September, 2019

Spring is here but someone forgot to advise the weather. Have the fire burning brightly to add some warmth not being supplied by Mother Nature and yes I am home in Oakey.Arrived back two days ago and Steve had organised our trip home in Business Class which is a mode of travel very foreign to us.The limo ride to and from the airport and being able to sleep lying flat on the plane were highlights for me.

Climate Change is in the news a lot but what is it actually? A child pointed out to an adult that it happens every year as the seasons change and so he thought climate change was normal and a good thing.As adults we don't always think of what the children think when we start using terms with  a meaning most adults understand but not necessarily the children.

Was great to catch up with Silke and Michael and their twins Noah and Elif for a couple of days at Bled in Slovenia. Mike's Mum and Dad Christian and Margot also came along to catch up.They drove south from Austria and we drove west from Hungary to meet up. However the beautiful Lake town has become firmly fixed on the tourist map and even the beautiful Vintgar Gorge is being loved to death by busloads of tourists.

We spent most of our time in Hungary at Tata another lakeside town where Steve and Timi have a small house and a few other small blocks of land covered in fruit trees and vines.Thus we spent a lot of time cleaning those blocks of dead or ailing trees and vines and also picking fruit.The grapes ripened quickly and I ate my fair share of them and plums and apples  and peaches and apricots and cherries...

We did visit the old Hungarian capital of Szekesfehervar one day and the old city centre has undergone some changes which again are tourist orientated but still great to see from our perspective.

We did miss the first birthday of great grandchild Billy by being away but hopefully I'll gather some pics of his birthday celebrations for a future edition.

Am concerned by the use of computers, tablets (not the pharmaceutical type),and mobile phones by children. Parents find they are useful to entertain the children but don't realize that small children need to undergo many activities involving all their muscles and obviously their brains to develop into what we expect of a normal adult.They shouldn't be left to admire a screen. I'd suggest that there's a need for specifically designed screen machines for children that have to be programmed by the parents or agents chosen by them and most importantly ,machines that shut themselves down and lock after a set time to totally prevent overuse.

Finally, have you ever wondered where the universe ends? How far do the stars extend and what's at the end if there is an end? Are we perhaps in a big bowl with some giant being looking in at us like fish in a bowl? Perhaps that's not worth worrying about...

Until next time

Cheers,

Merv.