Beyond The Blue Horizon

"And how are you today?"

2012-01-11T14:50:00.000+11:00

Don't you find this to be an odd greeting when attending a doctor's surgery?

I had an appointment this morning and the (very pleasant) receptionist greeted me with that line, to which I replied "Well, not really great, otherwise I wouldn't be here", which was met by a look of surprise.

What else did she expect? I was ill!

In a similar vein is the "Have a nice day!" that the checkout-chick throws your way at 5:30 in the evening.

In both cases it's habit, I know, but in the former "How can I help you?" and in the latter "Thank you." would be more appropriate.

Indy 500 1965 - Jim Clark's Lotus 38

2011-12-24T08:32:00.002+11:00

Back in July I posted a small article about a model of the Ferrari P4 prototype sports-racing car and mentioned two others, one being this model - the Lotus 38 crafted by the (now defunct) Carousel 1 company.

Although rear-engined cars had been raced at Indianapolis prior to 1965 - Jack Brabham starting the trend in 1961 in a Formula 1 Cooper - it wasn't until Lotus and Ford mounted a major effort in 1963 that success finally eventuated two years later with renowned Grand Prix driver Jim Clark taking first place in 1965 in the Lotus type 38, seen in model form below. (All images enlarge to full size if clicked).

Generally considered to be one of the most beautifully-proportioned designs ever to race at Indianapolis, the Carousel 1 die-cast model, in 1/8 scale, replicates those lines perfectly and is looked upon as the Holy Grail of the Lotus 38 in model format.

It is superbly crafted and detailed - with even the individual buckles on the racing harness being accurately presented - and is finished in the exact green and yellow livery, complete with all sponsor's decals, as the real car.

Carousel 1 created quite a few models of the cars raced at Indianapolis and they have become highly sought-after since the demise of the business some years ago.
If you are looking for one, they regularly come up on Ebay, which is where I found mine.

Matilda's Last Christmas at Pre-School

2011-12-10T08:15:00.002+11:00

My grand-daughter Matilda - who turned 5 in October - had her end-of-year Christmas pageant yesterday with the traditional nativity play, after which she received her "graduation" certificate.
Next year she starts kindergarten and a new chapter in her life's story opens up.

Matilda asked me last week if I would go to watch her in the play so of course I said yes and as well as videoing the performance for posterity - she played the inn-keeper and her lines consisted of "No, no" when Joseph asked for a room - I also took a few photos............

After the play was over there was a bit of a party, with appropriate food, balloons and face-painting.

Reflecting on the past 5 years?

Our peace has been breached!

2011-11-16T16:25:00.001+11:00

Well, Mr. Obama has finally set foot in Canberra after two previously-cancelled trips and the usual semi-load of American hyper-crap has been dumped on us.

In a similar fashion to the Bush visit in 2003, we have a permanent - noisy - fighter aircraft circling the ACT for the next 24 hours, just to guard against sneak attacks on the American embassy.
Why can't they simply have an aircraft sitting on the ramp at Fairbairn, fuelled up and ready to go at a moment's notice?

There are 300+ security personnel here!
THREE HUNDRED!!!

At selected intersections throughout the capital sit black, unmarked and unregistered vans.
Why?

Perhaps the most insidious thing is that mobile phone reception around Parliament House/American Embassy has been disrupted.

Like many other Canberrans who don't give a toss about this visit, I will be glad to hear Airforce One depart tomorrow afternoon.

Matilda's Fifth Birthday

2011-10-23T18:18:00.000+11:00

My grand-daughter, Matilda, recently celebrated her 5th. birthday and asked for a 10-pin bowling afternoon to be part of her family party.

So we headed off to the Tuggeranong Bowl for a couple of games, during which Matilda would only let Drew (her 27-year old uncle) help her with the targeting and rolling device.

Here's a lovely shot taken by Matilda's mum (my daughter, Lauren - Drew's sister) on her iPhone.
A bit blurry but it captures a nice moment between the two.
(Click on the image for a full-size version)

Canberra to Bonny Hills in 13 episodes

2011-09-18T17:07:00.001+10:00

In late July I ventured north for the annual reunion with sister and brother at Bonny Hills.
The following video clips document sections of the trip, from 7:30 AM to about 3:30 PM.
Fortunately the weather was perfect for the whole 700+ kilometres.

MGM, Warner Bros, Paramount and J.Arthur Rank - Eat Your Heart Out!

2011-09-18T16:38:00.007+10:00

Over the past couple of years I have travelled frequently into the Snowy Mountains as part of my job - I usually visit Cooma, Jindabyne and Guthega one day per month and then, a week or fortnight later, do an overnighter that takes in Cabramurra, Khancoban, Talbingo and Blowering Dam (near Tumut).

During these drives I occasionally mount the little Canon camcorder inside the windscreen and record some of the region, as seen from the driver's perspective.

In addition to my regular jaunts through the Snowy region I do an annual drive up to Bonny Hills (near Port Macquarie) for a get-together with my siblings. That region - bounded by the Hastings, Camden Haven and Manning rivers - was our stamping ground for 50 years, from early childhood through to senior-citizenship.
So I also do a similar thing - record with the camcorder.

All of those that I have made publicly accessible I have uploaded to You Tube so I thought it about time that I provided links from this blog.

They are in chronological order - most recent first.
Remember that you can view the clip in much larger format by clicking on the YouTube logo, bottom right corner of the screen.

Here are a few from the Snowy Mountains runs...........

P-Plates and V8s - two July milestones.

2011-08-22T22:08:00.000+10:00

I've mentioned in a previous post that I had acquired a Holden Monaro CV8Z but at the time didn't have a recent photo of the car and proud new owner, so here is one that was taken just yesterday.
(Click on image for larger view).

But there is another milestone that was reached in July by which I am quite tickled, and that was passing my motorcycle P-plate test.
Here's a shot of me leaning over my Vespa GT200 which is sporting the new plate, which has to be displayed for 6 months, after which it can be removed. In a year's time, all being well, the Provisional restriction will automatically be removed from my licence.

Australian National University (ANU), Canberra.

2011-08-22T21:50:00.003+10:00

I had the pleasure of wandering through the campus last Saturday (20th. August) taking some photos as part of my job.

It was a cool, late-winter's morning but the sun broke through the cloud cover most of the time, illuminating the blossom trees and the buildings.

Here's a four-minute slide show of a selection of those pix, set to music, that you might enjoy.
I have tried to provide a counterpoint to the more modern architectural styles of recently-constructed buildings (towards the end of the clip) by starting with some of the original cottages, now offices and schools in their own right.

I hope that you find it enjoyable.
The soundtrack, by-the-way, is "Don't Let Me be Lonely Tonight", by Percy Faith.

Click on the YouTube script in the bottom right-hand corner to view on YouTube and in a larger size.

Is it real or is it........Minichamps, GMP or Carousel 1?

2011-07-09T21:48:00.006+10:00

(All photos enlarge when clicked)
For many, many years I've harboured a desire to have really good large-scale models of my favourite racing cars and at the top of the list has always been the Ferrari 330 P4 of 1967, the Tipo 61 "Birdcage" Maserati of 1961 and the Lotus 38 which took Jim Clark to victory in the 1965 Indy 500.
So over the past year I've acquired each of the cars mentioned above in the form of 1/18th. scale die-cast creations from GMP (the Ferrari), Minicraft (the Maserati) and Carousel 1 (the Lotus).
My photos do not do these models justice - the details are exquisite and have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. These are display-quality items, jewels of the model-maker's art.

FERRARI P4 SPIDER (open-top)
(The #6 car raced by Jackie Stewart & Chris Amon at the BOAC 1000kms, Brands Hatch, 1967)

The P4 Ferrari has arguably the most beautiful lines of any sports-prototype racing car ever created. And this model captures those curves perfectly. I fell in love with this car back when I first saw a photograph in the mid 1960s and have held that feeling ever since.

There were four original cars made by Ferrari and I believe that they all exist today. Collectors would pay well into the millions of dollars to own one of these cars.

The model details extend to individual spark-plugs and wires, the seatbelt buckles, foot pedals, mesh over the intake grilles, bungee cords (which actually stretch!) holding the spare wheel in place.

The doors open and close, the steering wheel turns the front wheels and the suspension compresses.

This model is still in production and can be purchased on the internet from several highly reputable retailers in Australia, USA and the UK, to name but three countries.

Next up ...... LOTUS 38
(The #82 car as raced at the Indianapolis 500 by Jim Clark in 1965)

Well, here's proof. Australia is governed by the minorities.

2011-07-08T19:16:00.002+10:00

"Carbon Tax Sunday" is now a definite.
On Sunday 10th. July - in two days - Julia Gillard PM will announce that her tax - which she once made a commitment to not introduce (in her pre-election load-of-crap) - will be introduced.

She now has the power to do this because our country is effectively governed by a handful of politicians - several Independents and a couple of Greenies.
They hold the balance of power and in the wheeling-and-dealing that appears to go on 24 hours a day, 7 days per week up at the Big House, these turkeys have it in their power to control what will or will not pass through the house as legislation.

All I can say is that I never dreamed that the future of this country would fall into the hands of a couple of tree-huggers, a would-be cowboy from Queensland and a few wanna-be's.

What a sad day for Australia - and on the same day that news comes from Europe that the Emissions Trading Scheme in operation there appears to be nothing more than a way for banks to increase their profits and does bugger-all for the environment.

I give up!

Another item ticked off the "Bucket List".

2011-06-23T07:08:00.009+10:00

In July 2009, and again in November of that year, my boss very kindly allowed me to take his 2005 Holden Monaro CV8Z - the last iteration of the model - away for the weekend.
The first trip was to Bonny Hills near Port Macquarie and the second was a drive up to paradise - also known as Yamba - on the far north coast of NSW.

When I returned from that first weekend I asked that if ever he were to contemplate selling the car to please let me know first so I could sell my children and pets for medical experiments in order to raise the finances to make the purchase!

Very recently the opportunity came up to buy the Monaro and I am delighted to say that it now resides in my garage; the children and pets are fine and medical science will have to do without them.

I have really liked the Holden Monaro ever since this reincarnation of the 1960s/1970s GM-H icon was first mooted (it was a "concept" design) back in 1998 at the Sydney Motor Show, knowing that of all my dream cars it was the one most likely to be fulfilled. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, E-Type Jaguars and their ilk had a snowball's chance in Hell of ever sitting in my driveway, but there was always a possibility that the Monaro could one day satisfy my desire to own it.

What makes the pleasure even greater is the fact that it is the CV8Z and the cherry on top of the cake is that it is in "Fusion", the striking metallic gold/orange livery and black/gold upholstery. There are only (approx) 250 of this combination.

The "Zed" was the Monaro's swan-song and had a limited run of (initially) 1,200 units. This was increased by another 400 units before GM-H closed the production line in December 2005.

It's a fabulous machine and I'm tickled pink to be fortunate in finally owning one - this one in particular.

And they're hitting us with a "Carbon Tax".....?

2011-06-10T16:16:00.005+10:00

This makes whatever we Australians will push into the atmosphere over the next 100 years look piddling by comparison.........(Click on for larger image).

Have a look at these images from the Boston Globe "Big Picture" and, when finished with the Chilean volcano, they have a bunch of pix of the Icelandic volcano that you can be impressed by, as well.

Now, would Julia Gillard and her henchmen/women, and all the advocates of a Carbon Tax, please explain to me one more time just how it will benefit we Aussies in particular and the planet in general?

Sydney to Perth....1975 style

2011-05-15T18:14:00.017+10:00

(Click on any image for a much larger view)

I was browsing some 35-year old 35mm slides the other day (hmmm, that's 1mm for every year!) and scanned a few of them that related to our (wife and I) trip from Sydney to Perth and return in April/May of 1975.

We had bought a new Honda Civic in 1974 and I added a few minor things to it before the trip, such as driving/fog lights and an insect/bird screen across the front.
A roof-rack carried our two-man tent and sundries that could get wet without causing any problem.

Inside we had our clothes, sleeping bags and other odds and sods. We even bought a Sharp cassette/radio unit as we knew that radio reception in the vastness of South Australia would be limited to the ABC. One new tape that we bought was the Wings album "Band On The Run", which we had on LP.

The photo above shows the shiny car as we made a comfort stop somewhere west of Mildura.

We had planned the drive across to take six days - the first was Sydney to Hay, the second Hay to Adelaide, the third was Adelaide to Ceduna, the fourth Ceduna to Eucla (WA border), the fifth then from Eucla to Norseman and the last from Norseman north through Kambalda and west to Perth.

The intent was to camp in the tent each night but that fell by the wayside at Adelaide (motel) and Ceduna (motel).

Today (and from about 1977) that trip would take in 4,100 kilometres but back then the Eyre Highway followed a more inland route after leaving Ceduna and did not approach the coast again until arriving at Eucla, on the SA/WA border.
Back in 1975 we drove considerably further and it included about 400 kms of rough dirt (and limestone rocks) road and that road was covered with muddy water in many areas due to heavy rains through the "centre" over previous weeks.

Here's the car on one of those stretches, somewhere between Bookabie and Eucla.
Note the stretches of water on either side of the road, the fact that it is wider than a dual-carriageway express-way and the limestone rocks.
The reason the surface is so wide is that when it became damaged by the trucks then the road maintenance gangs simply graded another bit along the side!

The Civic is looking very second-hand but I still managed to strike a cavalier pose for my wife of two years.

Here's the sign erected near Yalata that highlights the fact that a new southern alignment is under construction........

