And a Happy New Year

Street art in Orange

Him Outdoors had to fix a lift in Orange, so I went along for the ride. I spent the day walking around the art gallery and the parks, and then in the evening we had dinner at Maithil Rasoi, which delivered excellent food and service.

Aloo Tikki Chaat at Maithil Rasoi

Chicken Tikka

Proof of enjoyment

Chicken Madras and Lamb Saag wala

It's BYO and we're in Orange, so...

The next morning, I went for a walk around the Botanic Gardens and admired the serenity and the scenic reflections in Burt Flugelman's Federation Arch 

There's a big lump of rock which is a prime example of Borenore marble and an explanatory plaque. 

"Between 1907 and 1927, a high quality, beautifully marked marble was extracted from a quarry at Borenore, west of Orange, to adorn major buildings of the world. The quarry was worked by a company founded by Mr Frank Rusconi, a monumental mason who was born in Araluen, NSW, worked in Italy, Switzerland, France and England before returning to Australia in 1901.

"Borenore red marble was used in public buildings in Sydney including the GPO, Central Railway Station and the former Farmer's and Anthony Hordern's buildings. Borenore blue marble, which featured fossilised corals, was used for ornaments and furnishings, including countless fireplace surrounds for houses around the world, one of which was Buckingham Palace. Mr Rusconi made a number of spectacular marbles ornaments and structure, not all from Borenore marble; his best known work is the base of Gundagai's Dog on the Tuckerbox statue. 

"Marble is formed from volcanic activity metamorphosing sedimentary carbonised rocks, usually limestone. Extensive limestone beds extend through eastern Australia from Victoria to Wellington in NSW but it is only in volcanoes such as Mt Canobolas that the limestone has been exposed to the intense heat and pressure needed to convert it to marble. Coloured marble such as that quarried at Borenore contains mineral impurities which provide the texture and colour which makes it so distinctive and desirable.

"This block of red marble is one of the last pieces taken from the Borenore quarry and was donated to Orange Botanic Gardens by the Milla family of Orange. It weighs 1.4 tonnes."

I just love how a parochial town can find pride in everything local, even a lump of rock. 

I kind of like this funky rhinoceros. It's called Flower Power, was created by Melbourne artist Keri Le Page, and is part of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo's Wild Rhinos project to spread 125 life-sized sculptures from Sydney to Dubbo on the trail to the zoo. 

We then had a super-healthy muesli for brunch before driving back to Canberra. It was so delicious and full of nutty seedy goodness that we bought a packet from the cafe to take home. Judging by the price, it must also be full of gold nuggets.

It's thirty years since I first met Him Outdoors in Edinburgh for a pre-New Year's fling. I'm not quite sure I've got the hang of this one-night stand lark, but I'm more than happy that we've both stuck around. We celebrated with a fine beer in the back garden, for a couple more quiet ales at the local beer emporium. 

We've had high winds, which has brought some of the trees crashing down. It seems incongruous to see these toppled giants on such glorious summer days with blooming wisteria.

A friend made a request that, instead of focussing on the bad things that happened in 2021, we post about the good. Herewith, a dozen things that got me through. 

Highly mature behaviour on New Year's Eve as we spent the evening with friends and Him Outdoors showed us all how he had waxed his eyebrows. 

Him Outdoors being cheesey

On New Year's Day we went out for a bike ride in Kowen Forest along some of the great tracks. I saw black cockatoos and hostage teddy bears in trees. 

And in the evening I relaxed with my latest reading material, and contemplated the to-be-read pile on the bedside table. 

Calamity Sue has her sister visiting from the UK and decided we should hire a little boat and potter about on Lake Burley Griffin. So we did. It was very hot so we took along cheese and drinks in a cool bag, which Melantho had to inspect first. General Philosopher was an admirable skipper and steered us around the lake, under the bridges and to Springbank Island. 

Cool for cats

Skipper General Philosopher

First Mate Calamity Sue

Able-Bodied Seaman Him Outdoors

Second Mate Calamity Sue's Sister

Not stinting on nibbles

I didn't know there were submarines in LBG

The granite blocks in this picture under the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge are from the demolished Waterloo Bridge (constructed in 1817; replaced in 1942) in London and were presented to Commonwealth countries as historic links with Britain. I can't say that I've ever noticed them before, but I spotted a plaque which commemorates them. 

And here's the montage of the day. 

"Believe me my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame