PAGEANTRY, BY GOD, PAGEANTRY

Yesterday morning, in Sutton Forest, I was stopped by a bloke in tweed and his seven or eight focused, excited pointers, as they galloped across Golden Vale Road. By the side of the asphalt, in low brush, was a bloke in a red jacket. In adjacent fields, two black-coated people were on majestic, muscled horses. My word, a good old-fashioned fox hunt, old boy. Jolly good show! 'I hope the fox will be alright', I said to the bloke in red as I brought my car to a standstill. I probably should've bunged on 'squire' at the end of the sentence. He replied, 'Oh, it'll be fine' with a grin. Where was I? Buckinghamshire in the 1800s? I'm no fan of fox hunts. Was that legal? LJ, September 22 2014.

QUESTION

If I'm not in favour of Australia involving itself in a lengthy ground war in Iraq and Syria, am I off Team Australia? LJ, September 15 2014.

LOUIS THEROUX

I've been watching a lot of Louis Theroux's documentaries lately. Essential, hard-hitting and gripping stuff. I love his measured, inquiring and light-hearted approach no matter the surreal or dangerous context. LJ, 12 September 2014.

SWANS V TIGERS

I went to see my first live AFL game last Saturday at ANZ Stadium. Swans v Tigers. Loved every second of it. It was a gripping game. Pity the Swans lost by 3 points. LJ, 2 September 2014.

CITRINE WAGTAIL

I've just been in a forum conversation with a woman who reckons she's spotted a Citrine Wagtail at wetlands in Mudgee NSW. When I saw the photos, I was dismissive, believing it to be an Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Now, I'm doubting myself. Her record and photos have been sent to eremaea, the bird database. In time, experts will have to prove it's a Citrine. People are on their way to Mudgee to verify the sighting as I type (wish I was one of them). Citrine Wagtails are incredibly rare visitors to Australia. There have been 3 authenticated records. This is a big deal. I include a random shot of a Citrine which looks very similar to the Mudgee bird. LJ, August 29 2014.

NO NORMAL MATTER

This quote from American theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss hits me - the imagination of the universe is much greater than our own. It would be a great creative writing starter for my Yr 12s. LJ, 23 August 2014.

A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX

Walked my two spaniels down to the shops in Bundanoon this afternoon and saw a bloke - probably in his late 20s - sporting a top hat.  I wondered whether there'd been some peculiar shift in the whole space/time/context continuum thing for a minute and I'd arrived in Abraham Lincoln's America or a Dickensian nightmare or the set of Coppola's Dracula. What are the chances of seeing someone in a top hat in 2014? Apparently there was a wedding reception in the community hall. Strange days indeed... most peculiar, momma. LJ, August 16 2014.