HOW MANY ROADS MUST A MAN WALK DOWN

Post 46 - Wednesday June 26th 2024

Life takes many twists and turns across the years and at times it does get tough just going forward and making the best of the good and the not so good. There are many roads to walk down, not all smooth, some with curves and blind corners, some with bumps and potholes and many times you do come to the proverbial fork in the road along this life journey. 

Should I, could I, would I always pick the right road, would I go the right way? Choices to be made.

For me, wow, gee I have taken a few wrong turns, gone in crap directions, made some really bad choices and I am not proud to say I headed down some rough roads. I have a history of mistakes. You can actually go the right way many times, thankfully that applies to me but gee, you can also go the wrong way many times and that too applies to me. For all of that, things do go on and life does have a habit of getting back on track. Somehow. 

I do say that I have had an extraordinary life, it has been an adventure. Boy has it been an adventure. Many bumpy roads but enough smooth surfaces along the journey to have managed some form of a half decent life balance. In some things I have been privileged, in others, well just lucky, in some, darn unlucky. I've done wrong, done ok, done tough, done half alright, sort of been there done that type of bloke.

Yeah, for all of that, in life, I have managed to stay afloat and here I am today living off-grid in the middle of the bush and dare I say, I am cool with that. In recent posts on my JonnyG Remembers Lewy Body Dementia blog, I have mentioned the positive impact living off-grid has had on my life. In particular the impact on my LBD and directly on my depression that sadly does come hand in hand with my cognitive decline.

Being out here in the virtual wilderness at our Camp Recluse around Green Hill Lake in Ararat has worked wonders for where my head is at and as an extension, that means where my thoughts are at. This has been a good road to wander down, really comfortable being here. 

Recently I joked on a post about the Bonnie Doon type Darryl Kerrigan 'serenity' I feel being here, but seriously, it is no joke. This place is so calm, relaxed and peaceful and that rubs off on many things in life. It is so unbelievably cool to be here just settled in amongst all that nature has to offer. And thankfully that has really helped so much in keeping the Black Dog of depression at arm's length, I am doing so much better.

I mean, how could this wonderfully idyllic spot not impact?

The scenes around us change during the day, every day. The weather impacts the scenery, from the brilliant sunshine to the overcast skies, to wind that at times howls through the trees at the camp, it comes straight off the lake, even the rain and the early morning mist show the surrounding hillside in a different way. It is majestic how they all play a part in this changing of scenery. It is never the same, and that is a good thing. 

And the critters here are amazing, truly amazing. From the various bird life that is diverse in types and numbers, the possums who join us at night and the native rats that feed and scurry around at different times of the day. They all seem to have accepted that Camp Recluse is now a part of this setting near the lake. They have accepted that we as humans have moved in but that we can share the surrounds and somehow, nature and humans can co-exist very well given that we all live this peaceful and simple existence. That is such a blessing.

So, the roads I walked all now lead to me being here at Camp Recluse, and as I said, that is really fine. I like this place big time. How many more roads I have to walk before this LBD journey ends is unknown of course. I guess the 'answer is blowin' in the wind'. But I do know in reality the LBD journey doesn't end well so I can imagine the future will get testing. 

But for now, during this past week sadly I have had to sit and reflect on what was and is an extremely tough time in my life. It is one of total personal sadness.

Wrong roads, right roads, it has all happened, but now I am here and yeah, look, sometimes in my journey it has been super tough. But I am in a decent spot right now so when weeks like this come along, the recluse nature of this living off-grid has helped me move through this toughest of tough times.

So yeah, this is a super good spot to call home, to just sit, to be still and simply reflect on how sad weeks like this past one has personally been. Incredibly tough week but manageable.

Some of the varying views around our Camp Recluse site, all good, all different, the lake is close by out the front and off to the side, the paddocks and the hills out the back, night views, early morning looks, mist and sun, all so good ... it's God's creation in nature and both Ruth and I love it ...

________________________________________

Mitchell and Jacob Green

And in this post, I will remember my boys Mitchell and Jake who were, very sadly, taken from my life 10-years ago. At the time, Mitchell was soon to be 12 Jake would be 10 at his next birthday. Losing the boys on Friday June 20th, 2014, was just lifetime tough, mega tough, there is no way to describe that time. Sadness personified.

Their mum and I were not together, we lived apart. I last had contact with Moo and Jake on the Wednesday night, I collected the boys from their mums, we went to junior footy training at Mitchell Park Oval as we did each Wednesday after school; once training finished, we stopped in at Subway up along South Road to get some dinner for the boys and their mum and then I dropped them back to Karu Street. On the Friday afternoon I went to collect the boys from their mum's house after school as was normal, they would spend the weekends at my Woodcroft home. But that never happened this time.

Going to the Sturt Police Station about 6-30pm that evening once I understood something had happened was the hardest part of the whole time, that was just the pits. The boys were gone, that was it. Life was very tough from that moment, life was a blur, life was never the same of course.

I guess I just lost my way, the next few weeks and months and years were filled with a sadness of epic proportion, I tried to grasp the enormity of what happened, here one day, gone the next. But I really struggled as I somehow tried to push ahead. Because life went on.

