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An unusual Saturday ahead... Rachel away on camp, no school sport, Caleb having "retired" from domestic basketball. Only two games to coach, and a long lie in to start the day. New beginnings.

The Family that Runs Together....

Last Sunday saw the five of us leaping out of bed at the crack of dawn on a cold, wet, miserable Melbourne winter's morning in order to compete in the 19th Olympic Dream Run. We were there to celebrate with Ev as she completed her 10th consecutive run, the rest of us with a somewhat more sporadic commitment to running 5 km once a year early on a Sunday. The joy at coming to the end of the race was elevated to see some special friends there to cheer us through the last 100 metres! Caleb finished 49th overall, and 7th in his age grouping, in a respectable time of 21:27. Sam and I brought up the rear of the family field, with me managing to pip Sam on the finish line. Rachel and Ev split the difference between us.
And now I look forward to a longer lie in next Sunday... zzzzz
Congratulations to Ev on doing it every year for 10 years!

The Inner City Dog

Someone accidentally left our rear gate open for a few hours on Monday evening, during which our 12-year-old, 52 kg German Shepherd decided to go AWOL, exploring the local area. It sent shockwaves through our household. Apart from the deep relationship our children hold with the dog, there was the concern about what could happen to the dog, or the unknown if the dog were threatened. So, late on Monday evening, in the cold and wet, we began our search. Looking for a wandering dog in the inner city is somewhat akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. When we were just about at the end of our tether and prepared to give up, we were directed to a local coffee shop, whereupon our precious pet was found sitting under a table feeding on sausages.
Even the dogs learn about cafe culture in the city...

The Wonders of Public Hospitals

Ev's dad has been on the waiting list for surgery for over four months, and was - after another postponement, wheeled into surgery yesterday, marked up with the Texta so the surgeon would know where to cut, and just about to be put under when told that there wasn't an ICU bed available so the surgery would have to be postponed! The story beggars belief, particularly when he was told that he really should have his surgery done within 90 days (it is now over 120), and it would hardly come as a surprise that morning that there was no ICU bed available. Someone has stuffed up.

Meanwhile, George returned home with a new date in his diary.

Anyone who has faced surgery knows the emotional preparation that goes into it. To be postponed the afternoon before is bad enough, but to be wheeled into theatre, gowned and marked up, then to be sent home.... that takes the cake.

The Two of Us

A rare photo of the two of us - taken last weekend at Bells Beach. Thanks Lois!

Towards an Open Future

Yesterday was a landmark day in education in our household. Having driven our children to school for the duration of their schooling, we made our first steps onto public transport - travelling to school by train. It is a step towards greater independence for our children, towards a more environmentally-sustainable lifestyle, and for lower-hassle mornings in the house. I travelled with the two boys by train, then walked with them to school from the train station before returning by train to work for the day. The children found it a little threatening at first, embarking upon a new means of transport, which means learning to read timetables and train schedules on platforms, knowing where to be when moving from one train to another, as well as adjusting schedules should trains be late or delayed. All did not go according to plan, but we managed to arrive at school on time.

While the boys noted that they needed to leave earlier in order to arrive at school at the same time, they acknowledged the potential independence which flows from knowing how to find one's way around by public transport. Me? I enjoyed sitting on a train, reading a book where I would normally be stop-starting in traffic all the way back to the office. Even allowing for walking Sam into the classroom, I was back at the office only a little later than usual, feeling refreshed and less drained than after sitting in traffic for over 90 minutes.

It was the first step... small steps, but helpful and life-giving in the longer run, as Caleb, Rachel and Sam move out of one comfort zone into one they understand more readily. Thank goodness for public transport!

How they have grown!

Christmas is a good time of year to mark the growth in the family. It's not easy to mark the growth in maturity, thinking, responsibility and awareness, so I'll just resort to a photo. This may be the last Christmas in which I can look over Caleb's head!

What does this say?

Our usual morning routine includes driving the kids to school, but this took an interesting turn this morning when, after opening the boot for the kids to put their bags in, I opened the driver door to see that the car had been trashed overnight. Someone had popped the locks and in their search for money or other valuables managed to throw every small piece that was not nailed down around the front of the car (I say this because I want to excuse two of the children for what follows!) I commenced to clear up the front of the car enough to sit down while the other three closed the boot and simply jumped into their seats! The child in the front passenger seat (who shall remain nameless but is over 6 feet tall) made a small comment about the state of the car and waited for me to start driving. (Note that at this time my seat was covered in papers, etc!)
Now what does this say about:
1. the state in which the car is normally left?
2. the perceptive abilities of young teenage males?
3. the normal comfortable parameters for living environments for our children?
Fortunately I have long since bothered to leave anything valuable in my car, having had my vehicle entered and searched by unwelcome intruders on numerous previous occasions. Living in the inner city, it is not an uncommon occurrence.

Nature at Play

Springtime in Melbourne brings its own joys and wonders. Ours have come in the form of 'pet wars'. Our courteous and cool cat has been under attack from a starling who has obviously built a nearby nest. Our cat Michaela is wont to sit at the bedroom window watching the traffic pass, but in recent days has been subject to dive-bomb attacks while sitting and minding her own business at the window.

It becomes a source of constant distraction (it is almost past the amusement stage) to hear the bird and cat chirping (literally - the cat chirps!) at one another, often for extended periods. Allowing the cat outside is akin to animal cruelty, as the bird launches its bombing attacks at the cat's head! There's definitely no love lost here.

