Flying Flags

Australians are not known for flying their country’s flag at their residences unlike some countries where you see them all over the place eg. USA
I am the exception around here.
My father was a flag flyer so it must be in my genes.
He always flew the Lion Rampant to reflect his Scottish heritage.
This is second ‘unofficial’ flag of Scotland, the official flag being the blue and white St. Andrews Cross.
The Lion Rampant is also known as the Royal Banner of Scotland or the Royal Flag of Scotland.
The earliest record of its use in Scotland dates back to 1222 AD.

Officially, it can only be flown at royal residences such as Holyrood Palace and Balmoral Castle, and only then when the monarch, currently King Charles III, isn’t in residence.

So does that mean it’s illegal to fly the Lion Rampant?
The answer is, that according to British law, it is actually illegal to fly this particular flag in Scotland unless it’s at a royal residence.
That hasn’t stopped its use though and today the Lion Rampant is proudly waved alongside the official flag at sporting events and political events and even seen on tourist gift shops.
In reality, the likelihood of getting into trouble for flying the Lion Rampant is next to zero, but there have been a few occasions where businesses have been fined for using it without permission.
It always puzzled me that my father flew it, given his destain, in true Scottish fashion, for most things English.
I have in the past flown two flags.

One is the Australian flag (despite the Union Flag of the UK in the corner, but that’s another story) when our Labor government is in power and the Eureka flag as a sign of protest when the conservatives are in power.

The Eureka flag was born out of a protest of autocratic colonial government way back in 1854 in the goldfields of Victoria 

That history is here.

Unfortunately it has been used for a number of unsavoury causes in the past but it’s still a symbol of freedom to a great many of Australians.

I would like it to replace the current Australian flag but that will never happen.
An old friend of mine had a Scottish flag which she said would never be used and because 50% Scottish blood flows in my veins she sent it to me.

It’s the St.Andrews cross which forms part of the UK’s Union Flag together with England’s red St.George Cross and Ireland’s red saltire. Strangely enough, the Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK (but Northern Ireland is) and Wales is not represented.
It’ll be flying on days of Scottish significance eg. St. Andrews Day, 30th November.

Winter Firewood Delivery

It was time to order our firewood delivery despite summer just being over.

We wanted to get in early before the masses caused delivery delays.

But with our current Indian summer, the last thing on most people’s minds is firewood.

The 10 cu.m (7-8 tonnes) of eucalyptus hardwood was delivered the next day.

So that meant stacking it in our woodshed out of the weather.

We did that over three days working a few hours in the shade late afternoon.

That plus what we had already cut up from around the property over the last year will surely last us all winter.

Pinot Noir Block / Long Overdue Clean Up

I have been working on cleaning up the old Pinot Noir block which has been severely overgrown with weeds, ferns and long grass (kikuyu) all of which have come through the netting.
Have to do it bit by bit, first cutting the netting into sections, cutting through the weeds/grass and any vine canes entangled in it and then rolling the mass of stuff over the top wire.
Made steady progress until the rain came. Too wet in there to work comfortably then.
And some days it’s just too hot and muggy.

Have been mindful of snakes (none so far) and leeches against which I spray myself with Aerogard®.

What I didn’t take into consideration was disturbing a wasps nest and getting stung 

numerous times. 

Should have done this job much earlier when everything was more accessible but there you go. I put that down to having to do the other two blocks first and getting sick of the process.
Once this is all cleaned up, the cows will keep the grass there under control.
And the old netting and contents will be burnt on our burn piles after April when fire restrictions come off. All debris caught in the netting should have dried off by then.
Have given myself until the end of the month to finish.
So no real rush.

Cars and Rodents

Our neighbour was having car problems.

She took it into her mechanic who said rats or mice had been chewing on the car’s wiring.

It was not an uncommon occurrence in our area according to him.

We remembered another neighbour had a similar problem last year.

Their car was out of service for 2 weeks and repairs were very expensive.

How to combat this?

