages ended up as dog food.
Does it look like I’m helping? Because I didn’t do anything to help.
We had a lovely family day out meeting new people and enjoying a beautiful Autumn day and I guess the only disappointment was that no one was injured. The first aid kit arrived back home without being used.
Everyone always likes to gather around a bar-be-cue
Dear Charlie,
Are you kidding? The sausage sizzle looks awesome! I love those black and burnt tasty bits, yes and I couldn’t care less about it being potentially carcinogenic too.
Sounds like a great mother and son day and the girls got sausages … winners all around. 🙂
All very similar to the kind of days we have at our local yacht club. Very enjoyable and very Australian. As for the begie patch. Suspect in order to use the produce you need to do some work first. But maybe not. it may be just a simple act of community, where you can help yourself. Definitely worth investigating.
Carolyn
I’ve heard from other bloggers that it’s been quite wet and gloomy in Sydney lately 🙁 But glad you still had a great day out and awwww I love that hand made first aid kit from Alfie he’s a gem! xox
I loved all your photographs… Seems that it was a great day. Thanks and Love, nia
What a great family day out Charlie! Poor Alfie, if he doesn’t get a patient soon he might turn to the local wildlife- I hope some one warns all the lorikeets 🙂 I do love the idea of the productive traffic island, I hope you find out who tends it and maybe you can snaffle a few chillies xox
We are having the hottest April on record (sigh!). Poor Alfie not getting any injured people to fix, but it looks like a lovely day out and perhaps it is for the best that no injuries turned up on this occasion.
Also – thanks so very much for being so kind about my unhelpful commenting situation at the moment! I have just got a facebook page up and have liked you through that and found you on twitter 🙂
That is a totally rad sausage sizzle! Love how the doggies got to snag some as well hehe
How awesome is Alfie…so resourceful with that first aid kit!
Cheers to the effort and the sausages!
Transport me right into that scene, will you? This Minnesota winter is getting really long. I’d even fake an injury for Alfie. That is the most adorable first aid kit ever, BTW.
We’ve had a super wet winter into spring here so far. It rains every week. Great for flowers and gardens but it’s time for some sunshine! What a fun event at the Sea Scouts. Love Alfie’s little first aid kit…I don’t know whether to be happy or sorry that he couldn’t use it!
I can’t wait until it’s warmer so we can have days like this! Barbecues with good food and good people are always a good thing!
What a lovely charming house near the bay/beach WITH a gorgeous view!! Sorry about the rain, but it looks like the food and gathering was nice! And the fast-aid kit is so cute, and I love the handmade sign. 😀
Sounds like a great day out!! We have actually been having a lot of sunshine here in NY lately which is unusual for April…
Oh, how I love your pups! So glad they got some treats. And your stories are so entertaining…maybe even more riveting than a lesson on crossing the road 😉 Happy Monday (nope, bet it’s Tuesday where you are), my friend~
I just have to hold on a little longer, just a little longer, and I’ll be able to take photos outside in a t-shirt like you.
I may even try to find an adult to explain crosswalk rules to.
xo
I love Alfie’s homemade fir aid kit – I give him an extra badge and an A+.
🙂 Mandy xo
Nice family outing. Loved the pics of Alfie’s first aid kit and the girls peering over the edge as well. And you “helping,” of course! And I envy the rain–we are in the dry season and everything is getting crispy.
It really doesn’t look like you helped lol, but you look so stylish doing nothing and that’s always a great thing :). I LOVE all the food and the atmosphere. It looks like an amazing time. I can’t wait till we can BBQ here.. still cold even though its spring
That sounds like an absolutely wonderful day even without having to try out the hand-made custom first aid kit. Did Alfie get his badge? Are these scouts the same as boy scouts? It must be awesome to be around such an enthusiastic kid, not yet jaded by life!
Yes, you do look like your helping out at that BBQ. I’m hoping the weather will start warming up, it’s been so slow in coming this year.
Ha, I remember doing the first aid kit in Girl Guides. People would cover themselves in fake blood and come running in saying Oh my I’ve injured myself can anyone do first aid?
I absolutely loved your thoughts on road safety according to Alfie …”riveting”
What a fantastic photo of the two of you. 🙂 That’s a magnificent photo with the city in the background. We had a sausage bbq at a local park yesterday and we were fine until we got to dessert. The clouds opened up and we dashed for the shelter (protecting the cake all the while).
The first aid kit is really cute. It will come in handy!
Love the photo of all the boys gathered around the bbq!
I was thinking those sausages looked pretty good until you said they didn’t.
What a wonderful idea to have a little vege patch in the middle of the street. I wonder who maintains it?
There’s nothing quite like a barbecued sausage is there? I used to ask hubby to bring one home for me after his sailing events but he said that it would have been too embarrassing. Fair point 😛
What a lovely day – all elements catered for. How I miss those family days. Shame about the first aid kit though – still there is always next time!
