A Travelogue

   We've just come back from a trip to the Sapphire coast and hinterland in NSW, primarily to visit Ian and Rose at Mogareeka, and Fran at Numeralla.

  

   We set out last Tuesday morning and drove to Lakes Entrance where we spent the night.  We had dinner at the floating seafood restaurant across the road from our motel;  Doortje's fish and chips were beautifully cooked and tasted superb.

   On Wednesday we followed the main road through Orbost, Cann River and Genoa, then across the border into NSW and on to lunch at Eden.  Eden is a very hilly town, but the views of the coastline and Twofold Bay are beautiful.

   In the afternoon, we drove through Merimbula and then Pambula, where I took a wrong turn and we enjoyed more of the "suburbs" than intended; and then on to Tathra and Mogareeka, which is on the north side of the Bega River mouth at the northern end of the Tathra beach.  Ian and Rose's house is up the hill overlooking the river mouth to the east, and being on a ridge, there are also views of the estuary and forest to the west.  Cunningly, the house has balcony decks on the east and west sides to take advantage of the stunning views. 

     Rose and Ian wasted no time in tempting us with lots of goodies and we were soon enjoying al fresco wining and dining, which included locally smoked ham and chicken.

   On Thursday Ian drove us north to explore the coastline further.  We walked to the inlet at Bithry, the property that was donated to National Parks by the architect Roy Grounds.  Manning Clark had a property on the northern bank of the inlet.  Then we went to Bermagui and had a beer on the verandah of the pub overlooking the harbour and coastline, a terrific view that includes Camel Rock.  We drove back to Mogareeka inland via Cobargo and Bega, and Ian bought oysters from the oyster lady as we passed through Tathra.

    Ian "shucked" the oysters like an expert, being careful not to spill any of the salt water they contained.  They were as fresh as is possible, unless we were to stand in the water ourselves and eat them as they were harvested.

   The oysters tasted so fresh, with that great combination of salt water and lemon juice.  I had the privilege of eating the last one!

   While we sat on the deck we saw lots of birds.  The trees were full of bell miners and lorikeets, and each evening a family of black cockatoos came to drink close by and sat in the trees a few metres away.  On Thursday evening Ian smoked some salmon in the barbecue and it was superb.

   On Friday morning Doortje and I reluctantly left Mogareeka and headed north.  We passed through Bermagui and spent some time at Tilba Tilba, a national trust town turned into tourist shopping, including Tilba cheese.  Further north we came to Bodalla, Moruya and Bateman's Bay.  We had a late lunch inland at Nelligen with a nice view of the upper reaches of the Clyde River.  The traffic from Canberra to Bateman's Bay was thick - Doortje counted sixty cars lined up behind a truck crawling up an incline.  We reached Braidwood in late afternoon and booked into the motel.  We had a surprisingly good meal at the Royal Arms pub.

   On Saturday morning, the park in the main street of Braidwood was bustling with Australia Day activity, sausage sizzle and lots of flags.  We headed south and found the turnoff to Cooma.  The road was pleasantly minor with negligible traffic, passing through peaceful farmland until we reached forested country and the road was unsealed.

   When we climbed up into the Badja state forest, we drove through low cloud or mist for some time.  The road was stony but fine for two-wheel drive traffic.

   Late in the morning we reached Fran's property east of Numeralla.  She was not home but a friend was there to show us the improvements she has made to the house.   

   The two-storey right-hand side of the house is new and very well done.  We continued west to Numeralla, where the Music Festival was in full swing.

    When we arrived,  Fran was in the middle of a dance class in the hall.  Here she is backlit by the light coming in the front door.  The tuned played by the band was instantly recognisable as the one that is always played when fiddle and squeezebox players come together!

   After coffee and a brief yarn with Fran, who was busy as an organiser of the festival, we headed off to Cooma, where a Turkish café provided some beaut olives, feta and flatbread.  An Australia Day shindig was in full swing in the main park, complete with car display and jumping castle, and speeches about immigration from the stage.

   That afternoon we headed off south through Bombala to Cann River and then west back to Lakes Entrance.  We met up with Helmy, Doortje's sister, and had a great Greek lamb meal at the Kalimna pub, which specialises in Greek food.  We completed the trip yesterday, the Australia Day holiday, driving back in holiday traffic but early enough to miss the worst of it. 

   
   Photos all taken by Doortje, except the one in which she holds an oyster! 

