May 8th

Exploring the saltmarsh.

Captain Jack on the soccer pitch. Fleet of foot. Fancy footwork.

The Bellarine Rail Trail. We went on a community ride and won a new bike (Jack's) in a raffle. Handy.

With bikes outside Davo's gallery in Queenscliff. www.saltcontemporaryart.com
He paints Swan Bay. Our bay.


Rail Trail. Burnt eucalypt woodland in background. There's a local firebug starting fires all over the Bellarine. Now there's a sensible way to spend your free time.

John, Ainslie & Judy. Wedding was a supreme success. Amanda's cooking next day was exceptional.

Time for a haircut, Curly Brothers.

Not a trip to Thailand. A meal in Melbourne to celebrate Justin's 40th.

George in the middle of his seatbelt ordeal. Somehow twisted himself in his seatbelt and was 'locked in' for over an hour. Each time he moved the belt tightened, which was funny at first...
Emergency services called in to take car apart and release George.


Menacing George about to nail unsuspecting opponent.

Congratulations to the Osbornes. Youngest looking grandparents we've ever seen - apart from the Lamothes, and the Fyfes.

April 2

We'll keep our blog running on a shoestring and will update once a month. We often find ourselves thinking about what we were doing a year ago...

First term was short and frantic. I worked six days a week - with cricket coaching each Saturday. All games were in Melbourne so it generally meant getting on a 6.30am bus on Saturday morning. I'm also studying - or trying to.

Amanda will begin a new job in April. Diabetes education as part of a health team. Four days a week. No weekend work!

We earned our Easter break. We spent the first weekend camping on the Murray with Janet and her family on an island. Over the years the Murray river has carved a complicated path constantly changing its route. The island is formed by a breakaway creek which looked destined to become the new Murray before human intervention. Janet & Pete own a tiny piece. We''l be back. The Murray is a controlled river. Water had just been released from the Hume Reservoir to increase the flow for Easter tourism. A few weeks earlier it was possible to walk across the Murray. Water politics will escalate. Not enough rain.
300 - 400 year old River Red Gum. Gnarly.

We returned home to collapse, sleep, play and study.
Jack made this BBQ'd lamb. ALL his own work. Nice.

George has a new set of golf clubs and has nearly finished his Harry Potter binge. He turned 9 on March 29.
Jack has joined a new soccer team and has a pair of fancy white boots.

Amanda and I (mostly Amanda, as it happens) are cooking lunch for 100 people on Saturday. Judy and John's last daughter gets married on Friday and they are having a lunch the following day. We offered because of all their kindnesses especially over the last year. A fine way to relax at the end of the holidays...

I've got an assignment due tomorrow.

March (and February, and January...)

To blog or not to blog? Might as well.
Please let others know that we'll be updating this at the beginning of each month.
After a blast of heat in early January, its been a mild summer with little if any rain. A week of hot (30's) weather forecast and it's mid-March. Sunrise this morning over the saltmarsh.

Meet Charlie. Amanda's youngest brother brought his first child (a girl) into the world just a few hours after February 29. Chloe and Charlie are doing very well.

Johnston J. whacks one to backward point and sets off for another run against Barwon Heads.


Mr Harry Potter I presume.

The brothers Johnston before a game. Cricket season is done.


Meet Matt. The Glory Box are having another crack at world domination. Here he is strumming one of his newies. First rehearsal coming in April. Recording in June.

Local madman Flag Man. Has flown the Albertan Flag a few times for us.

Meet Pip and Olive. Olive may yet turn out to be Oliver. We'll have to wait for a bit.


Sav Blanc, Champagne and Chardonnay after a liquid lunch in Queenscliff.

Home

After a more than a week of catching up with friends and family (every day, every night) today we have finally stopped for a few hours. The week has been really hot - too hot. 42 degrees, 40 degrees, 38 etc. Today is mild 24 and sunny with a light cool breeze blowing off the sea. It is great to be home. We do miss our friends and our life in Barrhead. What a great thing to have done. We all are very pleased with the year that was 2007.

We have been visiting places that we felt we needed to visit to really feel like we were home - local beach, Pt. Lonsdale lighthouse and rocks, Queenscliff. Playing lots of backyard cricket.

Ever had sand kicked in your face when at the beach? If so, it would be pretty unlikely to have been these angry-looking boys who - if you can get beneath all that muscle and testosterone (and sinew) - are actually just sweet, gentle guys.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Point Lonsdale lighthouse. A favourite place.

Backyard cricket. George squaring up to thump one through wide mid-wicket, just forward of the nectarine tree.

We are thinking of everybody back in Alberta because school starts again today. Not wishing to gloat or anything, but we have another 3 weeks before school starts again.

Hello Mr. Michaud. Hello 6A (A & C). Work hard! Have fun!

I'm about to head off and play tennis in the sun. All I need to do is grab my hat, slap on some sunscreen and head on out into the sunshine. Don't you just love summer holidays?

On the way home - via Hawaii

Christmas eve baby (on left, now 11) awakes.



Birthday surfing lesson, Waikiki.

Birthday boy, keeping himself cool, in our preferred mode of transport - the stretch Limo. Cheaper than Taxi. On way to birthday meal.

Limo again. The Greenback isn't worth a cracker next to the Canadian Dollar these days.






Airport marathon. Air Canada lost George's bag for a day.

Reaching for cue card. Wasn't enough on it. Speech was a great success in that I almost completely managed to stop myself from crying. No mean feat.

Teachers. All they do is go on holidays and sit in the staff room drinking coffee. Dale, Will, Albertan Coffee table book, Nadine, Margie.



At last. We meet the Michaud's. We were all really pleased to finally catch up. It was a shame that it was only for one night but so much better than nothing. Good to finally see them in three dimensions.

Farewells

Excellent transposing, Ruth.




Time is speeding too fast. We only have 3 more sleeps in Barrhead. We are torn. The fond farewells are increasingly hard to take. We are looking forward to returning home.



Testing the ice.

Escaping school at 3.30pm.



Farewell outdoor rink.

Farewell Shepherds Care.


Farewell Patricia Lake & Hamiltons (and good luck).

Farewell Marmot Basin.

See ya Rylan.

Farewell snow soccer.

Farewell -25 degrees celsius.

Farewell Osbornes.

Farewell Goalie.

Farewell Defence-men.




The boys are skating beautifully. They will miss hockey. They had a great Road Trip to Rich Valley (not rich, not really a valley) last Saturday. Jack scored 4 goals. George stopped many more. Jack and George are both pining after the friends they won't be seeing. They look forward to catching up with old friends soon.

We finish school on Friday and plan to head straight for Edmonton Airport hotel. On Saturday morning we meet the Hamiltons who are buying our Dodge. On 'plane to Hawaii. Four nights at Waikiki - including Jack's birthday and Christmas and home via Sydney for one night (courtesy Air Canada - long story) then home to Avalon Airport on 28th.