Out and about

I love a sleep in, but there was no time for one this morning as we had promised my niece we'd see her swimming class at 8:30am on the other side of town. It was freezing (ok 3C) when we left the house but a promise is a promise and she is way too cute to let down. The kids all had a swim until about 10am... Thank goodness for heated pool water, only after a bribe of a post-shower lollipop did they finally get out.

Afterwards we all jumped back in the car for a day out to Mundaring Weir.

This is one of the typical bush tracks leading to a bbq campsite in the park. See the swing arm with the hook for the billy pot and the flat plate for cooking. These pics are from a google search, sorry I forgot the actual links.

We found a little campsite with a concrete barbeque pit, the type with a movable iron plate and billy tea can hook, and set about gathering kindling and assorted  dead wood for a little fire. Once Wesley (my 8 yo) lit his first ever fire in the pit we got onto cooking some sausages and onions for our no fuss impromptu hot dog barbie. (No way we could light a fire like this in the summer.) We were all starving... something to to with the cool weather and fresh air (mind you the 2 hours of swimming might have helped too). When there were just coals left the kids toasted marshmallows on sticks. We stayed until the coals were cold and then packed up and came home. What a great family day out. Next time we'll plan the day and take billy tea* and damper**.

Here is a pic of the weir. Much of our city's drinking water comes from here. Pic from WA watercorp website.

No stitching this weekend, but hopefully there will be lots this week as I'm minding my 92yo Step Nana for a few days... I'm pretty sure she wont want to go out rollerblading....

* Billy tea is just tea cooked on a fire pit in a big lidded can with a hook. It is usually suspended over the fire by some green wood sticks or (if your fancy) an iron A frame set with a pole between.

** Damper is an old stockman's/ bushman's bread cooked in the coals of a fire. See the link for a recipe and picture. If you want to fancy it up you can with herbs or cheese etc... but then if you want to be fancy why head into the Aussie bushland? LOL

PS Happy 4th of July to all my American readers. Hot it's not too hot/dry for fireworks.  Set off a cracker or two for me... they are illegal here!