Yesterday was ANZAC day, Australia, New Zealand Armed Corps, I think I got that right. A day to remember the brave service men and women from Australia and New Zealand who fought for their country in the first and second world wars and those since. Australian organisers came up with some stupid idea that the children and grandchildren could not march in the parades for the dawn service, fortunately New Zealand doesn't seem so narrow minded. Sometimes I think the people who come up with these ideas are too filled up with their own importance. These men and women sacrificed their lives to protect and preserve their home lands as they knew it, did these men who made these decisions even put their life at risk for their country. I know my dad did, and he would find the idea preposterous, in fact he didn't go to any of the parades and I only remember him going to one of the reunions, he wanted to move on with his life and not let the fact that he fought in a war define who he was. Not that he didn't think about his friends and comrades that did die, but he preferred to keep it private. I think he thought a lot of them used it as an excuse for drinking booze and he certainly had the right to that opinion.
My dad is the middle one in the bottom row with the black curly hair. This would of been taken in the desert of El Amien, can you see the tent to the left this would of been where they slept and stored their belongings, must have been very hot, they are not wearing their uniforms.
In this photo you can see a bit more of their army camp. Looks like early morning shaving. My dad told me sometimes it was so hot that they slept outside the tent, until one morning he woke with a snake curled up on his belly, bet he would rather have woken to enemy gunfire than a snake on his belly. Like most people I wish I had asked him more about his time when he came home from the war, he had a wonderful sense of humour and I am guessing this and a wonderful extended family helped him settle back into civilian life, also it wasn't like the war ended and he was shipped home, he had gone home to NZ on medical leave after 3 years and refused to go back, he went AWOL and then served in the army in NZ in the Prison of War Camp guarding mostly Japanes POW's. I remember you dad and am so thankful you came home to become my wonderful dad. Love you always and forever. We will not forget!
My friday foto I feel like part of the shadows, blending into the fence......
The sun is brighter here and the shadows darker...............
And back behind the clouds, I do like the shape of these lovely arching branches against the blandness of the fence. Such a fresh green after the dull greens of summer.......
Because the sun is going in and out of the clouds, when it comes out it is so sharp, hence the squinting, of course the fact I am uncomfortable having my photo taken......
Thursday we had a torrential downpour, gutters just could not keep up.
It was like standing behind a waterfall, luckily the chairs weren't out, they would have been drenched, can you see the water on the bricks a little lake going on there.
