It's been a long cold lonely winter

Spring sprung with a vengeance of birdsong and sunshine.  This morning, my observations on the extraordinary beauty of the day were met with the rather firm suggestion that I go out and enjoy it, that it would be good for me - much in the same way the Third Reich promoted the health benefits of not being Jewish.

I was in agreement.  I headed up into the lush green hills, imagining myself a dreamy-eyed young nun - only in a Hyundai instead of lederhosen.  I've been rather down on Australia in general, and on my local surrounds in particular of late, so I thought it would be a good idea to seek out amusing and interesting sights.  Below is my pictographic account of my drive through the Adelaide Hills.

Near the summit, I came across a hotel made to look like a castle.  Yaaaaaawwwwn.

I wish my bathroom at home had this view.  I also wish I hadn't peed all over myself.

Note to self:  Give these guys a call and find out if they need some genotyping kits, or if they are just pretending to be scientific.

On the other side of the ranges, I ended up in Mannum, a quaint holiday town with a paddle-boat history along the banks of the swollen Murray River, now home to extravagant houseboats and curious signage.

A sign post to point you to more signs.

The bulletin board in front of the Lutheran CHurch reads: 

Callous or Compassionate?  

Reminder - The same sunshine that melts the butter hardens the clay.

What the fuck does that mean?  Is melted butter more callous or compassionate?  

And who the hell buys an iPad without knowing what it is?  Especially in Mannum?

I stopped into the local pub for lunch and realized today is Father's Day.  The place was swarming with families, but I found a table by the river's edge and enjoyed a plate of prawns.  After buying some treats for Kevin - home made fudge and some Dr Pepper Freezer Pops - I selected an alternate route and headed back across the hills towards home.

There is another one that tells you not to drive like a picture of a large rooster.

Why did I need to know this:

Outside the town of Guemeracha, there is a tourist trap called the Big Rocking Horse. It boasts a greasy cafe, a wooden toy store, and a petting zoo filled with overfed kangaroos.  Just where every man wants to go on his special day!

I picked up some daffodils for Kevin.  These flowers saved our sanity when we lived in Portland...sunshine on a stem.  Mostly, I just love buying things from road-side carts.

This was an accident, but I decided it had some artistic merit, so have included it in my photo journal.

Overall, it was a pleasant day. I didn't really find anything extraordinary or enticing, no streams to ford or rainbows to follow, but it was good to get out.  I suspect I will be taking lots of long drives on weekends.