31. Rain!

The dark clouds gathered and it looked like it might rain. Over the last 15 years we have become accustomed to it looking like it might rain but it doesn't. However during the last 6 months when dark clouds appear it has rained. And so it did today. Lovely rain to dampen the dry, parched land. So dry that not much sinks in to the ground. The soil has set up an anti soaking mechanism just like a dry sponge doesn't soak up water as good as a damp one. We had thunder and lightning, Elmo and Timmy weren't too happy about this weather. The rain was loud on our metal roof, a noise we haven't heard very often.

The power went off so no TV, computers, microwaves, kettles, cooking and water. So what can we do? Play scrabble, yes we played scrabble and the game lasted long enough until the power came back on.

30. Nineteen Eighty-Four

"1984" by George Orwell is one of the books my son Dale has to read for year 12 English. I have heard this book referred to many times but have actually not read it myself. I now intend to read it and find out why it is referred to and what is its relevance to the 1984 Apple ad. Steve Jobs said, "Was George Orwell right about 1984?"

In 1984 I had a one year old daughter and was back at work full time. My world changed and had become pivitol to my family. In fact I did not take much notice of any news or world happenings for the 80's. Having babies and young toddlers puts you in another world. You become so intensely involved with these little beings that all other things go by without you noticing or paying attention. As I had 2 children in the 80's and two in the 90's I lost 2 decades.

So 1984, will I enjoy the read or find it hard work? Anyone else read 1984?

29. Autumn Raindrops

It's still January and so in Australia it's also still Summer. In fact we have a whole one more month of summer to go. However some plants seem to think it's Autumn.
These Autumn Raindrops usually all flower at the end of February not in January. Could it be the cool nights and warm days we have been having. I have been thinking it's very like Autumn weather.
Also at school one of the huge Ash trees is beginning to turn it's leaves yellow. Anyone else see signs of Autumn?



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28. Boggis and Bunce and Bean

Over a road, along a track, up and down hills, through the State Forest, down the pipeline and in a valley there is a chicken farm. At certain times of the year if the wind is blowing the wrong way we can smell it, 2kms away. Wouldn't Fantastic Mr Fox like these chicken sheds. There are three massive sheds full of delicious, plump chickens.

I think of Roald Dahl's book Fantastic Mr Fox when I see these huge chicken sheds. There are three of them sprawling across the valley. I also think of the times Katherine, Carey and I travelled to Melbourne when I was completing my Bachelor of Ed in 1989-90. We would listen to Roald Dahl reading his book Fantastic Mr Fox all the way to Melbourne. (We had cassette tapes and book sets of many stories.) And from then on, I can always hear Roald Dahl's voice in my head, when I read this to children at school. Only an author knows how to read their story with the correct expression. Roald Dahl's English accent also added to the pleasing sound.

And now the movie Fantastic Mr Fox has been released I have to go and see what they have done to his story. I'm looking forward to seeing

Boggis and Bunce and Bean,
One fat, one short, one lean.

Who else might like to see the movie with me?

27. A Bird's eye view

Ants are an important part of the bush even though we don't like them. They are the garbo's of the bush. There are many ants nests that spread around a slight mound and can be 2 to 3 litres around.

We still laugh about the time the Stewart's came to visit and Heather and Alice stood on an ants nest. City people do the darnedest things when they come to the country. We couldn't understand why they would stand on an ants nest. We tend to go around and not get them angry.

A whole kangaroo carcass can be devoured in days by ants. They circle our bins and send scouts into the house at times looking for food.

The ants were quite busy today but they weren't building towers around their nest holes. Bullants!

26. Australia Day

Today is Australia day, however Jan 26th has also been John Clarke's birthday. John my brother-in-law would have turned 80 years old today. Sadly he passed away last September when we were up in Coolum which was his favorite place on earth. John's love of Coolum Beach has rubbed off on many of us in the family and his friends.

Australia day was also special for John as he immigrated to Australia in about 1950 from England and was naturalised as an Australian citizen in around 1981. John didn't rush into this and made sure this was a good place to live. He was very proud of being an Australian and his naturalization ceremony was quite important. All family members were instructed they had to be there at the ceremony. Trixie organised a surprise party for after but had great trouble getting John away from the ceremony refreshments and gathering. The surprise party featured good Australian pies and cans of beer.

We gathered today and had a lovely lunch with friends and family and reminisced good times. Trixie made a delicious lunch that John would have loved and we all toasted his 80th.

In the photos below John is up at Coolum Beach. One is with his Charger, his favorite car. (Hey Charger! 1975?) Imagine traveling along playing Abba music all the way to Queensland. The other photo is an even younger Clarkey (as we fondly called John) and shows a very undeveloped Coolum in the background.

As this blog is stored up in the clouds maybe John will read it.
Cheers! Happy 80th John. We miss you.

25. L's

We've had a learner driver in the family for quite a few months. (Dale) When we go driving we have to keep an extensive log book of all drives. In Australia learner drivers have to drive for 120 hrs in daytime and 12 hrs of night driving. In Bendigo the longest drive anywhere would be 20 mins. I wonder about city learners who sit in the traffic for 45 mins and go 5kms. We travel many kms. Perhaps the rule should be a balance between distance and kms travelled. What do you think? Is 45 mins in a car park worth 45 mins of continued driving?





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24. Ruby

Ruby is a new friend who is learning to go on walks. She now sits sometimes when she is told to and she is also learning to stop at roads.
Ruby is a schnowzer (not sure on that spelling) and she is 3 mths old. Yvonne her mistress is taking her to puppy school and training her. I can see some development in Ruby's behaviour.
Today we went for an 8km walk up to One Tree Hill. It is a climb to the top and was a good workout.



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23. Ghost gums

The ghost gums spread their branches up to the sky. There was a vivid blue sky today after yesterday's hot and windy weather. The ghost gum is actually a lemon scented gum. The leaves have a lemon smell when scrunched. We planted the tree about 20 years ago and like other gums it has grown well.

It's shedding it's bark at the moment as it does this time of the year. The garden appears to be littered with papers but it just large sheets of bark.

At other times of the year the tree has white blossom and is full of bees. When you stand under it you can smell honey.
In November the tree becomes inhabited by green parrots. They twitter and chirp from the early hours which drove Katherine mad when she was studying.


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22. The Flaming Sky

The sky at the end of my day taken during a bush walk with my friend Yvonne and her pup Ruby. Elmo wasn't very fussed about Ruby as she was running along crazy while Elmo just trotted along at his usual speed wemailing along the way.
It looks like flames in the sky.



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