WWTC 70 YEAR CELEBRATIONS

 Marion and Sue at a quiet BBQ on Thursday evening. Wagga Beach Caravan Park was an ideal choice.

 Janice and Bernie busy with the cooking.

 Catch up yarns with Lucie and Suzi while the blokes do the cooking! 

 Tucker looks pretty good for Fay and Grahame.

 Graeme O'B explains how it actually was back in 1964.

 Doug's too busy eating to waste time on photos.

 Fay and Suzi enjoying the afternoon sun. 

 Here's one of the generals! Our Marion. 

 Judy got into the singing too. 

Jan, Janice and Lucie after some lunch on Saturday. 

iii

Also there were Wrights, Lamberts, Gra/Margaret Brown

and Barry/Annette Lawrence. Of course there were a 

bunch of 1964-65 folk too. 

WILDLIFE ROUND HERE

We are so fortunate here on the lovely south coast of New South Wales when it comes to wildlife. There are heaps of kangaroos which the tourists really love. There are echidnas, wombats and possums. And then there's the bird life. Let's start with the black swans, followed by the rosellas, lorikeets, magpies, king parrots, kookaburras and more. But never fear - there are snakes here too in Australia. We have quite a few carpet snakes or pythons. Yesterday, Fay was doing some gardening when she dislodged one from his/her resting spot. He then headed along the grass, not worrying about Fay, and then headed up onto the roof. Clever fella. Here are a couple of photos Fay took which will help you get the message.

What a clever little fella eh? Carpet snakes eat vermin and aren't a threat to any of us, but they do panic the tourists a bit. 

If the carpet snakes get the chance they will eat one of our pretty parrots. That's life I guess. 

HALLIDAYS POINT near TAREE

 My Dad, Jack Keast, was treasurer at the Hallidays Point Bowling Club for a bunch of years - I think 1979-1991. They put his name on the honour board and also named a green after him.

We called in there recently and had a feed and bought a drink. And took some photos. We're very proud of JCK and his contribution in so many ways, including what he gave to his family in so many ways. It's great when you meet somebody who knew him back in the 1980's and speaks so highly of your Dad. That's special.

It sure is a lovely club - known as Blackhead Bowling Club. The surf life saving club is also called the Blackhead S.L.S.C. So the place has 2 names - Hallidays Point and Blackhead.

 Beach is great and so too are the baths on the southern end of the beach. It was pretty lonely the day we were there, even though the weather was fine.

Thanks Jack. Top bloke.

HOW TO MAKE AN OLD BLOKE HAPPY

 It doesn't really take much to make an old bloke happy. 

If one of his grandkids smiles... well, that about does it! 

Even this two year old smiles occasionally. 

BUT, don't take her to the park and expect smiles!  

She is 2. 

 This bloke has been renamed (by me) Mr Happy! He's not 

always this happy, but take him for a ride on the skytrain

at Katoomba and this is what will most likely happen! 

He is 3. 

She asked me to take this photo. Then she turned the other cheek

 and I had to photograph that also. Doesn't look it, but she is quite 

strong-willed. I thought my own kids were a handful! Good luck!

She is JUST 4.

Why wouldn't he be happy? With his hat (one of a couple he 

wore over the weekend), and riding a horse! He had a good 

time playing with his cousins. He seemed to enjoy the outdoors - 

something this grandfather is keen to encourage.  How blessed

do I feel with these critters! And I have three older ones too! 

He is 5. 

MURRAY RIVER ESCAPADES

 This is where the Murray River flows out to the sea - The Southern Ocean. We took a trip in the Spirit of the Coorong boat to the mouth.

 There are locks / barrages put in place to keep fresh water one side and salt water the other side.

 The bird life here is absolutely fantastic. Extremely plentiful. And picturesque.

 Obviously there are plenty of fish around the mouth of the river. This is quite near the river mouth.

 The Murray River is supposedly the third longest navigable river in the world after the Amazon and the Nile. 2,520 km. It goes through 3 states - NSW, Vic and South Aust. The Murray is the mecca for golfers with 37 golf courses along its banks. Pretty good for paddlers too!

 Here's the Spirit of the Coorong. A great ride. We even had a short excursion on the land and walked across to the Southern Ocean (see below).

 We followed the Murray upstream for quite a ways. It was great camping beside the river. At Mannum (in South Aust) we camped by the river for a few days. Very pleasant days there.

There were more houseboats than you could poke a stick at. Simple ones, flash ones, ones for 4 or 6 people and ones for 10 or 12 people. I think I've got the urge. I feel like Toad of Toad Hall. Want to join us?

WOMEN - FROM A BLOKE’S PERSPECTIVE

 hhh

I have developed a greater appreciation of women. “About time!” I hear 
somebody say. 

 jjjj

Blokes are handy. Blokes are necessary. It’s good to have blokes around 
and I’ve got some blokes who are really good mates. Like my mate Bill  is a pretty good bloke. BUT, women are pretty ....essential too!

 Yeah, I think “essential” is the word I’m looking for, except that that 
doesn’t really explain what I’m trying to say. In the last little while I've

 really noticed some of the female of the species and how they are so 
good at doing stuff!

jjjj

Take my daughter Deb for example. She has four young kids, holds 
down a part-time job as an engineer, has church duties including 
music area, married to an Anglican minister, competes in triathlons 
and also has a role to play in cleaning house, cooking meals, doing 
washing etc. (Emphasis on etc.)

She is excellent at interacting with other friends, supporting people in 
need whether they be friends, rels or even folk she hasn't met yet. 

What’s she done lately? She played with (entertained) two three year olds 
in a pool on the weekend - one of them being her own. I hung her washing 
out one day - washing for two adults and four young kids. Strike! It goes on
and on!

 ggggg

Marg has a very caring generous nature. She has no kids of her own. 

 

She buys heaps of gifts for her great nephews and nieces. On the 
weekend she even played with them as they learnt to spin a yo-yo or 
were checking out a book on magic etc. She even buys stuff for her
own nephews, nieces and relatives. 
hhhh

A young mother Bec was thinking of the children who were going to be 
at the pool party. She brought them all a bunch of bubble blowers!

What a great idea. The kids all had a ball blowing soapy bubbles. 

Simple! Effective!

I'll add to this in a week or so. There are plenty more examples.

A GOOD START in NEW YEAR

Manual for Living

What a great way to start the new year - reading the Bible - 
God's Word. Here's the first 19 verses of Proverbs. 
There are 31 chapters - yep, you could read it easily in a month. 

1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, 
Israel’s king— Written down so we’ll know how to live 
well and right,  to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people 
a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, 
 still a thing or two for the experienced to learn— 
 Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, 
 the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Start with God

7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing 
down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; 
 never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on 
your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,  
don’t go along with them. If they say—“Let’s go out and 
raise some hell.  
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean and get them ready for their funerals.

We’ll load up on top-quality loot. We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life! With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look; don’t listen to them 
for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they 
lay hands on. Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching,  
Yet that’s what these people are doing— they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens: 
 the more you get, the less you are.