Turning Sad into Happy

Ever had one of those days when you feel sort of miserable? When you feel disappointed? Well. today I turned disappointment into un-disappointment. I'd planned on going to the farmers market, primarily to buy free range eggs then go up to Kinglake to get a lambskin steering wheel cover from a little country shop, and over to a place where you can bottle your own spring water. Today came I didn't really feel like going anywhere - weather was cool and miserable. Anyway, son asked for a lift to the station so I thought if I'm going to be driving, I might as well go out as I'd planned.

So, driving along I felt sort of sad and depressed, arrived at Yering and all the free range eggs had gone. Disappoiuntment No 1. Thought I'd buy one of the delicious shepherds pies. Disappointment No 2 - none left. Drove up to Kinglake, the shop is closed until next month - Disappointment No 3. Took out my Thermos and made a cuppa tea - it started raining, the weather had turned nasty. Thought I'll buy a nice hot pie. Disappointment No 4 - no ordinary meat pies left. Had sausage rolls instead. Decided to forget about bottling spring water - driving an extra 50 odd kms on a cold and rainy day wasn't worth it.

Started on my way back and stopped a few times to photograph the Ranges. Stopped at a country general store where I'd bought a cup of tea last year, just to say hello - she didn't remember me of course as I would have been just one of many customers. To my surprise, I started feeling better. Driving along I saw a sign "Lovegrove Winery" and thought why not? So in I went.

Lovegrove Winery Estate

The sun had come out and the scenery was just lovely. I enjoyed a spot of wine tasting. Knowing I had to drive, I sat outside and had a smoke while taking pleasure in the scene before my eyes. And do you know something? I realised I felt better and I was glad I'd gone out today. I was really pleased that I'd stopped at Lovegrove and wondered how I hadn't seen it when I was up this way last year. I found out why at my next stop.


Winery Gardens

This was the view I had. I bought a bottle of wine (a 2005 Merlot) and asked the owner Stephen would he mind if I set a while outside with my coffee. So I drank some coffee and thought I'd better eat something. All I had was a box of cakes I'd bought at the farmers market.

Yummy Cakes

There were six - I had one of the friands. Later I saw the road sign saying "Hurstbridge" and thought to myself, hang on, where's Panton Hill? Saw a sign pointing backwards saying "Panton Hill 3)and noticed another road with "Free Range Eggs" written on the road side sign, so up this unfamiliar road I went - alas they didn't any eggs but the lady said if I cared to stop at the studio just "up there" they might have some.

Country Hens

I did and they did. The chap said they were only pullets but I didn't mind. I had my free range eggs and was happy.

Coffee Stop

Stopped here for a cappuccino - my thermos flask is small and the water long gone - and that's when I found out the reason for not seeing the winerey before. Turns out the road I drove on today is the low road and when I'd come this way before, I'd turned left and gone on the high road. Isn't it strange how the simple act of not turning left showed me different things and made my day happy? Not only did my day turn into a "good" day, I found a place where you can buy fresh eggs, and a nice winery.

Singing Syrup

The bottle of wine I bought.

Another Year Older

Always will I remember the words on a birthday card sent to me from Nana. I think I was around ten or so. It went -
Another year older
Well maybe that's true,
But another year nicer
Sounds a lot more like you.

And Mum making a comment about me not behaving myself and Nana hoped I would be better behaved the coming year! Funny what we remember isn't it? That card had beautiful girls (I thought them grown-up ladies) dressed in a crinoline with a matching parasol and the one on the front of the card had this most beautiful shade of blue. With little pink rosebuds and ribbons. There was one in green and I think another one - you saw them as you opened the card.

Well I'm a year older since yesterday, can't say that I've learnt an awful lot over the past 12 months. Do we really learn" I've often wondered about that - how can we learn from our mistakes when we keep on making them. Or perhaps we make them with more style and flair insted of gauche and clumsy?

So we had a good time yesterdy, an apple upside cake was made, the candles were lit and served with that expensive cream - you know the one I mean, the one that tastes delicious which we don't buy very often because
a) It'a too expensive, and
b) It has 48% fat!

But ohh... it sure does taste yumnmy!

Japan Invades Australian Territorial Waters

Japan refuses to recognise the Australian Antarctic Territorial waters - nice isn't it? You want to hunt whales so just say you don't recognise something! The Australian Antarctic Division maintains three stations - Mawson, Casey and Davis.

