weather – Page 5 – Mick and Liesel's Antics

First World Problems

While it’s great to be home, it’s always an anticlimax after being away in exotic locations for a while. Being tired and/or jet-lagged doesn’t help of course, so I was very sensitive to anything slightly amiss. I was definitely discombobulated after watching the carousel go round and round, delivering luggage to fellow passengers, and then, suddenly, the conveyor belt stopped. About eight of us looked at each other in disbelief, wondering where our bags were. Nothing for it but to report the missing items. This we did on awkward, vertically mounted, touch screens. Yes, it’s great that we can report missing bags at all, but in the heat of the moment, when you’re feeling tired and a bit fed up, having to try two or three times to enter every single response was so dispiriting. Anyway, I’ll never know where my case spent three days before it was delivered to my home address. The good news is, there was nothing missing, the bottles of wine were in tact. The Jumpy’s and crackers, for William and for Jenny respectively were slightly crushed, that’s all. Still, first world problems, eh?

The flat seemed to be in good nick, I just opened the windows to let in some fresh air. The two shrivelled black things in the kitchen? Well, I think we just forgot to pack the last two bananas before we set off. Oh well. At least the place wasn’t full of fruit flies, I think we were quite lucky there.

The bad news is that one of our pictures fell off the wall. Command Tape by 3M isn’t as strong and reliable as we would like. The good news is that, this time, neither the frame nor the glass were damaged. How annoying, though. It’s bad enough pictures falling off the wall, but then you can see just how dusty the wall itself is. First world problems, eh?

My first few days at home I spent trying to stay awake and adapt to the new timezone. I nodded off several times in front of the TV or while listening to the radio or a podcast or even attempting a puzzle.

After two months away, Northenden is now much more green and lush, some say overgrown. Some folks were having fun, messing about in the river.

I think those two were trying to shift an object from the weir. Very brave, considering what United Utilities have been dumping in our natural waterways recently.

After a couple of days, I thought I’d drive to the shops. Car said ‘no’. The battery was totally dead. I called on Liam who has a gadget, a gizmo, a device that would jump start the car. It got going, but I never managed to drive far enough to charge the battery enough to start the car next time. It may be the case that the battery needs replacing, of course. After a couple of jump starts, thanks to Liam, I bought my own jump start box, which we’ll keep in the boot of the car, just in case. Still, first world problems, eh?

I’ve been watching the old, classic Doctor Who series on BBC iPlayer for a while. I’ve just reached the Tom Baker era. I enjoyed the show at the time, but binge-watching it now just highlights how repetitive the storylines are. And compared with today’s modern, glossy incarnation with Ncuti Gatwa, the special effects are just laughable. ‘It is of its time, of course.’ But while the iPlayer is a great resource, it’s not perfect. There is no option to tell it, for instance, that you are not and will never be interested in a certain show so please stop suggesting it. Plus, every two or three days it apologises because the ‘Continue to watch…’ option is not available. Well, that’s no good is it? Why? This is the cue for me to eat more biscuits while searching for what I want. Still, first world problems, eh?

During my first week back, I didn’t make it to any of the regular Thrive Manchester walks, I was either asleep or just waking up. And then it was half-term, so these walks were cancelled. I’ll catch up with them soon.

Because the car wasn’t cooperating, my plans to go for more interesting walks further afield at National Trust properties were shelved. I tried not to wear the pavements out in Northenden but I wandered round and round, never meeting anyone I know. While we were away, Boxx2Boxx café has moved along the road to bigger premises, and I paid my first visit. It’s now over the road from Tesco, so I went shopping there. I usually go to the Co-op which is a bit further away from home, but on this occasion, well, I couldn’t be bothered. I needed a nap. I was beginning to think I was suffering from narcolepsy, not just jet-lag. First world problems, eh?

In other local news, some of those empty shops on Palatine Road are now occupied, hooray! One is a barber (because there aren’t enough barbers and hairdressers in Northenden) and one is a charity shop (because there aren’t enough… you get the picture).

There I was one afternoon doing a puzzle when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. The flat has been invaded by a spider. He’s a lovely specimen and I hope he survives outside. Our very own Boris.

In another attempt to get the car started, I went over to Jenny and Liam’s. I was thrown in the deep end. Did I want to take the children swimming? Well, yes of course, as long as they can show me where to go. We walked to the pool where they both have lessons every week, and as always, I am amazed at their skills in the water, both so much more competent and confident than I am.

Yes, after swimming, William did dry and brush his own hair. He has style.

The car limped to Sainsbury’s in Cheadle Hulme and I really enjoyed walking up and down the aisles of the very large supermarket. Honest, yes, I increased my step count a lot that day. Here’s a conundrum. I probably should go for a really long drive to charge the battery. But if I do that, I’ll need to stop somewhere to re-fuel. But if I do that, the car might not start again and then I’ll be stuck in a service station, blocking the way for other customers. Yes, I did have Liam’s jump starting device on board, but I’d be worried about sparks if I try to jump start at a petrol station, I don’t want to blow the place up. First world problems, huh!

Anyway, I was pleased to see that this shop, Sainsbury’s, will accept my old, used batteries for recycling, as well as gold and silver (!), currency, electronics and stamps. Well, I have a bag of stamps to donate but I suspect if I had any spare precious metals, I’d probably be selling them.

So, as I write, the car is at the garage for its MOT and they’ll check the battery too. Fingers crossed, after today, I’ll be able to go out, start the car and be on my way.

Jenny and Liam invited me over for a barbecue, and we had a very pleasant, fun afternoon in the garden. Martha and William had helped skewer the kebabs, all veggies, no meat.

Liam brought out his juggling clubs, and yes, he’ll be running away to the circus any day now. You’ll see. I had a go myself, but my juggling skills are very rusty. Maybe I should have been practising more during the last twenty or thirty years!

A couple of days later, I celebrated Jenny’s birthday by going to the blood shop, as she called it when she was little, for another blood donation session. And not just for the tea and biscuits. Earlier in the day, I’d witnessed Martha roller-skating around the house. I found that a little scary.

And so far, I haven’t mentioned the weather since I got home. Well, we’ve had a bit of sunshine and a lot of rain. I can’t wait until proper Summer kicks in and I can go out without a raincoat. I don’t mind getting a bit wet, but I don’t need my shirt to be so waterlogged, I can wring it out. I know, first world problems, right?

I mentioned the circus a little earlier. Well, they might not be going there, but the family are all off to Disneyworld for a little holiday. Yes, of course I offered to carry their bags or something, but no. In order to facilitate uninterrupted packing, I took Martha and Wiliam to the nearby playground where I heard ‘Grandad, look at this’ and ‘Grandad, watch me’ about four and a half thousand times. Great fun! So much energy. William said, after a while, that we should go home because it felt like rain. It did indeed try, but there were only about six raindrops on this occasion.

I’m not saying my grandchildren are noisy or antisocial or anything, but soon after we arrived, the only other family there left. Maybe it was is something I said?!

Well, Spring has worked wonders for Northenden, bring out the good and the bad. Firstly, in some hedges, the bindweed really is taking over. I lost a thirty year battle with this indestructible weed in our garden in Chessington, and it still brings back nasty memories of time I’ll never get back. First world problems, yep.

Of course, not all weeds are nasty. They’re just things growing in the wrong place. I’m not a fan of footpaths that are overgrown, but I can’t really complain about these poppies.

This week, I prepared and recorded a radio show for Wythenshawe Radio, WFM 97.2, online and now on DAB! I marked the occasion of my return home, plus there’s a track from a newly released album. You don’t want to miss this one, it’s here on Mixcloud. My show is now broadcast at the exciting brand new time of 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning, with a repeat on Saturday at 6pm.

Meanwhile, Liesel and Mom are still in Anchorage, still going for walks, still watching the snow slowly disappear from the mountains.

Oh, just before I publish, news just in: Angie from the garage called: yes, the car battery is dead, D E D, dead, it’s not holding charge at all.

Soil and oil

It’s always a joy to be invited out for coffee almost as soon as you make an appearance early in the morning. Or even late in the morning. And so it was that Liesel, Leslie and I walked across the road to meet up with Jyoti and her youngest, Gita, in the New Sagaya branch of Kaladi Bros Coffee. Breakfast for me was a bagel, though sadly not a jalapeño bagel, something I’d been looking forward to. Maybe they don’t bake them any more.

Liesel took her Mom for a medical procedure so Jyoti and I went for a walk alongside the lagoon.

Gita sent a mesage from the garden centre, our cue to drive over and join her. As it was such a beautiful day, Gita gave us fifteen minutes to arrive, otherwise she’d leave and go sunbathing…

Jyoti and Gita bought some houseplants, while my job was to find some hooks and a chain with which to hang the hanging basket that Aaron had given Mom for Mothers’ Day. Mothers’ Day in America doesn’t coincide with Mothering Sunday at home.

Jyoti also purchased a bag of Alaska Organic Soil and I had nothing better to do for a minute, so I read the ingredients.

Yes, this soil contains bits of fish, thanks to bears who have enjoyed salmon from the rivers and dropped scraps in the woods.

Back at home, I made myself quite busy while Liesel and Mom were still out. I didn’t find a chain, but I managed to hang the basket on the balcony using a couple of hooks and some bendy wire.

In the living room, there is a large jar of M&Ms. We’ve all dipped into it from time to time. Liesel thought she might be over-indulging and asked me to hide the jar. Well, I thought that seemed a bit harsh on her Mom, so, instead, I put a note inside the jar saying ‘No, Liesel’ illustrated with an angry cartoon face. I hoped this would be deterrent enough.

Sod’s law: it was Mom who came across the note first and, sadly, it made her lose her appetite for M&Ms. For a while, anyway.

Leslie’s surgery had gone well, and I was surprised to see that she had much less dressing on her eye than I did after my own cataract surgery. But, she has to apply eye drops for several days, something I don’t remember having to do.

In the evening, Una took me out for dinner, thank you very much, and we had a lovely chat. We chose Mexican and the portion size on this occasion was only slightly too big for me.

Leslie’s other eye was operated on the following day, again, fully successfully. While she was out, I went for a solo walk. Westmark Anchorage Hotel and Conference Center is nothing special from an architectural point of view but it was nice to see the flags of many nations flying outside. Pedantic old me couldn’t help but notice the Union Flag was flying upside down, popularly thought to be a sign of distress.

I didn’t expect to bump into an old friend, but I did. Star the reindeer has been here for many years, but I don’t know whether or not he’s the original Star.

Rubbish picture, because of the thick layer of dirty glass between us. Still, always good to see some wildlife, sort of.

