My Adventures with a DSLR...

A Blog About Something...

So, I think I lost my muse there for a while...

I haven't even been writing up in my real life journal much either.

It was like after the excitement and busyness of March, I didn't have anything left to say and that 3 posts on one weekend was probably enough to turn any die hard reader away. Well, I hope that there are some of you still out there...waiting...reading...listening to crickets! LOL.

Well, the crickets can be silent. I have found my voice for a time again. As well as rediscovering a past passion for photography.

I purchased for myself a replacement for the Pentax SLR that I've had and got a DSLR. Boy, what a learning curve! I just love the photos I can take. Wait till I can get over the nervousness of using all this new stuff and I get back into manually using apertures and shutter speeds! The sky won't be the limit, I can assure you!

So, I have got a flickr account to host all some of the good pictures...the bad ones you just delete! And if you're interested you can have a search for Duchess and the Duke, you'll find us there too.
I'll post some here as well...

Bathurst and Back on a Bike, Episode III

There really is nothing like coming down the road towards Mt Panorama. It is an awesome vista as you come over the small rise on the main road to the track. As you get to the top of the hill, you look up and see the huge letters proclaiming that it is "Mount Panorama". As soon as you see that, your heart begins to beat a little faster as you know you are within moments of riding over the hallowed ground of some of Australia's greatest moments in motorsports. As you cruise past the pits, which is an impressive building these days in its own right, you really can imagine the noise and the crowd and the cars that make that once a year pilgrimage that is known on sporting calendars as "Bathurst".

However, this time, I was headed towards the motor museum that had been built on the entrance to the main straight and to spend a few hours poking about the exhibits. There are just as many bikes on display here as there are cars. And if you're really lucky, you might even be able to have a chance to own some motorsport history as several cars on display are up for sale! It is interesting to read about all of Australia's racetracks, including the ones that don't exist anymore. There is quite an extensive model collection of race cars and then there is the Peter Brock wing with a small area that holds a few of his race cars. After spending a couple of hours here, I then rode back to my accomodation to get ready for the Saturday evening dinner with the Ducati rally.

Dinner was a lot of fun, with me sitting with some more people that I had got talking to about Ducati's, of course! Some more folk from Sydney, again several of the women were pillions. One of whom was in the process of getting her licence to ride as well. After 20 years of being the pillion! Couldn't believe that she had taken that long to want to get up front herself! Along with the entertainment of those who had dressed in the theme of the evening...being GOLD, they also gave away a couple of awards and fined some folk for some very funny things that had happened during the day. The fines were all given in a great spirit as the NSW Ducati club gives the money to the Spinal Unit in RNS. I think by the end of the fines, people were just throwing money into the bucket regardless of the fine! An auction of a Troy Bayliss signed helmet and shirt followed, along with a couple of autographed books on motorcycle racing. A good evening, shared with great people and lots of fun.

Sunday morning, I gave the bike one more once over, as best could be done with half of Mudgee's road works on it and headed on up to the concourse that was being held. I arrived unsure of where to go and pulled up near Desmo, who rode a Ducati Monster. She called out "What are you doing up here? You should be down there at the concourse!" A friendly greeting for a Sunday morning which made me feel pretty welcome. Starting the bike back up, I made my way cautiously back down to the concourse, as everywhere was gravel!

After parking the bike in the appropriate section for its age, I went and chatted to a few new friends who were also admiring the bikes both old and new. Of course, the years from 2000 on was the section that had the most bikes in it, with the others only having a handful each. Even the nineties did not have many bikes, which surprised me a little.

It was decided that the judging would take place and that they'd do it by the most fairest way possible. By getting everyone to put up their hands for their favourite bike for the decade that was being judged! This was a fun way to vote as we all had a chance to have a laugh and vote for our friends bikes. When they got to mine, I stood at the back of the crowd calling out "Vote Yellow! You know you want to!" Of course, the bike that beat mine was a beautiful and rare SS FE. The FE being the Final Edition of the carby bikes. This one was bike number 444 and only had 22 thousand kilometres on the clock. I think that it was trailered to the rally but it sure was a pleasure to see one of these special bikes on display. And especially as it was along side my bike which in contrast was the first edition of the 900ss with fuel injection. I was proud to get the 2nd place trophy next to such distinguished company!

After the concourse, it was time for everyone to get moving and head home. Most were heading back to Sydney and some that were travelling further had already gone. I had decided to only go as far as Dubbo as I wanted to catch up with a friend who had recently moved there. I also wanted to break the trip up and not have to travel in the heat of the day like I had on the Friday to get there. But before I left...I just had to ride that track once more.

