Friday 30 March 2012

The Hills Are Alive.....

Yep, last night I went to my very first Sing-Along Sound of Music!
 It was in a local church basement.
Sorry, no pictures, I forgot to take my camera.
Everything had a Sound of Music theme, from the travel posters of Saltzburg on the walls to the jugs of pink lemonade and the pinecones on the tables.
Remember the pinecone reference?
Dinner consisted of Weinerschnitzel and sauerkraut and baked potatoes, and lots of different salads, and of course, dessert had to be Black Forest Cake and Apple Strudel.
Most participants were dressed as characters from the movie, and we voted on the best costume. The winner was "Maria" complete with straw hat, pinafore and guitar case.
And there was a quiz... who said what.
Who said "Whistles are for dogs and cats and other animals, but not for children and definitely not for me."
And who said "I'm sixteen years old and I don't need a governess."
And who said "The Von Trapp children don't play. They march."
Can you remember? Answers on a postcard please (oops sorry, that's a British joke).

Update: I've posted the answers in the Comments section.

Sunday 25 March 2012

First Sign of Spring


Tussilago farfara, commonly known as Coltsfoot
Coltsfoot has traditionally had herbal medicinal use as a cough suppressant and to treat lung diseases such as asthma, but it also contains some toxins that affect the liver, so if anyone offers you some Coltsfoot Tea, say NO!

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Won't You Join Me on a Walk?

The weather for March is unbelievable. Blue sky, sunshine, 25C, no snow in sight, crocus blooming, trees budding. I don't remember ever walking wearing sandals and short sleeves in the middle of March before. So won't you join me on a stroll through the town? (No, I'm not wearing my hiking boots from the previous post.... you'll hear more about them in a couple of weeks.)

Like many small towns close to a big city, we are becoming very multi-cultural. The former Missionary Church is now the home of a Coptic Christian congregation.

 A bit further along Main Street, the Presbyterian Church is dispensing some good advice for insomniacs. Update: As Suldog pointed out, there's an apostrophe missing. I think they either don't have one in their box of letters, or someone made off with it.

 Uhoh! More Bad Spelling. I think I might have to donate a dictionary to Card's Appliances.

This metal kinetic sculpture by Ron Baird titled "NUTUM" has stood outside the Latcham Gallery since 1980. It sways in the wind and pivots on it's supporting post. Thirty two years and it hasn't fallen down yet!

Let's pop into the Love of Jo coffee shop for a coffee and a muffin. Don't forget to glance up at those fancy lights.
We'll cross the road and take a seat in the Square in front of the Arts and Entertainment Centre, and look up at the Clock Tower. This was built in 1931, replacing a wooden hose tower that was originally part of a fire hall.
Well, it's 3 o'clock. Time to head home. We'll continue this walk another day. Hope you can join me.

Friday 16 March 2012

These Boots Were Made for Walkin'...

.... and that's just what they'll do....
I'm preparing for my next adventure.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Pi Day

Today it's Pi Day... March 14.... or in other words (I mean numbers) 3.14..... and you could do so many things to celebrate.... you could calculate the area of a circle, measure the perimeter of a circle, even calculate the volume of a cylinder.... or you could just say to heck with it all, and eat pie. That's what I'm going to do.