Brrr. Aussie Summer...not

Still waiting for the warmth... Cricket on the telly. Cocktail hour at 5pm. All the good food in the world. Yep, we are in Australia. I'm doing a lot of reading (thanks Paul - I'm loving Biff) and lying around. Oh, and a bit of a walk this morning - down the hill to town, over the footbridge to the beautiful 90 mile beach, along the main street and then back up the hill. It's sunny now, but the wind is southwesterly, which in the southern hemisphere, does not involve any heat. Tomorrow we are off to visit my good friend and once-bridesmaid, Ailsa. Oh, yeah, and there is a Cherry Ripe at hand whenever the urge strikes.

Christmas in Australia

After a fairly uneventful trip, we arrived in Sydney late and had our connecting flight changed. Naturally, our bags went on their own adventure and remain there even now. A quick trip to Target had us outfitted in all new clothes while our travelling clothes were washed. Here in Melbourne, it is the coldest Christmas day since 1935. Rain alternates with sun. This is good news here, where drought conditions prevail. My brother tells me that it was 42 degrees a couple of days ago. The predicted high today is 16.

My nephews are slightly taller, but largely unchanged. They are currently happily playing with many toys, including a bowling set that Uncle Larry, clever guy, put together. The newest member of the household is Coco the dog. Weird coincidence.

My sister-in-law, a terrific cook, is preparing a great Australian Christmas lunch. It's in the oven and on the barbeque and the house is redolent with engaging odors. I'm on my first glass of champagne and orange juice and all is well with the world. It's great to be in the company of family. Peace on earth. At least until the boys start scrapping over the playstation or something.

I'm in Australia, and I'm loving it.

Thanksgiving in California

The only problem with California is that there are too many Californians. What a great trip though. Chocolate factory, turkey, Valentine the dog, wine tasting, shopping, eating, drinking, laughing, laughing, and laughing with our very good friends. Yeah, it's a great trip to take every other year.

Susan, Kathy, Larry. Wine tasting at Healdsburg

Valentine the wonder dog

Susan and Kathy - fine times in San Francisco