Month: April 2021

Friday, 9th April, 2021.

Just booked into the Dalwallinu caravan park for Saturday afternoon.  Then, refreshed the cyclone tracking map and it is heading straight for … ? Yes. You guessed it. DALWALLINU!

So we call ‘Jay’, the manager of the Dalwallinu caravan park and explained the cyclone was ‘heading straight for him’ and he better batten down the hatches.

So we extended for yet another two days and we are supposed to leave on Monday, which is when it is supposed to hit land. Hmmmm.

Off to Midlands to the Commonwealth bank to order a couple of bank statements. July, August and September 2012! We are trying to track down the point of payment of Anne’s ipad. If we cannot prove ownership, they will not unlock it and it will be useless. Anyway, they are ordered. Bloody Apple. Very security conscious and some may say to the point of being ‘anal.’

N.B.   The phrase is one I suspect many use without understanding it’s origins or intended meaning. It is Freudian and comes from the term “Anally retentive” which literally describes the childlike behaviour of not wanting to release ones bowels to defecate. Freud’s typically odd proposition was that children in the “anal” phase start trying to exert control over something they’ve created. Their poop. It’s correct use would be to describe an adult who, say, won’t let go of their TPS report until it’s perfectly spell-checked. The phrase is now bandied about somewhat loosely for people who complain generally. It should relate specifically to being a control-freak and in particular not wanting to let something you’ve created go. Of course, the ultimate inference is that despite the childish exertion of control over whatever it is, at the end of the day it’s still a load of crap.    Dylan O’Donnell

Now onto Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi to check out Tablets (computer) JB first and we will have to do HN tomorrow as time marches on. Looking, looking looking …..

.. and then a bit of excitement! The theft alarm goes off, three youths are scurrying for or at the door, a couple of security guards are in a blocking stand off and these charming little thugs, one in particular (the smallest) is going for the ‘foul mouth of the month’ award. The security guards did not lay a hand on the little twat’s as apparently they are not allowed.

That is the new ‘stupid order of society’ now dictated by the damn ‘do-gooders’ or noisy minority. They wonder why society is getting more irreverent. HELLO you ‘thickies!? They KNOW they can’t be touched so they just do what they want. You bloody do-gooders are killing civility. You want to know what direction society is going. The do-gooders are creating a race of Twats! Thanks. I feel much better now.

The confrontation, I photographed far enough away to respect the privacy of the shop participants.

Home for a few drinks with neighbours  in the camp kitchen. We adjourn to the van for the evening just to get a knock on the door from a neighbour letting us know that Prince Philip has passed away. Bummer. I liked the guy. He was the Royal ‘character’ with the perfect mix of maintaining the regal air of dignity with a wicked sense of humour. Rest in Peace Philip. You deserve it.

We finish our Chicken Garlic Kiev’s with roast studs etc and Anne finds the perfect ‘fix it’ for the bad news about the Prince.

Showers, a few more drinks, more tributes to the Prince on TV, bed …

zzzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, 8th April 2021

All this talk  of cyclones and John and Jan decide to postpone the trip north till it is a bit more ‘pleasant.’

The day goes with odd jobs etc waiting for the car to be ready.

Finally, we pick it up with it’s three new universal joints. The thing is you can’t see them so we get a bill for $520 and no visual joy to be had. Anyway, they did us a huge favour squeezing us in and so we double back with a dozen beer and a bottle of wine for the ladies to share. They said , ‘No!’ but we said , ‘Yes!.’ One good turn deserves another.

Tonight we sleep with the comfort knowing the car is sitting next to us.

A funny off facebook to brighten the day …

Eat, shower couple of drinks ……

zzzzzzzzzzzzz            zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, 7th April 2021.

On the way to Midlands for all sorts including Woolies shopping, Dan Murphy for very important shopping, Harvey Norman for a look at tablets, as in computers not head ache and a few other things BUT first our one box of cans is full so we are off to the can recycle place, and very modern it is as well. We have been to I think three others and they are very basic and labour orientated as in three guys doing the sorting and counting.

Here there is just one young lady more or less as supervisor/instructor. We the customers front up to a machine, push the green start button and feed the cans onto the conveyor belt one by one to the right for cans or for glass, the belt on the left.

When you are finished you push the red button and it gives you a receipt. You then take your receipt and scan it at the cash machine, which then spits out the cash for you. A clear $7.30 of mad money! That’s about three boxes of 24 cans which is generally $150 to purchase. Bad business plan. Good to drink though.

