10 Minutes From Home

Hi Everyone, not a lot to report I had a very quiet weekend, so tonight showing a few photo's I took before Christmas on My way home after playing bowls . at Corowa. Today Tuesday we played pennant at Wangaratta our rink got up by 1 shot but lost over all, I was glad to see the end of the game today it was rather hot the temperture got to 34c= about93f on the rink, play is stopped once temp reaches 36c..When I got home I went for a dip in the pool to cool off, then cooked my dinner after dinner was our turn to water the garden . were allowed to water between 8pm and 10pm tuesday and saturday .. In the morning I hope to spend a couple hours in the garden before it gets to hot. For anyone who wants to see a few more photo's of Yarrawonga. look here from earlier post Thats all folk ..

The red Gums showing the water level dropping N.S.W side of the lake

some bird life on the lake

Pelican very close to shore.

Pelican heading away from shore

water level is well down in this part of the lake New.SouthWales Side

more bird life on the lake

Back in Victoria a few minutes from home at sunset

the water so calm you can see the reflection of the Pelicans

I love the colours of the sun setting and the reflection of the trees in the water

sunsetting over Lake Mulwala

the end to a perfect day

AUSTRALIA DAY

Australia Day is Australia's official national day, 26 January. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788.
Occupying an entire continent of some 7.6 million square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.
The Honourable Alfred Deakin was Australia's Prime Minister three times from 1903 to 1910. He attended Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne. He practiced law and was a journalist for the Age newspaper.
About 85 per cent of flowering plants, 84 per cent of mammals, more than 45 per cent of birds, and 89 per cent of inshore, freshwater fish are unique to Australia.A worldwide competition to design the Australian flag attracted 32,823 entries in 1901.
There were 5 winners who shared the 200 pound prize money.Australia Day celebrates the anniversary of Captain Arthur Phillip unfurling the British flag at Sydney Cove and proclaiming British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia on 26 January 1788. The quest for the celebration of a united Australian national day commenced within a few years of the First Fleet landing and the subsequent white settlement of this island continent.
The following timeline gives a chronological history of how Australians have acknowledged, celebrated and mourned January 26 since 1788.
It traces the path that leads to all States and Territories celebrating Australia Day as one on January 26 annually.January 26, through more than 200 years of debate and controversy, has remained the Australian celebratory national day since that date in January 1788 when 'formal possession was taken of the Colony of New South Wales.
On that day, Captain Arthur Phillip became Governor of the Colony, having jurisdiction over the area bounded by latitude 10 37' to latitude 43 49' south and inland to longitude 135 east'.
The fledgling colony soon began to mark the anniversary of 26 January 1788 with formal dinners and informal celebrations. Manning Clark noted that on January 26, 1808, the 'anniversary of the foundation of the colony' was observed in the traditional manner with 'drinking and merriment'.
John Macarthur Senior had ensured his soldiers were amply supplied with liquor, bonfires were blazing and private houses illuminated.By 1820, Australia was beginning to look undeniably prosperous and sentiments of Australian patriotism were being expressed at gatherings of ex-convicts.
The sense of belonging to a new nation was encouraged in 1817 when Governor Macquarie recommended the adoption of the name Australia, instead of New Holland, for the entire continent

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Advance Australia Fair-National Anthem

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are young and freed,

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,

Our home is girt by sea,

Our land abounds in nature's giftsOf beauty rich and rare,

In history's page, let every stageAdvance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands,

To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands,

For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share,

With courage let us all combine toAdvance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

A little more Merriment

Hi Everyone, . Not a lot to report tonight, I am feeling rather tired tonight. I have been watching the Australian Open tennis everynight till all hours of the night and into the early hours of the morning. Saturday nights game didnt finish till 4.37 am,I will be happy when its over.
Sunday is the fina ldays play, I might be able to have a few early nights. I played Pennant Lawn Bowls Tuesday We won by 20 shots up.

Today Wednesday is my Daughter Carols Birthday I rang her and we had a lovely chat and caught up with all the news.

HaPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL XXXXX

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Now to end with a few jokes The first couple were sent by Bikerbob Thank you Bob
Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the craps table.

An attractive blonde from Dublin, Ireland arrived and bet twenty-thousand dollars on a single roll of the dice.

She said, 'I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when I'm completely nude.

'With that, she stripped from the neck down, rolled the dice and yelled,

'Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!'As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up and down and squealed...

'YES! YES! I'VE WON, I'VE WON!'

She hugged each of the dealers and then picked up her winnings and her clothes and quickly departed.The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded.

Finally, one of them asked, 'What did she roll?'The other answered, 'I don't know - I thought you were watching.'