In Leslie’s apartment block, we all attended the May Spring Fling Happy Hour. This was an opportunity to meet some of the other people who live here. Wine and nibbles were supplied. At first, Leslie wasn’t that keen, so Liesel went by herself to the community area on the top floor of the other block. I must have nodded off, but when I came to, Leslie said whe would attend after all, so we wandered over, through the courtyard.

And it was an even later night than usual when we all went to the airport to welcome Leslie’s Aunt Buzz, who is visiting for a week from her home in Albuquerque. As Liesel remarked, Buzz could be Leslie’s twin, so easy to recognise as she emerged from the secure area. And here was another chance to see some wildlife, sort of.

In fact, there are very many stuffed animals at Anchorage Airport, but I am too intimidated by American Airport rules and officials to risk taking too many pictures.

The other night, we couldn’t see any sand hill cranes. But they are here, and of all places, I was surprised to see them on the front page of the daily newspaper.

That’s today’s Anchorage Daily News, the paper that also prints the challenging New York Times crossword every day. Point Woronzof, that’s where we enjoyed a stroll just a few days ago.

So, in an effort to see some actual, living animals, in the flesh, the now four of us went for a walk on the boardwalk at Potter Marsh. It was cloudy, but otherwise, another ideal day for a walk. The only disappointment here was seeing so much oil on the surface of the water.

But this doesn’t seem to deter plenty of migratory birds from enjoying everything on offer here. We saw many swallows, for example. Most exciting, maybe, was seeing an eagle on his nest, a long way over there. I tried to get a photo by holding up my phone to the binoculars.

I know it’s not a prize-winning photo, but he is a long way off and the binoculars’ lenses showed signs of having been outdoors in harsh conditions for a long time. This little chap was a lot closer.

The green-winged teals were playing chase in the stream: whether the male caught up with and ‘became friends with’ the female, I don’t know.

On a white board near the entrance to the boardwalk, there was a list of birds spotted by other visitors during today. Our list of sightings is very modest in comparison.

I’m particularly sorry that none of us saw a moose on the wing.

In the afternoon, we started packing.

In the evening, we attended Alexa’s graduation party at her home. We were happy to meet Asa’s girlfriend’s parents and grandmother, who prepared loads of food for us and many other guests.

It was time for me to come home. The original plan was for Liesel to come as well, with Mom, but after the latter’s surgery, she’s not allowed to fly for a month. They’ll both join me at the end of June.

Liesel took me to the airport early. In fact, an hour earlier than necessary due to us misremembering the flight schedule. So I had plenty of time to eat breakfast, have a coffee, admire the dead, stuffed animals again, and read my book. The flight to rainy Seattle was uneventful. No dead animals at Seattle Airport, but there were a couple of buskers entertaining us. I found the vegetarian restaurant that Liesel had told me about, Floret, and I enjoyed my salad and chips. The flight to Reykjavic was uneventful. Well, apart from the fuselage rattling, sounding like industrial strength tinnitus. Plus, the overhead locker was very difficult to open. I think that plane might be due some repairs. I finished one book and started another. And when I tried to, I just could not get to sleep. The flight to Manchester was uneventful, and still, no sleep. All three flights were full so I could not spread ouit, nor have a good, proper stretch.

Jenny was kind enough to pick me up and take me home where I was pleased, after being in transit for about 21 hours, to be able to lie down again.

My luggage arrived just three long, nap-filled, worried days later.

While I was airborne, Liesel managed to get out for a nice hike with Jyoti, Una and Phil.

I’m sorry I missed Asa’s graduation party but by all accounts, it was very enjoyable.

Now, to sleep, to unpack and to start addressing the ‘To do’ list that was compiled while I was away.

Aurora furore

I never thought I’d spend a good half hour watching a woman making a basket, but that’s the way the dice roll these days.

As usual on this fine morning, Leslie went to the local school to play with the Kindergartners. She loves it but isn’t so keen on coming home with green paint on her fingers. ‘But I did wash my hands’, she insists.

Someone had a lovely birthday present.

You have to admire whoever drove this car to the car park while it was wrapped in clingfilm. For a start, how did they get in? Anyway, Happy Birthday, stranger!

After working in the morning (Liesel) and writing (moi), we were now walking to Originale, a delightful Italian restaurant, in beautiful downtown Anchorage. Not only was the food great, they offered small and large portions. Small was big enough for Liesel and me. Best of all, Monica joined us for her lunch break.

Afterwards, we all went to the Museum where, by coincidence, Monica usually spends her working day.

Monica returned to work, while Liesel and I walked around Anchorage Museum.

Trailing by Alia Shahab and Michel Gignac

Inspired by otherworldly light phenomena found in nature, such as bioluminescent plankton and the aurora borealis, Trailing is activated by motion.

Artists Alia Shahab and Michel Gignac created Trailing from thousands of fiberoptic cables affixed to a canopy of wooden hexagons – a shape chosen for its strength and spatial efficiency, as well as its abundance In nature.

As visitors move through the installation, activated strands glow an aqua-green, illuminating a path of motion. Trailing uses over a thousand tiny microcontrollers, which are triggered mechanically by physical movement of the fiberoptic cables. Like many bioluminescent animals that glow blue-green when agitated, the tendrils glow with a rich green light when someone brushes up against the cables. As the swaying slows, the cables fade to dark. For Shahab and Gignac, the flickering and fading light references the ephemeral effects of light found in our oceans and skies and encourages reflection and play between humans and the environment.

The accompanying exhibition of bioluminescent fish was interesting too. Just a couple of weeks ago, our William drew a picture of an angler fish, so it was nice to be able to send him a photo of a real one.

We saw a large container full of plastic baling straps, or strapex, as we used to call it. I remember walking around on that stuff at work, most of the magazines and brochures were bound together with that stuff. One use only before being chucked out. But one lovely lady decided to do something about it.

Hawai’i-based artist Gaye Chan develops projects that create opportunities for exchange outside of market and state control, such as free stores, guerilla gardens, and community meals. Carrying Capacity is a durational project Chan began in 2012, stemming from a chance encounter at a produce distribution company. Chan had gone with the intention of getting a case of overripe tomatoes for pasta sauce when she noticed heaps of baling straps in the loading area. As commodities move across the globe, baling straps like these are found binding box to box, paper to paper, and everything to pallets, which are tucked into containers for shipping. They are used once and then discarded into the waste stream. Unable to simply walk away, Chan gave herself the task of figuring out how to reuse the mountains of plastic straps. After watching countless YouTube videos on basket-making methods from around the world, she developed a basic weaving technique.

Eleven years and over a thousand baskets later, Chan continues to extend the life of this waste’ material through making and skill-sharing. She says, “I think I’m coming at this material not only to get it out of the waste stream, but to ask why we end up with all this junk in the first place. The obvious answer is the dysfunctional global capitalist system of moving goods around, and the residue that gets left in the wake of commerce. I use this material in a very tangible way, but each strap embodies the broader systems of violence and exploitation.”

Today, an estimated 90 percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea. In 2020, about 1.85 billion metric tons of cargo were shipped globally, up from some 0.1 billion metric tons just 40 years earlier in 1980. It follows that baling straps are found in abundance almost anywhere in the world, including remote Alaska villages as well as in Chan’s home in Hawaii. The Alaska iteration of Carrying Capacity partners Chan and her students over Zoom with basket makers and novices in the Anchorage area to learn, experiment, and create baskets together.

And it was Gaye Chan who engaged me for half hour, making a basket from the waste material.

As usual, we left the Museum having seen some good stuff, but a bit stiff from the slow walking. We said we’d visit again next week.

On the walk home, we happened to pass JC Penney, one of America’s largest department store chains. ‘Ooh, let’s get our hair cut’, suggested Liesel. I pointed out that I still had barely any hair since my last haircut. But, yes I had a trim and a nice chat with the Korean hairdresser. Liesel had a more significant cut, maybe two inches off.

In the evening, we went over to Jyoti’s and met up with Jim and Diana, visiting from Talkeetna. It was good to see them, and I even remembered to do this:

Yes, an actual photo of people we’ve spent time with!

After enjoying Jyoti’s Indian food, Liesel and I went off to watch another fooball game featuring Asa and Gideon. It was a one-sided match, their team, West Anchorage High School, leading 8-0 at halftime. I think the second eleven played in the second half. The good news is, the snow has all gone now from the stands. But there is still plenty of snow on the mountains in the distance.

And even though the clouds here look menacing, they caused us no problems. Except that the sky was 100% cloud covered all night. Plus, the Sun doesn’t set until 10.30. So while Alaska would normally be a fantastic, far north place from which to view the Aurora Borealis, the viewing conditions here and now were less than optimal.

So you can imagine how miffed I was after we returned home from the game, only to be bombarded, inundated and showered with pictures of the Northern Lights taken everywhere else. Especially from England. Even from Northenden.

I’m sorry to say I don’t know who took this picture of the Northenden Heron with its unusual backdrop, but if it was you, please let me know and I’ll add an acknowledgement.

Photos from Kent, West Sussex, Surrey are all just as spectacular. The Sun was very active, and responsible for the Aurora, but I wish it could have waited a few more days.

Yep, ‘Miffed’ is the word!

I tried not to mope over brunch the following morning, nobody needs to hear that much whingeing, not Liesel, Jyoti, Jim, Diana nor Una, no need to ruin their appetites. Ooh, I took another picture of people.

But my presence of mind didn’t last long. Liesel and I met up with Catherine and Hans at Point Woronzof Park, for a walk overlooking the Knik Arm, a narrow branch of the Cook Inlet, and, basically ‘behind’ the airport. We heard a few jets but otherwise, it was pleasantly quiet. We shared the path with many cyclists and a few runners. But did I take a picture of our friends? Nope.

Again, we noticed how many branches, boughs and limbs had fallen off trees this Winter, unable to bear the weight of so much snow and ice, that’s the theory.

As we were leaving the park, we noticed a few cars parked up ahead, and then we realised why. There were a couple of moose by the fence. Liesel wasn’t bothered, but I still think it’s exciting to see wildlife in the wild. And, apparently, so do some other locals.

Liesel has been telling me for a long time how good the TV series Ted Lasso is. I should watch it. Highly recommended. Except, it’s on the Apple+ TV service, which we haven’t subscribed to. Until now. We have three months free on the platform, thanks to Leslie buying a new Apple iPhone recently. So, Liesel set it up at home, and the first thing we did was to start watching Ted Lasso. I quite enjoyed it. Another episode? Oh, go on then. And so it went. All day. I think we watched 6 episodes that first day. I checked in the mirror, but my eyes hadn’t yet gone square.

