The weather changed two or three weeks ago and we lit the open fire, as we have every night since. It's a great thing and especially so when firewood supply is no problem and the wood you have stored is well seasoned and dry from the rain. Not that I'm on top of it totally, there's a lot of wood exposed to the weather, I haven't yet got it all under cover in the shed but have had some there and some under tarps so I'm OK for now. There's dry spell forecast now for a few days and my plan is to barrow a lot of wood into the shed for the next month or so. I would have done it this weekend but I took the day off yesterday, at Lib's urging, to go with Gord to Powelltown to watch the Brookers, and I did museum roster today.
Gord wasn't playing, he has been training but is only offering his services if they can't get the numbers. So far the ressies have had enough. I felt it would do me good to go with him yesterday. I have been to Powelltown with him the last two years, two years ago it was his first game I think. I love the drive to there. There are some beautiful trees along the way, even the messmates somehow look better along the road nearing Powelly.
We arrived shortly before quarter time in the ressies. Gembrook had 3 goals 2 on the board and Powelly 5 behinds, which was the score at the break, The second quarter was all Poweltowns as they caught up on the scoreboard and really should have gone in well ahead at halftime but missed many shots. Gembrook were fumbling and looked quite inferior. I bought a meat pie at the canteen and a coffee. The pie was so hot I had trouble eating it without burning my mouth. I did burn my mouth. The lady put milk in the coffee without me asking for it, it was luke warm and insipid but the cost of both was $5.50, not bad hey.
The third quarter was much like the second, Powelly on top but not dominating the scoring. At the last break Gembrook was behind by a small margin. On top of the reserves ladder, Gemmy had to pull something out, The last quarter was a hard slog. Halfway through the quarter after two or three desperate acts I called early, they would win, and they did. I had a pasty during this. it was red hot like the pie but with lots of sauce and me going out the back away from the throng i ate it slowly in peace, this time with a straight black tea from a tea bag. Another $5.50 well spent.
The senior game kicked off and Gembrook looked ordinary. It's quite stark the contrast between the ressies and the seniors. It's obvious straight away that the standard of footy is higher, and some of those on the field are actually very good. Again, Gembrook did not look convincing, at half time scores were about level and with a number of Powelltown players looking confident and competent, it looked to me like the home side would win the game.
I went inside the Powelltown clubrooms at half time, not the changerooms, but the social room with all the pictures on the wall of past premiership teams, cricket and football. I was looking for an old teammate of mine from the early 1970's, Allan Warburton. He was a carpet layer, and just how I got onto him I don't know but he installed the carpet in our house extension in 1985. He said he was still playing footy for Poweltown. I had well and truly given it away by then. I found no mention of him on the walls which did not surprise. Al would have been at the end of his footy when he played there and while he was a good strong ruck rover he wasn't a star, although on his day he could dominate. His brother Lloyd was captain coach of Ormond Church of Christ in 1971-73. Lloyd was an excellent full forward, ex captain of Melbourne U19's. He kicked 150 goals in our premiership year of 1971 in the modest Eastern Suburbs churches League E grade. He was only 5 foot 9 inches in height which prevented him going on in the VFL as he was a genuine full forward type player but he had big strong hands and an excellent lead, very hard to stop. We had a good team in a competitive comp which had some excellent players despite its lowly status. We were runners up in D grade the next year and just missed the finals in C grade the following after a season mauled by some ugly brawling and fighting incidents on field after which the club wound up. I had three happy years of footy and social life there and didn't play again until 1978, except for some games at Qld Ag College in 1974 in their inaugural team in the SE Qld comp. Many of the players in that team were new to Aussie rules and we were poleaxed most games, once by 50 goals against Aviation, a team from the Oakey Army Aviation base which was comprised mostly of blokes from the south who'd played Aussie Rules all their lives. It was humbling and embarrassing but I have fond memory of it and the brave effort of my teammates who were on a hiding to nothing but loved it.
