Jack decided we should take a little sight seeing trip around the place today and got everything planned and in the maps.

Taking us off the main highways we are heading for our first stop at Natural Arch Cafe.

Passing through Advancetown and onto Natural Bridge, in south-east Queensland. It’s name is taken from the natural rock arch (and home to one of the largest glow worm colonies in Australia) in Springbrook National Park and other parts of this natural wonder extending into Lamington National Park to the west.

Missed the photo from the winding road with a view back to the Gold Coast skyline.

We are lacking in correct footwear for walking any distance today but did a brief recon to the Natural Arch cave and will be back out of school holidays to see this.

The Cafe unfortunately was not open, they are renovating and so we missed out on our first stop for Devonshire tea.

So now we continue to Chillingham, through winding roads, mist covered hills and valleys. this now takes us into New South Wales and the Tweed Valley.

Chillingham is a tiny little town with the school having opened in 1904, Post Office in 1923, although the Telegraph office had been open since 1913.

On through Crystal Creek, there is a beautiful rainforest retreat here. https://www.ccrr.com.au/

Driving through the cane fields we can smell the mill ahead. Wasn’t a very ‘while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads’ kinda moment but the mill for Sunshine Sugar operating as usual.

Oooooo Husk Distillers! We are definitely coming back here and will have to bring others with us. What a treat!

Definitely should have booked ahead but took a casual seat in the cane chairs and ordered a Husk Paddle.

Sipping on Husk Pure Cane, Husk Bam Bam and Husk Botanic was a great pre lunch experience.

We made a couple purchases, checked out facilities and headed to the next stop.

Our lunch stop today is Tumbulgum Tavern on the very edge of the Murwillumbah River. For now it’s beer, bruschetta and seafood!

So much rain and flooding of recent but it’s hard to tell where it had been. We asked the waitress and where Jack is showing us, is the height it came to! Take that plus the extra 4 ft off the verandah to the street and then whatever the drop is to the River level. They lost everything from fridges, poker machines, ovens, food stock. One of the reasons why we came to support this region. They had it up and running again in two weeks!!

Omg! What a feast! We are about to explode!

Now we are winding our way round across the opposite side of the river, through more rainforest, back into suburbia and Queensland, on to Burleigh Barrels Brewery.

Great view back to the ‘twin towns’ from up on the hill.

A quick stop to a very busy Burleigh Barrels for a beer paddle of Tower 18 Lager, Pandanus Pale Ale, Last Wave Amber Ale and a Headland Hazy IPA. Jack’s pick was Tower 18 and I have to say I enjoyed the IPA the most out of all of them.

Well, roll me on home, I’m full as a tick!

A great day out with the man. Happy Easter!

Kat xo

Patsy Cline, one of country and westerns beloved singers. She had a very successful career during a short 8 year period.

Patsy first performed as a 15 year old on her local radio station. Over the next few years she performed and her local performances caught the eye for appearances on television with Connie B Gay’s, Town and Country.

Her first major hit which I’m sure many of us know, was ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’.

She moved to Nashville, Tennessee to further her career in 1958. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, changed record labels and went on to produce other hits such as ‘I Fall To Pieces’ and ‘Crazy’.

A plane crash saw her career and life end way to soon at the age of just 30. As an influential performer of the 20th century, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, has been portrayed in films and her music still lives on to this day.

Now we have the back story, let’s get to the craftier side of this blog and the gorgeous outfits that Patsy used to wear.

Did you know Patsy Cline’s costumes were said to have rivaled those by Nudie Cohen?!

Hilda Hensley, Patsy’s mother, handmade the designs Patsy came up with. After Patsy’s death, she loaned the costumes out to the Grand Ole Opry and were on display for many years.

Dang, don’t recall any there on our visit in 2014!!

ANYWAY! I got a request for info from my favourite B-Western cowgirl, the one and only, Lil Magill! Could I produce two of Patsy’s outfits for her. Ohhhh yes, yes, yes!!

So true to our usual preparation, Lil sent me the ‘paint chips’ from Texas, USA to Queensland, AUS so I could begin the hunt for said fabric.

This was where my research began! So the first outfit was to be orange, more a burnt orange, usual fringing, bling, snaps and style! This one was to be similar in keeping with wagon wheels and steer heads.

Now research told me that the original outfit was in fact red and the fringing was actual leather. We’ve done that before with the Annie Oakley outfit so we went with the normal chain fringe.