It’s High School Graduation season, that’s the main reason we’re here at this particular time. Neha is graduating, and she and her family invited us to join them to celebrate at Sushi Ya, a popular Japanese restaurant. Limited vegetarian options, but what I had was very nice. And it was great to see Neha again after all these years.

It was good to meet her grandparents again too, who, I discovered, have been married for 57 years.

The Graduation ceremony took place on the first really warm and sunny Spring afternoon of the year, not at their school, but in the University of Alaska basketball stadium. Also known as the Alaska Airlines Center.

The place was heaving with graduates, their families and friends.

We had a few speeches, and the stars of the whole show came in while the orchestra played Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March number 1, on repeat.

I wanted to video Asa’s part in the ceremony, and I practiced with his girlfriend Alexa, whose surname falls earlier in the alphabet. But, too far away with my phone camera.

So out of 360 graduates, we were interested in just three, Asa, Alexa and Neha.

It was a bit of a scramble to leave the building and outside, everyone wanted photos, and bouquets and leis galore were given out.

The clouds opver the mountains looked menacing once more, but we were bathed in warm sunshine.

After dining at Bear Tooth, Liesel and I drove over to Jyoti’s where we went for a walk close to Sand Lake. Nice blue skies and fluffy clouds. No moose nor bears. In fact, not many birds either.

I thought maybe we’d see the sand hill cranes out on the mud flats, but again, no. We heard some, but couldn’t see them. Too well camouflaged, I reckon. A pair of binoculars would have helped, of course.

Back home, let’s watch one episode of Ted Lasso before bed. Oh alright then. Halfway through, we realised we must have missed something. We checked. Yep. For some reason, it had jumped to episode 9, we’d missed episodes 7 and 8. This is Apple+ TV. Why did it miss out two episodes? I hope their mobile telephones are a bit more robust than that…

And yes, it’s nearly midnight and still light, so even if the Sun were still active, and interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, I don’t think we would have seen the Aurora from here. Oh well, good night.

Flowers and bones

In the evening, we returned to Asa’s High School for Seniors Night. The first thing we saw was a large poster depicting the all-American soccer hero Asa.

A few of the other players were similarly celebrated, but we are very proud of our nephew’s achievements on the field.

After ceremoniously walking under the arch of balloons with his family, Asa and Gideon’s team played another game, another 1-0 victory.

The daughter of a friend of a friend was playing cello in a musical recital at a venue not too far away from home so Liesel and I decided to walk there. St Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church is a very pretty building, the sight of which is only spoiled by the power lines in front.

But wait, no, that wasn’t the venue for the concert. That was another building, a former church, now known as The Nave. We passed by a rock band on the way, but not as we normally understand a rock band.

Now you know what to do with your scrap metal, horse shoes and that pile of boulders you’ve been meaning to get rid of.

There are two things always guaranteed to make me smile to myself. The name of a shop being a pun is one, and the other is a well-made, decent, fun mural. Named after the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho’s Villa is, of course, a Mexican restaurant here in Anchorage. On the wall, there is this lovely mural of Jean Jilwan, affectionately known as “John the Flower Guy”.

This is what can happen when a community comes together to commemorate a much loved local personality.

We arrived at The Nave in good time, bumping into Jyoti’s friend Dave on the way in. Later, we were joined by Jyoti herself and by Dave’s wife Ellie. The Spring Chamber Music Concert featured young musicians from the Anchorage Youth Symphony and AYO’s Symphony School ensembles. An afternoon of chamber music, or what we would today just call background music. So lots of tunes by Handel, Bach, Schubert and some lesser known composers. All the participants performed very well, including the cello-player, Lavinia, Dave and Ellie’s daughter. I think I only nodded off once, and I did have to leave on one occasion for a coughing fit, trying hard not to do the English thing of saying ‘sorry’, ‘so sorry’ to each and every other member of the audience.

Later in the afternoon, we met up with Jyoti again, this time way over at Una and Phil’s house, where we were joined by Monica and Gregg, and of course, this was the first time I’d seen them this trip.

Again, no photos of the main characters nor the extras. But it was a fun evening.

In medical news: I finally managed to extract the last bit of the splinter I’d acquired nearly two weeks ago, the lump of paint that burrowed deep inside my finger nail. I’m so relieved I didn’t have to resort to major surgery at a hospital. In other medical news, I didn’t come all this way to Anchorage just to be knocked for six by a niggly, tickley, sore throat, and a cough, with numerous other symptoms over the next few days such as fatigue, various aches and, for a few minutes, a sensation of dizziness and loss of sense of balance. Sadly, plans to go for walks were curtailed or cancelled. No, two Covid tests came back negative, so who knows what the nature of the ailment was?

On the other hand, I did complete the LA Times crossword, printed in the Sunday edition of the Anchorage Daily News.

Asa came by with his girlfriend Alexa: it was nice to meet her, and they both talked about their plans for next year after leaving school. Asa plans to spend time in Peru wrestling caymans or something, and Alexa is off to Colorado for a long, hard and intense nursing course.

After a short walk, we had dinner at Leslie’s with the family: Aaron, Jodi, Asa and Gideon, and again, I took no photos.

Mom had a dental appointment. Liesel dropped her off then went for a quick walk with Jyoti. I was still in bed, feeling a bit sorry for myself. Liesel knows that I would definitely have taken pictures in this neighbourhood if I were here, so she did the honours. For some reason, many of the residents have decorated their homes with skeletons. This may be Halloween paraphernalia that hasn’t been taken in yet, but it’s certainly an unusual way to bring the community together.

The next day, when I’d dragged my own bag of bones out of bed, we went for a walk and I was delighted to see these colourful flowers outside a neighbour’s house.

Then Liesel popped the bubble, ruined the illusion, ruined everything quite frankly, by telling me that they were fake, plastic flowers. Well, plastic, schmastic, as Americans say, they’re still very colourful!

There is plenty of evidence of earthquake damage around the city, but I’m not sure this crack in the pavement counts.

On the other hand, when I first arrived, this blue house was as high as its neighbour, but it seems to be sinking into the ground very slowly. Did you also notice the snowflakes? Yes, I couldn’t believe it either when I looked out and saw that it was snowing. Liesel had assured me that it wouldn’t snow in Anchorage during the merry, merry month of May. Huh.

Any more bad news? No, I think that’ll do for now. My coughing fits are fewer and less violent than a few days ago, so there’s some good news.

Snow and ice

When my neighbour passenger woke up (yes, grrr, he managed several hours sleep), he opened the window shutter and the first thing I saw was a range of snow-capped mountains. Liesel looked sheepish when I reminded her that she’d said that all the snow had gone, melted, thawed, disappeared.

We collected our bags and then Jyoti collected us. It was about 6am, light and cold. A mere 2° here in Anchorage, but I thought it was quite refreshing after being cooped up in a packed jetliner for that sleepless five hours.

Thanks, Jyoti, for driving us home, which is, for us, Leslie’s new apartment that she moved into just on five months ago. We soon got into the swing of things, having a coffee from Kaladi Bros just over the road plus a pastry. The view from our room, of course, features snow. Not pristine, freshly fallen snow, but dirty sludge that’s been festering outside since last October.

Despite my best intentions, I couldn’t stay awake for the rest of the day, and indeed, we all had a nap. Followed by a refreshing shower.

I proudly wore a borrowed Harvard sweatshirt for our quick perambulation down to Westchester Lagoon. I didn’t know how to respond when a stranger just said ‘Harvard!’ as he passed by us. I hope I didn’t miss out on something special by not knowing the secret response/password.

There are still patches of ice on the lake, icebergs even.

In the depths of Winter, the ice is so solid, it is a great venue for ice skaters. They even use a Zamboni every few days to provide a clean, smooth surface. Would I skate here? I like the idea, but from experience, the only way I know to stop in a timely manner is to head for the wall of the ice rink. There is no such barrier here, so I guess I’d just keep going until I hit the mountains.

But it’s not all cold stuff here. We saw some signs of Spring.

Fire Island is a great, rustic bakehouse. We paid our first visit here, bought some bread and enjoyed coffee and pastries.

Back at home, I completed the crossword in the local paper, Anchorage Daily News, messed up the Soduko, but I did complete the New York Times crossword for the first time.

This will take some getting used to, I think: the Sun is setting at 10pm right now, that’s three hours later than it did in Honolulu. Plus, the twilight period is much longer. When it’s so light, so late, it’s quite hard getting to sleep.

Our nephews Asa and Gideon played in a football game at West Anchorage High School.

The backdrop of mountains occasionally detracted from the action on the pitch, but what a great setting. Another distraction was the markings for an American Football pitch, which were much more prominent than the yellow lines for soccer. Spoiler alert: I’m not a big football (soccer) fan, but even though West Anchorage (our team) won the match 1-0, given the run of play, I think they should have won by a much higher score.

Unfortunately, the bleachers are still mostly covered in snow, but we did find a dry spot to sit. For the first time, I wore long trousers and I’m glad I did, because after sitting outside in a slight breeze, even I was beinning to feel a little chilly.

Yay, we went shopping at Carrs. Liesel’s shopping list was as long as your arm, and in the end, the trolley (cart) was groaning under the weight of the purchases.

In the evening, Liesel and I visited Jyoti’s son Suvan and his wife Kayla at their place. Six years ago, we just missed attending their wedding because the bureaucracy pertaining to moving house in the UK is a ridiculously long-winded business. It was good to see them, not to mention Suvan’s musical instruments and other technology with which he is composing music and sound effects for a video game. I look forward to playing some on my radio show one day (hint, hint). Who else was there? Jyoti and other pets, Shanti, 16 years old and Basil, much younger. And a cat.

Is there a photograph of Suvan and Kayla? Of course not, that would require me to remember to take pictures of people, not just of things.

When Liesel and Leslie went out to run errands, my mission, which I chose to accept, was to go to Fire Island to buy a baguette. Liesel wasn’t surprised that I had a coffee there, but she was surprised that I didn’t partake of a delicious sweet treat too. Well, I had only just had breakfast. On the way, I did encounter some wildlife.

Yep, the old captions are the best.

And more small signs of Spring.

It had rained overnight, and it was still trying to precipitate now, very half-heartedly. I didn’t want the newly purchased baguette to get too soggy, so I went straight home. Otherwise, I might have enjoyed a longer walk.

The other thing that’s different here in AK is the atmosphere. It’s so dry compared with Hawaii’s humidity, Liesel and I are both experiencing nosebleeds and chapped lips. I’m sure we’ll adapt in the fullness of time, but it’s a bit of a challenge right now.

