Cars & 100 posts!

I forgot that a few weeks back, Cam & I took a trip up north to visit the National Motor Museum. I've been to the one in the US and this is similar. The exception was Ford's eccentric nature and his impact on the collection. One of my favorite cars was this one that traveled across the middle of Australia. The black box on the hood was a cooling mechanism. The Leyand brothers shot a series of TV shows about that adventure. We watched the first & last episodes watching them dump water from the west coast into the east.

Check out Australia's largest working phone! Driven into your town, with the right hook up, you could call anyone in Australia for free. I loved the big buttons.

The motorcycles were pretty wicked, but this ride that sparkled was really my favorite.

Cam took this shot before we left. It was next to a truck that someone drove for 40 years to collect mail.

Toasting more than 1

 Cam has become quite the toastmaster! He has won several trophies over the last few weeks. Here's a shot of him lookin good! Cam has grown a bit of a fuzzy beard. See the last photo in this post for a more up to date look.

We were invited to a 40th costume party for Deb who used to work with me. I went to the thrift store (called op shop down under) and found this FANTASTIC outfit. Too bad it was designed for a child!

 The theme was "rock stars" and we chose to be Sergent Peppers - I was John as I have glasses, Cam was George as I found a red jacket. He really looked awesome, and my mustache made some people do a double take. Cam didn't take his Uke with him to the pub, but we shot this at home before leaving.

 A few work folks were there including the Pink Ladies! They were super fun to hang with, but one had a teenage son at home throwing a party so she left pretty early.

 We also hung with Matthew who was similar to the mad hatter, but more rocking & from the 80s. Cam by this point had borrowed the wig from Ozzy Osborne.

In the field as new Aunt/Godmother & Uncle!

Cam & I were out in the field at a former bark mill (where they would grind up bark to use its tannins in leather making). We drove about 4 hrs south to the site. We got close when we saw the giant lobster in Kingston, SE - the town just to its north. Check out how big!

This bark mill had much more going on being the stop off point in between Robe to the South and Kingston SE to the north. Coaches stopped there, mail was transferred, and horses kept. During and after WWII, there were military personnel who camped there. I found this coin from 1942. Check out the roo.

We also found this door hardware with a blacksmith stamp of a stylized roo. It was really cool & had the word "BREAK" we think.

 

There were broken showers throughout the day, so I didn't get a great shot of the site. Instead, this view of a weighing scale and a bit of a windmill in the foreground. The site just had things scattered with random buildings in semi-state of disrepair. 

We walked out the next AM in Kingston SE to the end of the pier to snap this wonderful pic. Check out the wind. Our hotel was right on the waterfront just near the trees to the left of my head.

On the way home, we stopped by THE GRANITES. They are stone outcroppings that are just off the shore. They really looked like three whales too close to shore. Strange to see and windy, but really cool.

The weekend also brought with it a bundle of Junior joy: my brother and his wife have had their first child. He was 9 pounds 2 oz and stretched 21 inches! His size was only matched by his cuteness. CONGRATS Bro & Jen!

Games in OH & Under water in SA

We spent a bit of time just around the house and hanging with the fam. We even managed to get in a game of lawn bowls. My parent's yard is huge and easily accomodated anything my brother or I ever wanted to play. Now Dziadziu gets to cut it all!

Babci & Dziadziu watched and cheered us on. I think they really wanted me to win, although I don't remember who did win the game. Some of the shots were around trees and up dirt piles, making it quite tricky.

One of the first things that we did was have a bowling party. It was really fun, and pretty low impact, so most folks could bowl a game or two. Who wouldn't want to wear those wicked cool bowlin shoes?

Of course no party would be complete without lots & lots of food. We had bowling alley food, as well as food that my Ma prepared especially. The mini-eclairs were particularly a favorite!

When C & I got back to South Australia, he spent some time doing a bit of diving training. They went out on this jetty & then had to try & beat the tide to get over another wall. Its winter here right now, and from what Cam described, it was FREEZING! He thought his face was going to fall off.

The training included getting used to and practicing having to take your full-face mask off and then replacing it under water. Mind you, this was all in the freezing conditions, but at least from the thumbs up, I think it went well.

Rocky River Part 6

We were able to spend a bit of time in Cleveland with the family at Rocky River. I thought it would be fun to get some picnic food from the market & then eat by the water. Of course what outing would be complete without a quick game or two.

We also thought it was a beautiful day to take a ride on my dad's "new" boat. He and my uncle and some cousins went in on it together. Dad keeps it in his garage, but anyone can use it.

They mostly use it on the rivers or inland lakes because of its flat bottom, but we ventured out a bit into the mightly Lake Erie. It looks like we were pretty close to downtown, but trust me, this was quite the zoom. Still, great to see the skyline from a distance.

We first went out with just Tat, Cam and I. Then folks switched & did some real fishing. My favorite part was trying to choose only one boat, especially one with a fantastic name.

Here are the guys trying their best to catch enough minos to use fishing. Check out all the little geeslings in the foreground. They made it their business to spread fertiliser everywhere!

Cousin Jack & Cinci's Finest Part 5

Our Society for Industrial Archaeology conference included a trip to a car repair company. I know close to nothing about autos, so these shots are more artistic than they are documentary.

Although I have visited Cincinnati for a few trips, I never really spent much time there. This trip at least allowed me to explore a city that I've seen/been to but never really got to know.

We even headed out of the downtown primary section to check out a former rail/bus station that has been revamped. The architecture of this rail station was absolutely amazing, clean and simple but spacious.

Inside there were colorful murals that flanked near the rounded ceiling telling of Cincinnati's past settlers, immigrants, workers, and present population. It really is a work of art in itself. Anyone who goes to Cincinnati should make sure and make a stop here. There are a few museum's inside and I believe Amtrak still uses the station.

Finally we ended our trip with a quick beer with my cousin Jack who lives there. Jack has been in Cinci for over 5 years, went to school there and really likes the town. He's a bit of an artist and was explaining to us a little about their art scene. I'm standing next to Jack outside of his apartment building (the tallest one). That too was pretty wicked cool. An old building with a narrow passage between it and next door. There are 2 apartments on each floor. Jack's view is quite good, although he has to contend with lots of stairs. I don't think I would own a couch if I were him!

OH Highlights: Mounds & Sunken Lunken Part 4

Our trip to OH included spending a bit of time in and around Cincinnati. On the way, we went to some earthen mounds. This one, the serpent mound, has been groomed for ease of viewing. Really an awe inspiring spot.

We went to Lunken airport. I never knew why they called it "Sunken Lunken" until you stood outside the terminal. There was so little sky visible, it was a bit crazy. This shot of one of the airplanes in the terminal was crazy. There were only 2 wheels and no breaks. Our tour guide said that the pilot stopped the plane by putting his gloved hand on the wheel. Its a long stretch to do that in this plane.

This program is not allowing me to import photos right-side-up. Sorry. Here is our guide and the lobby of the airport. This was the start and home of American Airlines and also the company that serves airline food.

Looking back at the art deco terminal, it is pretty easy to see the historic features in the building: the clock, the symmetry, the entrances. I particularly loved the fonts. A few more posts from the trip to come.