We drove alongside this new bit for some distance before it slipped away to the south and we veered more northward.
Very frustrating, seeing that bitumen surface going to waste....although it was being used by a couple of motorcyclists who passed us.

As you can see on the sign, the section from Ceduna to Bookabie had been resurfaced and the dirt continued onwards from Bookabie.

Another shot of the Honda. We are pretty sure that we never completely rid it of the muddy bull-dust. It got into every crevice. The engine compartment was covered in it, but she never missed a beat.

When we got back to Sydney four weeks later we spent a whole day cleaning it but I'm sure that whoever bought it after we traded it in 1978 bought a Civic with Nullarbor Plain mud in it somewhere!

After enduring what was almost a full day of crap road it was a blessing to finally arrive in Western Australia and feel the smoothness and quiet of a bitumen road surface under our tyres once again.
We weren't the only people to have felt the same way, as evidenced by the graffiti on the sign.....

There wasn't much at Eucla in 1975......a service station and a camping ground, which is where we stayed for the night.
We could have pushed on to Norseman but it was too far away and we were both tired and just wanted to relax, have something to eat and drink before starting the Western Australian section the next day.

So far our Big Adventure had taken us through three States (including NSW) and we had travelled further west than either of us had been before.
And it was an adventure back then - you could buy a sticker which proudly proclaimed "I Crossed The Nullarbor" and depicted the dirt-road route. I still have that sticker.

So we parked the car and erected the tent. I think I even gave the Honda a cursory wash with a bucket of water, just to get the glass areas clean, at least.

In the background, the blue of the sea in the Great Australian Bight as the sun starts to set in the west (to right of the photo).

That little tent was a beaut. It didn't take long to put up or take down and it also came with a zip-in floor and a separate sleeping "tent-within-a-tent".
We only ever needed that once, at Norseman, where a scorpion was found traipsing across the gravel (no grass at Norseman caravan park!). But did we bother to put it up? No!
However, we caught the scorpion and consigned it to its ancestors.

We eventually arrived in Perth, spent a lovely time at Scarborough beach, caught up with friends (my wife's) and then came time to turn around and head back east.

However, neither of us were really terribly keen about doing that stretch from Eucla back to Ceduna and we also needed to have some attention paid to the car, which, we had been informed when it was serviced, might have a burnt valve. (Bad fuel somewhere?)

So we made the decision to blow our reserves by travelling on the "Trans-Australia Express", a similar service to that of the "Indian Pacific" but which travelled between Perth and Port Pirie, also on the standard-gauge line.
In order to save a little, we also decided to drive from Perth to Kalgoorlie and catch the train from that point, and that is what we did, spending a night in the city whose name is synonymous with "gold".

The "Trans-Aussie" left Kalgoorlie in the morning, after breakfast (we stayed in one of Kalgoorlie's many hotels) and the afternoon before I had to take the Civic to the station to be loaded onto a flatcar that would be added to a freight train leaving that night.
This meant that, when we arrived in Port Pirie two day's hence, the Honda would be waiting for us in the car park, ready to resume the journey.

We spent a full day, a night and then half the following day on the train, travelling First Class.
It was the BEST time of the entire trip......totally relaxing, with wonderful service and facilities and fabulous views from the panoramic windows.
I was particularly taken by this sight at one of the little fly-speck railway locations.........

Now if that isn't quaint then I don't know what is!
A rotary clothesline on a flatcar, which also hosts a shed which, I can only assume, is the laundry.
This was taken at Forrest, or somewhere similar.

There were (are?) many such sidings along the railway line traversing the Nullarbor, homes to the workers and families who maintain the rails and infrastructure.

All too soon our train journey seemed to draw to a close but, before it did, I snapped the following shot as the train paused at Port Augusta for a crew change. That is Shirley (wife) sitting on the bench further down the platform.

The locomotive CL1 is finished in the original Commonwealth Railways maroon & silver livery and ~~is still in existence today~~ was scrapped after a collision & fire in 1997.
Stretched out behind her are the stainless steel carriages of the same design used back then on the Southern Aurora (1962 - 1986) and also the relatively new Indian Pacific (service commenced in 1970).

A great trip, many good memories. I'd love to do it again, but this time on the new Eyre Highway!

Yellow Days - the colours of Autumn in our Canberra garden

2011-05-01T17:55:00.003+10:00

This is the last month of Autumn for 2011 and today was a beautiful sunny, blue-sky, no wind kind of day. The trees in our front yard have reached the peak of their colours; from now on they will lose their leaves very quickly and in a week or so their branches will be bare.

So I armed myself with my camera (Sony DSC 717) and ventured into the shrubbery, accompanied by several birds who were plucking the last of the fruit off the Crab-apple tree.

Above is a YouTube montage of those shots set to "Yellow Days", chosen because I thought it was an appropriate piece to use.
You can watch it in a larger format by clicking on the YouTube wording in the bottom right-hand side of the little screen above.

Videos from around the region.

2011-01-21T15:18:00.007+11:00

Over the past couple of months I have undertaken some work-related trips into the Snowy Mountains and decided to take some "on the road" video-clips.

I mounted my little Canon SD cam-corder on a special camera mount that sucks itself onto the windscreen, sitting just above the dashboard next to the A-pillar on the driver's side. It's quite unobtrusive, probably less so than a GPS unit stuck in the middle of the 'screen.

My journeys take me from Canberra to Cooma, Jindabyne, Guthega and return and also, on the other side, from Canberra out through Murrumbateman, down the Hume to Gundagai, to Tumut, Blowering, Talbingo, Cabramurra, Khancoban, Tumbarumba, Batlow and back to Canberra via Tumut and Gundagai once again.

So I've collected these recordings of trips since last December, editing them into smaller clips.

You can find them on YouTube by searching for hcrun (or Snowy Hydro) and, as a sample, here's a very quick clip from the trip I did on the 15th. & 16th. December.............

My photogenic grand-daughter

2011-01-01T09:49:00.005+11:00

All images enlarge when clicked

I thought I'd kick off 2011 with a couple of shots of my grand-daughter, Matilda, who is blessed with not only a beautiful face but also a four-year olds irrepressible energy.
But there were moments, on Christmas Day and again on Boxing Day, when she became almost adult in her demeanour and posture, as the following images will show:-

After finishing her Christmas pudding, Matilda contemplates what she will have next.
Will it be more pudding, or perhaps an after-dinner mint? Hmmmmm.

The following shot was taken as she reclined on our lounge on Boxing Day, playing a game on her mothers iPhone.

Ahhhh, the wonders of childhood. Oh, to be four again!

Commercial television - YUK!!

2010-12-23T18:23:00.006+11:00

I have become increasingly irritated..........no, that's not the correct term.....let's use "pissed off".........by commercial, so-called "free to air", TV.

This came to a head last night when I was watching a movie on Prime 2, or Seven 2, or whatever they call it.
The movie - if seen without commercial breaks - is one hour and twenty minutes in length.
Last night it took two hours - TWO HOURS - to see the whole thing.
That's 40 minutes of what (I learned today) is classed as "non-program" time.

I thought to myself that this can't be right - the station must be contravening the rules and regs that govern commercial TV broadcasting.

Uh-uh.
Not according to what I found after Googling "australian tv content" and discovering a government site which lays down the law (AHHHHHA! HAAAAA!) regarding TV broadcasting.

I also learned - to my horror - that Australia has the greatest "non-program to program ratio" in the world.
There is some slight flexibility but essentially it averages at around 15 minutes per hour (lowest) that may be taken up by non-program material.
This material includes not only advertisements for products and services but also community announcements, station promotions and, when elections are on, party-promotions.

Have a look here at how our Federal Government is protecting us from this crap (go to Section 5) ...........
Codes of practice expected

I was also pissed off by the fact that the first avenue of complaint takes one straight to the front door of the TV station about which you wish to complain!
To use an old saying, that's like complaining to your mother-in-law about your wife!

I'm fed up.
So fed up that I have decided that, irrespective of how attractive a program may be to my tastes, I am not going to watch it if it is on any channel owned and operated by Prime, TEN or WIN.
They can get stuffed.

Somewhat weird, but oddly fascinating!!

2010-12-13T18:37:00.004+11:00

(Don't click on the image up there for a link to YouTube....it's only a screen capture!)

Someone sent me a link to this clip from a Russian TV show of the 1970s, which features a vocalist by the name of Eduard Khil.
The story goes, apparently, that it is a song about an American cowboy who is happy about returning home after some time on the prairie (or wherever). Sounds pretty innocent, doesn't it?

Well, not to the Soviet censors at that time - which was around 1966, when Eduard first performed it live, on stage, in front of an orchestra.
The authorities stripped the lyrics from the tune (even Eduard doesn't know what they were), so when he performed it, he was left with........well, watch it and hear for yourself and you'll understand why this video has become a YouTube cult clip.........
LOLOLOLOL-Eduard Khil

There is a postscript to this story.
Eduard is still alive (he's abut 76 now) and is amazed at the amount of world-wide interest in his old video appearance.
Here's a news report...........
News Report - 2010

I think that, at this time of the year, it is a suitable song to hum or go "lololol" to.
It's a happy song, which knows no political or ideological boundaries.

Sing on, Eduard!!!

"As Slow As A Wet Week....."

2010-12-02T09:03:00.003+11:00

That saying has really hit home over the past week; we have had rain for five days in a row - something unheard of here in the Canberra region over the past decade.

The thing is....everything is so green. Grass is growing so fast that it needs to be cut again as soon as the mowing is done!

Shrubs, bushes and trees have more new growth on them than we have seen in years and flowers have gone berserk.

On my way to work each day I pass this garden at the junction of three streets near Ainslie shops. I have never seen it so dense with the rambling roses. In fact, I never realised that it was a rose garden until recently!

(click on image for full-size)

A Grand Day Out

2010-11-28T19:49:00.009+11:00

Quite recently I had reason to travel to Cabramurra and Khancoban, via Cooma.
The weather was superb - a beautiful late-spring day with hardly a cloud in the sky.
I left home at a bit after 7:00 AM and headed out along the Monaro Highway and, after Cooma, the Snowy Mountains Highway and the The Link Road to Cabramurra and then Tooma Road & the Alpine Way to Khancoban.
The recent excellent rains have turned the landscape from brown to green. A beautiful sight.

Not far from Bredbo and just about where the Queanbeyan - Cooma railway line first crossed the Monaro Highway.........

After Bredbo, heading towards Chakola

Near the Numeralla River, at Chakola

The long straight (Billilingra) that runs for about 4.5km over the crests and dips

On the other side of Cooma and I turned onto the Snowy Mountains Highway.....one of THE best driving roads I've ever had the pleasure to travel.

This last shot was taken as I approached the turnoff from Tooma Road onto the alpine Way, about 5 kms out of Khancoban.

The return trip took me through Tumbarumba, Tumut and Gundagai, where I joined the Hume Highway.
By the time I arrived back home - around 7:00 PM that night - I was very tired but it was a wonderful drive, with hardly any traffic until I hit the Hume at Gundagai. But at least by that point I could invoke cruise control and relax somewhat.

What's happened to Michelago?!

2010-11-20T06:59:00.005+11:00

About 50 kms south of Canberra is the village of Michelago. There's not much there and I would imagine that most residents would commute into Canberra for work.
The railway line to Cooma used to pass through Michelago....well, it still does but no trains run on it.
About 15 years back the old railway station was restored.

An annual fair was held at Michelago to which a steam train would operate from Canberra.

On the way back to Canberra from Cooma the other day I decided to stop and see how the place was going and was saddened to discover that the station and its surrounds had fallen into disrepair and was unkempt.

(Click on images for full-size view)

A very sad sight, with the station buildings not maintained, the track overgrown and the surrounding gardens and park gone to hell, with picnic tables and bench seats barely visible in the undergrowth.

What's happened to Michelago? The whole place looks dowdy, uncared for and forgotten.
There used to be an air of civic pride there a decade ago, so what has brought about this decay?

A sorry state of affairs.

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) - some photos.

2010-11-08T19:24:00.003+11:00

As a promotion for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, several very large sculptures were crafted out of stainless-steel and mounted on Centrepoint Tower in the retail heart of Sydney.

There were three figures: an athlete in the starting blocks, a gymnast and a basketball player in a wheelchair (representing the disabled Olympians).

At least two of these creations are viewable at the AIS.

The basketballer sits outside the entrance to the Visitor's Centre and the gymnast is a little further down the road, outside the entrance to the two indoor swimming pools.

I had reason to visit the AIS this morning as part of my job and took the following photos, which I thought I'd share here.

Please note that if you click on the small image then a full-size version will open up.

This is the main entrance to the campus and is the first thing that the visitor sees when alighting from a coach or walking up the path from the carpark............

Just to the left, and slightly behind me, is the basket-baller.......

But that shot doesn't really do her justice.....and gives no idea of the scale of the structure.

The next shot does, however...............

You can gauge the size of the figure by the two people walking towards the camera just at the base of the mound on which the sculpture is located.

In addition, the traditional bronze sculpture of the two figures on the plinth - one doing a handstand on the other's up-stretched arm - whilst larger than life, are dwarfed by the stainless-steel figure.

The next shot is of the bronze.......

This sculpture has been in place for many years and is a favourite of all those who view it.

As mentioned above, further along is the gymnast, outside the pool complex........

Here she is in a close-up.

A beautiful creation, very nicely detailed, even down to her hair being tied into a bun........

I'll close this blog entry with my favourite shot taken today.

A storm was building in the west and I captured it as the background to the basket-baller.

(The giant anchoring/tensioning arms in the background support the roof of the Arena, an indoor-event building which hosts basketball and also other forms of entertainment.)

