Pat Fires Up

Patrick had a much better game of Basketball today.  The team fired up and there was much more energy in the game.

The added energy meant they spent a bit of time sprawled over the court.

But the Coach was a happier man this week.

They did not win but there is definitely the prospect of a win in the future.

Great work Patrick!!

Photos Updates

We have been a bit slow this year but we are getting the photos of our wonderful grandchildren up to date. Cathy has sent Ebony and Mitchell's photos, we got James a few days ago, but we still have three to go.  Some how we did not get appropriate photos of Jack, Cooper and Lachlan even though we were with them for seven weeks.  We will have to wait until their return.

Natural Wonders

We live in interesting times.  Less that a week ago we were able to see the transit of Venus and today I went outside and saw this.

The contrasty colours are caused by SUNLIGHT in case anyone had forgotten.  Mind you, it is still freezing!  The forecast? More rain and cloud.

James' Photo

While James was with us we had a second shot at getting his 10 yr old photo.  This is the one we like.

Sleepover

Mum and Dad had to party so Granny and Pa had some overnight visitors.  The whole experience would have been so much better if Essendon had won but at least they were not disgraced.
Sophie helped Granny get up to speed in the morning while the boys watched the replay.

Transit of Venus

After all the rotten weather we have a clear morning for the transit of Venus across the sun today. I was keen to see it as the next transit is over 100 years away and my eyesight might not be good enough then. I set up the little telescope to project the image of the sun onto the ground.

And this is the image.

Not bad for such an ad hoc arrangement. This is our link to Captain Cook and european settlement of Australia.

Winter Delights

The great thing about winter is that there is always something to do to keep warm. After sweeping off the patio yesterday, we had a very windy night and now I can do it all again. Ripper!

 

Melbourne + Winter = Football

A dull, foggy Melbourne winter's day so it must be time to watch the football.  James' team was playing close by and luckily by the time the game started the fog had cleared sufficiently to see from one end of the ground to the other. James put in another fantastic effort.

He spent a good portion of the match on the ball and trying to convince the opposition that he had more right to the ball than they did.

Although he occasionally ended up under a pile of bodies, he was not deterred and as a result he got a "Best on Ground" award.

Dinner

The Masterchef tried a couple of new recipes last night to keep the flour and cholesterol content of the meal to a minimum.  Clean plates seem to indicate general approval. Sophie decided we should have a girls and a boys photo to mark the occasion.

Morning Walk

For those heading toward Melbourne, what can I say? The mornings continue to be bracing!