Infinity scarves

 This term at crocheting we are having a ladies choice so each week, one of us will bring something along that we have made and show/teach the rest.

I can do the more complex patterns but as I do most of my crocheting while watching TV, I prefer it to be simple and mindless.

I have decided to do some scarves but as infinity ones which they don't have a beginning or end once they are finished. I have made three slightly different.

The yellow one was first, I did a chain for the length that I wanted and then did 10 rows. Joined once done and then it will able to be wound twice around the neck.

The multi coloured one id longer and narrower, only five rows.

The white one was the most painful and took the longest to do, it is Chevron pattern and looks quite Lacey. I made this from the short side first and just kept going until I ran out of wool. Now I just have to write the pattern out.

ANZAC eve football match

 Last night had a game of footy but because the game was a ceremony honouring the ANZACS.

It's always held at the MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground. Soldiers ride horseback from the war memorial carrying a flame lit from the Internal flame. It's a ride of approx 2 KMs and they enter the grounds just on sunset.

After the sun goes down, the ceremony continues with all the lights off at the G, people do use their mobile phone torches which makes it look like it's stars in the sky. 

All arms of the forces are in attendance and the New Zealand anthem is sung, last night it was sung by a young private from the New Zealand army, first in Maori then in English, then the Australian anthem, the bugle played The Last Post, very moving when there was over 85,000 people standing in the stands and the only sound was the bugle. A minutes silence before the game. 

I watched three quarters before going to bed as my team is playing today. Always Collingwood and Essendon on ANZAC day, the two oldest clubs.

They usually have special jumpers made, Essendons usual jumper is black with a red diagonal stripe. The stripe today is made up from red poppy's.  Collingwood's jumpers have names of previous players who have served.

The jumpers are auctioned off after the match with the proceeds going to Legacy which is the charity that looks after service personnel and their families.

Update on our green pole

 Well, the top bit is up but not right at the top.

There is a fair bit of space at the top, don't know if something is going above it. Apparently there was only one guy working on it, he was up the pole screwing nuts and bolts. Didn't sound like a good health and safety practise.

The spider lifter used to get it up there. 

It blends in rather well.

New technology

 Well, we have had the massive green pole down the park for some months but it does look as though it is finally moving forward. 

This was on the ground near the pole a couple of days ago.

That is big, certainly don't want to be around when it gets lifted.

Home again

 I can't believe how much the garden has grown since we have been away.

Our banana palms, there are two one was much smaller than the other, now they are the same size

We had a tree here before but it listed badly to one side and appeared to be going to fall on the house. Warren took it out a few months ago and put a palm in its place.

The turumic plant that we have growing purely for the flowers.

Then there is this, not sure what but the flowers are pretty.

This is a garden bed which we put in several years ago and it's the only area that Lucy digs in. Saturday afternoon after we got home, she dug around in here for awhile. Usually she just digs a little dirt to get to the moust dirt underneath as it is cooler but she was full on digging, maybe she thought there was a bone buried there. If I give her a beef or lamb bone, she buried it but not so chicken bones.

Goondiwindi

 Our last night and a park run. As we were back in Qld, parkrun was a 7am start but we discovered we were only a 3 minute drive away.

Exit gate at caravan park was closed at 5pm and the entrance gate was closed at 8pm, after that a code was needed to get back in the gate. Luckily the exit gate was reopened at 6am so it was an easy drive out from our spot.

Lucy and I took ourselves off to the botanical gardens to find a sculpture our directions said 1km but by the time we got back to parkrun, it was 3.5kms and most runners had finished.

This was what we needed to find,letters and numbers were on the bottom, I assumed it was the artists initials followed by 20, so made in 2020.

We made our way back to camp, Warren did a good time of 37.17 and was first in his age group. I made a second cup of coffee while he had a shower and changed. There was a very small caravan opposite us and they (he) started packing up as I sat down with my coffee. It was a Jpod, looked to only be big enough for a double bed, with the kitchen out the back. He used a rattle gun for the legs, lovely noise they make first thing in the mornings. 

We finished coffee then started packing up, no rush as usual but he pulled out just before us. I reckon it took him about 45 minutes to pack up, so much for compact.

We stopped for a toilet break at Esk on the way home and this minor bird was very interested in the table, we had sat there but didn't have any food so he was hopeful.

Three weeks away, 300 caches found, 3 park runs done and one 10 km walk (Warren in Canberra). 

Toorawenah

 We needed to go here to do maintenance on our caches and also do the ad lab there.

The park has changed since we were there last, the entrance is through the side road and they have converted one of the three cabins 8nto the office, not sure why. It's run as a mum and dad set up, think there is 12 sites and quite a big area for camping. There is a pool and a small enclosed area for dog off lead. They offer doggy day care for people with a dog who want to visit the Warumbungles national park which is about 30 KMs away.

Walked the town to do the ad lab, it's a very old place one of the earliest town in NSW. We had to make Lucy walk on the road because there are some many bindis in the grass. The park has spent a lot of time and money getting rid of the bindi plants thank goodness.