My "home office", 1981 version

2010-10-10T13:34:00.015+11:00

(Click on images for full-size versions).

Thirty years ago - May 1981 - and my interests and hobbies were somewhat different to those that occupy my spare time these days.

I was into designing and constructing rubber-powered model aircraft to what was termed "Peanut Scale" (still around today).

I also had recently gained my Amateur Radio Operator's license (Novice level), with the callsign VK2-VNV, having graduated further into the hobby from the CB stage, which had only been legal in Australia for about 5 years.

Back then (1981) we had been living in the Blue Mountains, some 60 kilometres west of Sydney, for just over 4 years, having moved into our new home at Winmalee in 1976.

Our daughter (Lauren) was 6-months old and I was using the third bedroom as an office/spare-room. This was in the days before personal computers, mobile phones, CDs, DVDs and the internet, so other than what you see here and our Onkyo stereo hi-fi and a colour TV, the only other techno item I owned was a portable Canon typewriter.

I recently came across this B&W photo when I discovered a roll of 35mm negative film when cleaning out some drawers in my present "home office" and, with the ability of being able to scan film and slides on my Epson V330 scanner, I popped the strip in and came up with the result seen above.

I can't even remember taking this photo (and others on the strip.....of my daughter and the model aircraft seen in this photo).

The camera was either a Nikon EM, which I still have, or a Praktica, which was replaced by the Nikon. But it was so long ago that I cannot recall which camera I was using in 1981.

The subject matter is interesting:

On the wall is a global map which gives the compass directions from my location so that I can aim the big rotating beam antenna (on a mast outside the window behind the curtain on the left) in order to achieve the strongest signal strength when transmitting and receiving. The rotation is controlled by the unit on the left in that centre cubby-hole.

To the right of that is a cassette tape unit with which I recorded received and transmitted calls, just for checking and logging.

On top of the shelf sits the Kenwood TS-120V modular outfit, comprising transceiver (left module), a matching speaker unit and, on the right, the antenna tuner sitting on top of my old USB/LSB/AM CB radio.

Atop the transceiver is the microphone next to the Kenwood world-time clock (which is right here with me on my current desk) and, next to that can be seen part of the Williams Bros plastic 1/72nd. model of a Gee-Bee racer from the 1930's.

Sitting on the desk is the Peanut Scale (13" maximum wingspan) flying model of the Fokker DVIII which I had just completed, painting by hand the individual lozenges for the camouflage-pattern that you can see on the fuselage and wheels.

I drew the construction plans up myself from three-views in an "Aircraft Illustrated" magazine, seen on the desk next to the model and accompanied by my cutting pad, steel ruler and assorted utensils.

The ashtray is no longer around as I gave up smoking 12 years ago and they all went into the garbage.

This old image brings back some lovely memories.

The radio gear has long gone; I sold that in 1985, after we moved here to Canberra in '84.

The models have gone too but the magazine I still have and also the Kenwood clock, still in perfect working order.

Here are two pix from that same film strip.
The first is a close-up of that model Fokker DVIII.

I crafted everything that you see, with the exception of the wheels and propeller, which were from Peck Polymers, in California.
The pilot's head I carved from balsa wood.

This second one is of my daughter having a bath.

She was a pretty sweet kid.....most of the time!

Spring has sprung......well and truly here in Canberra.

2010-10-06T18:11:00.003+11:00

(Click on any of the photos for a much larger image).

In what must be the best start to Spring that we have had for many years - maybe a decade or more - Canberra has literally flowered as the deciduous trees burst into blossom and the flower beds go berserk.

In our garden we have several Camellias - three red and two pink.

This one - outside our back door - has exploded into flower, with so many buds that the branches are leaning over so far that negotiating the back steps is an OH&S hazard!

The photo above shows the shrub laden with blossom and this is three weeks after it started to bud. There seems to be no end to the production of flowers and the poor old thing (about 26 years-old now) can't support all the flowers and is dropping them not long after the buds open into full flower-hood.

We have a continual pink snowfall and I am having to sweep the porch and path every morning before going to work and every evening after returning home!

Not that I am complaining, mind you.
With Canberra's water-supply dams at a ten-year high (79.9% today; this time last year they were at 45%), spring rains, green grass and flowering trees and shrubs, it is very, very welcome.

In our front yard we have a beautiful English Elm that has been a feature for about 20 years.

This afternoon I took this photo (left) because this is the most magnificent display of seed-pods I have ever seen on it.

I expect the summer foliage to be quite dense this year. The birds love it and it provides excellent shade across the front garden.

The next photo was taken two weeks ago when our Prunus Elvin - or "fairy-floss trees" (as the kids referred to them) - were smothered in blossoms.

Even the local school-children and their parents were stopping to look at them as they went past.

Yep, it's a wonderful thing to have our yards, parks and gardens looking so nice after many years of drought conditions.

It will be very interesting to see whether the same sentiment can be expressed at the end of summer!

Up Yours!......A Colonoscopy Experience.

2010-09-08T18:31:00.041+10:00

Do you know what that is, over there on the left?

This is an 8-foot high and 20-foot long replica of a human colon that depicts both healthy tissue and colon disease.

Why am I showing it?

Because I have just been through a Colonoscopy and for me, a person who has only been in hospital a couple of times (1952 and 1998) in his 64-year life, I perceived and treated it as a daunting experience.

So I thought I'd lay out what I really experienced over the three days leading up to and including C-hour on C-Day and possibly help someone who might be as concerned as I was.

Here we go then, day by day.......................

C-Day Minus 2.

My procedure (that's its official name - the "Procedure") was set for a Tuesday afternoon. Therefore the Preparation Phase (my emphasis) commenced on the Sunday prior to C-Day.

This first part of the preparation was the easiest: Starting on the Sunday morning and continuing until I went to bed I was able to eat as much of what I liked from a restricted diet.

No meat, no milk, (but cheese was allowed), no vegetables, no fruit. No wholemeal bread. Nothing with seeds.

Eggs, white rice, peeled, well-cooked potato, white bread........all okay and, surprise, alcoholic beverages were permitted.

So for breakfast I had grilled cheese on white-bread toast and two cups of black coffee. And I drank several 250ml glasses of fresh water or apple juice during the morning.

Lunch consisted of two slices of white bread, lightly smeared (hardly visible!) with Vegemite, washed down with more glasses of water or fruit juice.

During the afternoon I consumed several cups of weak black (Twinings Earl Grey) tea with a teaspoon of sugar. The cuppas were reinforced by copious amounts of water and glasses of apple juice.

Tea - or "dinner" - was the highlight of the day: Two boiled eggs and a slice of toasted white bread, accompanied by a glass of wine then followed by a glass of apple juice for dessert. Yum!

Of course, all this consumption of liquids resulted in many trips to the toilet and, by the time I went to bed, my kidneys were screaming "ENOUGH!" I don't drink much straight water at the best of times, preferring fruit juices (but something a little more exciting than clear apple), so my system was quite taken aback by all this clear liquid.

The last items to be consumed before bedtime were two Senakote tablets, duly downed with a glass of water.

As I drifted off to sleep I thought that, although I was somewhat bored with drinking water, apple juice and tea, this first day of the preparation was pretty easy. Other than going to bed feeling hungry, the ordeal - if that is the correct term - was very easy to cope with.

However, having to get up and pee four times during the night didn't thrill me and when I woke up at 6:30 on C-Day Minus 1 (Monday) I was dead tired and not looking forward to the next module of the Preparation Phase.

C-Day Minus 1.

Monday dawned for me at about 5:30 AM, as I made my way to the toilet, said goodbye to what seemed like a couple of litres of apple juice and then snuck back to bed for another hour.

When I was being briefed by the specialist's nurse about The Procedure I was asked if it would be possible for me to not go to work on the Monday, to which I responded that yep, that wouldn't be a problem.
The reason she asked was due to the fact that Monday - C-Day Minus 1 - could be really considered as Forming A Close Attachment With The Toilet Day. Being more than ten seconds away from the throne room was considered to be risky - akin to jumping out of a 'plane with an umbrella, or bungee-jumping using underpants-elastic as the bungee cord.

So when I finally dragged myself out of bed (around 6:30 AM) on this day I was faced with the fact that from here until C-Hour on Tuesday I had to live a life of NO FOOD! Chewing, as we know and love it, was out.

Complying with the printed instructions, I had prepared, on C-Day Minus 2 (Sunday), three separate 1-litre containers of The Stuff.
It's real name I can't recall - CPrep, or something like that. Whatever, it is the modern equivalent of "C-Stoff", the rocket fuel used by the Nazis to power their V2. The effect is similar.
CPrep comes in a sachet and is mixed with 1 litre of fresh water and then placed in the fridge. I never want to see or taste it again as long as I live.
My wife had, at great expense, gone out that Sunday afternoon and bought three 1-litre plastic containers of orange juice, which were decanted into a standard 3-litre container, just so that I could have three 1-litre bottles for The Stuff.
(Note: three 1-litre containers of orange juice costs twice as much as a 3-litre container of the same product from the same manufacturer).

The morning was spent drinking "approved fluids".
These consisted of water, clear fruit juices (apple, in my case), black tea or coffee, clear consomme (chicken stock in my case), water, juice, water, tea..........ad infinitum.
By early afternoon, if I moved I gurgled, like a water bed.

At 1430 hours (I'm introducing a military theme here) I was required to commence consumption of 1 litre of The Stuff and it was emphasised that I should consume 250ml every 15 minutes. If I felt sick then it was permissible for me to slow down the intake but I still had to down that 1 litre of fluid.

Now, let me explain that The Stuff had/has a slight citrus taste - possibly lemon - but there is an under-taste of Medicinal Chemicals.
After two glasses I really felt like gagging so I had a glass of apple juice in between doses of The Stuff.
I must pat myself on the back here and say that within the hour I had done my duty and all of that 1-litre of The Stuff had gone down my gullet. Fair enough, there were many chasers of apple juice and water, but I had got rid of one bottle. Two to go.

The information on the sachet said that bowel movements may commence between an hour and three hours, depending on the metabolism of the ~~victim~~ subject.
Mine started about 32 seconds after I downed that last 250ml. Thank God I was less than a minute from our portal to Canberra's sewerage system.

Suffice to say that the rest of Monday morning was spent between the kitchen (where the refrigerated Stuff was located) and the smallest room in the house.

At 1800 hours I had to start drinking the contents of the second 1-litre container and drink as many glasses of "approved fluids" as I could.
By this time my taste buds were rebelling - The Stuff was making me nauseated with every swallow and I really had to force myself to drink it. But I managed and, again within that hour, I had knocked off the 1-litre container, aided by many additional glasses of apple juice.

By eight o'clock that night I had had it with liquids. All I wanted was to chew something.....anything. My teeth were feeling neglected.
I had also completed three crossword puzzles whilst passing the time in the loo and had gone through almost a full roll of two-ply quilted, embossed, softer-than-gossamer toilet paper and my rear end was feeling as if I'd been using sand-paper. I had also become sick of the smell of the air-freshener.
Not that it was needed by that time in the evening; all I was passing then was water.

I went to bed on Monday night feeling drained. Pun well and truly intended.
I also felt hungry and wanted something to taste that wasn't either sweet (juice) or bland (water). But most of all I did NOT want to drink the final 1-litre of The Stuff, which I was due to consume between 0700 and 0800 the next morning - C-day.

C-Day! 9 Hours and counting........

During the night I was up and down again.....all those "approved fluids", together with the 2-litres of Draino For Humans, had a sleep-disturbing effect.

Just before dawn I had a strange, and very clear, dream. I was in a queue in a cafe, making my selection for lunch and when I was served I asked the (faceless) girl behind the counter for a ham, cheese and tomato omelette, with salad.

I could see it and it looked exactly like those photos you see in cookery books....all appetising and delectable and beautifully presented.

The strange thing was that when I asked the price she said "Eight lettuce-leaves"!

So there I was, counting out lettuce-leaves to buy this mouth-watering omelette. Then I woke up and reality faced me; today was C-Day!

The first order of the day was that at 0700 I was to commence drinking the third 1-litre container of Stuff. To be perfectly frank, I was dreading that. Not because I was fearful of the consequences - after all, I had spent all day Monday wearing a pathway to the toilet. No, it was the taste that put me off completely.

However, I gritted my teeth and downed the first glassful of the ghastly liquid and, twenty minutes later, did the same with the second 250 millilitres. Of course, in between these two doses I visited the little room several times.

Within the prescribed hour the liquid was gone........all of it inside me and by that time it was virtually coming straight out again.

The relief that I felt at 0800, knowing that I did not have to take The Stuff any more, was considerable. From that point on it was just "approved fluids" until 1130, when all consumption had to stop.

So breakfast consisted of several glasses of water and apple juice, as did morning tea.

Along the way I was still getting constant exercise by walking between where-ever I was at the time and the toilet. Crossword puzzles were being completed at a rapid - if disjointed - pace and shares in Kimberley-Clark were sky-rocketing as stocks of toilet tissue reduced dramatically.

The morning passed uneventfully and at 1120 I had my last glass of water. From now until after The Procedure, nothing would enter my body. Plenty would continue to depart, but nothing was allowed in.....well, apart from The Probe, of course.

Probe minus about 1 hour.

Other than irregular visits to the toilet, the rest of the day, up to 1500, was drama-free. My system by this time was devoid of everything; it was as clean as a brand new bit of plumbing.

Just prior to going off to the hospital I weighed myself and was startled to see that I had lost almost 5kg over the two-and-a-half days since starting the restricted diet on Sunday morning.

