Surprise discovery

When we aren't working on some AAANZ thing, Mark and I do enjoy getting exercise in the garden.

The local council (government) has a vegetation pick-up 8 times a year.

Recently, we were cutting up some branches on our pile from clearing up the jungle around our house and tearing out the old fencing

(Top left: Mark clearing ivy from falling down fences in August 2008, right: part of 'the pile' including old fencing).

We would like to purchase a chipper with several neighbours but in the meantime we mulch leaves with the mower. We also pile the smaller branches for later mulching but palm branches are too stringy to chop well with a small chipper.

(Left: The palm in front of Mark usually holds onto its branches but recently, for some reason, it started to drop them. Right: Mark sawing branches from the pile last weekend.)


Mark used his long handled saw to hook a few of the falling palm branches and pull them down so they don't fall later on my flowers.

BUT in doing so Mark exposed our neighbourhood possum's sleeping spot. We didn't seem to bother his sleeping that day but the next day he must have found a new "bedroom".

I wasn't too sad since this is probably the possum that has been eating my cherry tomatoes.

Ocean swims

Mark keeps himself healthy, in shape, and relaxed by swimming. He sets goals and works towards rough-water ocean swimming competitions.

I (Mary) go along sometimes, take photos, cheer on Mark, and hold his bag of clothes and towel. (above: Mark is stretching before the most recent swim and checking out the surf conditions.)
In spring, summer and autumn surf life saving clubs (SLSC) up and down the coast hold these swims to raise money to support the club.

June 21 was the latest in the season, the Mona Vale Cold Water Classic.

As we near the shortest day of the year for us, I was afraid it would be freezing cold but the water was 20 degrees Celsius (around 68 F).

The air was cooler, a mere 15 C (around 56F). For one swim at Bondi Beach this past summer, the water was 16C, which is cold swimming.

Often the SLSC holds a 'barbie' (bar-b-que) afterwards and sells snags (sausages) on slices of white bread with tomato sauce and grilled onions as a fund raiser.

This week, they offered the swimmers hot soup for free and hot showers knowing that it would be cool . Over 270 swimmers took the plunge today.

They often enter the water in waves by age or gender but this time they all charged in together.

There were four categories male naked*= green cap , female naked=yellow cap , male wettie**=blue cap, and female wettie=pink cap. Mark was a male naked. Each swimmer is numbered (this time on their upper arm) and has to check in before and after the swim to make sure everyone gets out. This was more a fun swim and one of the shorter ones at 1.2 km.

*(no wetsuit)

**(wetsuit-which are usually not allowed if the swimmer's time is counted but today was an exception.)

Surf Life Savers sit astride surf boards all along the course so that no one swims out to sea by mistake. They are also there for anyone who gets into trouble.

In one swim there were so many Blue Bottles (imagine a small transparent light blue tube of toothpaste with a 10 foot long tail with poison barbs its entire length-jellyfish type) the life savers were there to help folks until the rescue boats could remove the swimmers from the water to be treated for the stings.

This day started grey but turned sunny before the end of the swim and was beautiful. (We live near the coast and have had a run of rainy weather.)

The surf was a bit rough and the entry was a challenge.

The course is usually marked by buoys (pronounced 'boys' here).

Note the two yellow buoys that was the target entry gate. Then around several red buoys before heading back in.

I took some of these photo standing at the surf end of an ocean pool next to a rock slab like the photographer in the photo above.

The breakers were a bit high coming back in. The strong current towed the swimmers far past the exit point so many had to run up the beach to reach the timers.

No one was lost or got hurt and all seemed to have a good swim (I find it hard to believe that people enjoy entering cold water to swim in shark and blue bottle infested water, to be tossed feet over head by metre high crashing waves, but they do.)

Moriah's visit

While Moriah was here for the tele-conversation we took advantage of a beautiful day and hiked around the west head of Pittwater Bay (northern bit of Sydney). (Check out Moriah's blog for more photos of that day. A link is on the right. Using your mouse you can touch any of the photos and see a larger view. The photo on Moriah's blog of red splatter hand print is ancient aboriginal art.)

This mound is the very end of the northern beaches peninsula called Barrenjoey Head. We love to hike with visitors to the lighthouse on the top of that headland. The near side is Pittwater Bay and the far side is the Pacific Ocean.

I love grass trees. They are unlike any tree I've seen in North America. (In a photo on Moriah's blog, I am tasting the nectar from a grass tree flower stem.)

We pause to read maps of the area. We are looking off West head across Broken Bay. The Hawksbury River flows from the left towards Broken Bay, past Pittwater Bay and on into the Pacific. It was gorgeous.

One New Years in the early nineteen-nineties, we joined friends on a houseboat in this area. It was one of the best New Years Eve we have ever had.

From the highest point in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, we could see to the left across the end of Pittwater Bay and the northern beaches peninsula to the Pacific. (We live to the right just south of the peninsula.)

From that point we looked straight ahead into down-town Sydney.

Relaxing, enjoyable hike; come again Moriah.

Moriah speaks @ teleconversation

AAANZ's 'members only tele-conversations' happen 3 to 4 times a year. Folks gather, often for a meal, and use a speaker phone to listen to a special speaker. 6 June Moriah was our speaker.

After 20 or 30 minutes we ask questions and initiate conversation on the topic. Moriah spoke about young adults and the church, what they are looking for and need.

One young AAANZ member from New Zealand also joined in with suggestion. It was one of our best discussions yet.

This time folks joined in from Melbourne, Wellington, Sydney, and Canberra.

After the call, discussion continued over the meal. The food was great as well.