Leftovers

We buy too much, we eat too much… and still there are leftovers.

On Sunday, we even went out to a restaurant and consumed some more! Nobu is Japanese and very up-market:

We ordered their take on bento boxes, which came in double-decker size, with a cold section on top and a hot section below! Very clever of Nobu, and makes things easier in the kitchen:

Just when I couldn’t eat another thing, they brought me a birthday surprise:

On New Year’s Eve, I didn’t want to stay up late. The fireworks would be noisy. I did a swap with E, who invited her friends for a sleepover at Burswood. I’m sure they had a good time as they went to bed at 4.00 am.

Meanwhile, C cooked curry at Como. There was a dry curry of cauliflower and potatoes and a wet curry of lentils:

We were up early on New Year’s Day, taking Rocky for a walk by the river:

A 39 degree day was forecast, so we were out and about before breakfast:

Then we set to work netting the fig tree. There is a constant battle with rats which run along the top of the fence and eat every single fruit that they can get their paws on. Not in 2025, if I can help it!

Christmas 2024

I received a beautiful birthday card from my sister. I really don’t want to be 80, though:

My neighbours put up an elaborate wreath on their front door:

Mine was a bit more restrained:

Christmas Day turned out surprisingly chilly, though we had been suffering from ultra high temperatures for the previous few days: (taken on Sunday morning):

Over at Como, we set the table in the garden in the shade. There was a sneaky wind blowing and Rocky had to be persuaded to come outside with us:

The fig tree is starting to bear plenty of fruit. I am determined to save some from the rats this year:

They Meyer Lemon is also producing well:

For our first course we enjoyed blinis with Tasmanian caviar. This has become a tradition for us, but somehow we had forgotten the exact recipe. Ellie was in charge of cooking the blinis and heaped up a generous plateful:

After this we decided it was becoming too windy to stay outside. We moved everything indoors and it was my turn to put on my apron and cook the main course. This was Garlic Prawns from Kailis, served with a pearl barley salad:

Claire had obtained some non alcoholic Sangria from Dan Murphys. It was OK, but personally I was ready for my small bottle of real bubbly!

Then Claire produced her piece de resistance dessert in the form of Tiramisu:

I’ve got a big helping to take home for tomorrow!

What about the pressies?  I took them some fake twinkling candles:

They bought me a lovely silk scarf, made using locally produced dyes of  Eucalyptus, Castor Oil Plant, Robinia and Grevillea Robusta. Leaves have been used for printing. The photos don’t do it justice:

In the afternoon we watched Home Alone on TV and later I took myself home and saw the Royal Carol Service from Westminster Abbey. That’s another Christmas over!

Juice

If you were a fiction writer and wanted to warn the world about climate change, what would you do? If you saw that science alone was failing to convince people to take action as a matter of urgency? You would use your talent as a writer, in possession of a far-reaching imagination, to spin a yarn that was both credible and frightening. You would write about the effects of global warming years and years into the future, where mankind had to live underground for six months of the year, when the temperature in summer could rise to 50 degrees centigrade. How could the human race survive? Would they survive?

Historical novels tell us more about life in the past than "real" history books. Maybe this fictional glimpse into the future will do the same.

What a Shambles!

A few months ago, iinet announced that they were terminating their e-mail service and gave everyone the option of transferring their accounts to The Messaging Company. I agreed to go ahead with this, as it was the only way to retain my e-mail address, which was known to a lot of people. So far, so good. Then last week I received a warning that my account had been closed because of "suspicious activity". They said I needed to change my password as a matter of urgency. This was easier said than done. After several attempts to negotiate their complicated system, without being able to speak to a real person, I decided I had enough and just wanted to cancel. I have been a long time customer of iinet, ever since they started up in someone's garage in the 1990's. How could they allow this to happen?

I googled some reviews of The Messaging Company, just out of interest. The following is one of many:

• 

Can't Rate My Experience - The Five Stars Don't Go Low Enough

Never in my life have I had to deal with a company that is so incompetent. It is now seven (9) days without e-mail on all accounts. I am unable to correspond with anyone via e-mail and now for seven (9) days I have missed out on important business correspondence. There will be no doubt that I will have to pick up on loss of income as a result of this fiasco. It feels to me that the company wants to work their way into receivership. They're doing a good job of it. I just don't understand how a company can be so hurtful. There is now well over 30 bits of correspondence between myself and the company as result of this techical support issue and a previous one. I have only been with the company for less than 3months and have had more problems than I have had with my previous provider in 30years. 

What a shambles!

Seaside

The best thing about staying in Mandurah at Seashells is going for an early morning walk along the beach. Very few people were up and about at 7.00 am when I ventured out into the stiff breeze. 

Back in my apartment, I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with plenty of time before the 10.00 am checkout. This is a really nice place with lots of room and a well-equipped kitchen. Last night I put together a quick meal of fish with stir fried mushrooms, spinach and peas, and ate it out on the balcony:

The pool is a great attraction, as long as you can avoid kids playing Marco Polo when all you want to do is swim some lengths:

This was the view from my lounge bed, looking through the fence which keeps out interlopers from the Seashells property:

All too soon, it was time to leave and take a quick photo in the foyer:

…not forgetting to pick up a few souvenirs:

In town, there is a Christmas Shop. It’s open all year round but just at the moment it seems most appropriate (if you are in the market for this kind of thing):

Escape!

It’s W A Day celebration, postponed from earlier in the year when the field was too muddy after a lot of rain. I knew it would be noisy. A couple of weeks ago, there was an Indian Festival and I was tormented by loud music from their speakers. I complained to Victoria Park Council in no uncertain terms, and received a ridiculous reply, suggesting I install double glazing! So, I’ve escaped to Mandurah to Seashells, a favourite spot.

Preparations early this morning.

There is also cricket at the Stadium (a test match, Australia vs India).

Mandurah is a relief:

How to consume this without making a mess?

My bedroom at Seashells.

My view from 111.

Riverside Bushwalk

Preliminary Information:

Meet:         Car-park on the foreshore opposite the river end of Cunningham St UBD 307, N12

Details:       The walk is to Heathcote Reserve (Goolugatup) and is approx 8km return. The walk follows the river foreshore along the shared access path and across some grassed areas. We pass Applecross jetty with lovely views of the river before wandering up to the reserve which is on the hill overlooking the river.  The building/heritage precinct area is very interesting to walk around.  There is plenty of bird-life along sections of the foreshore so you may wish to bring binoculars.

Numbers are dwindling on these early morning summer walks: we start at 7.30 am to beat the heat. Sunday morning was actually quite chilly, with a stiff breeze as we assembled in the carpark. I managed to leave my phone behind, so all the photos are courtesy of MMcH:

Shadows of the Six

View across the river

Birds

An angel on the foreshore?

Our good deed for the day: a little lost dog was found running back and forth on the boardwalk near Applecross Jetty. We read his collar and phoned his owner who was driving along the road in a panic, looking for him. The two were soon re-united.

Then we climbed the steep slope up to Heathcote Reserve and enjoyed a coffee at the top.

The area was named after George Gage Heathcote, son of Admiral Sir Henry Heathcote, a midshipman on HMS Success, who is said to have been the first European to land there. It was one of the landing and camp sites of Captain James Stirling during his exploration of the Swan River in April 1827.  Later, Heathcote Hospital was built, designed for mental patients in recovery.

We noticed that a separate building, the old nurses quarters, has been renovated - no expense spared - and is now on the market for over $3 million!