Some suggestions are:

Wrap the Vehicle’s Wires
This is an easy solution, but you’ll need to partner with your mechanic to do it.
Honda for instance has a product called “Motor Tape” that is infused with capsaicin (the stuff that makes peppers hot!).
Although it’s not cheap to install, it’s still certainly less expensive than installing an entirely new electric system.
Make the Car Less Cozy
You can do small things like leaving your bonnet (hood) open when your car is parked for long periods of time, as well as focusing lights on the tyres and the engine, or hanging shop lights under the car. Rodents don’t like exposed places.
Set Rat Traps at the Base and Tops of Tyres
This is because the tyres are the most common way for rodents to find their way in and out of your vehicle.
Infuse the Vehicle with Mothballs
Mothballs are poisonous, so it’s best to put them in a nylon bag or other container. After bagging, hang them inside the vehicle’s engine. You can also hang them near the tyres. This discourages rodents from venturing into the vehicle for refuge or a snack.
Treat the Engine with Deterrent Spray
There are plenty of “rodent deterrent” sprays currently on the market and available from leading auto parts stores. Many of the sprays have scents that many rodents do not like, such as peppermint.

There is no mention of baiting in the recommendations.

Although we do have an ongoing rodent problem here, they have, so far, not ventured inside the car’s engine.

We continually bait and trap around and inside the house. The problem intensifies during winter when the rodents seek warmer shelter.

Maybe this is why we’ve had no car problem ie. our rodent population is very low.

Baiting has become quite controversial due to the secondary poisoning issue ie.when native wild life for instance eat the dead rodents or primary poisoning when pets consume bait not sufficiently secured.

It has become almost impossible to buy rodent bait retail here. A myriad of variously designed traps is the alternative offered. 

Traps have their place but are impractical in some areas eg. tight roof spaces.

And really I can’t imagine live trapping rodents and relocating them.

We buy baits wholesale in large quantity packs which is not a problem as we can go through a few kilograms a year. We have recently changed from the anticoagulant variety to a neurotoxin. These work a lot quicker and considered a lower risk for secondary poisoning.

Hopefully we’ll never face the car problem our neighbours have.

Sugar Free Jam

When you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the race is on to find as much sugar free or reduced sugar products, not to mention those with low carb or low GI.

I like jam on my toast in the mornings.

Very low carb (85% less) or reduced carb (50% less) bread is reasonably easy to find.

Sugar free jam not so much.

Commercial brands have limited variety and some taste quite awful while imported products, not that there are many, are very expensive.

I did find one supplier in Tasmania who produced a whole range of different varieties from local fruit most of which were excellent.

It seemed to be a farm kitchen business.

Then, due to personal issues, the business closed down with a promise to reopen in due course.

I had enough stock to keep myself going for quite a while and then ran out.

Started buying the imported products but then they ran out of stock.

In desperation, started back on a minimal scraping of normal jam.

A bit pathetic I know.

But the local producer is back!

New name, new label. 

Thank you Aunty Mary.

Order placed!

Australia Day 2023

Today commemorates the day in 1788 the first Europeans landed in what was to become known as Australia at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish a penal colony.

Due to the loss of the American colonies following the War of Independence, the British were looking for somewhere else to ‘dump’ their convict population. The east coast of New Holland ‘discovered’ by Captain James Cook back in 1770 looked like the ideal place. Remote, seemingly rich in natural resources and, according to them unoccupied ie. terra nullius.

This date has become more controversial as time has gone on.

Meant to celebrate the beginning of our nation, it is obvious that the indigenous population who had been here tens of thousands of years before the Europeans arrived see it more as an invasion day and the start of the end of their stewardship of the land and the demise of their traditions and culture.

It’s hard to argue, given what has happened since, that is not the case.

Debate over a change of date rages on.

Finding a satisfactory alternative is a sticking point.

The day we become a republic and cut ties with the United Kingdom entirely would be a satisfactory one but unfortunately that is currently a pipe dream.

