September 2022

We recently gave away our old American made, Snapper ride on mower. Advertised on Facebook Marketplace, it was snapped up by a family within thirty seconds of placement! The young boy in the family was keen to use it as a go cart.

Snapper was known for its high-quality red “rear-engine” riding lawnmowers that can stand on-end for storage or repairs – after making sure that the petrol cap didn’t leak!!

My father bought the used 1960’s Snapper (later also known as the Forrest Gump Mower) and replaced the Briggs & Stratton motor with a Honda one. He mowed with it for many years and towed around a small trailer he built for it.  He later bought a robust, heavy, walk behind, Deutscher Mower in his 80’s!

My son carried on the tradition of mowing around the old homestead for some time and my grandson was the last family member to tinker with it!

Run Forrest, run!

August 2022

I was recently stranded on board a submarine, U-612.

We had suffered damage from depth charges and sank to Laura Ethel Bank which is only 250m deep as opposed to the 4,000m deep ocean.  We managed to fix two air leaks so the compressor could now blow the tanks, but the batteries were damaged and chlorine gas had filled the locked off compartment.

There was the smell from the diesel engine combined with the stench of unwashed crew.  The carbon dioxide level was dangerously high, and we were desperate for fresh air!

I was unclear if this was my reality or was I isolating alone in a house for a week, binging on twenty-six, hour long episodes of Das Boot!

July 2022

It took me a year or two to work out what EOFY sales were!

I thought they must have been another Americanism such as Black Friday.

I understand the tactic of reducing taxable income by spending money before 30^th of June on “business related expenses,” but at the time, I didn’t take much notice of the advertising and I failed to make the connection to the acronym – EOFY!

Our two-year-old grandson, James, has probably got a better grasp of financial jargon.  His father has been the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of some large companies.  James identifies the numbers from one to ten and he shows a special liking for the financial reporter on ABC TV – Alan Kohler.  He likes most of the characters that appear on kids’ television, but while ignoring most of the evening news, he will show delight when Alan Kohler appears.

June 2022

1st June

A lot of news lately has been about east versus west. I guess it has always been thus throughout human history. There have always been either hoards from the north, rebels in the south, terrorists from the east or imperialists from the west.

I look forward to the next flip in the Earth’s magnetic field to confuse everybody and maybe provide an opportunity for better relationships.

The word annexation has also been mentioned in the news which caused me to think about the annexation of Forest Range. 

Forest Range once extended five kilometres from Deviation Road to Kumnick Hill Road.  The east enders had valid reasons to set up their own post office, such as, their children not having to negotiate the Ford when walking the long distance to collect the mail. But, how come they ended up annexing such a large proportion of the land – more than three quarters?!

May 2022

1st May

May is History Month in South Australia and being inspired by the festival, I have had a go at putting the story of my great grandfather William into verse. Join in singing by following the lyrics provided. Follow the bouncing ball (and chain)!

William James.

In my song you live again

And the phrases that I rhyme

And thanks to Google, over time

I have come to know you, William James.

William James.

All the folks around Clerkenwell know your name.

You’re just a low life, hops thieving man

Who would steal anything he can.

Your brother copped the blame with William James.

CHORUS   William James.

You got fourteen years and transport for your crime.

Convict shirt, the furrowed brow,

Locked in chains below the bow.

You lost me then and you lost me now, William James.

Maria Noon.

The wife you left behind as you sailed away.

Only four years in the Fremantle clink.

A ticket of leave, you’re in the pink.

You worked and saved out west, William James.

William James.

You came to Adelaide and found another bride.

Sweet Caroline, a Prussian maid.

A kindly soul whom you betrayed.

Two more stretches in local jails, William James.

CHORUS

William James.

You settled in the hills with your wife and six kids.

The farm-work gave you the blues.

You were abusive when on the booze.

You sold the farm and deserted, William James.

William James.

We thought you went to Broken Hill and died.

But you sailed back to be beside,

In England, with your former bride.

I wonder what tales you told her, William James.

CHORUS

Sweet Caroline.

You thought you were left destitute at Jerry’s Flat,

Until William’s brother Charles arrived.

He bought you the farm and all survived.

The family never spoke the name, William James.

CHORUS

April 2022

I’m looking forward to celebrating the end of daylight saving.  I reckon it goes on for a month too long!  It is all very well to have a long period of daylight in the evening for leasure activities but what about in the mornings (where the daylight was stolen from) when there are more important things to be done. 

On  Saturday mornings, I have the task of heading to the bakery at 7.15am, to be ahead of cyclists and be early to secure a cheese & onion loaf and a plum cake!  The sun at this time has not risen, but nearer to my destination, I am blinded by the light that erupts over the horizon.  If there were cyclists on the road, they would be in danger of me not seeing them!

Blinded by the light near woodside.  The last hill before Lobethal is worse!
 

I recently made the welcome discovery that the inexpensive outdoor vacuum cleaner we purchased has a lever which converts it to a blower.  This now makes it a multiple use device, excellent for blowing dust out of the shed and cleaning the patio.