At 1530 I presented myself for admission and then passed from reception into the care of a nurse, who told me what the process would be for The Procedure.

I was shown to a curtained-off bed where I stripped to a T-shirt and then donned a disposable surgical gown, open at the back. I lay down on a mobile bed, placed a warmed cotton blanket over me and waited for the nurse to come and check my blood pressure.

When she did so she advised that the anaesthetist would soon come in and place a cannula in a vein on the back of my right hand and then I'd be wheeled into The Room and that the next time we spoke I'd be back where I currently was, without any memory of being Probed. Yeah...sure, I thought to myself.

But she was 100% correct.

The cannula was duly popped into my hand, I was wheeled into the room where official Probing was carried out. I was asked my name, why I was there, who my doctor was and then asked to roll onto my left side. The anaesthetist stuck a tube into the cannula and then the nurse said to me "Well, how are you feeling? Would you like a cup of tea or coffee and some sandwiches?"

Probe plus 30 minutes......

Huh?!

It was as if I just blinked and more than 30 minutes went by in that tiny moment in time.

There was no pain, no discomfort, no strange feelings, no nausea. One second I was on my left side about to have tubes inserted into me and a split second later I was on my left side being asked if I wanted refreshments.

As I was eating a sandwich - and I can't recall what was on it and didn't really care, because it was solid food - the gastroenterology guy came to say that everything was fine. One tiny polyp was removed. That was it.

In summary, The Procedure itself was an anti-climax.

The process is so straight-forward and drama-free that, in hindsight, I can honestly say that I would prefer to have that actual process done than have a tooth filled. Truly.

For me, the worst part was the preparation, the two days of restricted diet centred around the process of flushing out the digestive system.

I will never voluntarily drink that stuff again because I just could not stand the taste. I can still taste it.

Perhaps most people would find it quite okay and would deal with the 3-litres better than I could but all I know is that I would prefer the option (which I found out whilst eating the sandwiches afterwards), which is many tablets consumed with much fresh water. That I could stand.

For anyone either contemplating a colonoscopy as part of a regular checkup, or who might be required to have one in order to investigate a problem, don't be alarmed or put off by the actual thought of having your nether regions probed by people wielding exotic power tools.

It's the Preparation Phase which you should avoid at all costs - unless you like citrus-flavoured drain cleaner.

The GT200 arrives home!

2010-08-28T18:55:00.009+10:00

(If you click on the images below you will get a larger version)

Today I rode the Vespa home after being phoned yesterday to say that it was all fettled and serviced and ready to become mine.

So I had a most enjoyable ride, on a beautiful clear, calm sunny end-of-winter's day, taking the long way home. It was a delightful experience and I've fallen for this little Italian lady in a big way.

Tomorrow I will take some photos and I s'pose I'll have to choose an appropriate name for her.
"Sophia" is too obvious, as is "Audrey" (Hepburn, from the classic movie, "Roman Holiday").
So I was thinking perhaps "Gina" (Lollobrigida - another curvaceous Italian from my era).....

She actually rode a scooter (a Lambretta, not a Vespa...but that doesn't matter, it was Italian) as a pillion passenger behind Rock Hudson in the 1961 movie, "Come September"........

That's her, below....on the right, peering over Rock's shoulder. (That's Bobby Darin and wife Sandra Dee on the left.)

But no......the more I thought about it the more I just wanted a female name to dovetail nicely with the word "Vespa", so maybe it should start with a 'V'.

"Virginia Vespa"? No....doesn't roll off the tongue, really.

"Violet", no. "Valerie", no.

I ran through all the girls names beginning with 'V' that I could think of and came up with nothing that I liked.

So "Gina" it is!

_______________________________________________

These photos below were taken today - Sunday 29th. August - after I had ridden 86 kilometres for no reason other than to ride for an hour or so. It was a sparkling morning - the final couple of days of winter (officially, that is) - and the two shots below were taken atop Red Hill, where I paused for a coffee which didn't eventuate because the cafe doesn't open until 11:00 AM.

Other than that, it was a perfect morning and Gina Vespabrigida performed wonderfully.

(Click for much larger images)

I've always liked Vespa scooters......

2010-08-14T18:09:00.013+10:00

........so I finally bought one!

For some months I've been pondering the purchase of a Vespa. It had to be the traditional shape but I wanted it in a modern, automatic "twist-'n'-go" configuration, not one of the earlier geared models.

I umm-ed and ahh-ed and did nothing about it other than a lot of research and looking and a couple of test rides until I decided to sell the Yamaha SRV250 Renaissa on which I had the "off" back at the beginning of April (is it really that long ago? Wow!).

I never felt fully comfortable on that little bike after my accident so it was advertised on eBay a few weeks back and a nice chap from down the coast bought it - he'd been looking for one for a while.

So over the past fortnight I've been deliberating about getting a Vespa, something not less than 150cc in capacity.

Purchase price + on-road costs meant that my budget (taking into account the money from the sale of the Renaissa) would not extend to a new model; a Vespa LX150ie is over $7,000 on the road.

I looked at several ads for "pre-owned" 150cc units (The ET4 150) and they were more in my price range - from $3,500 to $4,500. They looked quite promising...........until this morning (said in the fashion of Jeremy Clarkson).

I ventured over to Motorini, in the Woden suburb of Phillip, and had a chat with the proprietor, Nico Wright, about a second-hand Vespa.

Lo! and Behold!.......there at the back of his workshop (actually parked outside) was a GT200 with 17,000 kms on it that had recently been traded for a new GTS300. (The previous owner had ridden it over from Adelaide, incidentally).

The GT200 is equipped with the small windscreen, a top-box, heated handgrips and was undergoing maintenance and replacement of the head gasket. To round it out it is finished in the not-often-seen Portofino Green livery.

Price is within my scope so I have committed to buy and would expect to add it to the stable within the next fortnight.

Can't wait for spring and the warmer weather!

My You Tube stuff.

2010-06-19T16:32:00.003+10:00

Not everyone's cup of tea, by any stretch of the imagination, but my music tastes tend to lean towards the so-called "Easy Listening" genre (although I do consider myself to have rather eclectic tastes in music).

Being as I am from the Vinyl Age, I do have a large collection of these 12" discs from the 1960's and 1970's - the pre-CD era in the progression of mankind.

I have (and continue to do so as time allows) made digital recordings (MP4's) of many tracks from various LP's and uploaded these to my channel on You Tube, where you will find arrangements from such notables as Dudley Moore and his trio, Andre Previn, Joe Harnell, Percy Faith and others, some well known, some obscure (such as Jonathan & Darlene Edwards).

If this is your thing, then you are welcome to meander into this You Tube address, where I go by the nom-de-plume of hcrun.

==========================================

For those who may be interested in the "how does he do it?" technical stuff associated with the recording:-

The vinyl is played on a Garrard Zero-100 tangential turntable utilising a Shure M7OBX magnetic cartridge.

The analogue signal is then input via a NAD PP3 USB Preamp to my PC running Windows XP and the incoming sound is recorded as a digital WAV file using VinylStudio.

That digital file is then converted to an MP3 file using GoldWave editing suite.

Finally, to create a file format acceptable for You Tube, an MP4 audio/video file is created with VideoPad video editor before uploading to You Tube.

Practising the 'P'-plate motorcycle test.

2010-06-14T21:15:00.008+10:00

(Click on image for larger view)

Today I spent a couple of hours with a group of like-minded 'L'-platers as we were taken through a practise session for the standard test for the 'P' (Provisional) license.

Under a perfect clear blue winter's sky and nary a breeze we assembled at the EPIC (Exhibition Park In Canberra) car park at Mitchell as instructor Heidi put us through the paces.

The 90-degree turn; accelerating to 20kph and stopping with the front wheel within a fixed-size rectangle; the cone-weave; followed by the emergency stop and, finally, the dreaded U-turn.

The Honda CM400A was my steed for the day (I really feel comfortable with this bike) and I think that I managed a successful U-turn (staying inside the lines) twice from about ten attempts, so have some work to do in that area. But all the others seemed fine and it is just a matter of practising until I can do it all without thinking about it.

Then, come September or October....or maybe November.....I'd like to do the test for real.

The Renaissa's back!

2010-06-04T19:43:00.003+10:00

Eight weeks after the damage occurred, repairs were completed this week and the bike was available for collection yesterday (Thursday 3rd.)

Having only ridden less than 3 kilometres on it before the accident, I am somewhat nervy about riding it, so will be taking it easy over the weekend and then only if the weather is dry.

I'll update next week.

My first serious 'bike accident

2010-05-01T17:16:00.009+10:00

It occurred on Friday 9th. April and the following is what I posted on the Canberra Riders forum.......

Less than two minutes after having the bike inspected and passed (Discount Tyres, Erindale) and on my way home (another two minutes away) I am laying on the road at a roundabout, having given way to a driver on my left who was entering said roundabout....or so I thought.

"What the ???????" I say to myself as I lay there, bike to the left (still idling), me on my back.

I had the presence of mind to reach out and hit the kill switch as people came from left, right and centre.

Then I thought "Who's going to feed the cat tonight?" Ridiculous thought!! Why did I think that?!

Solicitous people are asking if I am hurting (not "Are you okay?", thank heavens) and, if so, where.

I hear someone calling triple-oh and I hear people talking about moving the bike off the road.

By this time I'm in a sitting position, visor half-connected to the helmet, and I'm nursing my left arm because my shoulder is hurting. I notice blood seeping slightly through the right leg of my jeans just where my knee is.

But - other than my sore left shoulder - I feel fine physically but utterly devastated emotionally. And HUGELY embarrassed. All those people looking at me and doing things because of something I did.

A fire engine arrives from Tugg and less than a minute later the ambulance arrives from Calwell station.

The man who dialled 000 tells me (a little later) that the operator said she'd send "everyone" but the police never stopped at the scene.

They did pass through the roundabout on their way up Erindale Drive....probably to something more pressing.

Single-vehicle accident, driver/rider okay.

But the ambos stayed, expecting the police to come.

Ambo checks me over, including slitting the sleeve of a perfectly good shirt!

At that time I have only a sore shoulder and an abrasion to the right knee - well, that's all that I know about.

"Do you want us to take you to casualty?"

"NAAAA! I'm fine....bit sore in the shoulder and I can stick a band-aid on the knee. I'll be okay, thanks all the same"

The driver I fell over for ended up taking me home (she is a motorcyclist) and a very nice man (Mick...thank you) rode my damaged bike home for me. He was a motorcyclist and used to tutor Troy Bayliss. Small world.

An hour later daughter calls in on way home from work and takes me to the medical centre.

Why? I was fine just an hour ago!

Moving my left arm above horizontal is agony.

Huge swellings are growing around both knees. It is painful to walk as I have to bend at the knees.........and on my right elbow there is a graze and another swelling. (Huh? Right elbow? It wasn't even sore an hour ago!)

I have discovered an abrasion to my right inner ankle. Huh? Where did that come from?!

Doctor (my GP for 26 years) says, "You IDIOT, Bruce!!" (great bedside manner!) when I tell her that I sent the ambulance away.

Abrasions are cleaned and dressed, tetanus shot administered, x-rays taken of left knee and left shoulder.

NO breaks. Thank God.

The swellings are soft tissue damage and should reduce over the coming week but "You are going to feel this tomorrow"!

Left shoulder is rotator-cuff damage due to severe extension of the arm (I held onto the left handle bar and the savage jerk tried to pull the ball out of the socket.)

Three hours after the accident my daughter drops me off at home and I am thankful to be in one piece, without major injuries and able to mentally slap myself repeatedly about the head as I shout "IDIOT!" over and over.

Observations A:

Unfamiliar with the bike, I grabbed too much front brake and literally in a split second I was on the ground.

Speed was only around 40 - 50 kph, as I had just left a 40 kph zone and was actually slowing (engine braking) when I grabbed the lever.

Strike One for Bruce.

Maybe the driver entering the roundabout should have stopped at the dotted line instead of continuing on into the roundabout. As it turned out, she was turning left into Harricks Cres. but she wasn't angling left as she crossed the line. That led my brain to the instinctive conclusion "SHE'S COMING THROUGH!"

Perhaps a Strike 0.5 for the car driver.

Observations B:

PPE works.

I have a graze on the front chin-protector of my helmet right where my lower right jaw sits within that helmet.

I would have facial damage if I had worn an open-faced helmet. Even an ambo commented on that.

Abrasions can occur through clothing.

My jeans have no holes yet I was severely abraded in the region of the right knee.

I suppose the only advantage is no ingress of road crap.

Armour works.

I might have an abrasion to my right elbow but even though I came down on that side, no point damage to the bone or tissue.

My jacket does, however, have some holes.

Armoured bits on gloves work, too.

They are reusable, but there is light grinding damage to the "bumps" on the right hand.

Conclusion:

I am more upset about the damage to the bike than I am to the damage to me.

It's not irreparable, by any means - the headlight & bucket need replacing; the handlebars seem to be slightly out of alignment; foot-brake lever is bent slightly; road-rash marks on the bar-end, muffler, etc. - but I am just so upset that this lovely little machine has been damaged by ME. That's what hurts the most.
========

Since writing the above, 3 weeks have passed and, in that time, I have climbed back onto a 'bike (the Honda CM400A) and have ridden it in traffic. It was important - to me - to do that because I felt that the longer I left it then the more my doubts would grow and my confidence wane.

Physically, the healing process is slow; the bruising has nearly gone, abrasions have healed over and the swellings have reduced but the left shoulder is still sore and will take longer to recover than the bruises and scratches.

