McNaughts Comet

Not surprisingly, some homo sapiens were completely uninterested in this site but I suppose if you do not know Mars and Venus from Sirius and Vega then it is hardly worth the effort. We had a great view in Perth and I managed a photie with some difficulty!! ( I took 12 and could only find it in one shot! If you missed it.... never fear.... it should make another appearance in around 1000 years.... so you just have to believe in reincarnation around 12 times. Good Luck. If you are interested in this sort of thing try Bill Bryson's book " A Short History of Nearly Everything" BUT the Illustrated version.

Also try the clip if you can find it called "THE POWERS of 10"

Australia Day

26th January if you did not know! is Australia Day. My daughter suanne and her friend set off at 9:30 a.m. to play songs ( mostly australian) at an old people's home. It turned out to be hot in more ways than one. Certainly the temp. was around 41 degrees ( around 108 in degrees F) and by the time we had hauled in the speakers etc. we were stuffed. The concert went well and they loved my tribute to Bali victims song ( see below for chorus). The highlight was an inmate who sang every song ( except the ones I had written and he even had a go at those!) He was blind they told me later which sort of explained the lack of eye contact we made!!

Chorus They came from the land down under

They came to Bali just to pla - ay

They came from the land down under
And now some of them are there to stay.

Driving Instructor

I always remember Bob Newhart's comedy sketch on the "Driving Instructor". Worth listening to even after 20 years! My middle daughter was in Melbourne for a few years and only learnt to drive recently. With the aid of her Dad ( me ) and a driving instructor, she passed first time. Luckily in Western Australia, you continue with L plates fpr another 25 Hours! On Sunday she woke me up with " Let's go driving Dad!" I named a place New Noucia and she duly found it on the internet complete with instructions on the shortest route. Well what a route it was! 20 k's of dirt road and it took us 70 mins longer that the instructions stated. I expected a town but there was only a monastry ( we missed it) a petrol station (which lacked electricity and therefore could not issue petrol) and a pub ( which was expensive and empty except for two police officers). I explained my dilema to the officers ( "no fuel and gas station not in operation") " Yeah we know that. Tough isn't it! But don't worry use your reserve tank and head home and there is a station 50 k's in that direction! If you run out, we are going that way in a few hours and we might see you there!" Of course they knew we had no reserve tank and we DID RUN out! 10 k's short. But with my usual Irish luck, I found a homestead ( not many out there!) willing to provide me with some free fuel! Many thanks Mate. My daughter is now writing to thank him.

2nd verse of song!
"Well now Maggie Thatcher I don't know what you're after the facts I just hope you can see
The marchers peace walking and many are talking and singers are singing like me "

Gorby is verse three!

Typical day in Perth

What a great day here in Perth. Perfect temp. and good company ( friends from Ireland) they own a ferry off the West coast and it is their OFF season. Beach, swim, walk, beer and good food and some great stories! Tomorrow (Tues.) is Tennis, Wed. golf Thurs. etc....

At present I am writing some music for Australia Day ( when is that I hear you say) 26th Jan. I am playing at 8 retirement villages over the next 3 months. So am brushing up with songs like "Who were you with last night" "Hello who's your lady friend" "All the nice girls love a sailor" O I do like to be beside the seaside" "Everybody's doing it"!!! I have a collection of 1000 songs here on file but I never use it! It is quicker to look them up in GOOGLE would you believe! I started a song almost 20 years ago and wrote 2 verses every year..... a lot of verses I hear you say.... yeah yeah but I discard most of them after 5 years. The first verse was

" Listen Ronnie Reagan I'm really no pagan my religion is important to me

Forget all those stories about the past glories because that is all His tor y! "

Maggie Thatcher has the next verse. Then all sorts like Nelson Mandella Sadam Osama B L Gorbychov Blair Howard Bush N York Bali et.al.

That's it for this week! Love to all Double

Best wishes to ALL my friends in the U.S. John, Janie, Max, Uta, Suanne, Luis, Shai, Guy, Jennifer, Ed, Ken to name but a few.

Life in Australia is still good. Lots of sport, music, wine and ...............

This is a song a write a few years ago!!!

When time for you is getting old

When age has made you not so bold
When you can't always see right from wrong

After every night there comes a dawn.

When trees are growing not so green

When places you are going to are places you've been

When all you can sing is an old song

After every night there comes a dawn.

When leaves are changing in the fall

When only one coat hangs there in the hall

When summers are short and winters are long

After every night there comes a dawn

When Bishops live in Castles and Knights stop a King

When Queens are all losers then you can sing

When you realise you've been only a Pawn

After every night there comes a dawn.

Jan 03 2007

I begin with a double poem written a few years ago now.....

A place ....
where I could enter and not be a stranger
A place ....
where I could leave without any good byes
A place ....
where I could be as I am and do what I wanted
A place ....
that I could call home yet feel no ties.