the tour

It came around again, the annual Tour de Prairie, whilst the real riders biked around the hills of France.  Costume deciding was weeks in the planning (as of course, our bike ride was FANCY DRESS). Mum layed down the rules: must be kept SIMPLE.

Georgie originally had other plans (of which I have forgotten) but embraced my Huck Finn suggestion with gusto (we did have to google some images though, as she hadn’t heard of him before!) Kate wanted to be a rock star, along with her little mate Grace, so they hatched plans to be matching rock stars. Angus, recycling his Where’s Wally glasses, was of course Harry Potter with the addition of a borrowed cape (and use of eyeliner pencil on his forehead).

The dress up theme was embraced by the school and community. Really the bike ride itself (a 14km round trip) is just an excuse.

This one is of Wally NOT TOUCHING THE BABY (if he doesn’t look at her and his butt touches her arm it doesn’t count) Baby is my niece Violet.

A sausage sizzle was enjoyed by all and recovery on the lawn. Then they had to ride back again….some deciding to catch a ride half way.

Kids slept well that night.

the toure

Long time blog readers will have read with amusement of our annual Toure de Prairie over preceding years. Why stop a good thing, and so we squeezed it into the first Friday of this busy term. Costume demands become more and more complex each year, ebay being my saviour this time round, with a firm hand on ever changing minds.

The ride goes down the road to a homestead about 6kms away, a family that once had children at the school, and whose daughter had cerebral palsy.

(Where's Wally, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Mexican and the spare kid, a feisty kitty cat )

Children raised money for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation this year, for a local lad's (from the property we rode to) fundraising efforts, which he hopes will go directly to a NQ family in need.

Turnout was great, and enthusiasm for costuming high:

Local truck driver, dad and husband of superwoman also got into the spirit. We want him to wear the costume on his next triple road train delivery :-)

  

Sausage sizzle lunch was enjoyed, with birthday cake and pavlova for a few celebrating. The hosts explained to the kids about cerebral palsy and how it affected their Alex, who passed away at age 8. The kids have all seen photos of Alex at school and know about her, so it was great for them to get a little more information to process.

And then they all mounted their bikes and rode back to school, with THE most wicked headwind ever, making some of the littler ones get a lift home (my boy, full of snot and coughing, one of them). Another great event that the community as a whole really enjoys and supports.

We love our small school :-)

the toure

Outback style of course. Regular readers of this blog will recall the Toure de Prairie from years gone past, where the school kids dress up and bike their way to a nearby property homestead, about 8kms away. Complete with police escort. And then ride back again. This year, the 5th year of the Toure de Prairie, the children were sponsored, this time fundraising for Angel Flight.

This year, Angus and I missed out. Inconvenienced by broken arms and unco-operative day surgery bookings as we were.

Non the less, a few photos filtered out of the day, not quite of the quantity and quality ;-) that you are used to from previous documentation of this great day, but something is better than nothing!

This year saw the addition of livestock to the Toure,

with the porky pig pet from across the road joining the fun. The mesh cage was only to stop the piglet from jumping off in transit, they let her out for a run at each drink stop. Kids say she quite enjoyed the ride!

a smaller group this year, thanks to the flu and other commitments. Georgie went as the promised black kitty cat, thanks to a last minute dash into spotlight and finding THE perfect mask and ears and a fluffy tail, on my way home from the first Townsville trip. And saving someone angst with pipecleaners and plaits, I managed alsp to find the best wig ever for Kate's Pippy Longstocking (sadly not wired like the packet indicated).  There so happened to be two Pippi's this year, which is funny considering at least two people spoke to recently had NO IDEA who Pippi Longstocking was.

Please tell me you have read Pippi Longstocking?!

The weather was more spring/summer like on this day (the temperature plummeting the next day, as it so happens with these things) so water stops were very welcome. Lunch and some rest was enjoyed on the lawns of the homestead and then they rode back to school, some of the littler ones hitching a lift. The Kids tell me it was a great day (any day getting out of school is great!) but hot. Thanks to Grannies and Aunties for getting my girls there in costume!

And please note, those that can't believe that we get a police escort: see the police car above? Police take community involvement very seriously in these parts :-) and just quietly, I think he is as partial to a bush style smoko and sausage sizzle as the rest of us, and whilst on duty? even better!

Next on our calendar of Community Events and Committments: The Campdraft, followed shortly thereafter by The Races.

I'm weary already...