Patsy’s outfit.

And Lil’s version.

Now I must add in here that from what I had read from the Christie’s auction site and other Patsy and Hilda information I found out that Hilda had done the appliqué in felt. So felt it had to be!!

Now just this evening as I write this blog, further information has told me that the next outfit was in fact Royal Blue in colour. One of Patsy’s most favored outfits worn, it had faded over time.

Lil wanted the next one in purple and whilst the colour match wasn’t as good as I would have liked it now seems fitting that it is slightly off!

The ‘Star of Texas’ I shall call this one, is as best I could work out from Patsy’s blue star version.

I am without a picture of Patsy wearing this one.

Here’s our creation.

They’ve arrived safely in the US a few weeks ago now. So if you’re heading to the Texas State Championships soon, then keep your eyes peeled because Lil Magill is sure to be adding the accoutrements, boots and special hats to make these stand out in the crowd!!

Thanks again Lil for allowing me to be part of this process! Loved every minute of the research and production once again.

Kat xo

A great match with The Gamblers, some very exciting news with Little Shot getting her first ‘Clean Match’ and TrailRider also getting his first ‘Clean Match’. Woo boo! Way to go cowgirl and cowboy!!

Was a great day, a few more of us got clean as well 😉 so will be interesting to see results.

The weather stayed kind for the most part, with just the odd little shower that didn’t ruffle our feathers – or make the tables too wet for staging.

6 stages done with 2 derringer stages at the end, thankful for the use of Mad Dog Tannen and Prairie Joy’s – that was a whole heap of fun. Look forward to bringing mine soon.

Beers and cheers at the end!

See you on the trail.

Kat xo

And heeeerrre weeee go!

With the addition of the next shelf to the bar it was now time to put the bottles we’ve collected up on the shelf.

Let’s start from the left.

Caracara Brewing Company – Lockhart, Texas

Located in the barbecue capital of Texas, Jack and I were first introduced to this fabulous establishment by Artie Fly and Sexie Sadie when attending Battle of Plum Creek, 2018.

This can is Caracara’s version of a ‘growler’ a 32oz can of your choice of beer, capped and sealed right there in the pub/brewery. What a fabulous experience and great barbecue from Blacks Barbecue with Artie, Sadie and son Matt.

Four Roses Bourbon – Bardstown, Kentucky

Yep, well Jack and I happened across this place in August 2016 on our way back through from Guns of August in Ohio.

Ahhhh many a memory in this place!!

Four Roses Bourbon has been around since 1888. We got a cheap, personal tour, tasting and enjoyed finding out about the whole process and where they export to.

We enjoyed the regular Four Roses Bourbon more so than the Single Barrel version of the bottle we kept but can’t complain about the experience!!

The significance of the Roses? Was so named after the owners meeting of a southern Belle he then married who showed up to a ball with four Roses in her corsage. Awwww ain’t love grand. See all things lead to love and alcohol! Lol!

Oh and we have our Four Roses Bourbon bar mat installed at the Buckle Saloon!!

El Burro and Broke Ass wines – well these just appealed to our sense of humor at the time and we just had to have them! Fabulous reds.

Cattlemen’s, Double Deuce Beer – historic Oklahoma Stockyards

We’ve been here with many a cowboy, we were first introduced to this establishment by Flat Top Okie and Missouri Mae, we since then had been with Constable Nelson and Rooster Cogburn, Wild Horse John and Saginaw Sue and ourselves on other occasions.

Great spot to buy cowboy gear, have lunch and then roll out to home.

The Cattlemen’s itself was won bought and sold in a game of craps, in short. So became the name and significance behind the beer and the brand. Cattlemen’s have the best steaks and sides you’ve ever tasted, located right next to the cattle stockyards, it has been visited by many since the early 1920’s.

The white ceramic bottle with blue insignia – Netherlands

This cute little bottle came supplied with Dutch Bear and Justice Ann’s own ‘Koffielikeur’ (coffee liqueur).

Sensational drop! And love the international injection to our collection.

Land Run Winery – El Reno, Oklahoma

This collection is only 4 of the great productions by the Kappus family. This winery was established with the purchase of 447 acres of land west of Oklahoma City back in 1918. Wine was starting to be produced in the 1930’s.

We have 4 of the collection depicting Wild Turkey – we used to see these occasionally running around the range scrub. It’s a Moscato.

