Banjo Man

Big Jimmy and his mates from the Clare Castle band were the highlight of Adult Learners Week. Here they are performing in Flinders Lane to a most appreciative audience.

Fathers' Day

A father (and mother) - Rob and Hil

A pressie



Another father - pinching cumquats from a neighbour's tree

"I think we've been sprung, Arpa!"

"Is this one ripe enough?"

A cumquat

 

 

Arma and Alma

For eight months I've been Caspie's 'Arma' several days a week. In this capacity I answer a yot of questions:
What's in fridge?
What's in freezer?
What's in cupboard? Yet's get the yadder, climb up and have a yook!
Ahh, bread! I'll have some of yat!

What's in the kitchen?

Next week I start as a casual reference librarian at Monash. A new library management system called 'Alma' is being introduced. I expect to answer a lot of questions. Will the students hunger for knowledge match Caspie's enthusiasm for food? Will Alma answer more questions than Arma?

Caspie on holiday in Vanuatu

Photos taken by accompanying friends

Once more with feeling ...

Two brave souls, Susan and Geeta have spent the last two weeks packing, shipping and disposing of our stuff. I hope they save me something from the stationery cupboard which was always a great source of joy for me.

Yesterday Susan and Geeta had their chairs whipped out from under them. They were shown the door and the locks were changed.

Geeta took these pictures...

 

 

The last goodbye

Yesterday, twelve months after the announcement, Lilydale Campus closed. I went out to the last party, determined to finally draw a line and move on.

The first thing I saw when I turned into the drive was three Ridgeway vans, emblazoned with the words, 'Business Removals'. That was the first emotional moment and there were many more over the next four hours which was every bit the struggle I had feared it would be. Empty offices everywhere, the library doors closed forever, Susan's 60th birthday hijacked by the generally sad vibe.

My desk

My shelves



Emma

Colleen



Peter & Nelson

Craig, Michelle & Steve

Julie W & Andrew

My beloved building

 Goodbye Lilydale. Here's a brief retro of 16 years of happy occasions ...

 

And just to prove I'm moving on, here's a photo of 3 British Lions in town for the Rugby. Melbourne is awash with them - dressed as bobbies, union jacks, lions and in the team strip.

A pride of Lions

There were just a few Aussies supporting the Wallabys. "Who are the ones in the green and yellow?" asked Big Jimmy innocently. Durrr.

Farewell to the best PM the world has ever known

The perfidious, vain, delusional Rudd is temporarily our PM. What a tragedy that a person of Julia Gillard's integrity, intelligence, generosity and class is now lost to Australian politics.
I've voted Labor always, even if it has been for no other reason than tribal loyalty but cannot do it this election. Ironically my local member is in the Gillard faction. He is collateral damage.

But who do I vote for instead? The wussy ole Greens I suppose. Maybe informal - just fill my ballot paper with vitriol and not number anyone.

The Libs will win anyway. Oh horrors - my grandchildren growing up in Abbot's Australia.



Goodbye Julia. Victim of sexism, misogyny, bullying, jealously and betrayal. Never given a chance.

Caspie and Foxy

Caspie's favourite thing at playgroup is a very soft cuddly fox with a luxuriant tail. The cars, the puzzles, the paints and the other kids are OK but can't compete with a snuggle up to Foxy. Perhaps the only thing that does is the occasional birthday cake.

My favourite!