Aloha, aloha

Sitting in the departure lounge in any airport wears a bit thin after a while, so we find excuses to go for short excursions. One big head followed our gaze as we walked by.

The Giant Head is a large kinetic installation that allows viewers to experience mysterious emotions through its indecipherable facial expressions which seem to penetrate the essence of the viewer. A two-meter-high robot, the Giant Head was also introduced at the London Super Futures exhibition, blurring the line between retail and art space. The Giant Head is a year-long project conducted by Gentle Monster’s Robotics Lab which attempts to question viewers about the future of the human-robot relationship.

I looked at the electronics and the cables behind the face, where the brain ought to be, and it was suitably impressive/complicated.

I also studied the site of the splinter I received last night. From one of the chopsticks in Saké of all things. There was no lasting mark. Unlike the splinter I got a few days ago at the Pantry. As I picked up my bag, my finger lightly scraped the wall behind and a shard of paint found its way down a finger nail. It was quite painful at the time and when I tried to pull it out, the fleck of paint snapped, leaving a black lump well below the nail. I later asked a pharmacist if he had any cream or something that would help extract it, and he said no, it was so deep behind the nail that it would probably have to be surgically removed. It doesn’t bother me, I’m just waiting for the nail to grow so I can restore it to its usual pristine, beautiful and well-manicured state. Yes, leave it for now and watch out in case it becomes infected.

We boarded our plane, a Boeing 787, and found ourselves seated miles part, Leslie near the front, Liesel and me near the back.

We’re going to miss NSW and its lovely people but it’s time to move on. Jetstar had plenty of delightful destinations to choose from, and we decided to fly to Honolulu. It’s over halfway to Alaska, Leslie’s home town.

The flight was nowhere near full, so Liesel and I moved forward. I managed to grab three seats, but despite being able to lie down, I managed only one hour of sleep during the 9-hour flight. I did read a lot though, and listened to some podcasts, so the time passed quickly.

The flight path took us over Fiji and over the point where the equator and the International Dateline cross. There’s a fact for the nerds. And another: because we crossed the International Dateline, this day was 44 hours long.

Honolulu Airport: Immigation and customs posed no problems, despite having several bottles of wine, the only item we needed to declare. It was raining. Yes, we’ve come to Hawaii and it’s raining. But actually, when we disembarked, it just felt really hot and humid, despite being about 5.30am.

We hired a car. Oh good, it’s a convertible. Then we looked more closely. There was no way all our luggage was going to fit in that tiny boot. So we swapped it for a different ‘compact’ which is still twice as big as our little Mazda at home.

We soon noticed that, compared with the Northern Beaches, everything here is bigger. The cars are bigger, the roads are wider, the people are larger, the surfboards are bigger, but that’s because the waves are bigger. And of course, eating out in the USA, the meals are bigger, and when you settle the bill, the tips are bigger.

After finding our accommodation, we had a nap and ate the scones that we’d imported all the way from Mrs Jones the Baker.

Behind our house is the fabulous sight of Diamond Head. But we can’t see it from our place because there are no windows on that side of the building!

We went for a walk towards Waikiki, enjoying the tropical plants.

No, we didn’t visit the zoo, but we walked past the entrance and took a quick hike through Queen Kapi’olani Garden. So far, so quiet. Then we hit the main road by the beach. The road was closed while people were setting up their stalls for the annual Waikiki Spam Jam, a cultural tradition in Hawaii, rated as one of the best food festivals on the islands. A traffic-free road was much more pleasant to walk along, but there were so many people!

Kauai is famous for its feral chickens, not so much Oahu. But today, we saw chickens, hens and roosters and their chicks all over the place. And yes, some of them did cross the road but we don’t know why.

The beach was very popular too. We know from previous visits how calm the sea is here compared with other places around the islands, as there’s a breakwater a short distance away from the shore.

It still felt humid and we even felt about six or seven drops of rain: a very half-hearted attempt at soaking us. Some lei-festooned statues remind us of the sometimes sad history of Hawaii.

From Wikipedia: Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole (March 26, 1871 – January 7, 1922) was a prince of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi until it was overthrown by a coalition of American and European businessmen in 1893. He later went on to become a representative in the Territory of Hawaii as delegate to the United States Congress, and as such is the only royal-born member of Congress.

A busker was playing a Hawaiian lap steel guitar, but I think he might have been a beginner. The tune he was playing sounded familiar, but he was playing it so slowly, one plodding note after another, I couldn’t bring its name to mind. Still, good on him for having a go. Waikiki Christmas Store was open, but no, we didn’t visit. Nor did we visit Penny’s Malasadas. We left that sweet treat for another time.

After enough fresh air, we found ourselves in the shopping plaza where we didn’t do much shopping (none) but we did have a coffee and a toasted caprese sandwich which really hit the spot, as they say. Thank you, Kai Coffee.

The tide was now in, which means that the beach was only about six feet wide, just about wide enough for someone to lie down between the road and the sea.

While I had the phone camera out, I was watching someone gracefully navigating the many swimmers and bathers on her paddle board. Sorry to admit this, but yes, I was waiting for her to fall in. But she was too good.

Some trees had blue bands around their trunks at about head height. I had to investigate. “Nesting White Terns, Trim With Caution”. Brilliant.

In the evening, we met our old friends Trudi and John for dinner at Panya Bistro on Ala Moana Boulevard. Ala Moana, said more like the French ‘à la’, but our Google (or was it Apple?) Maps announcer pronounced it ‘Ayla Moana’, which elicited a superior chuckle from us polyglots. I can’t believe it’s nine years since I last met Trudi and John. A lot of catching up to do, and somehow, we spent over four hours in the restaurant. John is about the same age as me, and he still swims out to sea a mile or more every morning and surfs back to shore.

I’d like to show you a picture of us all together, but, you know… Here is an awful picture showing the leis that Trudi and John kindly welcomed us to the island with.

My He’e Berry & Tī Leaf Twist Lei was delightfully aromatic. He’e is so-called as that is the Hawaiian word for octopus, and it does resemble an octopus tentacle, but I am grateful it doesn’t smell of octopus.

Leslie’s and Liesel’s Tuberose leis were equally aromatic, definitely a smell that if we encounter it again will bring us right back to Hawaii.

It was a late night for us and we slept well.

Moké’s Bread and Breakfast provided a fabulous, late and very large breakfast. Embarrassingly, I knocked over my glass of water, and the server cleared up my mess very quickly. I felt sorry for him, though, having to pick up ice cubes from the floor, by hand.

According to the thermometer in the car, it was 83°F today, that’s over 28°C. In order to see more of the island, we drove rather than walked. Yes, that’s why we didn’t step out today, no other reason such as fatigue and lethargy at all, honest.

We’ve had a few trips to Kailua over the years, in fact, that’s where we went to celebrate my 60th birthday. So we thought we’d pay a quick visit today, maybe spend some time on the beach.

Other very attractive beaches were glimpsed from the car as we sped by at 35, 45mph. Yes, in places, the speed limits are quite low, which is a good thing.

When we gained some altitude, we could look down at the sea, and it really was a patchwork, so many different shades of blue and green and everything in between. And very clear sometimes too. The sea did look inviting, well, maybe apart from where the waves were bigger than houses.

It was sad to see such a large homeless encampment near Waimanalo Beach. One homeless person is too many, of course, but seeing so many here is this gorgeous, or any, location, was quite distressing. Given the number of Kanaka Maoli Hawaiian flags we saw, I supect most of these homeless folk are native Hawaiians, priced out of the city by rich white Americans.

Kailua is very popular. We drove in, we drove out, there was obviously nowhere to park up, so we didn’t. Instead, we returned to Honolulu via the main highway and stopped off at The Valley of the Temples. This is more than just an oversized cemetery. It’s a beautifully laid out memorial park and we spent some time here, absorbing the peace.

We rang the peace bell for our lost loved ones, in particular for Liesel’s Dad, and for my Mum and Dad and Sarah. And later in the temple, we lit incense sticks for them too.

Liesel and Leslie ringing the Bon Sho (Sacred Bell)

This bell is a replica of one in Japan that is 900 years old and probably made in India.

Before entering the Temple, we had to take our shoes off. I had a quick look at what was on offer, and decided that I’d prefer to leave with the sandals I’d arrived in.

Amida Buddha sitting on a gold lotus leaf, inside the Temple

Amongst the wildlife here, we saw koi; black swans; spotted doves, some more keen on mating than others; turtles and, er, several domestic cats, which we thought a bit odd.

The Temple is a replica of the 11th-century Phoenix Hall of the Byodo-In Buddhist temple complex in Uji, Japan. It is very photogenic, especially with the mountains, shrouded in mist, in the background.

For a moment, we coud have actually been in Japan, where we’d enjoyed visiting many temples.

Dinner this evening was with Leslie and Liesel’s friend Joye, whom they’ve known for decades. They talked about other family members, some familar to me, many not. It was lovely to meet her for the first time. And I remembered to take a picture, hooray.

What a salubrious background. Good night!

Liesel dropped Leslie and me off to watch a hula show, while she went gallivanting off with Trudi, spending just a short time shopping.

We had the pleasure of seeing a couple of (to me) exotic birds. The egret was practising silly walks and the red-crested cardinal flew in, landed, sang a few notes, and flew away again.

We never go and see a show that starts at 9.30 in the morning, yet here I am, and not with my wife but with my mother-in-law. As that great philosopher Phil Collins once said, ‘Funny ol’ world, innit?’

The Kilohana Hula Show show was very enjoyable: the commentator / announcer provided a very entertaining and informative narration. Overall, the dances and songs told stories about events in Hawaii’s history, but mostly, I just enjoyed listening to the music and watching the intricate choreography. Sadly, the amphitheatre was only about a quarter full, but that didn’t seem to affect the performance.

Towards the end of the show, we members of the audience were invited down to learn the moves. I would have had a go, but, well, I have two left feet when it comes to dancing. Plus, I had to look after Leslie. Those are my excuses, and I’m sure I can invent plenty more, if necessary.

But the folks who did join in all had a good time, and most of them were smiling at the end.

Liesel came by and collected us after show, and we retired to our Airbnb. Leslie had a rest while Liesel and I went out for breakfast, before Liesel worked on the PC for a couple of hours. During which time, I too took a well-deserved (?!) rest.

East-West Center Japanese Garden is small and we passed a good half hour here, slowly walking around.

The Garden Stream represents a river as it flows from the mountains to the lowland cities and sea. The stream’s course reflects the Japenese character for “heart”, symbolizing the greetings sent from the people of Japan to the people of Hawaii.

