Estelle takes the Water

What's funny about the priest, the comedian and the old man who were all up on the stage today? They were the same guy. Except the stage was an altar platform.  We brought a candle that was previously at a baptism about 40 yar ago. Yes a reused candle. Now this presented the priest with a whole raft of comedic material from, it is supposed to be burnt to nothing, to we don't take secondhand candles here.  It was all mostly because our family was getting the full attention, as we were the only ones on the roll for today. Compared to tomorrow, where five dunkings were scheduled. We arrived with just one god parent, we did not know our lines and we got the answers wrong. Other than that he was quite impressed. When Estelle started signing the cross on everyones forehead well he was without speech.  Never in his career of splashing water had he seen that.  

There were some drinks and party pies later so a pleasant afternoon was had and the amount of detail that James has spent on the outdoors over there is enormous.  There is a seeded bed now, an enclosed broccolinium, a vine bed and an ent that is starting to flower, not to forget the plans for a flower wall.  It's not a green thumb but green fingers.

Flowering Ent

Baggage Train

 We have to treat Williamstown like a stopover.  We have to pack now for a longish 5hr flight most likely Australia's longest domestic flight. However there are three days of engagements before we get on that plane and my packing is rusty.  Also we have new bags with nooks and pockets all over them.  This is also being treated as a trial run for another jaunt that is close by.  I am trying to do this without a power board as they have been banned since we last went OS and at the same time USB has exploded to charge everything from your toothbrush to your backscratcher.  Mr Tesla has a lot to answer for.

62kg to Community Produce

 There was a bit more urgency in getting the olives down this time around due to a looming trip right in the middle of olive plucking.  I gave it a final go this morning which brings the grand total to 62kg. I was flagging a bit quicker after each session, ie one session per day for eight days. This is a record total and I would say there is at least another 8kg still on the tree but high out of reach. I could try the old rake them down system but walls and fences and spouting are all crowding the landing zone.  We got this lot to the community produce garden so they should be able to share them out.  The next thing is getting the tree trimmed sometime over Winter.  We have previously paid for this but will try it ourselves this time.

Fog Picker

Help yourselves

Roo Beach

 We have seen Kangaroos on the Bellarine many times and I knew it would only be a matter of time before I spied them around here. It was 6:50 am and getting lighter and I spied the kangaroo coming up from the beach. There was only one but where there is one there are others.  I went out yesterday for a closer look but the fog is helping them hide even better. The mornings lately are fogbound and the afternoons are calm and perfectly in sunshine.  Golf courses are kangaroo magnets. They cannot resist all that grass with manicured new roots popping up everyday. The nearby golf course is why they are settling in and there are a few green corridors all through here for a quiet transistion. So now to find a few in daylight. I have had a run in or two with kangas on bike tracks so I don't need anymore of those. 

Beach Hoppers and Grass Croppers.

Fog Beach

 I decided I was going to get out and about early this morning. I wanted to check out the wildlife before the dog walkers got on the scene. Even at 6:30am there was a mother pramming it with a dog in tow. Of course the morning I pick is completely fog bound. It is a few hours later now and if anything, it is much thicker and just dripping with moisture.  I went half way along the beach which was eerie and very calm. Not sure what a foggy snorkel swim would show, a muffled view at best and I am not ready to find out. The only thing I saw was a rabbit and no little black ducks.  I have two views below, 12 hours apart.

evening view

morning view

Eat Street

 It was a last minute thing deciding to go out for lunch on Sunday competing with all the other mothers. Eat Street had some spare tables, Eureka! so we managed to get into the, you guessed it, Eureka Hotel.  Even then we had a time limit before the next session.  This was also one of the venues for the after dark light show we went to some yar ago and has a large stage for bands.  We ticked some more off the travel list, like up to date power adapters for the US and Europe, as well as getting another pandora bracelet ready for the charms of countries like Estonia. 

Garden Update No 722

 We got a sunny afternoon so it was time for a tidyup outside. You can see the green growths in the pathways are dying off after the poison two weeks back. Also the orchids are coming up again. I can spy eight spears coming thru. We do not want a repeat of last years issue where whole spikes were losing their flowers. I spent another hour up the olive tree for a tidy 7.7 kgs of olives. These were all obtained while perched on a ladder. Not as awkward as actually in the tree. I have a deadline here to get the remainder down by next week and there seems to be a lot more still.

arty olives

spikes and spears