Mural on the toilet block, every month the townspeople would do a rabbit run, this was just after the second world war. Money and food were scarce and rabbits were plentiful. 

Old pepper tree, these were always around when I went to school but now it is rare to see them.

The first airstrip in country NSW.

Very horsey town.

This horse was being kept in the church yard, we had a cache there and he was very interested in what we were doing. It was attached to the black top and dropped inside tied with fishing wire. We discovered it on the ground in next paddock. We think the horse has chewed the top off. We fashioned it a little different so he couldn't chew it,

We saw two horses being exercised like this, car driving slowly while the horse walked. It is a very laid back town, no shops but does have a pub and a post office in a back street. Also an operating police station, what an easy job although only four KMs off the highway, I would imagine they do some highway patrols.

Mum and foal in paddock by main road, when the mare turned her head to look at me, I saw she was missing an eye. Many of the homes had either sheep or a horse or two in the back yard.

Cowra

 We stayed overnight, had a huge thunderstorm and rain. We had started an adventure lab here about three years ago and intended to finish it but the rain kept us inside. 

When leaving the next morning, Warren suggested doing one on the way north, it had to be done in sequence because it followed the Cowra breakout. Cowra had prisoners of war during the WW2 conflict.

This was a replica of one of the water towers. The compound was quite large and held Italian and Japanese prisoners.

 The garrison gates were about 4 KMs away.

Several Japanese soldiers were killed while escaping plus four Aussie soldiers, they were all buried in the war cementry another 4 or 5 KMs away in another direction.

A dedication was done in 1999 from a consignment from Japan, with an alter laid with both Japanese and English language.

Finally to the Peace bell in the main street.

At each place, as people attend a story is told through speakers about the area and what occurred.

There is a quite large Japanese garden in Cowra which we visited a couple of times when living down that way but I didn't know about the rest of the history of Cowra. 

Painted water towers on the way to the compound.

Boorowa

 Just 40 minutes from Yass, it was a lunch time stop. First was the court house which was right alongside of the police station.

There was an art gallery and cafe on the other side. We were venturing further down the road though.

I ordered lunch while Warren found a spot outside in the sun. I told the girl where we were and continued on.

I needed to find this old shop and discover the word written above the left hand door. It was after pay, wrong! Whoops there was another door. Welcome! Wrong again, then I wondered if it was above and yep, there it was, men's on left and boys on right with outfitter above the door, done in stained glass. Photo does not do it justice.

On to the war memorial

Beautiful entry with a clock in the tower, instead of numbers, it had ANZAC written above and below.

I turned to go back for lunch, the sun went under a cloud and the temp dropped considerably 200 metres away our lunch was being delivered and so was the rain when I got there. We had to quickly move everything to the verandah to avoid getting wet.

These painted sheep were near the court house. I counted six cafes in the main street, amazing that they can all survive.

Yass

 We packed up and got away, rain was expected and down it came after ten minutes on the road. Our first stop was Yass to do two adventure labs. One was on Historical buildings and the other on the old pubs and inns. All up and down the main street with a couple of deviations.

Many of these establishments we have been in but probably not appreciated the history.

The court house, a massive 8mpressive building that was meant for a bigger place possibly Wagga but a mix up and it was built in Yass.

One of the churches

A church school that a friend's kids went there, with the church and school combined it took up a whole block. Catholic school but there were no nuns teaching there when Judy's kids were there, 20 years ago. I guess it's the same now.

Anzac Ave Canberra

 This ave goes between the War Memorial and Parliament house although there is the lake in between. 

I had often driven through here when I was a courier driver but had never actually visited these memorials. There was only a few when we lived there but now there are ten along the way.

The first one we stopped at was the Vietnam conflict. 

The War Memorial is being updated ready for ANZAC day. We met a worker along the way, she was replacing flags at different ones. She says that they were only small, 2 metres by one and a half metres but the ones along the road were twelve metres wide. The Australian flag which flies from Parliament house is two bus length long. The flags are refurbished she said she didn't know how but they were sent off to a company every six months to be overhauled.

The high court across the way.

A nice sunny day to walk the 2.5 KMs.

Dickson

 We lived in the next suburb but Dickson was the main shopping area. Woolies, library and post office plus smaller shops. A tradies club across the road where they served great snitzels, quite often hanging over the plate, then it was the different sauces, vege and chips or salad. Don't know if they served anything else.

As well as all the usual stuff it seems Dickson is the place to eat, several Chinese restaurants also Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, several small cafes.

The Woolies carpark has been taken over by Coles and there is underground parking. We drove in the other and then had to walk with Lucy up the out way as I couldn't see her in a lift or on an escalator.

Lots of trees and we had lunch at one of the cafes, it was a bit chilly under the trees

At least it was cheaper here than on the foreshore a couple of days ago. $41 for two ham and cheese toasties, an 8ced coffee and Warren had an orange juice. I guess that's what the premium rents call for.

