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The Traveling Bears: May 2011
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011. We saw this sign often. But the dogs were usually inside. While we were walking in Tuscany we passed a paddock with a flock of sheep. Just like a number of others, but in this case four "sheep" detached themselves from the flock and raced towards us barking savagely. These were Maremma sheepdogs. Specially bred to live with the sheep and protect them from wolves, or Australian tourists. Not too rash, now. Saturday, May 28, 2011. A Tale of Two Cities: Florence and Rome. Climbing the...
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The Traveling Bears: August 2010
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Friday, August 27, 2010. A day in the life. I've had a few requests for more "every day" business on this blog, and particularly some information on Grandsons 1 and 2, Angus and George, so I thought I'd tell you about our recent Thursdays. Georgie absorbed with his toys. An undemanding little fellow. Jeannie introduced Angus to Plasticene and it has become another favourite play, stretching my creative talents to the limits. From Hugh and Jess's back step, looking across the yard to Snug Primary School.
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The Traveling Bears: December 2010
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Monday, December 20, 2010. Our neighbour Jo has been troubled for some time with water under her house, to the extent that her backyard has become a swamp. After some time, and an attempt to shift the blame to her downpipes, Southern Water turned up this afternoon to deal with it (and in a typically Tasmanian way the guy in charge was the brother of Jo's ex-housemate). What Marty wants to do when he grows up. There goes the front garden. What an exciting afternoon! And a Merry Christmas to all our readers.
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The Traveling Bears: November 2014
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Sunday, November 2, 2014. Japan final: food, toilets etc. Everyone asks, so we might as well get this one out of the way first: yes, what you've heard about Japanese toilets is all quite true. The heated seat (with an associated warning about low temperature burns), the musical or watery tones to disguise what you are actually up to, the discrete draught to waft away any noxious odours, and. Those water sprays (surprisingly accurate! Toilet controls. You can work them out. Take-san took us for a memorabl...
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The Traveling Bears: September 2011
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Thursday, September 15, 2011. Another episode in this year of travels (and it's not over yet). Last week we were lucky enough to visit beautiful Lord Howe Island along with five students from Rosny College who were the winners of the Envirothon competition, run by The Bookend Trust. LHI is nearly two hours flying time east of Sydney in a Dash 8 aircraft, which is how Jean and I got there. The students came more slowly in a smaller chartered plane from Hobart, with a couple of intermediate stops. We staye...
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The Traveling Bears: October 2010
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Sunday, October 31, 2010. Our little shack has been looking weary and unloved for quite a while (it's over a year since Hugh helped me to replace the rotten weatherboards on the windward side), but in the last few weeks great leaps forward have been made. Incidentally, the pics below are a little misleading; they were taken in a brief window of sunshine that has since closed again. At least it's not raining now, but the gale is now blowing from the north west instead of the north east. So much for food&#...
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The Traveling Bears: February 2011
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Saturday, February 19, 2011. They found a cave. This should have been a post about the summer wader count, but it was cancelled yesterday because of the weather forecast, which quite accurately predicted the rain and easterly gale that lashed us here at Boat Harbour this morning. But our short visit hasn't been altogether abortive. We arrived at lunchtime on Thursday to a glorious day that allowed lunch and dinner on the deck, and with a gentle little swell that tempted me in for a surf in between. Boat ...
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The Traveling Bears: March 2011
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Thursday, March 24, 2011. A Stroll in the Country. I think I said before how well this country is supplied with places to walk. Despite the very busy roads there is a multitude of public footpaths, bridleways and lanes through the fields from village to village. The village of Odell, Bedfordshire. The wood we walked in is on the ridge. Track in Odell Great Wood. The Bell at Odell. Pub lunch in Odell. Note the hearty pint of ale, and the bird book. Mill pond on the River Great Ouse. Bowers Towers, Pavenham.
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The Traveling Bears: February 2012
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Sunday, February 12, 2012. People in glass houses. Well, it's a polycarbonate house, actually, and since yesterday marked the first harvest (a green capsicum) I really should put up something about our new greenhouse. While our climate is great for growing most things, it doesn't quite make it for some warmer weather crops such as peppers, chillies and aubergines. And over the last few seasons the tomatoes haven't been ripening quite so well, probably because of the surrounding trees. What's in the box?
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