Correspondence

 I have featured a number of letters here always from an archive that I have built up over the years. This time it is a letter that arrived yesterday. We often hang it on the postal service but this time they have worked it out given that there is absolutely nothing on the front of the envelope. All the action, including the stamp, is on the back.  The only parental influence seems to be that the postcode has been rewritten. I took out the street name but you can see the effort. The point of this letter was asking for a sleepover which has now been arranged for next week. Hooray. 

PS stamps prices are rising quicker than petrol. Everytime you turn around the price has gone up. On our return envelope I have placed three previous christmas stamps totalling $1.95 that should get it there.

More beach Junk

 Yesterday I retrieved a submerged bag from the water. I think it was briefly viewed in the video yesterday however I stashed it in a bush for another day.  Well that wasn't long was it,as I went back for it today. However you can't just pickup one item so the trusty bag was once again filled to brimming with washed up stuff. I can tell you one of the problems fishermen have is that they often loose their footwear. Twice in a row now I have picked up odd shoes and not for the last time.  The other main item was a corroded blanket. I can describe the scene.  Very early before dawn there is a guy huddled with his blanket out on the Bay. He has lost his shoes and with a coolish breeze is trying to get his feet under the blanket as well, but some how tips it overboard. He reviews the problem and decides to eat all his biscuits, potatoe chips and snickers bars and all those papers end up in the water too. Tell me I'm wrong.

heron ?

black blanket

Warm Easterly

 There has been a weather change around here with a warm North Easterly for two days.  The tide was low again so I grabbed the shot for another beach session.  I stayed at the back this time as the wet sand gives the shot a gritty coating. I found the relatively solid grassy patch where I could launch into the dry stuff. There are a lot of washed up sticks and debris as well and that stuff explodes when the shot hits it. The breeze was right behind my trajectory which I think has contributed to my longest throw. These balls are heavy but maybe the breeze can carry them a bit further.  The water was very low and very clear so I waded out passed the end of the groyne to check out some of the sponges. The water is still coolish but manageable. I did not go all under.

Balloons Again

 Puzzles and sunny days don't really mix but this one has been on the table for a while and I made sure to finish it in the morning which meant there might be time for an activity later. This balloon puzzle was a tricky one with a single standard classic balloon shape comprising 99% and just three others more easily distinguishable. See if you can find a rooster, a duck and an ice cream.  This should not surprise me as when we did the real thing all the balloons were standard which must reduce the cost of making one. Not sure if it is too late in the season to start another puzzle one which was given to me last week. Maybe the weather will tell me.

Low Tide Session

 It all came together for a putting session on the beach. Tide was low and no wind to type of.  The only issue was the sand not being very compacted. I have already decided not to try to hard in these sandy conditions but it is still worthwhile for rolling the arm over.  I found a low tide shelf which is part of the construction in putting the groyne together. There are a lot of mussels there. I don't think anyone would care if some of these were consumed. We did spy some guilty looking guys running off from the Dell once with huge bags of mussels.  I also tried the water just for fun and only knee deep. I guess waist deep is the next step.  

muscle beach

Hola Canola

 Got on the bike as part of the ongoing program to be out and about at least three days per week.  We spied a yellow field in the distance last time and there was debate about whether it was a planted canola crop or just a paddock of  weeds gone wild. We have seen canola in this field before and it was a few yar ago so the timing fits.  I continued on the usual circuit but cut out the bypass road, all the while keeping one eye ready for any bombers which seems to have settled done even though we are only just into Spring. There was a stiff cool southerly the whole time. I can also report another huge subdivison going up on the other side of the rail trail. We used to ride thru fields here when one side was built out. Now the other side is getting the treatment. There are never enough houses.

Beach Clean No 788

 I am trying to incorporate a more athletic activity into more days of the week than previously, at least for the next nine weeks. I am nursing a tooth today so that's my excuse. It has settled down so I expect I will not be noticing it soon. Dentists are a pain, although the hip pocket pain has been less lately, given that a solid hours work cost me $76.  I did a beach walk with the trusty bag and filled it to the brim. The water is looking clean but it was blowing cool  and with the tide up the wrack was wet. Nothing like a wet wrack. The big item was a huge single shoe. Plenty of lids, papers, rope pieces and one tennis ball.  Some people say good job, others just ignore you and then there is today's lady who was guilted into all sorts of feelings. "I'll bring a bag next time" she says, "I just walked passed all of those papers" she says.  On the way back she goes "I found a bottle and binned it".  Not hard.