Lyn's thoughts..........

What a day-counting postal votes..........

Well I've had a great day working for the Victorian Electoral Commission today in Lilydale counting all the Postal Votes for the Chirnside Ward in the Upper Yarra Shire.

We started at 7:30am and finished at 5pm........it was an interesting Ward to count as we still didn't know the result after the First Preference Votes were counted.......so that meant we had to keep going and distribute more votes.......so into the 2nd preferences....and that's sometimes where things can change.......I love this sort of thing.......not really having an out-right winner until you distribute the second preferences.......so darn interesting!

Being the Scrapbooker I am I decided that I would ask if I could take some pics of the whole process during the day.....and to my surprise I was allowed to......so here are a few pics from today......I know some of my team members are going to be visiting my Blog soon to check this out....so "hi" to all of you........it was great working with you all today.......we did have a great time.......lots of laughs.....loads of fun!

1) Starting time was 7:30am and first thing we had to do was undo the sealed Ballot Boxes and put all envelopes through the "cutting machine" to have the flap cut from the envelopes. 

We had ten of us on our TEAM........so two of the guys were nominated to use the "cutting machine" and the rest of us started removing the "flap" from the "envelopes"....so this was our first task for the day!

We had nearly 10,000 votes to count......the biggest in the Shire......although I think Billanook Ward had a similar number and they were still distributing second preference votes when we left tonight.....to see who won you can check this link....Victorian Local Council Election Results ....   So this is an insight into our Australian Democracy System of Local Council Elections!    

                                                            

 

 

 

 

there are even "fishing gnomes" in the back garden

ok back to the garden outside our back door.....we have some new frogs swinging around out there.......compliments of Rod.......he,he....he use to hate garden gnomes but now he also gets pleasure out of arranging them throughout the garden.......so now we have a new "bird feeder standing girl" and of course we have to have a 'fishing gnome' and a "fish feature" which works from a Solar Pump.

Rod absolutely loves to relax by going fishing.......but not me....I'd rather be "crafting"....he,he.

We sell the Solar pumps at the Blue Lotus Watergarden ...in fact they have been very,very popular .......they are great for small gardens....and I love the sound of running water as we walk outside the back door.

FAMILY NEWS.........

** Tim is in Paris at the moment before heading back to LONDON for 2 nights.......and hopefully all will be safe to fly to Thailand next week.......I have spoken with him tonight and he will have to wait and see how things pan out over the next few days......with all the trouble over there at the moment.....and the Bangkok Airport closed.......hopefully he can go ahead with his planned 3 week holiday on Thailand before he heads home!

I nearly died when I saw the news this morning.......couldn't believe it!

Just want Tim home safe and sound! Thank goodness for "Skype"....I love this way of communicating.........so cheap....and I can have the hands free and the head phones on.......so good!

...and guess where Brian and Jess are now?

They have travelled from Darwin to Daly Waters and have scored themselves jobs working in the Daly Waters Pub.......OMG!

Brian rang from there tonight......so I had to check out this town myself to find out where it is....and this is what I found:

The Daly Waters Hotel
As early as 1893 a hotel, the Daly Waters Hotel, was built in the town. It is now one of the oldest buildings in the Northern Territory. The reason for the construction of the hotel was that Daly Waters was becoming an important stopover point for people travelling from the north to the south as well as for the drovers moving cattle across from the Kimberleys to Queensland. The modern pub, although little changed, is a tourist attraction. Every night there is a steak and barri (ie. Barramundi) barbeque and it boasts air–conditioned rooms.

Brian told me that there are heaps of Backpackers passing through this town and so they are going to stay there for awhile to earn some more money before they head off again!

Working and traveling Australia is what Brian and Jess have wanted to do for a few years now and they sure are doing just that!

FISKARS WAREHOUSE SALE!!! Check this out!

Family News and more garden pics

It's only 5 days until Tim leaves LONDON.........woohoo........he's heading home via Thailand......having 3 weeks holiday over there before he heads home on December 22nd.

Looking forward to seeing you Tim after being away working in LONDON for 2 years!