Sadly, the old teahouse wasn’t open for refreshments. And I was surprised to see a young lady enjoying a book in the shelter of the Thai Pavilion.

Just along the road, all within the campus of the University of Hawaii, is the stunning Korean Studies Building. It’s architects and most of the builders were Korean, and it is a very attractive building.

As well as being functional, it is decorated with Korean tiles, and the level of details takes the breath away.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a tobacco-free campus: no smoking, no vaping, no chewing tobacco. I don’t know what the sanctions are for anyone who breaks the rule, but what a great innovation. While Liesel and Leslie sat on a bench in the shade outside, I went into Hamilton Library, where it was much cooler. And what a big library, there must have been over a hundred students working here.

And that’s just one room: I didn’t go upstairs at all. The staff give their all, working their fingers and more to the bone:

And I came across another great idea. They’ve put the waste bins outside the restrooms so, when you’ve washed your hands, you can use the paper towel to open the door and dispose of the towel outside. No need to worry about touching a virus-laden door handle with your clean fingers. It wouldn’t work with those hot air hand dryers, I know, but since Covid, I’ve stuffed many a used paper towel in my pocket having opened a bathroom door without touching it, especially in a restaurant, when I’m about to eat.

There is a long display telling us about The Himeyuri Schools and the Battle of Okinawa, something of which I was completely unaware.

Back in Waikiki, we returned to Ala Moana Center Shopping Mall. What a big Mall. We visited a few shops, American icons such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, plus Maui Divers Jewelry. Remember I said everything’s bigger in America? Well, look at the size of these trousers!

Those big jeans are on a par with the 230 Big Things in Australia that we were talking about just a few days ago.

Another surprise was seeing one of Yayoi Kusama’s bronze polka dotted pumpkins out in the wild.

We were drawn into Two Palms looking for a dress for Leslie and, somehow, we ended up buying a shirt for me too. Plus some other odds and sods.

It was much quicker to pack on this occasion since we hadn’t fully unpacked for such a short visit.

I don’t do Trip Advisor, mainly because many of the reviews are fake or paid for. But if I were to write a review about one place, it might verge on the extremely negative.

Where to go for dinner tonight, our last one in Honolulu? We found a venue that looked appealing, drove up a ramp and realised that only valet parking was available. For the price of $5 plus gratuity. So we handed over the keys and walked down to the restaurant. ‘Sit down where you like and we’ll bring over the menu.’ We sat down and Liesel went to the bathroom. A server approached Leslie and me to apologise. ‘The kitchen is closed because we’re expecting a large party later of 250.’ Hmmm, I wish you’d told us before we had our car valet-parked at great expense. Oh, I’m ever so sorry. She signed the ticket, there was no way we were going to pay for a service we didn’t want in the first place, especially since now, we weren’t going to eat here. All they needed to do was have a sign at the bottom of the drive warning potential customers that the kitchen was closed. Annoying, yes. And very un-American, their customer service is usually very good. So, onto a different place. Where we had American sized sandwiches, full of salad and sprouts and, oh well, nasty American cheese. It was alright, though. So thank you, Liliha Bakery.

We returned the car to the airport, checked in and waited a couple of hours for our next flight. Honolulu Airport is a bit old and maybe could do with a spot of refurbishment, but there is one feature I like. Hidden in plain sight, as the website says, are the Cultural Gardens. Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese Gardens are underneath the departure gates and surprisingly peaceful, despite the roar of jet engines not too far away. It was dark when I visited, and there were very few other people wandering around.

Again, because the bookings had been made at different times, Leslie was sitting a few rows away from Liesel and myself. Another smooth take-off and pretty much on time. The flight was full, so I couldn’t lie down this time, hence I had zero sleep for the whole of the overnight flight. I did finish two books today, though, so that’s a result. I can recommend Joanne Harris’s Blueeyedboy. And I finally reached the end of Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, which I’ve been reading in fits and starts for several months. Fascinating but some of the concepts are hard to follow. Time for something lighter: back to Jeeves and Wooster.

Bye-bye Brookie

And lo, as our visit to Australia draws to a close, we are preparing to pack and to leave. We arrived with a case full of Hula Hoops and chocolate for Helen and friends, and we’re leaving with several bottles of wine. No less bulky, but much, much heavier.

In Manly, they were setting up for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We’d missed out on the event in Darwin five years ago, but wouldn’t it be great to show our support here, now? Yes, it would. But then we found out the truth.

4.25am? Sorry, I know getting up that early, just once, is nothing like the sacrifice thousands of people have made over so many years of conflict, but it was never going to happen.

Today, though, for the last time, the three of us had Manly massages. Helena was slightly more gentle today, as she didn’t want us to be in pain on our upcoming flight!

The library in Manly was very comfortable, and after writing for a while, I managed not to fall asleep. I had a quick coffee then set off for Warringah Mall. Meanwhile, Liesel had renewed the hire car for a couple more days. I think she likes the Toyota Corolla hybrid a wee bit too much. The Mazda at home better be looking over its shoulder…

The library in the Mall was very comfortable, and after writing for a while, I migrated to an armchair where I did nod off for a short while.

We received news from one of our secret sources. A client of Helen’s had said that four pelicans had been seen at North Harbour Reserve, so with a quick handbrake turn, we headed off in that direction. It’s a nice little reserve, a little park off the road that we’d passed by many times, but this was our first actual visit.

There were plenty of folks taking their dogs or their babies for a walk, but disappointingly, the pelicans were not to be seen.

In general, the weather here has been superb, so it’s hard to keep in mind that actually, it’s Autumn. But when you have to shuffle through this many fallen leaves, you remember what time of year it is.

The first thing I heard on ANZAC day wasn’t the bagpipes and the drums from a procession somewhere close by, it was Liesel asking whether I could hear the bagpipes and drums. Well, no, I couldn’t and please, let me get back to sleep.

Packing is a frustrating occupation, there are so many things that can’t be put in a case until the last minute. So we gave up for a bit, and went for a walk instead. Narrabeen Lagoon seemed like a good place to return to. Obviously, we didn’t completely circumnavigate the lagoon today, but along with a million other walkers, cyclists, joggers and more serious runners, scooterers and skaters, we enjoyed a short tramp along the path.

I was surprised there weren’t more boats out on the water: we saw a few kayaks and later on, one very loud motor boat which ruined the ambiance for everyone else. The black swans were well away from shore, and the closest bird we saw with wet feet was a lapwing. There were some diving birds too.

You wouldn’t believe me if I said that we saw a moose here today. So here is the proof:

Well, a bent coat-hanger in the shape of a moose isn’t really a moose, I suppose, but it made us laugh. Way up on the hill on this ANZAC day, it was good to see a house proudly displaying a huge Aussie flag.

Many people were having picnics and some were very well-equipped for the occasion. Some had placed table cloths on the picnic tables. A few were sitting on large blankets on the ground. And a couple had even erected tents for the occasion, which we thought was a bit OTT.

Back at home, Helen was preparing food, Liesel continued preparing food, I stayed out of the way. Jacqui arrived with cheese and crackers, and shortly afterwards, Brent joined us fresh from the gym.

Even though the creeping figs might be edible, they’re quite difficult to reach from Helen’s back yard. I suspect that, like the quinces we had in Chessington, this fruit will go un-eaten.

Cheese and crackers and a glass or six of wine, that’s a great way to pass the afternoon. And when that was all taken care of, a barbecue. The carnivores had sausages and ribs, while Helen and I had veggie burgers and we all shared a variety of delicious salads. Jacqui also brought caramel hedgehog slice as a dessert which, despite its name, was suitable for vegetarians.

I think we all enjoyed our time outside. Jacqui brought everything, including a game, Cornhole, which involved throwing beanbags into a hole from a distance of about 6 metres. Modesty prevents me from saying who was the champion today.

Several hours were passed imbibing wine, chatting and laughing. And I kept the phone in my pocket, so no pictures of us with Jacqui. Mick, you’re rubbish.

After Helen, Brent and Jacqui left, the rest of us went straight to bed and straight to sleep. Until I woke up, feeling refreshed and ready to go, but it was only 1am. It took a while to drift off again.

Our penultimate morning in Brookvale started with an unusual breakfast, as we have been using up the various cereals etc. Some more packing also took place.

After a break of several days, Liesel received a couple of work projects. We had a date in Manly, so we set off for the library there. There were many people working on laptops, so thank goodness there was a secret upper floor with additional workspace.

On the way to the library, I chortled at this juxtaposition of the word ‘chickens’.

One on the back of a mother-in-law and one on the back of a van. And as I walked by the driver, he asked why I was taking pictures of his van.

Maggie was a member of our baby-sitting circle in Chessington some decades ago, before moving to Australia. She now lives in the western suburbs of Sydney and today, she came all the way back to Manly, the town of her youth, to see us. I met her from the ferry and we had a coffee at Three Beans.

After joining Liesel and Leslie by Manly Beach, we went for a short walk before lunching back at Alice Dumpling: this was the place where we’d first met Brent, seven weeks ago, but it feels much more recent.

Sorry again, there is no photo of Maggie with or without us. Slapped wrist, Mick, you incompetent so-and-so.

As I accompanied Maggie back to the wharf, Liesel and Leslie indulged in a gelato. I succumbed to temptation, too, then stayed in Manly while they went off to Warringah Mall Library. After work, Helen joined me for a quick cuppa and a lovely chat.

Back at home, more serious packing took place, to the point that we were now weighing the packed bags. In the process, I discovered that I, too, have put on a few pounds weight since I’ve been here in Aus. Secretly, I’m hoping the scales are lying. It must be all the sunshine, can’t be anything to do with drinking more wine than I’ve ever drunk in my life before, or eating out far more often than we do at home.

While packing, our background music was provided by the band down the road at Brookvale Oval rehearsing the national anthems for the rugby game tonight. Liesel and I both tried to buy tickets for this game but failed for ridiculous reasons that come down to bad website design.

But why were they playing the UK national anthem as well as the Australian one? It’s a local game between Manly Sea Eagles and Parramatta Eels.

We picked Helen up and drove back to Manly. Saké is Helen’s and Brent’s favourite restaurant so we had another very nice, very tasty meal here tonight.

Sorry, but we realised later, that we didn’t get photos of the family, Helen, Brent, Mick, Liesel and Leslie, all together. Crikey Mick, you are such a loser.

But of course, I did take a few pictures of Manly in the dark.

