What happened?

I’ve had good intentions of writing and posting something here regularly. I even set a reminder in my to do app. I was reminded often, almost constantly, but failed to write. Now, as we are about to depart on a trip that I will attempt to blog each day I’m finally writing here.

In mid-March I had another of my 3-monthly bladder checks. CT scan, X-rays, and cystoscopy all came up clear. I’m feeling well and if my morning walks are any indication my fitness is improving. I’m running more of the distance and my times, though still not as good as they were pre-operation, are improving.

I’ve been back to volunteering in the mentoring program at Flexi School. With travel, bicycle in fine weather, that fills about 2 hours on Monday mornings. Toward the end of first term I signed up for an hour each Thursday afternoon assisting immigrant kids with reading on the main campus.

I finally got around to working with Friends of the Escarpment Parks. I’d been meaning to do that for the past few years. I was not fit for it last year but I joined up and in February I started volunteering for a couple of hours on Thursday mornings. That is in Hancock Street Park, in easy walking distance from home, and mostly involves working with other volunteers to remove weeds.

Majella and I have continued to be active with the allies group that emerged after the referendum last year. My major contribution has been developing a website for Toowoomba First Nations Allies.

I’ve continued photographing birds around the local area. That’s mostly been in Hancock Street Park, the Waterbird Habitat, and Duggan Bushland Park. I think my technique is improving but has some way to go.

There have been a few small contracts from a former colleague at UniSQ. Those have involved some editing work on papers, development of an online questionnaire, and development of a website for teaching resources associated with the NO WASTE project. I also managed to assess a doctoral thesis and have another assessment pending.

On top of all that, Majella and I have continued to enjoy retirement. Live has been busy. That may go some way to explaining why I have not been writing here.