Double Lunch

We had two birthday sing songs at the Little Creatures brewery.  Heidi's and mine but no ages are being mentioned.  Heidi got a cryptic riddle from us about an experience we will be having on Nov 17. She has to work out where it is in order to meet us.  I got a hat with blue tooth speakers embedded, what will they think of next?  Not too forget about the super spy scope that will bring the entire Corio Bay into focus. There is also an attachment for a camera but I think it must produce a round picture.

Hot Mussels

Zahara

Bi the way

Pregnancy food

and when we got back

Grand Final Birthday

The last time my birthday was on the Grand Final we were in Marysville.  The Clifton Springs  ( not Hill) version worked well and we haven't had our pumpkin soup yet.  I scored some maps on stamps and a T-shirt with "Philatelists love to lick it". Collingwood did not come to the party so the Premiership goes out West.

A warning card for rubbishing the game

Tool Bird

I have another present which will be handy to take on bike rides as it is small and easily fits into a saddle pouch. However it almost flew away before I could get it into the saddle bag.  I got a photo of it in the next room before the recapture. 

A Bird in the pouch is worth two in the bush

Beach Lunch

We grilled up some toasty sandwiches with lamb and ham and took them down onto the beach for lunch.  Now we couldn't do that previously.  I also ventured into the water, not all the way in but there were others who swam as well.  There was also a big clean up going on with trailered quad bikes being used to haul barrels etc off the beach. In the past we have carried them up to the top.  Ships lose all manner of stuff as they go past.

Literally only a toe in

How many Pies in one Anna?

I have been working thru a pile of stamps and came across this one from India.  It cost One Anna and Three Pies. Now I know one Anna can eat three pies particularly party pies but how many pies make one Anna?  I found out that this stamp's face value is 1¼  Anna therefore 12 Pies make one Anna.

This stamp is 86 yar old but still only valued at 18c

Three down and nine to go

Apricots

I have received an early birthday prize in the shape of an apricot tree.  Gardening works are proceeding apace here, at least the destruct phase is.  The front section near the door has been cleaned out and now needs a refit.  The back section is next and Debbie has been preparing the veggie patch.  It seems the apricot tree is a difficult thing to plant and grow, as it needs to be pot bound til the end of the year.

Apricots and Lemons

Mulched 

Work in Progress

The Constant Gardener was here and spent the day ripping out trees and shrubs.  Also a trailer load of garden bed pebbles was taken away. The main problem is a nasty tree stump with some large roots messing with the pavers. This is tomorrow's task. I'm glad I'm not doing it.

We have space

Low Tide reveal

This tide was very low and well timed for the morning. You can go and gather your own crustaceans if you feel a bit peckish. We did have some Bay Muscles once when we were Diving with the Dolphins.  You could walk to the end of the rock groyne along the sand. There was one stranded jelly fish nicely laid out like a specimen in the museum.

Muscles

Haekel's laid out

Framing in Threes

We have now found some frames for our tribute to 'The Dell".  Some time back I mentioned getting a group of 100 yar old photos reprinted.  As it turns out they formed a pairing of threes but the trigonometry is horrendous and the elastic parts keep moving.  After two hours of framing, positioning and repositioning they are now hanging on either side of the kitchen door.  There are yet more hanging items waiting attention good thing there is plenty of wall.

threesomes

Where does this one go?

and this one?

Queenscliff Ride

Debbie is trying to get back into some riding so we are going around 20km as a starter. So we rode into Queenscliff via the rail trail. I was there a month or so ago and the "Pete's Sake" shop had a couple of stamp albums laying around.  I offered $40 for both but he is holding them for a guy who is progressively going into dementia.  Not sure what will come of this.  We had a coffee at the bakery but it did not have any muffins. Not much of a bakery then, however they say pies are their forte.

Far Canola

Q Train up close

Must be supplied pies from Rolling Pin in Ocean Grove

Avila Vista

We drove a bit further along the bay East towards Geelong but on a No Thru Road.  There is big money for these properties which you tell by the sealed road which the residents have paid for and is of a major road standard.  Not to mention that the properties slope down to the water, with tennis courts, private jetties and rotundas on the shoreline. One of these you can stay at called Avila. The beach is narrow however there is a reef which may provide some snorkelling.

