Untidy Beach

 We managed to get across for an hour or so's beaching but it is getting harder to find a spot to sit down.  We cleared some debris on a good sand patch and since the wind had died it was quite pleasant. I noticed a tide line that I had not walked previously. It was high up near where we were but thin with grass.  However these still carry their share of washed up crap.  I went back this morning, specifically to walk this line and got a half bag of small pieces.  Many (25) plastic screw lids, one oil bottle, numerous rope pieces (15), three shot casings and seven lolly pop sticks.  Conclusion, there are gun toting, lolly sucking fishermen out there who need to use lots of screw top bottles (but often lose the lids) and are always tying things up.

Mega Balls

This is a herd of urchins

This is a bag of flotsam

Some Desperate Glory

 This is the very latest up to date Hugo winner from this year.  Laura got it for my birthday, quick smart. You don't win a Hugo without having a good story and this one is up there.  There is a film called Sliding Doors that repeats a story but with different endings.  This scifi epic does a similar thing using a godlike machine that can pass you around from one parallel version to the next.  There are only a few characters that know they have been there before but with a different scenario and result depending on the choices made.  You name a scifi element and it's in there, deep space, lots of planets, aliens, mega ships and of course that latest of trends, AI.

Bike return

 After Debbie got to a significant point in releasing a new PB yesterday, I got her away from her desk and onto the bike. It did not go so well, as some asthma wheeze started, so we made an unscheduled stop at the Brown Shugar cafe which also has a chemist next door. Over the counter asthma sprays are allowed to be bought unscripted and for $7 no less. We then coasted home and did some garden adjustments because the ground beneath the nectarine tree had at least 8 dropped fruits. All very small.  The watering system has now been reprogrammed to deliver a spray twice per day.  

Shuffler & Snuffler

 We seem to be attracting the wildlife lately. At Williamstown it was snakes and here an echidna was wandering passed.  We have had our share of possums and mostly birds from lapwings to kestrels but this is the first spiny critter we have seen.  It attracted a lot of attention mostly from dog walkers but then a carload stopped and got really touchy feely so it did the disappearing trick of burying itself and just left some prickles on the outside.  Two hours later when it was quiet it was gone and I assume went into the coastal bush.  Now the neighbour has a large hole in his lawn to deal with when he gets back.

buried

Apricot Appreciation

 I found one of our few apricots on the ground so now we have even fewer. According to the original census count I thought there were seven in total but now I can count only five so I don't think we will be making any jam out of that lot.  There is one strawberry plant that has exploded and I got five strawberries off it.  The other plants have none as yet but could be getting a bit old at three years.  Debbie worked hard to extend the arc of water, from new taller spouts, to underneath the trees. That downed apricot was rock hard.

School sports

 PEGS is a well off school but not in terms of space, like St Bernards, where they can have ovals , athletic track and an indoor pool, all onsite. So instead, PEGS buy a huge chunk of land off Keilor Park Dr and install absolutely every type of sports field you can think of, with night lights and indoor facilities as well. I did not see a cycle velodrome, they better lift their game.  I cannot really remember if I had a sports day in Prep. This one was full on with a three station rotation set up, being obtacle course, boxing/self defence and archery, as well as a tug-of-war rope thrown in there.  The cold wind was whistling thru yet now back at the Springs, I went into the water about an hour ago.  Asher got thru ok winning the tug and hitting the archery target.  No photos were allowed which was mostly ignored.

Street dressups

 We got caught out last night when the halloweenie's were roaming around. Adults and teenagers outnumbered any kids we saw. Huge groups of teenagers like around 20 were about the place and one street got blocked when a party spilled onto the road because a large group arrived for their handouts. We just wanted to get to the Thai food shop for a sit down.  I checked the houses as we drove from Drysdale this morning and there was only one that was decorated around here.