Camping

   Being as it’s the summer holiday season when people like to get away, and we recently spent a few nights at Toora in Gippland, let me say a bit about camping.  It will possibly sound pedantic, and present what is undoubtedly an outmoded point of view.

   My views on camping are coloured by my earliest experiences.  The first encounter with a tent that I recall was on a trip with my parents and brothers to Normanville, south of Adelaide.  The tent was khaki canvas, of the Army type, almost a cube in shape but with a pyramid hip roof, held up with internal wooden poles and external guy ropes.  It had no floor and no zips - the vertical corners and door flaps were fastened with ties.  We may have been in a camping ground, but if so, were on the periphery away from everybody, just back from the beach with a high sandhill behind.  It was very peaceful, at the height of the Christmas holidays.

   Another adventure I recall was when John, Peter and I rode our bikes from Glengowrie to Brown Hill Creek in the Adelaide foothills and camped overnight.  The only "camping" equipment we carried (as I recall it) were a torch and a couple of waterproof army ponchos.  The latter had buttoned collars and somehow two of them could be buttoned together to make a rudimentary tent assisted by a couple of saplings and string.  The ridge was about a metre from the ground, with just enough room for two men to crawl under and stay dry.  There were no other people around; we chose a paddock near the creek to spend the night and were woken by huge cows blowing clouds of vapour and shuffling around the "tent" which only came up to their knees!

   A element essential to camping which is present in these early experiences is connection to the ground.  Perhaps not literally, as in feeling the rocks beneath a hip when trying to sleep, but at least the ability to remember later what the ground was like.  I can still recall that at Normanville the tent floor was coarse grass which produced a cloud of sand flies when disturbed.  Although we stayed in a caravan park at Toora recently, and slept on camp stretchers rather than the ground, I can easily recall the topography of the land where we banged in tent pegs, and the bare ground in the vestibule of the tent.  It seems to me that driving a motorhome from one park to the next without much to differentiate the sites, is not "camping", and stepping up onto the same patch of lino in a van at different sites takes away much of the awareness of the locality.

   Another essential element is the contrast between normal life at home and camping.  My early experiences had no "mod cons" - in fact, no electrical appliances.  The unique experience of camping is spoiled even with a radio.  Nothing would be more mundane than to be listening to the same old "breakfast" radio or talkback radio at a campsite.  Everyone is different of course, and few nowadays have had formative camping experiences like in the 1950s when radios suitable for a campsite were rare!  Live music around a campfire was  more likely the preferred entertainment.  In the 1960s many caravan parks during the summer provided just such evening entertainment.  Nowadays, every caravan seems to have a TV set and the poor sods in the tent next door have to listen as well.  Not to mention campers who need to leave the car doors open so everyone can hear music from the door speakers.

   A worthwhile experience afforded by camping is to enjoy the night sky and the noises of the bush.  Night vision is almost impossible to develop at other times.  Even with no moon, on a clear night it is possible to walk quietly in the bush and enjoy the serenity, or sit around the camp and watch the stars.  A kerosene lamp is ample light for any activity except perhaps prolonged reading which might be left until daylight hours.  This can all be completely spoiled by neighbouring campers equipped with everything that opens and shuts available from the camping chain store, including gas powered mantle lamps (which hiss loudly) or fluorescent lights without shades, illuminating a much larger area than required.  Try walking a hundred metres back to a campsite directly towards one of these lights - you'll trip over everything!

   There is much to be said for camping without a car, as in our trip to Brown Hill Creek, because equipment is necessarily limited, enhancing the contrast with normal life.  The only time I have combined hiking with camping, all gear in a backpack, was during a ten-day walk in the Flinders Ranges with a group of friends.  We didn't see any vehicle for ten days.  We had no tents and slept on the ground, usually a sandy creekbed.  The most sophisticated equipment would have been a torch.  We carried all our food and water, as well as musical instruments and reading material!  The best camping is in national parks or other public land where camping is not restricted to conventional camping areas.  Perhaps there are not many such places left, except in remote areas like we experienced in the Northern Territory.  Another advantage of northern climes is that it's often possible to predict successfully that it won't rain, making tents unnecessary and sleeping under the stars possible.

