https://waggadventure.com/2016/12/24/20000-days-on-earth/2016-12-23T21:40:39+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2014/01/14/guest-blog-he-just-smiled-and-gave-me-a-vegemite-sandwich/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tasdev.jpgtasdevAre Tassie Devils cute?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/columb.jpgcolumbGee, who would want to miss all this?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/chum.jpgchumYipes - is that what people in Tumbarumba look like? Hope not...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/cbd.jpgcbdWagga CBD - where you can shop till you drop (or until everything closes early, most days)https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/unif.jpgunifNice new uniforms for the crew!2014-01-14T11:32:02+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2014/01/01/i-can-see-you-sitting-there-with-your-silent-smile/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/koala3.jpgkoala3Another great pic! He was curious about us, too, and kept moving to see what we were doing (between naps, of course).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/koala1.jpgkoala1Dan got this great shot just as we were leaving the reserve. Like a postcard!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/koala2.jpgkoala2A sleepy koala in his natural habitat. He posed so beautifully for us!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/narranmap.jpgnarranmapNarrandera is home of the koala reserve; not too far from home!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/notbear.jpgnotbear2014-01-06T01:03:51+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/10/13/a-spanner-pump-back-and-front-light/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/snake-on-road.jpghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/widow.jpegwidowArtist's depiction: Lisa wondering if they'll ever get to spend time together again; Dan wondering if that's a magpie in the nearby tree.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/assos.jpgassosAnother good lesson... it's worth buying professional-grade padded shorts. Company name? Assos (what else?).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/screen-shot-2013-10-13-at-5-27-57-pm.pngScreen Shot 2013-10-13 at 5.27.57 PMhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/screen-shot-2013-10-13-at-4-55-56-pm.pngScreen Shot 2013-10-13 at 4.55.56 PM2013-10-13T07:25:24+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/09/30/guest-blog-going-to-wagga-wagga-you-must-know-someone-there/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/csu.jpgcsuA bridge on the CSU campus in Wagga.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/licorice.jpglicoriceKristie at the licorice factory, where you can sample dozens of chocolate-covered treats.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cockies.jpgcockiesSulphur-crested cockatoos - they are everywhere!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/canola.jpgcanolaBeautiful fields of canola on the drive to Junee.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/market.jpgmarketYou'll find Lisa and Dan here once a month, at the Wagga Farmer's Market. Yum!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/roo.jpgrooYes, that's a fence and a house in a residential neighbourhood - a kangaroo across from Lisa and Dan's house!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/longtrack.jpglongtrackLunch stop on the way to Wagga at the Long Track Pantry in Jugiong.2013-09-30T01:19:04+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/09/09/i-kept-the-faith-and-i-kept-voting/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/shareasnag.jpgshareasnagYes, this is what motivates most voters in Australia. They have to wait for the weekly trip to Bunnings the rest of the year...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/revolt.jpgrevoltKnit your revolt! A group of strong women putting the needle to Abbott.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/victoriaballot.jpgvictoriaballot57 names on this ballot. Due to paper size restrictions they had to order 40,000 magnifying glasses to have on hand on election day.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/canadaballot.jpgcanadaballotIn Canada, X marks the spot. It's that simple!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/novote.jpgnovoteYep, we've been silenced... for now!2013-09-30T01:18:15+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/05/27/shaken-not-stirred/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/dandon.jpgDanDonDid you know that being a visiting scholar here in Wagga involves hands-on experience in fruit-picking? Donald Case found out the hard way that he was expected to work on the land in addition to giving seminars!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/olivesinjars.jpgOlivesinJarsThe finished product! Hope they taste as good as they look.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/rawolives.jpgRawOlivesThis was just one of the bins that we picked. They look great off the tree, but you can't eat them yet. Far too bitter at this stage!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/lgintree1.jpgLGinTreeWe had to stretch right into the tree to be sure to pick every last olive!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/oil.jpgOilOnce the olives are put in jars with fresh brine (and a few tasty additions...like fresh ginger!) we top them with olive oil.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/brining.jpgBriningWe did this every day for two weeks! Don't tell Oz Post about the creative use of their logo.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/olivesontree.jpgOlivesonTreeThis is a serious "before" picture - i.e., before they are picked, washed, brined, cured and bottled.2013-05-27T21:15:25+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/04/15/anyone-want-to-go-on-a-joyride-with-us/2013-04-15T15:51:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/02/28/profapalooza-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/snowcsu1.jpgsnowCSUhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/snowcsu.jpgsnowCSUJust a few minutes after this pic was taken, Lisa had to trudge through knee-deep snow to be rescued from the CSU Ontario carpark. Reinforced the decision to move to Oz!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lorikeets.jpglorikeetsThese birds were having dinner and kept dive-bombing our heads. Beautiful... but dangerous!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/koalaintree.jpgkoalaInTreeIsn't he cute? Koalas at the sanctuary are only a few inches away from you at any one time.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/brisvegas1.jpgBrisvegasStick in a caption here....2013-02-28T10:39:58+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/02/10/take-cover/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/screen-shot-2013-02-10-at-9-16-25-pm1.pngScreen Shot 2013-02-10 at 9.16.25 PMhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/screen-shot-2013-02-10-at-9-16-25-pm.pngScreen Shot 2013-02-10 at 9.16.25 PMhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/screen-shot-2013-02-10-at-8-07-31-pm.pngScreen Shot 2013-02-10 at 8.07.31 PMWhile trying to find a photo that was floating around on facebook a few months ago, about how there were 1275 things in this picture that can kill you, I came across this forum posting that was less humorous but actually very astute!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sunscreen.jpgSunScreenThis 1/2 litre jug of sun block is a life's supply in Canada. We go through a few a year here - we've each got one in our bathroom, Dan keeps one at work, and we also carry smaller ones in the car, on bikes, etc...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/hats.jpghatsA hat for every occasion. When we moved in, we installed a 'coat rack' in the entry way...it's become a hat rack. And Lisa has more in the closet, including one she wears under her bike helmet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ozkill.jpgozKILLOK, maybe more than knowing where we are, it is important to know that when you get here, you will be in serious danger2013-02-10T16:48:34+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/02/04/hey-there-little-insect/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bug.jpgBUG!!!This can't be good. All three cats hanging out together by the door (i.e. a place that isn't sealed - remember, not a lot of weather-stripping in Oz) probably means something got in. Get the bug spray and a tissue...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mintybee.jpgmintyBeeA bee gathering pollen on a mint flower. We didn't even know that mint flowered...but like bugs, herbs also thrive in this climate.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lilliput.jpglilliputA blurry photo of ants eating a cricket! or a beetle...too blurry to tell, and too covered in ants to tell. Luckily these ants don't like the taste of human flesh. Or haven't needed it yet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lunch.jpglunchThis mantis came for lunch one day, enjoying our poinsettia as we dined on the patio. It may or may not be the same one that has been hanging around for the past 8-10 weeks...no idea of their lifespan.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/muddauber.jpgmudDauberThis is a trio of mud dauber nest on the side of our house, in a window behind the barbecue. The top one recently hatched; the bottom two are still feeding, waiting to emerge.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/matchstick.jpgmatchstickThanks to this borrowed image, you get to see a brown matchstick on green grass. We could have just posted a photo of our brown grass or brown mulch and made you play Where's Waldo with the grasshopper.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chrissiebeetle.jpgChrissieBeetleThis beetle (borrowed photo) is very much like the common ones around here. He's probably the size of a Canadian nickel.2013-02-06T03:47:11+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/01/24/satellite-of-love/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/parkes-dush.jpgIf Sam Neill doesn't come and build one of these in our back yard, we're moving to Parkes.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/satelliteoz.jpgsatelliteozOur last great hope...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/trenching.jpgtrenchingDan was fully prepared to dig his own trench.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/head.jpgheadMuch banging of head ensued...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cat.jpgcatWe've been denied access to funny cat memes. The horror! The horror!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/dusthouse.jpgdusthouseThis is a picture of our new house! We live in the middle of the outback with nothing but dust all around. Apparently...2013-01-24T15:14:15+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2013/01/23/hot-hot-hot/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/tomatoes.jpgtomatoesOK, so they might not look perfect but there's nothing tastier than tomatoes that actually ripen on the vine!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cakepop.jpgcakePopThere is absolutely no point to this picture of a reindeer cakepop that my dentist gave me after a pre-christmas visit.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/scrncaptemp.pngscrnCapTempThis was before it got hot that afternoon...2013-01-22T13:47:20+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/11/11/for-those-about-to-rock/2013-01-12T05:29:24+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/11/06/gardening-at-night/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/strawberry1.jpgstrawberryThe strawberry plants don't do well where I put them, but there is hope yet!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/herbs.jpgherbsToo bad we can't find a turkey to stuff, because sage grows well in our little herb garden.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/irisjpg.jpgirisJPGThis Australian white iris is the kind of thing we want more of. There are a few of them in our garden, and they require almost no work.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/strawberry.jpgstrawberryhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/kangaroopaw.jpgkangarooPawI wasn't gardening at night, just out taking horrible low-light photos with my phone. This kangaroo paw, that did OK in a pot at our old house, is thriving at the new place now that it is in the ground.2012-11-05T22:27:15+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/30/profapalooza-hurricane-edition/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hotelroom11.jpghotelroom1The view from my hotel room at 9am this morning. Since then, a bit of rain and wind, but nothing too dramatic yet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hotelroom1.jpghotelroom1The view from my hotel room at 8:30am this morning.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/frankenstorm.jpgfrankenstormOne of the many creative uses of Photoshop to represent the storm. Did I mention that Halloween is my favourite time of year? Maybe this is why they don't celebrate it in Australia...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/georgebush.jpggeorgebushGood to see that some people have kept a sense of humour through all this...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/satellite2.jpgsatellite2Here's one of the pics from space showing the hurricane (on the right) and the cold front (on the left). The two forces will combine to create a "superstorm." Where's Baltimore? Somewhere in the middle of it all.2012-10-29T18:36:30+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/26/contours/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment51.jpgsegment5Not only a hill, but this area has killer magpies! But pretty nice start on the way home.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment5.jpgsegment5https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment4.jpgsegment4As much as I like this area for its flatness, one day a couple weeks ago I was riding with someone and we were discussing how much we both hate it! Partly because you feel like you are getting nowhere, and partly because you know what is coming next.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment3.jpgsegment3The most worst part of the ride, the only one that is even slightly worrisome (and only slightly). But at least if I get hit here I am near a hospital.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment2.jpgsegment2Going up among the parrots. The problem here is that I do it on a service road and there are a lot of 'traffic calming' things...like it just keeps ending and I have to go onto footpath for a few metres.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/segment1.jpgsegment1Nothing too eventful here, just some roos and friarbirds. Will be nicer when it isn't unseasonably cold in the mornings.2012-10-26T12:26:45+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/21/herding-cats-the-saturday-morning-edition/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/220px-magpie_samcem05.jpeg220px-Magpie_samcem05quardle oodle ardle wardle doodlehttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/lester-docile.jpgLester-DocileHe's a sweet and docile kitty until you get him near a doctor...then you need to get Max von Sydow in to stop his head from spinning.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/clinic.jpegClinicWagga is a rural area, and so the website for our vet says many of the doctors specialize in 'herd health'. We have 3 cats, maybe they should come to us - that is a herd - rather than us having to go there.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cat-carrier.jpgcat-carrierWhat a strange idea, a cat carrier to carry a cat in. Maybe this will catch on in Wagga.2012-10-21T11:49:31+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/14/how-to-speak-australian-part-dukkah/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/magpiedukah.jpgmagpieDukahThe best of them all. Less k's in the name, but a lot more spices. We asked them how long it would last...as in if we buy a few, will it go bad. The response was that it should last a long time in the pantry because it is just nuts and spices, but no one ever has it sitting around for long! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dukkah2.jpgdukkah2This dukkah is a bit more complex - same spices but some ground nuts. Also yummy.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/screamingseeds1.jpgscreamingSeedsThis is one type of dukkah. It is just seeds, and it is very very good.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/screamingseeds.jpgscreamingSeedsThis is dukkah. It is just seeds. It is very good.2012-10-25T00:14:46+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/10/gobble-gobble-gobble/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/turkey.jpgturkeyMmm...turkey skin...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/thanksgivingeh1.jpgthanksgivingehYep, that says it all...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/thanksgivingeh.jpgthanksgivingehYep, this one says it all!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pumpkin.gifpumpkinIs it sad to crave something that is so heavily processed and comes in a can?2012-10-09T20:32:04+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/10/02/labour-da/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/frogmouth.jpgFrogmouthFrogmouths are very good at hiding in trees...this is the male, who sits on the nest during the day. The female was a branch or two away and even harder to spot.