2014 Summary

Well, there's a baby boy brewing up a storm, so this was the year where we get a chance to do rennovations and preparations for the time ahead. Among the chaos we made sure to enjoy the anticipation and gratitude for these new things.

Taking off from a year ago when we introduced light and coolth into our lounge with the window/aircon renovation we then proceeded with the oven, fan, blinds in the kitchen, a whole new bathroom, a complete revamp of the spare room (no more yucky colours or redundant space). The box room got a damn good clear out too...lucky for the charity store...and it is now functional.

We did quite an epic adventure with Carl to the south coast over Australia Day in January (see http://geotim.blogspot.com/2014/02/western-australias-south-coast.html   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100769130274171&type=1&l=829ad021a7)

Outside we now have lights around the pergola which makes for a bit of a Christmasy display too. The cracks in the wall from the palm trees have been patched up. I took out the old barbecue and we're in with the new gas one (we use it much more as it doesn't need 40 mins to get going each time). I did a lot of gardening as we are now getting all the beds to our liking, so lots of weeding and composting and replanting, helping out with our shared area too. Fawna has been successful in germinating a variety of chillies for a tasty start to 2015. The biggest single task was getting one of the palm roots out, which according to some requires dynamite! But with the help of Stu, a lot of drilling and wedging, a giant wrecking bar and about 2 full days of work it is out!

As for holidays we did manage a family visit to UK where we experienced a lovely springtime with family and friends. Unfortunately Fawna was ill the WHOLE time but she still managed to get up to England's highest peak (Scafell). This was one end of our NW-SE cross section from Cumbria via Birmingham (to catch up with Lara and Barry) and to London and Kent. The latter including a game of snooker at Pat's. We had a cosy little time at Wasdale with Mum and Dad and celebrated our first wedding anniversary there. Great also to see Suz and Brendan's place for the first time outside of a Skype chat and get an idea of the East Dulwich massive with a tour of the neighbourhood.

We treated ourselves to a stopover in the Seychelles on the way back. These were incredible days on the isle of La Digue. Quite a paradise and high contenders for best beachscapes in the world. The other holiday we managed ended just a couple of weeks ago when Dane visited and we showed him around Perth. We had a relaxing time up at Kalbarri too walking around gorges and craggy coasts. Immaculate weather for the most part...the garden is now complaining for lack of water.

Workwise, I've started supervising a keen PhD student, which has been rewarding this year. The Chinese joint project commitment is over which will free up some time and I also managed to win best talk at our annual lectures with Fawna also getting credit for a great talk. Work is being quite friendly to Fawna who is progressing well and gaining more recognition of her talents. With a few necessary field stints we're both a little ahead of the game so that we don't have much, if any, mapping to do next year. So, after some progress at work we now are enjoying the summer and a short holiday before the lead up to the birthing date probably towards the end of Feb.

Best wishes to all, Merry Christmas!

2013 Summary

The year started by congregating back in Tuart Hill and Suz and Brendan left back home after some extreme Barina driving and bird watching on the south coast. We then took up Fawna's idea and had an Ivanic art-show day which was quite well attended (mainly by geologists) on a lovely January day with a few sales. The first (and hopefully not last) time the house became a gallery. Then it was farewell to the folks at the end of Jan on the same day pretty much that we upgraded our little cars to one big one: Carl, our 4x4.

It was not long until our much anticipated Hawaii trip in March which was so extremely diverse and full of new things for us. Active lava, giant telescopes on top of the highest mountain in the Pacific (courtesy of Nick's hospitality). Rainforests, canyons, coral reef, turtles, dolphins, it really had it all. On our last couple of days on Kaua'i we were then married on the beach, just us with an officiant and a photographer present. At the moment of the Hawaiian chant there was an uprising in the ocean and the crashing waves seemed to salute us. A very special time.

Hardly were we back and we were both into the field for the start of quite a long field season. May was in Yalgoo for me with the Chinese geologists once more. It was relatively routine but the area was new and interesting. Not so snaky as last year for Fawna but a flood did cause some surprise as a foot of water rushed through camp sweeping some of the party's shoes and lunchboxes away.

A wet winter for WA...we did manage to get a Minnesota trip in though in June in time for Fawna's grandparents' burial ceremony and life celebration for a day or two at the cabin. The time at the cabin turned out to be a musical get-together with the advent of the drum-didgeridoo combo and Kim's Journey dance celebration. The trip also involved picking up Fawna's old boxes of stuff from Pittsburgh where we had a great salad and french fries speciality dish with Pam. [I managed to move the window so the air con unit went tumbling onto the roof but Pam handled this news very well]. We had a few good catchups with friends and cousins too, including a swing-by to a fresh and cobalt-skied Chicago on the way back to MN. We didn't stop in Ohio since there is nothing there, nor Wisconsin as it was only inhabited by cheeseheads. Thanks to Deb for housing us in St Paul where fine foods were had and sketchy banjo was played.

A long way home and straight back into the field again, this time wet and very different for me. Fabulous to see the bush getting rain with some great scenery, some of the best. Then we both went out a third time, myself to the amazing Golden Grove mine with fab minerals...strange having to work from the mine village again, very cushy with beer and darts most nights it turned out. Weather starting to heat up to about 37C here and there in October. Chris Yak stayed for a couple of weeks, which was a nice time that included some progressive music creation and a great day trip or two around Perth.

