Erik's Flickr web address

Hi Taves,

I am looking forward to you coming home soon. What dinners do you like best? We can arrange our menu plans to suit you if you like. The plan is currently:
Mon: Veg Curry
Tue: Stir-fried Japanese noodles
Wed: Temp Spag.
Thur: Tofu Pizza
Fri: Dumplings

Erik's Flickr web address is www.flickr.com/people/chisume/
(to see his photos)

Love
Gavin

Test link to photos

Hi Taves,

I am trying out a link to photos that are stored on a group photo sharing site:

House - Garden

Raymond Island

Love Gavin

Anzac Day

Hi Taves,

This is a photo of Keith posing for the newspaper camera man today. I was in a group shot and another looking concerned at the toilet graffiti. I might be in the local newspaper when you get back.

It was a pity Essendon lost today but at least they put up a good fight and their percentage has been holding up.

Trudi and I are not sure about your no dig garden idea on the front lawn, since we are considering what we can do to improve the house resale value next year if we sell and move to Brunswick. There are lots of other gardening jobs to do, there is a bamboo screen to add and ivy removal along the back fence, the garden near your room could be redone with ginger type (?) plants, we could extend the garden along the fence near the herb garden and ivy removal. What do you think of these ideas? Did you have your heart set on the no dig garden?

On Sunday we went to the Vic Market Spanish day, it was very crowded, and the State Library. Erik walked around China town and took very interesting photos while Trudi were at the library. I will add some later.

Love

Gavin

Planted the Strawberries

Hi Taves,

I planted the strawberries today around the front garden. You had a great strike rate, only one seed failed to grow. I am going to look up the cure for powdery mildew now.

Love Gavin

Raymond Island

Hi Taves,

We are back from Raymond Island. Erik drove the whole way, 4 hours with a couple of short breaks. Trudi and I were very impressed. The unit was very comfortable, 3 bedrooms with a kitchen and bathroom. There was no TV, but this was OK, we did lots of reading and had early nights. Erik read the Reserve Camera manual and took the black and white photo of me.


We also went on lots of bike rides, especially since the ferry was $7.00 for a return trip. Trudi even rode to Molly and Allans from the Island! We saw lots of kolola and even one near the Sims Restaurant. Erik's its photo and I took his taking the photo. I also saw a Wallaby while on my Sunday morning run.



I mentioned that you and Erik might go on a summer driving holiday and Erik thought it would be great. What do you think? You could book Youth Hostals.


I am glad you are feeling better and I hope you had a nice Easter.

Love Gavin

Happy Easter

Hi Taves,

I made it home on time after all. I hope you have a lovely easter and that your egg is laid by the hen matching the rooster in this photo :-)

I love you very much and would really love to take the week off when you are back but work will be really busy then. I will try to take a second day off to do gardening with you.

Have a happy Easter and make sure you hide the childrens eggs really well.

Love Gavin

Sunday outings

Hi Taves,
We went out and had a day in the city, it was very good day. We forgot to take the camera, so I asked Erik to choose a photo instead. I like it very much. You know you can click each photo to get a bigger picture.

We headed off a little late so we decided to drive into the city instead of the train. All was going well until we were almost in the middle of the city, first the traffic was heavy with the MIFGF (?) you know the flower show, but was not too bad. Then as we headed for the city car parks we found the streets blocked for some reason. Russell was at a stand still and we would have been late if I did not spot a sneaky back entrance to the car park under my work. $8 for the day so it was a good price too.

We started walking down Swanston and noticed thousands of people walking up Swanston. Then I realised it was a "Run for the Kids" fun run and walk. The run was 14km, over the bolte bridge and through the tunnel under the Gardens/Yarra. On the news tonight it said that 20,000 people had entered (or maybe $20,000 raised). Anyway there was a lot of people and at the writers festival, a lot of people mentioned being held up.

The Emerging Writers festival was good. Trudi received lots of encouragement. On man like writing at school. His father was a boiler maker and said to his son, you have to do better than me, so you should .... get a trade and be a fitter and turner! He ran away from the huge factory he was working at and became a shearer. After a while he left this job and a number of other and decided to settle down, stick out one job to support his family, so he worked underground for 6 years. I think he was building a sewerage tunnel under Werribee. After doing this he for 3 years he suddenly was struck that he was not going to be discovered as a writer or be known for anything much while working so far underground. It took him 3 years to get out of that job.

He then enrolled in university and has now completed his masters, oh he also joined the Jung society, but he still looked like a shearer to me :-)

Another man grew up in Turkey and became an Engineer, he also live through a military coup in the 60s and learnt to not criterise the government. After coming to Australia he realised that he was sexist and racist, this just was the way to be in Turkey while growing up. He started reading lots and in 1999 all his previous beliefs and values fell away to nothing, he was in limbo for 4 days. He started learning about his countrys writers and poets and now writes and sings his own.