Then onto Midlands. Here is a fabulous old pub, the Guildford Hotel …

This is ‘Alfred’s Kitchen’ and it’s been around since 1946 according to the sign.

In the heart of Midlands and this lovely old building has a clock tower blocked by the branch so we take another while on the move.

Just a glimpse of the clock.

Another one.

I give up. What does this mean?

They must like me. All that space and they choose to park right next to me. I should be flattered as opposed to annoyed.

We share a doner Kebab for lunch then do the shopping.

Now ….. the plot thickens. When we were arriving I thought I heard a muffled noise. Now we are moving on to Dan’s it is louder so we change direction to an oasis shining bright, but in fact it is the local Ford dealership. They are too busy but they have a look and a test drive anyway. Universal joints! One is ‘Kaput’  and making all the noise. The others have slop. ‘Dave’ says, ‘We can fix it tomorrow morning.’ Bless you Dave. An Ola Car back to the caravan park after retrieving the Woolies roast chicken and a bottle of red from the car. An earlier phone call had confirmed we can stay an extra day or two.

Our new found friends in the park are either busy or elsewhere so we have a romantic (?) dinner alone. Showers, red, chicken and vegetables then with an awareness there is no car next to the van be drift of to dream of  Dan Murphy’s and universal joints.

zzzzz         zzzzzzzzz          zzzzzzzzzzz

 

Wednesday, 7th April

I have been told by a few people that the BLOG drops out from time to time.

I have not had drop outs on my phone or laptop. Anne’s phone does not either.

If there is a problem, I want to fix it.

So if the BLOG drops out for you, please let me know ….

1. If it started at a certain point.
2. If so when as in approximate date
3. Under what circumstances, i.e if you scroll or not scroll but screen doesn’t change.
4. What sort of device it is. i.e. phone, tablet, laptop, desktop.
5. Service as in Telstra, Optus, Vodaphone.
6. Microsoft or Apple

I am just looking for common denominators to try and focus on a potential reason.

Get back to us on the blog email. Click on the top, in the menu ‘Contact us.’

Cheers.

Monday, 5th & Tuesday 6th April 2021.

Off with the ‘H’s’ to the new museum (5 or 6 months old) through the man made mist.

A surf boat suspended a floor up in the air. Let’s hope we don’t hear about a manslaughter case in the years to come.

The echidna.

N.B. Echidnas, also called spiny anteaters, are walking contradictions. They are mammals, but they lay eggs. … Echidnas are monotremes, egg-laying mammals. The only other living monotreme is the platypus

Now I think I read somewhere that this little guy is a rodent. I googled and couldn’t find it again so cancel that thought. However, next time you see info on the echidna, scan it.

This tiny thing is in fact a possum.

Not this. From memory it’s a bandicoot.

A naughty bat.

A reprod of something that roamed in Aust thousands (?) or millions of years ago.

The Earth from go to wo. (current)

The first was the ‘Cambritan Age’ where there were only shells about 541 million years ago. AND at the end of that age around 485 million years was the golden age of the Trilobites. Looks like a little slow multi-leg roach.

N.B. Trilobites ( /ˈtraɪləˌbaɪt, ˈtrɪ-, -loʊ-/; meaning “three lobes”) are a group of extinct marine artiopodan arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods.

Here’s a few …

Non conversational.

 

Rushing ahead, the ‘Jurassic age’ (Dino’s) ended 145 million years ago.

‘Quaternary Age’ came just a mere 2.58 million years ago when the first man came on the scene.

So it took around 538.42 million years to evolve from shells to the first man, and that would have been man with hairy knuckles and even then, bleeding from dragging them on the ground I assume.

A pretty ‘mock up’ under water video.

Tilt head right. Sea horses.

View from the upper balcony.

Tilt right. A little WA girl won the title of Miss Greater Britain for creating this ‘Empire’ dress.

The Brits got around. See pink bits.

WA troopers were in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. Similar to our WW1 Gallipoli, it was a dramatic failure but became a proud moment in history.

Hot clobber for summer campaigns, wouldn’t you say?

Then it covered the ‘two small diamonds’

N.B.

This lovely lady was Berta Martins. She saved Keith Hayes’s life. Bayoneted by the Japanese and left for dead, she hid him, treated his wounds and looked after him on the outskirts of Japanese occupied Dili. She gave him a pink hanky and it became his most treasured possession. With difficulty he contacted her and after Dili was liberated, Keith financially supported her until her death. He eventually was awarded the Order of Australia in 2007 for not just his service during the war but the immense support he had contributed to the people of East Timor since.

Keith’s hanky from Berta.