November another trip up north, this time pushing 40C, though a useful trip, sharing our info with lots of keen folks from academia and industry and I got to show them round some of my old stomping grounds. Also in November, we continued the Tuart Hill Thanksgiving tradition, which was a great day with another huge turkey. A final trip away in early Dec was for me to get my volcanology training in the world class course over east on the coast on the border between NSW and VIC. A truly inspiring trip with good guides and lots learned, not to mention fab scenery...a place to dwell at when we eventually get around to driving round this country!
 

The final month was a big one for the house too. Fawna is now strummin' a little mandolin which suits her just fine. It has helped me get back into violin also: the exercise book actually helps out since the violin has the same string tunings! So now we're drumming and strumming and didging here and there when we are stationary. The house has also gained a decent air con unit allowing light from where the old one blocked the window. Finally an overdue new oven should be with us in early 2014, looking forward to getting into the home baking a lot more next year. Creme caramel and creme brulees have already been a success in this new episode! 

2012 Summary

2012 has been a fabulous year for us! We got engaged, Fawna got a new job at the same place as me at the Geological Survey and got her permanent residency visa, we had some great trips including China and the Great Barrier Reef, we improved our surfing, my family came to visit for Christmas....and more.

The year started with a big move for Fawna from the uncertainties of academia to the government. She will be researching and mapping Western Australia in quite a location now, north of Shark Bay and south of the Pilbara region in the 'Gascoyne Province' on the Tropic of Capricorn.

I have had a non-standard year at work too with the hosting of the first batch of Chinese visitors while mapping in April, several seismic workshops (an exciting dataset in his mapping area), and the China trip. Mid year, after Fawna's first snaky and spidery field trip, she had to rush to submit her application for permanent residency before we both went to China in September for nearly 2 months (a close call). On our return we had the great news that the visa had been granted, so we don't have to leave now!

China was 'interesting'...'different'...difficult at times, but a very rewarding experience. We were able to see how an organisation with similar challenges to ours does their job in a very different way. We also were taken to see the Terracotta Warriers in Xi 'An, the ancient capital of China and the start of the silk road. The Mogao Grottos were also an amazing tourist site showcasing 1000 years of (sometimes overlapping) Buddhist artworks.

After a few weeks rest, Mum and Dad arrived and nestled into our place in Perth and we could really show them what our life together was like. Fawna and I then went off to watch the total solar eclipse in Port Douglas (tropical Queensland), which just so happened to have amazing snorkeling, sailing, crocodiles and rainforest to entertain as well. As the skies darkened in the morning looking east from the beach over the Pacific ocean we prepared for a wonderful event. Even though the clouds were taunting us, we got some amazing views of the whole passage of the transition. As the diamond ring appeared (as part of the sun is still showing through, but with the corona visible) I proposed and we became engaged before the light returned. We felt strongly that our paths are now aligned as if guided by this solar conjunction.

We celebrated over a thanksgiving feast with our friends Stu and Jo and Mark, Julie and their son Lewis. it was a great turkey banquet with pumpkin pie and a bit of Margaret River sparkling too.

Mum and Dad then went to Esperance for the rest of December and we concluded our work tasks for the year. A restocking was required, so we went on a surfing and wine-tasting trip to Margaret River with Mark, Julie and Lewis and actually found some fabulous waves to ride...we are in training for 2013 when we are looking forward to the Hawaiian version of waves if we can handle it.

Then, thankfully, Suz and Brendan could make it over and they arrived to a fabulous cobalt-skied, classically Perth day and swung in the hammock to get over their jet lag. We met, the six of us, in Esperance for five days of wonder at the fantastic scenery and beaches. Lovely food and a surf and turf barbecue on Christmas Day to seal it off. We spent the morning and afternoon at Cape Le Grand with the best beaches in Australia, the whitest sand and unbelievable turquoise beaches. In the lagoons there were rock parrots and king fishers to Brendan's delight.

As for paintings, I painted a few memorable scenes from Antarctica the year before and also a few Western Australian scenes.

2011 summary



The year started with two beautiful weeks in New Zealand as Fawna recovered from her Antarctic experience.




On Australia Day we took a great trip up Indian Ocean Drive to the north of Perth

 Tim got up to quite a lot of painting in the summer and then had a rainy fieldtrip in June to the Youanmi area of WA's outback.



We then had a big trip in July-August which started in Edinburgh for the Antarctic Conference.



To complete our Scottish experience we had some solitude in the Outer Hebrides

 We then had a great family and friend catchup in Lancaster and London before heading across the pond...


Fawna driving her Dad's car in Minnesota



Meeting up with Christine and Mike in Colorado

 In October-December we took time off and went to Antarctica for more fieldwork: See http://g097-mbl.blogspot.com/

Now we are about to embark on our second trip to Esperance...this time with surfboards in tow!

Happy holidays to you!!!

2010 summary

Our first Esperance trip followed by Albany and Margaret River. A fabulous week away!

Fawna goes to India for fieldwork in March and Tim goes to the field in WA in April-May

A week driving north in WA to Karijini and Walga Rock

In July Tim went to Canberra for the first time for a meeting and briefly to Adelaide for another

August we travelled to WA's southwest for a wildife extravaganza

Fawna went to Antarctica in October and was horribly delayed with the fieldwork spending 34 out of 37 days stuck in a refuelling depot. She wes there until late December while Tim visited family and friends in UK in November. We failed to meet in Christchurch for Christmas day but all was set for our New Zealand adventure starting on 27th December...Tim got to feel the second bout of earthquakes that shook Christchurch on Boxing Day 2010. Find out what we got up to in New Zealand in our 2011 summary.....