   Something I've noticed in recent years is that even remote campsites are being equipped with "ablution blocks".  Nothing wrong with a good pit dunny to save having to dig a hole, but I'm perplexed that people feel the need to have a shower when camping.  It's common now to see a huge big expensive rig drive into a campsite, the owners fiddle with chocks and blocks and drain buckets for a while, and then head off to the showers with towel draped on one shoulder, this being a priority after setting up "camp".  On the Flinders hiking trip, when we carried our drinking and cooking water, it would have been laughable to use much for washing.  It used to be that one of the pleasures of camping was not to shower but to become increasingly grotty and smelling of smoke from the campfire, and then have the much-anticipated privilege of a shower after arriving home.  Again, there is the contrast between camp life and home life. 

   In 2005, on the way from Alice Springs to Brisbane,  I drove south from Camooweal to the Caves NP on the Georgina River.  The road in was rough, with deep mud ruts and washaways, not really suitable for the Honda, but I was pleased to make the effort and really expected to see no-one else at the destination, being so remote.  However, the camp area by the river was occupied by four or five other groups, all with 4-wheel drives and off-road campervans except for one motorhome.  Mine was the only sedan and only tent (which I didn't need to erect).  There was at least one generator operating and there could have been more blending in.  Most vans had satellite TV dishes.  There was music playing and a couple of dogs barking at different times.  One van had an external electric light that burned all night to light the van steps.  In short, this was a beautiful, remote part of Australia spoiled by inappropriate "camping" of people who wanted to bring the city with them.

   Over time camping has been transformed.  A typical caravan park used to have as many unpowered tent sites as it did van sites with power.  Now many of the tent sites have been replaced with on-site vans, most with "en-suite" toilet and shower facilities that avoid the need to use the communal ones.  Most caravans now include toilet and shower for the same reason, as well as TV, air conditioning, and most electrical appliances that are used at home, including internet access devices.  The latest trends are to carry a generator in the van so that these appliances can be used always and anywhere, and to have a laundry on board to keep clothes clean.  Heaven forbid that travellers might go to a laundromat and meet people!  However, now I'm confusing touring with camping.  We used to have camping clothes that were only cleaned after the event.

   I suppose the point I try to make here is that the way to get the most out of camping is to make it contrast as much as possible with normal life at home.  This will vary for different people, times and localities.  For me it means roughing it in a remote location away from other "campers", so that a week away seems like a month, "mod cons" are left at home so they can be savoured all the more upon return, and unique memories are burnt into the brain, never to be forgotten.

   This has not turned out at all as I expected.  Maybe some revision at a later date.  Did I mention that on the Toora trip my e-reader was not left at home? Must be getting old and perverse.

My Best Books of 2012

This turns out to be ten of my favourite books for this year but keeping it down to ten was difficult!  By "favourite",  I think I mean ones that are most memorable and ones that please me to have now read.  Some were hard reads while others were entertainment.

I've tried to rank the books in order of favouritism, which is no easy task.  Bill Gammage's book has a head start because it's a physical book, with sixty pages of colour plates - when I saw them I had to buy it.  Except for Coorinna, which I bought in a second-hand bookstore, the others are all ebooks, some of which I've edited (eg from PDF files) to make them ebook readable, a new hobby of mine.

Anyway, here goes:-

1.  Bill Gammage:  The Biggest Estate on Earth (2012)

Subtitle: How Aborigines Made Australia.  The result of ten years of research and field studies, this book explores the concept (and proves!) that when whites came in 1788 they were confronted by a "managed landscape" (they saw parks!), mosaics of cleared land maintained over thousands of years by the locals.  In 1788, there was no such thing as "wilderness"!  This books vastly extends our knowledge of pre-1788 Australia and I love it.

2.  Ken Kesey:  Sometimes a Great Notion  (1964) 

A worthy  successor to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  Tells the story of a family of loggers in Oregon who attempt to defy the union to get their logs downriver to the mill.  Narrated by several of the characters, sometimes more than one at once!  A good writer!

3. Jared Diamond:  Guns, Germs and Steel  (1997)

This book won the Pulitzer prize.  Diamond explores the reasons that human societies developed the way they did  and why for example, Spaniards conquered the Aztecs rather than the other way round.  He shows that the reasons are due to geographical advantages enjoyed by Eurasians, nothing to do with genes.  I was very impressed by his arguments.

4. Kate Grenville  The Secret River (2005)

The theme of villain transported to the convict colony and his/her subsequent life has been done to death, yet this book explores in a new way the dispossession of Aborigines as white settlers attempted to make a go of the new life.  I liked the descriptions of life on the water for a seaman, both in England and Australia.  The gamut of attitudes to the native inhabitants of Australia is also well-explored and reminds me of Thea Astley.