Well, maybe just a couple more times...

In the end, I really had to stop myself from going round Mt Panorama again! I had to get going before it got too hot!

All in all, it was a terrific weekend for me. It was a wonderful way to get out on the bike and build my skills on it. At no point over the weekend did I think..."Oh no. I have to get on the bike again!" Rather, I couldn't wait to get back on the bike again! I had a fantastic time meeting new people and I sincerely hope that they enjoyed meeting me! (Even if I do ride a yellow Ducati! But that's okay, there were quite a few others who do as well! Red isn't everything!) Next year they're talking Queensland and I'm already thinking ahead to that trip!

Bathurst and Back on a Bike, Episode II

As promised...

After fueling up on the way out of town, we were to head off towards Rylstone via a scenic route through some of the state forest. I guess for the staff in the fuel station, it might have been a familiar sight to see all his pumps taken up by bikes as he sure seemed none to fussed as we lined up to pay him our measly dollars! I don't think there was anyone paying much over 10 dollars a fill!

On our way out of Bathurst, we passed a few cars heading in the same direction. At the time, I sat behind a couple of the older Ducatis. I knew when the rider in front accelerated as his old bike would let out a cloud of smoke as it was burning a bit rich and it certainly smelt like it too! However, as old as it was, the old Duke could still keep up with the rest of them!

It was good to get off the main highway a little further up the road. I think we must have startled a few drivers. Ducati's are known for their noise and if you thought that a group of Harley riders were loud, then you've never heard Ducati's when they're in a group! Along with engine noise, most also have the loud clacka clacka sound of their dry clutches rattling away on their bikes as well. In fact, some are even louder as they have open clutch covers. Even I turned my head once or twice when I heard a bike come towards me, as I wondered at first what the noise was. It didn't take me long to work it out!

We took a left turn to head towards a tiny village called Sunny Corner. Here as we headed into the forest, the road was wide and smooth, the beginning of bike nirvana! You could almost see everyone wanting to go faster but not wanting to as they had been warned that just around the corner we'd have to pull up and slow down because of the road surface as we turned right. The excitement of the group was beginning to mount I think!

The route took us back towards Cullen Bullen and onto the main road between Mudgee and Rylstone via a small town called Portland. It was here that I recall seeing some kids on the side of the road, waving at all the bikes as we went through town. The houses were tiny weatherboard and fibro places, I guess the town had sprung up for the logging and mining that was going on nearby. I thought it would have been great to be those kids on the side of the road, hearing all these bikes ride past and nearly regretted being part of the ride as that was one aspect that we were missing out on! But that thought only lasted a moment of time as we got back onto the main road and headed towards Capertree. It was there that we had a quick stop to get the group back together again before the next leg.

We pulled into Rylstone for morning tea. It would have been nice to have spent a little more time there but we were already running a bit late I think and so we were encouraged to be quick about getting food and drink. A shame really as it was a place I'd not been to before and was interesting enough to warrant a bit of a better look, I thought. Could be a good excuse to go back there, though the Bylong road into Rylstone wasn't all that great a surface. I know I slowed down on it a bit as I found it jarring and rough on the bikes suspension.

After being hustled to saddle up again, I took the bike for a quick drink at the local servo and then headed out for Sofala. We came out onto the highway for a short time and it included a stretch through some road works. Unfortunately, the road had just been wet down again by the water tanker and it was a tip toe through slimey lime base. It also made many of our bikes very dirty and on my bike, it completely obscured the number plate and rear tail light! Some people didn't think that that was all such a bad thing though!

When we arrived at Sofala and found that there were some bikes that were clean, everyone wondered which direction those bikes had taken! As it turned out, a group had gone the wrong way but as it turned out, they'd probably really gone the right way!

Lunch at Sofala was a lamb roast with baked veges. Everyone ate together in the local hall, at least those who didn't want to drink at the pub. It was great to sit around the table with people who were willing to share information and have information shared. Everyone had something to offer in the way of information and opinions on riding. It went a long way to making me feel welcome in a group of people that I'd not had anything to do with. Even the NSW club president, who had been the organiser of the event, was more than delighted to meet me it seemed. I couldn't fault anyone's hospitality.

