Celebrating history

Today, our beautiful children had the opportunity to try a class room experience from the late 1800s.
Their school, Strathfieldsaye Primary, celebrates 140 years of operation this year.
I spotted the deputy principal in appropriate garb, and the kids had a photo taken in front of "an olden days" car, apparently from 1908.
It was lovely, seeing all the different costumes that families had cobbled together, and the pride children had in attending the "olden days classroom".
More celebrations will occur this year, for which I am glad.  Definitely looking forward to seeing the Bush Dancing later this week! Miss 7 has been practising the Heel and Toe Polka, and was surprised that Mummy was old enough to remember it!

Fighting the Cherry slugs!

It all seemed so simple.
The lovely people at Diggers (http://www.diggers.com.au/) suggested that for Cherry & Pear slug dousing the cherry tree with flour was a great organic alternative.
So tonight, I grabbed the big container of plain flour (apparently any type will do) and headed outside. I pulled my hair up into a clip so it wouldn't be in my face. I ducked under the netting, which protects the fruit trees from marauding birds, and got to work.
 I tossed a handful of flour over a branch. Right! So, a couple of handfuls wasn't going to do it! I couldn't see any difference. I grabbed another handful,  and tried again. Now I could see where I'd been. A couple of handfuls per branch was going to take a while.

I became more vigorous. I tossed handfuls and handfuls over the tree. Up high, down low, left and right. There was flour dust all around the tree, but suddenly, I was trapped.
My hair clip had become snagged in the netting. I was under the cloud of flour, encased in white dust. I couldn't free my hair, one arm holding the flour barrel, the other covered in flour, holding another handful. I tossed it anyway, and tugged at the netting. I eventually freed my hair, and finished the job, only wrestling with the netting a few more times!!
The tree looks, at best, a "bit" floury, though every branch and leaf was showered. I, on the other hand, had apparently aged 30 years! (You can always count on loved ones to tell it like it is!) I was simply covered in fine white flour. My clothes, under my clothes, my shoes, my glasses, my legs and arms. And my hair! Completely covered. It created a clag like effect on my scalp!
I was able to dust or shake off much of the flour, but definitely needed to wash my hair.  

So, my tips to other gardeners considering flour for Cherry & Pear Slug.
Wear old clothes.
Plan your dust off before you start.
Wear a mask!
And a shower cap!

Oh, and as an alternative, don't show you partner this post, and kindly ask them to do it. Apparently it is a very funny sight!

New Supermarket in Strathfieldsaye

I have been interested to see the recent articles in the Bendigo Advertiser regarding the plan to use some land in Strathfieldsaye to build a new supermarket.  The article earlier this week which focused on the IGA supermarket was quite simply one-sided. I am sure that this business will suffer, but it is likely that so will many others.

Edwards Greengrocery just celebrated their first birthday, and there has been a rejuvenation of this part of Strathfieldsaye during the past few years with Strathfieldsaye Bakery and the Butchers being opened (again in the case of the Butchery). Strathfieldsaye's commercial area is more than the IGA and it's attached shopping complex. What of the Pharmacy? The Hardware store?  Where was the balance?

Indeed, what of the traffic issues inherent in building a shopping centre on the corner of Club Court. This intersection of Club Court, Tannery Lane, and what is locally known as Strathfieldsaye Road (though it has MANY names) is quite dangerous. Leaving Club Court, particularly turning right towards town, is fraught with danger.  This turn is made daily by local residents; the parents from the local primary school, the preschool, the maternal and child health nurse; as well as those leaving the soccer club or Strathfieldsaye Recreation Reserve.  I fear for my life when I need to leave Club Court on my bike, and feel just as fearful when I am taking the kids home from soccer practice.

Also, this new supermarket is planned to be built directly next to the Strathfieldsaye Primary School.  The fence which separates the two properties has class rooms only metres from it. The students in Grades 3 and 4 currently use these rooms, and the current plans suggest that their airy, bush view outside their south facing windows will be replaced with a loading dock. Imagine the noise! Imagine yourself a teacher, trying to keep students focused and on task while trucks load on and off all day, right outside your class room.