When we returned home, of course we had to watch the rugby match on TV. We could hear the crowd from the Oval just down the road, and we realised that if we looked up at the TV as soon as we heard the roar of the crowd, we’d see the try being scored that they were cheering for. Hooray for 2- or 3-second delays in the broadcast!

The Eels were leading at half-time but the Sea Eagles won the match 32-18 after a tremendous second half comeback.

And so, one final breakfast with Helen at Big Cliff’s, no that’s not right… We returned to Little Collins for breakfast with Helen. I ate well last night at Saké so I had a relatively small meal. The Sun was out, waiting to wish us goodbye. All chores today, returning the car, and the final phase of packing, weighing, re-packing, a wonderful game of 3D Tetris.

Helen was kind enough to drive us to the airport and she is now spending the afternoon in the city with some friends. We checked in and passed through security with ease.

Somehow, this faffing about at an airport always seems so anticlimactic after such a wonderful, exciting, busy holiday. And welcoming a new young man into the family is a bonus, of course. Congratulations again, Helen and Brent, and thank you very much for letting us crash in what will very soon be your shared pad.

So here we are sitting in an airport departure lounge waiting to board our flight. But where are we going? What is our next destination? Tune in soon for the next exciting episode. I’m not sure what our internet connection will be like for the next few days, so appy polly loggies if there’s a delay. I have no idea why that phrase from A Clockwork Orange just popped into my head.

Spiders and birds

It’s a long walk up to North Head, so on this occasion, the three of us took the bus. Four years ago, this beauty spot was devastated by bush fires, and there are still signs of the destruction.

But the new growth is flourishing, although we were disappointed to not see big spiders’ webs like we did on our previous visit. Disappointed? Well, I was, but I think Liesel and Leslie were relieved.

The Pacific Ocean lay before us like the biggest blue table cloth you could imagine. There were a couple of boats, but other than that, its size just messed with your senses, and reminded me of John Wayne. While making a film, as a Roman soldier, he had to look up at the crucified body of Jesus and say, ‘Truly, this was the son of God’. The director said, ‘Give it some awe, John’. So he said, ‘Aw, truly this was the son of God’. I don’t know if that’s a true story or not, but the ocean, seen from our lookout, really did fill us with awe.

We took the shuttle bus down to Q Station, the old quarantine station, and had a look around the museum. It’s all fascinating stuff, but it must have been pretty grim having to wait here for several weeks with, or in case you caught, one of several nasty infectious diseases. A few people were having a good time on the beach. Four young teeny-weeny-bikini-clad girls, unencumbered with any kind of bag, came into the café, purchased, and walked away with soft drinks. Liesel posed the question: just where did they keep the credit card?

We’d thought about taking the ferry back, but the jetty is dangerous and out of bounds. Unless you’re a cormorant and you want to dry your wings out at the far end.

Back in Manly, we met Bambi and Gypsy for a coffee. But the coffee shops were closed and we ended up at the Steyne Hotel for a cocktail instead. Well, it’s five o’clock somewhere.

In the evening, Liesel and I joined Helen and Brent back at the Harbord Hotel for another night of Trivia. Just us four in the team, we did alright, but walked away without a prize. And tired Mom managed alright at home on her own for a couple of hours.

It was time for some self-care. Liesel and Leslie had pedicures. And the following day, we all had a massage. Graçias Helena, I don’t know how you do it, but to find the area of my back that occasionally causes discomfort, even when as today, it’s feeling pretty good, well that’s the sign of a great masseuse.

We walked through Manly and along to Shelly Beach. Many people were having a great time on the beach and in the water.

It was a crowded path today, and we arrived to be greeted by a large number of brush turkeys on Shelly Beach. Lunch time and we found a table inside. I watched a couple of turkeys have a chat outside. ‘Should we go in?’ ‘I was thinking about it.’ And a few seconds later, one of the turkeys did join us inside the Boathouse. And a few seconds after that, we heard and felt the first clap of thunder. After which, it started raining. Harder and harder. There was a magnificent flash of forked lightning in the clouds, after which, I spent ages trying to capture a lightning flash with the camera. The storm was right overhead, and we were glad to be inside. And of course, the place became more and more crowded as more and more damp people joined us. Not many more birds, though. In fact, there were more babies inside than the number of brush turkeys we’d seen outside.

Enjoyment of our lunch wasn’t affected, and we hung out longer that we would have normally, waiting for the rain to abate. I ordered a coffee which was very welcome. Then a second coffee was delivered to our table. That was unexpectedly welcome: I hope nobody missed out and that the staff just duplicated our order by mistake.

We walked back to Manly and witnessed another thunderstorm. Again, we found shelter just in time, under the canopies outside the shops. From this particular vantage point, we could see the rain bounce off the road seemingly right back up where it came from. Again, we saw a couple of lightning bolts, but not when my camera was pointing in the right direction.

As we walked to the bus stop, we had to cross a road which was totally inundated. I wanted to take a picture of the puddle. And when I raised my phone, I noticed the cars splashing through the water slowed down a bit. Maybe the drivers thought I was taking a picture of their slightly antisocial behaviour.

Back at Helen’s, Liesel prepared a meal from an EveryPlate kit. Helen joined us after work and even though the meal kit was supposed to serve four people, we had leftovers. Of course we did! We opened a bottle of wine to have with our meal. This is unusual for us, but we don’t really want to lug 13 bottles of wine around with us.

We’ve been pretty busy so we thought we’d have a more relaxed day. Liesel took Mom on an errand so I took myself off to the library where I joined quite a few other people, ancient and modern, studying, writing or just reading the newspaper.

When it was time for a coffee, I wandered around the Mall for a bit. I’m used to shops at home not selling what their names would suggest, but I thought that was just a British phenomenon. You can’t buy footwear in Boots, for instance. The Body Shop never sold corpses. And, to my embarrassment, White Stuff doesn’t deal in cocaine.

So here I was in Warringah Mall and I remembered seeing school boys over the last few days taking their fishing equipment on buses. I thought maybe I should have a go at this angling malarkey, but I needed to buy some gear. I found just the shop.

Nope. There were no fishing rods here and the assistant was quite offended when I suggested I might take up shooting instead. No guns here either. Well, if I can’t hunt wildlife, maybe I can buy some.

That’s the place for me. Turns out they don’t sell playpuses nor any other kind of wild Australian animal. This was getting a bit frustrating. A stiff drink is in order, I said to myself. And just over the way, the ideal bar.

Again, disappointment greeted me inside. Yet another shop out to confuse shoppers. Not a drop of whisky to be seen here, although I suspect the manager has a secret stash in their filing cabinet. Not wanting to walk home nor catch the bus, I decided to purchase a vehicle.

You’re ahead of me, aren’t you? I couldn’t buy any kind of motorised transport here. Instead, they tried to palm me off with a pair of shoes. I’d already decided not to walk home, and I was happy with my current footwear, thank you very much.

The weather took a turn for the worse. After the thunderstorms, the weather had cleared up. Again reader, it rained. We walked over to the car rental place to collect our final car this trip. We stayed dry, but once the heavens opened, it didn’t really stop for the rest of the day. We drove over to Forestville to do some shopping. It made a pleasant change shopping at a branch of Coles other than in Warringah Mall. No, not really, they’re all pretty much the same.,

We found a great little Greek café for a coffee. I translated most the Greek signs, but had to resort to Google Translate in the end. The waiter was totally unimpressed by my ‘Ευχαριστώ πολύ!’ Well, I tried. Oh, and it was very nice coffee here at Forest Brunch Bar, if you’re in the area.

We do like visitors, but imagine our surprise when we saw this one first thing in the morning.

It’s a bit bigger than the spiders we see at home. Leslie’s face told a horror story when she was introduced to it.

And, as if this specimen wasn’t enough, we found another one on its web, with one strong thread attached to the barbecue cover. That might cause a problem later in the day.

The rain had reluctantly eased off overnight, and Freshwater Beach called us over for a quick walk.

Freshwater Beach with North Head in the background

It was hilly. We walked round in a big loop, stopping for a coffee and buying bread at Mrs Jones the Baker.

I think Hawaii might have something to say about that final claim

Freshwater View Reserve sounds appealing. It’s up the hill, and would offer specatcular views of the ocean, right? Well, it’s a very small park. There are benches, but if you sit down, your view is obscured by big bushes. It might be someone’s idea of a joke: maybe a local councillor designed this place on his final day in office.

We admired the local flora. Here is the lovely Liesel, wearing blue, modelling someone’s overgrown cactus.

We felt the need to walk a little further, so we paid a return visit to Long Reef, the venue for one of our first wanders when we arrived, all those weeks ago.

At the bottom of the boat ramp, there was a flock of seagulls, not to be confused with the 1980s new wave band of that name. And in amongst these pesky chip-stealing birds, we spotted the pelican trying to look inconspicuous.

On the golf course, Liesel noticed someone’s golf cart running away with itself. Somehow, it knew where to stop. The player caught up, selected a club, and hit the ball again. Then sent the cart off on its own to the next rendezvous. I thought half the fun of playing golf was pulling your own cart around.

We walked up to the lookout point, looked out, oohed and ahhed, and walked back down the slope.

On the road home, we passed by several cars and vans, parked up and all for sale. I don’t know which kind of vehicle was on sale for $44.50, but I’m sure it was a bargain. Or a pricing error.

We arrived home a little later than planned, Helen was in already, and Leslie, whom we’d left behind (her choice, we didn’t just forget her like David Cameron did his daughter in the pub that time) was happy to have us all back.

Helen removed the barbecue cover without upsetting the spider, so that’s a relief. We were joined by Helen and Dan with their children Asher and Fern. I’d met them before, briefly, at Nat and Rob’s.

Young children are great, but not so good at remembering not to double-dip their food in the hummus! We enjoyed some bubbles and we opened another bottle of wine from one of the vineyards we’d visited in the Hunter Valley.

Helen, Dan holding Fern, Asher and our Helen

It was a most enjoyable afternoon, eating too much and drinking too much and yakking and playing with the very entertaining children. I think only three glasses of wine were spilled, but I may have lost count. Good job we were sitting outside. Again, we all commented on how quickly it gets dark when the Sun sets at about 6pm.

Orange to Coonabarabran

We woke up and, given the recent weather conditions, we actually paid attention to the local news. There are over a hundred flood warnings in the Sydney suburbs and beyond. Of particular interest to us was the news that people living in the low-lying areas around Narrabeen Lagoon have been told to evacuate.