After lunch, I was invited to head back with a couple from Canberra, as it was a make your own way to Bathurst affair. This was a great time as Alex and his wife, Helanna had given me some very useful advice in regards to my riding into corners. As they rode ahead, I got the chance to be behind, working on my techniques. We even pulled over after a particularly twisty bit of road and discussed how I'd ridden it and if I was feeling like I was going into corners better. Which I certainly was. Left hand cornering had up until that point been a slightly unnerving affair for me, I was not feeling confident with it and struggled to do left corners as well as I could do a right one. After being told to drop my shoulder into the corner more, I found it made a huge amount of difference and was impressed that I was cornering left as well as I could corner right.

Well, looks like again I will continue this story...

Stay tuned folks!

Bathurst and Back on a Bike!

Last year I had joined up with the Ducati Owners Club of NSW. I joined because it is often a good way to find parts and information for your vehicle, hence why I am also a member of the Chevrolet Car Club of NSW as well. The membership has often paid for itself with information!

This year, I saw that DOCNSW was advertising the National Ducati Rally in Bathurst and so I decided that I'd very much like to go to it. It would be a great way to meet a group of like minded and new people, I thought.

So, last Friday saw me load up the panniers and head out early for my first really big trip on the Duke. I planned to reach Dubbo by mid morning and have at least a two hour break there. I had a great run down the highway to Coonabarabran and then onto Gilgandra. By the time I arrived at Dubbo, I could feel that the weather was starting to warm up!

I was meeting up with a fellow forumite from Ransomed Heart in Dubbo for morning tea and then lunch. The brief I had given him was that I required a place where I could see the bike! As I cruised down the main street, I kept an eye out for the Coffee Exchange where he would be waiting. As I pulled over into a designated motorbike spot, I saw that my friend had managed to get a table right next to the parking spot! He asked if I thought that it would be suitable enough for watching the bike...funny guy!

After this great visit with Lighthorseman (as he is known on Ransomed Heart), I saddled up again for the two and a half hour trip to Bathurst. As I came into Orange, I could feel that the weather was really warming up and was not surprised to see a temperature gauge saying it was 36 degrees! By the time I arrived in Bathurst, I could feel that my clothes were just saturated with sweat! I was sure glad to have a shower that evening!

Saturday dawned another glorious day, however it also held the promise of another hot one. I was eager to be off and after giving the bike another once over, made the short trip up to Mount Panorama where those on the rally were staying. (I had opted to stay with a friend who lives in Bathurst, seeing as I didn't know anyone!)

Mount Panorama is the hallowed ground of the greatest race in Australia's motorsport history! It has been where many men over the years have either succeeded or failed in their desire to tame the mountain! Now famous for the biggest V8 Supercar race of the year, a gruelling all day event held every October, it started out as a premier motorcycle track. These days it is a far cry from the dirt track it started out as. Now, it is probably the most perfect bitumen you can drive on as when its not being used for motorsport, it is a public road. Of course, the speed limit is set at 60km/hr and it is two way!

So, as I pulled out onto the smooth bitumen on Saturday morning, the sound of the V-twin burbling behind me, I couldn't feel but awe at being there. Sure, I've driven around it before, know how steep it hills are and tight its corners are but there was just something about riding out onto that hallowed ground. I actually drove up the Chase and up onto Conrod Straight, heading for the accomodation where the other Ducati riders were gathering for the day's events.

As we began to meet up, the organisers told us where we were going for the day and that the first thing we would do would be turn right onto Mt Panorama and then do a lap of the track! This really had me worried at first because I seriously didn't think I was ready for that first thing in the morning! As we headed out and then pulled out onto the track, I could see the long line of bikes that were now beginning to stream out along the road. It really was an awesome sight to see!

We then headed on around the left hand corner onto the pit straight and all too soon were flashing past the pits and onto the first corner of the track. It was beginning to get very exciting! As I took the first corner, concentrating on my riding and trying to ignore anyone else around me, I began to hear others overtake and make their bikes go fast up the hill. Unperturbed I just took my time and enjoyed the experience.

By the time we got round the track and back down to the place where we'd head off into Bathurst, I was kind of regretting that we had to leave and couldn't do another lap! But it was okay because I knew that the mountain would be waiting when we got back for the day and then I could try it again!

Well, as much as I hate to do it...I'm going to continue this in another post tomorrow! I know you'll all be waiting to hear about the rest of my weekend!

Cars, Coffee and Celebrations...

My trip to Melbourne ended pretty well. The only downer to it was that my luggage didn't make the same flight home as me and came in on the next flight the following morning. I was very happy that it did arrive home of course!