I have gotten away from my point but that is the beauty of blogging, you can do that. After half time Gembrook gained the upper hand emphatically and kicked eight goals to nought in the third quarter. It was impressive with hard working little blokes driving forward and strong defenders sending the ball back. The best of it was when big Clarky, the 36 or so year old co coach getting a lovely tap at a centre bounce down to a running captain Ricky Causer whose long well placed kick to full forward where Andrew Ship took a hanger from behind. Just classic footy. Shippy didn't kick the goal he gave a little pass to someone very close. It broke the back of the opposition.
Gord and I drove home slowly so as to minimise the chances of hitting a roo or wallaby, one of which jumped across the road in front of us quite close, and after Lib's altercation with one a couple of weeks ago I didn't want to be putting in another insurance claim.
It was nice coming home to a roaring hot fire that Rob and Lib had going when we got back after a little shopping in Yarra Junction. I had set the fire in the morning, which will be my habit most days if not all for the next three months or so.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
An Unusual Day
I took a day off today. Thursdays are normally my quiet day and I had a massage appt in Tecoma scheduled for 4pm, so when Merle asked me was there a chance I could attend a function in Berwick on behalf of the Friends of Gembrook Park I said yes I could. Not that I had any desire to, but I badly wanted a haircut and thought I could easily be down that way doing that and fit in the function which I was told was to start at 12.15pm and run for half an hour only as the Minister for Social Services was on a tight schedule.
It was an announcement of the volunteer grants to organizations in the Latrobe electorate, $99,000 to 26 organizations who had successfully applied for a grant. I had had nothing to do with our application but the chap who did it was away in Qld and Merle could not go. I went because I could, and I was curious. It was held at the new Impaired Vision school in Berwick which was an impressive place as were the students and the staff who had a small assembly to welcome everyone and kick it off. Local Federal Member Jason Wood and Christian Porter the Minister both spoke briefly and it was a short and sweet announcement followed by a tour of the school.
Apparently Jason Wood had been instrumental in achieving funding for the school around the time of the last election and this was news to me. The children who spoke at the assembly were most impressive and it showed me how important it is that disabled kids get opportunities to progress and play a valuable role in society. As part of the assembly a girl played a little organ and two other kids put an Australian flag in a stand and everyone sang the National Anthem Advance Australia Fair.
Everyone except me that is. Not out of protest, anyone can sing what they like is my view, or not sing if they don't want to. I remembered singing the National Anthem thousands of times at school like an obedient parrot, in those days it was 'God Save the Queen', and I have often thought if I could go back I'd not sing and say "no thanks not for me". I just don't see the point in singing it on cue, or making kids sing it. A bit like when I went to church recently and everyone was up and down singing like a parrot from a cue card numerous times. I just don't get it. It doesn't do it for me. I know politicians are big on national pride and allegiance to the flag and all that stuff, and there was no shortage of signage on the roadsides showing pictures of smiling Jason Wood and Malcolm Turnbull advertising the one billion dollars they were to spend on the Monash freeway if re-elected. There was a even a very large one looking straight at you as you drove into the school.
And the kids also thanked the elders past and present of the indigenous tribes for the use of the land we are now occupying, something like that was the wording, at the start of the assembly. I have seen this down at council meeting when I attended one a few years ago, and I believe it is done at State and Federal Parliament. It seems much like lip service to me, tokenism. A bit like saying we do this because we recognize we took your land from you, now we can get on with the development. The plight of indigenous people in Australia is as desperate as ever, and I was shocked on a visit to Central Australia a few years ago.
With that of my chest, let me say I had a great day. I had a haircut in Pakenham. I went to a bloke I'd been to before in an arcade off the main street knowing he was an avid Melbourne fan and could fill me in on the club news, but he was closed for two weeks. There was a lady barber Meagan who does men next door, a Sydney fan, but she had three blokes ahead of me so I looked in the window of the lady's hairdresser on the other side of my bloke and there was no one in there and the lady said come in she'd do me straight away. She was a total delight, Soni was her name, an Indian migrant from the Punjab, she has owned the business 2 years and her husband is a truck driver and they have a six year old daughter, after migrating nine years ago. She only charged me $15 which is what the man next door does. Sometimes you meet people who give your spirits a lift and she did that.