You do have the most fun times!
I have been hearing lately about what is called guerrilla gardening, where an ordinary citizen turns a piece of unused public land into a vegetable garden. Sounds like a good idea but yes, who does the produce belong to?
Such a great family outing. Love the photo of the 2 dogs, great shot. You have the most amazing kids.
What a cute first aid kit!
We’re still weeks, at least, from attending barbecues lakeside, so, thanks for taking us along to yours. Judging by the photos, it looks like you enjoyed yourselves. I know “the girls” certainly did. What rotten luck, though, that Alfie didn’t get a chance to use his First Aid kit. Better luck next time. 🙂
Loved this post Charlie – and the photo of ‘the girls’. Let us know if you get to the bottom of who gets to share the guerrilla garden produce!
I’m not a big sausage fan, but the ones on your barbecue look fantastic. And that beautiful sky looks amazing. It seems a good day was had by all.
Sounds like a great day was had by all…well, maybe not Alfie since he didn’t get to use his first aid kit. Maybe next time someone will oblige him.
Nice to see y’all are enjoying barbecues…we’re having a blizzard today.
Nazneen
LOL, You are like, “It was riveting.” I imagine it was VERY riveting. It looks like a very good time was had by all. We are jumping into spring here in the US and it’s very wet here! In fact, we are to get some storms here in a bit. I love thunderstorms! That island thingy reminds me of this island in the middle of a lake on the way to a nearby town that my daughter loves and has claimed as ‘her own’…Ahahaha, kids! Be back soon. Take Care..xoxo
Charlie, I thought the sausages looked great! It’s been raining here, too, with more on the way and I’ve been missing that bar-be-cue flavor. Such a pretty spot for your outing — (whether you helped or not, tee hee) — which would classify you as pretty scenery. 🙂 Alfie’s Red Cross embellishment on his first aid kit was a professional touch!
Oh you are making me long for warmer days! And those pictures of those sausages made me way too hungry. Thank you for sharing! I’m glad to be back home after a week of traveling…and finally catching up on my favorite blogs. I hope you have a blessed week!
Alfie’s comment about hoping for injuries is just adorable! How cute is that! I guess we now know where all our rain went…we are starting spring in dire straits. The whole world has seemingly lost balance. But your day sounds lovely. I’m not surprised you prioritized the dogs, too, and took them out for a weekend jaunt. Sounds like they were amply rewarded. Yum! Great photos, Charlie!, and my kind of day!
Better luck with the first aid kit next time. Looks like a lovely, lovely way to spend a sunny Sydney day. We’ve JUST bought a proper first aid kit, after a friend’s came in very handy on Easter Sunday. I thought we might need a doctor and was horrified at the thought of trying to find one down the South Coast on Easter Sunday, so was SO grateful our friends had a proper first aid kit. Now we do too, bought from the Red Cross. If only we’d known to ask to ask for Alfie.
What a fun day! With my luck, the sun is shining on the drive there, then it starts pouring once we get there. Your pictures are great and it looks like y’all had a great time!
I do so miss those days.. it was always fun, sort of like reliving my childhood through my kids:) Alfie’s adorable, his kit was so cute, but I’m sure glad he didn’t have to use it! Glad the sun came out for your barbecue too! I hope you get less rain and we get less snow and more rain instead:D
The sausage looks suuper appetizing to me! Love the round up!
Do you have to take a test on road safety to prove you absorbed Alfie’s lesson? 😉 Sounds like a fun time! And I’m glad the dogs (totally cute, BTW) got something to eat. Fun post – thanks.
Hi Charlie, lovely outing. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures, very nice scenery. Those sausage look superb good, never mind the outlook. 🙂
Best regards.
What a wonderful day! I love how absorbed Alfie is with the world around him! And I always forget how tall your Carl is, Charlie – you tower over me, and Carl towers over you! 🙂
Oh it looks so nice down on the bay. I love Alfies first aid kit, so cute… what a shame there wasn’t an accident so he could use it 😉
Good for Alfie! I used to be in the scouts… well, no… the cub-scouts. I got the grand total of one badge, and I think they gave it to me out of pity because I kind of scraped my way through whatever the heck it was I was supposed to do to earn it :p
Those sausages look fantastic… I could do with some of those beauties right now! Looks like a great day in the end – gorgeous blue sky 🙂
Sausage looks great to me, so good! Nice photos!
Poor Alfie, maybe next time someone will get injured for him to patch up:) Looks like a wonderful family day!
It sounds like a nice day all around…especially once the sun came out.
Thanks for sharing your lovely pics with us! The food & the sausages look amazing!
Sun makes everything feel better. The sausages tasted better, the view is better and the campers are happy. Very awesome first aid kit with the handmade sign. I hope he got his badge and glad he did not have to use it.
I like it how the first aid sign on the first aid box is held together with what looks like are band aids:) Hehe.
Nope those sausages look good to me!!! 🙂