As for the Renaissa - it is in the hands of the repairers and will be fixed just as soon as the headlight and any other bits arrive from Japan.

The Honda CM400A had a makeover.

2010-05-01T16:52:00.006+10:00

(Click on photos for a full-size version)
A couple of month's ago I took the two side panels and the fuel tank from the "spare parts" CM250 to a spray painter to have redone in one of the colours used for the 1979 CM400 model.

I chose the Candy Ruby Red, as this was not available on the 1980 range, the liveries being either a blue or green - the latter being that in which my CM400A was supplied. The CM250 came with the blue combination.

The advantage in swapping the tank was that I gained another few litres (11 as against 9).

For some odd reason the smaller-capacity bike has a larger-capacity tank! One would have thought it would have been the other way around.

So whilst the tank and side panels were at the specialist I ordered the correct set of colour-matched decals from the USA and also a new pair of HONDA tank badges from a supplier here in Oz.

Whilst the total cost was not inexpensive - particularly that for the refinishing - the result is simply fabulous (to coin an expression!). It's not a metallic but has a silver base over which the red is applied and is then finished off with several clear coats.

I think it suits the bike to a 'T' and is more attractive than the green.

What do you think?

A very Happy Birthday to Sir Jack.

2010-04-03T17:43:00.010+11:00

Sir Jack Brabham turned 84 on Good Friday so I'd just like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best and may there be many more yet to come.

I followed F1 racing for many, many years, only having my fanatic interest fade after the sport turned into a commercial, made-for-TV business.....say the late 1980's.

I was very fortunate in seeing Sir Jack race at Warwick Farm more than once, and compete against the likes of Jim Clark, Dennis Hulme, Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart and many others from his era. A lot of those drivers have since died, some through natural causes (Denny Hulme for instance) but most through racing-related accidents.

So it is heart-warming to see that Sir Jack is still with us, one of the few living connections to that period in Grands Prix racing when so many drivers were killed in the pursuit of their love of motor-racing.

I look forward to posting a "Happy Birthday, Sir Jack" on his 94th.

The Suzuki's replacement.

2010-04-02T19:00:00.006+11:00

This is a 1997 Yamaha SRV250 Renaissa (click image for full-size view) due to arrive from Melbourne next week. It is the same type of motorcycle as that bought by my son last August, as seen here in an earlier post.

Yamaha initially released the model as the SRV250 (no "Renaissa" name) - essentially a Virago 250 motor put into a feather-bed copy frame. The motor was basically unchanged from the Virago except that it used 2 carbies instead of 1 and had a little higher compression; end result 27hp as opposed
to 21hp for the Virago. Weight was about 144kg.

They came out in 2 colours - either metallic red or green - with a silver alloy engine and chrome exhaust and although well received they were expensive for a 250cc bike.

So the later cut price version - the Renaissa - was released.

Silver alloy and chrome were replaced by black paint on the motor and frame and a single speedo was used instead of the original tacho and speedo. There were few other cosmetic changes and the colours were either silver/black or orange/black.

This one has about 23,000km's and appears to have been well cared for.
I'm looking forward to its arrival.

Goodbye, Suzuki A100.

2010-03-17T18:23:00.007+11:00

I never really established a close rapport with this 'bike (click image for larger view); after riding the CM400A for over six months I have become quite comfortable with that motorcycle, the larger 4-stroke engine providing easy cruising on Canberra's 80 kph and 100 kph roads and parkways.

She is going to a nice home, right here in Canberra, having been adopted by a member (the founder) of the on-line "club", Canberra Riders.

He is going to turn Suze into a "Super Light" period racer.

Good on him......a new lease of life for a beaut little 2-stroker.

As for me, I am looking at replacing the A100 with something a bit bigger (engine capacity) and of 4-stroke configuration.
Stay tuned!

US President Obama to visit Canberra?

2010-03-03T18:49:00.004+11:00

On the local news tonight (Canberra, WIN, with Jessica Good - left- presenting) mention was made of a supposed visit by President Obama and how untidy was the possible route from the airport to Yarralumla.

Roadworks in progress; grass verges needing mowing, trees needing trimming and dead items removing, etcetera. Gasp! Shock! Horror!

Honestly, does anyone really think that the Prez is even going to notice this and, if he does, that he would be so impolite as to mention it when meeting Kev or our local Mayor, John Stanhope?
Rather than concern yourselves with tidying the place up for fleeting visitors, how about tidying it up for the RESIDENTS?

Footnote:
If Mr. Obama and his family wish to visit Canberra, that's fine by me.

Just so long as we don't have to put up with that bloody circling RAAF F-18 that was ever-present when his predecessor was here!

Happy Australia Day, 2010!

2010-01-26T13:48:00.005+11:00

(Click on image for full-size)

The weather today has been written into the script of a clichéd movie about Australia and Australia Day!

Fair dinkum, mate - it's 31+ degrees at 1:30 PM on the 26th. of January 2010 and the traditional Oz Day b-b-q has been held, sitting at the table in the backyard, protected from the sun by two large umbrellas.

Now - note all the "Aussie" things in the photo:-

To start with, the two Aussies - myself and wife of 36 years, Shirley.
The Aussie cap on my head.
The (genuine Hawaiian) summery shirt.
The glass of, and bottle of, Aussie Shiraz.
The mug of Aussie tea.
Aussie lamb chops and beef sausages.
Aussie Saxa-brand salt (sorry about the American Kraft and Newman's salad dressings!)
Wife's glass of Aussie beer.
All sitting at an Aussie hardwood table and on Aussie hardwood seats.

About the only things missing are an emu and a 'roo!

We didn't finish the meal off with lamingtons or a dessert of Peach Melba, I'm afraid, so we've let the team down on that score.

But never mind - this afternoon my wife is going to see an Aussie movie - Bran Nue Dae - and I'm going to watch the Aussie Open (tennis) on TV.

Bewdy!

Australia Day "weekend".

2010-01-23T07:08:00.014+11:00

(Click on image for larger view)
It's Oz Day on Tuesday the 26th. - that's in 4 days time. A public holiday held - like Anzac Day - on the actual declared date and not on the Monday closest to it. There's no official long weekend, in other words.
Yet, like millions of other Aussies, I will be having a 4-day long weekend.
The company that I work for has decided that on Monday the office will not open and we will take a day out of our annual leave, thereby giving us an extended break.
Not that I object, mind you. I think it makes sense because, in this Land of the Long Weekend, there will be a heck of a lot of people who will do the same thing whether their employer closes their business or not.

Many years ago - back in the 1980's - the company I worked for had a new Managing Director (they weren't called "CEO's" back then) come down from the USA. Fred was his name and Fred hadn't a clue about Australians, our idiosyncracies, our "sensayuma" or our public holidays.
He wanted to have a meeting with some people here in Canberra and I was asked to set it up on a particular date.
Unfortunately the date that Fred preferred fell on Canberra Day - a local public holiday - so that buggered his plans.
Then Easter interfered with his alternate choice, so that frustrated him too.
So finally, when he chose Anzac Day and was told that was also a public holiday he lost his cool and blew a fuse, berating the Australians for having too much leisure time.
That little performance was followed up by a few other examples of his intolerance over the next couple of years and he left our shores without regret, I'm sure.
I know that we didn't regret seeing him go.

Anyway - a happy Oz Day to one and all and may you slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek some shade and slide on the sunnies, because it looks as if it's going to be a scorcher.

Enjoy a lamb chop and a coldie!

Christmas 2009 - a family affair.

2010-01-01T18:44:00.001+11:00

(All images display larger when clicked)

We played hosts for the traditional Christmas Day lunch - with the traditional turkey and ham and plum pudding.

This year we also had pavlova - a traditional Australian dessert!

(The stupid "spell-checker" has just highlighted "pavlova" as being a non-word. Bloody American-English!)

So son Drew, daughter Lauren, son-in-law Chris and the two grandchildren, William and Matilda, all enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by wife Shirley. The entree of king prawns and the pavlova were brought to us (literally) by Lauren and Chris.

And what a lovely day for eating as soaking rain fell throughout the day and into the evening. More than 40mm in less than 36 hours; the best Christmas present of all.

Oh dear! I HAVE become a motorcycle collector!

2010-01-01T08:44:00.006+11:00

(All photos enlarge when clicked)

As much as I love my Honda CM400A, it is a semi-auto (no clutch) and so I am not getting any experience in co-ordinating clutch operation and gear-changing.

If ever I gain my full license I want to be able to widen my choice of 'bikes and, apart from scooters, there are not many automatics out there. You can count them on the fingers of one hand, in fact.

The CM250 that I bought - back in September as a non-going project - is in pieces whilst I try and source a replacement 430-pitch rear sprocket and chain to mate with the drive sprocket on the CB250 engine. So I can't use that and anyway, it may just end up becoming a stock of spares for the CM400A.

So I decided to buy a small 'bike with a manual 'box.

But it had to be a classic, in good condition and less than $2,000 including delivery to Canberra.

Just before Christmas I bought the two-stroke Suzuki A100 seen here.

It is a 1980 model, but these 'bikes were manufactured with only minor changes for almost twenty years, so the latest model is similar in appearance to the earliest. Here is a link to some brochures.

My bike is not 100% original. The rear shock absorbers have been replaced with YSS units and the handlebar with a cut-down Renthal item. The top end has been rebuilt (slight overbore, new piston & rings), brakes redone and new tyres fitted. Finally, the bike was repainted red over black.

It looks the goods, in my opinion, and the first ride was a real eye-opener for me, as I had not ridden a fully-manual 'bike since doing the Stay Upright course back in August.

Co-ordination of clutch and throttle was practised up and down the driveway, first gear only.

Then, when I had become familiar with the friction-point, I took it out into the cul-de-sac where I live and did figure 8's, looping back and forth and around as I familiarised myself with the low-speed handling and gear changing between 1st. & 2nd. and back again.

That went on for about half-an-hour.

The next morning (Boxing Day) I launched myself out of my street and into the Big World, doing a few laps around the suburb and actually changing up and down through the gears.

Neutral is indistinct - maybe the selector detent is worn - and there were a couple of times when it revved it's head off as I idled along in what I thought was 2nd. but was actually No Man's Land!!

Along one of the local 80 kph stretches of road I did see an indicated 80, the little engine buzzing away at untold revolutions (no tacho), the wind whistling through my raised visor and a couple of cars ambling along behind me.

The experience is totally different to that when riding the Honda.

The CM400A cruises along; the Suzuki definitely does not cruise!

I will continue to practise on this little machine but I would like to have the gear selector looked at, as I think it needs to be more definite in its operation, certainly in that area between 1st., Neutral and 2nd.

When I pop it into a gear, I would like to actually feel it go there, not be left wondering!

A Pause for some Philosophy

2009-12-13T13:10:00.004+11:00

(Photo from the internet)

Sunday morning and I was reading the papers over a cuppa coffee. Two headlines shared the front page.

One, which made up 80% of the page, consisted of a photograph and a line (enticing one to read more inside) about Tiger Woods' indiscretions. The fact that such rubbish should be on the front page shows you how low we've sunk as a society - and that neatly segues to the second headline, a bottom-of-the-page "banner", which was about the national weekend crackdown by the various police forces on anti-social behaviour associated with drinking.

I looked at this page - the Sunday edition of the Canberra Times - and said to myself "No wonder there's a bloody problem - we've got our priorities arse-about-face".
What has happened to us when the newspaper from Australia's capital city puts the rutting habits of a sporting personality above (literally) a major social problem?

There is a very simple solution to binge-drinking and the anti-social behaviour that is associated with drinking.
All that our elected representatives need do is modify the licensing laws:

Ban the sale of alcohol at supermarkets and similar retail outlets. Limit it to hotels and clubs and restrict the "take-it-away" trading to licensed bottle-shops attached (physically as well as by license) to hotels or clubs.
Limit the trading hours of pubs 'n' clubs to 10 AM - 10 PM Sundays through Thursdays and 10 AM - 1 AM Fridays and Saturdays.
Completely and utterly ignore the screaming that will result from clubs, pubs and those bleeding hearts who proclaim that freedom of choice and civil liberties will be blown away.
HAVE THE GUTS TO STICK WITH IT!

The solution is staring us in the face and is amplified by today's Sunday Times (Canberra).
When Tiger Woods' "plight" takes centre stage and pushes all else out of the spotlight, we have a real problem.

The bike gets new pipes!

2009-12-07T17:36:00.005+11:00

(Both photos, Sony DSC-F717. Click to enlarge)

Remember my Honda CM400A?
Well, it was necessary for me to replace the exhaust collector which sits underneath the engine and into which each exhaust header feeds, with the mufflers connected to the output end.
The outlets had rusted over time and the previous owner had used muffler putty as a temporary repair.

I had a used replacement collector (provided as a spare when I bought the 'bike), in good condition, but I thought I'd veer away from stock-standard and apply a little customising.

My age lends itself to memories of Triumph Bonneville's and Norton Commander's and BSA Lightning's when they were new, so I did a bit of a search on the 'net and found a place here in Australia that was selling a repro set of Dunstall "reverse cone" exhaust pipes.

A little over AUS$220 and a week later I took delivery of a beautiful pair of replica Dunstall's and, in the space of a Saturday afternoon, had the old set off and the new one's fitted and bolted up.

Now, when the 'bike is fired up, not only does it look a bit British, it definitely sounds like a Trumpy.

For anyone who might think that the originality has been sacrificed, never fear.
I have kept the original mufflers and have the replacement collector box, so if the CM400A is ever sold, it will be done so with these original items.