5. Erle Wilson:  Coorinna  (1953)

I read this book when I was at school, but having no memory of the story, it was great to read it again (and find it in the fantastic bookshop in Fish Creek!).  As in some of Jack London's best-known work, Wilson anthropomorphizes an animal, in this case a Tasmanian tiger, and dramatises its life from birth to death.  The author is completely familiar with the Tasmanian bush, describing the flora and fauna in loving detail, as well as life before cars and tourists.

6. Patrick White:  The Hanging Garden  (2012)

This is really the start of a novel that was never completed.  It explores the relationship between two refugees, a girl and boy during World War Two, temporarily given sanctuary in a Sydney harbour property with a wild garden.  It has familiar White themes such as the girl's Greek background.  There is no significant plot but the characters are beautifully drawn and revealed.  It is a joy to find the surprises in White's prose which can take the mind in completely new directions.

 

7. Michael Shermer:  The Believing Brain  (2011)

Shermer is the president of the American Skeptics and  a psychologist and science historian (as well as an accomplished long-distance cyclist!).  He has studied why people believe "strange" things and has brought some of his previous writing together in The Believing Brain  as well as introducing the neuro-science involved in how people arrive at beliefs.  He shows how evolution has shaped the way we  seek patterns in all our dealings and then ascribe meaning to those patterns in order to make sense of the world.  A good read but spoilt a bit by lots of sidetracking.

8. Marcus Clarke:  Australian Tales of the Bush  (1896)

After he arrived from England Clarke became a writer for the Melbourne Argus in 1867, aged 21, but he tired of the urban life and went to live on a property north of Stawell.  He was a failure as a jackeroo but successful in sending stories of the bush life back to Melbourne for publication.  This is a collection of those stories, giving great insight into the rural, small-town life, and full of movement and colour.  Stories range from "Pretty Dick" in which a child is lost and perishes in the bush, to "How the Circus came to Bullocktown". A great reflection on Clarke's formative years.

9. John Grisham: A Painted House  (2001)

Grisham's novel is set on an eighty-acre cotton farm during the 1952 season of cotton picking and told by a narrator who was seven at the time of the novel.  The characters are the family who run the farm, a group of Mexicans hired to pick cotton, and a group of "hill people" who come down from the Ozarks each year for the picking.  The descriptions are masterly, detailing the oppressive summer weather, the backbreaking work in the rows of cotton, piling on the old truck to go into town on the weekend.  A good yarn that obviously reflects Grisham's childhood.

10. Charles Darwin:  The Autobiography of Charles Darwin  (1887)

This text was written by Darwin for his wife and children, and was edited and published after his death by Darwin's son.  It mainly describes his childhood, education and early influences.  He spent time at Edinburgh University from the age of sixteen and then Cambridge when it was determined he would not be a doctor but rather a clergyman, meant to study the classics.  His early influences were the scientific men and societies at these establishments, and his love of collecting, in particular, beetles.  Darwin suggests that he was not an innovator or original thinker but relied on methodical and painstaking hard work in conducting analysis of his collections.

 

Now that I've completed this post, I realise there are another dozen books that could have made the list, but ain't that the way?

My Best Music of 2012

   Here's my favourite new (for me) albums for 2012.  It doesn't necessarily reflect what I'm most listening to because I always love to listen to old favourites- new is not always best.  However it shows what I've been enthusiastic about in the last twelve months.  There are notable albums I've got this year that didn't make the cut, from new classical guitarists like Miloš Karadaglić to old jazz icons like clarinettist Johnny Dodds or bluesmen like Jerry "Boogie" McCain who died this year.

   The WOMAD festival in Adelaide in March had a lot of influence.  I did some research, downloaded music off the internet and knew what I wanted to see when we got there.  Generally, I wasn't disappointed and there were some great surprises!

   Anyway, here's ten albums that I'm happy to listen to any day of the week, in no particular order:- 

1.  Glenn Gould -  Goldberg Variations (1955)

The 1955 recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations made the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould instantly famous.  His 1981 re-recording (a year before he died) is also of interest but doesn't have the daring of the original.  This record goes for 38 minutes; the 1981 version when he was older and wiser goes for 55 minutes ( I love them both).

2.  Nana Mouskouri - Athina (1984). 

I loved her TV shows when accompanied by the Athenians with their harmonies and Greek musicianship featuring guitar and bouzouki.  However, her recordings were commercial crap until I discovered this album which reflects her roots and the Greek musicianship.  Folk songs such as "Yalo Yalo" make the album.

