Time is a precious commodity these days, there is just so much that we're trying to fit in.  DS is halfway through his holiday, and after a week of visiting family here and in Adelaide he departed on a trip to Wilpena Pound, where he and seven others will ride their mountain bikes around the Flinders Ranges National Park.  It's difficult country to walk in, let alone ride a bike, but it's all about the challenge; he declares it boring to ride on a road, and loves riding up hills.  He didn't get that from me, at the slightest incline I would get off and push my bike up, and I pretty much loathe bikes anyway.

He went for several training rides beforehand, and while he vanished into the distance at a great rate of knots I walked along much more sedately with Dolly. 

When he was looking at my photos later he said, 'I didn't see any of that, I was just concentrating on the ride'.  Everything is a trade-off; he added to his fitness and I didn't, but I got to stop and snap pictures of anything that interested me.

When he first arrived down here I was shocked at how thin he seemed; then we went to a bike shop so he could get some parts.  Every man in the shop looked exactly like him, tall, thin, fit, very short hair, like a Brotherhood of the Bike.  I guess it's just a body type; if you want to ride well, you need to get rid of the weight.

He will be back at the end of the week, and my holiday will resume; I'm working this week while he is away.  So there will be lots more family visits, then down to Adelaide to ride a couple of the trails there, and then he goes home again.  It's been so wonderful to have both my son and daughter together with me again; they were playing some shooting game on the X-box, and I smiled when I heard Shonny saying "We have to get you a better gun Rhys, come up these steps, and I'll protect you while you get it."  Always the big sister, even in a zombie game......

He and Izzy got on just fine;she had her first taste of chocolate, and she thought it was pretty darn good.

We've been staying up late, talking and playing cards, so not a chance of any sewing taking place.  But I don't want to waste of moment of this time with my family, and the quilts are waiting patiently for me.  We all know Family trumps Quilts!  I have 3 more nights on my own, so I will work as hard as I can to get the blocks on the design wall finished, and that will please me greatly.  I'm getting a leeetle bit tired of them, but I have a secret weapon; series 11 of NCIS should keep me glued to the machine.