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/floriade.jpgfloriadeAll these people rushed to Floriade in the morning so they could watch footy in the afternoon.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dragon.jpgDragonThis water dragon wasn't playing footy, he was tanning at the botanic garden.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/gnomes.jpggnomesEvery good festival needs a king and queen. These two were crowned at Floriade.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tulips.jpgtulips2012-10-01T22:26:13+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/09/26/our-home-in-the-hills/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo-4.jpgphoto (4)Dan calls this his new roo hunter. And we did have a pretty close encounter with one a couple days ago on this very track! He also had a couple close encounters with trees out at Pomigalarna Park on Sunday.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/roosfighting.jpgroosFightingAnother view from our porch, this is a fairly typical morning in the park across the street from us. Or maybe this was afternoon...they are there a lot!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/view.jpgviewThe view from our front porch, out to the uni in the distance.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/roosonhill.jpgroosOnHillWe don't have vineyards on hour hills, but we do have wattle and kangaroos.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/looking_east_along_bourkelands_drive_in_bourkelands.jpgLooking_east_along_Bourkelands_Drive_in_BourkelandsWelcome to the 'hood...2012-09-25T22:37:55+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/09/12/joke-and-smiles/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/taiko.jpgTaikohttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/porkbuns.jpgporkBunshttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/octopus.jpgoctopushttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/seafood.jpgseafoodhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/picklestick.jpgpicklestickhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/eggstick.jpgEggStickhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pickledthings.jpgPickledThingshttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/waxfood.jpgwaxFoodhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/cuttlefish.jpgCuttleFishhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/leafsweeper.jpgLeafSweeper2012-09-12T19:31:55+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/09/08/comode-oh-dragon/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/kidholder.jpgkidHolderUnlike a lot of European countries, the Japanese still have segregated toilets. But there is no gender equality, as the men don't have this baby holder in theirs!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/toiletinstructions.jpgtoiletInstructionsThe transition from the hole to a Western-style throne must have been a bit of a challenge, because these instructions are quite common in toilets with modern facilities.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fallonshit.jpgfallOnShitWe could have put in a photo of an actual traditional Japanese toilet, or the great picture our tour guide had, but this one, stolen from the web, was just too good not to use!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/controls.jpgcontrolsNo, we didn't fly here in first-class and these aren't the controls for pod seats on the plane. This is just one of the many hi-tech toilet controls we've seen.2012-09-07T14:43:21+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/09/01/hello-kitty/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/20120901-120458.jpg20120901-120458.jpg2012-09-01T03:32:11+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/08/29/profapalooza-part-1/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/canberra.jpgCanberraLove, love this building! Very different from the Parliament buildings in Canada, but an intriguing design. Inside is a great hall with marble and wood from various parts of the country. Oh yes - and a great gift shop.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/brisvegas.jpgBrisvegasThis is Brisvegas; it's not Las Vegas (guess that's a good thing) but a cool city, even so!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/perth.jpgPerthThe view from MAD's condo looking at the Perth CBDhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/abcradio.jpgABCradioA true rock star moment! Note that the ABC's call number is 666; who knew that Iron Maiden owned a radio station in Australia?2012-08-28T20:43:15+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/08/19/a-new-world-record/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/20120819-092628.jpg20120819-092628.jpg2012-08-18T23:43:59+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/08/12/how-to-speak-australian-5/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/880.jpg880Knights is one of the many butchers in town. We shop there frequently, but it isn't our butcher of choice. We like their deli though, which has an amazing cheese selection. And our favorite butcher isn't very photogenic so we just used this picture.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/41570_219284573873_1718783_n.jpg41570_219284573873_1718783_nDoes this look appetizing? No...not to Lisa either, who refuses to try one. But it is the Saturday lunch of choice for the hundreds of Waggans.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/100_6783.jpg100_67832012-08-12T11:23:59+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/08/04/hometown-glory/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/presby.jpgpresbySt. Andrew’s Presbyterian Churchhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/otherchurch.jpgotherChurchSt. John’s Anglican Churchhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/waggachurch.jpgwaggaChurchSt. Michael’s Cathedral Catholic Churchhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/memorial.jpgmemorialThe entrance to the park across from the Civic Centre and the eternal flamehttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/wollundry.jpgWollundryThe pond outside the Civic Centre. The building on the right is the Library and behind the Library you can see the Theatre.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/glass.jpgglassThe art gallery in the Civic Centrehttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/civic.jpgcivicThe Civic Centre2012-08-14T04:52:21+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/08/01/hazy-shade-of-winter/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/rugup.jpgRugUpLester likes to hang out in the bathrooms and watch us shower in the morning. But for some reason, Australians don't heat the bathrooms, so this morning he took the bath mat from in front of the shower stall and 'rugged up'.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/scraping.jpgscrapingWe didn't get rid of all our winter items when we moved - we did ditch the big ice scraper but the little one from Eddie Bauer has come in handy for this thick layer of frost.2012-08-01T05:31:12+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/25/renovations/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/laundry.jpglaundryCutting the bench (what Aussies call countertops) and moving the sink this much caused havoc with the plumbing.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/wine-unit.jpegwine-unitProof that Dan is a genius. His idea for this corner is far better than what the original designer had...which was nothing.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/void.jpgvoidWe don't know why the builder left this space, but we managed to fill it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/narrow.jpgnarrowWe were pretty sure our washer/dryer stack wasn't going to fit into this space.2012-07-25T20:01:46+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/21/digger-dan/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/roosplantingday.jpgroosPlantingDayAnother distraction (and useless critter picture) - the view over our south fence while Dan gardened...or more accurately part of the view, there were about 20 roos there. And one lone one in the park across the road from us... how do Aussies get any work done with all these cool animals to watch?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/kite.jpgkiteGratuitous animal photo...this black shouldered kite kept distracting Dan as he gardened by just sitting on the light pole in front of our house, looking for mice. Those bright red eyes are very mesmerizing...and maybe good for finding rodents.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandarin.jpgmandarinOne third of our little citrus grove! Maybe we'll add a grapefruit tree and an apricot tree some day.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/camelia.jpgcameliaWe're really looking forward to this camellia getting big. They are in bloom right now all over Wagga and absolutely beautiful.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/lemon.jpglemonThe little citrus trees at Bunnings fit perfectly into the boot of the KIA!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/wattle.jpgwattleEdmonton markets sold hardy, starch veggies in the winter, while people give away seedlings like this one at Wagga's winter market.2012-07-21T12:09:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/13/slowly-slowly/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120713-231755.jpg20120713-231755.jpg2012-07-13T13:20:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/06/herding-cats-wagga-version-part-3/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120706-140059.jpg20120706-140059.jpg2012-07-06T04:04:59+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/06/herding-cats-wagga-version-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120706-100431.jpg20120706-100431.jpg2012-07-06T00:06:30+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/06/herding-cats-wagga-version-pt-1/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120705-235801.jpg20120705-235801.jpg2012-07-06T00:11:37+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/07/01/home-is-just-anywhere/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/house.jpghouseThe house where Lisa grew up. Interested? Soon to be on the market, so just let us know...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/seasons.jpgseasonsThis retirement home, where Lisa's parents will soon reside, is really just a cruise ship in permanent dry-dock.2012-07-01T10:36:05+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/06/23/were-moving-on-up/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mailbox.jpgMailboxIt's a pretty crappy little letterbox, but it seems to work really well! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/auspostboxes.jpgAusPostBoxesDan had brought these Australia Post bins home from work for moving. We thought we could just write IN on one and OUT on the other, and leave them on the front lawn rather than buy a real letterbox. Then we decided we didn't want the neigbhours using our 'super mailbox'.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/remote-controller-with-weekly-timer.pngRemote controller with weekly timerYou would think that at some point in the building process, someone would have pushed that blue on/off switch to see if the thermostat was wired correctly.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/high_tier.jpghigh_tierOne of the 'wants' on our list was that our house have refrigerated cooling, not evaporative. We got it. The outdoor part worked, but the unit in the ceiling didn't seem to want to come on.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/product_314_613_240x350.jpgProduct_314_613_240x350There is on logical reason that you should have to turn all three knobs to get the oven to come on.2012-06-23T22:51:25+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/06/19/you-hang-your-head/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/leeenfield.jpgLeeEnfieldLook what happens when Dan gets back on the Peninsula...in the background are two of his nephews, wondering how anyone could be so stupid as to give him a loaded weapon.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/firingline.jpgFiringLineWe were sure to make sure everyone was safely out of the bush before the guns came out! It was a loud tribute to Dad.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/endoftunnel.jpgEndofTunnelGo to the light... This is the beautiful forest where we spread Bud's ashes. Who wouldn't want to end up here?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/skinner.jpgskinnerWe went on a nice stroll on (a short section of) the Bruce Trail - an 800 km hiking trail that runs from Niagara to Tobermory. Here's Dan and his sister standing on Skinner's Bluff, overlooking the Slough of Despair...how could such a great view be labeled despair?2012-06-19T16:27:00+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/06/14/maple-syrup/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/deodorant.jpgdeodorantAdd a bit of sudafed and some butane, and this stuff could be addictive.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/syrup.jpgsyrupA well-spent $20 at the Lion's Head farmers market. We foresee blueberry pancakes in our near future.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/danvog.jpgDanVogDan hasn't received any compliments on his new Fluevogs. Waggans aren't sure that a guy should wear shoes with pink highlights.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/lisavog.jpgLisaVog2012-06-14T23:15:56+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/27/residence/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/paperwork.jpgpaperworkOur loan agent at Commonwealth Bank acknowledged that they aren't very environmentally friendly with all the paperwork. At least we had a good bottle of wine to sip on as we tried to make sense of what we had just signed.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2009620955_8_fs.jpg2009620955_8_FSLook closely at the roof: solar panels! Every house in Australia should have them. We hope to not have any power bills!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2009620955_9_fs.jpg2009620955_9_FSAs we said, we were drawn to the rocks! Lots of them. Good place for spiders to nest...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2009620955_1_fs.jpg2009620955_1_FS2012-05-27T15:20:20+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/24/resolved/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/xmasisland.jpgChristmas Island Refugees.Some days, it seems like things might have been a bit easier if we just got a refugee boat to drop us on Christmas Island.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/yvr-lounge.jpgyvr-loungeMore time in the air than actually in Vancouver - and a lot of time sitting in the Air Canada lounge at YVR. At least there was a nice sunset.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lisa-fingers.jpglisa-fingersYes Lisa's fingerprints are a blurry, but they prove that she has opposable thumbs. Kangaroos don't have thumbs...2012-05-25T00:02:41+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/19/let-me-fill-your-cup/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/pv.jpgpvThe new CSU petit verdot use the new 'initial' labeling that started with the M (for merlot) an T (for tempranillo) last year. It is very good: thick, inky, cocoa-y...you need to brush your teeth well after a glass of this!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/grapefire.jpggrapefireAnyone who grew up using wood for heat, as Dan did, knows you need coals not flames. Grape vines don't make coals - this fire could have used a good big red gum log.2012-05-19T11:19:07+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/17/the-sound-of-one-hand-typing/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/face.jpgfaceThis is the cleaned up version, 23 hours later. I feel like I just lost a boxing match. And I probably should have shaved yesterday before work, because I probably won't be for a few days.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/monitor.jpgmonitorI wasn't sleeping, I was seething in anger. Not at the guy who cut me off but at Lisa who wouldn't let me do a facebook 'check in' at the hospital. She thought it might worry people.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/helmet.jpghelmetiPhone holder and sunnies didn't fare as well.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bicycle.jpgbicycleMy beloved 'pushie' came out pretty much unscathed I think. Haven't done a close inspection, but I think just a reflector and the bell are broken.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hand.jpghandNot good for typing...so rather than work today (where I type a lot) I am staying home and blogging!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/text.jpgtext2012-05-17T15:46:21+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/13/all-mod-cons/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/outdoor.jpgoutdoorIt is too much to hope that any house we can afford on our budget will have a patio like this, but maybe some day down the road we can do some renovating.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/stovetop.jpgstovetopThe knobs look like they should control the temperature, but this one is on 'low' and stil red hot. Lack of control makes it hard to cook.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/toiletseat.jpgtoiletseatA note to people trying to sell your houses: if you have cheap plastic toilet seats like this one, invest a few $$$ and get better ones. It might make people want to buy your house.