Holiday season
From the Sublime ...
For the last week I've had family from the USA staying - Sean, Louise and yet-to-arrive junior. Now they have left, I can either mope, or blog it! By the way don't forget you can click the images to get a larger view, and hit the "back" button when you finish.
I met them at the airport, having left my camera home. Anyway, I got a mobile phone with a camera for a reason - as much as I generally think phones are for phoning - and go some pics of their arrival. In this shot they are just left of the join in the airbridge.
We sort of hung - eating, playing card games and so on. Sean and Louise got treated to the local night-time sounds - one neighbour deciding that the pile of iron that had been there for a week should be moved at 6.30 am, and the musician next door setting the bass tones loud and playing till late at night, not to mention early-hours circuits by the police helicopter.
On Friday we went for a long drive down the Fleurieu Peninsula. We have a few places along the coast with French names ever since the Brits and the French sent ships in opposite directions to chart the coast and allocate names, and Matthew Flinders apparently won, because I speak really bad French. But the two vessels met near Fleurieu, at what is called Encounter Bay.
Our first stop was Victor Harbor - the only place in S.A. and maybe Australia which officially uses the American spelling of "harbour". But there were American whalers in the area once, maybe there's a connection. To one side of town, The Bluff dominates the harbour.
Before the English and French had their play-off about naming rights, the Ngarundjeri people lived here. To our overseas viewers, "Narrunjurie" is probably as close as I can pronounce it but I have heard "N'rungree". Ngarundjeri was one of the great beings of the Dreaming, who shared the task of creating and nameing, and whose story provides moral models for handling community issues. He had the misfortune to have his two wives run off with a sorceror.
Ngarundjeri gave chase along the small creek which, in the Dreaming, followed the course of today's River Murray. Ahead of him swam a big fish, Ponde (there's a place called "Pondelowie", I guess after him. I think the suffix "-owie" refers to a watering-place.) As he tired, he swam more erratically, forming the sweeping curves and horseshoe lagoons of the Lower Murray.
To keep to the point, Ngarundjeri fought the sorceror near the Murray Mouth. It didn't help because his wives didn't want to come back. They jumped into the sea and became the two islands near The Bluff. Ngarundjeri himself threw away his war-club, and it became The Bluff. Then, as all Dreaming people seem to, he rose to become a star in the Milky Way. You can Google for more information, and there has been a good Ngarundjeri display at the SA Museum.
We went as far as The Bluff and nearby Petrel Cove (seen immediately above), where it was pretty windy. A brave soul above Petrel Cove was trying to get some flying hours up on his radio-controlled glider.
We didn't go across to Granite Island, only to the start of the bridge, instead wandering round town and grabbing a substantial lunch at a Bavarian-themed eatery on the Square. A few things have changed and Victor is growing. Apart from the new residential areas, the whale fountain in the square was new since I was last there. (Sean and Louise are beyond it to the left).
We hung around the horses that take shifts hauling the horse-tram across to Granite Island, then headed off towards Goolwa.
Halfway there we stopped at Middleton. Though it was mild to warm the wind was fairly fresh. The highlight of the visit was getting befriended by Harry, an amiable little terrier who seemed to be mostly smile, and who loved company whilst checking his domain. Since he was such a character Sean phoned the number on his collar (Harry's, not Sean's) in case his people had wandered off and got lost. His person came and collected him.
Sean spent some time down among the rocks on the beach until mobbed by flies, then we continued on to Goolwa.
Across on Hindmarsh Island, we went to the Coorong and Murray Mouth. A bunch of paragliders and some windsurfers were making the most of the stiff wind. Sean was again at the water's edge trying to find crabs.
We took a look at Goolwa and grabbed some refreshments, then headed home for tea (i.e. dinner) with the family - as Jo's blog will tell you.
Saturday we had coffees etc. at our usual spot at the local Mall. We wore the family T-shirts - at least Sean, his mum and I did...
Google, you will receive our advertising account with a small discount for the mobile phone pic quality.
The boys were as fascinated with the Foxtel display as with the gathering but EJ apparently has a favourite uncle.
After some time catching up with friends, they left today, and I can return to the bedroom nearest my drummer neighbour's rumpus room.
... to the Ridiculous
Just lately, there seems to be a tendency for bus stops to be interesting. Not as blatant as this one at Victor Harbor ...
... but subtle, like these local ones. The sign has some 10c pieces stuck in the "O's" (following New Years' Eve). Must check to see if anyone else spotted them, or if they are still there.
Likewise, wonder how many people notice the small troll-doll standing near the top of this local bus shelter.
I don't know about the first one, but it's interesting to watch how transient the other out-of-place artefacts may be (the troll has already returned to the fjords). And to wonder how many details we miss in views we take for granted.
