Greetings from Wales

Hi All
Not much happening in beautiful South Wales really.
My friend, Louise, had her baby boy amonth ago. Samuel Jac is gorgeous!
Jules and I had 5 days in New Quay, Wales (not Cornwall) last week. It was lovely to be away for a few days and visit some different op shops.
Gail has left the Gwyn Arms and is greatly missed. The place really isn't the same without her but we are all happy for her to have a life back. She is very busy re-decorating her house and trying to fit the possessions she's collected whilst living in an enormous space into a 2 bedroom semi.
Cynthia is very excited about our impending visit to Australia (We arrive in 6 weeks in case anyone had forgotten). Any dates for Christmas dinner at Bulli yet?
There is loads of work around for me at the moment so I can pay the bills whilst we are away.
Darts knockouts at the moment -no league games for another four weeks. We won at our venue in the 4s knockouts on Tuesday. We have another team in 4s again next week. Let's hope we do as well. (I play next week).
Hope all's well with you all. Thinking of you.
Moo xxxxxx

Hi all,
Only saying one thing
Claire of the desert - go girl!!
Love zak

my Alice stay

Well the journey is more than one week in and much has happened so here is the story so far...

I was wide awake when the alarm went off. Being tired just didn't come into it; I was out the door insanely early with a kayak, a swag and an overdose of adrenaline.

Boy it didn't take long to dampen that enthusiasm. Long driving stints take practice and I was way out of touch despite the Batchelor commute from hell every morning. About five hundred kilometres into the one thousand four hundred and ninety eight kilometres I finally kicked in - and then I could have driven straight through.

Commonsense prevailed and I pulled up and camped on a concrete table. why a table you ask? Well, prickles mainly. With all the glorious rain the iconic bindi-eye was in full, spiky bloom and I have better things to do than pull nasty, pointy plants out of my rear end all night. As it turned out when you camp on a concrete table squished between a road inundated by thundering road trains and a railway inundated by kilometre long freight trains with a wind straight off the Antarctic tunnelling its way through the middle your sleep tends to be a little dodgy whether you have prickles or not.

But that adrenaline kicked in again and I was in Alice before lunch on Sunday. Yey.

A week of work happened next, routines to get into the habit of, jobs to do etc etc. Then the weekend came around and all that water minus the chompy, stingy things beckoned. The Western Macs seemed like a great place to start. I drove 300 ks Saturday renewing friendships with place and country. The kayak had a Central Australian christening in a long waterhole just off the main drag and all was good with the world.

Then it got better, Will and his flatmate cooked me a Sunday roast! How cool is that?

Can't wait for what happens next.

Hope you are all well

Claire (of the Desert)

news from the capital

Hi all, am typing this on my brand new macbook! Though a student did tell me he thought I was to technologically low to have one! Not much happening here. Steve and I went to the home show today. We go every year because we get in free, thanks to Michael who is on the show society. Raining again, I think the drought is well and truly over, considering the amount of rain we have been getting. Have been extended another year at Melba-Copland, the boss seems to like me because he is very supportive of everything I do. Two of my good friends have left, one for good the other on maternity leave, so am a little lonely at work at the moment. Clare did a guest spot with my band last weekend when we played at a local fete. She knows all about the going gig rates- breakfast and a book. She is away today at Cooma with her school band playing in some sort of festival. I don't think she was very happy this morning leaving home at 7.15 and not getting back till 6.30 a big sleep-in for her tomorrow. Lucy is well and looking forward to finishing in two weeks. She is headed to Kiama with her friends for 'coasties'.Steve is well, and I am sure is looking forward to helping me use this computer! I have started walking three mornings a week with a friend, and trying to go to the gym at least once a week, in the never ending battle to lose weight. I blame Nana and her sweet tooth which she has obviously passed on to me. I had better go now and learn how to use this machine! Love to all, Annie

darwin News

Hi all

Well not long to go now before the end of the year. Another week of year 12 classes, a week of study leave, then the exams, a graduation and formal and then it's all over. Except that I have the year 10 cohort next year so I will have to start the orientation process. No rest for the wicked.
We had Lana, the German exchange student who stayed with us last year come and stay again for a week. It was lovely to see her again and do some of the tourist things you only do when you have visitors.
Looks like a great party and time was had by all. I will need to come to the next one as no one seems to have got the gear off.
Claire is going to Alice Springs this weekend for work. She will be away for 5 weeks. Unfortunately Mark has decided to move to Perth for an unknown period of time and he is leaving just before she gets there. Luckily he was here only a few weeks ago.
Looks like we will be staying here for christmas, trying to save some money to do some work on the house.
Anyway thats about it from up here. I think it has rained for a bit of the Masters in Alice this week so it's probably good you didn't go there Old Man.

love to you all
Marty and Claire

Following Zac's erudite description of the J/F 50's party a few pictures may brighten the scene.

A great night was had by all.

Love to All

Dad/Tjilpi/Old Man/Kev.

Greetings from the south coast

Hi all,
10am sunday morning. Jacobite has just left with his mob after coming up for Jack and Fran's 50th frivolous festivities last night.
Great party!! said the jaffa to the fisherman, and Flora agreed.
You look so hot when you dance, said jacobite to the jazz musican, although there were sniggers from junior flora and fifties gal.
Flamingo and flapper and flower pot had the dance floor pumping.
The jackaroo and fj holden guy (not the fj holden couple) told some grand tales of JFK and his flapper wife of 24 years!
The franciscan and the father gave their blessings to all. The jockey joyfully accepted her jellybabies, and the jasmine fairy looked radiant.
The frog did a fine job as official photo girl as did JFK and flapper fran,s son, another jazz musican with the video, which will no doubt capture some great moments of a special night.
So for those of you who coudn't be there in body, but we know were there in spirit you get a bit of a feel for the fab night. We await the DVD with baited breath.
Im slowly heading south, via the hindu temple for breakfast then some live music by the sea! What a great weekend!!
Only 9 weeks till Moo and Jules are here!!
Love to you all, Zak