The Scissortail Flycatcher is a Pineapple Pear which I think may have been tasted by Pearl Starr with me at EOT World Championships one particular year. The Scissortail Flycatcher is the Oklahoma state bird.

The Indian Blanket is Oklahoma’s state native flower and is a Riesling.

Finally the American Bison is a Merlot of course depicting the once prevalent mammals that roamed the Great Plains of Oklahoma prior to the land run in 1889.

And there are another beautiful 13 varieties we hadn’t tried.

What do we have next? Oh yeah, one of our most favourite beers Franziskaner Weissbier – one of the best German wheat beers ever! we’ve definitely experienced that one in Germany!!

Big Texan Steakhouse and Brewery – Amarillo, Texas

A growler of El Hefeweis – we had tried it in a beer flight with one of the best steaks around. Of course we got ridiculous photo opp’s with the oversized rocking chair out back! 🤣

Bundaberg Royal Liquer – Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

This bottle has been from Australia to the USA and back again still intact.

It went over to USA full, after Jack and I spent a visit with an old friend of mine that took us to the Bundaberg distillery in December 2015.

Bundaberg Rum also started in around 1888. Hmmm I see a pattern occurring here, seems all good liquors may have been formed in one shape or another in the late 1800’s!!

We now move onto the 3rd last bottle on the shelf – Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Spirit Whiskey.

Rebecca Creek Distillery – San Antonio, Texas

One of the finest Single Malt Whiskeys you could ever try.

Thanks to our good friends Hawkshaw Fred and Annie Devine for this one.

Rebecca Creek started around 2009, and has won lots of medals since. They are producing some spectacular drops.

Early January 2015 was when we first experienced this Whiskey with Hawkshaw Fred’s whiskey notes seminar at the Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas at SASS Convention.

Ahhhh one of our ultimate favorites!! Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.

We also found this 8.2% Kentucky Irish Red Ale in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2016 at the Old Talbott Tavern.

It is produced by Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Fabulous brew and anywhere and anytime we could, we would get our hands on that for our drinking pleasure.

And the final fill of the shelf, the famous Jack Daniels, White Rabbit Saloon Whiskey.

Made at Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee was a limited edition whiskey and aptly named after one of the very few saloons that resided in Lynchburg presumably before it went to a dry county!!

Yep a favourite watering hole opened by Jack Daniels and frequented by his friends where he was often known to shout the bar prior to prohibition coming in.

This sat for months at our Oklahoma home waiting for TrailRider to come visit until Jack and I finally caved and now TrailRider is reminded of the bottle ever since! 🤣

Well, what a great little look back at some of the exciting places we’ve been to in our travels in the US. It wasn’t always about shooting, it was t always about drinking but it certainly was the unique experience’s we had, the stories created and the history learned.

We thank you Oklahoma for our time spent there.

Kat xo

To another state at least. Lol!

Jack and I headed off after the traffic on Thursday and headed for Taree. Hmmm we forgot about daylight savings so our extended breakfast at home before leaving put us there an hour later than we thought we would be.

It rained the whole way down so we were taking it steady anyways.

Good catch up with Dad and Mum and checking they are both well. Albeit brief, we hit the road again Friday morning to head for the Nation’s capital.

Surprise!, out of Sydney and new tunnel and we get more light rain. Hoping this is not a sign to come for the weekend.

We decided to make a stop for lunch in Berrima. To a pub we have been to a few times previous seemed like a good spot for a bit of grub and reminisce.

The Surveyor General Inn – Australia’s oldest continuously licensed establishment was first established in 1834.

It was built for a James Harper, using convict labour. The hand-hewn sandstone blocks make this a fabulous old building. You can only imagine that far back with all the bush surroundings, Cobb & Co stagecoaches with travelers and I wouldn’t mind betting the odd bushranger or two.

Anyway, we know a few cowboys and cowgirls who have trod the boards, spent nights in its rooms and the occasional beverage at this little gem.

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The Surveyor General Inn continues to be a favourite watering hole of many, showing off her original features and decades of history.

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Back on the track we made it to a sunny and warm Canberra. A visit to the range, we watched them finish side matches and caught up.

Off to Troopers we unloaded our gear for the days ahead and headed back out to catch up with my Rori boy.

We checked out his and Nikki’s new place to be and he made us dinner.

Saturday morning it’s bright and sunny and quite hot. An interesting start to the match as we try to relearn the .45 and find front sights! Okay now we’re on track!

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It was supposed to be 5 stages Saturday and 4 on Sunday but given the weather was set to do its usual trick in Canberra (rain, cold etc) we did an extra stage just in case.

