Family History Update

 I did an update on this previously and the research and reporting goes on as it has done for over 30 yar, keeping both grandparents busy for that time. This is a fantastic accumulation of family data laid out in trees, words and photos.  The files are well organised and when you go to unload everything there is a READ ME FIRST file that you cannot miss in the Roberts directory. There is also an addition in the latest usb that includes all the poems and words that Great Grandma has put down in those years. I note that the first date in the tree section goes back to 1729 so at that rate the history will be back to the 1600s by the time my father turns 100 himself. 

In the background here is Mt Roland. I first spied this one on my Honeymoon trip and it took another 30 yar before we went back there to the top of it. Nearby are the caves and also the little known Gog range. This is a good area to get back to nature.

Great Grandfather's day

The sidewalk supermarket has a downside when you stop to load the car with a newly cut down tree, especially one that oozes sticky sap.  This stuff is now on the door handles and the steering wheel and anywhere else you might touch. We unloaded them yesterday, now we have to cleanup. There is an orange based cleaner that I have used for unglueing stamps, that might work. Other wise it was more cake and coffee at the fathers day gathering.  I am limiting cake to birthdays only for this birthday season. Call it a Spring resolution.  We have just enough time to get the yard swept and weathered plant detritus into the green bin.  Abin to that.

rocket cake

toasting the children

Heart rate at 112 at the top of a hill, is that good for a 70 year old?

Double Trouble

 We just finished with a Clancy visit and before you can turn around there are two more brothers on the door step. Clancy's are good breeders I can tell you that.  We had a good catchup with an afternoon session and a pub meal at the local.  Trying to get the NT footy semi final on TV was a bit of a drama as lightning halted the game for an hour but we perservered until it eventually restarted.  The Tiwi Bombers were still in it when I left but got clobbered by the end. This morning Dennis had to get going before the heat so we are down to Brian for the next few days.

Chores

 We have been working our way thru the filing cabinet which has paperwork dating back to last century.  We are taking out one file at a time and culling our way thru it.  For some reason there was the below note in one file and unrelated to anything else.  I used to get 40c a week to do some chores and I think Asher gets at least twice that per day.  It will be Laura's turn to leave Evie some of these notes but I am not sure when the $1 a day payments come into it. Maybe you have to be five and going to prep.

Washing your brothers sheets now thats going above and beyond.

Celtic Festival

 We have been to a session of this Festival in the time we have been on the Bellarine. I can't remember if it was from the van or the house. We went back for a look from the outside eg we had no tickets but Dennis and Wendy were attending, so we teamed up afterwards for a catchup. The festival goes for three days and one interesting thing they did was to attend one of the sessions out on a three master boat for an hour or so. We might think about this for next year.

Kiddies Day

 We had a combined James' Birthday and Father's Day but it should just be called kiddies day as that is where all the attention is.  We had some good Estelle time to start with. She is getting better all the time at the playground.  We went back for a second session when Asher and Kaia arrived. The main focus was lunch, where Debbie had prepared sausage rolls and lasagne not to forget the birthday cake.  Grandma brought cakes and quiche and Bianca also made cup cakes so no one went home hungry. After the cleanup and packup we made it back to Clifton Springs and it was still daylight.

swing action

arms in the air

Generations

monkey swing

birthday blow

Asher On Tap

 We had a belated Mother's Day gathering or was it more likely a daughters day gathering yesterday.  There were sausage rolls and chocolate brownies and plenty of kids to eat them.  Estelle got a late birthday present but we had brought some whale books from Hervey Bay so everyone got something.  Asher was demonstrating her new tap shoes and Grandpa gave us the old school version of making tap shoes by nailing coins to the bottom.  Always recycling way back then.

Mother's Day

 We packed up two kids into their car seats and squeezed Debbie inbetween both of those seats, with Laura and I in the front. Good thing she is skinny.  We went off to the Sandgate beach/park/adventure playground.  There was rain around and storms forecast but we went anyway. The picnic on the blanket was mostly fruit but with a coffee and babycino from across the road.  We have frequented this area lots of times including meals at the nearby Full Moon Hotel.  Evie got to paddle in the water and make some sand castles. The Mum's got some rest but not much.

Family Tree

 I have received the latest and very up to date USB stick that has hundreds of years of Ancestry and  40 years of research put into it.  You have to have something to keep your mind ticking over in retirement and Grandma and Grandpa have done it with family history going way back into English history.  There are a few family readers of this blog so the more advertising the better. Whilst there is a lot of info you can navigate it quickly. I found the two pages below in less than a minute but it is better to go straight to the read me first file.