Celebrate the Bean was a huge day on Sunday, with many people being drawn to the Coffeesnobs stand. I think the aroma of roasting coffee was what drew them in first! We had popcorn poppers, bread makers, stainless steel bowls with heat guns and of course a range of commercially available home roasting devices on display.

As well, the display that had people really amazed and fascinated were the open containers of coffee that went from uncooked through to dark roast. Many people did not know that coffee is green before being roasted to brown!

It was a hugely fun day and I enjoyed working the stand along with some fellow coffeesnobbers who also showed me a lot about roasting! And considering that I was very kindly given a coffee roaster, I needed to learn all I could!

Yes, I'm now going to delve into the realm of home roasting. It has been something that I've tried to resist doing, on the grounds that I just don't have time for it. But this little machine has shown me just how easy and quick it can be to do. There are many benefits for someone like myself to home roast, particularly as we are so far from any roaster. I must admit, when I got back to work the other day and had a coffee there, I was disappointed and frustrated with the taste of it.

So, I'm on the quest to have coffee the way I like it...all the time!

Apart from having a blat in the M3, we also went and had a look at what was on offer at the Melbourne Motor Show. A little disappointing in the way of great concept cars but there was enough to keep me amused. It's been funny this week to show friends a picture I took of the lime green Lambourghini and then tell them that its my new ride, whilst also explaining that it comes in yellow to match my bike and that it was a hard decision to chose colour! One lady wanted to race out the back of the shop and see it then and there!

Next weekend, I'm off to Bathurst on the bike for the National Ducati Rally. So this week will see me detailing and getting it ready. Cleaning it won't do too much good, however, as I'm sure by the time I get there, it will be covered with 6 hours worth of road grime again! Oh well, it'll make me feel good I guess!

A very busy week this week, one that has been touched by tragedy...

Last weekend, I spent riding the Duke to Armidale. As part of my trip there, I had been challenged on a forum to take a photo of the bike in front of a local landmark which is big! I chose the big golden guitar at Tamworth.

Actually, come to think of it, I think I became the tourist attraction at the golden guitar as when I was saddling up to leave, a group of people had gathered to watch! So, you can believe me when I say that I was extremely careful and cautious as I was going as I didn't want to do anything stupid like fall over or leave my stand down!

As there was a function on at the school for my son's boarding house, I made the effort to get there. Thankfully the weather was great and so I had a terrific ride up the hill! Once there, I was to meet another parent who had lost her husband last year to a heart attack. Her son is in the same dorm room as mine and it seems that they've hit it off.

One thing about going to boarding school functions is the awkwardness of being a single parent and especially a single female parent. Even the married women tend to hang around with their own husbands and so the couples tend to stick together. So, it's times like these that you definitely don't want to have any name tag and all you really want to do is be somewhere else!

However, I think that really, all my son wants is for me to be there and that being the case, I will do my best to do so!

On Tuesday, 26th of February, the town was rocked by the news of yet another aircraft tragedy in the district. This time, unbelievably, two aircraft were involved. One pilot managed to miraculously survive the impact with the ground and got away from his aircraft which had caught on fire. The second pilot unfortunately did not survive his crash.

It seems inconceivable that seemingly so soon after Mark's accident, here we are facing another one. It is more inconceivable that this one involves not only our bosses plane but his brother in law is the pilot who has survived. Once again, our boss is going through investigation from ATSB and insurance people. We haven't even had Mark's accident finalised yet. It is hard to say at this stage if this will make it all harder or easier.

On Thursday, I travelled to Melbourne. This was a trip planned months ago, way back in December last year. I would not hesitate to say that it was part of God's plan to have me away from home at this time. As the trip plans had fallen so easily in place when I had made them a couple of months ago, it can only have been His influence. I seriously don't know how I would have coped being at home this weekend, as there is another memorial service being held out at the same hangar that Mark's was held in. Either way, I don't think I would have gone to that service this weekend.

I know that this tragedy has affected me, as on the flight down, I spent quite some time quietly weeping. There was no point holding it back, it actually felt like a great relief to be able to do so.

So, I'm now in Melbourne. Today I had a great day with my girlfriend, we took her husband's M series BMW for a blat down to the Peninsula to check out their newly purchased holiday house. It was a fun day of two friends having a laugh, remembering some good times, talking about some bad and wondering why the blokes were having a look at them in the car! (We remembered that what we were driving was bright blue and stood out like a sore thumb!)