MORAL OF THE STORY -Not all Irish are stupid and not all blondes are dumb, but all men... are men.

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Statues
In a city park stood two beautiful statues, one female and the other male -- both nude.

These two statues faced each other for many, many years (naked, remember!). Early one morning an angel appeared before the statues and said:

"The two of you have been truly exemplary statues and have brought enjoyment to many people that have visited the park over the years.

I am hereby authorised by God to give you the greatest wish that can be bestowed on you. I grant you the gift of life -- albeit as a limited offer.

You have 30 minutes to do whatever your hearts desire." And with that command, the two statues came to life.

They smiled at each other, slowly moved their limbs about in wonderment, looked all around and then at their own bodies and finally back at each other.

Still smiling they then ran to the nearby woods and dived behind a large bush. The angel smiled to herself as she listened to the giggling, bushes rustling and twigs snapping.

Even angels knew of such things! After fifteen minutes, the two statues emerged from the bushes, looking extremely satisfied and wearing nothing but even bigger smiles than before. Puzzled, the angel looked at her watch and said to them, "You still have fifteen minutes. Wouldn't you like to continue?" The male statue looked at the female and asked, "do you want to do it again?" "OH, YES!", the female statue replied..............................................................

"But this time YOU hold the pigeon down and I'll s**t on it's head!"

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A Short Love Story
A man and a woman who had never met before, but were both married to other people, found themselves assigned to the same sleeping room on a Trans-continental train. Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, they were both very tired and fell asleep quickly..... He in the upper bunk and she in the lower. At 1:00 AM, the man leaned down and gently woke the woman saying, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be willing to reach into the closet to get me a second blanket? I'm awfully cold.' 'I have a better idea,' she replied. 'Just for tonight, let's pretend that we're married.'
'Wow!
That's a great idea!' he exclaimed.
'Good,' she replied. 'Get your own damn blanket.'
After a moment of silence, he farted.
The End

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Irish Confession
Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman."
The priest asks, "Is that you, little Tommy Shaughnessy?"
"Yes, Father, it is." "And, who was the woman you were with?"
"I can't be tellin' you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation."
"Well, Tommy, I'm sure to find out sooner or later, so you may as well
tell me now. Was it Brenda O'Malley?"
"I cannot say."
"Was it Patricia Kelly?"
"I'll never tell."
"Was it Liz Shannon?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't name her."
"Was it Cathy Morgan?"
"My lips are sealed."
"Was it Fiona McDonald, then?"
"Please, Father, I cannot tell you."
The priest sighs in frustration. "You're a steadfast lad, Tommy
Shaughnessy, and I admire that. But you've sinned, and you must
atone. You cannot attend church mass for three months. Be off with you
now."
Tommy walks back to his pew. His friend Sean slides over and whispers,
"What'd you get?"
" Three months vacation and five good leads"

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Friendship
A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace.

And makes the world we live in a better and happier place.

There is a miracle called friendship, that dwells in the heart.

You do not know how it happens or when it gets it's start.

But you know the special lift it always brings.

You realize that friendship is the world's most precious gift!

Aussie Humour

Hi everyone, Just a little laughter tonight .

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Blonde Revenge

A blonde suspects her boyfriend of cheating on her, so she goes out and buys a gun.She goes to his apartment unexpectedly and when she opens the door she finds him in the arms of a redhead.Well, the blonde is really angry. She opens her purse to take out the gun, and as she does so, she is overcome with grief.She takes the gun and puts it to her head.The boyfriend yells, "No, honey, don't do it!!!"The blonde replies,

"Shut up, you're next!"

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Blondes ?Pregnant?

A woman telephoned a veterinarian and asked him to come examine her cat. "I don't know what's wrong with her," the woman told him. "She looks as if she's going to have kittens, but that's impossible. She's never been out of the house except for when I had her on a leash." The vet examined the cat and said there was no question about her pregnancy. "But she can't be," protested the woman. "It's impossible." At that point a large tom cat emerged from under the sofa. "How about him?" asked the vet. "Don't be silly," answered the woman.

"That's her brother."
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Dentist Visit
When they came in, I greeted them warmly, seated Kelsey, and, as usual, put on my gloves, goggles, and mask. About ten minutes into the procedure, Kelsey got scared and cried, "I want my mommy!" I quickly pulled off my mask and said, "I AM your mommy." Without hesitation, my daughter yelled back, "Then I want my granny!"
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Silver Hair
A retired gentlemen went into the social security office to apply for Social Security. After waiting in line a long time, he got to the counter. The woman behind the counter asked him for his drivers license to verify his age. He looked in his pockets and realized he had left his wallet at home.
He told the woman that he was very sorry but he seemed to have left his wallet at home. "Will I have to go home and come back now?" he asks.
The woman says, "Unbutton your shirt." So he opens his shirt revealing lost of curly silver hair.
She says, "That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me." and she processes his Social Security application.
When he gets home, the man excitedly tells his wife about his experience at the Social Security office.
She said, "You should have dropped your pants, you might have qualified for disability, too."

