Morning Time

 The Sun was out this morning so some biking action was possible. I did a short ride to Drysdale and back with the benefit of a massage in between, although this time I found a different bike park, as the crazy vagrant pump gang are still hanging around that mall entrance. On the way back there were some towering black clouds building up. We missed out on the grass mowing during the last green bin cycle as it was chokers with other garden refuse.  The clouds were really getting dark and my neighbour Bob came out to tell me his wife would not get out of bed and has reached the final stage.  The palliative care people have been and gone.  At least four people have died in our street since we moved here.  I was still able to get the lawns mowed as the clouds moved on to dump on someone else.

chugging slightly uphill

but followed the Sun

Table Games

 I had two Asher objectives yesterday. The first was no baby games. At the first mention of crying babies it will be onto something else.  Next, was not to get down on the floor. It took a week to recover from the Easter floor sessions and my back new all about it. So I grabbed a few things and sat at the table which she was happy to do.  There was at least two hours in drawing, modelling and blocks. The rain has set in here.  I was going to try a bike ride.

The Pa in the Hat has sat

Asher Garden Queen

 With Asher in QLD over Easter we gave her a late Bunny present which was a book and some choky.  This seemed to go down well. We also got a key rack made of wooden thongs. How beachy.  It was one continuous play day as usual.  The time was broken by a trip to get new flowers for the cubby planter box with a few left overs for her own garden patch. We tried to get her to sleep but she started singing songs after 40 minutes of head down time.  I kept her amused with sitting at the table games as I was keen not to get down on the floor.  

Sunset Streak

Keys on KeyBoard

Well watered

Steiglitz Archeology

 On our way back from Ballarat we stopped off for a picnic lunch in Steiglitz. This is one of our old haunts and also a gold fields area.  We pushed into the bush with no particular plan except to find a good spot to set up. We have been watching numerous English archeology shows where they are always looking for 'finds'.  We were prospecting along a creek edge and there it was, a piece of pottery just on the ground.  We made up many stories to fit the evidence just like the TV shows.  There was a gold miner here having a cup of tea but broke his cup.  We called into the Bungil lookout a bit later. There were Eagles flying there.

Rare mid 17th century porcelain. No doubt made in France and hand painted using a wisper of whisker brush stroke technique with a blue tint garnered from hand crushed cobalt that was sieved thru silk worm mesh......

over grown stair way

Bungils

Where Eagles Fare

Book Town

 Australia has only one Booktown being Clunes.  We originally went there looking for some gold relics and found old books instead. During the annual bibliophilia everything is taken over, the RSL hall, the Masonic hall, the Mechanics hall, the Town hall, the Museum and the main street.  At $10 a head to get in and $15 a head for a session I reckon the town will keep this going for a long time.  Debbie has started reading one of her 5 books she bought.  Can she finish it?

Ballarat Botanics

 Last night we went out to the Lake View Hotel which is on the lake shore, Lake Wendouree that is. Not much of a view even at 6:30pm without daylight saving.  Should have thought of that, so we went back there this morning but around to the Botanic Gardens end. This is a 6km walk around the Lake path which I know I would struggle with. But we did walk 2.5km along part of it and arouns the gardens. These are fairly extensive with two long avenues. The first is lined with Sequoias planted 150 yar ago and the second is the Prime Ministers walk with busts busting out all along the way. There is plenty of other statuary that has been donated by wealthy residents. They must have had some gardens.

Sequoia Walk

Escape from Pompeii

Chrisanthemum Hot House

Lake Wendouree Mt Buninyong back

Sovereign Park

 This is a motel not far from Sovereign Hill. I recommend it as it comes with the lot. The rooms are a good size with an indoor and out door table.  Inside there is a separate sink , fridge and microwave as well as a full couch. The bathroom comes with a spa bath. As for the recreation room, it has an indoor tennis court, a well equipped gym with a games room the same size. The pool area is large with two built in spas and a children's water spout pool.  There is an attached bar and restuarant with a huge indoor kids play room and a pokies room.  That should cater for evrybody.

Gym Room

Pool Room