A fairy fine weekend indeed

The spring long weekend in Sydney never fails to lift the spirits, but mine was bookended by visits from my two darlings, Mr J and the Princess, making it extra special.

Hairdo by Mr J himself

Mind the gap!

Throw in a stroll around Circular Quay in the sunshine, a Gourmet Food Fair right across the street from my little pad, Chester’s entry in a doggy fancy dress competition, and a barbecue on a balmy evening, and I call it magical!

With the Australian Navy Fleet Review happening Sydney had such a festive vibe. It was fun to spend a few hours on Friday afternoon playing tourists in our own city, taking selfies with the Opera House framed between us and sending them to Sarah’s friends back in the USA.

These giant plastic snails, in various fluoro colours, can be found all over the city right now and are part of the Art and About Festival. We had to wait while a family of children clambered all over this fellow, clinging to his feelers and hanging from his neck. Couldn’t persuade Sarah to climb up and pose though.

Meanwhile, back at home our local park was being transformed from this…

…into this, for the East Village Gourmet Food Festival.

Joynton Park was the place to be on Saturday (if you weren’t sitting on a picnic rug beside the harbour watching Prince Harry and the Fleet Review), with local restaurants, cafes and food providores selling samples of their delicious food and drink. The day was warm and clear, and market umbrellas and gum trees provided plenty of shade to sit and enjoy an icy glass of wine.

This month is Dogtober, a month of fundraising activities – with the emphasis on fun – for Assistance Dogs Australia. There are almost as many dogs as people living in my neighbourhood, or so it seems around 5 o’clock in the afternoon when everyone congregates in the park for playtime and a chat. So it wasn’t surprising that the Dogtober Fancy Dress Competition attracted plenty of crazily dressed canine entrants.

This was one of the craziest

I could try to blame Sarah, but must confess I was a willing co-conspirator in sourcing Chester’s lolly-pink tutu at Target and his sparkly fairy wings at the two dollar shop.

Chester fitted comfortably into the stretchy dress and was very relaxed about showing his inner feminine side.

He paraded beautifully in the circle, and was rewarded with a lovely prize package - porcelain doggy bowl, some treats, poo bags and holder, a certificate and a medal for 2nd place!

His certificate says he was the Best Fairy. (Shhhh! Don’t tell Chester, but he was the only fairy.)

He spent the rest of the afternoon happily being led around the food fair on his lead, dressed in full fairy kit and basking in his newfound notoriety, sniffing and kissing poodles and puggles, and posing for photographs with dozens of strangers.

It’s hard to believe this was the same Chester who only months ago was so wary of small, jumpy, yappy dogs and prone to lunging unexpectedly in the direction of one of these high spirited little pups if he felt threatened. I think the secret lies in the increased contact he now has every day in the park with dogs of all breeds and sizes. Perhaps he’s come to realise they’re not so scary after all. (Hmmm…one might draw a parallel with humans of different races)

At the end of the day we enjoyed our dinner on the balcony, being entertained by the rainbow lighting and the music from the $150 a head dinner in the marquee below, and watching the stupendous fireworks, sound and light display on TV celebrating 100 years of the Australian Navy.

Magic!

So how was your weekend?

Di