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/huntsman.jpghuntsmanThe rental house came frequently has huntsman spiders drop by. We hope wherever we buy also has them occasionally, but not a priority. And we don't know how you can plan for them!2012-05-13T03:36:02+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/05/thats-what-the-world-is-today/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/clonakillahilltops10.jpgClonakillaHilltops10This is a good bottle of Clonakilla shiraz, but not as good as the one we will drink when life gets sorted. And there is a very cryptic clue in this photo about part of what is going on...2012-05-06T10:12:55+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/05/01/wagga-two/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ohcalcutta2.jpgOhCalcutta2Not a picture from Wagga Takes Two...or from Tarcutta. Just a filler photo of Oh Calcutta stolen from some other website.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/rocky_horror_picture_show_movie_image_tim_curry_01.jpgrocky_horror_picture_show_movie_image_tim_curry_01This is from Rocky Horror Motion Picture stolen off the web. Even if we had them, there would be something a bit creepy about posting pictures from WWT2 with a guy in leather drag dancing with a scantily-clad teen girls...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cohen729-420x0.jpgcohen729-420x0We're not sure if the thong was a direct tribute to Borat, but if so, what will LC's partner wear next year, now that Sacha Baron Cohen has visited Australia in his latest guise?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1853776.jpg1853776The Wagga High Dancers were very enthusiastic, but a bit rhythmicly challenged.2012-05-03T13:18:39+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/25/two-up/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ring.jpgringThe two-up ring. From farther back, one might have thought is was a cockfighting event with all the yelling and betting going on.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/two-fist.jpgtwo-fistWhen we first saw signs advertising ANZAC Day two-up at the local pubs, Dan wondered if it was sort of the same as 'two fisting'. Well, it isn't, but he did that anyway.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/salute.jpgsaluteNo, this man isn't shading his eyes from the Australian sun. He is the commander of the Army Recruit Training Centre in Wagga (aka Blamey Barracks, aka Kapooka) and he oversaw the march, saluting everyone who went past.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/anzac-crowd.jpganzac-crowdThe ANZAC Day march seems to be the biggest event in Wagga! It gets a much bigger turnout than the 'Town and Gown' academic procession that happens each autumn.2012-04-25T11:47:55+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/23/anzac/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_1618.jpgIMG_1618The ANZAC memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park is a pretty spectacular place.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/soldiering.jpgsoldieringThis rock at the entrance to the Blamey Barracks (more commonly known here as Kapooka) is the precise point where new recruits at the Wagga-based army training facility become soldiers.2012-04-25T12:13:22+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/20/all-beauty-must-die/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fire.jpgfireYou too can burn in hell... if you vote for the wrong party.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/otherguys.jpgotherguysThese are some other guys you can vote for (Brian Mason & Raj Sherman)... but do so at your own peril! Although Brian is "electable" (based on historic voting patterns), the NDP and the Liberals don't really have a hope in hell.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vote.jpgvoteThis pic says it all! Get out there and vote.2012-04-20T19:02:03+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/15/mood-indigo/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/honey.jpghoneyThree of the honeys tempted us enough to buy them: Red Box (a gum tree), Tasmanian Manuka (Aussies pronouce it Monica, not Maa-new-ka), and a generic local honey infused with vanilla bean! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/heerbs.jpgheerbsHerbs from this courtyard garden flavour much of the food at Provenance, including scrambled eggs that were among the best we've had!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pennyweight.jpgpennyweightAn idyllic setting at Pennyweight, on a cycle trail, where you can buy a bottle of wine and a cheese plate for the patio...then not have to drive home. You just have to figure out how to not fall off your bike.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dessert.jpgdessertYou don't expect desserts like the ones at Provenance in a small town. This was...well, the dark thing was a licorice semifreddo. No idea what the rest of it was, but it was tasty!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/green-shed.jpggreen-shedAn unassuming place that looks about the same on the inside as it does outside, the Green Shed could hold its own in a major city.2012-04-15T22:31:56+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/12/my-little-golden-horseshoe/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ameilas-tarts.jpgameilas-tartsThese enterprising kids set up a rogue table away from the official markets to sell tarts. And at $2 a piece, these tarts were one of the best deals ever. Their table was at the gate to our b'n'b, and the kid in the middle is the owners' daughter. The tarts were made by one of the best chefs in rural Australia!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brewery-float.jpgbrewery-floatIt doesn't get much better than a Sound of Music-inspired float with drunken yodelers.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shoeing.jpgshoeingThey said that this wasn't a real golden horseshoe - the originals were on display in the jewelery store on the corner - but we think maybe they were.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/peregrine-ridge.jpgperegrine-ridgeIt's not a market unless someone is giving away samples of wine! We bought some really good shiraz from these interlopers from Central Victoria.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ned-kelly.jpgned-kellyNorthern Victoria takes pride on ownership of one of Australia's most famous criminals. Ned Kelly is everywhere!2012-04-13T01:31:01+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/09/chestnuts/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/king-parrot1.jpgking-parrotTo make up for stealing someone's photo of the black cockatoo, we will let anyone who wants it have this photo of a male king parrot. Dan took it and is releasing all copyright...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/zombie-walk.jpgzombie-walkWith the restaurants all full on Saturday afternoon, people on the streets resorted to eating whatever they could find. Or whoever.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gorge.jpggorgeGoing down into the gorge was easy. Coming back up? Let's just say that Dan and some guy we met on the trail had a nice chat at the top while Lisa and the other guy's partner came up the hill.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/chestnuts.jpgchestnutsThe apples we know what to do with. The chestnuts...well, first you have to prepare them, then figure out how to serve them. Our first experiment might be risotto.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/provenance.jpgprovenanceWalking through this courtyard at Provenance one night after dinner, we came across a brush-tailed possum. Rural Australia is really cool!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ytbc.jpgYTBCAn amazing sight, the yellow-tailed black cuckatoo in the wild!2012-04-09T11:49:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/05/somebodys-sins/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/victornikki.jpgvictornikkiThere's a theme song for this, but that wouldn't be the answer.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/20200.jpg20200Speaking of the 70s, knowing what this is might be useful.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lrb.jpglrbDan remembers a lot of really useless crap, including this horrible band from the 1970s that he used to hear on CFOS. However, though he heard them on Ontario, they were Australian.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/winner1.jpgwinnerhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/winner.jpgwinnerThere are a couple of very tricky questions in this contest. This is the answer to one of them. Or another one...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/615px-marie_osmond_with_guitar.jpg615px-Marie_osmond_with_guitarIf you pick Marie Osmond as the performer for one of the songs, you won't get a point. She may (or may not) have done a version of one, but it isn't the one you are thinking of.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/41.jpg41Knowing what this is can be very valuable to you. Read on...2012-04-05T02:18:59+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/04/02/kooks/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kooks.jpgkooksWe often see kookaburras at a distance, while driving or cycling, so were thrilled that this one sat on a branch about 15 feet up, for a long time. What a spectacular creature!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/easternrosella.jpgeasternRosellaYou are all probably getting sick of us bragging about living amongst parrots, but we don't care. Eastern rosellas like this are pretty much a daily sighting! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rosella.jpgrosellaWe didn't get a photo of the ringneck, but did get some great views of a few yellow rosellas.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/koala_range.jpgkoala_rangeThis is where koalas live. That dot in the middle of NSW is Narrandera. 2012-04-02T10:55:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/28/and-no-one-touches-me/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/accadacca.jpgaccadaccaEven though this is made in Griffith, where the majority of the population are of Italian heritage, it isn't Italian-style wine. And it wasn't very good either.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lambs.jpglambsOK, these little juicy morsels aren't local. This shot was taken at Stonehenge last June. We can tell that it isn't near Wagga, because if it was a picture from here there would be a lot more lambs.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/citrus.jpgcitrusSome things we can get very local and inexpensive. This pile of oranges, lemons and grapefruit cost about $1.50 last year...we are watching this year's crop growing right now, and salivating.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/detectordogs1.jpgdetectordogs1This Australian 'quarantine detector dog' looks sad because they don't feed him. He relies on tourists trying to smuggle in cookies for his meals.2012-03-28T10:18:35+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/25/guest-blog-australia-its-for-the-birds/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/dusky-moorhen.jpgdusky-moorhenThis dusky moorhen lives at Lake Albert. The waterbirds don't mind the floods!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/gallahs.jpggallahsAustralia's version of the lawn ornament - only these ones (Galahs) are alive!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sulphur-crest.jpgsulphur-crestHere are some sulphur-crested cockatoos feasting on nuts in a tree.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/newholland.jpgnewhollandLisa and I saw this New Holland Honeyeater at the Botanical Gardens in Canberra. Very exciting!2012-03-26T06:44:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/21/too-late-to-cut-the-grass/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/simkin.jpgsimkinBehind this house is a great view. Of an ugly fence. Behind that fence: trees, paddocks, parrots, sheep... https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bogong2.jpgbogong2This is just part of the outdoor living space at this house! More than we need, more than we want to spend, but pretty tempting!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bogong3.jpgbogong3OK, the ceiling might cause a bit of brain damage on a jump shot, but with 2 other eating areas and 2 other lounge areas inside, what else is this for?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/balala2.jpgbalala2This sod would have been laid several months ago. Someone should pay attention and realize that it has grown (explained below).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/balala1.jpgbalala1Great concept, but the cooktop and oven are both tiny, and it is only a single sink. Funky, but not practical.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/yanco.jpgyancoNice view, but the people living at the bottom of the hill might not want a sweaty and panting Dan laying on their front yard.2012-03-22T03:23:51+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/18/the-7-solution/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/wall.jpgwallIf we owned this house, we would definitely put something on this wall.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/room.jpgroomWhen we own a house, we will actually use all the rooms. We've never actually sat in this room in the rental house. The only reason it has furniture is that it is at the front of the house, so visitors see it and we don't want it to look empty.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/house1.jpghouse1We could get this house for one sixth of the price of the one above. We think we will look somewhere in the middle of the range instead.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/interior.jpginteriorThe bank would lend us enough for this house, but we don't really feel like spending 1.2 million on a house.2012-03-18T01:35:44+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/12/summer-in-my-mind/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/washout.jpgwashoutThe current weather is perfect for cycling, but the rain last week destroyed one of our frequently-used trails.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/squire.jpgsquireGood beer? Yes. 'Craft' beer? Probably not.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-12-at-9-26-03-pm.pngScreen shot 2012-03-12 at 9.26.03 PMAn absolutely beautiful forecast for the next few days. Autumn in Edmonton was never like this!2012-03-14T10:04:41+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/07/whirlybird/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/north-wagga-under-water-data.jpgAUSTRALIA-WEATHER-FLOODSWhen we see pictures like this, it is hard to even understand what we are looking at. Landmarks like roads and the river no longer exist...it is just a blur of water and rooftops.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sheepdeck.jpgsheepDeckThere were photos in local media of farmers rounding up sheep in their boats and ferrying them to this deck. We assume it is the back of their house.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-07-at-10-06-05-pm.pngScreen shot 2012-03-07 at 10.06.05 PMWhen we see pictures like this, it is hard to even understand what we are looking at. Landmarks like roads and the river no longer exist...it is just a blur of water and rooftops.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/blackswan.jpgBlackSwanWe used to drive past this pub daily on our way to work. And our friends in North Wagga live about 2 blocks from it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-07-at-9-59-06-pm.pngScreen shot 2012-03-07 at 9.59.06 PMThis became a normal sight over the city for a few days...but now they seemed to have moved down river to places like Griffith as they prepare for the water to reach them.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/potential.jpgpotentialhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/normal.jpgnormal2012-03-16T03:22:18+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/06/mean-old-levee/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bikepath.jpgbikepathThey've built an impromptu levee across one of the streets where we bike regularly! No, these cyclists aren't us... just crazy folks who are getting too close to the water. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/drive.jpgdriveThe drive home from work Monday, not far from the Univ. Those tree trunks shouldn't be covered in water!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/evacmap.jpgevacMapThis is the area that was evacuated last night - it doesn't account for the huge, though less populated, area north of the river that was put on notice on Saturday. We live at the bottom edge.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sign.jpgSignThis photo is from the December 2010 flood, showing how high the water was then and its record peak in 1974. They are predicting a higher level this year.2012-03-07T00:34:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/04/like-a-great-big-train/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-04-at-8-50-46-am.pngScreen shot 2012-03-04 at 8.50.46 AMThis is the NSW Road and Traffic Authority map of flooded and closed roads in our area.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sandbagging.jpgSandbaggingWhile we had hoped to see a great exhibit of contemporary Aboriginal sculpture, all we saw at the gallery was sandbagging. They weren't taking a chance after last year, and good thing too because early Saturday afternoon the lagoon overflowed on the north side...but so far the barricade has protected the gallery that is the south of the lagoon.