My first day here I took the Ally dawg for a walk around the area. Saw some things which tickled my fancy, so have finally taken photos and am going to blog them.

While we walk, I’ve not only got my camera, I’ve got the lead in my other hand, and we are walking along a fairly busy road. I’m reasonably comfortable with letting the Ally dawg off the lead, but not 100% sure when we are on a busy road. I don’t think she would bolt if she was startled, but am not prepared to take the risk. Also remember, during part of this photo shoot, I had a little bag of Ally poo in my pocket.

Also remember, I am not working on my own computer with my own familiar programs.

That was just to set the scene.

The first visit was to the house on the rocks. Sounds like a drink, now doesn’t it. Perth is desert and very flat, so for me, anything like this I find interesting.

 If you notice, this house is set on a very large rock. They have then brought in some more interesting rocks/stones to make up their front garden. Houses here are very similar to those in Perth, some timber, some brick and others from other stuff (guess who doesn’t have a clue as to what it is).

My second photo is the sunken house. As I say, Perth is very flat so this would not be seen in Perth.

 This was hard to photograph. I was standing on the road looking down, the bit in the front was the fence line at the road. Not sure if I like the house, but hey, you get that.

Then we have the poofter Santa (apologies to Biggie and Marc – no offense meant and I hope none taken). I’ve seen these Santas all over Sydney and I’m sorry, they look like poofters.

 Big smile on his face and hanging from the ceiling.

Then a bit further down the road, we have the dancing Santas.

 Now they are definitely worth a look or two. The whole fence is covered in Santas. When I went there today, the man who owns the house was outside. He looked very grumpy and miserable, quite a contrast to his fence. So I walked past, did a U turn with the Ally dawg, and took this photo from behind his trees. I didn’t see him again.

We walked down to the park where for the last few days we’ve been seeing the signs for recycle bins and rubbish bins, just the signs, but no bins. Today, we got the old and the new.

 The old bin in the back ground and the new bins in the foreground. You can’t open the lids of course, cause someone might want to steal the rubbish.

Then just was we were about to get home I noticed this sign on the pole on the side of the road.

You can almost see the plaque on the post. Michael, I think his name was, born 1985, died 2001 (if I remember the dates correctly). This post is very close to this sign.

 I guess a car bumped the kid who didn’t look at the sign.

Take care all. Have a lovely, alcohol free New Year and a no hangover New Year’s day. This will likely be my last blog post for 2006.

Madeleine

Friday, 29 December, 2006

I was fascinated by Kenoath’s comment about our trip to the airport. When I arrived there was a queue a mile long, and I eventually found out that the luggage conveyor belts weren’t working properly. So the queue would stop for 5 or 10 minutes and then would move quickly for a while. When the conveyor belts worked, we moved; when they didn’t we stopped. It was interesting cause usually in situations like the airport queue to check in, no one talks to anyone. On this occasion, everyone was chatting to the people around them.

The dogs came to sniff our luggage. I love watching them work.  The wander through and amongst the luggage. Someone had some food they weren’t supposed to take on the plane with them, but no one had anything illegal and no one got dragged away in handcuffs swearing the drugs were planted in their luggage.

Kenoath noticed the guns; I didn’t. I figure they must have guns, but it didn’t bother me at all. Just part of the scenery.

The woman dancing through the metal detector was quite funny. She’d gone through with her daughter and they had set off the alarm, so they sent the little girl through alone and then the mother. Turns out she had metal in her shoes. Steel capped shoes?? Who knows.

I remember always having to go through the metal detectors to have a cuppa coffee and a muffin, but I’m sure in the early days of flying, metal detectors didn’t exist. Neither did the sniffer dogs. Changes as a result of the terrorist activities of recent years.

I have no problem with airports. I rather like them. Kenoath doesn’t. I hate flying. Drugs to fly, this is my motto. Drugs and lots of them, just in case one lot doesn’t work, you make sure you have a back up. However, in spite of my misgivings about flying, Kenoath, I did arrive safely here in the east of Australia and enjoying the company of my son and his partner. I will stay clear of the weedy shack, DeBunkem. I like cities better.

I hope everyone is well this Christmas day. Hugs to you Kenoath.

Madeleine

Monday, 25 December 2006

 Why?

 What purpose does this serve in our society? What does it say about the person who has to give this card or present?

 The same thing occurs with Christmas presents. Someone unexpected gives you a present and suddenly you are scouring the shops to find something for them, feeling guilty because you forgot them.

 Why?

 Christmas cards don’t really do anything for me and I haven’t sent them out in years. I simply cannot be bothered.

 Presents are a different kettle of fish. I like giving presents, and I sure like getting presents. However, by this train of thought, every time a client gives me a little gift or a card, I am duty bound to reciprocate. What does that do to their gift? What do you feel if you give someone a present, and their first thought is: “Oh, dear, I didn’t get them one!”. I personally believe that takes the power from the giving. If I give someone a present, it’s because I wanted to, not because they gave me one. I also feel quite pissed off when their first response is: “But I didn’t get you anything”. That’s not the reason I gave them the present in the first place. I gave the present because this person means something to me, because I spotted something that I felt they would like, so I got it for them. And, I feel as if my offering is being dismissed in some way.

 It’s a bit like these email things that go around and around, sickly sweet words, that are sent to 50 people saying how much you love them. People give so many gifts to so many people, that the gift giving loses it’s impact.

 So here’s the story, guys. I don’t send out gifts to all and sundry. I only give to people who very special to me. I refuse to send out Christmas cards because I feel they have lost their meaning. And if someone gives me a present because they wanted to, I won’t refuse it, but I won’t reciprocate.

 Madeleine

Friday, 8 December 2006