But good times and a great way to try and put the tragedy of the week behind me.

Scooter Photo Blog

Thought I'd just do a photo blog today. On Aussie Scooters, we've been challenged to take local photos with our scooters in them. These are what I've started to snap around town...

My Other Ride is a...

Scooter! A 125cc Aprilia Habana to be precise.

I thought it time to talk about my daily driver. He should get an honourable mention at least as he's nearly as famous as me around town!

At least, most people here in my town know who rides the little blue scoot! Its always funny to see people do a double take when you go zipping past as they certainly don't expect to see a scooter, which is more of an icon of the city, being ridden around a small country town.

Kids love the scooter the most, they stare at it in fascination, stopping whatever they're doing to watch or wave at me as I ride past. I don't know what it is about it. Is it its sexy looks, its bright blue colour or just its smallness? I'm not sure, they could just think I'm weird for riding one!

Its pretty quiet being a four stroke and I'd be the envy of most people who have to currently fork out nearly a hundred bucks to fill up their fuel tanks. It only costs me nine dollars! And of course, with just using the scooter around town, it lasts forever on one tank of fuel!

I've ridden the scooter long distance. A few years ago there was a National Scooter Rally in a larger country town about three and a half hours from here, known as Dubbo to Australians. I rode from here to another town where I met up with some other riders who had come from Brisbane and we rode on together to Dubbo. Yes! They had ridden all the way from Brisbane and some were on scooters no bigger than mine. The rally was a fun few days of riding around with like minded people. And seeing as I only ever see other scooters when I'm in the city, it was a real novelty for me to see so many scooters buzzing around the big town of Dubbo and to be riding one myself!

Most people used to get a real laugh when they saw Mark riding the scooter. He used to take it out to work if I wasn't needing it. Mark seriously had no shame, riding out with his bright yellow helmet on, that everyone knew was for the big yellow bike! He didn't care that people thought he was funny zipping around on the scooter. I mean, we're talking about big country boys who drive utes and four wheel drives! None of them would even dream about riding a scooter! But Mark rode it because he loved how zippy it was and thought it was fun. He'd brag to me how low he could get it into corners!

This month actually heralds Scoots fourth year in the family. I've managed to clock up over 13 thousand kilometres on the scooter over the past four years. Not a whole lot compared to city commuters, some would clock that up in six months. But for me, that is 13 thousand kilometres that are not on my car. Plus all the savings in fuel!

Ah, I love my scooter!

Freedom. And a Mother's heartbreak...

Its a new school year. I've just taken my son back to school and I can tell you, it doesn't get any easier.

Contrary to this photo, my boy is now a tall young man of 15. Here in the photo he is a little man of 4. We were taking a walk in a nearby cotton field, near to where we were living at the time. The dog was a great mate, a Basenji called Outsider. The dog is no longer with us, as he was bitten by a snake many years ago.

As I gaze on this picture, it seems like a lifetime ago. Much has happened in our lives and this is a visual reminder of that.

Meanwhile, my son is happy to be back at his school. And that is a comfort to me I guess. Had I left a boy who was not happy, it would have made it all that harder. So, when I rang up last night to speak with him, the first comment I got back was "We've got so much freedom, mum!" It seems that now, they are of an age where they are treated with a bit more respect as well as being given more responsibility for themselves at school. They can now do their homework in their area, they don't have to get up out of bed as early, they don't need to do a roll call to go to meals. It is now highschool that he is in and he is excited about it!

I am excited for him too.

This is the time when you hope that your child makes the most of his school life, when he takes up any opportunity that takes his interest and that it is a rewarding experience. It is why we decided years ago to make the committment to boarding school for our son. Its a big committment but one that will be rewarding us all for many years to come!

Backtrackin'...

Was a favourite Eric Clapton album of Mark's. But I digress. I am going to relate the details of 9th of December, 2007, as I'm sure that there are those who'd like to know how it went!

It was an evening that seemed to come together very smoothly. Friends were coming from Sydney and those who lived here were already confirming that they'd be there. It was looking to be a big night.

The day before, Saturday, was a huge day. Some great friends and I built a back deck on my house. Just in time for everyone to come and oogle! It certainly was huge event just in itself, especially considering that the deck is a massive 8 metres by 4 metres! And the fact that it all went together smoothly was also impressive. No hitches whatsoever!

Sunday was a day that held a lot of expectations, even though I tried my best to avoid having any expectations at all. I really didn't want to feel like the significance of the day was going to consume me and I certainly did not dwell on it. Just looked forward to sharing the day with some wonderful friends.