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/rooface.jpgRooFaceOK, so we didn't get to show our visitors kangaroos in the wild, but you can't get this close to them outside of a zoo.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/murrumbidgeewaterlevel.jpgMurrumbidgeeWaterLevelThis graph shows the water level in the Murrumbidgee River at Wagga. As you can see, it has gone up in the past couple of days.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-03-at-10-13-32-pm.pngScreen shot 2012-03-03 at 10.13.32 PMThis is a little creek that runs into Lake Albert. In 8 months of cycling past it, we've never seen water in it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/screen-shot-2012-03-03-at-10-11-55-pm.pngScreen shot 2012-03-03 at 10.11.55 PMSaturday afternoon in Wagga...not a normal afternoon though, as normally there would be people shopping here. Our beloved Knights Meats deli is just past the blue building.2012-03-06T09:34:46+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/03/02/guest-blog-fly-me-to-wagga-wagga/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lorikeet.jpglorikeetA little lorikeet eating apples.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/emu.jpgemuHere's the face of an emu.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/roo.jpgrooA cute kangaroo who came to see us at the fence at the Wagga Zoo.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sydneypic.jpgSydneypicA great view from the plane!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/francelaurence.jpgFranceLaurenceMe and my mom at CSU.2012-03-02T07:15:42+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/09/recycling-lockhart-style/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hogan.jpghoganAnd we all know who this is. Sorry about the bad photo, the museum didn't allow photos so I took them secretly.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/slimdusty.jpgSlimDustyThis is Doris' portrait of Slim Dusty. He's an Australian country & western legend. He recorded an album in Wagga!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/whiskers.jpgwhiskershttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hockeyned.jpgHockeyNedEvery school kid in Australia wants to be Ned Kelly, every craft competition features many likenesses of him. This, however, is the first we've seen of him as an ice hockey goalie.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ironchook.jpgIronChookThis little guy was great. Probaby designed to be a planter, for the show he had a straw nest full of eggs in his back for competition purposes.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sentry.jpgsentryThis is one of a pair of sentries at gate to the exhibit: a motorcycle engine, plow parts, and shock absorbers. Brilliant.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shearer3.jpgshearer3The attention to detail on this shearer is incredible. On the first picture, you can see a tattoo of a guitar (shearers wear singles, so no sleeves). In this one, underarm hair!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shearer2.jpgshearer2This is the second part of the sheep shearer sculpture - a sheared sheep. The little tag on his ear is even authentic.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shearer-1.jpgShearer-1This was the winner of the Garden Art category, and a clear audience favourite. After watching so much sheep shearing in Ganmain, we really appreciated it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/twohprse.jpgTwoHprseWinner in the Silhouette Category. Nothing special really. 2012-02-28T06:31:28+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/animals-weve-encountered/2012-03-12T21:26:55+00:00weekly0.6https://waggadventure.com/2012/02/26/gimme-danger/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/huntsman.jpghuntsmanA huntsmann hanging out at the ceiling on our veranda. That mortar is a bit wider than 1/2 inch, so you can judge how big he is...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/snakeman.jpgsnakemanThis is the Wagga Snakeman - you are supposed to call him if you see a snake in your back yard. We don't know how much business he gets, but his phone number is in the Daily Advertiser all the time during snake season.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/after.jpgafterLisa's first kill - she saw one redback in the bush, and after spraying it realized there were two. These are both males.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/grizzly.jpgGrizzlyBear awareness lesson #2: this is a grizzly bear. They are much more dangerous than a black bear, but they would still prefer to eat berries and leave you alone. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/blackbear.jpgBlackBearFor all the Aussies who are afraid of bears: this is a black bear. It can hurt you, but it doesn't want to. It would rather eat berries and walk away. Just don't bother it.2012-02-26T00:19:00+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/22/oh-tarcutta/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tarcuttamotel.jpgtarcuttamotelSince the Halfway will probably never again be too full and guests have to sleep in the manger, the second coming won't start here.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pickles.jpgpicklesA town can't survive on the occasional pickle sales. These are good pickles. Haven't tried the jam yet, but how bad can blackberry and plum jam be! And the date loaf didn't last long enough to be photographed.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/200712_102_jugiong_oldhumehwy.jpg200712_102_jugiong_oldhumehwyThe highway bypassed Jugiong a few years ago, but they manage to attract tourists still with a great cafe and a really cool wine shop selling only wines from within about 50 km.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/24-sydney-street-tarcutta-nsw-2652-real-estate-photo-1-medium-3072909.jpg24-Sydney-Street-Tarcutta-NSW-2652-Real-Estate-photo-1-medium-3072909Sorry we don't actually have any of our own photos of Tarcutta. The camera was in the boot of the car, but it didn't really seem worth getting.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/hume-highway-sign.gifHume-Highway-signObviously a sign from just outside of Sydney - it fails to mention all the other great places you pass through on the way such as Gundagai, Wodonga, Wangaratta, etc...2015-05-11T01:57:54+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/19/its-a-beauty-way-to-go/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dessertmontreal.jpgDessertMontrealI don't think we're in Wagga anymore, because there is great food here but usually not as beautifully presented as this dessert in Montreal.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ossnow.jpgOSSnowI don't think we're in Wagga anymore, because Wagga doesn't get this white crap! Get me out of here, back to the heat.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fakepool.jpgfakePoolI don't think we're in Wagga anymore...because Wagga has real ponds with water lilies and the ducks live outside, unlike in Dallas.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/elliepillows.jpgElliePillowsI don't think she's in Wagga anymore, and I'm not getting off her pillow until she gets home.2012-02-19T09:16:56+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/15/all-secrecy-and-no-privacy/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/wombat-wombat.jpgwombat-wombatAll new Australian citizens get a free pet wombat.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/wagga_wagga_police_station.jpgWagga_Wagga_Police_StationThe Wagga Police Station was opened in 2009. We're lucky that someone was smart enough to bring an ink pad from the old one.2012-02-15T21:24:57+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/12/stand-on-one-foot-and-hop/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/passports.jpgpassportsA big pile of photocopying to be done. And here's a tip for anyone who might ever migrate: when you renew your passport, make sure you keep your old one. If we didn't have these, we have no idea how we would have filled out the PR application. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/lungs.jpglungsThey had to turn the film to get a proper picture of Dan's lungs. And no, those trees aren't in his lungs...they gave us the film so we have them hanging on the windows as art.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/thumbprint.jpgThumbPrintWe've started to wonder if the fingerprints aren't to check your criminal status, but to prove that you have oppossable thumbs. Kangaroos, who can't hop on one foot or touch their fingertips together behind their back, don't have thumbs, so they are lucky to have been born here because otherwise they wouldn't meet most of the requirements for residency.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/touchhands.jpgtouchHandsLisa proves that, unlike a kangaroo, she can touch her front paws together behind her back.2012-02-12T17:19:10+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/06/baby-you-can-drive-my-car/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/sms.jpgsmsNow here's a nice looking bloke and his girlfriend. With steering wheel on left -- wrong to text; with steering wheel on right - okay to text. Either way his girlfriend will be pissed that he's not paying attention to her.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/world.gifworldAustralia is "special". Like other select countries, they drive on the left ("wrong") side of the road.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/round.pngroundThis sign does not mean that you go in endless circles (one hopes!). You must exit or risk looking completely stupid.2012-02-07T22:48:59+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/02/02/surfin-bird/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crimsonyellow.jpgCrimsonYellowhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/silvereye1.jpgsilvereyeDoes the silver ring around their eye work like that black goop NFL players smear under their eyes, deflecting light to they can see bugs better?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/silvereye.jpgsilvereyeDoes the silver ring around their eye work like that black goop NFL players smear under their eyes, deflecting light to they can see bugs better?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/spoonbill.jpgspoonbillDarwin would probably say that these birds evolved to scoop yabbies out of dams.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fairywren1.jpgFairyWrenThis pair of fairy wrens started a family in our back yard and moved on. Hopefully they liked our little resort, complete with spas, enough to stop by again on their way south...or north...whichever way they were migrating.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fairywren.jpgFairyWrenDaddy fairy wren. Hopefully he and his family stop by to visit on their way back south. ..or north? Not sure where they were travelling. But they did love to play in our bird bath.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/honeyeater.jpgHoneyEaterSure, he isn't a parrot, but this blue-faced honeyeater is still quite pretty. He lived in our back yard (feeding on this bottlebrush) for a few weeks.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/eastern.jpgEasternDamp and snowy Ontarion and Quebec, or Eastern Rosellas...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crimsonparents1.jpgCrimsonParentsOk, so the young crimson rosellas are beautiful, but this is what they grow up to be! And Dan is pretty proud of this photo - he spent several hours sitting on the deck of our cabin at Casa Luna, drinking wine and watching birds, trying to get the perfect photo for you...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crimsonparents.jpgCrimsonParentsOk, so the young crimson rosellas are beautiful, but this is what they grow up to be! And Dan is pretty proud of this photo - he spent several hours sitting on the deck of our cabin at Casa Luna, drinking wine and watching birds, trying to get the perfect photo for you...2012-02-02T16:21:12+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/29/solonely/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/weatherapp.jpgweatherAppGotta love the accuracy of the weather app I have: 27 degrees, but feels like 26.9! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/basil2.jpgbasilBasil grows really well here. This started out as 6 little plants, and we've harvested enough for a huge jar of pesto and a lot of pizzas and it just keeps on growing.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/basil1.jpgbasilBasilhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/basil.jpgbasilThings grow really well here. One little tray of basil plants has resulted a huge jar of pesto and a lot of of pizzas, and is still going strong2012-01-30T00:59:32+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/21/bigger-birds/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/wagga_wagga_airport_waiting_area.jpgWagga_Wagga_Airport_waiting_areaBecause the SOPA/PIPA laws in the US haven't passed yet, I can take a chance on using this image of the inside of the Wagga airport, taken from Wikipedia, and not worry about being charged with anything yet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/wagga-02b-645x420.jpgWagga-02b-645x420When you do a Google Image search for Thirsty Crow, photos from our blog come up! When you search for Wagga airport, you get a bunch of random crap. Maybe that will change after this post.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/wagga-airport-main-image.jpgwagga-airport-main-imageIn 2009, Skyscanner (whoever they are) came up with a list of bizarre airport names. This one was on it, along with other Aussie airports such as Useless Loop, Woodie Woodie, Wee Waa. Batman, and Moron. Too bad they didn't know that it is actually closer to Gumly Gumly than Wagga Wagga.2012-01-25T19:52:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/25/things-that-make-you-wiggle/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/whale.jpgwhaleWhen looking online for a picture for here, there were a lot of choices. This one seemed the most appropriate.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dorathy.jpgdorathyYellow's two wives high fiving for being married to a Wiggle. Well, they were, but not any more.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/stab.jpegstabSam and Gregg: Hey ho, let's go, Stab 'em in the back nowhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/teletubbies.jpegteletubbiesThe Wiggles, from left to right: Joey, Dee Dee, drummer du jour (Tommy, Markie, Richie, Markie again) and Johnny.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thong1.jpegthongThey might be an orthopedic nightmare, but the lack of shape to the sole makes these the ultimate spider killers.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thong.jpegthong2012-01-25T04:11:46+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/18/hard-yakka/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thirstycrow4.jpgThirstyCrow4The winner of the night, and one of my favorite beers.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/calendar.jpgcalendarA chalkboard on one wall keeps people informed of what is happening in the brewery.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/stout.jpgstoutThe 'label' for the vanilla milk stout. They don't bottle the beer yet, but these are on the taps.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/brewery.jpgbreweryThe heart of the Crow...stainless steel tanks for brewing. It will be expanding this year.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/foodmenu.jpgFoodMenuBesides pints, middys and schooners of beer, you can also get sampler trays.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thirstycrow1.jpgThirstyCrow1The Thirsty Crow building is big enough to hold a small brewery, a kitchen, and 140 patrons. 2012-01-27T00:44:42+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/14/surfin-bird-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/purpleswamphen.jpgPurpleSwamphenI'm a purple swamphen. Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dumbplover.jpgDumbPloverhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mynah.jpgmynahAn introduced species, in 2008 the mynah was voted as "the most important pest in Australia". Of course, mynahs are mostly urban and any farmer who has lost lambs to a fox would argue with that designation.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/egret.jpgEgretGreat or little egret standing in a dam in North Wagga. Source: Dan Given. (You don't think we would steal a photo this bad, do you? In the photographer's defence, however, it was very foggy that morning.)https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/woodduck.jpgwoodDuckAustralian wood ducks are more populous than magpies, so try suing us for not crediting this photo...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/australian-magpie.jpgAustralian-MagpieWe didn't take this picture of a magpie, but these birds are so abundant that no one is going to be able to say we violated copyright. Prove that this is yours of the billions of magpies out there.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/cockatoo.jpgCockatooA rare picture of a lone cockatoo. There are usually a million of them and they are really fracking loud.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/galahs1.jpggalahsGalahs are misunderstood here in Australia, but they have tried in their own way to be free.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/galahs.jpggalahsGalahs are misunderstood here in Australia, but they have tried in their own way to be free.2012-01-28T23:57:35+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/11/happy-anniversary/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/malpost.jpgMalPostMalachi has learned how to sit on the post too. We don't know if Lester taught him, or it was a natural reaction to a spider.