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It was drinks, lies and pizzas for Saturday night before retiring early.

Yep, 7 degrees Celsius, raining and blasts of cool air. Thank goodness we took slickers and gloves. By 9.15am they are calling the match at 6 stages no we hit the road for home.

We stopped in for lunch with Pete, Tighan and the girlies and continued the wet trip home.

Seemed to take forever the last hour and a half of dry driving. 😳

What a great match, thanks Majura Rangers and the crew that helped set up, stage and pack away. Great stages, great company!

Thanks for having us and to our gracious host Trooper for putting us up for the couple of nights. Jack and I very much appreciated it.

Kat xo

Well, Jack was heading to South Australia again and was a weekend of work for me. Yes, just one day off and working the job on the other 2 days.

Hmm now how much extra stuff can I fit in around a very short 4 day period.

As it would turn out and planning well and truly before hand. I got quite a bit done 😉😉

Last Thursday

10:30am dropped Jack at the airport

15:35pm finished work for the day

15:50pm have left Kennards hire with finishing gun in hand

16:40pm left Bunnings with cut timber but will still need to split panels further

19:30pm have dropped that load off at home, headed north to IKEA and arrived back home

This time I decided to shiplap the bedroom wall that we had been discussing but it wasn’t quite clicking with Jack. It’s all good, he’ll love it. Just do it!! 😂

Thursday night – 02:00am finish

Room has been demolished, side tables out, boot shelf out, tv off wall, bed moved to middle of room, the wardrobe on that side has been emptied of its contents, shelf knocked out – that took a bit of work, ugly curtains down, pics off walls and start filling holes

Friday – 05:00 hours up and coffee injection, sand walls, more fill to holes, do washing

07:00 electrician rocks up on time – thank you EJ Electrical! Power point fixed, another installed for tv etc, into roof he installs another power point in wardrobe for future wardrobe remodel (hence why my ripping the shelf out the previous night) and for this trip he also fixes light to main bathroom vanity. Ahhh finally.

09:00 electrician gone no receiving messages from Jack to say guy is coming to pick up steel 😳 I was wanting to use that for straight edge to do my plank cuts 😩

After a few tries with first method I gave up on that and organised the table saw and drop saw for my work.

12:00 noon my room is prepped, studs marked, levels checked to cornice/crown molding, paint supplies brought in, nail gun ready, guy rocks up for steel and I encounter toad so I ain’t helpin’!!!

Finally! Now I can crack on with room!

I started on checking my levels as I added each row and yes, staggering them just as you would floor boards.

After a couple technical glitches, a phone call to hire place, a visit to hire place to replace finishing gun, grab more glue from Bunnings; I am back and into finishing this wall if it kills me!

Have I worn you out yet? 😂

18:00 I’m finished and in pool drinking beer. Jack’s talking about their day and asking about my sewing……. 😬

Off and painting! Dinner in between, pack up finishing gun to be returned next morning and I’ve run out of paint so that will mean a trip to paint store before work also.

07:30am Saturday – was first one in the door at paint shop, dropped off finishing gun, and arrived at work with coffee.

12:30pmish – busted!

A full busy day and I’m off again! One coat of paint, go cut out the “Wild Bunch” costumes I’m supposed to be making, dinner, another coat of paint, teach myself basic macrame for craft demo at work the next day.

When I told Jack I was doing macrame he just said ‘yeah right’ 😂 silly man he should know I’m going to fit something else in. Even if not practical.

So by 00:40am Sunday I have also wrestled with pulling apart old bed and put together new one for my weary head to get some rest before work.

05:00am a bit of sewing, hang two picture frames that were a birthday present that have been waiting for this wall makeover. Move bed back into place and make up fresh.

07:10am arrive at markets to pick up newly framed pic, head to Bunnings for brackets to put mirrored cabinet up and arrive at work dead on 08:00am

It was all a blur from there, the paint smell is going and room looks fabulous. All rubbish and old bed to trailer, there’s a job for the man come Monday. Saws are back in their place and floors are clean. Reinstalled tv and new bracket. Worked out my angle brackets and mounted mirrored cabinets in wardrobe. Happy days!

Sewing and believe it or not was in bed by 11pm that night.

Up at 06:00 to finish cleaning house before going to pick up Jack from airport.

Now I must make mention here not once yet since the paint acquisition has he asked what the hell am I doing this time! Lol!

