Christmas 2024

The gingerbread house after Russia took it over.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept a Sonnet

The standard you walk past is the one you take,

And what you leave unchecked, you choose to make.

We hold the power to stand up and act,

To challenge wrongs when they are clear and fact.

My brother grew in joy, with family by his side,

Yet, early on, a darker truth did hide.

Though mischief came, remorse he never knew,

His guilt was sparse unlike his siblings, too.

In youth, the signs of strife were hard to see,

A sociopath, they call it now, you see.

He showed no care for right, nor others' pain,

A life of taking, but of loss, no gain.

Through youthful years, his crimes did multiply,

From theft to harm, beneath the watchful eye.

His friends and kin were targets of his need,

And soon, the law would see the guilty deed.

In time, he learned to dodge a harsher fate,

By turning on his own, and sealing hate.

Some forty years have passed, and still they burn

His acts of treason, they will not return.

For years, his ways were marked with fraud and lies,

With theft and guilt, beneath the world’s disguise.

He broke his vows, betrayed his kin and trust,

A man of greed, to whom no love was just.

He took from death, from those who could not speak,

To steal from them his conscience still too weak.

When called to say goodbye to mother’s side,

He turned away, with none but selfish pride.

At last, when she had passed, he made no show,

No grief, no tears just left us here below.

Yet still, he took his share of all she gave,

Her love denied, for selfishness too brave.

A friend had died, and there he came to stand,

To shake my hand, though none did understand.

I looked him down, and spoke with scorned dismay

"Not here, not now, no handshake comes today."

And still I said, as anger filled my chest,

"And please, don’t steal just let the past rest."

It stung, but freed my mind from toxic chains,

A quiet peace arose to quell the pains.

Forgiveness comes, though not without its toll

The heart is scarred, but pain may take its role.

I’ll forgive, though trust is never more,

For his betrayal haunts me at the core.

Our mother, kind, would still forgive today,

Yet in her grave, her love is swept away.

His final wrongs, she could not now erase,

Denied her heart, her soul, and her embrace.

So, though the world may treat him as before,

I cannot let him be what he was yore.

For silence speaks, and kindness aids deceit,

And leaves unchecked the truth that lies beneath.

Cod Season 2024

1 carp no cod :-(

Murray River near Echuca Victoria.

The camp.

Bloody teenagers and their phones.

Helens Collar Refurb

I got some new leathercraft conchos to refurbish Helens collar which was showing a bit of wear.

Mitta Mitta and West Dartmouth

In the Mitta Mitta and Dartmouth areas is a beautiful valley with good camping spots and deer hunting opportunities. I checked this out as a reccy for a future trip. Marked in the blue line is Holloways Log Road, closed road till cup day weekend.

Area marked is private property but all around is State Forest.

Start forest free camp.

Looking East to the State Forest bowl past the private property.

Ganite peak in the distance.

State forest boundary.

A paddock to cross.

Fencing.

Looking North.

4x4 route from Mount Beauty to Snowy Creek about 50 Km. Track conditions unknown.

Mt Ebenezer near Bright

Mount Ebenezer via Wet Gully Track

Mount Ebenezer summit

Bush type

Crik

Stag Rub tree

Stag hoof print

Stag scraping with its antlers

Down on the Farm

Down on the River

Here piggy piggy

In the old truck

Roadworthy?

Pig, Pig

Pork

Joanna Beach Surf Fishing

To fish and hunt, process, and cook your own meat is not as easy as going down to the supermarket but not everyone will be able to or want stomach the process of killing or cleaning wild game.

You need to be prepared and respectful of the life you take as well as responsible to follow the laws and regulations and maintain a sense of mutual respect for other hunters, fishermen and landowners.

In developing a sustainable lifestyle and eating truly organic, "nature to table" food for me means following these principles:

• Take only what you need.
• Use all of what you take as possible.
• Share more than you keep.

So with this in mind I went surf fishing and camping at Joanna Beach, near Cape Otway Victoria.

Joanna Beach, Cape Otway Victoria Day 1

The Camp

The Camp

Helens Swag

My Swag

Helen checking conditions

Sunrise Day 3

Me sharing all the fish I caught :-)

Salami Twiggy Stix

Got a new thin sausage filler tube that's good for making twiggy stix so I made a small batch os salami twiggy stix to cure in the charcuterie fridge. Half plain salami and half spicy with Korean Gochujang chilli paste for spice and heat.