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| What's been happening |
| July |
| We started July with a Friday evening dinner with our friends the Essers at the Bridgewater Hotel, a very enjoyable evening. A couple of days later we spent the day following the Onkaparinga River (by car) from where we live near it's headwaters to the sea. Brady has been wanting to do this for some time and it was a good (not to mention educational) day out. Our friends the Dicksons moved to England for 4 months and we had a farewell barbecue at their house, then spent a few days with our friend Chris Parker in Mildura, where we went to the mud brick factory and ordered the bricks for our new extension, which we hope to start building next year. For my birthday on the 14th we went to dinner with Mum and Dad at the Bombay Bicycle Club, a venue everyone should experience (very good!). At the end of the month the third term of school started, and Cooper started school - our youngest son is now a schoolboy. He attends Bridgewater Primary School with Brady, and so far is loving it. |
| August |
| My sisters Julie and Dani visited Adelaide this month, from Sydney and Darwin respectively. They spent a hectic weekend at our house, 6 adults and 7 kids, it was not something we're used to, but it was good fun. A week later Helen's staff from work, and their partners, came to our house for a curry night with all the trimmings. Next was Helen's birthday, her parents came and shared a nice meal with us. I went out for drinks one evening with my old mate Dave Heritage to the Rex Hotel, scene of many sessions between the two of us. We hadn't caught up for many years and really enjoyed the evening. Towards the end of the month we went to a quiz night to raise money for the Oakbank Kindergarten, but our table was outdone this time. Finally, we spent an afternoon riding doing a family bike ride along the very good bike trail through Mount Barker. |
| September |
| Fathers' Day this year was spent with Helen's brother's family and her parents at Stathalbyn, where there was a heritage festival on and SteamRanger were offering rides. The next week the Royal Adelaide Show was in town, and we spent an enjoyable day wandering around there. The main event for the month was Brady's 8th birthday. This year he had a party at home that went for about 8 hours and ended with a campfire. Finally, Brady put his name down to play in a football lighning carnival, though he'd never played football before. Helen went to watch him and got a few photos. |
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| October |
| October started with the annual pilgrimage to Mount Arapiles in Victoria for a long weekend of rock climbing with old friends and their families. It was school holidays, so we went to the Grampians for a few days after that, where we did lots of bush walks and lots of sight-seeing. On the way home we spent a couple of nights at Helen's sister's farm outside Apsley to wind down. Back at work again I was lucky enough to be involved with the anti-terrorism activity that was staged in South Australia this month - an interesting week. Towards the end of the month we attended the Callington Show, a typical country fair in the little town of Callington where Helen runs the local kindergarten, which was busy running fundraising events. It was a pleasant afternoon - I enjoy country shows. Another major event was that Brady started Cubs, at the Balhannah Scout Group. He loves it, and I hope his years in the Scouting Movement will be as rewarding for him as mine have been for me. Co-incidentally, two of my Scouting mates from Henley Beach also have children in the Balhannah Group now. The Little Athletics season also started in October, and I have found myself coaching the under 6 boys, of which Cooper is one. It's a rewarding if time-consuming way to spend Sunday morning! |
| (Click on the links to see photos) |
| November |
| The Adelaide Christmas Pageant has been going on every year for more than a century, and this November was no exception. We found ourselves a crowded bit of footpath outside my office on Pirie Street and watched it from there. Mum and Dad joined us, and said it was even better than the Calgary Stampede! Later in the month Brady and Cooper were in the Stirling Christmas Pageant with their school, which had a 'Summer Activities' theme. The other big deal for the month was the Bloo Rovers' Kids' Christmas Party, which Helen and I organised again this year. We had a great turnout and caught up with a lot of the old Rovers and their families. Even some people who I haven't seen for nearly 25 years came! It was a long day, but good fun. |