Another day's work = one finished Dry Stone Wall.

From the driveway.
From the tennis court steps.
Another three tons of soil arrived while Gwilym was up the Central Coast working on his Grandparents garden... so that's what he's doing now... shovelling soil... plants are next.

News Flash...

Tracy Island is under threat, never before have the Thunderbirds been under such a determinded attack... Yes Charlie Ripley is on the move, not crawling exactly but he can get to where he wants to with the sole intention of demolishing it, within minutes. The cupboard under TV has had a rearrangement of videos and Tracy Island has been on the top of his list of things to grab since it arrived via Santa last Christmas. It's owner, Jackson Harry, put it up and out of Charlie's reach but doubts have been expressed as to how long it will be safe. Stay tuned for further developments.
Jackson Harry guarding his Tracy Island.

Colour in my Garden - January 2007

I went looking for colour in my garden this morning and at first glance there wasn't much but with camera in hand and time to wander this is what I came up with.

Vale Lord Rennell of Rodd

Died suddenly on the 9th of December 2006, a Memorial Service is being held today at St Margaret's Church in Putney. Tomos will be our representive.
Lord Rennell, known as Tremayne, was a distant cousin of ours, well that's what he called us... our side of the Rodd Family arrived in Australia in 1820, Rodd Point and Rodd Island in Sydney are named after those first settlers. As long as I can remember we've known the Rodds in England with David and I visiting Sir Francis Drakes home, (which was then owned by a Rodd) way back in 1968. Tremayne stayed with us in Turramurra while his son James lived with us for 6 months.
We visited Tremayne and Phyllis a few times while we were living in England, they were a very welcoming and happy couple to be with and we were shocked to hear of his death at the age of only 71. Tremayne had a knack of making everyone he met feel happy to be in his company, he was very friendly and most charming, we will miss him.

You Make me Feel so Young.

Here's a toe tapping sing along by Tomo. Thought I'd put a different photo up for this song so here's the fabulous Tomo, David the clever and the very lovely Emma (Tom's wife)

La Donna e Mobile

I think I've found a way of putting Tomos Singing up on my Blog, a bit of a cheat because it's not a movie and the quality probably isn't the best but you will get the idea.

Australia Day 2007

The big day is here at last, after 16 years of work restoring this 70 year old beauty it's first day back on the Streets of Sydney has arrived... as you can see David is as proud as punch as he looks back from the Drivers Cabin to see if his passengers are enjoying themselves as much as he is. More photos of Flickr on right.
Photo by rooruu
Look who got the front seat upstairs, a much coverted position... I think it's who you know not what you know in this case LOL.
Jackson Harry, his cousin Casey and his friend James..
61 Family and Friends joined us on the big day.
David's Fleet of Double Decker buses!! His Big Green Bus behind his Big Red Bus picking up passengers near Circular Quay... Craig Parkinson drove the Big Green Bus and his conductor was Tristan Phipps.
A Big Red Bus comes home after a long day...

Tomos sings La Donna e Mobile.

Gwilym and I are working on this site, trying to put music up on the Blog is harder than putting up a Movie which doesn't make sense. Anyway if you click on the below item it will take you to 'Garageband' and a site we're setting up... click on the green arrow next to La Donna e Mobile and you will get a lot of intro and a few words of Tom singing, I promise we will put more on later but we have a big day tomorrow, Australia Day... with the Big Red Bus and we're tired and want to go to bed.
Come back in a couple of days, cheers Pennie

He's a Comin' Round the Corner...

Gwilym's Dry Stone turned the corner today...
... and is heading North!!

Look at ME... Look AT ME... LOOK AT ME!!

Here I am getting ready for Australia Day (26th January) this will be the first time I've been seen on the streets of Sydney for almost 50 years. I'm 70 years old this year but feel like a young girl looking forward to her first date and am looking forward to seeing several younger buses doing a circular route from Central Station along George Street to Circular Quay then back to Central via Elizabeth Street! If you're in the City on Friday please come along and admire ME! David has been washing me and my windows inside and out all day today, Pennie has taken 35 photos and put them on Flickr so you can take a tour around my beautiful body.