After the meeting in Berwick I went to drop some lemons in to Rickyralph round the corner. He happened to be home as he worked night shift in his new job last night, and he was so happy Gord and I called in. We talked for an hour over a couple of cups of tea before Gord and I went to Fountain gate then onto Aldi at FTG and my massage at Tecoma. My session with masseur Lisa was exquisite euphoria, her hands like magic as she worked for 45 mins on my lower and upper back and shoulders and neck.
It was an announcement of the volunteer grants to organizations in the Latrobe electorate, $99,000 to 26 organizations who had successfully applied for a grant. I had had nothing to do with our application but the chap who did it was away in Qld and Merle could not go. I went because I could, and I was curious. It was held at the new Impaired Vision school in Berwick which was an impressive place as were the students and the staff who had a small assembly to welcome everyone and kick it off. Local Federal Member Jason Wood and Christian Porter the Minister both spoke briefly and it was a short and sweet announcement followed by a tour of the school.
Apparently Jason Wood had been instrumental in achieving funding for the school around the time of the last election and this was news to me. The children who spoke at the assembly were most impressive and it showed me how important it is that disabled kids get opportunities to progress and play a valuable role in society. As part of the assembly a girl played a little organ and two other kids put an Australian flag in a stand and everyone sang the National Anthem Advance Australia Fair.
Everyone except me that is. Not out of protest, anyone can sing what they like is my view, or not sing if they don't want to. I remembered singing the National Anthem thousands of times at school like an obedient parrot, in those days it was 'God Save the Queen', and I have often thought if I could go back I'd not sing and say "no thanks not for me". I just don't see the point in singing it on cue, or making kids sing it. A bit like when I went to church recently and everyone was up and down singing like a parrot from a cue card numerous times. I just don't get it. It doesn't do it for me. I know politicians are big on national pride and allegiance to the flag and all that stuff, and there was no shortage of signage on the roadsides showing pictures of smiling Jason Wood and Malcolm Turnbull advertising the one billion dollars they were to spend on the Monash freeway if re-elected. There was a even a very large one looking straight at you as you drove into the school.
And the kids also thanked the elders past and present of the indigenous tribes for the use of the land we are now occupying, something like that was the wording, at the start of the assembly. I have seen this down at council meeting when I attended one a few years ago, and I believe it is done at State and Federal Parliament. It seems much like lip service to me, tokenism. A bit like saying we do this because we recognize we took your land from you, now we can get on with the development. The plight of indigenous people in Australia is as desperate as ever, and I was shocked on a visit to Central Australia a few years ago.
With that of my chest, let me say I had a great day. I had a haircut in Pakenham. I went to a bloke I'd been to before in an arcade off the main street knowing he was an avid Melbourne fan and could fill me in on the club news, but he was closed for two weeks. There was a lady barber Meagan who does men next door, a Sydney fan, but she had three blokes ahead of me so I looked in the window of the lady's hairdresser on the other side of my bloke and there was no one in there and the lady said come in she'd do me straight away. She was a total delight, Soni was her name, an Indian migrant from the Punjab, she has owned the business 2 years and her husband is a truck driver and they have a six year old daughter, after migrating nine years ago. She only charged me $15 which is what the man next door does. Sometimes you meet people who give your spirits a lift and she did that.
After the meeting in Berwick I went to drop some lemons in to Rickyralph round the corner. He happened to be home as he worked night shift in his new job last night, and he was so happy Gord and I called in. We talked for an hour over a couple of cups of tea before Gord and I went to Fountain gate then onto Aldi at FTG and my massage at Tecoma. My session with masseur Lisa was exquisite euphoria, her hands like magic as she worked for 45 mins on my lower and upper back and shoulders and neck.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Big Roo
Lib hit a big roo on her way to work yesterday. Fortunately she kept the car on the road after having no time to brake or swerve, it just appeared suddenly and she collected it left front. It damaged the front panel and bonnet and the side panel around the wheel.
She was able to drive on to work and rang me at 7.05am. I went and looked early arvo after reporting it to our insurance co. I was surprised at the extent of the damage and drove it to Officer to Berwick Body Repairs which is accredited with our insurance. They were excellent last year when they repaired Gord's car after he swerved to miss a wombat causing him to hit a stationary object on the roadside.