At church in the morning, I was invited up to give a brief talk about how the year had gone for me. I felt that it was a perfect time to put to bed some "myths" about me that had been circulating around the church community. It had been questioned that I was possibly trying to live out Mark's Christian walk. I actually agreed with this and explained why I agreed. It's not so much as my living out his walk, rather me living our joint ideas on our Christianity. Hey, its one reason why we married! We both had the same views on many aspects of Christian faith and so it would stand to reason that if one or the other was "left behind", we'd probably be reflecting that!

As I said, it's hard to just get rid of someone out of your life who has been there for a long time. As Mark used to joke himself, we'd been married for a million gazillion years! (Just exactly how long is that anyway!?) And I also said that I would be upset if people who knew Mark, looked at me and didn't see anything of him in me. It would mean that our marriage was not real and that we didn't live as "one" as we had originally been married as under the sight of God and in the view of His church.

I think everyone got the idea!

Sunday afternoon was the complete opposite weather wise to 12 months ago. It was overcast and cool. Not hot, dry and filled with the smoke from bush fires. A complete and utter contrast. As people gathered, friends arrived from great and small distance, the afternoon looked to be bigger than I'd even expected.

One great girlfriend had been working at something special of her own behind the scenes. She arrived and presented me with a large cardboard box, stating that she had wanted to commemorate the day herself in her own way. I opened the box and found it full of caps! They were all printed with the Top Gun logo and on the rear of the cap was printed "John 15:13", Mark's favourite Bible verse! The hats were awesome and well received by all! I think that it was terrific to see people wearing their Top Gun hats around on the afternoon! What an incredibly thoughtful touch to the day.

As the sun set and the people ate, I recall coming out at one stage to gaze down at those who'd set themselves up on the lawn. It was a very peaceful moment to me as I thought how much it was just as it should be. Everyone sitting around, eating, drinking and chatting together. Exactly as Mark would have had it himself! I was very proud!

Later, we got set up with the cinema equipment and though the rain tried to threaten, no one would be moved and sat through the light shower that came down! We just threw a tarp over the equipment! The rain cleared and I announced that I was going to show the slide show from last year, as after all, it was why we were there. Everyone went very quiet and I'm sure that there were a few tears as well as a few laughs.

Then, on with the show that everyone had been waiting for! TOP GUN!

Seriously, it had many of us reciting the lines along with the actors!

All in all, a great night had by everyone. A great way for everyone to remember a huge event that occured 12 months ago. An important time for helping others with their grief, as many still come to grips with the fact that the man that was such a huge impact in their life has gone on ahead. It will be a great day in heaven when we all get there because Mark will have done a wonderful job of helping our Lord to get it ready for us!

We Resume Normal Broadcasts...

Apologies to those of you who are visiting and reading. I have not been attentive to my blog and have not done many regular updates. I won't bore you either with a huge post about what has been happening, suffice to say it has been mostly all good!

However, I will bore you with my adventures on a Ride On Lawn Mower...

New Years Eve has fast become an annual event at friends where we race ride on mowers. It started a few years ago and is growing with every year, this year being no exception!

I was invited to bring out my mower as well and join in on the fun. And boy! What fun! Too much fun even!

Yes, I admit it, I am a total rev head. No apologies for that either!

Above is me on my mower. It's diesel powered and actually does a pretty good job of mowing the lawn. As well as racing, I also competed in a lawn mower tug competition. Of course, the diesel with it's weight and low torque did a very good job of pulling the competition across the line, no effort required!

We also came second in the Chicks Race and managed to come in the middle of the field in the Open Race. There were some very serious competitors in the Open class. Their mowers had been heavily modified and one was clocked at 43 kilometres per hour! That's very fast on something that was really only designed to mow the grass!

As well as Ride On Mower races, there was also some Watermelon Skiing for the kids which utilised two quad runners and two ski ropes and some wet plastic. In the end the kids were just as happy getting pulled along without having to try and stand up in watermelons. The kids were at it for hours and it was only dark that made them pull up!

The hardcore enthusiasts are already planning bigger and better things for the Ride On Mower races for next year. They're trying to get some races to happen during the year with the New Years Eve races being labelled as the Grand Finals. Should be fun!

Our Memories...

I love old pictures...

I can vaguely remember this photo being taken but not much beyond that. I could eventually reach the foot pegs on this bike properly and Dad taught me to ride it. It wasn't very fast and I think it would be lucky to do more than 20 kms/hr! But that was still pretty quick to a kid!