Tree No 6

Darwin 1993

 Back onto the scanning project, there were three packets of negatives without any corresponding photos in the envelope, that were wedged into the side of a box.  Those photos are most likely in an album, maybe with Pam in Adelaide or Brian in Darwin, so as usual I am just scanning them anyway. This is the first packet and is an excursion up the Adelaide river to find crocodiles. There are also some backyard fun with kids etc.  This lot are 30 yar old.

Crocodile & Buffalo

 I think one of the appropriate grand child experinces was when Estelle used the booklet for drawing purposes and scribbled all over it.  We sweated over that for hours and Nana Beryl would have loved it being drawn on.  All those ankle biters did well and I noticed that Evie was always more interested when Cathie started singing.  I have a crowded view of the dance ceremonies when we were gathered around but it still gets the idea across.

Village Unit

 The main focus today was clearing out some of the stuff at the Gowanbrae unit.  Yes we brought back another two big boxes of photos. There can't be many more. As well as that I found two original DAT tapes. One says Tasmania and the other Tweed Heads. I am not sure if I can still read these types of tapes. We also got an antique bookcase which will eventually make it to Clifton Springs. There are some old books to go with it.  I have been doing some sporadic photo scanning but there is no organisation to it as they are all over the place. 

I'm not sitting on your knee

Happy dreams Estelle

James discovering dirt

Niece Ophelia

 Went for a drive to Burnside for a lunch with Mum, Dad, sister Leanne and niece Ophelia, over from the west. She is on a holiday between jobs but I am not sure if she is liking the weather here.  We were hot with the Sun thru the windscreen but on the way back nothing but driving rain.  Shepherd's pie makes a good change for us.  There was a lot of comparing of arthritic fingers. Is that what old people do?  At least Ophelia could not put her hand in for that one.  I have got the Red Painaway on my list but I am not sure about the horse liniment!😀

Hurricane Asher

It was exactly a 24 hour visit primarily as an early 62nd birthday but any excuse will do to stay over for a night. The weather was reasonable but we only got out and about this morning.   Yesterday, we got out the old car set which is like a 3D jigsaw.  Cheese, wine and sausage rolls during the afternoon followed by a few games of pool with the new pool cues which James got from North Geelong.  The lasagne went well as did Heide's carrot cake birthday cake for tea.  The presents were all about the garden. We have the mobile garden bin and the kneeler cum seat as well as the tool apron. Everything for the complete gardener.  More pool until midnight meant we could hardly see the balls at the end.  After bacon and eggs it was off to the Ocean Groove for coffee and some beach action.  And during all of this Hurricane Asher was waltzing thru.

New Pool Sticks

                                        

Get out of the way kid we're playing

Duck Cuddles

Full Flight Striker

Complete Gardener

Late Mother's Day

I am not sure why the resumed visitation rights were scheduled to start the day after Mother's Day as if one day was going to make a difference.  As part of show and tell we brought Asher's biscuit face for Grandma which raised a laugh. In turn there were at least 6 very fancy letters and cards from dignitaries around Australia as well as the Queen congratulating them on their 65th wedding anniversary.  Debbie planted the 'Shirley's Rose' literally called that, in the front flower bed while I did some vacuuming. We also scored a hanging basket or two.  On the way back I tried to take some photos of the Avalon plane park and managed to fluke one as we sped passed.

Just a V shaped twig

Parking Lot

Video Comms

You name it we have used them all, Messenger, What's App, Hang Outs, Skype, Zoom.  I have spent more time on the phone than off it. Those emoji's are crazy see below.  I finished off hanging the bicycles in the garage and also made a start on the mega map puzzle

Symmetry but not in motion

2000 of em

Asher in a glass

West comes East

We took the visitors on a tour of the Bellarine, including the Dell and some old haunts like Ocean Grove and Queenscliff. The Sun came out in time to see the very large rays that were circling the yacht basin in Queenscliff.  We have done some packing now as well so are in good shape for tomorrow.

Ray

The case of the Boutique Beers

I have had a delivery of beers in a small suitcase.  That sneaky daughter has sent beers interstate. James Squire was a convict made good.  What else might you do if sent to the colonies, start brewing beer. I have received 'Hop Thief', '50 lashes', 'Swindler' and 'Nine Tales'.  I think these need to be consumed while contemplating in the Dell.

Visiting Day

We are wrassling with the best way to get to Melbourne and make some visitations and get back to Clifton Springs before dark.  Later on Summer will help but today was a 3.5 hr drive for a 3.5 hr visit split between nana's and grandma's.  Not to mention 3.5 hr work between 7.00 and 10.30am when we left. Something will have to give if we are going to visit grand children this way.