Sight Unseen by Robert Goddard
Sight Unseen is another thrilling mystery by the largely unheralded English author Robert Goddard.
I’ve read all his books and this latest is one of the best.
It blends 18th century politics and history with the recent past and modern era to produce an explosive cocktail of spice and tension.
It’s the story of uninspiring university history student, David Umber, who witnesses an abduction and hit-run inident that changes his life forever. Read more
June 2005 weather summary
Porepunkah had one its wettest Junes ever. Records maintained by Alpine News Pty Ltd show that 229mm fell in June 2005 compared with an historical average at Bright of 114mm.
The dampest June ever recorded in Bright was 270mm.
Maximum temperatures this year were exactly in line with the long-term average at 12.9 degrees. The warmest was 17.8 on June 8 and the coolest was 9 on June 19.
Minimum temperatures were above the average at 3.3 (normally 1.8). The coldest was -3.6 on June 3 and the mildest was 12.4 with rain on June 11.
Nine sub-zero temperatures were recorded compared with an average of 11 and two last year.
Read more
Busy on the home front
It’s been busy on the home front lately and I haven’t had time to write. I took Juliet to Albury yesterday for day surgery. It was a minor procedure and she felt fine when we left, but became very ill on the way home.
We thought the nausea was motion sickness, but she didn’t recover at home and we needed a late trip to the local hospital for some medication to help. She’s feeling better today.
The big kids are on holiday and helping out at home while I squeeze in some work commitments.
I’m still getting over a cold. Just a tickle in the throat remains. I managed to keep up my exercise while under the weather, and my weight is now stable at its correct level of 12 and a half stone (175 pounds or 79kg).
Tower Hill bike ride
I’m recovering from a heavy cold and don’t feel up to running at the moment, so today I went for an interesting bike ride instead.
Starting at home in Porepunkah I cycled along the rail trail to the edge of Bright. I then went bush up Stackey Gully Road and followed forest tracks to Tower Hill.
It’s a steady climb and not too steep, but I confess that I walked part of the way out of tiredness.
It’s a magnificent view from the top, looking across Bright towards the snowcapped peaks of Feathertop and Hotham. It would be one of the best views in Australia if it wasn’t for the confounded power line.
It’s steeper going down the other side, which I negotiated slowly, and then rode home via the Great Alpine Road.
The forest tracks were in surprisingly good condition, apart from some erosion on the downward section.
What lowers your stress level?
I read this question on Delmer’s Blog: List five things you enjoy, even when no one around you wants to go out and play. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it to your journal, and then tag five friends and ask them to post it to theirs:
1) Reading a good book.
2) Watching sport (cricket, rugby or AFL).
3) Bush walking, bike riding or jogging (any exercise basically).
4) Anything that I do in isolation from others (that is so rare these days!)
5) Going to bed.
Freedom of opinion
Zimbabwe dicator Robert Mugabe has signed a new law to imprison journalists for up to 20 years for publishing false information.
Zimbabwean journalists already faced long jail terms for publishing "falsehoods" under existing law. Under Section 15 of the Public Order and Security Act enacted in 2002, journalists could be jailed for up to five years or fined Z$100,000 for publishing incorrect information.
This is blatant intimidation. In past years one might have trusted the judiciary in Zimbabwe to treat such cases fairly, but all the indepenent judges have been sacked and replaced by Mugabe appointees.
Even if a journalist wins the case at court, they will have spent months or years in fetid prisons on remand, and probably suffer several beatings by police. Read more
Vale John Anderson?
Isn’t it funny how when someone retires the tributes start flowing, just as if they had died! Deputy Prime Minister John (Nobody) Anderson resigned for the second time today and just about everyone has heaped praise on him.
I believe in respect for the dead, but Anderson is still well and truly with us.
His enemies within the National, Liberal and Labor Parties have had nothing but nice things to say about him. Read more
Coughs and colds
It’s been several years since Kathleen and Dude were both toddlers. It’s therefore a “new” experience for us to have two one-year-olds taking it in turns with coughs and colds.
Add to the mix a suffering parent and big kids who feel okay but can’t stop coughing, and you get some idea of what our household is like this dreary June.
James needed antibiotics, but Margaret has just been under the weather and sleeping most of the time.
I suggested to Juliet that we make a permanent booking at the medical clinic and ask the chemist for a bulk-purchase discount.
Preparing for high school
It’s hard to believe that our eldest child is now at the age we have to select a secondary school for her in 2006. It seems only a fraction earlier than yesterday that Kathleen was starting primary school.
I went with her to orientation nights at Bright P-12 College and Marian College over the last two weeks. Bright is 6km from Porepunkah and it’s 25km to Marian in Myrtleford. Kathleen has spent all her primary years at Porepunkah and we live within easy walking distance of the 130-student school.
After careful deliberation we’ve decided that Kathleen will go to Marian. We’re Catholic, and the religious aspect is important, but we also feel the peer group there will be more academically motivated.
Kathleen initially preferred Bright, because most of her friends will be going there, but two other Porepunkah girls are going to Marian and she’s now looking forward to it.
Alpine Shire Community Forum
I’ve set up a new web site for the Alpine Shire Community Forum at www.alpineshire.com using the Xoops portal script.
Modules include a forum, news, directory, calendar, photo gallery, poll and shout box. There are different blocks that can be easily selected for the front page or ignored.
Xoops has dozens of design themes and extra modules to choose from.
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