3.  Diabate and Sissoko - New Ancient Strings (1997) 

The Malian fathers of Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko recorded Ancient Strings in 1970, so this is a tribute by the kora player Diabate and his accompanist.  I think I got this album from Ian in NSW - thanks, it's very laid back.

4.  Jinja Safari - Locked by Land (2012). 

They were supposed to bring out a new album this year but this is a compilation of the EPs (which I had) and some bonus tracks.  Anyway, we saw them live at Womadelaide - teenage magnets with an electric performance, and great musicians.

5.  Dobet Gnahore - Home Made (2012). 

I bought an album (Djekpa La You) of this African performer after seeing her live at Womadelaide but was disappointed by the overproduction compared to the tracks I'd previously collected off the internet.  These had only her voice and guitar accompanied by female backing vocals and percussion.  I compiled the seven tracks into this "album".

6.  Shivkumar Sharma And Hariprasad Chaurasia -Rasdhara (1999).  We were very impressed and privileged to see Shivkumar Sharma at Womadelaide playing his satoor (like the hammered dulcimer).

I found this record where he is accompanied by the famed flute player - it's a great combination!  These two played together in 1967 (Call of the Valley) but this shows their experience.

7.  Anda Union - The Wind Horse (2011).  I bought this album after watching the Mongolian acoustic group's set twice (or was it three times?) at Womadelaide.  The combination of throat singing, stringed instruments and pure exuberance was exhilarating to say the least.  They effortlessly captured the rhythm and feel of horses in the Mongolian landscape.

8.  Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972).  I also have his first album Five Leaves Left (1969) but the 1972 effort shows better songwriting and features only voice and guitar which is more poignant.  I'd never heard of Drake until recently but think this is me in the bedroom (so do others apparently!).

9.  Le Trio Joubran - Asfar (2011).  I already had their 2005 album Randana but after seeing them at Womadelaide got this and love the simple subtlety.  My initial thought at their concert was that they were doing "party tricks" for the westerners but this is probably too harsh.  It's hard to fault the record.

10. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert (1975).  I'm amazed to find that I've only this year discovered the best-selling solo jazz album ever and the best-selling piano album.  For this I thank ABC Classic FM who played a track earlier in the year.  I particularly love the first track which runs for 26 minutes and draws the listener into the whole experience.  I'll leave it to others to conjecture whether he made it up as he went along (just kidding)!

 

I resisted the temptation to include more than 10 albums!

Christmas Letter 2012

    This is a bit like our annual report card - sent with Christmas cards to most of the people to whom we send Christmas cards - published here for posterity (?). 

   Greetings and best wishes for the Christmas season!  We hope you are enjoying your celebrations and will have a wonderful year in 2013.

   In the era of Twitter and Facebook, the concept of a letter printed on ordinary paper and posted with a stamp is all a bit "last year", but I intend to persevere in a spirit of "making contact by any means is better than none at all"!

   The year was mostly taken up with visits to hospital for treatment.  In mid-year, the treatment became ineffective (some cancer cells mutate and resist the drugs) and I switched to a clinical trial which required weekly visits to the Frankston Private Hospital for a fortnightly infusion of a whole cocktail of drugs for about five hours and a shorter treatment in the off-week.  That has now finished after twelve weeks, the PICC line is removed and no infuser bottles to bring home (and sleep with!).  Bliss!  As part of the trial, I'm still on weekly maintenance treatment for as long as it is effective.  Side effects have been manageable except that numb tingly fingers and feet have been with me since I had oxaliplatin in the first half of last year - I'm still waiting for it to go away and let me lead a more normal life.

   One project we got out of the way this year was to get all our old 8mm films converted to DVD.  A bloke down at Tyabb did them for us and he did a great job.  It was fun to see again the old movies of family life when I was single, and ones of our kids when they were little.  I've also scanned all of our slide collection and put them onto USB memory sticks that can be plugged straight into the TV for viewing.  At present I'm in the process of scanning all the photos in our photo albums for the same purpose.  While it's nice to thumb the pages of an album, it's also great to see them as a slide show on the TV.  An added incentive was that many photos needed to be removed from albums that were deteriorating badly and put into new ones.

   Doortje and I have done our bit to keep the arts and entertainment industry afloat.  During the year we've been to WOMAD in Adelaide as well as music festivals at Frankston, Mordialloc and the Aboriginal arts festival at Federation Square in Melbourne.  For the latter we stayed in a motel in Southbank near the river and enjoyed three days of such performers as Dan Sultan and Archie Roach as well as great restaurant meals and generally living it up.