The house is still in view

Dive Bomber

The ongoing magpie swooping saga has a long history. Today I was watching the area at the roundabout where the menace lurks but I had a free ride thru this time, as I spotted the bird going after a Postman. He had similar yellow fluoro gear on and the bird chased him for 200 metres.  I went into the chemist and the lady at the counter says "You got attacked by the bird the other day". She says that it is famous for it's dive bombing and has done so for years.  I thought it was just a Spring thing.

Such a small brain

The Girl who takes an eye for an eye

I read the first three of these books by Steig Larsen but not the unfinished one in the Spider's Web. Now I have got them out of order and you could tell with references to twin sisters that must be in the my missing book.  These stories seem to be repeating themselves a bit, with the same crew doing the same investigations with the same results.

I can always go watch the film

Skin Doc

Went back for the referral to the surgeon from our new skin doc. This time she gave me a complete once over, which I used to get every year, and she is also going to make it an annual thing.  There are two other possible issues for the surgeon to check out.  We have new knives which are sharp so don't look away when you are cutting the potatoes, as the top could come off your finger.

Yet to be surgical removal

Surgical removal of fingertop

Garden Growth

We had a quote from a gardener today for a bit of work around the place. Seems gardeners are very busy and their new business always walks up to them in the street. I guess that is a benefit of their work always being on show and people observing them while they do it.  Too bad bookkeepers are always hidden away in the back.  There will be two days of removal work consisting of cutting, chopping and ripping. I have attached a few before photos in anticipation.

Meadow Yellow

Or should that be Mellow Yellow. The Canola has been caught in photo without really noticing it.  We have been drawn to this previously like bees to a flower patch.  What is the collective name for sunflowers? 

France

Retirement Signs

There have been a number of sights out our front windows but this guy just can't help himself. You know you are living in a giant retirement village when the neighbours are flitting around in the golf buggy.  The golf course is right there so when driving around the course why stop at the 19th hole just keep driving home.  I remember on Hamilton Island they issued us with a Golf Buggy because our accomm was a km or two up the hill. Maybe we should get a four wheel drive version for the beach. Carry the gear plus a kayak or two.

The Long Green

Hamilton driving in the pissing rain 2006

McDermott's

Went back to the secret beach I found and around the bend was a sandy cove more easily reached at a lower tide.  This was small but all sand and no sea grass.  You can't bring much down the steep track, as it was Debbie had an A over T moment but it was ok as her new phone cushioned the blow. We got some distant house shots as well as the Coryule house because the gate was open this time.

Coryule

Opal Waters

Shell Fish

Mercator

The greatest of all mapmakers.  How do you take a spherical world and put it on a flat map?  By using Mercator's Projection.  Take a sheet of paper and wrap it around the world forming a cylinder but only touching along the equator. Imagine a light source at the centre of the Earth 'Projecting' thru points at the surface onto the paper.  Unfold it all and you have a flat representation. The further North or South you go it becomes more distorted but directions are accurate, which was essential for navigation.  He called his book of maps 'The Atlas of the World' and the title stayed.  Along the way he was imprisoned by the 'Inquisition',  invented 'italic' script for faster writing while in continuous contact with the page, survived numerous wars and hob Knobbed with the likes of the Medici's, Francis Drake and various King's and Queen's, all keen to have their lands properly recorded.

The World in 1569

Niddrie Arcade

My favouritest shop is closing down. I spent hours in this secondhand shop, sometimes on my knees sifting thru hard to get at books on my Hugo list. For an hours search I would always get three or four books. More recently I turned to the stamp section and they had a lot of stock built up over 40 yar.  The main issue was that the son wanted to take over running the shop but the elderly father kept resisting until his health failed. Now the son has moved on to other commitments and cannot now run the shop. So it is closing down.  I did get a deal where I bought the remaining 14 annual stamp yearbooks that I needed at a discount due to their need to clear out the store.

Skin Attack

Went to the new skin doc today and straightaway she attacked two bulges I had on my head. She used needles, scraping tools and a soldering iron.  Most likely I will have to go to a specialist to get the remnants taken out. It was also a beach day today so we went across for an hour or so in the late arvo just to remember what beaching is about.

City View

Beaching

Thin skinned