You never know what's coming on any given day. We're told it will cost us $600 excess and it will be about three weeks before we get it back. We're lucky to have Ian's Subie to use in the meantime. Let's hope another roo doesn't jump in front of it. They are a real hazard this time of year along that road, on Lib's way to work in the early morn.
Poor Lib. It gave her a fright. We're feeling lucky that she was not injured. I feel sorry for the roo, it was just doing its thing. It disappeared from the roadside after the accident Lib said but I can't see that it would survive after such a violent collision and I hope it was not a slow death. There's terrible carnage to animals and birds on the roads.
.
She was able to drive on to work and rang me at 7.05am. I went and looked early arvo after reporting it to our insurance co. I was surprised at the extent of the damage and drove it to Officer to Berwick Body Repairs which is accredited with our insurance. They were excellent last year when they repaired Gord's car after he swerved to miss a wombat causing him to hit a stationary object on the roadside.
You never know what's coming on any given day. We're told it will cost us $600 excess and it will be about three weeks before we get it back. We're lucky to have Ian's Subie to use in the meantime. Let's hope another roo doesn't jump in front of it. They are a real hazard this time of year along that road, on Lib's way to work in the early morn.
Poor Lib. It gave her a fright. We're feeling lucky that she was not injured. I feel sorry for the roo, it was just doing its thing. It disappeared from the roadside after the accident Lib said but I can't see that it would survive after such a violent collision and I hope it was not a slow death. There's terrible carnage to animals and birds on the roads.
 |
| Gord took this photo while I was giving Lib the keys to the Subie. It looked far worse from the side |
Monday, May 09, 2016
Election Called
Somehow PM Shorten just doesn't sound right. But then I never thought PM Abbott would have happened either. I think it'll be a returned Turnbull Government, but I suppose anything is possible in the next eight weeks.
There's not much difference between them anyway. I was surveyed a couple of years ago by Jason Wood's office (our local member for Latrobe). His office asked me what I thought was the most pressing local issue, and for the nation. On both counts I answered the environment, closely followed by affordable housing.
So, I'll be voting accordingly.
Simple as that.
There's not much difference between them anyway. I was surveyed a couple of years ago by Jason Wood's office (our local member for Latrobe). His office asked me what I thought was the most pressing local issue, and for the nation. On both counts I answered the environment, closely followed by affordable housing.
So, I'll be voting accordingly.
Simple as that.
Sunday, May 01, 2016
Dr Phillip
I worked a little today, Sunday. This because a customer, my best customer, asked could he have 20 bunches of purple wattle to pick up Monday morning, meaning it would need to be picked Sunday.
Yes I did it. I also picked 10 bunches of Mexican Sage at Keith's, and a little extra for Elvie to use in her mixed posies. This to make the exercise of driving to Emerald a little more worth while. It rained on and off for most of the day. I have to go the specialist tomorrow so rather than say no (they would have to wait until Monday afternoon pick up) it suited me to work today and get it out of the way, leaving tomorrow comfortable for my 2.00pm appt.
Purple wattle you may know is a type of Cootamundra wattle. I planted a row at the farm some twenty years ago and several trees at home. I used to sell quite a lot, then for whatever reason no one asked for it and the trees deteriorated. These things are better if you cut them regularly so they put on new good growth. If not cut they deteriorate.
So for now there's a renewed interest, albeit by only one customer that buys from our wholesaler, and probably fleeting. While I was picking I thought of Phillip, who, a couple of years ago bought good quantities of wattle foliage and blossom. He was a good customer who paid on the nose and bought a lot of stuff we would otherwise have not sold.
He was a nuisance in that he wanted stuff outside my normal routine but the benefits outweighed the negatives so I did my best to get what he wanted. He was a likeable guy. He was a doctor, working in emergency at Dandenong Hospital, and studying to be a surgeon. But he loved floristry and plants and gardens and flowers, and worked in his time off for a florist. He always had a camera at hand and was always taking pictures of flowers and trees.
He was a big bloke, half Asian looking but dark skinned. Very handsome, and well spoken and extremely polite. He said his mother was Vietnamese, and his father a black American serviceman.