My children attend this school, so I have an interest in maintaining the amenity of their space. I am also very aware that the school has no more room to expand, for all that the expansion in population is the very reason that Woolworths (or the developer at least) intend to build next to the school. Have we lost sight of the importance of play, of space to explore? What of space to learn?  The school already has around 500 students, and only a few rooms are portables, placed along this fence line.  There doesn't appear to be anywhere else they could be placed in the yard than along this property boundary.

I am not sure if an alternative can be found. I am not sure whether the Education Department would or could buy this land for future expansion, but I doubt they could offer the price a developer can offer.

When we develop in the Bendigo region, we need to be clever about it. We need to understand the issues, and make sure that while developing land, we don't cut off our nose to spite our face. If the land is lost to a developer now, if the school is tied to the current land, then families may not buy in Strathfieldsaye, knowing they may have to travel to access education for their children.

Day 5 of Advent - a stressful day, Faith helped a little

Today, I needed music to get through a personally challenging day.
I stuck to the weekly theme, though I am sure that other choices might have been more friendly.
I listened to Faith Hill's Joy To The World



The title track was appropriately anthemic, with a sense of pomp which suits it.  The backing to the Little Drummer Boy was lovely, I could picture all those singers working together with their Pum Pum Pums.
Holly Jolly Christmas was quite up beat, again fairly pop-y rather than Country.  However this was balanced by the Carols dotted throughout the album, and the lovely A Baby Changes Everything - true in every case, but certainly true when you consider the baby whose arrival we celebrate at Christmas time. It builds and builds, and had me crying towards the end. Just lovely.

Today's Earworm: A Baby Changes Everything

Day 4 of Advent music binge - Disappointed by the Lady

Today, I chose a group with whom I am less familiar - Lady Antebellum.
Their album On This Winter Night was interestingly particularly pop-like for an apparent Country group.  I did some research after hearing the album - they are considered to be a pop Country group ... I didn't realise that this was even a style of Country!!!

Again, I went into this with an expectation of a more Country feel. I enjoyed A Holly Jolly Christmas for it's upbeat nature, and the singing was lovely. This album did, however, fit with today's weather (less than 20 degrees Celsius) rather than the usual hot weather we have at this time of year. I actually felt like a hot chocolate, and could imagine trying egg nog.

There were more Seasonal songs than Christmas carols on this one, and it was telling that my favourite was the lilting title track, On This Winter's Night. It fitted beautifully with my mood on the day, and the harmonies were just lovely. Not particularly Christmas focused though.

Today's Earworm: A Holly Jolly Christmas

Day 3 - Kenny Kenny Kenny

Well, I dipped into Kenny Rogers today!  Definitely worth it!
While I sampled a couple of albums, my album for today was his most recent, Christmas Live!

This is a shorter album, only 9 songs, so it got plenty of listens through.  It started with My Favourite Things - thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein - which was not what I was expecting.

This album is part of the Gaither Gospel Series, and had a definite Christian bent rather than a Country one. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I enjoyed this focus.  Mary Did You Know was a new one for me, and simply reminded me so much of why we celebrate this season.  However, the reference to his saving the nation (I am assuming this means the USA here, though it may not) smacks of the self-aggrandisement which is common in representations from the United States.
I also loved the Choral backing on O Holy Night. An upbeat version, but enjoyable. Got me singing along!!

I enjoyed Kenny's voice, and the arrangements.  I am glad that I purchased this one this year to add to my collection.

Today's Earworm - Mary Did You Know.

Day 2 of Advent - The Christmas Binge Continues

To continue with the theme, today I listened to Christmas with Tammy (Wynette).

This album is very much of it's time (apparently 1970). I keep waiting for Tammy to sing Stand By Your Man, but that isn't likely to happen. I have enjoyed the use of organ,something which seems to be wholly missing from more recent albums by popular artists. The timing of the music is quite traditional, and the first six tracks were Christmas Carols, for sure.
However, there was a little touch of the commercial and winter nature of a US Christmas towards the end of the album.  A must for fans of Tammy, and for the rest of us, perhaps just nostalgic, with a twist of the Country Christmas I was seeking initially!

My Earworm for today: Silent Night