winter hike

I've discovered one of the advantages to this cross country relationship thing - on Christmas, when everyone else is running around madly trying to see both sides of the family in a 48 hour period, we got a day off! Granted we missed seeing my family over the holidays (though I did celebrate with them last weekend before leaving Sydney!) but it meant boxing day we were free to do what we wanted. So off we went for a winter hike. I am all decked out in my new snow jacket and pants (gifts from Peter) and borrowed Steph's Sorels. (Peter did get me a pair of those too but we are going to double check the size before I wear them outside!). These snaps are taken on a Bruce Trail leg which runs through Hockely Valley, a ski resort about 10minutes drive from our home.

The Adams Family

Almost all of the Adams family - my sibs, Dad, cousins, Aunts and Uncles

ten of Granddad's thirteen Grandkids - the only two grandsons are Mark and Joel

Mark, Dad and Joel having coffee before the funeral

More Fond Farm Farewells

having coffee before the funeral - Emma, Kel W and Brooke

Brooke and Mark - now wearing clothes

moi, ready for farewells

the boys (Mark hidden on the left and Joel face on on the right) scrubbing up

Fond Farm Farewells

Where first Mum went to school...

Joel, Dad and Uncle Donald on the way up to first Mum's first home in Megan - confused much?!

Emma, Brooke and Kelly Wilko on the same hill!

My darling Granddad was diagnosed with cancer three weeks before I was due to hit Sydney for my Dec 08 trip. At first it didn't look that serious, but then as more tests were done it become increasingly so. After a couple of days in Sydney immediately after I got here (attending two different weddings - photos to come!), I, along with Brooke and Emma (in the same car) and Mark and Chloe (in convoy) headed up to the family farm in Dorrigo to see Granddad. We were able to spend a few days with him (Joel and Kelly headed up from Hawks Nest to join us) as a family which was great. Not that he wanted for visitors - at 80+ with two wives and healthy farm sized families there were plenty of visitors! Granddad passed away the day after we left to return to Sydney, quietly with family by his side.
We were in Dorrigo the following week for the funeral - here are some snaps from the country life. It was sad, he was an amazing man (until a week or so before he passed he was still running his large farm, driving the tractors and keeping tabs on his 200 head of beef cattle) and had provided a link to my first Mum, his eldest daughter, who passed away over 20 years ago. I didn't know this, but Granddad was a Mason and the final rites at his gravesite ended with “So Mote It Be”.

note the moon tan!! - next to Mum (who swears she hasn't shrunk!) more obvious on the legs here - with baby brother Mark