In the meantime, although I can't afford a Commander or Bonneville, I can at least sound like one!

Summer has arrived...........

2009-12-06T21:05:00.006+11:00

(All photos - Sony DSC-F717. Click for full-size images)

............with a vengeance, too.
We had some record temperatures during November. Spring? No way - it was full-on summer!

It was a year ago that we decided to redesign the front yard due to water restrictions and the continuation of the dry weather. The grass (or weeds, more to the point) just had to go.
So in November 2008 we started on the project, finishing the job by Australia Day 2009.

The grass was poisoned and then after it had died we spread what seemed like three million cubic metres of forest mulch to a depth of at least 100mm over the entire area.
A brick pathway was laid from the front border to the side walkway along the northern wall of the house and it joined up with the existing paved area at the front under the English Elm.

Over the past year - and particularly over the past two months - Shirley has been busy planting a variety of hardy shrubs and ground covers through the area. She has also added some lovely blue pots as features.

So the result is a front garden that appears to be doing very well under these drier conditions.

It will be interesting to see how it fares through to the end of this summer.

Tiger, tiger burning bright...........

2009-11-03T17:50:00.006+11:00

Not quite a tiger....this cat is at least approachable.
It's a cheetah and I had the wonderful experience of meeting her live, in person and very up-close.
This opportunity to pet an endangered wild animal came courtesy of the National Zoo & Aquarium here in Canberra. They have a "Meet A Cheetah" scheme which, for a modest payment, allows an individual to spend about 20 minutes with one of these beautiful creatures, accompanied by two keepers.

My wife gave me a gift certificate for our wedding anniversary at the end of September and, after the school holidays were over, I booked the visit for a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago.
All visits are made between 2:00 and 4:00 PM (the animals are fed in the morning) and children under 12 are not permitted........the reason became clear later on.

There are four cheetahs in the enclosure - three were in one area and the fourth (pictured) - a female - was in a separate section.
The three together were a bit unsettled - patrolling the perimeter and not settling down - so the keepers opted for the female in her own enclosure. She was more relaxed, allowing for a more successful meeting.

It was amazing to be stroking and petting what is the Ferrari sports car of the animal world, capable of speeds up to 110 kph for 20 to 30 seconds.
I was really captivated by the cheetah and astounded by the loudness of the purr. Apparently it is the only wild cat to purr - lions, tigers etc. don't have this ability. The noise sounds like an outboard motor!

I asked the question, "Why can we get up close and personal with the cheetah when we can't do it with other cats" and the answer was very simple - we (adult humans) are too large and slow to be seen as prey. Note the adult reference; children - particularly small, young children - are just the right size and have just the right behaviour (excitable, nervous, jumpy) to be considered by the cheetah as a viable food source.

(All photos Sony DSC-F717, by animal keeper)
The visit came to an end all too quickly - twenty minutes had passed before I knew it.
A fascinating and, as the advertisements for the Zoo say, a "touching" experience!

Have I become a collector?

2009-09-27T22:23:00.004+10:00

(Camera - Sony DSC-F717)

Another 'bike has been added to the stable........a 1982 CM250 Custom. (Click on image for full-size).
I had original thoughts of buying this to strip for spare parts to support the CM400A (they are identical except for engine capacity) but on reflection have decided to refurbish it instead.

Two reasons for this decision :-

It's in too-good a state to butcher and needs very little in the way of anything to make it usable. After all, it only ran out of registration three month's ago.
Second is the fact that the cost of registering a motorcycle in the ACT is determined by its engine capacity. Anything over 300 cc costs TWO AND A HALF TIMES more than anything under that capacity. To register the CM400A will cost (next February) $511 yet to register the CM250C will cost a mere $197.

As I am only riding a motorcycle for pleasure and leisure I have no desire to cough up $500+ just to stoke up the coffers of our local government, so I'll do a mild restoration of the smaller-capacity 'bike and then register it.

The plan is to have this done within the next three to four months.....but plans have been known to fall apart before!

I'll update in due course.

Father's Day 2009.

2009-09-06T19:02:00.005+10:00

Weather-wise, just a superb early-spring day in Canberra and, with the weather warming up, an opportunity to continue getting to grips with my motorbike.

This was only the second weekend on which I'd had a chance to ride it in good conditions, so I ventured forth into Sunday traffic at about 10:00 AM, heading off into the city to a favourite second-hand book-store.
The experience was exhilarating and I was reluctant to get off the 'bike after returning home, some 25 kilometres later.

This afternoon, when my children & grandchildren came over for a traditional Father's Day b-b-q, my son-in-law took these two photos - the first of me on the 'bike.

He was very kind in not taking a shot when I gently laid the machine down on its side as I ran out of momentum whilst trying to do 360 in the cul-de-sac outside my home!
But I learned a lesson - one cannot turn a motorcycle if it is not proceeding in a forward direction.
I also discovered that I can lift the CM400A back into an upright position if I drop it.......something which I was wondering about.

My son, Drew, asking me how come I dropped the 'bike!

The Day of the Bike!

2009-08-29T07:23:00.004+10:00

Well, the Great Day arrived last Saturday (22nd. August), when I received a phone call from the bike-transporting truck driver to say that he was at Yass and heading in to Canberra and how the heck did he get to my place because his GPS was RS and he didn't have a map!

Suffice to say that he found the place and the motorcycle was duly delivered that afternoon.

Here's a shot of it in the garage.
Not very flattering but I had to take an "on arrival" photo:-

(Sony DSC-F717)

I didn't ride it until the following Sunday morning, taking advantage of a relative traffic-free suburbia to get used to the on-road experience.
The funny thing was, I'm breezing along at what I thought was an indicated 50 kph (in the 60 kph limit around town), pushed it up to an indicated 70 kph along the 80 kph-limited arterial roadway, and thought to myself "This seems rather speedy - maybe it's just because I'm not used to sitting on a bike, exposed to the environment".

When I arrived back home and was checking over the bike I just happened to get a very clear indication that there are two scales on the speedo: The inner scale, in a dull red, is in kph. The outer scale, which I was referring to and is in easily-read white characters, is in mph.
So when I was reading what I thought was 50 kph I was actually doing 80 kph and ditto for the 70....I was hitting 110 kph!!!
No wonder I thought it was breezy!

There will be little opportunity for riding this weekend as the forecast is for rain and I prefer to gain experience on dry roads before tackling anything as adventurous as wet weather.

Old-age crisis? On-set of senility? I don't care either way!!

2009-08-16T19:28:00.014+10:00

Last weekend I attained a "life target" that had been sitting at the bottom of my mind for years and years, gathering dust and becoming mouldy but never objectionable enough to throw out.

I gained my motor-cycle learner's permit!

I'd always wanted to own and ride a motorbike but had never actually done anything about it.
All it needed to prompt me into action was my son going for his license over a month ago and then buying a lovely learner-legal 1980's Yamaha "Renaissa" cafe-racer bike. A great little machine and not often seen on the "For Sale" sites.
(That's Drew's bike, below).

(Photo Sony DSC-F717)

So I made a booking for the compulsory 9-hour (4.5 hours per day) learner's training session which is run here in the ACT by "Stay Upright" under contract to the Territory's government.
On Saturday 8th. and Sunday 9th. August I joined 10 others at the training site and had a ball......tiring at times, but good fun all round.

The Sutton Road training area is near Queanbeyan and was once the driver training facility for the Australian Federal Police. There is a closed-circuit track and also a skid-pan.
The facility is now used by various organisations for motorbike education, advanced driver training (cars), heavy-vehicle training (trucks, forklifts etc) and to train Commonwealth-car drivers in evasive driving tactics.
This is the motor-cycle training area.......

(Photo from Nokia phone)

I was the eldest.....by the length of the home straight! Most of the others were half my age.
Three females, eight males. Two male trainers (Andy and John). Nine Honda CB250's and two Yamaha Scorpio's. Helmets and gloves were provided for the course.
Here's me and my Honda. No, I'm not wearing an astronaut's skull-cap under the helmet....it's a compulsory hair-net!

(Photo from Nokia phone)

At the end of the weekend only one person had failed to pass all modules so ten of us were handed our certificates and on the Monday I got myself off to the motor registry, handed over my certificate and was awarded with a rider's endorsement (restricted) on my driver's license.
It was a great feeling.

This past week has been a matter of (a) buying protective equipment and (b) selecting and buying a suitable motorbike, both of which have been accomplished.
The equipment acquired so far consists of the most important (and expensive) item - the helmet, and suitable gloves.
Next on the PPE front will be boots and jacket.

The bike was a harder choice.
I would have loved to have bought something along the lines of the type bought by my son but my 63-year old back and joints might just have a bit of a gripe about being in a bent-forward position most of the time!
So I then leaned (pun intended) towards the cruiser style, finally settling on the Yamaha Virago 250cc (learner-legal) and as late as this afternoon it was just a matter of selecting which one to make an offer for.

But then I saw this.........

(from Ebay)

A 1980 Honda CM400A, with 2-speed semi-automatic gearbox.
"So what?", you say. "A frumpy automatic...why not buy a scooter?!"

Well, this old bloke chose this bike (which I've bought from another "old bloke" in Melbourne) for a couple of good reasons....well, to me they were good reasons:-

Late 1970's/early 1980's....yet with both electric & kick-start, disk brakes and alloy wheels.
Its rarity in Australia. They were never sold here, yet share most mechanical bits with the CB400 series, which were available in Down Under.
Semi-automatic gear-changing makes for one less thing (clutch operation) for me to concentrate on when learning out there in the big world.
The larger engine (400 cc) is learner-legal yet capable of maintaining posted highway cruising speeds.
The included "stuff" with the sale....a top-box for the back, a screen already fitted, spare starter, spare light and some additional bits 'n' pieces, including manual.
Price. At $2,000 it was less than half what I was looking at for a Virago. If nothing else, I'm not going to be a whole heap of money down the tubes if I don't like the bike or bike-riding.

Now, if you would like to see how a pristine example presents, have a look at this on YouTube.

I should have mine arrive later this coming week, all being well. Can't wait!

A new tartan is born.

2009-07-15T18:32:00.011+10:00

Now the 10,039th. design registered with the Scottish Government's Register of Tartans, I am proud to present the new "Kennewell" tartan.

I have been asked the inevitable questions "How?" and "Why?", although usually in the reverse order, so the following may provide some answers if you are curious.........

In June of 2004 my father died and following the funeral the three (of four) siblings who attended agreed that if we didn't commit to having a regular get-together then the next funeral we attended would be for one of us.
We aren't kids any more: I'm 64 this year, my younger sister is in her late 50's and my young brother is in his mid-50's.

Following our first reunion, in July 2005, I was contemplating the fact that there was really no family legacy to pass on to our children, grandchildren, ad infinitum. I thought it would nice to leave something behind that would have a permanent link to "Kennewell". Nothing came to mind at the time but the seed had been sown and sat in the back of my mind, germinating away in my sub-conscious.

Back in my boarding-school days I was provided with a travelling rug (part of the mandatory "kit" that we had to have). My parents - most likely Mum - chose a pure-wool Onkaparinga item, blue on one side and a predominantly-red tartan on the other.
I used this rug between 1956 and 1963, taking it with me when travelling on the North Coast Mail train between Sydney and home on the north coast.
After I finished school at the end of 1963 the rug simply became part of the accoutrements at home. In fact, my mother used it as a cover on the dining table for games of cards - the blue side provided a lovely baize surface.

When we (young sister, brother and I) cleared the old family home in 2003 after our father went into nursing care, I brought the old rug back to Canberra with me and put it away in a wardrobe, where it sat for a couple of years.

After our initial reunion in 2005 I decided to have the rug dry-cleaned, probably the first time that had happened in its lifetime!
Apart from a couple of permanent stains and a couple of cigarette burns (my mother and her card-playing cronies, no doubt), the rug came up beautifully, the colours bright and clean.
It was then that I became curious as to the design of the tartan and with the auspices of Google and a small book I had on Scottish "stuff", I was able to determine that it was the Princess Elizabeth tartan.

It was when I visited one of the web-sites I learned that it was NOT necessary to be of Scottish descent in order to have a tartan. In fact, I was amazed to discover that businesses, towns, and families without ny connection to Scotland had tartans.
It was then that I thought what a wonderful legacy to leave the descendants of the Kennewell family - or families, if other Kennewell's so desired.

I was able to use an online utility to design the tartan and, after several patterns were done, I sent images to my siblings and the final design was chosen.
However, it took another six months to get around to having it woven, and this was accomplished in 2007 when a local weaver, using wool yarn, wove a sample about three metres x one metre in size.

Another year was to elapse before I finally got around to registering the design in Scotland, but in hindsight, that delay was probably a good thing because in the meantime the Scottish Government had taken on the role of managing the tartan registry - a function that had previously been done by two separate private bodies, leading to some confusion.

So in June of 2009 I was able to submit the design to the Registrar and have it approved and included in the list - at No. 10,0039.
In due course a sample will be posted off to them for their archives.

This is the culmination of a project about which I became quite passionate and it gladdens my heart to know that, with the agreement of my sisters and brother, there is a permanent legacy for our children and their children, ad infinitum.
And it also means that my mother, who had a Scottish ancestor (Kyle), has her Scottish ancestry perpetuated in a tartan.
That gives me a nice feeling.

Eden - aptly named.

2009-06-28T09:24:00.006+10:00

(Olympus 300 Digital)
Down on the far south coast of New South Wales, just above the border with Victoria, sits the little fishing town of Eden.
This is a beautiful spot to spend a weekend and we did this in 2003, when the Canberra MG car club arranged a weekend tour.