Many will take part in the today’s activities, some with nationalistic, even jingoistic fervour.

We won’t be.

And here are the alternate activities that will be held across the country today.

Summer Colour in Our Garden

 

Bushfire Season

You would have thought with all the rain, up to double the annual average, and widespread flooding over the last year, that bushfires over summer would not be a problem.

Wrong!

The rain had produced substantial growth of grass on the plains and undergrowth in the forests.

That is now drying out under summer conditions.

Rural Fire Service firefighters have responded to more than 150 grass fires across NSW in the last seven days. 

They warn grass growth over recent months now poses a very real risk. 

They advise “to know your risk and take action now to ensure you, your family and your property are prepared.”
We have noticed the abnormal regrowth in our surrounding forests since the disastrous 2019/2020 fires.
Since then we have had trees removed from around our house and our neighbour has cut back a substantial fire break on the forest side of our property, the area where the last fire made its entry.

Time to reboot the “Fires Near Me” app.

Wollemi Pine Final Update 😢

In 2007 I received a small potted Wollemi Pine cloned from a secret stand of around 100 trees somewhere in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.The Wollemi Pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest plants dating back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Over the years I have documented its progress on this blog.

But 2022 being the wettest year on record has taken its toll.

Wollemis don’t like wet feet.

Despite our best efforts the end is nigh.

Sad.

Happy New Year

Boxing Day 2022

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day.

Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday, sort of our Black Friday. 

Many people wait until then to buy their Christmas presents***.

It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.

But there is more to the day than shopping.
There is Boxing Day Test match which is a cricket match held in Melbourne, Victoria, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer, this year, the South African Proteas*.

It is an annual event and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG).
It’s a must watch on TV for all cricket fans who are unable to make it in person.

And there is the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, down the east coast and across the notorious Bass Strait and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).
It is widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

This event has grown over the decades, since the inaugural race in 1945, to become one of the top three offshore yacht races in the world, and it now attracts maxi yachts from all around the globe.

The prize is The George Adams Tattersall Cup, awarded to the ultimate winner of the handicap competition based on the length, shape, weight and sail dimensions of the yacht. Much public attention however, focuses on the race for "line honours" – the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largest Maxi yacht in the fleet.
The start in Sydney Harbour and the initial part race through Sydney Heads and the turn south is very spectacular and covered by multiple TV cameras on shore, on spectator craft, on the boats themselves and from the air.
Even for non sailing fans it’s worth an hour or so viewing**.

It’s also the day a lot of city folk escape suburbia and head for, usually, their favourite coastal destination to start their summer holidays.

The population in our area increases fourfold until the end of January.

Traffic jams on major highways are the name of the game and journey times can be double the normal.

As a result of the influx of tourists our roads are clogged and beaches crowded.

Not our favourite time of the year.

But they bring their money with them which is good for local businesses. And after 2 years of covid disruption, they need it.

UPDATE: 30/12/22

*Australia beat South Africa by an innings and 182 runs with a day to spare and take a 2-0 lead the 3 match series.

** Andoo Comanche has won line honours in the 77th edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The 100-foot yacht crossed the River Derwent finish line just before 1am on Wednesday 28/12 (AEDT) with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

 Celestial has been crowned the overall winner of the 2022 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, winning in an adjusted time of 2 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes and 26 seconds just a year after being stripped of top spot following a time penalty. The TP52 yacht from Sydney was the 14th to arrive in Hobart just before 11.30am on Wednesday.

***AAP is reporting Australians have spent a record $75bn in the lead-up to Christmas but the spending frenzy didn’t stop there.
The Australian Retailers Association also recorded unprecedented growth on Boxing Day with the $1.2bn spend equating to 15% more than last year.

2022 was the biggest festive season spending on record.

Christmas Day 2022

Christmas Day dawned overcast but it soon burnt off to a sunny cloudless day.

Summer finally seems to be here.

We had our traditional pancake breakfast and began to prepare our lunchtime feast.

