at the open

man vs tree

le bonheur de dire au revoir à 2023 en beauté.

Gariwerd/ the Grampians, new year 23/24.

décembre en vrac

les fetes d’anniversaires de Zuszsa au resto, de Jean avec ses copines, le sapin de noel, encore des cérémonies de graduation, des lis en fleur, et un voyage avec Sid & Ryder au parc aquatique ppur célébrer leur gradiation.

how sid graduated from Newstead Primary school.

with his mate Ryder, his teacher Ms Deppeler his proud parents, and a recording of a bit of his speach and the excitment afterwards.

monday the 4th of Decembre, 2023

garden blooms

some funny faces a new uniform a passing Zsuzsa and a christmas tree

a pumpkin and a plan

saturday morning strategies

the work files, second volume :

the making of a sacher tort

a brief history of the apple strudel.

.

day 1

.

.

day 2

.

garden flowers. blossoms.

good things always come in three.

recharge

springshine

car parking, Sid style.

pastry cheffing on a gome day

father’s day, 2023

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Castlemaine 3

Moama 2

street cubby & sunny rest

Jean (and I) made some cupcakes

sid & the city

a birthday weekend with Sid in Melbourne.

a visit to the lego store at Melbourne Central and the shadow spirit exhibition at Flinders street ballroom.

watching the haka and the rugby at the MCG – all blacks were too good.

a family lunch on Lygon street before some more MCG action with mum.

mates

zsuzsa allowed me to post this beautiful picture of her and her good mate Evie, taken by Evie’s dad a few minutes after the siren. Evie’s team won by a few goals on the day. 🖤🤍💙🤍

drawing and flowers

and books and letters

and drinks and drinks and me.

fourty five years old grateful me.

sunday nights

sunshine is life

“football is life”

mathildas 1 france 0

castlemaine (sid) 2 strathdale 2

castlemaine (jean) 3 kyneton 1

ted lasso – three seasons in ten days

yesterday night, at the age of fourty-four-and-soon-five, I won the Castlemaine ping pong doubles competition. as far as I can remember, this is my first ever trophy in any sporting event of any kind. in my entire life. that won me a Castlemaine Tennis Table Association whisky glass and a free registration for the year.

a very fortunate mix of teaming up with some of the finest local players, while managing to keep putting the ball on the table often enough, and being very lucky at times. there was a lot of laughter too.

at the end of the night I just happened to be the only one to have won all my games.

a very Bradbury win of sorts, but I’ll take it. down is a reminder of the Bradbury story, en français dans le texte.

https://youtu.be/q7LJ0EtymKQ

the day Zsuzsa won her first football game

good old Castlemaine forever. 🤍🖤

Jean playing the piano. ❤️

rogue fluting on Blues Clair.

with the Django Fretts, at the Catlemaine Jazz Festival, with many thanks to Gwynn James for the recording

castlemaine jazz fest

the happy face pf brushing hair + having breakfast

racing the school bus

home sweet home

Paris – Ho Chi Minh – Melbourne – Castlemaine

a few happy days

aline + vincent

colère

heureux qui comme Ulysse

Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage,

Ou comme celui-là qui conquit la toison,

Et puis est retourné, plein d’usage et raison,

Vivre entre ses parents le reste de son âge !

Quand reverrai-je, hélas, de mon petit village

Fumer la cheminée, et en quelle saison

Reverrai-je le clos de ma pauvre maison,

Qui m’est une province, et beaucoup davantage ?

Plus me plaît le séjour qu’ont bâti mes aïeux,

Que des palais Romains le front audacieux,

Plus que le marbre dur me plaît l’ardoise fine:

Plus mon Loire gaulois, que le Tibre latin,

Plus mon petit Liré, que le mont Palatin,

Et plus que l’air marin la douceur angevine.

Joachim du Bellay (1522-1560)

melbourne – ho chi minh city – paris

sunshine, cascades

homing the walls

in Yandoit Sid fished some yabbies. he brought them back to Castlemaine. we freed the babies in the local creek and ate the rest.

and finally they’re back

❤️❤️❤️