Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia

Freezing in Fremantle

There's a definite Autumn chill in the air today. The thermometer on our front verandah has plunged to 68 degrees F. There are members of our family who will be complaining that they need woollen jumpers to wear to school.

Milly the pup did her first useful chore this morning. She fetched the daily newspaper and dragged it back to the front door. I'm planning now how to get her to take off the plastic wrapper. I suppose it will be too much to expect her to read the thing as well, and then just tell me the interesting bits.

This morning's paper seems full of bad news about Western Australia. Several stories about bashings and stabbings. Another about a bloke who had an urgent call from a neighbour to tell him a burst water main was destroying his house. Yet another story involving the still unsolved murder of a female lawyer in Kings Park. The list goes on and on.

Oh and there was a report and photo of how the state government had provided a $25,000 dollar grant for am Easter play with a semi naked female on a cross. That was interesting. She was a quite flat chested and wearing white footy shorts, so one couldn't really tell if it was a man or a woman dangling on the cross. Various church leaders have said they are pretty upset even though they haven't seen the play. They reckon it distorts the meaning of Easter. The Labor state government apparently reckons it can do what it likes with taxpayers' money.

Meanwhile the supermarkets have long been full of chocolate Easter eggs and hot cross buns, and various advertisers are including the insincere message "Happy Easter" in their commercial messages. I hope no one personally wishes me a "happy Easter."

Last weekend was Woolerama at Wagin and my two eldest sons went to stay overnight with their younger brother. This year there was a rodeo late on the Saturday afternoon. Apparently daylight saving is hated by most folk down that way, as much as it is here. People were still getting roasted by the sun at 7pm.

Son number two bought a new camera yesterday, a Cannon SLR in a package deal from 'The Good Guys.' The was unfortunate because I was going to tell him about the new D60 from Nikon. Never mind, he's still got a good camera to take on holiday next week. He's going to Ireland with his Dublin-born girlfriend to check out the free accommodation being offered by her relatives. Then they'll go to Holland and Sicily to check out the un-free tourist accommodation. The Sicilian jaunt came about because of a travel agent's offer of a $20 air ticket from Amsterdam to Palermo. The Sicilian Mafia are desperate for more tourists. Only joking. Sicily in the northern spring sounds rather nice. Possibly a lot safer than Perth.

I've urged the kids to take out Youth Hostel Association memberships before they leave, but I seem to be a lone voice in that respect.

© MMVIII Paul R. Weaver.

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Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my "common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia – plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days as part of an undertaking to write at least couple of million words. Zzzzzzzz!