I hadn't been to the dentist for maybe a couple of years, so I thought I'd do the right thing & go for a checkup - after all, it wouldn't be painful.

I had heard that these days at my local dentist one gets to see a "dental hygienist" first, for a clean & a fluoride treatment, & then the dentist.

I declined the fluoride treatment, thank goodness I wasn't asked why, because I didn't feel up to an argument.

Well, my (first ever) visit with the dental hygienist just seemed to go on & on & on....first she poked my gums in 6 places around every tooth with a thin metal stick.  She scraped away at the "very light" amount of tartar behind my bottom front teeth; then literally sandblasted my teeth to clean them! They didn't feel nor look any better afterwards, ha.

Would you believe she then proceeded to floss my teeth?!  Good grief. What an invasion of privacy. She didn't find anything, of course. 

It is so condescending of dentists & especially young dental hygienists to give a grown woman a report on her oral hygiene!  I even told her so, but it seems speaking, rather than listening, is her forte, because she just kept on with her condescending spiel. 

She had earlier had the audacity to ask me how often I brush my teeth each day!  I've been brushing my teeth since before she was born, I should know how to do it by now, & how often!

She mentioned that everyone should have 'batwing' xrays every two years - & full xrays every four years!  I hadn't had any since 1999.  I decided not to have any, but later decided to have the batwings (one on either side of the cheek) because she reckoned one part of a gum was inflamed, & of course the dentist, who was with me for at most FOUR MINUTES was going on about how if they didn't know there was a problem, my teeth could fall out, or something equally scary!  (The xrays were done by the dental hygienist, by the way! - & of course there were no problems evidenced by them.)

Guess how much my visit to the dentist cost me?  I just went for a checkup, & I suppose I assumed that a checkup would cost less than a simple filling, which is probably about $100 here now.  I was charged the princely sum of....wait for it.....$202!!

Oh, & guess what?  Just before I left, the dental hygienist mentioned that "you should have a clean every 6 months"!  Yeah, right, I so want to fork out $202 (less the cost of xrays) every 6 months, to be prodded & condescended to for what seems like half an hour, mucking up my whole day, & resulting in a feeling of violation!

You've just got to see these gorgeous treehouses!

I'd love to have a treehouse like these, especially the kind with suspension bridges to other trees which have decks around them!

I love all the timber, the cute fairytaleness of them, & being way up high with a great view!

Click here to see lots more, including closeups!

On the 'phone this morning, looking out my kitchen window, I spotted a strange looking bird, which at the time looked fat & fluffy, a bit like a kookaburra with its feathers fluffed out - but it wasn't a kookaburra.  I didn't manage to get a photo of him still looking fat & fluffy - he changed his shape.

It didn't take long to guess that it was the first (Tawny?) Frogmouth which I've seen, live.  I have read that they are sometimes mistaken for owls.

When they open their mouths, its yellow inside.  They eat insects, but this one looked pretty scarey  - & even prehistoric - up close!  Check out his red looking eye in the top photo!

Professional makeup & hair, gorgeous flattering clothing & jewelry, luxurious uncluttered background, great lighting - & ..... excellent retouching, see here!

Other examples of retouching are here, & here.

I especially noticed that wrinkles, cellulite, & other blemishes were smoothed out, waists were cinched in front & back, light & colour were added over the entire photograph, with extra colour in lips, & dark 'eyeshadow' was added between eyelids & brow bones.

Celebrities with & without makeup:  here, & here.

For example, who do you think this is:

(Find out here.)

On Saturday night I attended a party at Kroombit Tourist Park, which is on Lochenbar Station, central Queensland, Australia.  A lot of foreign backpackers visit there.  It is very rustic & rural.

Check out that table & the seating in the main (open air) dining hall!

The beef & vegetables are cooked in camp ovens on the coals (above).

Personally, I grew up on a farm, & although my lifestyle wasn't this rustic, these days I rather enjoy my creature comforts, eg insect screens on windows, & air conditioning.

[url=http://www.kroombit.com.au/]Click here [/url] to visit the Kroombit Tourist Park website.