   In March we went to Womadelaide.  We drove over and stayed a week in a motel close to the Botanic Park venue.  Staying in the same motel were Alan and Kim from Darwin,  Peter and June from Tweed Heads and for part of the time, Jan and Ebony from Port Pirie.  We spent an evening before the festival with John and Sue, so it was a real family affair and we had a great time.  We were able to walk into the CBD for meals, as well as to the festival, although I had my bike for the latter, riding being easier on my feet than walking.  We saw some great performers - some favourites were Jinja Safari, Dirty Three, Tinariwen, Anda Union, Dobet Gnahore and the Pigram Brothers, but there were heaps!

   In June, we even went to the opera in downtown Frankston.  We saw Bizet's Carmen at the Arts Centre and enjoyed it very much.  The orchestra was only a dozen or so and complemented the voices of the Melbourne Opera very well.

   We made several trips during the year to a variety of interesting places.  Early in the year we stayed a few nights at Jill Redwood's b&b cottage at Goongerah.  We had booked to go there in 2010 but didn't make it when ill-health intervened.  Then Helmy and Perran asked us to join them there so we did.  Goongerah is a very secluded, peaceful place amongst the mountains and forest on the Brodribb River.

PTO

   During the winter we stayed in a holiday house on the side of the hill at Walkerville with spectacular views of Waratah Bay and Wilson's Promontory.  The weather wasn't great but we had a fire and were able to get out for walks occasionally.  Just to sit and look at the view (and parrots!) was wonderful.  We had a similar experience at Metung when Perran's parents, Rob and Anna, left their house empty and invited us to use it.  The house is set in the bush on Box's Creek which runs into Bancroft Bay at Metung.  It's a beautiful house - a feature is the breakfast nook which was perfect for sitting in the winter sun.

   Another trip we did between treatments was to spend five nights at Tooleybuc in NSW.  What's at Tooleybuc?  Nothing, really!  It simply had the property of being not far from Swan Hill, where I tried to book on what was a long weekend with the annual race meeting being a feature.  "Not even the locals like to spend five nights in a row in Tooleybuc!"  It has a sporting club and hotel (we had two evening meals in each and could walk to both), about 250 people, and a bridge across the Murray.  We enjoyed relaxing and exploring in every direction.  Except for the first afternoon, we gave Swan Hill a miss!

   The kids are all doing well.  Daniel continues to make trips to China with his work.  Monika's mother and step-father, Gunhild and Kjell, were here from Sweden at the beginning of the year and we spent a bit of time with them.  Monika's daughter, Wendy, was married in September - the weather was beaut, which is surprising!  Wendy and Jakob seem very happy and make a great couple.  William came home from Sweden in time for the wedding after being in Africa and Europe for about eighteen months.  Ronja, now fourteen and in her second year of high school, changed schools at the beginning of the year and is now going to Frankston High, which has an excellent reputation, and she is very happy with the change.

   Helmy and Perran and the boys have been in Denmark since July.  Perran has six months sabbatical leave and is doing some research at the university in Odense.  Harvey is going to school and Theo to pre-school but language has been a bit of a problem.  Helmy has been doing some laboratory work at the uni.  They all got bikes when they arrived there and have no car.  The most recent photos show the first snow of the season.  We're looking forward to them being home in January.

   Jac and Pat's kids are growing up too fast.  Mason is now thirteen and Sullivan is five, with the girls in between - Amelia nine and Nara seven.  In September, all six of them flew to Europe for a holiday in Paris and to visit the Odense relatives.  We took them to the airport and after hanging around for a while, Sully asked "Mum, are we in Paris now?"  Anyway, they had a great time, not least going up the Eiffel tower.  Mason started high school this year and is an enthusiastic cricketer, while Millie is into basketball.  I think Jac's cakemaking and decorating has taken a back seat to crochet which she is keen on.  We celebrated her fortieth birthday in May (I wrote a song which the grandkids all performed).

   Since Helm's family went to Denmark we've started using Skype to keep in contact.  Doortje loves it!  Harvey and Theo are able to show us their latest Lego models and school stuff.  We should have started long ago with Andrew and Sarah in Alice Springs because we don't see them often.