The 9mm rimless Owen Mk1 sub machine gun known as ‘the diggers darling’ because it was simple, easy to clean and very reliable in severe conditions. Back years ago I believe it was also called ‘the five bob’ gun, because it only cost 5 shillings to make it.

N.B. On a personal note, it has four gas vents at the end of the nozzle cut diagonally from roughly one o’clock to 2.30 o’clock viewed from the operators end. The result is when it shoots, the barrel tends to move a little down and left. Assuming the vents had to be there perhaps to reduce the ‘kick’, I always wondered why they were cut on an angle like that. I then assumed it is better than going up and over the heads of the ‘intended recipient’ or down at their feet. It was a fun little gun though. Also, the safety catch proved useless, so an after thought slide was attached to slide in front of the lever used to cock it so it could not go off when it felt like it. A good idea on the safety side of things.

The ‘diamond’ plane, ditched on the beach to put the fire out. Long story. Maybe google it if you are that keen.

Campaigning in Australia for ET

The path of the ‘seven sisters’ aboriginal folklore.

Dolls of the seven sisters with the evil guy following them at left.

This art exhibition was very significant.

It is called ‘Songlines tracking the Seven Sisters’.

You down load an app to your phone for the audio.

Rotate left. The elders providing input to the exhibition.

Notice the presentation video on the floor.

I am in ‘Rabbit in the headlights’ mode.

Anne showing she isn’t scared by a staircase covered in brass (?) that appears to have no means of support.

Part of the original museum next door.

Old meets new.

An old pub. Always a good subject for a photo.

I don’t know what the symbol is.

Naomi drops us home via a scenic route. Nice day.

Food, showers, drinks TV bed.

zzzzzzzzzzz             zzzzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

Tuesday 6th April 2021.

No photos. We just worked the whole day chasing up this and that, planning etc etc.

We did have a joint evening meal (cook and or bring your own) at the camp kitchen.

Showers, a bit of TV, grape juice, bed ….

zzzzzzz          zzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzz

Sunday, 4th April 2021.

Up early. Hours trying to get Anne’s ipad running. It has been cleaned off and the original user ID and password now applies. I think? Bought in Singapore about 2012 in a hurry? Errr?

I will keep trying.

Even though huge dinner last night, we had our traditional larger than normal Sunday breakfast and continued with other jobs.

The park are having an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a sausage sizzle for the adults. Sorry. No space for a sausage feast AND we are visiting with the family H’s to the Senior H’s today. Think we may arrive a little late to avoid over stuffing on our part.

Pass the remnants of the sausage sizzle on the way to the bathroom. It would have been dangerous.

So we arrive at the H’s seniors house. It would have been a very good lunch but I don’t subscribe to the Ambulance Service. Out come the nibbles anyway.

A nice afternoon. lots of talking and laughing.

My master.

Alice in steep learning mode.

The young H’s clan having a breather.

I now know where Paul gets his intense focus on lawn presentation. It is hereditary.

Back to steep learning curve.

Mother and daughter. I can remember when mum was younger than Alice is now. She turned out pretty damn good and with Paul’s and Naomi’s co-input, I believe Alice will out do them both.

Nature looking beautiful but also saying it’s time to go.

A wonderful afternoon with a bunch of nice people.

Thanks for the invitation to the H’s, junior and senior.

Back home. (?) mossies’ out so we are not out having evening drinks.

Shower, TV, just a little grape juice and no meal. Still full!

zzzzzz        zzzzzzzzz          zzzzzzzz

 

 

 

Saturday, the 3rd April 2021

Slow start. The master still no stirring at 9.30am. Late nights are taking their toll. Might have to make some noise soon, by mistake of course. We do need some shopping and a quick Bunnings visit.

A few other things have come up and we should not leave Tuesday as planned. We check and we cannot extend. Just as well. It’s getting ‘kid’ noisy with soccer balls hitting the van with monotonous regularity.

So we squeeze in a trip to Bunnings on the way to The House of Honey’ with the H’s. Coffees, honey education, and a pleasant ‘sit and talk’.

The H’s.

Alice and Anne. Anne on the right.

A living bee hive in the Café with Bee access through a round duct.

Lots of nice things.

Proof we were there.

We move on to the Homestead Brewery. Very ‘Schmicky’ (and expensive) but a nice dinner. A minor disaster. Alice tips her drink on herself. Not a terrible thing, unless you are a four year old. It is getting late. 7.30pm and also getting dark.

