Two In A Row

The Mitcham Tigers year has started well with another win yesterday, this time over Chirnside Park.
There were periods when the spectators became concerned but a strong third quarter saw them through.

 James enjoys his time on the ground!

The boys were happy with the win.

Jack's Birthday Celebration

It is always a juggling act to bring the family together for a celebration.  Sport and other commitments always intrude. However on this occasion most of us were able to join Jack to celebrate his thirteenth birthday.  After another busy day, Lisa slaved over a hot Visa Card to produce a sumptuous feast for the evening.

 Jack was glad to have his best mate Clay along for the evening.  They are both in the same team and are prepared for a big game tomorrow.

Let There Be Light!

With all of the walls now closed in on the new house we are starting to see how the light will look in the rooms.  The design brief included the requirement for maximum light entry for a light and open "feel" for the house.  It's looking good in that department so far.

Cross Country

Sophie had been doing some stamina training for the cross country this year and her work resulted in a fifth place in her group and an improvement on her position from last year.  Hard work pays off!

Jennie Sidon's Funeral

A sad day today to mark the passing of my cousin Jennie Sidon (White).  She and I were about the same age and grew up together.  Our mothers were sisters.  Jennie had fought off a melanoma some years ago but it had returned in a very aggressive form recently and she died on 14th April.

Crew in Cairns

For the holidays, Lisa and Mark took the boys up to Cairns for a few days to see the sights, catch up with Allyson and see what was on offer for visitors.  Fishing was high on the agenda but unfortunately the fish had all come south for the holidays.

Camera Test

The time has come to test the old Kowa medium format film camera.  I have sorted out the development and scanning process so it was time to play.

This camera requires commitment.  It weighs 2 kg and takes 12 exposures on roll film, each 6x6 cm.  It does produce an interesting look to photos but some processing work is required.  The new house provided some ideal subject matter.

Blast From the Past

I developed a film that had been in an old film camera for perhaps 6 years. So this is a new photo.

It's All Go Here

Development of the new house continues rapidly.  Today the roof of the lower floor is being installed together with the ridge capping, the brickies are dealing with the detail where the bricks meet the sloping roof and the electricians are wiring up the upper floor.

Portraits Aplenty

Cooper and Lachlan have had their eleventh and ninth birthdays so it was time for the birthday portraits.  We were happy with these.

Ebony's Birthday Pic

We managed to line up our calendars to get Ebony's 15th birthday portrait for Granny's Gallery.  This is our pick.

Loving the Sunday Market

The Farmers' Market was in full swing today when we arrived to replenish supplies.

We picked up some fantastic sourdough bread with olives. The queue for eggs was about 20m long.

And there is always a great array of fresh fruit and veg.  We picked up some apples and some mushrooms for dinner tonight.

It's Corella Season

It's that time of the year when Corellas invade the area to eat the fruit and strip the trees.  Once they are finished there is a carpet of leaves and twigs on the ground below up to 5cm deep.

The Old School Evolves

There is now rapid change on the old site of Nunawading Primary School as the new Community Hub rises from the clay.  The walls of the original building have been retained but it will be surrounded by new buildings.

Louie Comes to Supervise

Kate and Adam and family are away for a few days so Louie came to make sure we did not engage in any nefarious activities while they were away.

Cooper's Birthday

Dark Zone is a bit of a favourite with our grandchildren and Cooper is no exception.  He and his friends celebrated his birthday there today in great style.  The place was packed and the boys (and Mark) exhausted themselves running around in the dark. 

The preceding games got them in the mood for Laser Tag then they suited up for the fray.

Cooper was happy with his efforts.  Then it was up to the party room to replenish the sugar reserves.

 And, of course to indulge in the cake ceremony.

 Cooper had a good day.

Play Time

Some time ago Tricia gave me her father's old Minolta 35mm film camera.  I cleaned it and put in new batteries and it seemed to work.

To test the shutter etc I decided to try some black and white, high speed grainy film.  It certainly tests you out and produces some interesting images a world away from the digital experience.  I will have to experiment more with developing the film.

Birthday Lunches

 As Cooper and Lachlan have now had their birthdays it was time to check the shops for suitable celebratory presents.  Cooper opted for games vouchers and Lachlan opted for an increase to his bank balance.  I really think both boys enjoyed the KFC more than the shopping!

Lachlan Turns Nine

Lachlan timed things well.  His birthday fell in the holidays so he could celebrate with his friends on the day.  First on the agenda was party food and the cake at home.

Then the boys headed for Inflatable World for the Main Event.  They did not need instruction on how to use their time.