This went on for a year or so. He was a little unreliable, not turning up when he said he would, but with the good excuse that he was unable to get away from his work at the hospital and had to work long shifts. Sometimes he'd turn up with an unusual vehicle, saying the florist's van was unavailable so he had to hire one.
Then he just stopped coming. He owed us a small amount of money but the weeks and months passed and we assumed he wouldn't return. In the meantime we picked up another customer a lady from Monbulk, who fills the Phillip Gap. In conversation one day she told us that she knew Phillip and he was a total fraud, he was not a doctor at all. We have not seen him since.
To the footy. Keith was happy his Saints had such a good win. He reckons ruckman Hickey set it up by nullifying the influence of Max Gawn. Maybe too, but I just think the Saints were better all over the paddock. Keith is eighty years old +. He recently had an operation to have a pig's valve inserted in his heart where his own was failing. Now on the other side of his heart, the valve is leaking, top and bottom. He thinks they can't give him another pig's valve. maybe due to age. He is out of breath very quickly. But in his eighties he keeps his business selling camellias going and still drives all over Victoria delivering to nurseries.
A great thing about my lifestyle is the people along the way. Keith is a great favourite and his wife Jenny is a beautiful lady with the the most lovely nature I have ever come across. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Fantastic.
Yes I did it. I also picked 10 bunches of Mexican Sage at Keith's, and a little extra for Elvie to use in her mixed posies. This to make the exercise of driving to Emerald a little more worth while. It rained on and off for most of the day. I have to go the specialist tomorrow so rather than say no (they would have to wait until Monday afternoon pick up) it suited me to work today and get it out of the way, leaving tomorrow comfortable for my 2.00pm appt.
Purple wattle you may know is a type of Cootamundra wattle. I planted a row at the farm some twenty years ago and several trees at home. I used to sell quite a lot, then for whatever reason no one asked for it and the trees deteriorated. These things are better if you cut them regularly so they put on new good growth. If not cut they deteriorate.
So for now there's a renewed interest, albeit by only one customer that buys from our wholesaler, and probably fleeting. While I was picking I thought of Phillip, who, a couple of years ago bought good quantities of wattle foliage and blossom. He was a good customer who paid on the nose and bought a lot of stuff we would otherwise have not sold.
He was a nuisance in that he wanted stuff outside my normal routine but the benefits outweighed the negatives so I did my best to get what he wanted. He was a likeable guy. He was a doctor, working in emergency at Dandenong Hospital, and studying to be a surgeon. But he loved floristry and plants and gardens and flowers, and worked in his time off for a florist. He always had a camera at hand and was always taking pictures of flowers and trees.
He was a big bloke, half Asian looking but dark skinned. Very handsome, and well spoken and extremely polite. He said his mother was Vietnamese, and his father a black American serviceman.
This went on for a year or so. He was a little unreliable, not turning up when he said he would, but with the good excuse that he was unable to get away from his work at the hospital and had to work long shifts. Sometimes he'd turn up with an unusual vehicle, saying the florist's van was unavailable so he had to hire one.
Then he just stopped coming. He owed us a small amount of money but the weeks and months passed and we assumed he wouldn't return. In the meantime we picked up another customer a lady from Monbulk, who fills the Phillip Gap. In conversation one day she told us that she knew Phillip and he was a total fraud, he was not a doctor at all. We have not seen him since.
To the footy. Keith was happy his Saints had such a good win. He reckons ruckman Hickey set it up by nullifying the influence of Max Gawn. Maybe too, but I just think the Saints were better all over the paddock. Keith is eighty years old +. He recently had an operation to have a pig's valve inserted in his heart where his own was failing. Now on the other side of his heart, the valve is leaking, top and bottom. He thinks they can't give him another pig's valve. maybe due to age. He is out of breath very quickly. But in his eighties he keeps his business selling camellias going and still drives all over Victoria delivering to nurseries.
A great thing about my lifestyle is the people along the way. Keith is a great favourite and his wife Jenny is a beautiful lady with the the most lovely nature I have ever come across. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Fantastic.
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