Yass and Wee Jasper

 The old stomping ground. Drove to Yass, got petrol and picked up lunch then drive our familiar route to Wee Jasper. It's now completely bitumenized, there were still a couple of patches of about 2kms each that had been dirt when we finished up our mail run.

We thought our mate who runs the caves would be doing tours but he's down to three days a week now, Sat, Sun and Mondays now. We were in contact and will be having dinner with them Monday night. 

Just not real sure how we did all that driving. Three hundred KMs and a hundred and eleven drops three times a week. The store was sold ten years ago and hasn't reopened, no fuel out there either. Very quiet when we were there, after Easter and the end of term for NSW, we did meet several cars and caravan going out when we were coming back in. 

We did some caching which included some bush walking.

This is the Frizpatrick track head, part of the Hume and Hovell walking track. Warren and a mate did this walk about twenty five years ago, they started from here and I collected them in Tumut four days later.

Bush camping here

We did a 250m walk at the end of the bush camping, this is Micalong creek supposed to only be a weekend or holiday place but one guy in particular built a new house here once he retired from the police force.

Bridge to bridge

Across the lake

The big flag pole

Lots of ducks lined up, looked like they were waiting for the gun to go off.

The international flags

A photo needed with our catcher name with the Carillion included.

 Thursday was a nice clear day so we decided to walk this common route. We parked near the Carillion, a bell that was presented to Australia. The bells are played Wednesdays and Sundays. 

It was a 5kms walk, we had coffee on one side and lunch on the other which was a nice break.

Mt Ainslie

 A shopping centre three suburbs over, Sheri needed to get a cord so I went with her as she told me that I would like the art works. 

Mt Ainslie is one of the high spots in Canberra and it overlooks a lot of the city. My memories of the mount part was taking a new car for a test drive. Warren was working overseas and he told me to go a buy a new car. 

No brand or anything just a new car that suited me. I asked a male friend who I had worked with years before to come with me. I knew Wayne knew nothing about cars but I was hoping that the extra support would mean that I didn't get dismissed. 

We looked a few cars and each time Wayne was given the keys to drive even though he had told the salesmen that I was buying it. Did not particularity like any, I had been driving a work car that was a couple of years old and that was what I wanted but the new model was pretty tinny.

Dropped Wayne off and on my way home, I called into a car yard where I used to deliver. The salesman drive me and the car up Mt Ainslie and I was allowed to drive it back to the yard. I bought it on the spot.

The shopping centre is at the base of the mountain and there were cute animals dotted around.

These were tiny frogs on a post with another on top peering over the edge.

Standard crow

Snails were in the forecourt, complete with snail trails. Lots of acorns around on the ground.

Murr7mbateman

 It rained and we got a late start. There was mention of Wee Jasper and Tumut, then the skies cleared and plans changed. Boys went walking to One Tree Hill, a nice easy? 8.4 KMs walk, the girls going to Sutton, Gundaroo, Murrumbateman and Hall.

Sutton has a nice bakery and we saw some other catchers there who were on their way home to Sydney. Did a couple of multi caches there which involved getting information from one of the churches and then finding it. They were T3's which usually mean a tree climb and we were in our car that didn't have a ladder in it but luckily they were on a fence post. 

At Gundaroo, we followed a story of a family from years gone by, first the house where they brought up five kids he went to war, WW1, the kids school and finally the century. 

From there we cut across to Murrumbateman and the bush cementry and water tanks mural. Never been to busy cementry, the Lions took it on as a project to clear and keep clean the area as well as the mural.

Canberra weather

 It was hot when we arrived and hot for the next few days. I guess not too bad 29 but it the camper trailer, it gets hot in that canvas. Saturday and Sunday afternoons we took ourselves off to local parks to sit under the shady trees.

Monday wasn't too bad and we ventured out to Murrumbateman and past the house that we built. Wow, so many trees on the block now, it was hard to see the house. Trying to cross the Barton Highway to get into the township took awhile as people were coming back from holidays. 

Finally managed it and went to local takeaway where I recognised one of the customers, he and his wife lived on the same estate and he was always going to sell because there was talk of a bypass either going straight through our estate or very close by. We spoke for a few minutes, not convinced that he knew who we were, although Warren and he were both members of the Lions club

Monday morning at 8.30am, very foggy. Rained most of that night and early morning, causing a change of plans, then again back to original plans. Nothing like flexibility. Had to get out the big jackets and heater.

Today Wednesday is a mild sunny day, 22 degrees we did a walk around and the kids have gone kayaking.

Billabong pond in Watson ACT

A dog off lead park just across the road. We took a drink and an ice cream to escape the heat. We tried to encourage Lucy to go for a swim but she wasn't having a bar of it. 

Then she followed me around the park and plunged into the reeds and MUD! We were about to leave. Tried to take a photo, she was covered 8n black mud up to her belly.

An interesting feature. We asked a local dog walker if she knew what it was. Yep, it is a stick library. The idea is that people coming across the paddocks collect some sticks and lay across the shelves for dog walkers to throw for their dogs.

This is said pond and no sticks around, I guess because they had been thrown in the water. Very peaceful with a few ducks around.