The Never Ending Birthday

We had another celebration over the weekend to celebrate my three score years and ten.  The Inchleys were down from Sydney for the occasion and the weather Gods were finally doing their job as we headed for the De Bortoli Winery. The Yarra Valley was picture perfect.

Lunch kicked off well with great service and excellent food.

To add to the entertainment, the Inchleys were trying to purchase a house at auction in Sydney at the precise time that the mains were supposed to be served.  The staff were very accommodating and Graeme sweated it out on the phone buying his house for less than expected just before the mains were delivered to the table.  A VERY satisfactory result.

 We were all in a state of excitement for the rest of the meal.

Following a wonderful meal we called in at the Chocolatier in Yarra Glen.  We did not think we had had a lot of wine at lunch but the animals around the Chocolatier looked a little different.

Then it was back home for a lazy afternoon and home made pizzas for dinner.

A great day with great friends and a great way to formalise my entry into the ranks of the senior citizenry.

A Slow Saturday Evening

We have just seen North Melbourne climb all over Sydney and now the kids are in bed and so we have the fire and a book.  You know you are getting on a bit when this is the ideal Saturday night!

Swinging Sixty to Senile Seventy

Claire organised a wonderful dinner to formalise my entry into the Seventies.  Fedele's has been a bit of a favourite for a while and last night it maintained it's reputation.

It was not exactly over run with customers but we got the usual efficient, friendly and discrete service and great food we have come to expect there.

City Visit

As I have managed to survive to an age of super senior citizenry, it seemed appropriate that the celebration of this extended longevity should take place in the Melbourne Museum. I felt right at home.

While the Museum building is interesting, the star of the precinct is the Exhibition Building. All the restoration work has paid off so we have a magnificent reminder of times past.

The Boys Are Back In Town

Bushy came down a few days ago and today Justin was pleased to catch up with Morgan and Drew who arrived for a visit today.

Another Year Passes.

Well - the cake says it all.  Another year down and a milestone reached.  I find it hard to believe! Kate and Adam hosted a wonderful lunch of slow cooked pulled lamb shoulder and some delicious salads. Adam took on the production of some spicy snags on one of his favourite toys, the Weber.

It was a chance to have photos taken with the important people in my life.

We managed to consume far too many slices and cake provided by all the family chefs and I just had the energy left to extinguish the candles.

I got a little over excited at the prospect of a B&B in Healesville that was presented to me.  I think we will thoroughly enjoy that little break. 

Picnic In the Park

It was the first warm spring day so a Picnic in the Park was in order.

Bushy, Ian, Kate and Ashleigh were down to visit Justin and the kids could get outdoors for a while -

 or they could just hang around.

We made quite a crowd.

Justin was particularly pleased to see his mates again.

 More Photos of the day can be seen by

Clicking on this Link

Big Win for the Celtics

James' team was in the Grand Final today.  The boys appeared relaxed about the event but Adam was a mess.

The opposition had a few tall boys in the team and the scores were neck and neck up to half time.  Following the break, the tactics of the Celtics seemed to disrupt the flow of the game for the opposition and they only scored 2 points early in the second half and the Celtics ran home easy winners 36 to 13.

It was a dominating performance to bring home such a big win.  The team hope to play as a group again next season.
Smiles and medals all round!

 More photos of the game can be seen

by clicking on this link.

Punishing the Pixels

I do like playing with images and a visit to Melbourne Uni gave me a number of opportunities.  The cloisters in that place speak through a time warp of another age.

Sophie Has Signed!

Sophie has signed on with the Vikings  for next season.  We look forward to seeing the new star on the court.  She has been practicing already!

Melbourne Uni

Shane offered to show Elina and me the changes that have occurred at Melbourne University in the past few decades.  It would have been 40 years since I have seen the place so there has been plenty of change.

Some of the iconic old buildings are still in place.

but there is some interesting new architecture.

There are also some very interesting student work spaces.

 My old stomping ground, the Botany building is still in place

as are some of the beautiful old walkways.

Melbourne Uni is a leader in Neuroscience research and some of the newer buildings reflect this.

Great tours should always finish with coffee and cake!

Visiting Melbourne

This morning I headed into the city to meet up with Shane and Elina at Melbourne Uni.  It has been a while since I spent time in the area and it is changing fast.  There are new buildings everywhere.

There are cranes and  building obstructions everywhere.

One building that has not been demolished is this building where I worked for about 3 years in the 70s.  It once housed the Curriculum and Research Branch of the Education Department but it is now part of the Education Faculty at Melbourne University.