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/puffycoat.jpgPuffyCoatNo, Lisa doesn't have the puffy coat out because NSW had a cold spring. She is heading back to Canada (and Texas and Quebec) for a couple of weeks in January. She will have to wear it, while Dan will still be in shorts.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ganmainbakery.jpgGanmainBakeryAnyone want to buy a bakery? The Australian government would probably give you a visa... And Ganmain is a nice little town.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/batlownetting.jpgBatlowNettingAll this netting didn't manage to keep the hail off the apples. We have been told that it is quite useful when orchard owners want to hide their marijuana crop from police helicopters though.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/deadbacks.jpgDeadBacksEven after being drowned in Raid, a redback is pretty distinctive.2012-01-10T23:09:20+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/07/and-a-new-year-begins/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/outdoorkitchen.jpgOutdoorKitchenThe site of an amazing meal at Casa Luna, and inspiration for us when we finally get our own house.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pizzini.jpgpizziniThe entrance to the Pizzini cellar door is a bit strange, but 40 m through this wine shed, there is a beautiful modern tasting room.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/road.jpgRoadThe road that Dan couldn't resist at 6:45 am on New Year's Day. It was less appealing at 8:00 am, because the hill going up to Casa Luna is long.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/clroom.jpgCLRoomOur building at Casa Luna was easy to find in daylight, but the walk back after NYE dinner was a bit of a challenge.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/lwhpicnic.jpgLWHpicnicAll is quiet on New Year's Day at Lake William Hovell. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/vineyardcockatoos.jpgvineyardCockatoosA view from Casa Luna: cockatoos flying by a vineyard. One of the wines we had with dinner probably came from this paddock.2012-01-07T08:23:49+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/04/how-deep-in-the-valley/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dalzottobucket.jpgDalZottoBucketNot hard to figure out what this post is going to be about. Vino!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dalzotto.jpgDalZottoAnother Italian family, more Italian-style wines, but Dal Zotto serves their up in a more Austrailan building: a tin shed.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/brownslunch.jpgbrownslunchDan's lunch of pig (3 ways) at Brown's. Yummy.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sampatio.jpgSamPatioAnother hot and sunny day in Oxley. Perfect for kicking back on Sam Miranda's patio, sipping a glass of pinot grigio as we awaited our food.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bikewang.jpgbikeWangLoading up the bikes in Wangaratta. As you can see by the sky, it was an absolutely beautiful day!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/lacantina.jpgLaCantinaLa Cantina winery. An old Italian guy making old-style Italian wines, and selling them in an old Italian-style building.2012-01-07T06:41:26+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2012/01/01/let-us-be-the-first/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/snowpile.jpgsnowpileUnlike Wagga, where it's 30+ this week, Edmonton will be creating another snow pile. This is last year's pile... so big that CTV Edmonton launched a contest to see when it would melt (the winner would have this year's pile named after them... we feel sad for them!).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/cruise.gifcruiseThis was our itinerary last year at this time, from Valparaiso around Cape Horn and up to Buenos Aires!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/cba.jpgcba2012-01-01T00:51:09+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/28/yabbie-dabbie-doo/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bocce.jpgbocceBorrowing a page from the Test Cricket playbook, we decided to break for tea (well, actually lemonade) mid-afternoon during our bocce game. Unlike cricket, however, this game doesn't last 5 days.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/harefield1.jpgharefieldThe view from Cottontails. It was getting more and more ominous as lunch progressed.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/yabbies.jpgyabbiesThey were nice enough to cut the yabbies in the salad so Dan didn;t have to figure out how to extract the meat from them. They did leave the eyes intact though. And the brains...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/harefieldsign.jpgharefieldSignIs this a) a really good restaurant? b) a really good winery? c) 15 km from our house? or d) all of the above? D. We like Wagga.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/harefield.jpgharefieldhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rosella.jpgrosellaIt is really hard to photograph birds while biking, so we stole this pic of an Eastern Rosella from another website. We saw scores of these and blue-winged parrots on Christmas morning. And herons, egrets, spoonbills, swans, ducks...Much better than whatever bird life is around Edmonton this time of year! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/xmasinushuaia.jpgXmasInUshuaiaChristmas Day, one year ago, we were in Ushuaia, Argentina, on a cruise. We were still deliberating whether or not to move to Australia. If there would have been a sign there saying Wagga Wagga 10000 miles, it would have been an easy decision!2011-12-28T15:19:10+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/27/were-up-for-an-award/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5k9hc.jpg5k9hc2012-01-03T23:33:16+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/24/do-they-know-its-chrissie/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/roselights.jpgroseLightsThere is something a bit disconcerting to notherners about seeing christmas lights on flowers.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lights3.jpglights3This is just a small part of a massive multi-media installation on one front yard. Multimedia as in some of the stuffed animals on the front sing carols. The owner's grand daughter kept them going.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/flyingsaucersanta.jpgFlyingSaucerSantaWhereas other people could decide how Santa was supposed to travel, these people were torn between motorcycle, bicycle, helicopter, airplane, or space ship.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/snoglobe.jpgSnoGlobeNot a lot of interest in getting inside a warm plastic dome when it is +30 degrees!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/boomers.jpgboomersThe white kangaroos are called boomers, and they pull Santa's sleigh across the outback.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lights2.jpglights2Jeeps are one of the many forms of transport that Santa uses to get to Wagga. More to come...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lights1.jpglights1We wouldn't have been surprised to see a young Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis at this house.2011-12-24T20:22:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/20/across-the-great-divide/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rooscanberra.jpgroosCanberraThis picture of kangaroos is chronologically out of order; we came across them at the end of the day. But you need something better than Dan's toes to think about.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/toetoes.jpgtoetoesI don't think we're in Wagga anymore, toe toe.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/beach.jpgbeachThis is where we finally ended up...a nice scenic beach.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lizard1.jpglizardThis little (well not so little - 15 inches nose to tail) startled Lisa on the path to the beach. We'd be grateful if someone can positively identify it for us.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lizard.jpglizardThis little guy startled Lisa on the path to the South Rosedale beach. Can anyone positively identify it for us? https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/batemans.jpgbatemansOur destination for the day was Bateman's Bay, which turned out to be scenic but boring.2011-12-20T10:40:33+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/16/everything-is-upside-down/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/20111216-212510.jpg20111216-212510.jpg2011-12-19T02:06:39+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/11/on-the-road-again-and-trails-and-tracks/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/roo1.jpgRoo1https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mtpanorama.jpgmtpanorama2011-12-11T03:40:06+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/12/03/pickers-and-permanent-people/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lisapie.jpgLisaPieLisa got the best deal of the day - free pie! Sure it was a leftover, but still yummy!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/loser.jpgLoserWhen a pie is this good, you don't just shovel it in. Enjoying a free pie is more important than winning.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/tatshow.jpgTatShowDan gave Milo, a whole bunch of Young'uns, and a crowd of international pickers a lesson on Canadian iconography and tattoo artistry.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/drums.jpgdrumsThese back-packers were waiting for the drum solo in the choir performance.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/goonpunk.jpgGoonPunkThe punk guy (not Sebastien, who we mention later, but Mathieu) was from Quebec. Dan would have thought the Buzzcocks logos on his jacket were cool if it was still 1979. The juice jug was full of goon, being refilled from a bladder in his girlfriend's knapsack. He said he drinks about 5 l of it a day.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/goatcheese.jpgGoatCheeseThought we did get a 750 gram piece of cheese, we reckon we maybe should have bought a bit more because he sells it for $25/kg. That is really cheap for here! We might try to track him down for more.2011-12-03T11:06:11+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/30/i-can-see-for-miles/2011-12-02T10:23:00+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/26/capital-radio/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/clonakilla.jpgClonakillaA darter and one of the top wineries in the country. Dan thinks that is far better than being on national radio and speaking at the national library. That's why Lisa is a Professor, and he's support staff.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/darter.jpgDarterLisa got to meet an Australian radio celebrity, but Dan got to see an anhinga novaehollandia (aka Australiasian darter).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/rosegarden.jpgRoseGardenThe rose garden at the old Parliament building is very impressive. It isn't huge, but big enough to piss off all our Canadian friends and family who are now getting snowed on :)2011-11-27T01:21:10+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/20/young-and-restless/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fruits1.jpgfruitsSome of the fruits of our labour. A pail of cherries, some cherry chutney simmering on the stove, and bowls of delicious strawberries.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fruits.jpgfruitsSome of the fruits of our labour. A pail of cherries, some cherry chutney simmering on the stove, and bowls of delicious strawberries.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/yandilla.jpgYandillaWe were honest enough not to just load up the boot with free bootie from the unattended Yandilla store. Mustard seed oil is quite healthy, and tastes like mustard (odd that!).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pickingstrawberries.jpgPickingStrawberriesWe assume that farmers go through the orchards and berry patches with snake-whacking sticks before letting people pick their own fruit. Otherwise, Lisa would have been buying pre-picked at the roadside stand.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/danielcab.jpgDanielCabHow could we not buy a few bottles of one of the top 40 wines made in NSW, and named after Dan!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ballinaclashcheckout.jpgBallinaclashCheckoutThis is the place that Dan thought looked "too big and commercial"! The sun is frying his brain.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/orchard.jpgOrchardIt doesn't take long to fill a pail of cherries in an orchard this abundant. Or to eat your fill...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lockwood.jpgLockwoodNot much happening at the Young market at 10 am, but of course Dan managed to find someone selling wine. Lockwood is a very small winery. Most of their grapes are sold to bigger wineries, but they produce a few hundred cases under their own label each year. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/youngcherries.jpgYoungCherriesWe've both been through Young a few times, separately and together, but never noticed that it has big balls (and 3 of them!).2011-12-06T06:50:42+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/12/stickie-land/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/campbells.jpgcampbellsThis solera system in the Campbell's cellar door is, we think, still in operation. Wine geeks will understand it...anyone else, come on down and have the winemaker explain it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pfeiffer.jpgPfeifferAs a Pfeiffer club member, we get a discount on picnic hampers...anyone want to join us for a Sunday afternoon lunch here? Award winning wines, turtles (they even supply food) and platypusses (platypi?). We didn't see the latter, but they are there.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cofield.jpgcofieldrner there is a kid's dWineries in Australia are family affairs: note in the bottom left coesk. Rutherglen is a great place for picnics with the family. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/oldwine.jpgOldWineOur first visit to a regional winery was a mothballed Lindeman's winery, now owned by the people we were visiting. The vineyards are now pasture, and the wineshed houses farm equipment. But in a far corner is a storehouse of local wines from the 1980s...the Australian heat hasn't been good to it. We actually opened two bottles, both of which were horrible. Interestingly, Chris Pfeiffer from Pfeiffer Wines used to be the winemaker here; fortunately he got out of the big corporate world and started his own winery.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jonesfig1.jpgJonesFighttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jonesfig.jpgJonesFigJones don't make wine with the figs that grow on their property. Oh, did we mention that people grow figs around here? FIGS! How cool is that...and we had someone point out to us one that is near our house that we can probably sneak in and pilfer some!2011-11-19T13:55:45+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/16/multikulti/2011-11-16T07:04:40+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/09/sheep-dip/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/orangetrees.jpgOrangeTreesWe were surpised how small an orange tree is. This small grove also had grapefruit (we got a dozen of those), tangerines, lemons, and figs that were just starting to ripen.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/shearingshed.jpgShearingShedShearing shed? Or some strange torture chamber? The best part about this is the bottle of tomato sauce (sort of the Aussie ketchup) in the background. Do the shearers actually eat lunch (probably a pie or a sausage sanga) here? Yuck!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/badgerpossum.jpgBadgerPossumThis is Badger. He is not only good at herding sheep, but he is good at treeing ring-tailed possums (possi?). He had a pair up there, and wasn't going to let them come down.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/larrytongue.jpgLarryTongueWe didn't actually get around to taking any photos of sheep. So here's a photo of the thing that Dan saw most over the weekend: Larry's tongue as he stood at his feet, waiting for a stick to be thrown.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/solar.jpgSolarAnother means of diversification is dedicating a bit of space to a solar pane. This thing is computerized and follows the sun, to maximize output. It powers the house, pays for itself, and generates a small profit each day.2011-11-09T10:14:13+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/07/down-on-the-farm/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/paddock.jpgpaddockModern farming technology is amazing. To plant in a straight line, the tractor is controlled by a GPS. When this field is sowed next year, with a different crop, the GPS can be set so that the seeds are planted 25mm from this year's seed line.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/orange.jpgOrangeThere's nothing better on a hot day than an hot orange fresh off the tree. Yummy!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bilawi.jpgBilawiThe farmhouse, Bilawi (Wiradjuri for "she oak") was built by the owners. They used timber from a local bridge, home-made bricks, and many recycled components. It was beautiful.