Mike played on a 20/20 cricket match last night......and they won......Woori Yallock defeated Yarra Junction.

Enid......sending positive health vibes your way.........hope you are coping ok with your radiotherapy! This rose Rod picked for you! So this is your ** cyber rose ** ENJOY!!

Don't think it would last in the mail to Sydney.....LOL! You are in our prayers and thought though each and everyday!

I'm looking forward to working at the  Lilydale Electoral Office this Saturday working once more as a Electoral Officer counting all the Postal Votes for the Yarra Ranges Area......this will be the 6 year that I have done this......I have done all the Federal,State and Local Council Elections since 2003.

It's such fun......meeting people from all walks of life.....and it satisfies my need to chat......LOL! Don't worry I have learnt that you count so many votes and then you have a chat.....he.he.....don't want to stuff up the counting.......if we do we have to stay back until it all adds up......so it pays to do it right the frst time......but I love it....last time in Lilydale we had about 50 of us....and 8 on each table.

I won't be able to pull a late nighter on Friday night though as I have to be there by 7:30am........yikes!!

Christmas Album........I have started to upload my Christmas projects into an Album on the sidebar.....I still have more to go......will do them over the next week.

more frogs and gnomes and Christine Re Warehouse Sale

....mmm....now for some frogs and more gnomes........and  Christine Re Warehouse Sale!

We all love a "SALE" RIGHT??

 

 

 

 

Outside the back door we have gnome village

ok.....so now we shall go for a tour outside our backdoor......and we see lots of garden gnomes hanging in baskets,hiding in between the plants.......and every now and again I find a new frog or gnome that Rod has added.......LOL!

Here's the first couple....Brian and Jess gave me a set of the seven dwarfs a few years ago for my birthday.......not too sure which dwarf  is which....  Can you tell them apart?                                                

It's raining! It's - a pouring in the Yarra Valley!!

.....and we need to clean out our spouting by the looks of it out my lounge room....window he,he! So nice to see the rain and it will certainly fill up everyone's tanks! (click on the pic for an enlarged view)

Don't think there will be any cricket played today in the Yarra Valley....it's flooding down!

I've been playing around with some photos today and printing off heaps ready to actually Scrap for ME!!

I've also got my creative fix for the day by playing around in Photoshop and changing this waterlily so that it's edges "glow"....bit of fun!

The frogs below are some of the NEW range of garden ornaments that we have this season at the Blue Lotus Watergarden .....now open from 10am -5:30pm.....Wed-Sun......or by appointment for groups/bus tours!

 

Looking from the inside -out -my Craft Room/Office

ok....now here is what I see when I am working at my desk and on the computer.......so you can see why I love working in this room which is really our lounge room but I've now taken it over for my Craft Room come Office.....LOL!

As you can see the lawn needs a good mow as we have had some rain the past week and we can't keep up with all the gardening.......I kinda like the little white daisies popping their heads up in the front lawn....it makes it seem like a good old country garden......and we love that! Might just have to mow it tomorrow whilst Rod is working at the WATERGARDEN.....LOL!

I love Springtime in the Garden

This week as I have needed to take a break from creating Christmas Cards/gifts I have been wandering around both inside and outside our home taking pics......just because.......

I'll give you all a little sneak peek into our home......firstly....looking out through the kitchen window....this is what one sees......we just love our garden and we have tried to make sure we can also see it from each room in the house by having lots of windows.....lots of light.....

Family News and Our Garden

Both Rod and I love gardening and love creating new bits and pics around our garden at both our Yarra Valley home and also in PAYNESVILLE.

We spend many,many hours outside enjoying our garden and I also love to bring the outside garden inside.......here are some of the lillies we picked this week in our hothouse....and they are now in our kitchen so that we can enjoy their beauty!

Brian and Jess are still in Darwin but not for much longer!

Tim leave London in 12 days to go to Thailand for 3 weeks before returning home for Christmas!

Mike has been working for Paul picking cabbages a few days a week now.

Rod is flat out at the Blue Lotus Watergarden now....we received another delivery late yesterday....ooh more outside plaques and Nursery items.......we now have Monday and Tuesday as our weekend until after Christmas...