CHRISTMAS DAY 2009

Here on Christmas morning at Das Helwig Haus B&B we have the Christmas decorations in place and the aroma of fresh pine needles and a baking ham pervades the house. The Christmas cake, cookies and things to nibble wait beside fresh bowls of peaches, apricots, plums and cherries - the summer harvest fruits of this cool mountain climate, the Granite Belt of southern Queensland. I picked our fresh fruit from the trees of our garden

December cherries

It is a pleasantly cool day with an overcast sky and there is a weather front coming through which should bring soaking rain to the drought stricken western regions of New South Wales and Queensland. This would be a remarkable Christmas present.

I did not bake a Christmas cake or Advent cookies this year, but instead visited the Market in the Mountains in Stanthorpe last Sunday to purchase the products that other women had baked in their kitchens.

Christmas food

This morning as I sat down to write this post to show my appreciation of the sacrifice that Peter Spencer is making for the people of Australia, my daughter brought me champagne and said with a laughed, “All you need Mum - the three Cs - Chocolate, Champagne and a Computer!”

Chocolate, champagne and computer.

So while I sit in my office toasting Peter Spencer, where is he this morning? He is high on a wind tower in the mountains, exposed to the elements. It will rain there today - a cold, freezing rain.

Peter Spencer

Peter Spencer - I salute you!

Fay Helwig

Book Cover