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Neverending bottle
A man who spent a long, relaxed day with a few friendly bottles was meandering homeward when he saw a man lying half submerged in a ditch.

With the courage of several bottles, and no hesitation, our hero jumped in, dragged the man out and shook him thoroughly
.When the man came to, he said "thank you for rescuing me, I'm not a normal man, I'm really a Genie, and the person who released me hit me after making but one wish;
you can have the two remaining wishes".Our man had no difficulty in accepting his good fortune, and thought long and hard for 0.02 seconds.
"I'll have a bottle of whiskey that never runs empty" The Genie waved a hand and a full bottle appeared.
Our man took a big gulp or ten, squinted carefully at the bottle and saw that it was still as full as it was when it first appeared.

"Wonderfull!!!" he said, "Give me another one of those!!!!!"

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Blondes & shoes.

A blonde was on vacation and driving through Darwin.
She desperately wanted to take home a pair of genuine crocodile shoes but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking.

After becoming very frustrated with the "no haggle on prices" attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the blonde shouted, "Well then, maybe I'll just go out and catch my own crocodile, so I can get a pair of shoes for free" The shopkeeper said with a sly, knowing smile, "Little lady, just go and give it a try"! The blonde headed out toward the river, determined to catch a crocodile! Later in the day, as the shopkeeper is driving home, he pulls over to the side of the bank where he spots the same young woman standing waist deep> in the murky water, shotgun in hand. Just then, he spots a huge 3 metre croc swimming rapidly toward her. With lightning speed, she takes aim, kills the creature and hauls it onto the slimy banks of the river. Lying nearby were 7 more of the dead creatures, all lying on their backs. The shopkeeper stood on the bank, watching in silent amazement. The blonde struggled and flipped the Croc onto its back. Rolling her eyes heavenward and screaming in great frustration, she shouts out....... "SH1T, SH1T, SH1T, THIS ONE'S BAREFOOT, TOO"!

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Holiday's

Hi Everyone, Carol and Ian just arrived back from Queensland and Come over Saturday to spend the weekend with us. Also Donna and family , Leanne and family and of course Joanne and family were still with me. Well all good things must come to an end. Ive had a wonderful Three weeks with family and friends, I must say they all spoilt and waited on me,by preparing and cooking all the meals, every time my glass was empty someone would fill it. Wow I was treated like a Queen.

All my vistors have now gone home, so I will end with a few more holiday photo's

It was so hot 41, 42c=about 103f, I went out and bought a couple of pool umberellas to add some shade to the shallow end of the pool, which Gary and Colin Bolted them into the concrete surrounds

Kids having fun Nathan Mid air

A very unwelcome visitor in the pool .It was Scooped out and ended up in the Bin

Last night at Nan's.Very tired kids ready for bed after a day in the pool. Kara in pink, Timothy in Blue and Liam sitting on the floor.

There watching A Goofy DVD

My Sister Pauline Her Daughter Leanne, granddaughter Stephanie Leanne's Hubby Peter, And My Daughter Joanne nearest camera. After a B.B.Q. Dinner.

Last day of festivities

Everyone sitting back relaxing after a swim before packing leaving for home.

NEW YEARS EVE

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great new years in your part of your world, I had a wonderful xmas and new years surrounded by family and friends.

Will be back on track in a week or two and will be back visiting you all soon as posible.

Joanne is still here with her children, Carol & Ian are expected tomorrow (Saturday), so no doubt will be a few sore heads on Sunday.

Here are a few photos of our new year celebrations.

HOT HOT HOT HOT, EVERYONE HAVING FUN IN THE POOL

HERE I AM PAMPERING CAROL'S DOG ZOE AND CHRISTINE'S PUP MOLLY

KRISTY AND CHRISTINE ENJOYING A FEW DRINKS

GARY AND JOANNE

BROTHERLY AND SISTERLY LOVE

MARC SITTING BACK RELAXING

visit marc's site for more photo's

MIGHNIGHT GETTING CLOSER

AND

PLENTY OF EMPTY BOTTLES EVERYWHERE!!

LATER IN THE EVENING THE BOYS GARY, MARC & COLIN

2008 IS HERE

SITTING BACK LISTENING TO A FEW TUNES FROM LEE

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