Now is the Content of my Winter

Yesterday, 7th September, or as they say in the States 9/7, was my 43rd Wedding Anniversary. By a ridiculous coincidence it was the Lady Judith's wedding anniversary too. So we went out to a new Warrnambool nightspot to celebrate. CRB is a Cafe-Restaurant-Bar. Creative name, eh? It's half-owned by Matt Ryan, former owner of a Brighton Hotel in Melbourne, but now returned to his country roots. He's brought along his Brighton chef to own the other half. Now Ryan, is not exactly a rare family name in these parts. Down here by the Southern Ocean, if your surname doesn't start with Mac, then you're probably Irish. Port Fairy was called Belfast before the Gays renamed it. And there's Ryans Removals and even a Ryan's Real Estate that is owned by the aforementioned Matt's dad who also happens to own the building in which CRB has opened. About a month past I sat next to a pleasant woman on the bus to Geelong (the slavegangs were out on the train trac...

If you want to really see a place, go with a local. So, this Father's Day, Judy and I accepted the invitation of our neighbours to visit Bannongill Station, near Skipton and open for viewing in the Open Gardens scheme. The neighbours are Locals. Like for Generations. Dairy farmers, now retired with the next generation stuck into the milking, and the retired generation building their dream home overlooking the Southern Ocean. You learn a lot when you go with locals. "What's that crop?" "Canola." "Pretty isn't it?" "Imagine how great it looks from the air." "By golly, the land looks well. I don't think I have ever seen it looking so well." "This rock is bluestone. That one is volcanic. See the holes?" "What's that tree?" "I think it's a planticylagruen floriabundelle ." "That's easy for you to say." And, of course, they know everyone . And are serious...