Toowoomba Take Two

Jo likes to go for an early morning walk and I like to photograph the dawn, so we head off together when we get the chance.  This time our major destination was Laurel Bank Park, because Jo had never been there.  On the way, we discovered a beautiful community garden, and we saw a healthy-looking hare. 

We made it to the wisteria arbour in the park just as the sun came up, so that made for some nice photography.  The downside was that the route back home was all uphill, which didn't worry Jo, but I am not exactly fit.

After brekky, the first stop was the Range shopping centre, which had a beautiful line of autumn-leaved liquidambar trees outside. "I thought there was just a Lifeline book shop here", I said. "No, there's an op shop", says Jo. Turns out there are both, and opposite each other.  The bookshop was in the dark, with some high-viz boys inside, when we arrived, but they soon had the electrics working.  

Jo's Mum had rung the previous day, asking us to look for a book of macrame patterns, but we had lucked out the day before; so I headed straight for the large craft section (this book shop has a section for everything!) but couldn't find anything.  I was telling this to Jan, so she decided yo have a look, at which point Jo appeared and the perfect macrame book just leapt into her hands!

The actual op shop is small, and targeted to the more upmarket customer, so I didn't buy any clothes.  I found a ball of wool for my friend Suzette, to add to the three books I had swept up in the bookshop. Janet Evanovich no 15 was not one of them.

Hope Horizons was supposed to be next (another newie), but they were closed for change-of-season restocking. However, we found a lovely free library in their
shopping centre, which announced it was full and no longer needed donations.  I decided to help them out by relieving them of a book that was on my wish list.

Drug Arm at Centenary Heights was next, and we recognised it straight away. It is so packed with stuff that you can barely move, but the prices have gone up since we were last there.  Jo decided to cheat and told the woman at the counter about our bingo game, so soon she crossed off a couple of items, eg Avon product.

This shop has the strangest change room.  It is large, but part of the space is occupied by a huge (fake) floral arrangement on the floor.  Then there is a big pedestal fan in one corner.  The only place you can hang your clothes in directly over the only chair on the room, so said chair is somewhat redundant.  I guess you can put your bag on it.

I found a beaut pair of Lego pyjamas, never worn, for my granddaughter for $4, plus a couple of other goodies, before we popped into Cafe 63 over the road for a coffee. I can remember when there was only one of these, near my brother's place at Ascot: now cafe 63s are everywhere.

Off to Kearneys Spring next, to the light and airy RSPCA shop, which has cats for adoption on site.  One of the three was awfully cute.  I am still missing my recently deceased moggie, so had to concentrate.  I was rewarded by a Beatles Abbey Road coffee mug, a genuine Apple Corps product, which was priced at $2, the same price as all the other mugs. Sold!  I also found a Pierre Cardin purse (yeah, right!) for $5, but it is genuine leather and it is nice.