Eden has a strong history associated with whaling, the operation ending many decades ago.
Now the only whaling activity is centred on whale-watching, rather than whale-catching.
The fishing industry remains very strong, however.

(Olympus 300 Digital)
Eden is also the most southerly port in NSW and is the haven to which any retirements from the annual Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race head if they drop out before crossing the Bass Straight.

A delightful spot and it is easy to see why the location was named "Eden" - it is a little bit of paradise.

Winter is definitely here!

2009-06-14T12:13:00.008+10:00

(Sony DSC-F717)

Last week I and my boss did the monthly run from Canberra up through the Snowy Mountains, calling into the Snowy-Hydro locations which are serviced by the company for whom I work.
The trip took in the power stations at Talbingo, (T3), Cabramurra (T1 and T2) and Khancoban (M1 and M2) plus the various Group Control HQ's, depots and accommodation at Cabramurra.

We took a 2-wheel drive Hyundai van, loaded with equipment and supplies that needed to be dropped off at the various locations and we weren't far out of Cabramurra when we ran into snow (see photo above).

Our original overnight stop was to be Cabramurra but it was pretty clear that we had a very good chance of being iced-in and would not be able to negotiate the road to Khancoban until well into the following day.
Whilst we were having lunch the snow really started to come down and a decision was made to do the T2 inspection as quickly as possible and then head to Khancoban, which is below the snow-line.

(Nokia mobile phone used for both images)

Cabramurra, and our van is in the centre background.

The "village square" (90 degrees to the left of the first photo) which looks very European. Footprints have already been covered.

(Nokia mobile phone. L-to-R Bob McGregor and Liz Schaeffer from Snowy-Hydro and Len Petch, my boss)

This is the entrance to the Tumut 2 (T2) power station, which is another kilometre in under the mountain. It seems like a long drive but at least the tunnel is lit.
This station - and Tumut 1 (T1) - are the only two underground power stations in Australia.

Although only about 20 minutes from Cabramurra, this location was below the snowline that day.

The trip continued the following day (Wednesday) with visits to Murray 1 and Murray 2 (M1 & M2) power stations near Khancoban, followed by the return trip to Canberra via Tumbarumba, Tumut and Gundagai.

Certainly a very refreshing couple of days and a change from the regular nine-to-five routine!

An old hobby resurfaces.

2009-06-07T18:10:00.001+10:00

(Nikon EM, scanned from 35MM slide)

Once upon a time......
Well, back in the late 1970's and into the early-to-mid 1980's, I used to paint military figurines.
It started off as a hobby for my own interest but I ended up doing commissions.

When I moved to Canberra in 1984, with the HUGE change of lifestyle and work I gave it away, not resurrecting the interest until 2005.
Then it lapsed for another few years until recently, when the interest resurfaced and I dusted off the paints and brushes, taking up where I left off almost 4 years ago.

This is the result............

http://www.netspeed.com.au/bhk/Figures/index.htm

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

2009-06-03T21:02:00.005+10:00

(Sony DSC-F717 digital)
We don't get too many of these larrikins hanging around our place. Plenty of their cousins, the pink & grey galah and a variety of parrots. These fellows often fly over but rarely stop to eat.
Photographed recently, snacking on a hand-out of sunflower seeds in our front yard.
(The dish is fixed to the stump of what was once a beautiful weeping cherry tree. Then the rains stopped).
I tried to get them to raise the crest by making a bit of a disturbance, but they were too accustomed to urban living to be alarmed by some bloke making silly noises!

A lovely bird. Just a pity that they screech so loudly - usually at dawn!

Happy Birthday, young brother!

2009-05-30T07:32:00.014+10:00

Several years ago - well, about 54 - my brother, Grant, was photographed looking pretty cute.
From the looks of this I'd say he was approx. one-year old (I would have been about 11). He was definitely a photogenic baby. That smile really grabs you. (Original monotone photo colourised in October 2011).

(Scanned 35mm slide; Nikon EM )
Fast-forward twenty years to his 21st. birthday (circa 1976 - I can't remember the year but the date is 27th. May) and the cute face has lost some of its cuteness, that's for sure - and it's certainly more hairy! He is also posing looking artistically-serious.

(Olympus 1300 digital)
Now fast-forward another 20+ years - to 2004, to be exact - and that face could be straight out of Hemingway's "The Old Man And The Sea". But notice that the smile hasn't changed in 55 years.

Happy Birthday, young brother. May there be many more.

A weekend in the Southern Highlands

2009-05-22T17:24:00.009+10:00

(Click on the images for full-size versions)

Last weekend we meandered our way through some of the most beautiful countryside in New South Wales - the rolling hills and forested escarpment that makes up the Southern Highlands, with their quaint and idyllic towns and villages.
Mittagong, Moss Vale and Bowral are probably the names that come to mind - Bowral in particular because of the Bradman connection. Others include Robertson, Fitzroy Falls and Kangaroo Valley, Berrima and Bundanoon.
This is really a delightful area in which to spend a "lost weekend".

Not too far out of Robertson, on the way to the Jamberoo Valley, is a relatively-new tourist attraction called "Illawarra Fly".
(Rather than my trying to describe it fully, and probably failing to do it justice, just click on the link in the name).
This has been in operation for less than a year, provides a spectacular and unique view of the coastal plain and is worth a visit.
Below are some shots that I took during our adventure.

This view looks north and the southern outskirts of Wollongong may be seen in the distance.

The photo was taken from this..........

Many, many metres above the forest floor and literally walking through the tree-tops.
There was a strong wind blowing above us but on the walk itself it was relatively calm and peaceful - just a (gulp!) gentle swaying!

Not for the faint-hearted is this observation tower - the viewing platform of which is another umpteen metres higher than the walkway and is accessed by a spiral staircase.

I opted out of climbing this thing; I'd be no good on an old four-masted clipper ship and would be clapped in irons pretty quickly for telling the First Mate what to do with his top-gallant!

In addition to the touring we also had much time for eating & drinking, the highlight being the "Tweed & Tartan"-themed dinner on Saturday night.
Several of our gathering decided to become "Jimmies" for the evening.....

(L to R Tony Argyle, Peter Daley, Geoff Nickols, Peter Dalton, Peter Lewis)

The weekend was capped off on the Sunday with a visit to the Bradman Museum at Bowral, followed by luncheon (cricketers always refer to is as "luncheon") in the pavilion, pictured below from the oval.

A delightful weekend spent in an area in which I could live very happily......once I win the lottery!

Airport security gates; what a shambles!

2009-05-09T13:57:00.006+10:00

Last Friday I flew from Canberra to Sydney. It's been a while since I've flown but I was familiar with the more stringent requirements of security checks prior to boarding one's aircraft.

The walk-through at Canberra terminal was fine.
I removed my glasses and 'phone, placed them in the little blue tray and walked through the arch without any problem.

The experience that afternoon at Sydney terminal for the return trip was a horror story.
Again, I placed my mobile 'phone and glasses in the tray and walked through the archway.
"SQUE-E-E-AL"!

I backed up and grabbed another tray (the first one had disappeared into the "black hole") and placed my watch & wallet in it and also removed my shoes and placed them in the same tray.
"SQUE-E-E-AL"!

My two travelling colleagues were watching this from the "we passed okay" side of the barrier and behind me I had a rapidly-growing queue of passengers waiting to go through the same process.

I removed my belt and my small change...which amounted to about four dollars...and placed this lot on top of my jacket (I thought I should take it off too, just in case) in yet another blue tray and then asked one of the guards if he thinks I should strip down to my underwear. No reaction; he just stood there with a dull, bovine look on his face. He certainly found the right job to fit his outgoing personality.

This time I walked through without the alarm sounding and then attempted to find three blue trays which contained all my worldly possessions.
In my haste to get dressed and put away all my bits 'n' pieces, I picked up the tray that contained my belt and jacket, with the coins sitting on top, swung around to place it on an empty bit of bench-top and scattered coins the length and breadth of the entire lobby area.

They were still there when, swearing and cursing (and not under my breath, either), I left this three-ring circus and headed for the boarding gate.

I can only put this fiasco down to the fact that the metal detector in the archway in Sydney was set at a much higher sensitivity level than its cousin in Canberra.

The next time, I'm wearing shorts, T-shirt and thongs and carrying nothing!

Time passes too quickly

2009-04-27T09:31:00.004+10:00

Taken in 1986. Drew was three and Lauren was six years old and we were having a holiday in a house near a beach at Bateman's Bay.
The kids had just finished lunch when I sat them down on the front porch and snapped what has become my favourite photo of them when they were young. The smiley faces are heart-warming.

Lauren is now a mother and her children - my grandchildren - are the same ages as the two shown above.
Matilda is nearly three and William is six.

Time really does fly past.

".....пять, четыре, три, два, одно, воспламенения"

2009-04-26T12:46:00.018+10:00

The heading translates as the last six seconds in the countdown for a rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, USSR.
What on earth (or in space) does that have to do with anything? I hear you ask.

Well, I was a child of the space-age.
When the USSR launched Sputnik in 1957, I was just on 11 years old and from that moment I followed the space-race so keenly that I would lay awake at night in my boarding-school bed listening (on a small transistor radio with ear-piece) to The Voice Of America short-wave broadcasts of every US space launch.
The Russians weren't as forth-coming; they would only publicly announce after the event (and then only if it was successful) but the excitement I felt wasn't any less.

On 12th. April 1961 the first man went into space: Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth.
This was science-fiction come to life and it didn't matter that the hero was Russian - it was the event itself that was awesome.

Anyway - getting to the point - I recently discovered that the type of watch that Gagarin wore into space was available on the internet and, after doing some research, I happened upon the example shown here.

The watch-band and the dial are reproductions - modern replacements for what must have been very tired 50-year old originals - but the movement, case, crystal and back-plate are exactly as issued in 1961.

It was a hand-wound Shturmanskie (often spelt without the 'h') with central seconds complication and a hacking feature that allowed the watch to be precisely stopped and synchronised with a given time signal.

The Shturmanskie that Gagarin wore into space had a highly finished (including Geneva striping!) 17 jewel, shock protected movement. The movement was housed in a chrome plated, two-piece case measuring 33 mm across, 12 mm high, with a 16 mm lug size and had a stainless steel screw back.

A little item of nostalgia with which to commemorate the 48th. anniversary of the event and something which I will enjoy wearing occasionally.

Once Upon a Time....

2009-04-25T07:54:00.005+10:00

I was wandering through an old family photo album recently and in amongst the collection was this one of my youngest sister, Venette. She was 2 or 3 years old and appearing in her first concert.
The venue would have been the Kendall School of Arts, the centre of culture for the Camden Haven valley in the 1950's.

Down through the years this photograph has become known in the family as "The Reluctant Fairy". It's about time it was shared with a wider audience.

It's his eyes!

2009-04-23T19:15:00.005+10:00

We were having a barbecue and I noticed that my son's dark-glasses perfectly reflected a plate of sausages.......

Note the hat; it used to be mine!

I demand your attention!

2009-04-23T18:58:00.007+10:00

There are times when we all have to pause whatever task in which we may be involved, for many different reasons. One reason might be that one's office assistant is demanding one's attention and, until given, he or she will not budge from their position.

Such was the case when I was doing some work at home and my assistant decided that it was time for a meal-break........

(Photo taken with Nokia mobile telephone held out to side in right hand)
This staring contest lasted for about twenty seconds before I caved in.
After all - who wants to explain to their boss that the work couldn't be completed because a cat was sitting on it?

Collectible retro-toys

2009-04-19T18:00:00.005+10:00

Two weeks ago we visited Braidwood - a small, heritage-listed, town between Canberra and the coast. It has some interesting shops which sell a wide range of items, from antiques, to oil lamps, to 1950's clothing.

One of the shops happens to be an outlet for reproduction 1950's clock-work, Japanese, tin-plate toys. These days the toys are made in China and are produced for a limited world-market - they aren't the type of thing that you would always find in your local "Toys-R-Us".

I happened to pick up two of these, the first being a robotic figure named "Chief Robot."
When the chief is wound up and placed on a flat surface he moves ahead and then turns to the right, repeating this action until the mechanism winds down. This is accompanied by sparks shooting about behind the little window in his mid-section. No doubt these sparks are produced by a flint-and-wheel arrangement similar to a cigarette lighter.
Underneath is a protruding cam-operated lever which operates on a cyclic basis, pushing against the table surface and lifting the left-hand wheel off the table, thus causing the robot to turn right and then continue its march.

The other character I bought is called the "Happy Wanderer" and this item is made for only two distributors - one in Spain and the other here in Australia.

This is a real delight.
When wound up the duck-like figure pedals his tricycle in a large arc, with his articulated legs flying up and down on the pedals and the three-bladed propeller on his hat whirling around in a blur.
Very colourful when operating.

I was interested to learn - and be shown - that originals of such toys bring vast sums at auctions, a nice copy of the Wanderer realising over AUS$2000 when sold last year in the USA.

At least mine are affordable and, because of that, I can demonstrate them when the grand-children visit without having to do so behind armoured glass!

Easter, 1972. The "Dirty Weekend"

2009-04-10T15:20:00.012+10:00

(Scanned from a 35mm slide; camera Olympus Trip)
Exactly thirty-seven years ago - one year before we were married - my girlfriend and I decided to spend Easter fishing for trout at the base of Tantangara Dam, in the Snowy Mountains of NSW. This is where the Murrumbidgee River rises and starts its journey to the Murray-Darling system.