So what I am getting to here is that these men were older than Trudi, much less educated and had to learn what Trudi has already done, professional writing etc. But had progressed and made a success with their writing, so I think Trudi is in a good position to make a success of her writing.

It was interesting that they mentioned that if they had been brought up with a love of the arts and writing while growing up and not had their mid life crisis they would not have the same strong desire to write they have now.

While we were listening to the writing guests, Trudi and I could hear these loud noises. A cross between a tram rumbling past and a rock band. Trudi asked a door attendant what the noise was and he said a group of people called the Earth shakers booked out one of the Melbourne Town Hall rooms and played this music. It was like meditation.

Erik walked around China town and found more little bars and shops. One was out doors and seem to made up of cut up packing crates (for tables and chairs etc), I think it is famous.

After the writers festival Erik convinced us to go to the Nova and see a movie, The squid and the whale. It was very funny and we all enjoyed it very much. We met Draha (Lucas ? mum)from school while walking from the car.

After the film we went to Readings over the road, I found a boxed set of 7 Wong Kar-Wai films, Erik's favorite film director, for $70. He has some of the films already so we are going to put them on eBay this Thursday and hopefully get at least $10 each.

A Swinburn short courses brochure came today and while I was looking up the writing courses I noticed a Professional Horticultural Writing course, I did not know there was such a course. I started think about you and your trip and all the new plants you mush be seeing. If you get a chance could you write about some. I guess it would be best if you had a laptop?

Lots of love
Gavin

Warrien Totem

Hi Taves,

The Warrien Hermit has left. I found his camping spot and it needs some cleaning but there is not tent or tarp or hermit any more.

While I was in the Reserve I saw the totem pole and it is great! I have included a photo, I don't think it is quite in the spot we had envisaged but it is much better than I was expecting and I have no problem with it being where it is in a more prominent position.

The Warrien Tree Planting is on Sunday 21st May 2006 – 9:00am start, will you be home?

Love
Gavin

Rust?

Hi Taves,

We have had a week of colder weather and quite a bit of rain. I noticed your dahlias looking a little spotty. I have included photos above, do you think it is rust? What should I do if anything. They are looking very good otherwise. You can notice the lettuce are still recovering from the last time the chooks got out.

I will put together the 360 photo now and post that if it works out.

Erik has school holidays in June, do you think you will still be near Coolum then or should we plan for you to be further north do you think?
It was great having the talks with you today and I am glad you are feeling better.

Love Gavin

Sorry about the shortage of blogs

Sorry about there being no more blogs. It seems to have been a busy week and I have been tired most nights. I think it has been the end of daylight saving that caused it. On Thursday I went for a lunchtime jog (before the forecast hail), had a flu shot, then went to Mercury Testing Tools User Group meeting after work. So I was feeling a bit tried.

I have included a photo from my birthday to cheer you up.

I hope you enjoy Newcastle much more on the week end. You should write about the youth hostels and tell us what they are like. Are there notice boards of people wanting rides, activities going on?

Trudi and found an emerging writers festival this week-end and we may go in on Sunday to the city. Trudi is also considering joining an on-line CAE writing course.

Love you very much Tavia, I will write more over the week-end. Visiting Emily sounds like a good idea.

Tom Van Der Feer

Hi Taves,

Grandma and Bob came over today for a birthday Roast and gave me a camera like yours! Erik took some photos and I think he will add some now he has joined the blog. By the way I have given you and Erik Admin access. So Blogger may look different next time you use it.

A while ago Trudi was doing a Google search on Tom Van Der Feer, Bob and Bill father and came across the web page: http://madelyn-harmony.buzznet.com/user/photos/?id=1411053 with the photo above displayed. Tom looks very much like Bill don't you think.

Trudi and I were not sure whether we should show it to Grandma or Bob since I think Bob holds a grudge against his father. Anyway we showed it today and mum was thrilled, Bob so so. Mum thought it was Tom her ex and said he had relatives in New York so the places, being a photographer and dates seem to match. Mum rang Trudi later and was trying to get Bob to bring up the page on the internet.

I thought you would like the dress and the fact she sang with Mary Martin, (not Carol Channing).

I planted the hollyhocks today, they were in need of planting with the roots growing out. It is starting to rain now in Melbourne which is good but it is also getting cooler, hopefully it will be warm enough for them to keep growing.

I took some photos of all you seedlings before planting. By the way you can click each photo to get a bigger view.

Poor old Strawberry had a shock today, while Trudi was reading the newspaper the chooks starting making lots of noise. Trudi went out and found Strawberry hanging upside down from the roof of the day shelter all limp. Trudi unhooked his spur and sat him on the ground. He did not move for a few minutes, I think he was in shock.

He was moving around as normal within half an hour, his girls kept close to him in this time because I think they sensed he was upset.

Did you see that Essendon beat Sydney yesterday? They played really well. Loyd kicked 8 goals. Does the AFL get much media coverage? Not much I assume.

Love Gavin