The Bellarine 1/2

The first full day stay at my Sister's to look after her cats was quite weird. I had my phone, my tablet and my Kindle, everything I needed for relaxing week away, yet I felt so unsettled, like pacing around, looking for things to do, and realising it was impossible for me to make much of a tidying or cleaning impact on Sister's house. With some reflection, while I still read your blog posts, I didn't comment as it is too hard without my keyboard. I was pining my desktop computer. 

One cat was immediately friendly, the other much more cautious. The first time Ray and I looked after them, they were real scaredy cats, so this time they clearly remembered me. Of course when it came to food time, such caution was abandoned in the haste of starving cats getting food. 

Around noon, the more forward cat tried meowing at me in a attempt to convince me that he normally has lunch. No no. That is not on the list Sister left for me. 

When you are carrying the cat food in bowls to where they eat, why do the creatures walk in front of you and entangle your feet instead of walking behind? I sorted that for the breakfast by putting their food in place before letting them out from the night stays in the car garage. Not so easy in the evening. I know they will jump up onto the kitchen bench as I am serving their food into bowls, so I set up a physical barrier with my cereal box and a couple of bottles, and that worked. 

Here are some photos from my stay.

Is this a fire on the horizon? 

No, it is just public transport, carrying passengers. 

  

Public transport is good. There is no shame at being on a train, tram or bus.

It's time to turn the video recording phone system on. 

There is marvellous little cafe at the Queenscliff Beach car park, but alas, it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, or maybe Monday/Tuesday. Whatever, I brunched at the very nice Willow Tree Cafe. I am doubtful about the name. I think it may have changed. Next door is a very traditional butcher, selling quality meat and it has a fly wire door to enter. It didn't seem to be a self closing door, so you must take responsibility for the door, and everyone did, closing the door behind them. 

To be fair, this is the worst room in Sister's house. When it all starts coming out along the floor from the walls, you have a problem. To be crude, so much shit!

The blacker cat Oreo is the more friendly than Athena. As I have always thought, a male pet cat, and a female pet dog are best. 

Making the best photo of Sister's front garden. Let me describe it as a dry woodland garden, with a sparse but roaming underplanting, complimented by a strawberries growing in a purposely designed pot. Well, something was growing in the strawberry pot, so perhaps I gave some weeds some flourishing water. 

The nearby town of Drysdale has a new library, which I saw when I was there a few days before my stay at Sister's. We took a look inside and it was being well used, and I really liked the design. The town is worthy of further investigation. 

Sadness and anger

In 1998 the horrific details of the homophobic torture and slow death of Matthew Shepard in the State of Wyoming, slowly emerged. As hardened as I already was to humans mistreating other humans, this case really upset me, and it still does. very much. 

Matthew's parents, Judy and Dennis, have been activists ever since against homophobia, with Judy awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden.

In act of despicable pettiness, within a couple of days of #47 being sworn in, a statement on The Whitehouse website was taken down, which had marked the 25th anniversary of Matthew's death by President Biden praising the work of the Shepards. 

What bastardry. 

You can read more at the Star Observer website.  

PS I came across this later, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12DETqfTC7Q/ In brief, photos of former LGBT...whatever,  war veterans were removed from a public area at a veterans' hospital. 

Hopefully something a bit cheerier tomorrow.

Monday Mural

Along with Sami and others, here is my contribution to Monday Mural, this week being a couple of murals I discovered in Ocean Grove on The Bellarine as I stayed at Sister's, Bone Doctor's and Jo's home about 15 minutes away. 

I expect both of these are commissioned works, or at least approved by property owners.

I was driving past when I saw this house. The car stopped very quickly as the hill was so steep. You may have to embiggen the photo a little to appreciate the work. 

A beautified public toilet in a supermarket car park. It's a nicely expressed sentiment, as we take over the land from our native flora and fauna, as the ponzi scheme of expanding our population continues. Hey, the system is working, for now, but at what cost.