So we packed the little 1965 VW Beetle with the hired 2-man tent, sleeping bags, fishing gear and supplies and, on a windy and cold Good Friday we departed Toongabbie, in Sydney's western suburbs, and headed off down the Hume Highway into what was to be an abbreviated "dirty weekend" (all our friends reckoned that's why we were going away, as the GF was living with her parents).

(Scanned from a 35mm slide; camera Olympus Trip)
It was the coldest Easter for many, many years.
Not only did we have a howling gale to contend with but also sleet. It was snowing at a slightly higher altitude than where we were situated.
Although it was a very picturesque location, the natural beauty was completely unappreciated by both of us as we froze our backsides off. I even had to create a makeshift wind-break by stringing a tarp between two trees in an effort to reduce the wind-strength at base camp to something less than cyclonic!

We stayed one night (Friday) and, as it was so cold, we slept in our clothes, each in his/her own sleeping bag and kept awake by the snuffling of wombats as they ate the bread that we left outside the tent..

(Scanned from 35mm slide; camera Olympus Trip)
On the Saturday afternoon, with no improvement in the weather, we packed up and headed off to O ld Adaminaby, arriving at the camping site in near darkness.
I had great trouble getting the tent pegs into the ground and it wasn't until the following morning that we discovered I'd been trying to pound them into the solid sandstone base of what had been an old building site.
At least we were able to have hot showers and warm ourselves but this night we slept in the car seeing that the tent looked like a partially collapsed hot air balloon.

Sunday morning we headed back to Sydney, suffering from a flat tyre en-route, which we had fixed at Queanbeyan.

And so ended our weekend of rampant passion.
We still laugh about it every Easter.

School-days (continued)

2009-04-10T12:24:00.010+10:00

The period is now towards the end of my first year of high-school - the start of summer, November 1958.
In the senior-college we were offered a choice of summer sports; cricket, rowing or tennis. As I hated cricket and loved boats I chose rowing, which I didn't do much of due to my small and light stature. So I was made a coxswain, starting off coxing fours and, in the final year in which I was active in the sport (1962), the college 2nd. eight.

This photo was taken - as mentioned above - in November 1958. I can remember the names of two of the crew - not bad after 50 years.

Here's a version that I colourised so as to display the school colours - blue and gold.

___________________________

Fast-forward 5 years and it is November 1963. I had been a member of the college pipe-band for three years and had attained the rank of Drum Sergeant - I played the side drum (or "snare" drum, as some know it).

The college band was the largest school pipe-band in the world at one time and a decade after I finished my schooling the band was invited to the renowned Edinburgh Military Tattoo, in Scotland. I was very envious.

Incidentally, the cost to be fully kitted out in my regalia (see below) was very high, somewhere in the region of (in today's prices) AUS$2,000.
Fortunately for the parents, the school supplied the entire uniform, which was returned at the end of one's membership of the band.

Every ANZAC Day we would lead a contingent in the annual march through the streets of Sydney and throughout the school year we would be invited to attend fairs, garden parties, fetes, openings, balls......the list was endless. It was a very, VERY successful way to meet girls!

The photo above (left) is of those band members who were leaving the college at the end of the 1963 school year - as was I (photo right). (Note: We are sans headgear - it was a deliberately informal pose.)

This was a very emotional time, saying goodbye to good friends, most of whom we would never see again. Funnily enough, down the years and quite by chance I met up with two of the lads in this photo.
Life is funny.

____________________________

The final photo in this series is of the Macintyre House seniors.
There were six boarding houses and I was in "Mac", as it was known, from 1958 through 1963 - my last year. In our final year the senior boys had a few perks and were treated as young adults rather than boys.
The best year at college, definitely.
Several of us even chipped in to buy an old 1939 Pontiac so that we could get from Bellevue Hill to Bondi Beach. When we finished the year we just walked away from the old heap and left it parked in the street.

That's me in the centre (the smallest). Two very good mates are also in the pic and, do you know, I can remember the names of everyone shown.

That completes this visit into the past.

Nostalgia - BK's Schooldays.

2009-04-08T20:23:00.013+10:00

Just a few days ago one of my internet-forum friends posted a photo of himself which was taken in 1961 for his high-school yearbook.
This led to a bit of discussion, including how here in Australia we have a tradition of end-of-year group photos rather than the "yearbook" so common in the USofA.

So I threatened to post these types of pix, taken when I was at boarding school in Sydney between 1956 and 1963. Fortunately my mother had kept these and had given them back to me after I became a parent myself and understood the sentimental (and family history) value of such things.

Tonight I scanned a few of what I consider to be the most memorable and present them for your amusement. They are in chronological order.

This first one was taken at the end of 1956 - late November, just before school broke up for the annual summer holidays which, back then, extended from end of November until the end of January.
I had just had my 11th. birthday (November), having joined the college at the start of the school year back in January of 1956, and would have been finishing my 5th. Year, or penultimate year in primary school.

(Like all the images in this blog, if you click on them you will be able to see a much larger version)
The photo is of all the boarders who were in the prep-school for that year. I am the small, dark-haired kid in the 4th. row, extreme right....in front of the column.
We were wearing our summer uniform of khaki shirt, shorts, leather sandals and the school tie....blue with gold/yellow diagonal stripes.
The adults comprised the various house-masters and the school matron and assistant matron.
The location was at Bellevue Hill, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

This next one was also at prep-school, but in 1957. It is of the 4th.XV - Rugby, of course! I played fly-half some weeks and break-away other weeks.

I'm the one holding the ball. I would have been going on 12 here, as the photo was taken at the end of the football season - about September.
Uniform was yellow/gold jersey, dark-blue shorts and dark-blue socks with yellow/gold tops.
My mum - bless her - always considered this as my cutest photo from college!

I think this is enough to be going on with tonight - I don't want to scare you off!
I'll pop the others up over Easter.

Time on my hands.

2009-04-04T07:14:00.019+11:00

Quite recently - like, within the past month or two - I have developed an interest in the collection of small horological devices......watches.
Not just any old watch but specifically the Seiko Bell-matic model, which was made between 1966 and 1978.
I remember wanting one of these back then but could not afford it, as they were very expensive; newly-weds also have different priorities, like setting up house and paying mortgages.

I'm not quite sure what has sparked my interest 30 years on from that period in my life.
I think I may have seen mention of the Bell-matic somewhere on the 'net and, as usually happens, one link led to another link and so on, until I discovered a web-site forum devoted to the model.
So I bought a couple of them - not pristine, concours-winning examples but in good running order, quite presentable and very reasonably priced.

This is they (these are those?)......

(If you click on each image you can view them full-size)
The reason they are termed "Bell-matic" is that they have an alarm feature.
This is set by rotating the inner bezel (using the crown, pulled out to its first "click"), with the red segment and little arrow, to the time that you wish the alarm to sound. The crown is then pushed back in and used to wind the alarm and the little button at the 2 o'clock position is pulled out to make the alarm "live" and pushed in to stop it. (The crown is also used, in the conventional fashion, to adjust the time by pulling it out to the second "click").

The alarm is mechanical: a tiny striker inside the movement actually beats against the inside of the watch case, creating a metallic buzz and vibration.

They came in a range of styles and colours for the dials and were available in 17-jewel movements (the most common), 27-jewel and 21-jewel (the rarest and most expensive).
That on the left, with the gold face, was manufactured in October 1977 and the one on the right is from July 1976. Both are 17-jewel movements.

Mint-condition Bell-matics may cost in the region of three or four-hundred Australian dollars.
Mine cost far less than that!

34 Keswick Street, Cowra

2009-04-01T22:11:00.005+11:00

In June 2008 I was successful in tracking down the address in Cowra at which we lived when I was between 6-months and 3-years of age.
I was curious about what might be at 34 Keswick Street - maybe the old home had been torn down, replaced by a service station or a block of flats or something. Other than a couple of old small, sepia-toned and faded snapshots taken by my mother, showing the backyard and part of the front veranda, I had no idea what the place looked like.

You can imagine my amazement when I pulled up in front of the residence shown in the photograph (if you click on the image you will get a larger view).
Unfortunately the owner and his wife were not there on the Saturday morning that I arrived unannounced, but the kindly neighbour saw me and, after introductions, showed me around the outside of the house, which is listed on the National Heritage Trust.

I don't think we could have had the whole place back then (1946 - 1948), as it is way too big for just two parents and one child. I reckon it was a twin-tenancy, with the house effectively becoming two apartments.
I was able to match the old photos with the positions from where they were taken so long ago and sure enough, apart from new paint, the architecture is identical.

I feel as if I can say with some truth that, for part of my life, I lived in a mansion!

Beneficial exercise or physical torture?

2009-03-31T20:41:00.002+11:00

Tonight I attended my first exercise session at a local fitness centre (they don't call them "gymnasiums" these days).
I was taken through the 1-hour program by a very nice bloke, a few years younger than I.
Tony had a quadruple-bypass about 4 years ago, took up regular exercise after the operation and became an instructor at the centre. Because of his age and personal background he is the ideal person to set and oversee the program.

It was a fun regime, involving about six different pieces of equipment, with an emphasis on increasing bone density, burning fat and improving overall muscle tone.
A tiring, but enjoyable hour that I found to be very satisfying. I didn't realise how much I had missed regular physical exercise.

Of course, tomorrow morning, I may well reverse my opinion when I find my muscles refuse to work without creating enormous amounts of pain all over my body.

Another day in paradise.

2009-03-30T21:03:00.006+11:00

This evening I received this photo from my sister in Yamba.
Amy & Ashley are stating their marriage vows before the celebrant, with the three bride's-maids in attendance.
In the background, the late-afternoon sky is dappled with clouds and the blue Pacific Ocean rolls in to break upon the rocky headland.
I don't think that I have ever seen a more beautiful location for a wedding.

Beach Babe!

2009-03-30T16:27:00.002+11:00

September 1982 and daughter Lauren - nearly 2 year's old in this photo - is enjoying the sun and sand at Lake Cathie (pronounced "Cat-eye" by the locals for over a thousand years), just south of Port Macquarie.
(Image scanned from a 35 mm Kodachrome slide. Camera was a Nikon EM)

Klang! Tinkle! Bong! Ka-Pling!

2009-03-30T16:26:00.002+11:00

Schroeder from "Peanuts"? Elton John? Mozart?
None of these, but rather my 1-year old son belting out an unfinished piano concerto on the kitchen floor. But he did grow up to be a rather musical (guitar) and artistically-creative person, so maybe there was something stirring back in 1984.
(Image scanned from a 35mm Kodachrome slide. Camera Nikon EM)

Shaken, not stirred.

2009-03-30T14:40:00.004+11:00

Still in a musical frame of mind, here is a link to a group that I only very recently discovered.
"Pink Martini" is the name and here's a taste of their style.......... Eugene

A Fine Frenzy, indeed.

2009-03-30T11:03:00.006+11:00

I heard a track from this CD a couple of weeks ago (thanks, Tom) and enjoyed it so much that I was prompted to buy the album.
It is not available in Australia over-the-counter, so it had to be ordered in for me from the USofA.

If your music tastes include Dido then you will most likely enjoy the words and music of Alison Sudol, the young lady of the striking red hair and beautiful voice. Great arrangements, backings and accompaniments. Certainly a very Fine Frenzy.

Grandma & grand-daughter on a sunny Saturday

2009-03-29T11:19:00.004+11:00

On Saturday 14th. March our daughter and son-in-law moved into their castle - their own home after 8 years of renting.

So while the move was on, our grandchildren spent the day with my wife and I - grandma pictured here with 2-year old Matilda, sharing the front entry porch in the dappled autumn sunlight.

Speaking of blue horizons.....

2009-03-29T08:52:00.008+11:00

This photo - a panorama made by stitching two pix together - was taken from Mount Stromlo in June of 2008. A crisp, clear winter's day in Canberra.
Before the bushfires of 2003, this view would not have been possible, being obscured by the pine forest.

Congratulations, Amy & Ashley

2009-03-28T22:09:00.005+11:00

The younger daughter of my younger sister - i.e., my niece, Amy - was married today in Yamba (officially the one location in Oz where everyone wants to be).
She was wed to Ashley, and young men the length and breadth of the land must now be crying in their beer, gnashing teeth and wearing looks of utter desolation. Tough cheddar, lads!

I really wanted to be there but, unfortunately, it was not to be. It's a long way from Canberra to Yamba and I wasn't able to make it.
So from afar I wish Amy and Ashley all the very best that the future can bring them.

Beyond the Wha-a-at?!

2009-03-28T17:52:00.016+11:00

How does one choose a name for a blog?
In considering this important question this morning I ran through several obvious titles, discarding them all.
I thought "Bruce's Place" probably the dullest of the lot and when on my second cuppa coffee, it came to me....

TAAAH-DAAAAH!

"Beyond the Blue Horizon"!

Why?
Two reasons...

The lyrics from the song embody the very essence of the intent behind this blog....

"Beyond the blue horizon
Waits a beautiful day
Goodbye to things that bore me
Joy is waiting for me".

The book of the same title, by Alexander Frater, is a marvellous tale of the author, using modern airlines, retracing the route taken in the pre-war years by the Short S.23 flying-boats of Imperial Airways along the "Empire Route" between England and Australia/New Zealand. It was an adventure, a journey of discovery, a wonderful, spirit-enhancing, uplifting experience. Just like this blog.

So there you have it - the thinking that went behind the choice of blog-title.
(That should give you some idea of what you might come across here as time passes.)
Incidentally, I took the heading photo in August 2008. Angourie Beach - a world-famous surfing beach - is just south of Yamba, on the NSW north coast. Yamba is one of the most beautiful locations on the Australian coast. I want to be there.