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/goannatrack.jpggoannaTrackWe didn't see any reptiles on the farm, but we were obviously very close to a goanna. This track across the road hadn't been run over by a car when we walked over it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pack.jpgPackIt was a bit of a challenge keeping track of 5 kelpies (Rascal, the elder of the family, doesn't leave home these days) but it has to be done. The risk of snake bite is pretty high, and if one gets bitten they have to be rushed back to the farmhouse for some medication, then to the local vet within 2 hours.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/larry.jpgLarryThis is Larry. Every time we would go outside, he would drop a stick at our feet. When this didn't work, he would drop it on our feet. Larry is very persistent.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lisatractor.jpgLisaTractorIf the CSU job doesn't pan out, maybe Lisa can apply for a temporary, rural worker visa and go do some farm work.2011-11-07T13:03:08+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/11/03/red-dirt-girl/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/planter.jpgplanterThis is how thee planters looked when we planted them...now, just a couple weeks later, they are filled out so much you can't see the dirt. Things grow fast here!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/honeyeater.jpgHoneyEaterThe aptly-named bottle brush tree in our back yard. That is a blue eyed honey eater enjoying the flower.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pottedcolor.jpgpottedColorThis is Lisa getting over her fear of the garden bugs. Pink gloves for girls, green gloves for boys.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/danplanting.jpgDanPlantingThe cheap plants don't even come with tags saying what they are - they are just generic 'potted colour'. This is summer colour, we don't know what winter colour will be.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/roopaw.jpgRooPawThis is the kangaroo paw that we were given. Sorry if the photo doesn't actually show you what the plant is like - Dan was trying to be artistic.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/redearth.jpgRedEarthNo idea where this photo (gleaned from someone else's website) was taken, but it is a good example of the kind of alien landscape we are living in.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/citrus.jpgcitrusWe didn't see this at Home Depot! But at Bunnings, there were lots of different citrus trees to be had. These ones were patio size. We were tempted, but thought we should wait for our own place.2011-11-03T10:00:35+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/29/all-the-news-thats-fit-to-wrap/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sunburn.jpgSunburnOur 3 Thursday papers. The Leader in its 'flat pack', and the Advertiser were both put in the house before we went to work. The top one is The Australian - notice how it is actually browner than the others. As the Aussies, say, "The sun is different here".https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/koalaride.jpgKoalaRideAnd then there is the important national news that the Advertiser prints. Gotta love Australia!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/magpiestory.jpgMagpieStoryThis is the kind of local story that keeps us buying the Advertiser. Without it, how would we know when to put cable ties on our bike helmets for protection?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sealstory.jpgSealStoryThis story wasn't in one of the papers we get here, but in the Melbourne paper when we were there. It is about a seal that wandered through the city, and ended up at someone's door. The best part is the bit that we cut and pasted into the top...someone who saw it who thought it was a bear! Australians are obsessed with, and very afraid of, bears.2011-10-29T11:38:20+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/26/cats-day-out/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pileofcats.jpgpileofcatsEven with a house full of furniture, Lester picks some uncomfortable places to sleep...or at least uncomfortable for his brother.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/closeness.jpgclosenessTheir time in quarantine made them a bit more mellow we think. Ellie now tolerates the other two at least enough to be on the same bed with them. Or did, when all we had was a bed...this photo is from before our furniture arrived.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rooftopcat.jpgRoofTopCatCat on a hot tile roof. This guy gets around the neighbourhood, sometimes even coming to our windows. He meows with an Australian accent, so our kitties have a hard time understand what he says sometimes.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lesterpole.jpgLesterPoleThere isn't much point to this photo - but this is a cat entry, so we need pictures of the cats. This is Lester training for whichever local show has a pole sitting contest. He spends a lot of time doing this; we have no idea why.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/vethospital.jpgVetHospitalYou can actually request that students not be involved in the care of your pet at this veterinary teaching hospital. And yes, there are facilities out back for large animals.2011-10-26T01:56:36+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/22/how-to-speak-australian-part-4/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/guy.jpgguyWhy is this hot guy in the middle of the HTSA blog? Wouldn't you like to know...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/taz.jpgtazPeople from Tasmania are very nice, and if you don't think so, they will spin around really fast and try to eat you.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bananas.jpgbananasIt's been hard to justify buying bananas since we got here. The price is dropping, and should hit about $2 per kg. But even at the current price, $2 per banana in a supermarket seems expensive when other fruit is so cheap.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bournesupremacy.jpgbournesupremacyMelbourne is pronounced Mel-burn, as in Monty Burns, not Mel-born, as in Jason Bourne. 2011-10-22T11:05:07+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/19/little-things/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/offon1.jpgOffOnThis little red dot is all that stands between us and dinner some nights.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/offon.jpgOffOnhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lisafeet.jpgLisaFeetLisa is being a complete rebel by not wearing her shoes, or even her moccasins, in the house. And she is risking spider bites on her toes. She may, or may not, be wearing a thong.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/brita.jpgbritaIt's going to get really hot here, so we're going to be drinking a lot of water. It would be nice if we coud easily fill the Brita (the water here isn't great, needs a bit of filtering) so we can keep it in the fridge.2011-10-22T03:00:23+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/15/the-steep-and-winding-road/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lizard.jpglizardhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/koalabox.jpgKoalaBoxThe streets of Batlow are littered with apple-picking boxes. We're not sure if they were just there for the festival, or they are there permanently for people to store their koalas in.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tools.jpgToolsThe L shaped one in the middle is a hunting boomerang. First, they roust out the roos with the 'normal' boomerang, then throw this at its legs to trip it.. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lisaarthur.jpgLisaArthurOK, so 3d chalk art is a bit cheesy, but they say that apple pie and cheese go together.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/jousting.jpgJoustingAs we were driving toward Batlow, Dan was wondering what people do with all the horses we see in the paddocks. Well, we learned: at weekend, they saddle up and beat each other with rubber weapons.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hills.jpgHillsExcept for the gum trees, this could be a photo of northern England. The drive into the Snowy Mountains is beautiful.2011-10-16T00:37:43+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/13/sign-of-the-times/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/refugeisland.jpgRefugeIslandhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/koala.jpgkoalahttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/echidna.jpgechidnahttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cowra.jpgcowrahttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/powernap-1.jpgPowerNap-1https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/poo-1.jpgPoo-12011-10-14T18:48:25+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/06/huh/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/door1.jpgdoorThe crack around this door would let in some big flying bugs, but the 'draft stopper' that we bought at a local craft show is covering a gap that let a huge (HUGE!) beetle stroll in one night.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shower1.jpgshowerThe average Australian family has 1.7 kids, so you could wash the neighbour kids in here too. Or maybe it is so big because it makes it easier to bathe the family kelpies.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/door.jpgdoorhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shower.jpgshowerThe average Australian family has 1.7 kids, so you could wash the neighbour kids in here too. Or maybe it is so big because it makes it easier to bathe the family kelpies.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/grass.jpggrassThis grass hasn't been cut in three weeks, and though you couldn't putt on it, most golf courses don't keep their tees this short.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hook_turn_sign_melbourne.jpgHook_Turn_Sign_MelbourneSo even though we can't left turns on red lights here in Wagga, at least we aren't in Melbourne where you make right turns from the left lane. We avoided these...2011-10-05T20:06:32+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/10/01/labourday/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rooster-1.jpgRooster-1This little guy was up for grabs out by Lake Albert last week, but even if he's gone, we always see chooks at the market for cheap.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ute.jpgUTEThe ute races were just two utes, on the harness racing track. The same two utes in multiple heats. They kept going until the Holden won more than the Ford... We got really dusty watching this.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/silkie.jpgsilkieChooks are judged by breed - Australorps, bantams, leghorns, etc. But the is also an AOB category: any other breed. Wagga allows people to enter chooks that have been bred pomeranians. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gumleaf.jpgGumLeafhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bestgoat.jpgBestGoatThis goat won "Best in Show." Dan asked the farmer what it took to be a winning goat. He said she had good body composition, and good udder attachment. We don't know if that means that goats have a problem with their udders falling off. We would have judged her down though based on her horn stubs being a bit weird.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/waggashow.jpgWaggaShowBecause it is also school holiday, the Wagga Show was last week. It doesn't actually take place on the weekend, but on Thursday and Friday.2011-10-01T13:00:04+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/29/biking-around-wagga/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/kidsoncycles1.jpgKidsonCyclesWe didn't buy shop-branded jerseys, but it is amazing how many of these Kidsons shirts, and Kidsons shorts, we see riding around Wagga. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/crimsonrosella.jpgcrimsonrosellaThis is a crimson rosella. They don't swoop at you like magpies do, and they are very pretty.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/lakealbert-11.jpgLakeAlbert-1This is Lake Albert, one of the places we ride frequently. We can go there, do 2 1/2 loops around and then come home a different way, in about an hour.2011-10-01T09:47:25+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/26/you-look-like-an-idiot/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/helmet-1.jpgHelmet-1The cable ties might look a bit silly, but no sillier than being knocked to the ground by a mommy magpie.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/lakealbert-1.jpgLakeAlbert-1This is Lake Albert, very close to our house. We can ride there, do a couple loops around the lake, and come home in under an hour. It is a really nice ride.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bikes-1.jpgbikes-1Here they are. They didn't come with kickstands (and none were offered...those things just add extra weight) so we bought these stands for them like they use in the store.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/kidsons-1.jpgKidsons-1After a lot of scouting, we decided that Kidsons was the best bike shop in town.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/kidsoncycles.jpgKidsonCycleshttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bikeweek.jpgbikeWeek2011-09-29T15:47:40+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/22/bright-lights-big-city-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bug.jpgbugWe couldn't take photos in the street art exhibit, it was too dark in Rockpool, and we already posted one from MoVida...so this is another from the water exhibit. You can pretend it is street art or food if you wish.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/treesnake.jpgtreesnakeThis painting tells a story about water. Without reading the accompanying description (which we don't have a photo of), it might be hard to tell. And this was one of the more representational images in the exhibit.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/botanic.jpgbotanicWe didn't get into the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. We've been in Sydney's a few times, so are curious to see how they compare. And the one in Wagga is supposed to be fantastic too - we will check it out very soon and report back.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/goat.jpggoatThe Queen Victoria Market is the type of place you can buy a quality goat for just $62. Not sure how much the pig was. Or why the pig was wrapped and the goat wasn't. 2011-09-22T11:45:12+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/19/bright-lights-big-city-part-1/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/rooshoos.jpgrooShoosAmong her other finds on this trip, Lisa bought a pair of really nice sneakers made out of kangaroo, with sheepskin insoles. They are made by the same company that makes UGGs, and yes, she bought some really funky uggs too! When in Oz, dress like an Ozzie.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stkilda.jpgStKildaThough we might not want to live there, it is nice to know that for a respite from inland, rural Australia, this is just a morning drive away and a great place to spend a weekend. But don't worry Michael, we'll be coming to Sydney too.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/aqui.jpgAquiAfter a long drive, we were thrilled that the concierge at our hotel recommended MoVida Aqui, a Spanish restaurant just around the corner, for lunch. Dan had actually read about it online, but didn't know where it was. It was so good we went back for dinner on Saturday, and bought their cookbooks.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/alley.jpgalleyMelbourne's CBD is a warren of streets and lanes, connected by alleys full of coffee shops. This is where people congregate for food and coffee in the mornings.2011-09-21T18:38:10+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/14/goon-squad/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/boxed-wine.jpgboxed-wineThis is what the shelves look like in our local liquor stores. But, oddly, we don't see that many people actually buying the stuff. And no one we know drinks it. But then again, we don't know anyone under 25...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/acdc.jpgacdcThe AC/DC branded wine is made by a Riverina producer that makes crap for anyone. This, however, isn't actually that bad.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/harefield.jpgharefieldHarefield wines are very good. It is just outside of Wagga. The owner says a new tax will hurt him, but don't all business people say that...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/berri.jpgberriThis is the type of thing we could buy - but don't - with the change that ends up bouncing around in the dryer because Dan forgot to empty his pockets.2011-09-14T11:18:38+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/09/kangaroos/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/roosatcsu.jpgRoosAtCSUYes, they might look nice, but look closely at their hands: those claws could rip you open! Maybe that's why they wear boxing gloves in fights.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hippetyhopper.jpghippetyHopperAnyone who likes Looney Tunes will remeber that Hippety Hopper got into Sylvester's basement in one cartoon. This is why Australian houses don't have basements; if they did, the kangaroos would have a place to hide.