Night’s over. That’s Saturday done. Back to the van park. Still lots of ‘kiddies’ playing when we get back so straight to the van ‘oasis’. Here we sit after showers and a bit of TV. Oh. This is definitely a night for the magic elixir Port.

More TV. More Port. Now all is good. Now it’s ….

zzzzzzzzz         zzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzz

 

 

 

Thursday, 1st & Friday 2nd April 2021

We set off  to relocate all the way from Fremantle to Ascot between the Airport and the river. Half an hour max. Except for Ethel the GPS who decided to sacrifice us to the early Easter departure traffic. So a few U-turns, around the blocks, missed exits, turn offs and  just a bit of raising of the voices (a bit?) and we arrive about an hour and a quarter later. We stop at the office and Anne’s knuckles turn from white to normal colour. I look in the mirror and practice smiling again for a minute.

Parking. It just happened the site behind ours was vacant so I could do a classic ‘drive through’ from the rear. However there wasn’t enough space at front to drive the van through to the spot to disconnect without reaching all the way across the road and nudging the other side fence. I asked a neighbour in an RV how ‘that bloke over there managed’ and was told he is a trucky and all but jack knifed it with the car at 90 degrees leaving the van parked perfectly. He could do that, but how the hell am I going to?

Innovation! The sites are very short but wide.

So after pacing off and consideration, I parked it diagonally and it fitted with room to spare including space for the car on one side and the awning on the other. I suggested to management that they mark the park out like that. They were happy for me to park like it but … take a photo if you want, because you won’t see it again.

Evening, we return to Helder and Cristina’s home near Fremantle for round two of getting together. Heavy night Easter traffic. We arrive. Annes knuckles return to normal from white and I attempt to change my grimace to a smile.

This time it is home entertainment. I should have said, ‘lovely home’ entertainment The place is marvelous and is decorated with extensive Timor Leste carvings and pots.

The food was just fabulous with Portuguese theme. Green beans, Arroz de Marisco (seafood Rice) and croquettes.

Prawns, muscles clams etc. Just so very tasty. Cristina is past just a cook.

Helder brings out an extensive choice of the finest wines and spirits money can buy. He really should start a bar or at least buy a trolley to save having to go back for the second lot. I could have happily tried the lot. I could almost taste them  as I picked up each bottle with quivering hands. However, I have to be real careful for the drive home. Double demerit points over Easter. I settle for my favourite. A small Port to remind me one of the reasons why life is worth living. Dangerous, because it slipped down so smoothly.

The happy four.

A late night for us but a truly enjoyable evening of laughing, reminiscing, feasting and just a plain good time. A real pleasure to catch up again. It’s never goodbye. It’s only ever, ‘See you later!’ We must have had a good time. We get home at an unheard of  MIDNIGHT(!!!!)

All the usual night preps, then …..

zzzzzzzzzz         zzzzzzzzzz          zzzzzzzz

 

Friday 2nd April 2021

9.30am-sh we get a visit from family, namely my niece Naomi, husband Paul and their ‘little princess’, daughter Alice. ‘The H’s.’ They cycled here, on purpose. They are like that.

The whole crew.

I know who got the best seat. I could enjoy cycling if I got the back seat.

Van groomer and repairs cruise the park.

Early afternoon, we head for the H’s home. Some great additions since our last visit. Double garage with direct access to inside etc. Good stuff. We chat and soak up some good family time. Then, a great ‘in the middle’ casual lunch of many, many nibbles, like cheese, pate, fruit, hummus, etc. The sort of meal that is hard to stop eating, until you realize you are choc-a-block full.

Alice is shooting up so quickly. Just amazing and a ‘nice kid.’

Lunch is followed by a walk along the river. Exercise I hadn’t counted on.

We test the new big camera lens. Bit of adjusting needed. Have to get used to it.

After the duck, this ‘funny’ seemed appropriate.

Just in case you can’t read it, the dog says, ‘I wish I could fly.’ The fish says, ‘I wish I could walk.’ the bird says, ‘I wish I could swim.’

All is good and back home (H’s home) for a crumbed fish evening meal with other ‘tasties’ like normal and sweet potato chips … plus. Good chat, arrangement to get together tomorrow and we go home in the dark. Late so another good day.

Day is over. Hang on. ‘Day ain’t over yet.’ The RV neighbours are at the adjacent camp kitchen in R & R mode. So, we join them for a good night drink.

All good things must come to an end, but there’s always tomorrow. Now it’s the usual evening performance of showers, a touch of TV, a night cap (OK. ANOTHER night cap …. or two). A good day, then …….

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz          zzzzzzzzzzzzzz          zzzzzzzzzzz