Now, to think I'm riding a 900 cc!

It's been a busy couple of weeks here, so haven't had much of a chance to blog. There's plenty to say but I will try and only give the highlights!

This week, for example, I've had a house full of people. Friends from Sydney who are up for the week and friends who were passing through from Brisbane on their way to Sydney! It was good to catch up with them all.

To start the week at work, the coffee machine broke down. A busted element in the boiler has meant that our town has been without decent coffee and I can tell you that the locals have been quite distressed! The boss is doing his utmost to get it fixed but with parts being located in Sydney it has taken time to get them up here.

We've also had some rain! I saw pictures today of water that had filled a friend's dam and was running off as there was so much of it! Wow! It could be a hopeful start to the end of this drought. Now, to try and keep up with the weeds!

The Countdown is On.

Well, it is now just under a month until the 1 year anniversary of Mark's accident.

What a strange way to describe the day of someones death! As an anniversary! We normally have such good images associated with anniversaries, this just seems a bit odd in comparison.

Having no clue at first as to what to do and how to deal with it, I seriously thought about going away for the weekend. In the end, I decided that I didn't want to go away as to me, it seemed like running away from it. Rather, I decided that I wanted to spend it with my family and friends. Well, at least those family and friends that also want to spend it with me!

So, on the 9th of December, at around 3pm, folk are going to be gathering at home for afternoon drinks and B.B.Q. Once the sun has set, we'll fire up the surround sound and projector to watch Mark's all time favourite movie, Top Gun on the big screen outdoors! Couldn't get any better than that!

Armidale and A Pair of Boots...

The title to this entry has two meanings to me today! A pair of boots being what I bought for myself when in Tamworth on Monday, as I was passing through back to home. A pair of motorcycle boots to be precise.

The other meaning is that my son has gained the title Lance-Corporal in Cadets. So, he's been wearing a pair of boots too! I was excited to hear that he'd decided to do the leadership course and I think he was excited to have passed the test today to become a Lance-Corporal. Well done, my young man!

Finally, we've had decent rain here. 50mm overnight, which has left the place damp and muddy in places. But I'm sure not complaining! However, you can't please everybody. Those still stripping wheat were stopped from finishing with this bit of rain. But at least they weren't too upset about it. How could you be! It was RAIN!

Well, looks like I've got a lot of mowing coming my way!

To Ride A Bike is to Ride the Sky...

Well, I've kind of plagarised that saying. It should say to Ride A Horse is to Ride the Sky! But, a bike is up there with riding horses and I've done both!

Putting some photo's away the other day, I happened across one very tiny photo of myself that my mother had passed onto me. I was photographed sitting up on a dirt bike, gripping the handle bars, my feet barely touching the pegs at all of about 5 years of age. Great photo! I can actually remember riding that same bike a few years later all by myself after dad taught me. It wasn't real fast and wasn't all that big a bike but I had fun roaring around on it out at a friends farm near Sofala in NSW.

Now, I am riding that big bike in the above photo. Who'd have thought!? For those of you not in the know, that is a Ducati 900ss. A 1998 model to be precise. The newly reinvented fuel injected model as opposed to carburetted. I could go on but I'd bore the non bike folk out there!

I went out riding again the other day and took that picture. The picture was taken on my crappy camera phone but it speaks volumes to me about riding and the country we live in. It's an awesome photo that speaks of the power and majesty of the bike and the majesty of the beautiful country we live in, even if it is gripped by the worst drought on record. Just look at that sky! It's not called "Big Sky Country" out here for nothing!

I hadn't been out for ages. What with work, school holidays, a trip to Sydney, not to mention a broken part on the bike (how typical for a Duke!) that needed fixing, stopping me from doing it. When I finally got a chance to go, I took my time and enjoyed the experience.

On a Ducati forum, there was a thread started about How Can You Explain Why You Ride A Ducati. Some of the replys were ones that had me nodding my own head in agreeance. There are many reasons why but one of the good ones was because the Ducati chose you not the other way round!

The reason I liked the best however was "Because you ride with your soul and not the throttle." That is what riding a Ducati is. You riding with your soul...

If anyone has in their mind a desire to learn to ride...go and do it. Do it well and do it properly. Learn to ride because you want to ride with your soul...

Catering, Camping and Kids...