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/kangaroo_boxing.jpgkangaroo_boxingDan really wants to get near to a kangaroo for some good close-up portraits, but is afraid of what might happen.2011-09-09T15:09:35+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/06/wine-and-cheese/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/dialmformerlot.jpgDialMforMerlotThe new CSU winery label. The image of Dan with his iPhoine above the label is just a reflection of him taking the photo, not part of every bottle.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/disgorging.jpgdisgorgingThis is the CSU wine maker 'sabering' a bottle of sparking pinot/chardonnay. Unfortunately, iPhones don't work well in the dark, so it is a pretty horrible photo.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bidgeecheese.jpgBidgeeCheeseThe lemon myrtle cheese has won some awards. Forest berry, none. Oh well, we like it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/barrelhall.jpgBarrelHallThe menu for the Barrel Hall dinner, with the odd wine stain.2011-09-18T08:13:38+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/09/03/creature-comforts-part2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/catsontable.jpgCatsOnTableDespite the fact that they have most of their old furniture, and a huge house, the cats just want to be near us. Luckily, our dining table is big enough to accommodate us at one end and them at the other. And for potential visitors: we will scoot them off and wipe it clean before we serve you.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/alfresco.jpgAlFrescoAfter weeks here with just 2 chairs, we how have capacity on our patio for over a dozen people. We will welcome any visitors with open arms. And open bottles of wine.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/musicroom.jpgMusicRoomNo more iPod! Turntable will be operating soon!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/gomes.jpgGomesWe both fell in love with these pieces when we saw them in BA last winter, so it was an easy decision that we use some of our limited 'nail space' to hang them.2011-09-02T23:06:03+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/28/creature-comforts-part1/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mess.jpgmessThis is what we woke up to the next morning. It looked like a tornado hit.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/paper.jpgPaperThe packing materials pretty much filled the container when they loaded it up to take back to the depot. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/boxes.jpgboxesIt didn't take Bob and Craig too long to unpack these boxes. They just put everything on the counter and we tried to keep up with them, getting it into cupboards.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/alliedtruck.jpgalliedTruckThe container that arrived wasn't the same one that left Edmonton. This means that Australian customs moved everything, but from what we can figure out they didn't take anything.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/northern_practise.jpgNORTHERN_PRACTISEThis is the Northern Practise - is one of those containers our stuff?2011-08-28T02:22:18+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/24/how-to-speak-australian-part-3/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mortein2.jpgmorteinI love the smell of pyrethroids in the morning. But spiders don't.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mortein1.jpgmorteinhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mortein.jpgmorteinhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/postie.jpgpostieIn trade for not being allowed to strike, Australian letter carriers get to ride motorcycles. Where do we sign up?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mongy.jpgmongyI am not a mongy. There is no such thing on my planet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/cracka.jpgcrackaThis case of wine was purchased on a Saturday night, delivered to our door at noon on Wednesday, and sampled that evening. Canada Post couldn't move a box that fast, and they would probably break a bottle or two.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/catloo.jpgcatlooIt really does get rid of pong!2011-08-24T01:23:39+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/20/show-me-the-pie/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pieeating.jpgPieEatingDan starting on pie #2. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/arrowroot.jpgarrowrootNot your average arrowroot cookies. Maybe this will be Dan's entry in 2012?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/baking.jpgbakingThe winning baking was so good that they had to keep it in a cage! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shearing2.jpgshearing2Shearing was a big mess of hands, hooves, and wool.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shearing.jpgshearingDespite how hard it looks on the sheep, shearing is pretty tough on the shearer too. This guy has been doing it so long he is having surgery to replace both knees next week! He couldn't even climb back on the stage to accept his prize money for 2nd place.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/riding2.jpgRidingThe Yard Dog competition was a bit like a woolie mosh pit, trying to vy for position for the best viewing spot for the pie eating contest.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/loser.jpgloserHe may not have won, but he was doing better than the guy on the end who looked like he was going to hurl and didn't finish. But the emcee did say Dan was the neatest eater in the contest.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/riding1.jpgRidingThe Yard Dog competition was a bit like a woolie mosh pit.2011-08-22T20:49:16+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/16/this-little-piggy/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0007.jpgDSC_0007The wines from Harefield Ridge are way better than the horrible fruit wines that were available at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market in Edmonton.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0004.jpgDSC_0004Pistachios are supposedly very good for you.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0014.jpgDSC_0014We don't usually like flavoured cheese, and neither does Opa...the one named for him is a plain gouda.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0010.jpgDSC_0010https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0002.jpgDSC_0002A huge variety of veggies, from what would seem to be different seasons, is available. The beans are very dark and have a strong, almost sweet flavour.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0008.jpgDSC_0008There were a lot of types of potatoes available in Edmonton, but we don't recognize any of these varieties. Is it just that they call them something different, or are they really different?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0001.jpgDSC_0001The Wagga farmers market is a very social event.2011-08-16T10:17:37+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/12/comfort-creatures-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/photo-21.jpgphoto-2We reckoned that Qantas wouldn't provide snacks on a short flight, so had the water fountain flowing and food dishes filled for the cats' arrival.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0400.jpgDSC_0400We bought some blankets and a 2 cat beds - a 'single' and a 'double' - thinking that the boys would share the big one and Ellie would use the other one. We have now actually gone and bought a third one, because that plan just didn't work out.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0401.jpgDSC_0401The selection of toys they will have to share until their stuff arrives sometime later this month (we hope).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_03991.jpgDSC_0399https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/photo-2.jpgphoto-2We reckoned that Qantas wouldn't provide snacks on a short flight, so had the water fountain flowing and food dishes filled for the cats' arrival.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dsc_0399.jpgDSC_0399The kitties new 'activity centre (it really should just be called a sleeping centre) and one of the scratching posts.2011-08-12T08:13:21+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/09/comfort-creatures/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lesterspider.jpgLesterSpiderLester was too busy playing with a spider to cuddle with us. He completely decimated a daddy long legs, before abandoning it in pieces on the floor.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/danellie.jpgDanEllieDuring their 2 month separation, Ellie almost forgot how much she hates Dan.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lisamalachi.jpgLisaMalachiLisa getting reaquainted with Malachi. We've only seen them for a couple hours in the past 2 months, while they were having their final checkup in Edmonton on July 5.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/cargo.jpgcargoThe Qantas cargo lady drove the luggage trolley to the pick-up area, where we collected our kitties. We thought of asking her to drive them across the parking lot to where are car was.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/unloading.jpgunloadingWagga airport doesn't have a really complex cargo system! https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/kittiestuff.jpgKittieStuffhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/roofood.jpgRooFoodUnfortunately, Science Diet doesn't make cat food out of kangaroo! Lots of other companies do though.2011-08-08T21:55:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/06/peter-parker-to-the-rescue/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shed.jpgshedThough we think we have things under control in the house, what is lurking in the garden shed remains a mystery. Dan will probably just open the door and empty a can of Hovex into it then wait a couple of days before stocking it with gardening equipment.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spray.jpgsprayWe're trying two different bug sprays. And we also plan to make sure we always have a spare can in the pantry.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spider2.jpgspider2This is what we find in the back living room some mornings, a hairy black spider sleeping at the edge fo the room.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spider.jpgspiderThis is one of the spiders that just appeared on the dining room floor. Before killing it, Dan tossed a pen down beside it and photographed it so you can all see how bit it is. Nice of him, eh!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spiderboots1.jpgspiderbootsLisa wanted to buy these boots for Dan to wear on his morning hunt, but they only came in kid's sizes.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spiderboots.jpgspiderboots2011-08-06T23:22:13+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/08/03/how-to-cook-australian/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pizzamaking.jpgpizzamakinghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/teflon.jpgteflonThis thin sheet of teflon is the key to cooking on a barbecue. The salesperson even suggested that they are great for travel. There are public gas barbecues in parks all over the place, but they might be a bit, shall we say, scuzzy. Just drop your own teflon sheet liner on it and cook away!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sausagesanga.jpgSausageSangaOn our second weekend here, we went to the Wagga Swap Meet. It was a real introduction into bogan culture...a huge flea market type of thing with lots of car parts available. There were a lot of community groups selling sausage sangas.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/jumbuck.jpgjumbuckDespite the silly name (which has something to do with the song Waltzing Matilda), these little lamb parcels from Knights were tasty!2011-08-04T03:26:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/30/bargain/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ipoddock-e1312020445253.jpgIpodDockOur stereo equipment is dual voltage, and so is on the ship. Until that (really great) system gets here, we have this iPod dock. The advertised price was $299; sales guy said we could have it for $225. We paid $199 when it was rang in. It is surprisingly good! The ipod nano hanging off the wall above it is a long story... https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/miele-e1312020467194.jpgmieleThe delivery people got the new washer and dryer to the laundry room but left it there, still crated. Dan managed (with a little help from Lisa) to install it. The stacking required screwing a frame on top of the washer...not many things are more scary than putting holes in your brand new $1500 Miele washer!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/table.jpgtableOur new, and only, dining/living room furniture. It is light enough to carry outdoors on nice days and back inside when it gets chilly.2011-07-30T13:33:55+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/26/permanent-residency/2011-12-06T20:10:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/22/photo-blog-teaser/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bike.jpgbikehttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0308.jpgDSC_0308https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0311.jpgDSC_0311https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0312.jpgDSC_0312https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0310.jpgDSC_0310https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0306.jpgDSC_0306https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0305.jpgDSC_0305https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0309.jpgDSC_03092011-07-22T15:20:15+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/15/cold-cold-cold/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0278.jpgDSC_0278During a Canadian winter, a bird like this white-faced heron would have been frozen into this pond. This guy was completely mobile.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0273.jpgDSC_0273The fog on campus made it hard to spot the kangaroos, but they were there having breakfast. Sorry the first 'roo photo is so bad, but we just couldn't wait to post a better one.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0262.jpgDSC_0262After a cool, damp night, the morning sun burned off the dew on CSU campus and created a really great, eerie fog. ghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0279.jpgDSC_0279This heater was the sole source of heat in the hotel room. It put out a lot of heat, but central heating would have been more comfortable.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_0281.jpgDSC_0281We're not sure what these bushes outside The Lawson are. They seem to be some sort of peony/rose hybrid. Whatever they are, the fact that they are blooming at the coldest time of the year thrills us.2011-07-22T11:55:01+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/13/how-to-speak-australian-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/punkins.jpgpunkinsCanadians would say this is a photo of pumpkins, squashes and gourds. In Australia, they are all pumpkins.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pint.jpgpintThis is a pint of Thirsty Crow's award winning vanilla milk stout. It is REALLY good.2011-07-27T09:10:14+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/09/pay-as-you-go/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bananas.jpgbananasFortunately we sold our house and have some cash on hand, because we like bananas. Don't worry about us though, other fruit (kiwi, apples, oranges, wine, guava) is quite abundant and inexpensive.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/iphone.jpgiPhoneBeing a Blackberry user, Lisa was reluctant to switch to this iPhone4. However, she decided it was easier than listening to Dan talk about how much better his iPhone was than her Blackberry any longer.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/aircanadapods.jpgAirCanadaPodsBecause we were upgraded to business class on the flight, in these individual pods with 'lay-flat' seats, we arrived in Wagga rested and ready to start checking items off the to-do list.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/danid.jpgdanIDThe passport is valid, but the Aussies find the rest of Dan's identity useless. At least he can still get money with the cards, and test drive a car wiith the license.2011-07-13T12:56:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/05/herding-cats-part-3/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pawprints.jpgpawprintsThe owner of Calico Hills made these pawprints of our kitties for us. Thanks so much for loving our babies so much - we are going to miss you.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/lesterliveanimal.jpgLesterLiveAnimalWe're not sure why we had to put Live Animal stickers on this carrier. It is pretty obvious from the way he yells all the time that Lester is very much alive.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/malachicheckup.jpgmalachiCheckupThe equivalent of the airport full body scan for kitties. Malachi gets his final pre-flight checkup.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/importpermits.jpgimportPermitsThis is just some of the paperwork required to take the cats to Wagga. Importing children would have been a lot easier (though much less pleasant).https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/wagginwheels.jpgwagginWheelsThe first leg of the journey that we weren't involved in. Lester and Ellie got to ride in the back.