Who was visitor #2000?

I have no idea. I know who weren't because of a number of messages and emails, but no matter, it was just a bit of fun. Rene's commercial web site http://www.centredart.com.au/ has around 100 visitors every day, so for a personal blog 2000+ in 15 months isn't bad.

Lovely weather these past few days, much more like autumn. I think today reached 28C (well, our car said it was) and when we returned home from overnighting in Brisbane the pool was really quite busy - a good indicator. I couldn't believe the pictures of our globetrotting PM in London last weekend walking in the snow in London. In April?

We have enjoyed the company of many visitors over this past ten days or so while I have been on vacation. It has been great fun catching up with friends and family you don't see all that often plus hosting friends for a couple of nights and just plain talking our heads off (yes, even Rene). We've also had many, many lunches and dinners away from the apartment. My, my, school will be very ordinary next week !

The house continues to move along. Virtually all the external cladding is finished. When we went to have a look yesterday afternoon the stairwell area had its windows in and the vertical cladding applied - it looks wonderful. Speaking of stairwell, on Wednesday we arrived to find the staircase in place. It of course will have to be stained and coated, but it looks terrific. The front door had also arrived, although for now just hammered into position. Lock up is this week, painters arrive to start on exterior walls, and the internal gyprock panels on the walls and ceilings go in. They want to take the scaffolding down soon. I'm guessing the garage door will be fitted to ensure the house is secure. The bath in the main bathroom upstairs is already in place. The solar hot water panels are attached to the roof, just the two whirlybird roof extractors are to be fitted (these extract hot air from the ceiling above the insulation).

Great news! Rene's visit to the specialist was worth it - he doesn't have a hole in his ear drum and it has been treated by the specialist and it has improved enormously. He's back to him in a fortnight.

Finally, upon arriving home I turned on the computer and read on the ABC news site of the announcement of Queensland's Governor Quentin Bryce becoming Australia's first woman Governor- General this September. If one has to have a monarchy I certainly like this nomination by the Prime Minister. Ms Bryce is a Longreach girl, brought up in Ilfracombe (near the central Queensland town of Longreach from where a good long time friend of mine hails). A lawyer, mother of five, grandmother of three, she has long been an advocate of issues concerning women, children and Indigenous Australians. As I said, I personally feel the monarchy in Australia is way overdue for replacement by a republic, but if we have to have one, she will certainly be a wonderful choice. Her bio is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Bryce

Finally, Big Ben (below left) was 150 the other day. I'm not sure when I first realised this fact, but have you ever noticed that countries are symbolically represented by man made structures? I mean: Egypt - pyramids, UK - Big Ben + Houses of Parliament, Australia - Opera House Sydney, France - Eiffel Tower etc etc. Cities too, with London Eye, Golden Gate Bridge for SF and if you come here to Brisbane, the Story Bridge (below right) - yes, I know, not world renowned or recognised, but that's all we have. Oh, sometimes the City Hall - it's beautiful, if not internationally known. Now, for Australia we could include a natural landmark, Ularu (Ayers Rock), but as a rule a graphic artist in a travel brochure or newspaper advertisement would go for a simple clock face, a few vertical lines, some spikes below for the building roof, and you have Big Ben and London and the UK (I know Big Ben is the bell in the tower, but you get my drift). Comments?

Bye for now...

(from the BBC)Big Ben has officially celebrated its 150th birthday.
The bell was cast at Whitechapel foundry on April 10 1858 and was first rung in the Great Westminster Clock on May 31 the following year.
A century and a half later, the Whitechapel Bell Foundry is still there and celebrations have been held for the famous bell.
Proposals for the famous landmark were first decided in 1844 - just a year after a fire engulfed the Houses of Parliament.
The requirements were simple the first stroke should register the time correct to within one second and the hour bell should weigh 14 tonnes.
According to the sales ledger the cost of the bell was £572.
It took 20 minutes to fill the bell mould with molten metal and 20 days for the metal to solidify and cool.
Then it was tested to make sure it chimed at the right tone, a practice that is as important as it was 150 years ago.
The name for the bell tower was debated in Parliament with many suggestions being made but the winning title was named after Sir Benjamin Hall.