Our guides at Uluru

this is Robert. He was adorable!

Stevie is fantastic to travel with because he does it right. When we were to take a tour around the Rock he said we will get aboriginal guides. And so we did. There were 6 of us "whitees" and a wonderful family headed up on this tour by Jenny the mother, telling us the story of 2 serpents, one male and one female, and showing us the Rock features that corresponded with each detail. This, by the way, must have been a non- secret story, because so many of the Aboriginal myths are never repeated to outsiders. Robert, their son was a regular 5 year old , I would guess, interrupting, running around, smiling for the camera. Cameras--pictures, interesting footnote.

We were advised that taking pictures of aboriginals was rude and unacceptable. Jenny, at the start of our time together, said we had paid for our tour ($116 per person -3 hours) and we were welcome to take pictures. As we walked around the Rock, other tourists would snap a picture of her and she was warlike--stop! we are not animals! --

Uluru (Ayer's Rock)

Uluru (Ayer's Rock) stands by itself, out of no where, about 4 hours out of Alice Springs. It changes colors red to purple, white to gray.

the Aboriginals have complex stories that relate to all the features of the Rock. Most are secret. The men and women go through a Masonic-like stepping stone system, only learning the next story after they have completed the ritual and initiation of the one before it. they ask visitors NOT to climb on the Rock, since it has a spiritual significance ( most fat americans couldn't do it anyway--39 people have died climbing the "stairs"-- mostly heartattack or heat exhaustion) but the Australian government/northern territory park service have not taken down the chained steep path although signs are everywhere asking you not to climb. We didn't. ( I wouldn't have been able to do it, though I am not that fat-- I didn't want to.)

the red center of Oz

Outside our cottage

This is our back porch! See my garden in the sand ( not much dirt here, lots of sand)! In the right corner is a red bottle brush tree under which is my worm farm. By the door is a three layer sign," bee happy, bee fruitful, bee blessed".

Outside our cottage

this weekend we added these shades to the back. It is so hot and the sun heats the back bricks to the extent you can not touch them with your bare hand.--so imagine what the kitchen feels like! These shades have lowered the kitchen temp 10 to 15 degrees. In front of the shade is my lemon tree. We have harvested one already! Lemon trees grow really well in pots and do best if some one pees on them weekly--no kidding!

outside our cottage

Our outhouse was built at the same time the cottage was built--beautiful brick! Stevie says well into the 40's the outhouses had a bucket and the Night Cart Man came dressed in a rubber suit and emptied the bucket. All the homes in the older part of our village have alleys behind them. When a flush toilets was added to our cottage, the owners at the time, also added a flush toilet into the outhouse. it is pink!

Outside our cottage

this is my own personnal beehive! a few weeks ago we saw a feral swarm on the fence across the street.

Stevie captured it. Yesterday, we killed the queen and this morning we added a new queen. The bees are very black

Queens cost about $15.

Outside our little cottage

This is our shed out the back. Stevie made the table. Everyone here names their homes--so we named our shed. On the left are the beeboxes we had irradiated. they had to be double wrapped in black plastic

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

I read last week a moving book and I want to tell you about it. The Road is a love story, parental love, father-son. The world is dead, everything is ash, gray black. Nothing is living, except humans, mostly evil and an occasional dog or rat. The father and the son exist by foraging for cans of fruit in deserted houses. Very bleak, and I couldn't put it down.

At some point as I read, I remembered a seminar Patte had taken me to that lasted 2 days about the historical Jesus. The mission of a hodgepodge of theologians was to find the words and phrases Jesus had actually spoken through linguist technology.( Mary Jean says Thomas Jefferson did this too without computer help) The list is short. One lecturer's belief was that Jesus was lighthearted, and full of wonder at the gifts God had given--that what Jesus meant with " the Kingdom of God is at hand"is that Eden is right here , right now.

And that is what this book so clearly showed me. I loved it. Thought it life affirming-- easy, poetic, full of terrible beauty.

It won the Pulitzer in 07.