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/malachidogs.jpgMalachiDogsThese dogs in the background are lucky that Malachi was locked in. The vet even has a note on his file that he is big and muscular (feminist figure cat?).2011-07-05T22:28:40+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/07/01/oh-canada/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/taps.jpgtapsBeer in Canada is good, Australia we're not sure about. However, the UK is the place to be for beer and ale. This was a typical line of taps in a pub; many had more, and lots even had their own exclusive cask ales. Yummy!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/goose1.jpggooseWe like geese, despite the fact that this one tried to kill Dan.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/goose.jpggooseWe like Canada geese, even though this one tried to kill Dan in London.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/jacaranda-1.jpgjacaranda-1This photo was taken on Tarcutta Street in Wagga. The purple tree is a jacaranda, and the one in front with yellow flowers is a banksia. There are pretty, but can you make syrup from them?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/horse-1.jpghorse-1We saw some beautiful fall colours while driving in Ontario last autumn. Unfortunately, this horse got in the way.2011-07-05T19:57:07+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/06/28/its-all-relevant/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sheeps.jpgsheepsJust a few of the billions of sheep we encountered in the UK.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ghyll.jpgghyllHolbeck Ghyll, near Ambleside in England's Lake District, is a spectacular place and hard to get in to. We didn't want to lose our deposit...https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/passatt.jpgPassattThis Volkswagen Passat was very comfortable, and useful since we are carrying so much luggage, but was a bit challenging when we turned on to roads with signs saying they were 6' 6" wide. https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/hawskhead.jpgHawskheadIf you ever end up in the correct Stavely in Cumbria, go sample the fare at The Hawkshead Brewery's Tap Room. Food was very good, and the Three Hop Ale and the Red Bitter were both wonderful.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/road.jpgroadYes, there is a road in among all these hills and rock. The roads in the UK are generally in good condiiton, just a bit narrow and twisty. The roads in Wagga will be much easier to drive on.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/kiltedroo.jpgkiltedRooWe have been sampling pie in many pubs on this trip. We couldn't bring ourselves to go into this one in Stirling, however. 2011-06-28T08:59:13+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/06/18/meta-blog/2011-06-18T23:20:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/06/12/global-homelessness/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/lastbackyard.jpgLastBackYardhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/birdhouse.jpgbirdhouseThe backyard birds didn't want to move with us, so we let them stay. The cats weren't given the same choice.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/cannumber.jpgCanNumberWe no longer have an address, just a container number.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/lastshotofhouse.jpgLastShotOfHouseThe last shot of the house as 'our house'; Lisa had to sit on the front porch because there was no furniture.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/stuffcan.jpgstuffCanPeople in some countries live in abandoned sea cans. We could do that, except there wouldn't be room for us with all our belongings. The movers just managed to get everything stuffed in, with no room to spare.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/dsc_0020.jpgDSC_0020At least we won't have to live under this train bridge in Wagga; it was a bit flooded last time we were there.2011-06-13T07:02:49+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/06/09/allied-forces/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/loading.jpgloadingThe Allied forces loading our belongings. It happened at the last minute, and just barely fit!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wrappedshelves.jpgwrappedshelvesDamn! Stonehenge sold advertising rights to Allied movers. Actually, the tall ones are Ikea cd shelves, the two shorter ones are speakers, and the other one is a table, ready for transit.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/furniture.jpgfurnitureWe keep slip covers on the furniture to keep it clean, just like at grandma's house.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/lunch.jpglunchWhen the Allied forces came to pack our house, they started in the kitchen. Dan's planned salad for lunch became a bit pathetic: carrots, tomatoes, asparagus, pea tendrils and beet tops, no dressing, eaten by hand out of the container the beet tops came in.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/luggage.jpgluggageWe're not too worried about the Air Canada flight, those 777s have a lot of cargo space. But the puddle-jumper from Sydney to Wagga might not have as much trunk space.2011-06-11T16:55:32+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/06/04/tattoo-you/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tat-1.jpgtat-1About a week after the inking, it was all healed and looking beautiful!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tattooing-1.jpgtattooing-1The artist in action. Dan isn't wincing too much!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/stencil-1.jpgstencil-1The stencil version that Alex worked from. OK, so it isn't HUGE, but bigger than Dan had thougth he would get.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tatsbyzap-1.jpgtatsbyzap-1https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/inlgisfalls-1.jpginlgisfalls-1This is a photo Dan took of Inglis Falls. The one we were given is much nicerhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/harper4.jpgharper4This moron ruined Lisa's desire for Canadian souvenir clothing...now he's going to ruin our country.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/janvier-1.jpgjanvier-1Nothing says Canada like great Canadian art. Alex Janvier, an aboriginal artist of Dene Suline and Saulteaux descent, is one of our favourites and one of Canada's best.2011-06-09T05:48:41+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/31/all-in-the-family/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/robinsons.jpgrobinsonsDan's great grandparents had a house, but maybe no furniture.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bear.jpgbearWe took gifts (photos of us from formal night on our xmas cruise) to Dan's parents. Like all cats, their cat, Bear, much prefered the packaging.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/oldfolkonchairs.jpgoldfolkonchairsLisa's great grandparents...unlike Dan's family, they had nice chairs but no house.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/trillium.jpgtrilliumFor the last several years, we have only been going to Ontario in the autumn. But in the spring, trilliums are in bloom. The white trillium is the official flower of Ontario, but this somewhat more rare purple one is common near Dan's parents place.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/owen-sound-attack1.jpgOwen-Sound-Attack12011-06-03T11:17:52+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/27/see-you-later-buenos-noches-bye-bye/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/wineshoes.jpgwineshoesLeft: the remnants of a bottle of Sister's Run shiraz. Right, Lisa's cute white running shoes. They are white again, thanks to the cleaning staff at the Armouries. Lisa was glad no clothes got damaged; Dan was glad it was bottle of wine that broke and not the rare Balvenie Rose whisky that he took with him.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/williamsford.jpgwilliamsfordIf you are driving through Ontario and see a pie shop that has a horse and buggy parked next door, as the one in Williamsford did, stop and get a pie. You know it will be amazing!.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/stroll.jpgstrollDan's sister, her husband, and Lisa enjoying an after dinner stroll. Owen Sound has some beautiful hidden spots in the city.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/gooseattack.jpggooseAttackhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sweatpants-and-uggs.jpgsweatpants-and-uggsThis wasn't taken in London, but it is exactly what we were seeing. Ugh. or maybe Ugg.2011-05-30T16:15:21+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/16/whats-in-wagga/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/roos.jpgroosWagga may not be London, Paris, or even Edinburgh, but none of those great cities of Europe have kangaroos. These ones aren't Wagga 'roos; this photo was taken near Towoomba in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, but they will be similar.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/art-gallery-of-alberta-edmonton.jpgArt-Gallery-of-Alberta-EdmontonThe Wagga art gallery isn't as spectacular as this new gallery in Edmonton, and probably won't have a Warhol exhibit any time soon, as the AGA does. But we shouldn't be too quick to say that, as the Wagga gallery does have Goya show coming, very similar to the one at the AGA last year.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/doginsnow2.jpgdoginsnow2This dog was devastated that it snowed in the Snowy Mountains. For those of you crying over the snow, don't cry too hard because your tears might overflow the Murrumbidgee River and Wagga is on a flood plane.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/dameedna.jpgdameednaDame Edna was 'born' in Wagga... Would you come to a museum of her life? Wagga Council is hoping so, and so are we.2011-05-17T01:25:22+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/11/mi-casa-su-casa/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/daffodils.jpgdaffodilsLovely spring daffodils!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tree.jpgtreeThis is a flowering crab tree (a "snowball" - so appropriate for Edmonton). We hope it flowers again, before we leave.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/emptydeck.jpgemptydeckThis is an empty deck. It used to house the best BBQ ever!https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sign1.jpgsignOur house is no longer our house. That pile of snow that is holding the sign up is a big part of why we are leaving.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sign.jpgsign2011-05-13T04:52:01+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/08/herding-cats-part-2/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/kennel3.jpgkennel3Malachi would rather go in the box, but Air Canada probably won't allow it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/kennel1.jpgkennel1Lester likes his new kennel.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/kennel2.jpgkennel2Ellie likes her new kennel.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/post.jpgpostThe won't let us sell their cat tree.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/futon.jpgfutonLester almost went with the futon to its new home...he wasn't going to let go.2011-05-10T01:24:20+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/04/the-alberta-advantage-part-2-mountains/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/cape-1.jpgcape-1December 26, 2010, summer in the southern hemisphere. Cape Horn in middle of summer is not as warm as Jasper in summer.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/grizzly-11.jpggrizzly-1When you are this close to a grizzly, you think more about an exit strategy than focusing the camera.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/marmots1.jpgmarmotsYoung marmots play very much like our cats, Malachi and Lester; it looks like they are trying to kill one another but really it is just play. Unlike cats, however, they shake hands like boxers before attacking.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/banff-1.jpgbanff-1OK, so maybe not as nice as Jasper, but Banff is still pretty sweet.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/pysanka.jpgpysankaThis is supposedly in Vegreville, but we didn't see it the one time we drove through town.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/feet.jpgfeetOK, so we aren't trying to single out those from central Alberta as the only in-breds in the country. There will soon be a post on the Bruce Peninsula, where Dan grew up in Ontario.2011-05-05T18:08:50+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/05/01/localfood/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/peppers-1.jpgpeppers-1Not as perfect as the first night, when the filling was fresh, but still a good meal. The wine was the only non-local ingredient. We aren't fans of Alberta's fruit wines.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/pasta.jpgpastaWe took home our dough from the pasta class; here's Lisa prepping it for cooking the next day. Lat time we had this machine out, the kitchen looked like something from an I Love Lucy episode.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/img_0791.jpgIMG_0791Some of Smoky Valley's cheese - Valencay on the left, St. Maure on the right.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/waggamarket.jpgwaggamarketWagga Farmers Market from across the lagoon2011-05-02T02:45:37+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/27/boring-political-post/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/canadian.jpgcanadianhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/politics1.jpgpoliticshttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/prince-william-kate-middleton.jpgPrince-William-Kate-MiddletonIt is a little-known legal requirement is that all blogs written in Commonwealth constitutional monarchies this week include the official engagement photo.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/politics.jpgpoliticsNorth American politics in a nutshell.2011-04-28T12:39:32+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/24/how-to-speak-australian/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bundaberg2.jpgbundabergOne question - why do they have a polar bear on the label?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bundaberg1.jpgbundaberghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bundaberg.jpgbundaberghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bundaberg.gifbundaberghttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/caravanpark.jpgcaravanparkhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/santapubcrawl-1.jpgSantaPubCrawl-1An Australian tradition, the pre-Christmas charity pub crawl. Ferals? Bogans? Or feral bogans?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/wagachicken.jpgwagachickenLisa's favourite dish at Wagamama - Chili Chicken Ramenhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/elcamino.jpgelcaminoDan had a red El Camino when he was a teenager. It wasn't as nice as this one, but it was a lot of fun.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/blackchook.jpgBlackChookBlack Chook: one of the very few wines worth buying with an animal on the label.2011-07-29T23:03:25+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/20/binge-and-purge/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/matrix.jpgmatrixOur car, which could be your car, looks just like this one. Except this one is clean. Our car (aka your car) can also be clean.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/torch-and-pitchfork.jpgtorch-and-pitchforkClick on picture for videohttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/mr-rogers.jpgmr-rogersCould kick ass in a lawn cutting contest any day.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sony_sony-kdf-42we655_400x400_s.jpgSony_Sony-KDF-42WE655_400x400_sWe were happy to get this behomoth out of the basement, but wished the purchaser would have brought his own helper to carry it. At least he didn't ask us to deliver it.2011-07-10T00:42:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/16/realty-check/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/lester.jpglesterWould you buy a house from this cat?https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/forsalesign.jpgforSaleSignThe sign offering our home for sale. Note there is no price tag.2011-04-16T16:28:11+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/08/herding_cats/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/conehead.jpgconeheadMalachi the conheadhttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/lestermalachi-e1302301519133.jpglestermalachiLester and Malachi, 4 years old, brothers. Lester is the cute grey and white one, Malachi the one that looks like he could run down a deer and kill it.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ellie.jpgellieEllie, the gnarly but loveable 7 year queen of the househttps://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ibises-1.jpgIbises in Sydney's botanical gardens2011-04-15T03:07:49+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/05/hello-world/2011-05-28T01:47:53+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/2011/04/13/w7-who-what-where-when-why-wagga-wagga/https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/thelawson-waggawagga-building.jpgTheLawson-WaggaWagga-BuildingThe Lawson. We stayed for most of a week in December 2010, and will probably be there again in July for a week or so. Good accommodations, super friendly staff.https://waggadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/f.jpgfOne of the amazing breakfast 'stacks' at Cache. We love this place for breakfast, and the dinner menu, with cheap wine deals, looked pretty inviting too.2011-04-13T18:07:40+00:00monthlyhttps://waggadventure.com/about/2011-07-10T00:36:05+00:00weekly0.6https://waggadventure.comdaily1.02016-12-23T21:40:39+00:00