It was much simpler than previous years.

Smoked salmon with capers as entree (starter).

BBQ Filet Mignon with steamed asparagus and Parmesan for main,

Cheesecake and berries for the co driver; plum pudding and custard for me.

We had selected three bottles of wine.

A cheapish champagne which was surprisingly good, a French rosé from Provence which was pretty awful (tipped out) and a wonderful ten year old Sangiovese from Pikes.

Another successful day.

Christmas Greetings 2022

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers have always been part of my celebrations on the day, mainly during the lunch.
The co driver wasn’t aware of these when she arrived in Australia. They are apparently unknown in the USA.
But she embraced their use from the start so every year we buy them early because they disappear quickly off the supermarket shelves.
They come in various ‘grades’ and prices depending on the contents.
This year we went for the luxury ones, not that that means much as you’ll find out reading on.
There is a traditional way of using them.
First off, each of the two participants grab each end of the cracker.
Then they pull.
A small ‘explosion’ results.

One of the participants then ends up with the bulky end of the cracker.
Inside there is a ‘gift’, a coloured paper hat and a crap dad joke question on a piece of paper.
Everyone usually oooohs and ahhhhs over the ‘gift’ which are normally pretty useless no matter what you paid and are eventually thrown away. The paper hat must then be worn and the CDJ read out.
Depending on the amount of alcohol previously consumed, these can be uproariously funny.
All very hokey but very good fun.
According to an article in our local paper (which is very amusing) origins of cracker-pulling came in 1847, invented by a guy, Tom Smith, who made bon-bon sweets. When sales started to slump, he decided to create bon-bon shaped gifts instead - with the classic “crack” element and placing trinkets inside. History says adding the party popper strip was inspired by the crackle of a log on fire. It’s also possible he was a bored small business owner and decided to play with explosives.
Either way, nice one Mr.Smith.

Another Trip to the USA / The Trip Home

It was a slow 90 minute drive from Jersey City to JFK in the late afternoon.

The peak hour traffic was horrendous. I am glad we allowed ample time.

Check in with Air New Zealand was also slow but security reasonably quick albeit a little chaotic.

Lots of yelling and barking of orders. But that's the TSA for you. Water off a duck’s back.

After all that we needed a pre boarding drink.

Two 330mL bottles of beer and a packet of chips at an airport bar…..$US25! 

100% ripoff!

Our flight had arrived into JFK from Auckland an hour late so our departure was similarly delayed.

But as with the trip over, service and food were good once we were underway and I again scored 2 vacant seats beside me so was able to stretch out catch up on some sleep.

We had only 1.5 hours transit time in Auckland to get our flight back to Sydney so, with the delayed departure, was sure we would miss that.

But the purser came around about 2 hours out and said there were many Sydney bound passengers on our trans Pacific flight so they would be holding the Auckland-Sydney flight for us.

As it was, we made up time and landed only a few minutes late.

After a painfully slow moving line through international security at AKL (unprepared paxs’ fault, not the system) we arrived at the departure gate just as they started boarding.

Incident free trip across the Tasman, quick (fully automated) immigration procedure into Australia, slight delay with baggage for USA originating pax, unhindered passage through customs and into our car.

The 3 hour drive home was not too bad, considering the time we’d already been travelling, and we stopped for a BLAT sandwich and coffee at our usual haunt in Berry for lunch to break up the journey.

Jet lag clicked in that evening and stayed with us for around 5 or 6 days which is a little longer than normal.

But it was all well worth it.

Catching up with family and friends after such a long period apart was great.

And we’ll probably do it all again next year.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 4

Sunday saw us back in Manhattan for a deli lunch pastrami sandwich, a bucket list item, at Pastrami Queen.

The touristy Katz’s of When Harry Met Sally fame was deliberately given a miss due to the chronic long lines. I thought the sandwich at PQ was just as good as at the other place where we had eaten before plus it wasn’t so manic.