Merimbula

the weekend before the picnic races in Lockhart we were in merimbula on the coast. We had a lovely time, stevie took me to beach after beach.

picnic races #3

these people are on the race track to be judged on their outfits. next year Stevie and I might try to enter!!!! We will color coordinate and add feathers, of course!

picnic races continued

this is my bookie and his wife---I ended up $14 ahead

Picnic Races.

I am so sorry. It takes discipline to do a blog. goodness I can find all sorts of reasons not to sit down and write--main excuse has been my difficulty in down loading the pictures.

We had such fun this past weekend at the picnic races in Lockhart. All the women dress up in hats and high heels.Groups bring tents and champagne. Betting is done with individual bookies, standing in front of hand written horse lists. After the 3rd race, the best dressed of three groups: couples, ladies, and young girls, were judged and given gifts--then the horses came back!

more from Melbourne

This is Flinder's Street station. Notice the brown tram (cable car) on the right--it was free! we took it!

pictures from Melbourne

oops! this is a piece of furniture we are restoring. I'll try again.

Melbourne

We had an adventure in Melbourne. Stevie's good friends had a dinner party for us deep in the tunnels of WWII defense position.

In Melbourne, people own beach houses, just to keep their picnic gear!

Tilt your head to the left

It was a very popular ski resort,Tredbo---seemed very rich-------the shops sold Prada ( how stupid is that?). Our lodge the RAN (Royal Australian Navy) Ski , was in a fantastic location close to the village of bakeries and restaurants, but was modest in accomodations( but how i know? really? how many ski lodges have I EVER experienced? 0) We had a huge kitchen area with 5 sinks, 6 frig's, 6 stoves and 6 microwaves then a big area full of tables just like 4H camp! Everyone brought food and cooked in a communal (sp?) setting.

We all had rooms, with single beds like a convent and a toilet/shower section of 8 individual cubicles.

My favorite room was the big fireplace with lots of leather furniture and a bar for all of the alcohol we had all brought with us.

So wholesome!!!! Played games, read every book I had brought. Met some precious people.

Sweet Kids

Since the weather was rough, I had plenty of company in the lodge( I do not ski). These two are Alex and Abby. I taught them to play poker, with spoons and match sticks, 1 match = 2 spoons.

Snow in August

All last week we were in Tredbo, a ski resort. This is Stevie and his best friend Ian, at the lodge. Notice Stevie's sun block. The wind was high and they could only ski 2 of the 4 days.

Rainy day

Today is the first time I have seriously worked at this blog site with my camera. Goodness it is very slow! I need to post about 10 pictues so I can get the pattern of how to do it in my mind.

Dinner time

Our home is a sweet little cottage.

Morning in our camp!

camping with the bees

A Hard Day of Bee Work

the day is finally here

In just a few hours we are off to the airport. Our last full day in the States was wonderful. Blueberry pie, boat ride, and fishing with Terry and John. Next the best meal Stephen figures he has had in the US with Deanne and Art. And finally TV with Jess. I am ready!!! and very happy.

pizza one more time

Family Farewell July 09

wedding planners

Let's go back a few steps. The BMan and I had so much fun at our wedding! Thanks to our wonderful wedding planners! It was perfect! and very colorful! exactly what we wanted!

50 years of friendship

I will miss my Mary Jean. Very much.

DC before we leave

The B-Man and I spent the 4th in DC. It was wonderful--I felt deep stirrings of patriotism and realized it was appropriate to see the dignity of the city before I headed to OZ. Wow! Free concert--heard and saw Aretha sing at the Capital ---magnificent parade and absolutely awesome fireworks.

my bee truck's bigger than yours

When he told me he was a beekeeper, in Waikiki, on Halloween night, I liked him! No kidding! Moose Makillicudy's bar was getting scary, so I had asked for an escort out in the sweet Hawaii evening. The beekeeping thing was a so cool. Stephen has a passion for his bees. Eventually after we met I worked the bees in New South Wales and I rode in the best bee truck ever.

not in oz yet

In ten days, we leave---long journey---30+ hours. So sweet and loving of his brother and wife, they will meet us( as newly weds) in Canberra. So Kind!
More to do here in ohio though,and spots of tension and fear. Married, retired and moving to the Southern Hemisphere within 6 weeks!