Picnic babies
This photograph was taken at Goulburn Weir on Saturday evening. We barbecued some meat and enjoyed a family picnic in wonderful surroundings. The grounds are well maintained, with a good playground, amenities and a picture-perfect sunset over the water.
Great weekend
Juliet and I really enjoyed our weekend at Nagambie with the twins. We left early on Saturday and made it to Plunkett’s Winery at Avenel for lunch.
From there we checked into the motel at Nagambie and went for a drive to Whroo. It was a balmy 20-degree day, so we cooked a barbecue for dinner at Goulburn Weir.
On Sunday we went to Mitchelton and Tahbilk wineries, both of which were very impressive, and to the cannery factory sales outlet in Mooroopna.
A Place Called Freedom
Ken Follett has to be one of the most inconsistent authors I’ve ever read. Pillars of the Earth is a masterpiece, while some of his other work is second rate, or patchy at best.
I recently finished The Third Twin. It started with a mix of soap opera, teenage tripe and miscellaneous rubbish before developing into a rather good novel.
A Place Called Freedom is much better, and in my view it’s the second best of his books that I’ve read so far.
It starts in 18th century Scotland, where a coal miner challenges the prevailing view that he’s owned by his employer for life. Mack McAsh confronts the Laird and begins a lifelong entanglement with the nasty Jamisson family.
He escapes, but through a series of remarkable coincidences (yes, I’m being sarcastic) he confronts the evil Jamissons at every turn, including in the wilds of Virginia.
McAsh leads a coal heavers’ strike against the shipping giants, including of course the Jamissons. He saves Lizzie Jamisson’s wife from rape before being arrested by Jay Jamisson over a contrived riot offence. As a convict sent to America he’s forced to work on a Jamisson tobacco farm. Jay self destructs, leaving Mack to steal his wife and horses and head for the frontier.
Jay pursues them, only to be killed by Indians.
Despite the unlikely storyline it’s a moderately powerful book with plenty of old-fashioned conflict between goodies and baddies. The narrative flows nicely, with none of the stilted passages that annoyed me in Third Twin and Eye of the Needle.
Follett’s work covers a wide range from historical fiction to Second World War military exploits. The man is obviously talented, albeit inconsistent.
Not happy
The babies are not happy that we fenced off the stairs today. It’s in their own interests, of course. Now that they can both crawl and stand there is no stopping them.
James, in particular, has ambitions greater than his abilities. Last week he lifted himself up using the TV table, and while trying to move along the side he fell and knocked his little head against a window ledge. No harm fortunately.
The stairs have been enticing both of them, and Snowy as well, so the gate will prove very handy. A full-size image is here and another picture here.
Land of contrast
I went to Renmark in South Australia on Thursday for a business trip, returning Friday. It’s a 900km journey each way, taking nine hours by car. I could have stayed somewhere in between last night, but I was keen to get home, and with Olympics and football on the radio I had no trouble staying alert.
Here are some random observations and comments about the journey:
1) The Murray Valley Highway between Yarrawonga and Swan Hill is surprisingly busy with traffic. Next time I’ll stick to the NSW side of the border.
2) There has been good winter rain, it seems, across most of the landscape. There was lush green pasture up until Yarrawonga and good crops in the northern country and Mallee.
3) Water is gold in Mallee and the SA Riverland. Orchards dominate along the Murray, but once you head a few miles away from the mighty river it’s a different story.
4) Renmark is bigger (9000 people) and closer to Adelaide (250km) than I realised. Berri (population 7500) is only 20km away.
5) I don’t think Renmark has a winter. The days were a balmy 18 degrees, although the locals apparently think that’s cold.
6) Away from the river, the Mallee is a sad place. I drove back via Pinnaroo and Ouyen. Many of the places in between are virtual ghost towns, hanging on by a thread. Murrayville, Underbool and Walpeup have certainly seen better days, with empty rundown stores lining the main streets.
7) There’s a dot on the map called Boinka — I like that for a name — and another place called Galah.
The Olympics
I’m having trouble getting interested in the Olympics. I remember it being a big deal when I was a kid, and Sydney 2000 was captivating probably because it was in Australia, but this year I’m nonplussed.
Perhaps the time difference of seven hours is the problem. All the big swimming events are between 2am and 3am.
Or maybe Australia’s past success has caused my ambivalence. Juliet made a good observation this morning that everyone seemed disappointed we came second in the 200 metres freestyle relay, but the Italians were jubilant to win bronze.
Australia failed to win a gold medal at Montreal in 1976, but today we’re expected to pick up a dozen or more.
Respect for public figures
I fully support scrutiny of governments at all levels and robust questioning of politicians, but I felt the line of decency was crossed today when a radio journalist asked the Prime Minister if he would take a lie detector test.
The issue, of course, was the so-called “children overboard” affair from 2001 and conflicting recollections of particular events.
Most thinking people know the government was politically opportunist at that time and almost certainly exaggerated details without bothering to verify them. But it’s history now and we should move on.
People who think the other mob are more honest than John Howard and co will vote accordingly in a few weeks.
I liked Howard’s answer: “If people don’t believe what I say on the basis of looking at me and listening to my words, then going through a mechanical process like that is not going to alter their opinions.”
He’s dead right, end of story. In my view it was disrespectful to suggest that he should take a polygraph test.
What next? Bring out the polygraph to test Mark Latham’s version of the taxi driver punch-up, the pot plant altercation and his mismanagement of Liverpool Council. I’d also like to see a few football coaches, media commentators, bank chiefs and others wired up to a lie detector!
Juice boosted scam
I had my first exposure to the Juice Boosted scam today when I received an intriguing e-mail offering free broadband using a dial-up connection.
I was suspicious, of course, but technology leaps ahead every day and my enquiring mind couldn’t rule out the possibility of a miracle. Some online research revealed the program as an affiliate fraud, or pyramid scheme, which has already hooked thousands of people.
Comments on the scam can be read here. Expect to hear more about this and be ready to clear the inbox of spam.
The view from Tower Hill
The sun shone brightly today for the first time in two weeks. Knowing there would be a lot of snow on Mount Hotham and Mount Feathertop, we drove up Tower Hill this afternoon for a look. The picture shows Bright and the mountains in the background.
Nearly talking
Margaret (pictured) is nearly talking. After weeks of intensive coaching she makes a sound that clearly resembles “Dad”. Both babies are crawling now and James is able to stand.
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