AT SWANBOURNE WITH THE SAS

LAWN TRIMMER SEQUEL
The elderly widow turned up at Pete's, collected the sharpened edge trimmer and left him something else to sharpen and her address. He duly complied and he took it to her house and she gave him a lottery ticket. We all await Saturday's draw with hopeful anticipation. We also warned him that her husband may not be deceased and that she is about to do him in with the edge trimmer which has Pete's DNA all over it???
SWANBOURNE FIASCO
Bit of a disaster at Swanbourne-got through SAS security all right but found museum contents( including very large helicopter) dispersed because a new better museum was being built. Despite much inter-service enquiry and trying many places and keys, the helicopter might as well have been lost. Tempers got very frayed and I heard as much Vietnam reminiscence as a poor bloody civilian could absorb.The only bit of excitement, in what otherwise looked for all the world like an abandoned school campus-maybe because 300 troopers weree in Afghanistan-required some imagination.

As we passed the "killing house" where the SAS guys train to carry out hostage rescues a volley of very loud shots were heard followed by bursts of automatic fire.Red flags were up and flashing red lights warned against unauthorised entry.Signs outlawed rapelling down the wall of the house because two troopers did this and scared Bob Hawke when he was making a speech to open the facility.
Otherwise a morning of frustration management training,spiced with coffee at a Cottesloe beach-side cafe.

ON THE MOVE AGAIN
I will be back in Melbourne from very early 8/4 until 21/4. Main purpose-to fix up venue and entertainment, refreshments etc for 40th anniversary celebrations of my arrival in Sydney on 4 JUly 1968 (celebration will be on Saturday 5 July at time and venue to be announced),pick up light weight tent for Kimberley trekking from sea freight, if arrived by then. Have break from this beautiful, affluent but soulless city called Perth, before going north (maybe even feel some rain).

So open to social invitations in Australia's fastest growing and most livable/lovable city.

Will leave my car at Pete's house-they will be in Mildura all April and soon after I fly back on 21st will start my journey north. Now about to book kimberley activities. Have date in Darwin with friend on leave from a mine in PNG who will show me around in first week in June and lunch friday 13 June with former wife, Bronwyn ( Director of nursing-clinical at Alice Springs Hospital)in Alice Springs.

From Easter Tues for a week will be by the sea in friend's beach shack-still in email/sms/phone range -(lots of writing and exercise) then a final week with Pete's house to myself before coming to Melbourne. That should give me time to consolidate the writing research I have begun and get supplies etc ready for the north so there will be minimal delay after my return before departing northwards.

So, on the move again before I drowned in nightly red wine and became an honourary member of 9th Squadron RAAF Vietnam vets!!!