Then, after a short walk through Central Park for more autumn colour and a subway ride, it was up to the Top of the Rock, 70 floors up on the Rockefeller building.

We had got a bit of a handle on subway navigation again this trip but the larger stations can be a little confusing, especially at weekends, when line maintenance can totally upend timetables.

Always good to have a subway expert with us ie. the daughter.

Top of the Rock’s three levels of indoor and outdoor observation decks deliver spectacular, unobstructed 360 degree views of the city skyline. The terraces face east, west, north, and south, making it one the best observation decks in NYC.

Having an Express Pass for immediate entry at any time on the day plus priority elevator access, was a worthwhile bonus.

Dinner was in Jersey City at Hamilton Pork

Great BBQ and margaritas (and tequila shots for some).

Monday was our last day in the USA.

There was a final walk around the waterfront of Jersey City after breakfast and a relaxed afternoon waiting for our car and the trip to the airport.

Five weeks away from home and it had passed so quickly. 

Thankfully I had made a mistake with airline booking dates, adding an extra week!

We had done and seen so much so the added time turned out not to be such a mistake after all.

Thanks to both families for their hospitality and time taken out of their busy lives to look after us.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 3

Friday was a full on day!

An early ferry across the river from Jersey City to Manhattan to catch a boat for a cruise up the Hudson River to Cold Spring with beautiful autumn foliage on both banks on the way.

We’d been to Cold Spring before and liked it a lot.

We had lunch (with a bottle of Pinot Noir) at Hudson Hil’s Cafe  which, again, didn’t disappoint and did some shopping at some of the many stores along the main street.

Then, after a sit at the waterfront, it was on the train back to New York City where we stopped for a few oysters and a glass of wine at the iconic Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, then supper at the best taco place in NYC, Los Tacos #1.

Phew!

A really great day.

Saturday we were on our traditional NYC excursion, the Staten Island ferry, one of the best free rides in the world. There was not much of a crowd, the weather was good for pics, the Statue of Liberty shone and boarding the return journey went without problems. But you have to be quick to avoid having to wait for the next one. All part of the fun.

After that, we walked around the Financial District taking in the iconic buildings eg. The NewYork Stock Exchange and the not so iconic.

The co driver dropped into Tiffany & Co, came out empty handed, thought about things, went back in and returned with a purchase.

Then it was onto one of our faves, Luke’s, for a delicious lunch. I had the trio: lobster, crab and shrimp rolls. Lobster wins over the crab but only just. The shrimp was a distant last.

Saturday night the SIL, Nick, and I headed for a hockey game in Long Island, the daughter and the co driver to dinner and a piano concert in Williamsburg.

It was a long slow drive to the new stadium, UBS Arena, but 100% worth it.

First ice hockey game I’d been to and I was hooked.

Hotdogs and beer were a bonus!

Apart from the usual razzmatazz you’d expect at an American sporting event, the game itself was very exciting. The skill of the players is exceptional.

‘Our’ team, the Islanders, came from behind to win. The noise when they won in this most amazing stadium surely tested the integrity of the roofing structure.

Thanks to Nick for putting up with my dumb questions about the game and calmly helping resolve a lost property problem I had on arrival at the facility.

Our exposure to NHL hockey at home is limited. We get one or two live games a week on a streaming service and Islanders games are very limited.

But I’ll keep up with the news on their website and hopefully see them in the Stanley Cup finals.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 2

The walk from the apartment building along the Jersey City waterfront to the PATH station for the train trip into Manhattan has pretty spectacular views of the New York City skyline

The destination station is under the Oculus which never fails to impress.

This day’s activity was a visit to Central Park.

It was good to have a guide who knows the park well.

The autumn colours were fantastic.

Dinner was at the Wuerstbar in Jersey City.
Great food and a nice equivalent of the Koeln (Cologne) beer Koelsch.

Next day was a quieter one.

We did the walk from Jersey City to Hoboken along the Hudson River waterfront where the beautiful railway station interior was a highlight.