One of the thought processes that inevitably strays through my mind at some point while jotting down these posts is the temptation to turn whatever activity I’m going on about into a metaphor for writing. It’s probably inevitable for the out-of-work freelance wordsmith to see his obsession in everything he does -- as in those …
Yesterday, you may recall, we went down to the Shoalhaven River in the rain and while observing the rising flood, cast a desultory eye about for a chance gold nugget or two. It turns out there’s a name for this activity. And that name is ‘fossicking’. I love this word – it seems just right …
Over the course of this blog’s eventful life, I’ve mentioned the triumvirate of crises that greeted our arrival in Australia: drought, wildfires and of course pestilence. Now it gives me a certain kind of pleasure to welcome a fourth apocalyptic horseperson as it makes its debut in the posse: floods. Yup, it’s been raining again. …
Consider the pig: intelligent mammals with advanced reasoning faculties -- or machines for turning leftovers into yummy bacon, ham, pork and sausages? We've looked at hogs, but what of your common or garden oinker? Like so many of the random thoughts that make their way into this blog, there’s no way we can conduct a …
Much excitement in the neighbourhood today as chilly winds from the south bear the unmistakable damp kiss that betokens snow. While the mercury (or the weather app, let’s be honest) shows a rather lovely 11 degrees and sunshine all day, that breeze seems to suck the warmth from everything and we’re heavily bundled up and …
There's a rock by the side of the King’s Highway not far outside Braidwood which is often adorned with birthday wishes, painted in bright colours with the name and age of the lucky person. The date when this tradition started is lost to history, but it’s always a point of interest to see the latest …
I think I may have mentioned a passion for cycling at some point in this saga. It’s something that goes back a long way, with short interruptions for loveless dalliances with motorcycles, Ford Anglias and utes. Like the archetypical beardy hipster, I’m claiming I was into it before it was trendy. The thing is, it's …
It rained all day yesterday – waves of driving droplets borne on strong gusts of chilly wind, ceasing for short periods and then whipping back through with a vengeance. It started early the previous evening and there was little respite for about 36 hours. Of course, this was a good thing for a region parched …
Braidwood’s a great place to observe Australia’s love affair with the motor vehicle. It’s perfectly natural that a country where distances are large, cities and towns are far apart, and both business and leisure require people and goods to be carted about constantly, should invest a lot of time and money in its cars. Like …
Bruce Springsteen -- a songwriter and performer I feel I could spend some time going on about, if there wasn't a slight sense that a lot of time would be spend defending his ouvre against that tiresome "ew! so shouty and sweaty!" reaction you get since 1985's Born in the USA. It's better to adopt …
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