Still in the car it has taken him until 10mins from home to ask what have I actually been doing and I just smile at him “you’ll see”

Now just take a moment here, we usually enter the house through the internal door from garage. Our bedroom door is virtually dead opposite…….

Someone goes in, head down getting his suitcase in and proceeds to walk through lounge to kitchen, and to spare room. Makes comment on bed and the just looks at me.

I take him back to the bedroom where he is pleasantly surprised and asks how and critiques my work but is super happy with it and proud of my handy work.

Off I go to work and when I get home that night Jack is very impressed with what and how it looks so all good people! Wait for the next project!

We sit and so use the rest of his weekend and just want to congratulate Dwayne and ZipThud Racing on an outstanding performance for your first crack at bike racing in a championship!!! Well done!

Take your pit crew anytime, it’s a nice turn around for you both since your days of going with your Dad to his motor racing events.

We can’t wait to get your pic printed up and off to the framer’s for in the study. He is super proud of you. Superb effort! You did spectacularly!!

Anyway, back to the week of work, and sewing….didn’t quite get the costumes finished. That’s a whole other laugh or cry story.

Now we are off to Canberra for Wild Bunch championship.

See you on the flip side!

Kat xo

Jack and I did a quick trip up to Brisbane today for date day.

He’s been wanting to take me to The Build and Design Centre for quite some time and there is a Motorcycle exhibition currently showing at the Gallery of Modern Art, coupled with lunch it makes for a great escape for the day.

We spent a good couple hours in the Build and Design Centre and think we’ve finally agreed on bench tops and cabinets for kitchen refit along with a sensational new look to the kitchen window and sliding door to the bar area.

Success!! Future plans sorted for that space. Quick and easy design choice!

So many great ideas in there and you go through, circling numbers on a card of items you are interested in – anything from door handles to screens, bricks, windows, kitchens, fans, heaters and much much more!!

At the end they give you some samples depending on product and every brochure for product you’ve selected. https://buildanddesigncentre.com.au/

From there we found a park and headed for beer and burgers at Grill’d just between the build centre and a short walk to the Gallery.

Now let’s walk off the lunch!

Walking through the entrance from the art gallery and beyond there is a spectacular whale display overhead and dinosaur bones inside.

From here it’s across to the Gallery of Modern Art to the Motorcycle exhibition. Wow!

So many different makes and models. Jack reminisces about one he had. They remind me of Uncle Bill and Aunty Shirley and their bikes. Some we have just seen on restoration shows this past couple of weeks. Very uncanny.

From Triumphs, Norton’s and Harleys, to Moto Guzzi, BSA and Velocette.

From steam, all the way through to concept electric. Road bikes to dirt bikes, tourers and racers, the exhibition was really well put together, beautifully displayed and well worth the visit.

Had a great day, before retiring back to the Buckle Saloon.

Hope you are all well in this crazy world.

Kat xo

Beginning of August club match for The Gamblers saw 25 shooters turn up for some action.

Six stages done! 2 came out clean at the other end!

Congratulations to Jack for an overall win for the match and clean shooter!

Ex Sighted finished First Lady overall and 1st Lady Wrangler in 3rd place and also a clean shooter!! Woohoo!

I had interesting ammo issues and lazy shotgun this week but a hell of a lot of fun nonetheless.

No club match this weekend due to the Errol Harper Memorial shoot at GCPC so you’ll probably find us north!!

Kat xo

Seems only appropriate at this time of year to have an epic reminder.

The SASS World Championships, End of Trail, would have finished end of June/early July and perhaps some would have carried on to other shoots from there.

Here is my reflection of Jack’s and my travels to the last 5 years of EoT.

Jack and I really missed not being at EoT this year, as I’m sure a lot of others did too during COVID but we will be back next year!

Now getting back to the epic reminder….I did a little thing….

My tattoo!! – finally worked out what I wanted about 12 months or so ago. Curstin did the prelim drawing before Michael @ phreshink.com produced the finished product. I thank you for your OCD Michael!!

Here is what it means to me – arrow, straight, true, determination, on target – pistols, lady wrangler, single action, 2 handed shooter – peacock feather, pride and strength – worlds, 5 of, interconnected for 5 consecutive championships.

I am proud of my achievements, I love the man who decided it would be a good idea to go play for 5 years and for all his encouragement.

Have a sensational, day/weekend, remember all your greatest memories, stay safe and well friends!!

Kat xo