I am tempted to get out the ladder and go looking for the nest, but having seen the bird at work, I'm not prepared to risk being pecked off the ladder at such heights!

It makes for interesting entertainment. Only a few more weeks until the baby birds must be ready to fly the nest.

On the Murray at Mildura

The first week of our school holidays was spent as a family at Mildura, near where the two great rivers of Australia merge: the Murray and the Darling. We had a great time, exploring some interesting and unexpected terrain. The photos here are of Perry Sands, a pure sand desert a few kilometres from Wentworth.


Our marks in the sand were quickly removed by the wind. The fine line at the ridge of the dune quickly restored.



The weather was warm enough to tempt some of the cold-blooded creatures of the land out into the open.



It is at Wentworth where the Darling and Murray Rivers join, where the first overlanders drove cattle across these great inland waters. The river system is under severe stress at the moment, due to a decade of drought. In previous years the rivers have been known to run dry. A system of locks now ensures water at all times, although those relying on the rivers for irrigation are being severely cut back.




Mildura is about the furthest one can travel from Melbourne without leaving the state of Victoria. It has been decades since either Ev or I was in Mildura, a town immortalised in an old Skyhooks song "Love on the Radio". For afficionados, the address of the song (25 Langtree Ave) is non-existent, so any attempts to place orders from "Homecall Pharmacy" will return empty!

A trip on a paddle-steamer is a must in the region. Rachel and Sam took their turns to pilot one of these grand old ladies of the river.

No collisions at the hands of either!

Many of these majestic vessels have been restored...

Here's looking at you...

It's not a good look for a Baptist Minister, but having worn it for a week now, I still get a bit of a surprise when someone looks twice and ask what happened. Now, there are a range of possible answers, including:
1. Hit by a saucepan
2. Looking through keyholes
3. You should see the other guy
4. A sporting injury...

The mystery is simple. It was caused by a basketball (what else!?) Either I was too quick (getting into the path of a pass) or too slow (couldn't get out of the way). The 'ayes' have it!

Technology: In the Wash Up

It takes some time for children to get used to the processes of washing clothes, such that over the past months some of their technology has spent some time in the washing machine - connected to the Drive washing powder. Caleb set the ball rolling when his USB key found its way into the machine... when discovered it continued to work perfectly, and continues to do so two or three months on. His efforts have now been surpassed!

Rachel's mobile phone appeared in the ironing pile late last week, having survived the same wash-spin-rinse-spin cycle before an hour or so in the drier. Early signs were not good, as pressed keys brought no response and the screen looking somewhat psychedelic even in its inert state. I finally plugged it into its charger, whereupon it began vibrating - the first signs of life. I consoled Rachel with the thought that she now owned her own personal massager. With perseverance (and heat) I was eventually able to switch the phone on and connect to the network, and even make a call, the phone continuing to vibrate mercilessly. Rachel set off with said phone in her bag yesterday, battery disconnected so that it didn't vibrate in her bag all day. At three this morning, Ev woke me to ask how to turn off the vibration as the noise from her school bag had kept her awake. In the darkness and drowsiness of semi-consciousness I disconnected the battery and went back to sleep.

This morning - after the kids had gone to school - I noticed Rachel had left her phone behind. I reconnected the battery... the phone vibrated again for a few seconds, then stopped! Six days after its journey through the Fisher and Paykel, it is now apparently none the worse for wear, and clean! Isn't technology marvellous!

Them's the breaks

What a day... setting out with three basketball games to play, Caleb makes a spectacular chase down to block a fast-break layup two minutes into the first game... He swats the ball out of court, then loses balance on landing as the little squirt he rejected backs under him, causing him to fall awkwardly. He puts out his hand to break his fall, and instead...


Makes a good story, doesn't it! And then there's what really happened...

It's birthday month (2)!!

Caleb follows up the pack with his 14th... only two more years until learner's permit comes onto the scene... Not quite 6 foot on the old scale, but getting there! His shoe size also just falls short of his age!

It's birthday month (1)!!

Yes, it is birthday month in the Heard household, with Rachel leading off the pack. Our princess celebrated in style, and now has begun that habit which will dog her for a lifetime!! Sweet legs 11!

Celebrations

Another birthday has come and gone, with the outcome that we are now a complete mp3 family! We now all have our own players, able to choose our own music to listen to without annoying others with songs which are not universally appreciated. If we were owners of the name brand player, you would say we were like peas in a pod.... but while it is great to be able to go running and listen to some music or a downloaded radio program, there is a noted downside or two:
* Many conversations begin with the first sentence repeated on more than one occasion as the listener is de-plugged from the player in order to plug into the conversation. This can have a significant dampening effect on spontaneous conversation.
* The place of silence is lost. While an mp3 player does disconnect you from interaction with many things, it still deafens you to the inner thoughts and promptings which can only be heard in the silence. The power of silence to let a thought seep into the deepest parts of being cannot be overstated. We do well to simply "be still" and immerse ourselves in the sounds of life which are around us, and simply listen.
* Download limits are being tested... with everyone wanting their own music, the bandwidth is being stretched. Being shaped back to dialup is a reminder of what we once took for granted as great news!

Sam's World

Sam has a long track record of wry observations which bring a smile to our faces. Last night as I put him to bed, Sam complained about his alarm clock. "There's something wrong with it," he informed me, "it keeps waking me up early!"