I write today on Australia Day - 26th January 2006.
Its our national public holiday to celebrate being an Australian. In recent years the young teens have symblised with this national day - proud of being an Aussie... they dress themselves in the Australian flag and spend much of the day at the music events in the CBD or beach. Tonight there will be fireworks on the Swan River in the CBD with over 150,000 people getting very sunburnt and some very drunk... Some will be on the South Perth foreshore, in boats under the Narrows bridge or mored off Herrison Island, many will take the advantage of the hight of Mt Elizer (Kings Park) and some will be in the buildings on the 50th floors... All will be turned to a radio and armed with a torch... All will sing our national antham (badly) but with pride... Australian music will play on radio's all day.
I'll be at home some 60kms away. On Sunday when I go for my bike ride, I see the ugly side to Australia Day, broken glass and rubbish from one end other foreshore to the other. I'll have my Boxing Kanagaroo flag, not the blue one with the Union jack... I'm not loyal to England and don't think I need to carry a flag that has a cross on it that belongs to a different history than our own...
So what else have I been up too in January. I had a very special visitor, McNought. He stayed almost 2 weeks but was only visable after sunset and in the southern sky... McNoughts Comet. Apparently its a once in a lifetime event to get to see something as good as this... I can't take credit for the photo but thank my friends for sending me a few snaps. The whole of Australia was able to see the comet and the radio and papers have been a buzz chatting about it. We were so lucky as the comet arrived at the same time a the new moon so it made it easy to see. I would have to say it was very specky and very easy to see with the naked eye... What a treat...
We are having a 3 year trial for day-light savings in WA. Its a thing that is unique to WA and Queensland were for reasons that I don't get... no one wants day-light savings in summer. But this year the state governement put its foot down and passed a 3 year trial then we all get to vote yes or no. The last two times WA's have voted no. I am for it. The only downside I can see is that when I get up now at 5am its dark and yes it will be dark in winter time too... so I'll never have that sunny morning wake up unless I sleep in. The plus side is that its not dark until 9pm so I can stay out late for a change and not have to drive home in the dark.
This change to our day prompted me to buy a kayak.. Alas I don't have any photos yet but I will soon. Its a sit-on kayak... I don't like the idea of having to empty the boat in the river or ocean if I fall out... sit-on's are much simpler to right again. I have taken to paddling on the river after work on Wednesday and Friday nights after work... I usually get to the club house at around 5pm and paddle a return trip of around 8kms up into an area called Guildford. This is one of the oldest parts of Perth settlement its a nice part of the river too... tall trees, the gateway to the Swan Valley and not many houses - a few boats and limited road bridges... I hope to be able to paddle 25kms return. Each day I'm getting stronger and better understanding the knack needed to get the kayak to move forward... Its a whole new learned skill.
On top of this I'm still swimming. I can now do 6 laps of a 25mt pool with out stopping, freestyle one way and backstroke on the return. My goal is 20 laps of a 50 metre pool all freestyle (Australian Crawl). i have a long way to go.
I still cycle to work 50kms return 3 times a week and every Sunday with the HPV mob. This is fun such a great group of people (but don't tell them it may go to the heads)
In my spare time to relax I'm covering a wall in my house with corks. Its going great. I had to put out a call for corks the other day as I'm running low on supplies. So if you have any please send.... Attached is some photos of how it looks... I can't wait to finish it. It a goal for this year.
I also have a two small friends that choose to visit me... I'm sure its not the attraction of the vegi garden that keeps them around the house. There is a really bad photo othe Wallaby, but these buggers move too fast to sneak up on... I have also added some photo's of my 1st tomatoes grown in Chittering of which I eat today :) Very nice
Its been a great month and more exciting things in the pipeline - but you'll have to wait to read about them
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