More Australia Day celebrations.

Ken and I have celebrated Australia Day with a party at home for friends for a few years now. This year we couldn't do it on the 26th because we went on the Ride to Remember, so we had our party yesterday (Monday 28th) because it was a public holiday, so most of our friends weren't at work.
I had the usual stuff up in the front windows of our house.



Ken put together a hasty flagpole and hoisted our Aussie flag (that we'd bought for the bike ride on Saturday) in the back yard.


Here we are out on the patio, ten of us fitting snugly in the shade under the umbrella! (Nine in this pic because I was taking the photo) That is Helen in the wheelchair, with her hubby Ray in the sun hat, obscuring Ken.


I had intended to photograph all the food before we started to eat, but everyone came rushing in to help themselves as soon as I called out that it was ready! This was all that was left for me to photograph!

At the back of the table was cold chicken, green salad and potato salad.
At the front were hard boiled eggs, cold meat platter, and my annual specialty - prawns with avocado and mango on lettuce - yum! On the other table was a quiche cooked by Helen and a pumpkin and spinach salad. Every year all the women bring one part of the spread, and I provide the eggs, chickens, and prawn salad, as well as the dessert. Dessert is always a green and gold Pavlova (meringue shell topped with cream, bananas and kiwi fruit, for overseas readers), and a platter of fresh tropical fruits with a bowl of cream. We finish up with tea or coffee and lamingtons.
Before, during and after all that, beer, wine and soft drink is flowing freely, so all in all, we have a fun day. Once we've had a few drinks, we sing the national anthem with great enthusiasm, and somebody proposes a toast to Australia. I doubt that we are the only household who does this every year; I know of many other similar events happening over the weekend!