What the best dressed young man...

...wears before he goes for a swim!
I don't think so...
Not the hat!
That's better....
I won!!

Charlie Ripley's first Swim for 2007

Jackson can Swim!

Day Two of the New Dry Stone Wall.

All the way down to the corner.

These old Ficus roots put a stop to the day.

Happy Birthday Michael

Today is my Nephew's Birthday... I hope you have a terrific day Michael.

Kookaburra...

Kookaburra sits on the old washstand,
Merry merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh Kookaburra,
Laugh Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be... especially if Pennie gives you a scrap or two of ham.
LOL This little fellow comes right to the door and patiently waits till one of us gets him a scrap, but if we don't he makes no fuss and flies off hoping for better luck the next time.

Day One of the New Dry Stone Wall.

There's a lot of wall here...
Work over for the day...

Garden @ '333'

Lots of gardening is being done at '333', here are pallets of new sandstone ready for new Dry Sandstone Walls that Gwilym will build for us.

Here is the old Sandstone made into a new garden bed right up the front.
More photos on Flickr.

A Man in a Suit!

Not a sight we are used to... Gwilym in a suit... here he is off to a job interview in the suit he had made in Vietnam. I'd hire him wouldn't you??

Happy Birthday Timmy T...

Happy Birthday to Tim,
Our Son-in-law,
Husband to our daughter Nerys,
Father to our Grandsons Jackson Harry and Charlie Ripley and all round super nice guy.
Happy Birthday Timmy T...

She has a name...

Here is the very beautiful Matilda May Seward Griffiths who may also be known as Tilly or even Tilda.
Big sister Abigail Rose attending to her little sister.
Would you like Dolly to sleep beside you Matilda??
All my work is done, now I'll have a nap as well.
Matilda May looks very like one of my babies with her little button nose, rosebud lips and dark hair... oooooohhhhh we so want a cuddle but we're happy to enjoy Webcam till we meet in person.

Wonderful News from London

We have a beautiful new baby Girl... born to Emma and Tomos in London at 1:10pm London time on Monday the 8th of January and weighing in at 7lb 11oz... a sister for Abigail Rose. This little girl is #14 in our family but is as yet unnamed, we will await excitedly to see what Tom and Emma come up with.
We Skyped tonight and watched adoringly as our little girl looked right at us... wonderful at only 21 hours old. There are more photos on Flickr on the right.

Congratulations to David....

David needs Congratulating... Today his Leyland TD4 Bus passed it's Registration... Congratulations to you David!!
After 16 years of restoration David's Bus will hit the streets of Sydney on Australia Day this year... fully restored!
From when he stripped this bus bare all those years ago with the top deck suspended above it while he cut out all the rust... till today with it's shiny new paint job, it's new chrome gleaming, the smell of new leather on it's seats, the easy glide of it's windows to the ding of the bell, the marvel of the scumbling, the sexy lighting and the safest brakes of all TD4's in Australia... (actually his is the only working TD4 but he tells me the brakes are working better than they did in their heyday) David has never been daunted and has happily plodded along year after year and as you can see by this photo his hard work has been justified!! This bus was 70 years old last year and it's 50 years since it was in Service on Sydney's streets... come into the City on Australia Day for a free bus ride!!

Happy New Year!

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than these two photos and in the morning of the first day of 2007. Hip Hip Hurray!!
Raining so hard it's spilling over the leaf filled gutters. Memo to self... ring Linden to get them cleaned again.
Rain running off the roof and into the front water tank. Unfortunately only we seemed to get this rain, friends only a 5 minute drive away got a few spots and the rest of the day has been mainly sunny. Oh well it topped up the pool and almost filled our water tanks a good start to January for us.