For the last week I've had family from the USA staying - Sean, Louise and yet-to-arrive junior. Now they have left, I can either mope, or blog it! By the way don't forget you can click the images to get a larger view, and hit the "back" button when you finish.
I met them at the airport, having left my camera home. Anyway, I got a mobile phone with a camera for a reason - as much as I generally think phones are for phoning - and go some pics of their arrival. In this shot they are just left of the join in the airbridge.
We sort of hung - eating, playing card games and so on. Sean and Louise got treated to the local night-time sounds - one neighbour deciding that the pile of iron that had been there for a week should be moved at 6.30 am, and the musician next door setting the bass tones loud and playing till late at night, not to mention early-hours circuits by the police helicopter.
On Friday we went for a long drive down the Fleurieu Peninsula. We have a few places along the coast with French names ever since the Brits and the French sent ships in opposite directions to chart the coast and allocate names, and Matthew Flinders apparently won, because I speak really bad French. But the two vessels met near Fleurieu, at what is called Encounter Bay.
Our first stop was Victor Harbor - the only place in S.A. and maybe Australia which officially uses the American spelling of "harbour". But there were American whalers in the area once, maybe there's a connection. To one side of town, The Bluff dominates the harbour.
Before the English and French had their play-off about naming rights, the Ngarundjeri people lived here. To our overseas viewers, "Narrunjurie" is probably as close as I can pronounce it but I have heard "N'rungree". Ngarundjeri was one of the great beings of the Dreaming, who shared the task of creating and nameing, and whose story provides moral models for handling community issues. He had the misfortune to have his two wives run off with a sorceror.
Ngarundjeri gave chase along the small creek which, in the Dreaming, followed the course of today's River Murray. Ahead of him swam a big fish, Ponde (there's a place called "Pondelowie", I guess after him. I think the suffix "-owie" refers to a watering-place.) As he tired, he swam more erratically, forming the sweeping curves and horseshoe lagoons of the Lower Murray.
To keep to the point, Ngarundjeri fought the sorceror near the Murray Mouth. It didn't help because his wives didn't want to come back. They jumped into the sea and became the two islands near The Bluff. Ngarundjeri himself threw away his war-club, and it became The Bluff. Then, as all Dreaming people seem to, he rose to become a star in the Milky Way. You can Google for more information, and there has been a good Ngarundjeri display at the SA Museum.
We went as far as The Bluff and nearby Petrel Cove (seen immediately above), where it was pretty windy. A brave soul above Petrel Cove was trying to get some flying hours up on his radio-controlled glider.
We didn't go across to Granite Island, only to the start of the bridge, instead wandering round town and grabbing a substantial lunch at a Bavarian-themed eatery on the Square. A few things have changed and Victor is growing. Apart from the new residential areas, the whale fountain in the square was new since I was last there. (Sean and Louise are beyond it to the left).
We hung around the horses that take shifts hauling the horse-tram across to Granite Island, then headed off towards Goolwa.
Halfway there we stopped at Middleton. Though it was mild to warm the wind was fairly fresh. The highlight of the visit was getting befriended by Harry, an amiable little terrier who seemed to be mostly smile, and who loved company whilst checking his domain. Since he was such a character Sean phoned the number on his collar (Harry's, not Sean's) in case his people had wandered off and got lost. His person came and collected him.
Sean spent some time down among the rocks on the beach until mobbed by flies, then we continued on to Goolwa.
Across on Hindmarsh Island, we went to the Coorong and Murray Mouth. A bunch of paragliders and some windsurfers were making the most of the stiff wind. Sean was again at the water's edge trying to find crabs.
We took a look at Goolwa and grabbed some refreshments, then headed home for tea (i.e. dinner) with the family - as Jo's blog will tell you.
Saturday we had coffees etc. at our usual spot at the local Mall. We wore the family T-shirts - at least Sean, his mum and I did...
Google, you will receive our advertising account with a small discount for the mobile phone pic quality.
The boys were as fascinated with the Foxtel display as with the gathering but EJ apparently has a favourite uncle.
After some time catching up with friends, they left today, and I can return to the bedroom nearest my drummer neighbour's rumpus room.
... to the Ridiculous
Just lately, there seems to be a tendency for bus stops to be interesting. Not as blatant as this one at Victor Harbor ...
... but subtle, like these local ones. The sign has some 10c pieces stuck in the "O's" (following New Years' Eve). Must check to see if anyone else spotted them, or if they are still there.
Likewise, wonder how many people notice the small troll-doll standing near the top of this local bus shelter.
I don't know about the first one, but it's interesting to watch how transient the other out-of-place artefacts may be (the troll has already returned to the fjords). And to wonder how many details we miss in views we take for granted.
posted by DadB | 2:51 PM
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