Ever had one of those strange experiences where you wake up and don't remember what time or day it is? I experienced that earlier this evening! I have just got back from two nights out camping and catering for 20 people. Exhausted, I went to have a 15 minute powernap! Famous last thoughts! I woke up several hours later, in the dark. It was a bit disturbing and a little unreal as it was dark and I couldn't recall going to bed at night!

The last couple of years, I have done the catering for our churches youth group camps. We usually go to the local lake, Yarrie Lake, for these camps but due to the drought, sadly, the lake is dried up. So, they decided to go up to Lake Keepit and camp there. The picture is of the setup I had for cooking out of which was a camper trailer. I also had a bbq and used it for some meals as well. Normally we'd have a camp oven dinner but as we couldn't have a big pit fire, we didn't do this meal this time.

The last few days were peppered by storms and last nights one was pretty big. Some of the kids tents didn't prove to be waterproof but they all managed to go to sleep during the storm anyway! I guess they were tired too! This year was also different as two separate youth groups got together, which was good for the kids.

Usually, I'd have Mark to give me a hand and keep the campsite well looked after. He'd usually do all the mundane things like keeping fires going, washing up, rubbish disposal, setting up the tent and the like. There were plenty of willing helping hands but none as good as the one you share your life with! Still, it all came off well and everyone enjoyed the food and the amount that there was. No one could complain about going hungry!

It was a great time really. I did get to have some downtime, read a book, wrote in my journal, that sort of thing. Even had some great chats with another girlfriend who was on the camp with her family, they were there as the house parents. There are times when it is great to get outdoors and enjoy the view!

Random Facts About Me

Random Facts About Me

I've been tagged and so here I am responding to that tag. Again, I am totally new to this world of blogs and so don't really know to much about this sort of thing, so please, bear with me!

1. I have one teenage son.
2. My main job at the moment is as a barista (that's a maker of coffee, not a lawyer!)
3. I have a big indoor screen and an even bigger outdoor screen for watching movies!
4. I drive an American pickup.
5. I own my home on 6 acres in a small country town.
6. I spend a bit of spare time on various internet forums and have met various people from them.
7. I am a bronze level swimming coach.
8. I own 5 horses.
9. I love riding my Ducati!
10. I am a Christian.

Thanks to Johblogs for that!

An Outlook on Life.

When I get to see Mark again, I hope that when he asks me "So, what did you end up doing with your life, Duchess?" I hope that I can give good account to him as well as to Jesus. I am sure that it would be heartbreaking for him if he knew that I didn't live well after he had gone. I guess that I am fortunate that Mark had a pretty good outlook on life himself. He was definitely full of life and we did live a full on life!

The picture I've put here is of one of the planes he flew and the bike he rode (which I now ride) and I think that it just about sums him up. It was taken at the memorial service, which we held in an aircraft hangar as there was no church big enough! It was completely appropriate anyway as we could be surrounded by the family, friends and things that Mark loved. Hence the bike and plane!

The Bible passage that has probably stuck in my mind the most is Ecclesiates 7:1-2

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.

In the few hours after Mark's accident, I called family and friends. Within minutes, I had friends at my home and within hours, friends had booked airline tickets and family were packing cars. I had people everywhere at my home, my neighbours home and everyone's homes that could spare a room or two! We even had three large caravans in my backyard (good thing we have 6 acres!) as well as a camping trailer! There were people everywhere! It was a week long gathering and so many of the locals couldn't believe the "call to arms" that had gone out and been answered. They were very impressed with those who came to be by my side. All great Christian family! I was so proud and so happy that they were there! It really was the most amazing ten days of my entire life! And God really showed us how it was going to be in Heaven because, in my opinion, He let Heaven come to my home for a week!

So, whats the Story?

They say a picture says a thousand words!

Hopefully, what I'm about to say won't take that many...

The aircraft in the picture is an AirTractor 802 series aircraft. The pilot of the aircraft in that photo is my husband. He was photographed by a client who's field of sorghum he was spraying.

Why start a blog with this image? Well, I guess because that man piloting that plane is why I'm starting a blog.

About 10 months ago, my man was in a fatal aircraft accident that involved that very aircraft. Shocking I know but there's just no other way to put it out there!

His accident has been my motivation to reach out to others who are experiencing the same thing as me.

I'm not here looking for sympathy.

Rather, I'm here looking for others that I can help through their own journey of grief and bereavement due to aviation accidents.

So, if you know someone who is going through this or are someone yourself, I'd be pleased to hear from you. Even if all we do is share and chat together about our stories!