Thirty days and counting

Dear Dears,

Well I expect by now you’re all waiting with bated breath for the report from home of my fabulous life. Well the temperature has crept up every day this week till it today must be 20+. Frustrating really having to unearth spring clothes just when winters were becoming so comfortable. That’s enough weather.

My greatest joy was earlier this morning when I discovered why the burgers who originally settled this area established their grand mansions on the rail line. First there was the sound of a steam whistle and then the choof-a-loof choof-a-loof choof-a-loof of a steam engine passing. Almost human, certainly animal this sound needs to be preserved. This brings me to my greatest sorrow; that I was not prepared to record its morning departure or its evening return as either sight or sound. Whilst City Rail do a junk mail drops to inform me of weekend disruptions they make no effort to inform me of a delightful visit from the choof-a-loof and I am caught inconvenienced on the loo or in the shower for these rarely experienced moments.

Earlier still that morning I took a walk in Balmain or more specifically at the recently opened Ballast Point harbour side reserve. A magnificent public facility that could accommodate thousands of new year revellers with some excellent views of fire works. I was surprised to find a police couple (one of each gender) on duty at about seven thirty Sunday morning. Twenty minutes later having completed some sort of circuit I found them gone and in their place a bunch of last nights revellers who might have been labelled as ‘of middle eastern and aboriginal origin’. Just seven or eight lads and a big brown dog difficult to count as they moved too much and you don’t like to stare. That’s probably the reason that descriptions of the assailant are always so poor. These lads were friendly enough though loudly greeting us joggers and dog walkers with good mornings and an insightfully added “to get arrested”. They still had half a case of beer to finish but didn’t offer and I didn’t ask. It’s interesting how the Aboriginal and Leb (sorry but that’s what they call themselves) seem to have embraced one another. Both underdogs of course but I don’t recall Italians or Vietnamese embracing Aboriginals when they were underdogs. Lordy doesn’t he ramble on, just as well no one reads this stuff.

Found some leopard print plates on the way home, might give them to Walter to add to his reveal work. Went to Birkenhead Point to look at travel goods in the afternoon and came away with an interesting of Dunlop Volley Islamic style slippers. Yep ‘Dunlop Islamics” the next big thing.

Last night I saw ‘Jubilation with Joy Yates and The Dave McCrea Beat’, yes quite a mouth full but then this choral group has many mouths with approximately twenty singers - moved too much again but I did stare - backed by keyboard drums and base. A wonderful nights entertainment made even more so when I bumped into the usually shy Adam Pringle who was on his third two for one cocktail which seemed to contain every spirit, was dark brown and tasted like sweet lime. He was unusually boisterous as he contemplated his first overseas tour to the US next week.

That’s enough of me I’m sure you’ll agree. but I do need to address what seems a strange omission on behalf of our expatriate rellos. Are they aware that an Ashes Cricket series has recently come and gone in their domain? I know that girls often feign disinterest in this premier of sports but what of their male friends, especially the English ones who must be over the moon eh Mart. If that were not enough then what about The Proms? I would have thought this to be the best reason to be in London. You don’t even run the risk of backing a looser.

Love you all,

Aunty


Ballast Point, built from ballast naturally


Leopard print plates

Dunlop Islamics