This is it, the holiday blog. We've been home three days and already the holiday feeling is disappearing and real life is taking the shine off of all those lovely memories. I am wearing a bracelet my grand daughter made 'specially for you Granma' and hoping that will keep them in my remembrance.

Ray and I both enjoyed the holiday, it wasn't so hard to shower him this time as I worked out another way of handling the shower so it was quicker and easier. Not less messy..lol.. as one day I threw some warm water over him and it bounced back off his chest and I was soaked. So I learned I've got to watch the angle and pour it gently not splish!splash!

The weather was 8 to 10 degrees warmer on average there than here but some days were overcast or windy and it was cooler then. But on the whole we spent plenty of time out of doors. We had a good deal of fun with the kids the last four days of their winter school holidays, a walk to the park, some games in the back yard, the usual colouring in with the five year old Naomi and appropriate games with the nine year old Christopher. Ray seems to pay them little attention but I think their parents had talked about that and they were okay as long as Granma was playing.

Some of the highlights of the trip were: the first Friday we had a really full day out as we drove to the Daintree Rainforest area and went to the Discovery Park where there are abundant examples of the rainforest plants and interactive displays that show you animal habitats etc. There was a five story tower to climb to give that feeling of being in the canopy and lots of bush walks so Craig pushed Ray in the wheelchair and we got to experience the rain forest that way.

The Cairns Show was on the second week so Shirley was busy ferrying her crew who collect money for their welfare charity budget at the gates, three hour shifts and mostly older ladies so she was very busy plus doing a couple of shifts herself. But on the Friday they took us to the Show and we had a great day out. I think Ray most enjoyed his hot beef and gravy roll for lunch and scones with jam and cream for afternoon tea. He watched the kids go on rides and stayed with Craig while I got to go on the ferris wheel, I did say "no" to the Dodge'em cars though, too many teenagers enjoying that one.

On the Saturday we went to see over the naval vessels on HMAS Cairns base for the Open Day. There was unfortunately too little shade to put Ray in so rather than see him toasted in the sun we saw over two of the ships and then went in to get some lunch. It was staffed by volunteers from the Comforts Club and set up right by the water and cheap as chips so we all enjoyed that too. The kids ate loads as it was "junk food" like fries and tender strips of chicken and not a green vegetable in sight..lol... and we grown-ups were really ready for a cup of coffee to wash it all down.

Both Sundays we went to their church services and enjoyed the difference between what they do and what we do in our more traditional service we regularly attend. There are a lot of Islanders there and the singing and harmony are really great. And some very enthusiastic teenage boys who love the drum set so pretty noisy too. And the morning tea to follow is a good time of fellowship for all. I liked the children's sermon my daughter gave, I think a lot of people get more out of those simple stories than the heavier sermon later in the service.

On of the interesting things to come out of our visit to the Cairns Show was meeting a lady called Laurel who was on the Alzheimers Association's table. I stopped to look at the pamphlets and started talking to Laurel. She said her mother had recently gone into care, I told her my Mum had been in care for eight years and told her where. She looked at me and said: "I think that is where my mum is going too." It seemed unlikely but when I walked in to see Mum in her new "home" called Jasmine Court the person sitting opposite her was Laurel's mother. It is a small world indeed.

I went in to see Mum today as I usually do on Fridays. She was transferred on Monday to another section of the nursing home to an area where people have both dementia and other affecting illnesses. It is a nice, bright area with two people to a room and they are up and dressed and walk around as they please all day long. She and about ten others had gone on a two hour bus trip so I went back later and just in time to see her walk in, not quite as confidently as formerly but definitely walking well. Thank you to all those who prayed for her recovery, our prayer have been answered.

We finished our time in Cairns on Tuesday morning with morning tea at a cafe near a lovely stretch of tropical coastline. It really is spectacularly beautiful with its aqua water and silvery sands. We were at a table overlooking the beach so we could appreciate the beauty of the area and feel the joy of being with those we love so much.