We had a most enjoyable walk around the lagoon just over a week ago. One of the flats in Helen’s block flooded too, but we don’t know whether rain came in through an open window or water entered in some other way. Luckily, Helen had been home and closed all her own windows. Annoyingly, the new cover for her garden furniture wasn’t totally waterproof: at least one of the cushions is totally saturated. Plus, Helen had to drive through inches of flood water to drive away from Brent’s place in the morning. I know we’ve complained a lot about all that rain, but at least we haven’t been directly affected by flooding.

Here in Orange, the rain stopped overnight and we drove to Mount Canobolas for the view. Well, high up, we were again basically in a big cloud. We didn’t see much. But we did read a very sad folk tale which I committed to memory. The phone’s memory, that is.

So back down the mountain we went, to Lake Canobolas. Which is dammed at one end and leaking slightly. I think that’s the technical term.

We started to walk around the lake, and after checking that the path did indeed go all the way round, we enjoyed completing the circuit. Not the most exciting specimen, I know, but it was interesting to see grubs nearly as big as our feet. I wonder what they will eventually metamorphose into? In any case, we decided this would not be dinner.

The Molong Creek feeds the lake, and it was one of the places at risk of flooding higher up towards its source, and that might have affected our route choice in the next couple of days. In the end, there was no such issue for us. Just as there was no problem crossing the bridge here.

There was some birdlife on the lake, a few coots and ducks, plus a pair of herons way over there on an island. There must have been fish too, we passed a small group of anglers.

From the café, we bought coffee to take away with us. And I noticed again that some places, on Sundays and bank holidays, add a 10 or 15% surcharge to their prices. I always think, that’s alright as long as the actual workers reap the benefit. And it seems they do: at one place last week, the staff member said she was working for double pay that day, so, fair enough.

Helen had taken us to Heifer Station Wines a few years ago and, having had our wine-tasting appetites whetted last week, we thought we’d pay a return visit taking Leslie too. We arrived and were seated at a high bar table and over the next hour, we sampled six wines accompanied by a cheese platter. And yes, we did buy a couple of bottles to take away.

To me, it’s either white or red wine, with or without bubbles. But when you can compare similar wines, you can see they’re a very slightly different colour. And both very gentle on the palate. “Not just a shiraz, but a sexy one. This wine displays a real elegance of how shiraz thrives in a cool climate. Abundant pepper fills the nose A complex amalgum of plum, blackberry and graphite spice fill the palate. Some leafy herb & black olive underpin the black currant and blackberry fruit characters. A soft texture and a plentiful palate, make this a Heifer Station favourite.” I told our host that I just can’t smell all the different components listed in the blurb. He said he can’t either, but then he’d broken his nose three times playing rugby. I don’t have that excuse, mainly because I’m too much of a wimp to play rugby. Actually, it was never an option at my school, so we’ll never really know.

I had a quick wander outside, to see the various animals on the property: bulls, Berkshire pigs, a tiny pony, a Boer goat and some things labelled Highland cattle, but they really weren’t.

The vines are a bit sparse because the grapes were harvested a bit earlier than usual this year, thanks ultimately to climate change.

As we were leaving, we noticed a rainbow and that seemed a suitable end to the proceedings. But what else could we do today? Well, it’s cleared up a lot, so let’s go back to Mount Canobolas, we might see some kangaroos. We didn’t, but it was much more interesting at the top, we could see clearly, now the rain had gone.

Let’s go back to Lake Canobolas, we might see some kangaroos. No, of course we didn’t. But I did enjoy watching a lapwing at the now closed café rifling through some flyers in a box on the counter, as if he was looking for something. Maybe in his real world, he finds insects or something between layers of bark.

We got an Indian takeaway from a place recommended by Helen but of course we bought too much food. It was good though.

After a meh night’s sleep, Liesel and Mom went shopping while I ate breakfast, finished packing, tidied up a bit and put the rubbish out. It was time to move on: destination Dubbo Zoo. I also checked one more time that no flood warnings would affect us.

Driving towards Dubbo took us through a weird portal in time.

Not only did we pass this 1950s Hillman Minx, we also encountered a 1950s Ford Mainline ute. And later on, along the road, several more really old cars. Some weren’t going anywhere, being now largely comprised of rust, but there must be a lot of fans of ancient automobiles in this area, in and around Molong.

We saw plenty of cattle, sheep, horses and even llamas in fields by the road, but despite our best efforts, not a single kangaroo nor wallaby. Leslie is beginning to think these creatures are fictional, like fairies and decent politicians.

We passed through Wellington without feeling the need to stop. Not as exciting as New Zealand’s capital city, of course. But we did stop in Geurie and I am grateful that at no time did I have to pronounce this placename.

Leslie opted for a can of Coke while Liesel and I chose a coffee milkshake. The coffee shop was also the town’s supermarket and post office. We were both amazed at the size of the milkshakes, they were huge. And, as a special treat today, they gave us plastic straws: take that, eco-warriors.

I wasn’t quick enough to take a picture of the blue tree that stood alone in the middle of a field. Somewhere north of Geurie and west of the A32, if you want to seek it out.

We arrived at Dubbo Zoo, also known as Taronga Western Plains Zoo, at about 12.30. And what a pleasant day for a walk. For a while, we were just ahead of the truck transporting keepers and food, so that as we approached the various compounds, the animals walked towards us. As I said to Leslie, this was great, I’ve already got many photos of animals’ backsides.

Some animals were hiding of course, we didn’t see the cheetahs nor the lions. But we did go back in time again, witnessing three World War 2 planes flying over us in formation.

We sat and watched this elephant for quite a long time, waiting for him to either fall or dive into the water. He came close, but stayed dry.

I had a mediocre sandwich for lunch. It was so bad, that it fell out of its packet onto the floor. The staff tried not to laugh as they replaced it. Liesel had a so-so cheese and ham croissant.

Soon after setting off for the second half of our walk, Leslie spotted a kangaroo. Hooray! A real one, just munching on grass, minding its own beeswax. And, it wasn’t a guest of the zoo, but a wild one chancing its arm.

Leslie was in some discomfort, so we took several shortcuts back to the car. We decided we can catch up with the rest of the inmates tomorrow. Yes, a second day at the zoo, because we are staying here for one night, in one of the Savannah Cabins.

From our cabin, you can see giraffes and rhinos in the distance, and we kicked ourselves for not bringing binoculars. After a cup of tea, I went for a walk to see if I could get significantly closer. No. But I did see some mushrooms growing. Yes, mushrooms. And I did see a few ant hills. Well, to be honest, I’m a prat and I was wearing sandals so I felt the ants first, before seeing them. About a hundred million billion all running around passing on news about Mick’s foot being very tasty.

One small section of a huge ant community

There are signs warning us of the presence of snakes too. Needless to say, I stayed on the path and stomped to let them know I was coming. Maybe I stomped in the wrong place, and that’s what upset the ants.

On the way in to Savannah Gardens, we’d seen signs telling us to watch out for kangaroos. Did we see any here? No. But I did see evidence in the form of foot prints on the path. The Sun set very quickly, so plans to eat outside were abandoned. Dinner was leftovers from last night’s Indian takeaway. Thank goodness our cabin had a microwave.

Leslie washed the dishes and then joined Liesel and me in the sitting area. Suddenly, “What’s that? Is it a cockroach?” yelled Leslie. There was indeed a large bug running across the floorboards. But not a cockroach. I was torn between trying to take its picture for later identification and just getting rid of it. I opted for the latter. So I opened the screen door, you know, the mesh one that lets fresh air in but keeps mosquitoes out. As soon as the door opened, a gigantic moth flew in. I don’t think I screamed, but the other two did. Now, I had two beasties to deal with. The long but fast thing on the floor stopped moving for a moment, so I picked it up as gently as I could with a sheet of kitchen paper and chucked the whole package outside. Reader: it wriggled in my fingers. Looking it up later, I think it was a Lord Howe Island stick insect or something like that. Now, just the giant moth to deal with. I noticed Liesel was sitting on the back of the sofa with her feet well off the ground. The moth settled, I took its picture, then encouraged it to walk onto a piece of card which made releasing it into the outside world easy. It kept coming back though, knocking at the mesh.

I know we’re staying at the zoo for the night, but having the wildlife move in with us wasn’t part of the deal. As the evening wore on, the noise from outside became louder as insects, frogs, birds and others all started talking to each other: clicks, chirrups, stridulation and crepitation. And, at some point in the middle of the night, I heard a cuckoo. Or something mimicking a cuckoo.

In the morning, I realised we’d been under supervision all night.

On the second day at the zoo, we decided to drive round, and just walk the shorter distances to see some animals that we’d missed yesterday. But they weren’t all cooperating. The hippos stayed well back and they definitely weren’t pooping and rotating their propellor-like tails, something that Liesel particularly wanted to show her Mom, for some reason.

There was supposed to be a keeper giving a talk about the hippos, but that didn’t happen either. The elephant continued to walk around and play near the pool, but he didn’t bother going for a dip. And the cheetahs too were visible, yes, but right at the back of their compound, pacing up and down rather than running at 70 mph as advertised.

It’s probably not fair to have favourites, but I did feel a bit sorry for the one-horned rhino. Maybe he just doesn’t like people, but his enclodure was totally surrounded by grass matting, with small windows for us to peep through.

I told Liesel his name was Neil: Rhino Neil.

Along the path a bit, it was really the otters we’d come to see, specifically, small-clawed otters. By luck, we arrived at feeding time, and the three otters knew it. As the hour approached, they became more and more active. Moreso when the keeper arrived. And really excited when she tossed bits of fish over the glass into their pond.

One came up really close, and I told Lesel his name was Small-Clawed van Damme.

We all wanted to visit the Australia section today since we’d missed out yesterday. We saw koalas way up in the trees, very hard to spot them, so we’re grateful to the bloke who pointed them out.

Underneath us, we enjoyed seeing a pair of quokkas eating.

We could tick wallabies off the list, but not the echidna. In Lion Pride Lands, we saw a cub with his mother, soaking up the Sun.

As a snack, Liesel and I consumed a whole bag of crisps leading up to lunchtime. But, since there was nothing appealing at the café, we just had an ice cream. Crisps and ice cream, a fully balanced diet. Fellow diners included numerous ibises plus this very attractive, colourful bananabird.

After the zoo, it was time once again to set off for a long two-hour drive. Destination: Coonabarabran, the astronomical capital of Australia. It was fascinating to see how densely the trees grew in some areas, and then empty fields here and there. It was a long, straight road, with very few inhabitants. It might have been bin day as we passed a wheelie bin every few kilometres.

We saw very little traffic so of course whenever two cars passed close together in the opposite direction, we compared it with Piccadilly Circus.

