Povey Prattle

The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. Boniface, Siesta Key, FL It is one of the best known and well loved of all Christmas songs.  It has been sung by people such as Enrico Caruso, Mario Lanza (very badly), Celine Dion and Nat King Cole.  It is supposed to have been the very first Christmas song ever broadcasted over radio. This was by a Canadian named Reginald Fessenden, who, in 1906 broadcasted it from the coast of Massachusetts to ships at sea. It is rarely sing in the Episcopal Church, perhaps because the tune is somewhat too flamboyant for our supposedly refined tastes, or perhaps because it does not lend itself well to congregational singing. It comes over better when rendered by soloist, chorus and orchestra. That’s not surprising since the composer of the tune, one M. Adolphe Adam is better known as a composer of operas, most notably the masterpiece “Giselle”. Have you yet guessed the name of this song?  It is “O Holy Night”, or more properly known as “Cantique ...

For reasons which I do not understand my computer is refusing to download photo's to this blog. So, until I have found the source of this hitch there will be no more photo's here from my Australian odyssey.  I'll try to resume "normal blogging" next week, with more photo's from Australia. Merry Christmas everyone.

The Queen Victoria Market (dating from 1878) in Melbourne. Antique Cars in Parkville area of Melbourne.  There for the filming of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation T.V. "period" mystery series. Chevrolet  (note right hand drive) Vauxhall Hispano Suiza Vauxhall Badge Antique working tram in Melbourne. (I rode on it) This type of tram was made between 1923 and 1956 In Sydney near my hotel  "How far are we from home?" Batttle of El Alamein Memorial Fountain, Sydney

Of course one visits Australia to see the animals.  I never did see a Ducked-Billed Platypus, and I was far from the Crocodile regions. But I immensely enjoyed a visit to the 35 hectare Cleland Wildlife Reserve, near Adelaide. I “happened” upon it when I was driving in the Adelaide Hills. Most of the animals roam free here, and the scent from Eucalyptus trees is ever in the air. The first twelve pictures here are from Cleland. I can't remember what these are! Adelaide from Cleland Less enjoyable was the Featherdale Wildlife Park near Sydney.    It is on a mere five acres and is commercially owned.    I was there as part of a day tour I took to the lovely Blue Mountains.    I did not care for this park, it was more like a zoo.    But I did get to see some Ibises, which are much larger than their American cousins, and have black, not red beaks.    I also saw the unusual Albino Kangaroo, and some Wombats which we...

Even * whilst I was enjoying my holiday in Australia I was missing my fabulous dog Penne.  It turns out that she settled down well with her sitter, so I am not at all certain that she missed me.   (‘Though she did put on an “Oscar-worthy” performance when we hooked up again last Friday at Tampa’s International Airport, and she has scarcely let me out of her sight since then). Of course the good news is that Penne was (quote) “an angel” in my absence. I met some dogs that are house pets in Australia. When I was in Melbourne I was more than happy to meet Andrew and Felicity’s 16 year old Golden Retriever named Goldie.  Goldie is a total love, and like Penne, she was very happy when I rubbed her ears or scratched her haunches. Calvin also lives with Andrew and Felicity.  He is a 10lb bundle of energy – part Maltese, part Shiatsu, and part something else. Calvin barked at me for about 30 seconds when I arrived at his home.  Then he ignored me. Next day...

Much of the joy of my trip to Australia involved meeting friends old and new. I stayed with Andrew McGowan and his wife Felicity.  Andrew used to teach at the Divinity School in Cambridge, and was a Priest Associate at St. James’s when I was Rector there.  He is now the Warden of Trinity College, University of Melbourne.  Felicity is a Professor of Medieval Art in Melbourne. Andrew’s daughter Maddie lives with him.  She is a splendid, bright and engaging young woman.  Maddie is also somewhat of a nocturnal person, so I didn’t get to photograph her. Nicole Elischer, who is Maddie’s mother, also lives in Melbourne.  She did me proud by taking a day off work and driving me in to the bush near Melbourne.  It is lovely countryside  (pictures at a later date). As part of this jaunt Nicole took me to the Hanging Rock Winery, owned by her friends Anne and John Ellis.  Anne is a fourth generation vintner, and very proud of her English ancestry....

I found most of the Australians that I met to be cheerful folks, with a ready smile. That was nice. But despite all the Anglo/American stereotypes about greetings, only once did I get a "G'day".  And just once I overheard someone say " Good on you" . I encountered a nice bit of the Australian language in Melbourne.  I was in the University area and couldn’t figure out the location of the main entrance to Trinity College where I was to meet Andrew  McGowan.  I was on a very narrow little street with the lovely name of “Tin Alley”,  where I paused to ask directions of three students.  The directions were readily given. After my profuse thanks one of the students said " no drama". I like “no drama” as an alternative to “no sweat”, or “no problem”. As well as the “Dog Wash” sign, there were others that amused me.   Here they are (and at the end a sign which made me sad). At a Railway Station In a Sydney Market  - (a store for ga...