Hello

mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Easter bunny! It is now, of course, finished. I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. I went to Sunday morning mass at St. Joseph’s O’Connor at 8:30am; much quicker than John’s with Laurie.

Sandro
 

Hello

This photo is a bit old... but who can resist looking at a picture of beautiful Princess Mary and hubby. This is just outside the A.N.U. University House where they came on a Tuesday morning to witness some signing. I and the rest of the gang shook both Mary and Frederick’s hand! And, I want a linen suit like Frederick’s.

Sandro
 

Hello, It has been a long time. I took this picture beofre Christmas. This is in Melbourne, along Swanston St. near the Town Hall. I thought it looked a bit like the towers of Gondor in Lord of the Rings. 

Hello,

I was in the city - Melboure, that is - and saw this sign on a good second hand book store that I go to regularly. I also like how it has the
programme for the Existentialist Society underneath, and a book above telling one to check their ego at the door.

I hope all of your holidays are going well, and if any are working, that you are not doing highly physical work like me.

Sandro 

Sex and Sandro

Wow, look at this: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1264500.htm Reuters and the ABC get dirty!!!!!

Hello,

Well, it has been a rather long time following my previous random picture corresspondence - actually, one must note that the pictures are not that random, as I have to remember to take one, and take my camera somewhere, and that usually occurs when I think of something to take a picture of, which this photo blah blah blah blah................etc etc......

Anyway, after that short detour, here is a picture of some yellow flowers which live in our front garden, and come out in the summer, after which we hack them down, and the plant gets larger every year. In case Australian Customs is reading this email (or the blog) I can only say that my grandmother might have "inadvertently" brought these flowers back from her sisters in Italy (in Tuscany) on her last trip a few years ago (she is actually there at the moment with my sister, lucky devils). They are very pretty flowers, and only four houses on our street have them because she spread them around. These might be the only occurence of these flowers in Australia.

There it is,
Sandro

PS, Remember that photo of the old people at the druck drivers memorial, well, I saw another bus load of them on the trip down!!!! 

Hello,

Following the change to Daylight Savings time, the hour after leaving dinner [that is from 7:00pm for the small group of us] remains in the light, and so is very suited for a walk or a bicycle ride. On this evening I was 'inspired' by the shape the drooping brach and leaves created, and how they formed some manner of fram around that large phallus of the flag pole at Parliament House.

Sandro 

Hello, I was in Menzies today under the mistaken belief that the quiet atmosphere would be conducive to study. I was, of course, incorrect owing to the fact that previous experience should have alerted me to the fact that I am a fat and lazy bastard who would prefer nothing more than laying my head onto a foreign desk (a library desk shall do) and nodding off for a period in the region of an hour. (Apologies about the length of that sentence) My concentration was so high that I noticed this strange gentleman (I assume) doing something outside University House. I can only think that he was harmless and taking a picture (still or moving I could not ascertain) of himself, or the building, or both. Sandro
 

Hello,

This picture is a bit late (and a continuation of all these 'nature'
pictures I seem to take) considering that the carp have concluded their
sexual healing, and no longer visible so far up Sullivan's Creek. Anyway,
we (Maddy and I) saw these fish last week. These carp are enormous!!
They were like whales, breaching the water and lumbering around in the
water. It is a pity that we didn't have rods or reels, or even spears for
that matter, to do our bit to help the Australian environment. I think,
also, that the myth of the falling fluff should be replaced with the carp.
If the carp are up Sullivan's Creek and so haven't started to study for
your exams, you should better get started!

Sandro
 

Hello,

This picture is a few days late, and some of you heard the story. I went down to Sullivan's Creek to snap some pictures of those damn dirty and whale-like carp, however, I saw two swans instead. What I did not now was that they had two little cygnets - they emerged slowly out of the reeds. The swan on the left of the picture I took to be the male as it paddled quite quickly to get near me.

This move I assumed was like the crazy duck that was attacking people that strayed near its children. However, I did not want to stay near a swan that wanted to attack - slightly larger with more chance of inflicting pain. So I went to the other side of the creek. The bloody swan paddled to the other side of the creek to menace me there. So I ran away.

Sandro 

Hello,

I apologise that I have not transacted with you all for some time (via email that is). I went home to Melbourne for the weekend, and I flew with QANTAS. On the trip there I flew in a DASH 8, a small plane that carries fifty people and adds half an hour of flying time. Unfortunately I left my mobile phone on the plane. On Friday night, and after half an hour on the phone on hold, they finally found my phone at the Tullamarine lost property office (thank you to Simone the flight attendant!).

This photo is from the flight home - this time on a 737. QANTAS has recently updated their food service on domestic flights. Instead of a box with crackers and cheese etc., one gets two cookies - I got a ginger, date and walnut one and a choc chip one which were both delicious! - and a drink as normal, and one gets this wonderful and colourful new 'tablemat'. I give kudos to QANTAS for their new tablemat.

Sandro 

Hello,

Well the rain came yesterday. The Canberra Times reported that 20mm fell in the 24 hour period. As usual, and this time I captured it on camera, Sullivan's Creek swelled up, and almost seemed close to bursting its banks. Also, as usual, it brought a tonne of crap from upstream (aka Dickson, Turner, O'Connor and Lyneham)

Sandro 

Hello,

My sister made Bombe Alaska on Saturday night - it was a wonderful success. It was quite a large thing for just five people, so we got one fifth of the cake each (obviously).

However, the interesting thing about the night was that mum made (attempted) some merignues with the left over egg white. She unfortunately left them in the oven too long, where I found them. The picture says everything. They collapsed, and in the autopsy I discovered they died by gas inhallation, which was highly suspicious since the oven was an electric one. I called Sherlock Holmes in on the case; he is yet to return his findings.

Sandro 

Hello,

I was watching the Discovery Channel, and this guy was called the "Thirsty Traveller." In the spirit of the Total Kitsch Tasmania Tour, it seems people in the Czech Republic also believe in the ethos of "drench your tastebuds." They were taking down pints of Pilsner like there was no tomorrow!!

Anyway, when we are back in Canberra, we must purchase some Pilsners, and 'drench our tastebuds' like the Czechs do it!!

Sandro 

Hello,

Madeline and I were driving down on the Hume to Melbourne, and we stopped at Tarcutta (Between Holbrook and Yass). At Tarcutta is this 'National Truck Drivers Memorial' which was actually pretty kitsch for a memorial. There was this old lady getting her picture taken who insisted that the photographer got Slim Dusty in the Picture. There was a gaggle of many old people.

Sandro 

Hello,

I was strolling yesterday, when I saw this swan sitting on a nest - I presume. It was down near that mini 'peninsula' that juts out of Sullivan's Creek near Ursula Hall. Sandro 

Hello, Madeline was in my room and she miraculously discovered the fulcrum point of her teaspoon over her mug. This photo is actually a recreation of the event. Sandro
 

Hello, Here is a lamp just outside Chifley library near that red sculpture. It's not to random, however, I thought I should start experimenting with 'artistic shots'.
 

Hello,

I cleaned (attempted to) the outside of my window the other day. I used a dirty handkerchief and cold water and it left a mark because I didn't rinse it. Next time I shall use a clean paper towel and warm, soapy water.

The light of the sun through it was 'pretty'.
Sandro

Hello,

This spider I assume is dead. Or, it is hibernating on my ledge in the cold. In the case that it is hibernating, I assume that spiders don't do that, and therefore I've discovered a new species that hibernates.

Talking about spider's, yesterday morning Margaret Throsby was talking about one to Clive on the radio. I emailed her with a little story, and she emailed me back. So now I have her phone number and email!!!!

Sandro