Up tempo

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S 8. Two brush stone curlew on vacant lot in the DAY unusual. Back to babinda where veg stand had tree with huge brown reproduction happening. Innisfail for the free Triple J drugs-free concert. The fairest day in Gaia's firmament. The band tuned up. All quiet 13:30. Vocals and bass notes. A tent and a table and you're in it. Bob's your uncle. Carpets, an instant fence pounded stake sound. Music intending, crowd foretold. BAND MERCH HERE sign says it all. Yet the whole event volunteers donating to charity. Along with faith and hope seems to be a good rule of thumb. Hot dogs and hormones, the anticipation was greater than the reality, I got bored and left. Sunset shining shower stop south of town. On to Tully for $8 lamb mash veg. You still get the triangular plain white and marg bread. NQ Cowboy crowd. Wandered. Old crinkly classic aussie photos on the walls of the backpackers.
S 9. Arising south of Tully on the sugarcane plain. Boiled potatos in Cardwell. Sticker frenzy for brekky. Everyone wanted one. On the pier and on the land. Coconuts from marina. Walked docks. Burgee and others. Seriously going off. Rampant enthusiasm. Slid south. Lunch atherton spud, tinned red-sauce herring, and soooo sweet coconut milk. Shell cracked in opening, lost half of the juice. Still have four. Townsville. Encounter with Mas (Massimo), who went dotty on flag, at lookout over bay seeing racing off Magnetic, I ended parked up on the southside of the port in front of the Metropole Hotel. Roos being thrashed by Geelong. Eagles to play Collingwood next week.
S 10. Early sweet coconut milk. Got it all. To ferry to Maggie where I'm thinking to meet boat. Jamie, captaining, and boys are ON the ferry so I'm in the race. Spruiked sparse island scene to great effect. Two burgees, a handwaver and some stickers, one on car on island. Jamie had me lash large flag on pole to stern rail! Around Maggie in light air, we stayed dry! Hugged boulder strewn shore in work along north side. Beer and back in time for tea in Townsville.
S 11. Ferry to island for race delayed til breeze strengthened. Movie making bloke gave me camera to tape on board action. Worldwide
distribution. Flag included in shots. We got second overall. First year of Magnetic Island Race Week. MIRW.
S 12. Pheasant coucal large bird and tail distinctive deep sound. One large flag to guy who got sticker at Hamo last year. Burgee to bloke with river cat in Parramatta. Castle hill clear sunshine. Pheasant sound at sunset Melton rock.
S 13. From my morning perch on Melton Hill wind patterns on the bay. A bat hangs dead in the powerlines. Very mellow day. Burgee went out. Weather xlnt. Spoke to Austrian and my deutsch sounded good. Ever more support. Eagles, pies tomorrow night. Sorted out life, the universe and everything on west side of Castle Hill. Then in library read Sci Am the world rapidly going from starvation to obesity. Who would have dreamed? 70% mexicans are overweight or obese!!! The malthusian pessimists repeatedly wrong. Still the people of Gazantanamo now being reduced to nothing. Total blockade and regular incursions to exterminate opposition. The Warsaw ghetto revisited. Role reversal for the jews and endless suffering for the people of Palestine. Looks like I'm going to Cairo. Moral imperative requires an act of solidarity with the suffering.

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