Spruce wedding

Last week, Angela Walsh married Antony Spruce at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Cowra. I didn't burn up upon entering the building.


This is the front of the church.


The reception at the Cowra Golf Club was good fun.


The Roberts' kindly permitted the lads and I to undertake our recovery in their hot-tub on Sunday.


Out at the vineyard, Jenny and I surveyed the mature, and very large, pumpkins. In the background a passenger steam engine chugs by.

Camping at Mount Clear

Mount Clear campground is located at the southern end of Namadgi National Park, in a snow hollow. Being in such a cool location, I considered it a useful opportunity to test out my down sleeping bag in concert with my hoochie.


This is a great campground, adjacent to a cool stream - great for chilling a few homebrews down. As well there is a huge supply of cut firewood. Jenny and I set up a fire but still used the ethanol burner to heat our dinner.

Typically, this is a very quiet campground. A little after dark, however, the campground was inundated by the arrival of several vehicles and an entire scout troupe. Thankfully, its a big ground and we "regular people" were given a considerate berth.


It was cool overnight, so cool that I shook ice from my hoochie in the morning, but my accommodation passed its first test. Jen brought along her tent as our insurance policy.


Sunday was beautiful and clear, so Jenny and I hiked up Shanahan's mountain. The view here is facing to the east from close to the summit.


Here, Jen is trekking through a particularly lichen-encrusted grove.


I almost forgot this: at near to the end of our trip, I crossed path with this little fellow. Rimsy, do you think that you could identify this insect?

Hodgo's soccer carnival

Jen joins her ANU soccer team mates at UC for a trial game.


Here, Jen strides in defense.


Jen was awarded a penalty for this incident. (Not a trophy).


It is lunchtime here and a hungry dog and a snotty baby watch on.

Getting to know Bruce

Bruce Campbell is Ash. And now Ash is in Bruce.

Phil, Jen and I gave Kearto' a hand moving some of his loot in to the new pad that he is sharing with Mixy and Louis.

The boys are going to furnish the apartment like a hotel and brew their own beer. I really hope that some of these awesome developments will appear on Ash's blog too.

Mikey's Mocktobertfest

Phil, Jen and I backed up again for pints at the German club in Narrabundah, in order to farewell Mikey.


The band gave renditions of German and English favourites.


Adventurous blokes danced in this strange way together.

Uni Pub

On Friday, I travelled with some friends to the upper-most floor of the Uni-Pub. I pose here with Elene and Kate.


Phil and Freddie are great guys.


We can't get enough of Big-L now that he's back in the country. Thankyou, as an aside, Louis and Han for the postcard from Poland - we received the surprise in the mail on Monday!

Chemistry of Beer

Mixy joined the chemists for an evening of beer sampling at the Wig and Pen. Of course, our little party was the last to leave as we worked our way through the range of beers, schooner by schooner.

Burning rubber, petrol and timber

A poor driver bent our clothesline. Brute human strength straightened the pole a little. We were finally granted an excuse to tie a motorbike to something and rev. This short movie evinces our attempt.


Glynn and I gathered firewood from around the neighborhood and carried it back to construct our bonfire on Scrivener Street.


Steve's fire-skills were in short supply so the handy can came out.


Jenny dragged K.P. around by a stick.


And then Steve spanked him while the fire grew.


In the end, our wild instincts reigned and Glynn was snapped here impersonating a possum.

Mexico on Moncrieff

Phil and I were so glad to bask under the restored gas lamp.


Mixy poses with Claire, Trace' and Lauren. Mix posted a few photos on his blog too.


Jen styles and item from her own line of Mexican attire and Amy swims in that sombrero.


Another great Monc' party brought to you by the police. Oh, actually, they were against the party. Oh well, tough for them!


Trace was really roaring around on the toy-wheelchair that Scotty found underneath some guy at the shops. And THEN, I fixed the brakes because they were locked on and we really picked up some speed!

St. Patrick's Day at P.J. O'Reilly's

Jen and I thought that pints would make a good dinner. (If you eat the occasional boiled egg, you can live on Guinness, right?)


Katy, Mike and the Humphrey stalwarts joined us for a beer in the afternoon sun.


Louis, recently returned from globe trotting, was painted by Hannah.


We moved inside with Nat and Ash, then the festivities were in full swing.


Happy St. Pat's Day, everyone. Did you know, my little bro (not pictured) has his birthday on St. Patrick's Day (every year, can you believe it!) So - he always has a big day even when his birthday is on a Monday, like this year.

My Birthday, Last Saturday

The Owls played our first trial game for the season. I was positioned as a break-away.


The girls' (very sweetly) bestowed the day with a pink theme and presented me with a pink-iced cup-cake after the game. Jess kindly mentioned me on her blog.


Conveniently, my birthday aligned itself with the Skyfire event on Lake Burley Griffin. Jen and I rode down to the lake with a bottle of wine and I felt that the whole event was just for me.

Cowra

Dad's vineyard is also a pumpkin patch. Here's Pumpkin with a hefty product.


The grapes have been harvested and my parents had a good crop of Chardonnay this year.


This is the Lachlan river at a spot called "Second Sands". The sands have shifted and the river is not quite the same as when I was a boy. However, a splash in the river was some welcome respite from the heat-wave (late summer?) that has arrived.


Jan and Les adopted two ducklings and they have grown large now. I learnt that male ducks have sex feathers. Can you pick the male?


Jen and I slung a leg each over the GS500 and rode to Bathurst. We stayed with the Peel Street lads on Sunday evening and then rode to Bateman's Bay via Oberon on Monday. It was pretty late by the time we arrived back in Canberra! (And my butt was rather saddle sore!)

Jimmy hosts us

We started off with dinner at Jimmy's in Dickson on Friday evening. For this video, I mounted the camera on the lazy susan.

Then, of course, we headed back to the Fox for Singstar. I sometimes pour drinks in to those red cups to feel like I am in an American teen movie.


It was good fun and great encouragement to mop the kitchen and laundry!

Wee Jasper

With the bright, cool Autumn weather upon us, Jen and I took a ride out to Wee Jasper.

View Larger Map

One may just make out Lake Burrinjuck in the distance. (It is very small these days, though).


We stopped at this crossing over the Murrumbidgee river. (It is also pretty small - a bridge this size seems excessive).