   Andrew and Sarah, apart from their bush trips to Aboriginal communities in Pitjantjatjara country, have recently been busy rehearsing their two-person show in preparation for the Darwin season of three shows which they performed a couple of weeks ago.  Those we know who went, including Alan and Kim, say it was very successful, and Andrew and Sarah were happy with the effort they put in.  They've also been to remote communities in the Top End, including Maningrida in November.

   Enough!  You can find more detail and photos on my Flickr site and blog page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_james/sets/

http://robjames66.blogspot.com/

lots of love,

(and generally signed by Doortje and, possibly, Rob)

Cancer Treatment

Diary of Cancer Treatment

2010

Aug 04             Saw Jenni Koch, my GP, re irregularity (but no pain or bleeding), referred to Dr Dinh.

Aug 30             Dr Dinh, gastroenterologist at Mornington, arranged colonoscopy.

Sept 08            Colonoscopy and biopsy at Springvale.  Rectal tumour, suspected malignant.

Sept 13            Confirmed malignant.  CT scan to reveal extent, plus blood tests.

Sept 15            Jenni Koch explained treatment, involving never-ending appointments, etc.

Sept 23            Mr Tilan Beneragama, surgeon of Mornington.  Large tumour, stage 4 metastasis, spread to lymph glands and spots in lungs, treatment still possible.

Sept 27            MRI scan at Frankston Private.

Sept 28            Oncologist, Dr Vinod Ganju.  Aggressive cancer but responds to treatment, more tests ordered inc PET scan to gauge spread and indicate chemo treatment of stage 4 metastasis.

Oct 06             Dr George Quong, radiation oncologist, to supervise radiation to reduce tumour size before operation by Mr Beneragama.

Oct 07             PET scan at Moorabbin.

Oct 08             At Frankston Hospital, tattoos applied to torso for aiming radiation beam.

Oct 12             Ganju confirmed PET scan showed cancer presence in bloodstream and 3 lung spots.

Oct 19             At Frankston Hospital, PICC line inserted in right arm and infuser bottle of  Fluorouracil  attached (chemo to assist radiation).  First radiation treatment.

Oct 20             Radiation continues 5 days per week at Frankston Private, chemo infuser and PICC dressing changed weekly at Frankston Public chemo unit.  Weekly appointment with Dr Quong and fortnightly with Dr Ganju at Frankston Private.

Nov 24            Saw Mr Tilan Beneragama.  Operation fixed for Jan 24, allowing for recovery from chemo and radiation (and family holiday at Skene's Creek).

Nov 26            Last radiation treatment.  PICC removed.

Dec 16             CT scan shows tumour has shrunk nicely for operation.

2011

Jan 04              Pre-op session with stoma nurse, dietitian, theatre doctor, anaesthetist.

Jan 24              Admitted 7.00am. operation at 9.30am, returned to ward at 2.30pm.  Mr Beneragama happy with result, got all tumour and lymph nodes, no spread to prostate, etc, created stoma.

Feb 02             Home after bowel movement and all-clear from stoma nurse.

Feb 03             Stoma nurse visit, all OK.

Mar 11             Scan and PICC line inserted prior to chemo.

Mar 16             Frankston Public chemo unit - chemo treatment, hardcore to treat lung growths, inc oxaliplatin, which produces nausea and peripheral neuropathy.

Mar 17             Sore bum.  A pinhole caused by old stitch working its way out.  Beneragama removed with tweezers as in rabbit from hat.  Soon healed.

Mar 18             Chemo bottle removed after 2 days, treatment fortnightly.

July 11             Completed heavy chemo.  Shows lung growths have shrunk, cancer markers in blood down from 11.5 to 1.6.  No spread elsewhere, so onto milder treatment.  Fingers and feet beginning to show effects of oxaliplatin, tingling, numbness, loss of nerve endings.

Aug                  Continue new treatment of Evastin infusion at Frankston Public Chemo unit once every three weeks plus Xeloda tablets for two weeks then one week off.

Aug 31             Dr Ganju happy lungs spots are small.

Sept 07            Mr Beneragama review.  Sensation of mass between cheeks is normal, scar tissue settling down over time, allow 12 months.

Nov                 Review of chemo treatment, all OK.

Dec                  Ditto

2012

 Jan 30             Dr Ganju review.  Cancer marker test 3, up from 2 but anything under 5 is good.  Continue with Evastin and Xeloda.  Nexium for nausea or reflux when required.

Feb                  Mr Beneragama check up.  All OK.

March              Stoma nurse.  Have hernia protrusion affecting the fit of bags, ie smell occurs.