Just before Coona, as the locals call it, we passed a big model of Saturn by the side of the road. And then, having passed through the town on the road to our final destination, we passed by a big Jupiter. Not as big as the real one, obviously.

Mark and Wendy met us at the gates of Dark Sky Eco Resort. We were staying here in one of two lodges and by the time we arrived, Helen and Brent had already settled in.

This is a 100% off grid facility with all sustainable practices. Modern facility amenities and Starlink internet connectivity. There are emus and with a bit of luck, really clear skies.

After dinner, we spent some time outside acquainting ourselves with the dark sky. Some things were easy to identify, including the milky way and the Large Magellanic Cloud, Orion and Sirius and the Southern Cross. Other stars were hard to identify because there were so many of them. The first picture I took with my phone was a dud. The second one really surprised me.

Other photos are ok, but the phone was sitting on a chair, on a wooden boardwalk, on which we were all walking. The field of view is identifiable, but there was just a bit too much camera shake.

Plus, and I didn’t realise this at the time, the noises emanating from the emus, the grunts and deep, thumping booming notes also cause vibrations in the ground. I tried recording their sounds, but I don’t think my phone’s microphone is good with such low frequencies.

And with all the lights out in the lodge at the end of the day, I think this is one of the darkest places I’ve ever been, away from the depths of an old coalmine when they turned the lights off that day. And even though we heard emus and other noctural animals on and off, I think we had a good night’s sleep.

Over in America, Martha was celebrating her 8th birthday in style, sight-seeing in New York, consuming at least two birthday cakes, waffles for breakfast and pizza, and you know what American portion sizes are like in restaurants: huge.

It was the day of the Solar Eclipse too, which Martha and William and their parents viewed from somewhere near Niagara Falls.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy so the full glory of the eclipse was lost, but this is Liam’s best picture.

There’s only one thing for it: find out when and where the next total eclipse is, and go!

Blue and Orange

Well there I was enjoying a bowl of cereal for breakfast when Liesel asked “Whose wine glass is this?” It was mine, from the previous night. We’d opened one of our newly purchased bottles to drink with dinner. A nice shiraz, if you must know. Anyway, somehow, I hadn’t finished my glass last night. But I did now. Never had wine for breakfast before. It was very nice, very tasty, but I won’t be making a habit of it.

Liesel had in fact been out of the house already. She collected our next rental car. It’s a hybrid, petrol and electric, so we’ll see how we get on with that over the next week or so.

Helen came by with a new cover for her garden sofa and chairs. I noticed that our visitor from last night had disappeared. Uh?

A very colourful and chunky moth sat with us for a while last night: as you can see, there is actual photographic evidence, it wasn’t a figment of our wine-infected imaginations.

We all three (me, Liesel, Leslie) packed for our road trip, during which we anticipate the weather will be a bit cooler.

The drive out of Sydney was uneventful. After a bit of a struggle I got my phone to connect with the car’s system, so we can at least hear on decent speakers our own music and our gorgeous Aussie Google Maps girl who usually gives us the correct instructions in a timely manner. Usually.

Our first stop was Mountain Bells Café in Bilpin. Over the road is Bilpin Fruit Bowl and down the road a bit is Hillbilly Cider Shed.

In Mountain Bells, we sampled a couple of non-alcoholic ciders and bought an apple pie for Ron. Later on. We continued our journey after being suitably hillbillified, as per the instructions on the label: the cider was great so we bought some. This whole area is famous for its orchards, but we didn’t stop for the purpose of scrumping, honest, officer.

The next port of call was at Mount Tomah, The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. Liesel and I have been here before but not for a very long time. The three of us enjoyed a leisurely stroll, yes, and I include the steps and undulations in this.

Botanic Garden, so flowers and trees. But I was especially interested in the equatorial sundial, which I don’t think was telling the right time, even allowing for daylight saving and the equation of time. Maybe somebody nudged it.

Here we are in the Blue Mountains and the first time you see the view, you can’t help but gasp. The lansdscape is stunning, you can see for miles, another reminder of how small and insignificant we humans are.

This tree has a tale to tell. “This genus was known only from fossils up to 100 million years old until a living species was discovered in a remote part of the Sechuan province of China in 1941.” A living fossil!

One of the gardeners pointed out a possum that we’d missed, hiding quite high up in a tree.

He also warned us about the drops bears, but I didn’t expect any problems there. On the road, we’d already been looking out for koalas since seeing the first warning sign.

Even though it’s Autumn here, the narcissuses or narcissi were out in force, usually a Spring flower back at home. We saw a pair of crimson rosellas in a tree. Whether they were a married couple or not, we couldn’t say.

In the visitors’ centre, I was tempted to buy a golf umbrella. Not because I’m a big fan of such things, or even golf, and not because I felt the need to protect myself from the Sun. No, it was the colour. I knew it would perfectly match an old t-shirt that I am not allowed to wear.

It was a fun day, all those years ago, climbing the stairs in London’s Telecom Tower, but the commemorative t-shirt is 100% polyester and I’ve only worn it a couple of times. I wonder which Australian charity shop will have the pleasure of not selling it for forty years before throwing it away?

I was pleased to see a few bees and colourful butterflies going about their business.

We continued our drive along the strangely named Bells Line of Road to Evans Lookout.

A stunning view and just look at the sky. And remember it!

It took a while to unload the car at our Airbnb in Katoomba: we had to climb stairs outside to reach the front door, and then down the stairs to the kitchen and living room. The kitchen tap is just as unusual: you push it down to turn the water on. And if, out of habit, you push the tap down to turn it off, you can spray the water quite a long way.

During the night, we heard the rain. It rained a lot. We were looking forward to a longer walk in the area and it looked like it was going to be wet underfoot. The rain was very loud on the old tin roof. I rolled over and went back to sleep a couple of times!

I took ages to drag myself out of bed. I was waiting for the rumble of the rain on the roof to retreat, but it never did. Not only was it raining, it was foggy, we couldn’t even see the end of the garden sometimes. It was a lazy day, ideal for watching movies on TV. Liesel and Leslie watched five altogether, I just watched just one whole one. And the gasfire was turned on. Such a rotten day, I’ll say no more about it.

In happier news, Jenny and Liam have taken Martha and William to New York for a few days. To celebrate Martha’s upcoming birthday, they’re hoping to witness the total eclipse of the Sun. So we all hope they have clearer skies than ours are right now.

The rain kept on coming all night, and we had to be up early to check out of the b&b. Liesel loaded the car in the rain.

Lots of rain, then, so fast rivers run down the road, not just little trickles and rivulets. Somehow all this water disappears into the drainage system. There are large holes under the kerbs, big enough to swallow you if you’re not careful, not the dainty little drain covers that we get in England that so easily get clogged with leaves and litter.

Despite the rain (have I mentioned the rain that so far had fallen for over 36 hours continuously?), Liesel was quite happy to drive us around the sights. We didn’t expect to see much, so we weren’t too disappointed.

If you’re in the area and you have a toilet emergency or you would just like a cup of coffee, please visit Roasters with Altitude on Evans Lookout Road. The lady there, a former police officer, is very kind. Her husband is a doctor whose oldest patient is currently 107 years old, so he’s obviously doing a good job of doctoring. We had reason to pull in and seek assistance, and we couldn’t have stopped at a better, more welcoming venue. There aren’t many tips for visitors in this blog, but this is a serious recommendation: Roasters with Altitude on Evans Lookout Road. Five star service and coffee.

We’d visited Evans Lookout a couple of days ago, and given the weather conditions now, we didn’t go back. Instead, we drove to Magalong Valley Tearooms for breakfast. This too is a great place, the three of us all had different meals. Anything wrong with the place? Well, it’s hard to decide what was more annoying, a few flies buzzing around or the group of loud Americans over there led by a very loud American. On the plus side, the tearooms do use harvested stormwater to flush the toilets. Yep: stormwater, not rainwater!

The road was winding and we saw a few waterfalls in passing.

We blinked in disbelief as the day seemed to brighten up slightly, and we realised the rain had eased off a bit.

A little excitement was had too when we had to wait at a level crossing for train to pass. It was probably the train we’d have been on if we’d visited the Blue Mountains in that manner. As indeed we did once, many years ago.

Compared with the random roadside cascade mentioned above, Katoomba Waterfall was a bit disappointing. It wasn’t at its best of course, as we had to view it through the fog, mist and haze.

Close by is Solitary Lookout. All we could see was the tops of a few trees with a background of infinite whiteness.

Was it worth visiting the Three Sisters? Why not, we had nothing else to do.

This is what we should have seen:

This is what we actually saw:

As the local tour guide said to her group: “Not everybody gets to see the Blue Mountains like this.”

Again, as on previous trips, Liesel and I had thought about visiting Jenolan Caves. But the weather put us off. And just as well, because access to the caves was restricted because of the rain and flooding.

It’s Autumn here but there aren’t many trees displaying Autumn colours in the same way as we’re used to in Europe and Amerca. But there is the odd flash of yellow foliage.

This is in contrast to the dead trees and others that have obviously suffered from a bush fire in the last few years. Burnt, black trunks, yes, but the trees are flouhing.

We drove straight through Lithgow which has a full set of American franchises, McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks and 7 Eleven. We think it’s sad and disappointing that there are no Aussie chains that are just as ubiquitous here.

In Bathurst, we saw a large flock of cockatoos flying around and eventually settling in a tree. If we hadn’t seen the birds in flight, we might easily have thought the tree was in blossom very late in the year.

In a nod to ancient Australian history, we passed three correctional facilities on the drive to Orange.

We passed through Lucknow, seeing what we think are the remains of old gold workings. But not so lucky for us: we didn’t see a coffee shop at which to stop for a break.

By the time we arrived at our lodgings in Orange, the rain has eased off significantly. And while it was good to see there weren’t steps to climb, we had to carry the bags in from the car by stepping over a very large puddle!

In Orange, we did some shopping, hooray! Leslie acquired a new raincoat and a new book to read. Liesel purchased some rice wine vinegar for tonight’s meal. I had a very enjoyable but hard massage in an endeavour to put my back bones back in the right order. I then walked home, arriving just in time before it started raining again.

We had considered visiting the local museum but we feared we might suffer from over-excitement.

Yes, the item they seem particularly proud of is this little memento, marking the occasion in 1967 when Orange had its first set of traffic lights installed. A big day in any town’s history, of course, along with the first roundabout and the first multi-storey car park.

Liesel and Leslie put supper together, spicy peanut butter tofu and broccoli tacos. V n v t. And as we hit the sack, we once again noticed the rain drumming and thrumming on the old tin roof. It was supposed to stop by the morning…