‘Regular Features’ Archives
Travel Tales
ETERNAL EGYPT “Lady …… Lady …… LADY !! Shirt for you.” A cotton missile is launched through the open window of my cabin on the 3rd deck of the MS Tulip, our home for 4 nights while cruising down the Nile. “Good price for you – 1,000 Egyptian Pounds” (approximately $200). “No thanks.” Another cotton [...]
From the Top End
Firstly – a happy New Year to my reader: its great to have a following! How about our lost summer? I know it supposed to warm up sometime in January, but even in December we cranked-up the Rayburn: and I though chopping wood for the year was over! Which brings me to a funny story about my neighbour Pete … aren’t they always funny? It [...]
Real Estate Talk
A SALE PER MONTH FOR 6 MONTHS Welcome from John & staff at Raine & Horne Moss Vale. We are proud to confirm that Raine & Horne Moss has averaged a genuine Canyonleigh property sale per month for the last 6 months of 2011. This is a very satisfying result taking into consideration that the last time that the same number of sales [...]
Book Recommendation
One of our Thursdays is Missing By Jasper Fforde Hodder & Stoughton, London, 2011 The Fifth Elephant By Terri Pratchett Corgi, London, 2008 I’ve reviewed works by both these writers before and I must admit that both of them are among my favourites. Both are highly absurd and highly real at the same time. If you an cope with [...]
Review of Bushfire Books
WITHOUT WARNING ONE WOMAN'S STORY OF SURVIVING BLACK SATURDAY By JANE O’CONNOR Focussing on the village of Kinglake, 65km from Melbourne, the book is divided into 2 sections and is both structurally well assembled and fluently written. Part 1 deals with Jane’s tree change and the terror of the devastating fires of “Black Saturday”, 7 [...]
Environmental Leigh
“Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mister In Between.” (J.Mercer/ H. Arlen) I don’t want to write about a posse of proposed power stations. I want to tell you instead about the artists that have shared a love of this place, about their works being not only art, but [...]
Canyonleigh Bushfire Brigade Update
The recent wet weather has definitely reduced the immediate threat of bush fires in our area, however, should summer finally arrive in the Highlands, this could change in just a few days. The wet, warm weather will boost the growth of undergrowth and grasses which could pose a threat in early Autumn. Should the lands around your home, sheds [...]
Whino
In motion A friend has a motion-sensing camera, used to photograph wildlife. Out of curiosity, he’s set it up down in the valley, just to see what’s out there. The camera senses that something is moving in front of it, and takes a snap. It works day and night, with special infa-red LEDs to light the subject at night. Most evenings, I walk [...]
Canyonleigh Cooks!
Do you have anyone in your family, or possibly a friend, who has COELIAC disease? This disease affects 1 in 100 Australians. The ratio is similar in the USA. The disease is hereditary and is passed on through a gene combination. In 1965 when this breakthrough was discovered, diagnostic practice dramatically improved for [...]
Canyonleigh Cooks!
Has it ever occurred to you that we strangely celebrate two Springs in Australia? One at Easter which is the Northern Hemisphere Spring, and our Spring, which is September, October and November. The Canyonleigh Spring is unpredictable and glorious with its myriad of fresh greens, golden wattles, flowering everything, and a steady progression [...]