Go the Swans

It's getting very close now to the start of the aerial ping-pong season, we don't really care about the AFL much but we love going and watching the Black n' White Swanies. And what a beaut season the Black Ducks had last year, a few ups and downs but a real ripper year all-round. First we did lose the friggin' first grade GRAND FINAL (bugger), losing to the snottie nosed Ignorant ring jockey poo jabber Subiaco Lion wankers by 148 to 91.

But we did come back last year and won 'for the second year in a row' the COLTS GRAND FINAL! With a beaut win over the Perth by 103 to 59.

But on a sad note we did lose one of our ripper players to retirement this year, as our own Sandover Medal winner Shane Beros hung up the boots for the last time. He played in a magnificent 193 game career that also included two Swan Medals.

But sadly I don't think the old Black Ducks are gonna have a chance of making a return to the Grand Final this year, as this year we have been hit so hard with the AFL Draft. All up we lost a total of seven friggin' players going walkabout, starting with the Draft pick No2 Nick Naitanui but also lost my best player Chris Yarran to friggin' Carton.

NICK NAITANUI(to West Coast Eagles) 18, 197cm, 95kg

Ruckman who can do it all. Outstanding athlete, with admirable vertical leap and serious pace. Tackling is also a strength. Dual U18 All-Australian. “We’re really pleased to have Nick at the club. How much he plays next year will depend on his preparation and his form ... it is a step up and we will manage him through that.” West Coast Eagles.

No. 6 CHRIS YARRAN(To Carlton ) 17, 180cm, 83kg

Highly talented, skillful forward who booted seven goals on his senior debut and topped his club’s goalkicking in his first season. “Chris is very quick, has good hands and kicks well. Once he’s developed the engine and endurance base, he could be unbelievable through the midfield.” Jason McCartney

And also we lost
35. Melbourne -- Jamie Bennell 18, 68kgs
41. Brisbane Lions -- Todd Banfield 18, 75kgs
45. Collingwood -- Jarrad Blight 17, 73kgs
51. Melbourne -- Neville Jetta 18, 76kgs
53. Fremantle -- Michael Walters 17, 73kgs

But with our fingers crossed we might get a few coming back during the year, and you never know we might bring up enough upsets to get back to that day in September.

Well back to school

Well it's that time of year again where you get all your Panadol, Nurofen and anti-depressant tablets, put them into the old tablet box and shove them into the back of the cabinet (ready for next Christmas holidays). As it's time for the kiddies to head back to school!!!! YOU BLOODY BEAUTY!

Jacko, Harrison and Sarah

This year Jacko and Sarah moved back to Jack's old school Caversham Primary School, and the little fella Harrison moves to their old school which is West Morley Primary School.






So for Harrison to get to school each day, he gets to ride in the Morley School Bus. Now he's been waiting for the chance to ride in this bus for a couple of years, so you can imagine the excitement he must be going through.
'Okay mum photo chance is over and thanks for the sandwiches.... bye bye.... cool thank God that's over with... now don't cry mum it's only nine weeks and it will be school hoildays again .... now she's crying even more'





'Oh my God she's still their..... Okay then bye bye.... Yes that's my Mum, don't worry she's gone now .... so yes where was I .... Hi everyone it's me Harry'





'Hi names Harry .... hi their the names Harry .... Harry's the name girls the game (my old man told me that one) So how's it hanging mate ...... oh my God she's back! how imbarasment! MMMUUUUMMMM this is me mates don't do this to me i'm only four'

Burswood Park

Well it was time to hit the Parks again and BURSWOODS PARK is one of the city's biggest, this 113 hectare Park which lies on the foreshore of the Swan River is of cause the home to Perth's Burswood Casino. In the Park is a ripper path called the Heritage Trail, and at the start of it was our first bloke here named Henry Camfield (1799 to 1872). This fella was the first settler in this area in 1829, during the early days of the Swan River Colony. He named the area 'Burrswood' after his family home in Kent, which he was never to see again.









Here is Sarah and Oscar in frount of a Swan water fountain, which lies in the middle of the little lake.




















Here is another bloke from the old days this fella ya should know, he's name is Paddy Hannan (1842 to 1925). Paddy was born in Ireland and emigrated to Australia in 1863. He searched for Gold in all the eastern colonies, before he arrived in WA in 1889. He made his great strike in 1893 on the Gold fields of Kalgoorlie, and it makes you wonder how hard these men were. Fairdinkum it was blokes like him who walked the great distance (600kms), pushing make-shift wheelbarrows that carried their equipment and suplies inland to Kalgoorlie.... On ya Paddy!











This sculpture of Hopscotch, emphasises (big word) the liveiness of children at play, just the sort of thing my old girl would of been playing in the back streets of Cookshill.


The Storyteller the inspiration for this work is Dame Mary Durack, renowned chronicler of Australian history, engaged in a chat with her 'young self' as a child during the colonial days.














Then it was time to have a muck around at the play ground, the little nevilles had a beaut time on the slides. And then after a rest it was time to hit the trail again....

The mob with the WACA behind them.

Then we came upon our last sculptures in the Park, this one is of an old Black Swan and a Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh. The sculpture pays tribute to the significant part played by the early Dutch navigators in the discovery of the western coastline of Australia.



Here we have our little swan Sarah sitting on a old swan next to the Swan River.
















Oscar with his mate Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, this bloke explored and named the Swan River way back in 1697 Strewth! and that was our last sculpture on the trail. The kiddies had a ripper time getting around the Park, and now i think it is time for our picnic..... see ya!