Japanese consider whalemeat to be a delicacy and an aphrodisiac, but the story they give is they hunt whales for scientific research and the only way to judge a whales's age is by killing it. Their so-called research is to see if the whale population has increased enough for commercial whaling to re-start - yeah right, and I'm the Queen of Sheba.

Whales were on the threatened list in 1950 and by 1963 were on the endangered list. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by the IWC (International Whaling Commission).

Yesterday, Japan rammed the Ady Gil, a small anti-whaling ship.


I lay no blame on the anti-whaling ship or its crew - Japan should stay out of our territorial waters and the damned government (ours) should get off its rear end and act.

Below: Research stations and territorial claims in Antarctica (2002).

The three most common whales seen in Australian waters are the Humpback, Southern Right and Orca (Killer) Whales. Humpback and Southern Right whales follow a similar route each year. Whales migrate to cold waters for feeding and travel to warmer waters to give birth.

Below: Migration routes of whales

Are you aware for example, that whales mate for life? And that the humpback whales are famous for their haunting songs which last for 20 minutes and can be heard from a distance of up to 185 km? It is only the male that sings - it is believed they sing to attract mates. Whales reach maturity when they are about 11.4 m long (about 4–10 years of age).

Below: Rare White Humpback Whale

Migaloo, whose Aboriginal name means "white fella", is believed to be the only completely white humpback whale in the world. (Photo AP 2005)

A pregnancy is around 12 months, and females calve once every three years, from June to October. The weight and size of a new-born calf is approx. 1.5 tonnes and 4.5 metres long. Weaning takes palce when the calf is around 11 months old and it can be up to 9 metres long.

Below:Southern Right Whale

A southern right whale and its calf swim in the waters off the east coast of Tasmania in early August 2009. (Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment)

Below:Orca Whale

These beautiful, gentle creatures along with others of their ilk have in the past been hunted almost to extinction, and yet Japan refuses to acknowledge the Antarctic Treaty and still sends out its whaling fleet to kill. How long will it be before they are no more?

These people are trying to stop whaling. Will you? The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) established in 1977, is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization whose aim is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Remembering

I was reading a blog earlier and it sort of hit home and now I can't sleep. (It's currently 4 o'clock in the morning) and I know I should go to bed, and I know it won't help or change anything, but somehow, my mind just keeps going round and round and round.

And I've got the most annoying mossie bite on my leg which is itching like mad. And no matter how hard or often I scratch, the damned thing still itches!

It can be a very lonely life when you don't have friends and use the internet as a way of communication. Sometimes it's alright and things are bearable, but sometimes it gets to me and then I feel terrible. Do others feel like this I wonder?

Happy the person who is always happy and has no depressing thoughts - for theirs is the kingdom of living! How maudlin I sound the first anniversary of my Dad's death is coming up soon and I find myself starting to cry and wish I could have time back so I could have another chance and do things different. If only, but life isn't like that - we can never bring back that which has past. Time does not return to us, no matter how much we may want it to or how many regrets we have.

New Years Day - Boring Children

Happy New Year to all the Bloggers everywhere. D'you know something? Last night was the first NYE for many years that I was actually going to go and see the fireworks.

Son down from Sidders and his gf (lovely girl btw) and I were going to go - anyway the cool change came and it was bloody pouring - thunder and lightning, sounded like the heavens had opened.

Honestly, it was raining cats and dogs, ergo we couldn't go and see all the pretty fire crackers. The gf said they probably wouldn't start - they'd all get wet you see and that'd put 'em out.

Heard 'em, but couldn't see 'em. Not to worry - had a very nice 2005 Barossa champers in the fridge plus a half bottle of Charders from the Peninsula just in case they didn't want a drink.

Come midnight, asked son to open the champs. I'd forgotten he had to drive his gf home - so he couldn't drink. (He's on his P's). Disappointing for me really, But oh well, made do wtih some Lindt - that and working on my blogs.

Rang Mum - we sang Auld Lang Syne together

then rang eldest son (also in Sidders) - no answer.

Rang daughter, she was asleep,

rang next son, he was groggy and asleep,

rang youngest son - he said he's brushing his teeth and off to bed

Rang my gd - couldn't hear a thing, she was at Crown or somewhere. She rang back later when it was a little quieter about 1.10am it was.

As my son (The Banker) said, "We're boring aren't we?" You can say that again - I reckon I must be the only parent who has boring grown-up kiddies who go to bed on New Years Eve long before the clock strikes 12! Shouldn't it be the other way around? (Sigh) A very big one!☺ (Sigh that is)

Today I'm goin' shoppin'!