Sunday i acted as roadblock for the local ANZAC Day March and Ceremony. The SES does this every year, and since its held on my street i have no excuse not to assist. The bagpipe and drum band starts practising fairly early on the street outside, so its my cue to get up and find my oranges.


This year i was close to the action and could hear everything. It was a loverly morning and quite touching. It was a small but heart felt gathering before the big push today.
There were quite a few prayers, thanking god. For what I can't work out, but i quietly stood by watched the trees, directed the odd bit of traffic, remembered most of the Anthem and so very nearly called an old Digger "My Lord".
There was six (young) soldiers who marched around and stood guard, i was mesmerised by their shiny, shiny boots, they were soooooo shiny. No wonder we won wars, we couldn't lose with boots that shiny.

BACK TO REALITY...sigh

Well Rowany was a roaring sucess once again. Everyone had a blast, nothing or no-one broke and i got some cool shots (if i do say so myself)



SnowPea, the mighty archer

Lots of photos at Flickr and at ForBattle



Mouse and Corin on the battle field

It was great to have Fuschia and the kiddlings there. I think Rowany has to be a dream come true for children, they look soo cute in costume, and can run and play all week and be safe. They would turn up from thier boffer wars to eat and sleep, otherwise they got a good shot of independance, made friends and were completely happy.


The children victorious over the Knights, for the Fort

Small world moment.
I served a young lad at the tavern, and both Fuschia and I thought he looked like our cousin Tim but we haven't seen him for a while and it was in a odd context. We talked about it, and finally asked someone who he was, and lo...it was cousin Tim. He is very cool and was great to catch up.

Cousin Tim and Us


Till next year....

don't

MERRY CHOCOLATE LONG WEEKEND

I'm off to Rowany for five days, and taking most of ForBattle with me.
Have a safe and fun one.

HEHE This is me in 1992...omg! No i'm not a boy, and i was told by a friend at work today that my face was a lot rounder back then, my cheekbones were biding their time.
Haven't seen this photo for years...

OH I KNOW YOU...
I know you of old

Last Saturday morning falling back asleep after my Dad rang at 7am "Oh sorry i forgot you people don't get up early"...yeah right.
There was a knock at the door, now we don't get many drop in visitors, usually someone rings up first wanting to use the BBQ, drink the wine, kick the ferret.
I woke up with a start, called out but no answer. Ob the lazy antisocial bum just lay there while i fumbled around for my glasses, flailed around to find clothes to cover my nekkedness and fought to gain some human.
I open the door blinking and running my hands through the serious, terminal case of bedhead and ....ahh crap.
Two well dressed men stood there clutching booklets....crap....introduced themselves and wondered if i would like some GodBotheringPropaganda or as they called it 'The Watchtower' aarrrggghhhhhh
I very politely declined (you would have been sooo proud) and the main guy said
"ohh you have spoken to us before then?"
Just the way he said it, like he knew he would be rejected out of hand and success was never, ever going to happen.
I don't know who was more disturbed, me when i realised what they were, or them seeing me looking like something the deamonspawn cat dragged in.
Which brings me to the old age question that has gone though many blurry eyed half awake brains before me.
WHY?!
Has there ever, in the history of the multiverse, since baby jeezbus was a stromalite, has anyone ever, fallen to thier knees, renounced thier wicked ways and begged to join the ranks of gullible, earnest, annoying people?
If i wasn't gearing up to spend my Easter, camping, eating, drinking, and shooting people in the head with a crossbow, i may have been compelled to find out.
thank god for small mercies



don't

BEST. DAUGHTERS. EVA.

On Saturday, Fuschia, Amanda and I chipped in to give Bigglesworth Mother a chopper flight, for her birthday, so she could relive those heady Nam days. Sadly it was not equipped with her favourite piece, a M60 7.62mm machine gun, not even a XM157 rocket launcher to show us how its done.
She sighed, climbed in the bird, muttering how ever were her daughters going to learn about Zippo missions and Arc Light Operations without a decent grenade launcher.


All systems go...








Recon was going well. Capertee/Lithgow area was clear.

Enemy were sighted, prepare gu...no wait...its just the family waiting to go to Capertee pub for lunch.


A safe landing, a safe world.

SnowPea practising for the next mission...

Big Thanks to Uncle Tom for suggesting it and volunteering himself to go along.
Next time, my turn.

don't