SATURDAY MAY 2     CANBERRA

On a fairly cool morning, we had to leave the park by 10.45 to drive across the other side of the city, to Mawson, for the younger grandson’s soccer game. It was quite a distance to the southern suburb, but the GPS guided us well. If one ignores the Canberra traffic, it really is a picturesque place, with the surrounding ranges of the Great Divide often to be seen.

The distant Brindabella Ranges

We passed a three car road bingle, on the main Northbourne Avenue, near the city centre. It seemed to be damage to vehicles, rather than people (unless one counts damaged egos). Drivers here travel far too close to the car in front – like, often less than a metre of separation, and change lanes very suddenly and aggressively, often without signalling. So I guess such accidents are not surprising. Melbourne drivers have a bad reputation, but I’d been driving in Melbourne for over fifty years and I reckon ACT drivers are in a class of their own. And not a good class…

The soccer was at a very large complex of playing fields. John had to phone daughter to find out which way to go! We took our camp chairs and had to carry them quite a way to the right pitch. Dog had to stay in the car, for fairly obvious reasons. Ball games on a large scale!

I am totally ignorant about soccer, but grandson seemed to play well. Can’t say it was the most engrossing hour or so I’d ever spent. We didn’t really get any chance to chat with the daughter.

My cough, which sounded much worse than I really felt – was impressive enough to get me excused from attending the afternoon’s soccer game of the other grandson. John drove me back to Bus and after some lunch, he left to drive – to the NW outskirts of the city this time – for the next game. After that, he went back to daughter’s place for a while.

Dog and I spent a very pleasant afternoon in camp, with occasional ball throwing interspersed with me downloading photos and doing other computing. While not ball chasing, Couey spent her time watching anxiously for John’s reappearance.

Sausages and mash for tea.

A quiet night, without TV. I read. John played computer games. I have never succeeded in getting him interested in card or board games, even though I have a great card game that I bought many years ago, in Singapore, called Mhing, that is a card version of Mahjong. Also carried in Bus, just in case, are Yahtzee, Canasta, a 2-person version of a Bridge game,  and a cribbage board. Should be something there that would grab the attention of most people? But no…