April 23            Stopped treatment. Dr Ganju says current chemo no longer working, cancer has become resistant.  Proposed clinical trial of new regime, administered at Frankston Private, but all free.

May 01            Biopsy taken of lung tumour by Dr Stuckey to determine type for trial.  Very painful.

May 02            Met Albert Goickman, nurse running Gain C trial - will mean lots of weekly treatments, appointments, paper work, etc.

May 23            First treatment of trial, cetuximab to be administered weekly.

May 28            PICC line inserted by Dr Stuckey ready for main treatment.

May 30            Main treatment, fortnightly, of cetuximab, fluoruracil, leucovarin, irinotecan plus anti-nausea etc by drip in PICC line (collectively called Folfiri), plus take-home bottle of fu5 for 2 days.  See Dr Ganju every fortnight for review.  Parking at Frankston Private much easier than at Public!

June 04            Side effects - dry, pealing skin, some nausea but controllable.

June 18            Review with Dr Simone Steel.  All OK.  Antibiotics to prevent skin infections, vitamin B6 to aid nerve reconstruction in fingers and feet, moisturiser for skin.

June 27            No Folfiri due to white blood cell count below 1.5 (now 1.3).  Cetuximab only.

July 09             Review with Dr Ganju.  Reduce strength of drugs to ensure white blood cell count stays OK.

July 23             Bad reflux.  Daily nexium and pantoprazole, also gaviscon liquid.  Three days following big treatment, pill count is 9 in am and 7 in pm!

Aug 09             Saw stoma nurse re bag fit.  New bags plus hernia belt to use as required.

Aug 22             Seventh  cycle.

Aug 30             Scan, ECG and blood for review.

Sept 05            8th cycle.  Review OK, will continue trial till 12th cycle.

Oct 24             12th cycle - last one of chemical trial using Folfiri.  Weekly cetuximab will continue as part of the trial, at least for time being.

Nov 07             Had PICC line removed as cetuximab can be infused safely through a temporary canula in the back of the hand or wrist.  Treatment only takes 60-90 minutes instead of most of the day.

Nov 14             Dr Ganju happy with things - lung spots have stabilised and he feels cetuximab may keep it all in check (some people go for a year or more on cetuximab on its own).  Only pernicious side effect is skin peeling like the aftermath of sunburn but continuous.

* underlined dates show start and end of treatments

Detective Quiz

How Well Do You Know Your Detectives?

I'm not a fan of crime novels about rich people who sit around in country mansions screaming "The butler did it!", but I do enjoy the occasional good mystery, particularly if set in my own country with realistic people and plot.  This year I enjoyed Richard Flanagan's The Unknown Terrorist, which is not strictly a "mystery" novel, I suppose.

Anyway, in looking for novels that I might enjoy, I've come across familiar and not-so-familiar authors and been able to compile the following puzzle, which features a list of twenty authors who have each written a series of books about a central character, usually a detective.  Unfortunately for you the "heroes" have been jumbled up!

1.  Can you unjumble the list and match authors with their heroes?

2.  Do you know which of the heroes are NOT detectives (private or otherwise)?

3.  Do you know how many (and which) authors are Australian?

Good Luck!  Feel free to leave comments!

The Authors                                         The "heroes"

           

1.  Arthur Conan Doyle…                    …Maigret

2.  Kerry Greenwood…                        …The Saint

3.  Peter Temple…                               …Hamish MacBeth

4.  Dorothy Sayers…                            …Adam Dalgliesh

5.  Garry Disher…                                …Charlie Chan

6.  Agatha Christie…                            …Father Brown

7.  Arthur Upfield…                             …Raffles

8.  Mickey Spillane…                          …Sherlock Holmes

9.  E W Hornung…                              . . Miss Marple

10. Georges Simenon…                       …Phryne Fisher         

11. Earl Derr Biggers…                       …Dr Thorndike

12. Peter Corris…                                …Lord Peter Wimsey

13. G K Chesterton…                          …Les Norton

14. Jon Cleary…                                  …Murray Whelan

15. Leslie Charteris…                          …Cliff Hardy

16. P D James…                                   …Hal Challis

17. R Austin Freeman…                      …Napoleon Bonaparte

18. Shane Maloney…                          …Jack Irish

19. M C Beaton…                               …Mike Hammer

20. Robert G Barrett…                        …Scobie Malone

NB  For me "hero" in this context (ie central character) is a term that includes "heroine" and makes it redundant.