I can also use it for rousing sleepy heads on dark, daylight saving, Sunday mornings!

The War of the Roses was a minor scirmish compared to the WAR ON THE ROSES!

March 2022

We recently visited the Waite Arboretum which occupies 27 hectares and contains about 2,500 specimens representing more than 800 species in 200 genera, all growing under natural annual rainfall of 624 mm. The Arboretum is adjacent to the Urrbrae House Historic Precinct and the Waite Conservation Reserve. I spent four years working at the Waite Institute in the late 1960’s and I’m sorry to say, I never explored the arboretum.

We got lots of ideas for more trees to be planted in the garden!  The recently purchased crab apple (at great expense) was not one of them!!

The maze above the arboretum. It was not created by cutting down some of the trees!

We are also now the proud owners of a couple of bonsai trees with the heavy burden of responsibility of maintaining them!  They were grown and trained for twenty years by Lenswood personality Julian Harrison.

Trees and timber have been and continue to be a significant part of my life.  I have sometimes not seen the wood for the trees but I’m sure I once heard a tree fall in a forest!

I have planted and removed orchard trees, raised seedlings forTrees for Life, planted ornamental trees, planted wind breaks or shade trees, planted revegetation sites or roadside trees, felled dead or hazardous trees and cut timber for firewood.  Then there is all the various forms of timber I have handled such as fence posts, sleepers, construction timber and toothpicks.  Best of all is breathing in the oxygen the trees produce.

I recently helped to cut up a fallen tree in the park next to us—see the video.

Probert timber contractors from Forest Range. Photo – Forest Range & Lenswood History Group

February 2022

The influential journalist and public intellectual Christopher Hitchens, known for his quick mind and sardonic put-downs is quoted as saying ‘Everyone has a book in them and that, in most cases, is where it should stay.’ The book inside me would have been entitled ’Finger Buns of the Adelaide Hills.’

During my thirty year career of horticultural pest monitoring, I was sustained by consuming finger buns. After setting out at 6am every morning and walking up to 5km along rows of strawberries or fruit trees, I would call into a bakery at morning coffee time and ask for ‘my usual.’ With my energy restored I would return to my office to spend the rest of the day looking down a microscope at the leaf and flower samples I had collected.

Having a bun on the run

In my travels I found that between Mount Compass and Nuriootpa, finger buns varied in size, fruit content, icing and texture.  Freshness is important so that the bun is soft, light but slightly doughy. I had my favourite bakeries, some for their ambience – but the best buns, for my liking I’m pleased to say, are close at home and can be found in the ‘Lobethal’ chain of bakeries.

As bread is the staff of life, so a finger bun is the rythm stick.

January 2022

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

You probably weren’t out dancing at New Year’s Eve celebrations because of the pandemic restrictions.

You can have a vicarious dance experience by viewing the following video. It is a performance by a local dance group.  You may be inspired to become a member.

I was in no mood for dancing after my mattock went through a drain pipe recently, while creating yet another garden feature! I managed to put a hole in the PVC pipe three times before I understood why the mattock was making a hollow sound when it was hitting something!

I seem to have a talent for finding underground water pipes. On the farm, the post hole digger was always hitting them.

Other people claim to have the same talent.  The best example I saw was at a Lenswood Primary School working bee to construct a retaining wall, to improve car parking, in front of the school neighbour’s house. Mack the plumber got out his pick axe, with the sharpest point on the pick I have seen. He struck the pick into the ground and a fountain of water shot into the air.  He had hit the E&WS (Engineering & Water Supply) main to the house!!

December 2021

1 December

We have far too many kid’s toys in our house!  At the end of child minding day on Mondays, toys are scattered all over the floor creating an obstacle course that would challenge SAS troops.

Many of them are more than colourful moulded pieces of plastic.  Inside them are computer systems that would have been capable of landing a man on the moon in the 1960’s.  The combined number of batteries powering them all, would supply enough electricity to run the house for a week!

On the upside, the toys provide us with something of a security system.

It is impossible to sneak through the house in the dark of night without treading on a Lego brick, or passing a box of toys without something coming to life, lighting up, and a little voice saying“ Let’s be friends and have some play!!”

As is often the case, with so many sources of expensive amusement on offer, the most popular toy is the least sophisticated and one of the cheapest.  It is what the grandkids call the “monster!”  It is a small stuffed toy, a souvenir gift from New Zealand.  When the tummy of the little kiwi is pressed, a recording is played of ruby players doing a haka.  It is entertaining to see a couple of two year-olds, stomping on alternate legs, yelling HUGGA, HUGGA, HUGGA and poking out their tongues! 

The Monster

The haka reminded me of the war cry of my alma mater.  We didn’t get to chant it very often to celebrate a victory at the Inter-High Schools’ Sports Competitions. It was a combination  of the school house names – Arunga, Kirra, Paringa and Yarro. 

We were less inclined to cheer in the year that our sport’s master bought fancy new shiny nylon singlets for our athletes to wear. Our school (bottle green and white) was listed in the programme under the colour—chartreuse!!

The following video is a war cry (from the past), given a strong new voice, by a group who really know how to do it.