Nighttime Hyperlapse Demo

I have just uploaded a new video to YouTube. Nighttime Hyperlapse Demo: This is my first attempt at hyperlapse. Used a dolly I made this weekend.

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Gone Fishing

Last weekend we joined a local fellow with a boat and went out on the reef to fish. We tried trolling for spanish mackerel, hand reels and he had a spear gun. Last time I was fishing was Lake Newell, Alberta, and my Grandpa was still alive, making it mid 1980's. We didn't catch anything worth keeping on the reels, but our friend speared 2 large crayfish, and a few other yummies which we barbecued on the beach the next day.

Crayfish are Awesome

The Torres Strait is a great place to live if you enjoy fresh seafood. We are just coming to the end of crayfish season here. We (my housemate and I, Rob is living in Mackay still)  have bought local crayfish and had amazing pasta dinners. Bernie's KaiKai Bar (the local bakery) makes crayfish pies which are scrumptious. Tonight I even got us a crayfish pizza for supper. YUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

Lunar Eclipse

Last night was the last lunar eclipse of the year.  For Australians it was in the early evening.  For those in North America it was a stupid o'clock in the morning.  I was able to get a few pictures that are online at here.

Emerald Trip

Last weekend (27-28 Sept) I took a little motorcycle trip out west. I tried to take the back roads as much as possible.  I went through Sarina, Dysart, Copella, Rubyvale, Sapphire and Emerald.  It was a lot of fun.  I saw a couple kangaroos and an emu with six chicks.  While in Emerald I was able to meet up with my friend Emily who was doing a rotation in Emerald Hospital.  Here are a few pictures of the trip.

More pictures at: http://www.eh-team.net/photos/2014/index.html

More pictures at: http://www.eh-team.net/photos/2014/index.html

Working in Paradise- TI

As many of you know, I've been posted to Thursday Island. It's part of a program that endeavors to expose junior doctors to GP practice in rural and remote places, in the hopes that some of them stick in the long run. The program is being axed in 2015 (Thanks Tony Abbott). So I am very fortunate to get in under the wire and experience this place. Thursday Island qualifies as remote. It is in the Torres Strait, which is between the northernmost tip of Queensland and Papau New Guinea. The nearest Tertiary centre is Cairns Base Hospital, nearly 800km away.

The hospital has 38 beds, and TI itself has a population around 2500 on an island 3.5 km2. However, the service area is spread over 22 islands, with a population of 25000 and an area of 35,000 square km. As such the TI hospital has 2 resuss bays, an operating theatre, and a full compliment of Allied health. The Primary Health Care Centre was opened 1997. I have the opportunity to work at both facilities in alternating weeks. I also go to outreach clinics on the other islands, which are reached via helicopter.
It's been challenging (when I'm on call over night, I cover the entire Strait myself!) but good experience with good people. I was unfortunate enough to catch Influenza A from a patient in my first week, depite having the flu shot in March (new hospital, new bugs). Fortunately a local kitty came by to cheer me up. He doesn't live at this house, he just thinks he does.

 

Heaping luck upon luck, there was a cultural festival in September which only happens every 2 years. Fantastic dancing, storytelling and art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 Photos

Finally got some photos uploaded from this year.  They are at "http://www.eh-team.net/photos/2014/index.html"

Palmyra Drag Race

I have just uploaded a new video to YouTube. Palmyra Drag Race: I decided to take my bike out to the drag races just to see how fast it was. My best time in the quarter mile (400m) in 14.461 seconds at 92.35mph (148km/h).

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Cherry jam!

Cherries are in season and thus on sale for approximately 5 minutes in the year in Queensland. I was fortunate enough to be at the grocery store during this time, and so grabbed as big of a bag as possible.  They are so good fresh, but I also made some cherry-berry jam tonight.

3 cups fruit
3 cups sugar
1tbsp of lemon or lime juice
1 pkg of pectin

Combine and heat until boiling vigorously for 5-10 minutes. Ladle into prepared jars. Process for 10 minutes.

One of the best sounds in the world is your jam jar lid popping down due to the right vacuum seal. If not heard, process again, or put the jam straight into the fridge and eat within a few weeks.
Yum.

Interestingly,  this would not qualify as jam by Canadian law, as it is only 50% sugar, and a minimum of 60% is required for that label. Otherwise it is labelled "fruit spread". 

New digs

We are moving the end of June. It is a brand new house (we will be the first renters). It is in the suburb of Blacks Beach.

Property Photos

Big Load

I have just uploaded a new video to YouTube. Big Load: Met this truck while driving back from Coppabella today.
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McGuyver'd Puffed Wheat Squares

Sometimes recreating the tastes of the "Old Country" is difficult due to the materials just not existing here. Prime examples are Jet-puffed style marshmallows (the marshmallows in Australia don't make Rice Krispie squares at all. Just a marshmallow lump. Blech.), canned pumpkin pie filling and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese. We were fortunate to stumble onto OCanada.com.au and thus have (expensive) access to some of our faves for a treat. The other day we ran into A&W rootbeer at the local IGA and bought every can on the shelf.
We are doubly fortunate to have my parents send me care packages of Tim Hortons coffee (my weakness) CoffeeCrisp and Twizzlers. Rob's mom also sends regular Twizzlers (Rob's weakness)!

Then there is innovation where you are. I love Asian grocery stores. I recently checked out the one on Victoria street- and they had PUFFED WHEAT, labelled as "Korean cookies". So I had to make puffed wheat squares.  The corn syrup was sourced from an Asian/Italian grocery (Right next to an Indian grocery- I adore that mix!) on Shakespeare St. here in Mackay.
 Et Voila! Puffed wheat squares. Om nomnomnom.

Recipe:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup of corn syrup
3 tbsp cocoa powder (more dependent on your taste)
1 tbsp vanilla
mix in the bottom of a large-ish pot. Bring to a good rolling boil.
remove from heat
add 5 ish cups of puffed wheat and toss to coat. Press into an 8"x8" pan (use baking paper to line ahead of time). Let cool. slice and eat! YUM.

Pimp My Ride - Bradshaw Edition

 The last few weeks Barb & I have been modifying Nigel, our 2003 Toyota Echo.  Mechanically it is in fine shape, but the Aussie sun has not been kind to it.  The paint on the roof is peeling quite badly and the damage is extending to the hood and other parts of the car.  Instead of painting we decided to do a vinyl wrap.  Our website has the full story.