My loss was monumental and bloody hard, but I did manage to pick up the pieces and come out the other end. As a dad, I was broken. But my only option was to move forward without the boys. And I coped, no day was any easier than the previous day but get on with things I did, it has been 10 years to this very day.

Since then, I have sadly lost my dad and my older sister Veronica, a number of close friends have passed on, I have been married and divorced, I gained a step-family, I turned 60, I turned 65, now I'm 69, I retired, I officially became an Aged Pensioner, Cats lost a Grand Final, Cats won a Grand Final, I met Ruth, I went on my first cruise, I had two heart attacks, I had bladder cancer and that included losing my bladder, prostate, urethra and appendix and a heap of lymph nodes and ending up with a pee-bag, I have lost count of the surgeries and hospital stays in that time, this LBD and cognitive decline thing has become an issue, because of my medical condition life has changed in many ways, one example is I have had to give up my license to drive and clearly I aint' ever getting that back, I moved from my house on Hispano Drive in Woodcroft to live the next seven years at Montpelier Street, I then left there two years back, spent some time in transit, that included living in Murray Bridge and now I have in fact moved to Ararat in Victoria, our family pooch Sam who was from the boys time sadly died, I caught fish again in the River Murray, as a racehorse owner I had my first ever runner on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, Bellarine Beauty won her maiden in 2020 at Kilmore giving me my first ever race day winner, later I had a horse win at Morphettville, a pacer I had a share in won at Globe Derby and also won the Gawler Cup, I have met some great new friends and rekindled some important friendships and family connections from the past, the Roosters won an SANFL premiership, I had the chance to be a greyhound caller again in 2023 at Broken Hill, I presented my own greyhound show for Piranha Media in SA and I had the opportunity to again be a print journalist for a time, I re-found my love for writing, Umpire Vernon is still in witness protection and on a real plus side, I never took the JAB yet I survived covid. So yeah, wow, it has been a decade of sadness but a decade of life going on. 

How the dickens I personally reconcile the loss of Mitchell and Jake is not something I can contemplate trying to fathom. It is just too hard, too awkward to do 10 years on. Naturally, life is just not the same, it never will be. Sure, yep clearly lots of positives and goodness in that decade since 2014 but the loss of the boy's from my life sadly trumps all of that. 

Mitchell Thomas Green - Jacob Edwin Green

Loved you then, love you now and I miss you both so much ...

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This is a pictorial history of me and my boys ... lots of pics here, but for me personally, I am wishing to honor Moo and Jake as best I can through our life pics, and yeah, there are as said lots but again I say for me it is important to share the story of my younger boys ... have a look if time permits or please just scroll through ...

Starting with a selfie that was taken at the lights at the top of Panalatinga Drive in Happy Valley on our way home to Woodcroft, I love this pic ... anyhow, I would tell the boys I could make the red light turn green if I counted to 10, naturally they believed me over time because I would get it right every single time, eventually the boys would count down to the green light with me and we would all say, 'Green light, Green boys' and bingo, the light went green ... what they didn't know is that I could see the light in the side street go to orange and once it did it took 10 seconds for the lights on the main road to change, somehow they never figured that out, dad was the light change hero ...

Ah, loved to share time with the boys, we did embrace each other's company and it was full steam ahead ... now, that top pic, 2011 Cats Premiership night, oh what a celebration, that was our finest footy moment, we really did celebrate well, it was just the best time and I cherish this pic ... Glenelg waterfront is always a good place to visit, we had enjoyed a birthday dinner for me, 57, at the Watermark Hotel on Anzac Hwy and then took a stroll on the lawns by the marina ... I also cherish these two pics of Mitchell, Jacob and me ...

With my three boys, Bradley James, Mitchell Thomas and Jacob Edwin ... somehow in life I have three boys who all loved footy, that was special, Bradley played for Adelaide Uni and the top pic is taken at Uni Oval the day he played his 100th game, a really great day ... Father's Day time with my boys, out at Salisbury Footy Club after a Uni game in September ... and a random pic from Park10 home for Bradley and his team ... had some great days at the footy with the boys ...

The Green family home, 132 Nookamka Terrace in Barmera ... Mitchell and Jake out the front with their Grandma and Grandpop, a special pic with some very loving family, this is a gem of a memory in the history of my/our family ...

The tribe, the Green family together for some very special occasions ... the 90th birthday celebration for Mum, Joan Winifred Green in July 2012 at Barmera, a great day for the whole family to come together to honor Mum, sadly she passed away 13 days later ... and 2010, the 60th Wedding Anniversary for Mum and Dad, Joan and Jimmy, a family lunch at the Berri Golf Club and an afternoon of family time back at Barmera ... Mum and Dad had married on December 9th 1950 in Barmera ...

A couple more Green family gatherings, we all shared some special times over a meal at home or out at a local venue, always good times and lots of stories told and shared around the meal table, a fun and important part of our family life ... and that's the grandkids at Barmera in 2010, a pic that carries great family meaning ...

The boys loved Grannie and Grannie loved her boys, as they came along a little later in life it made for a really special time for my mum ... Moo and Jake and I had many visits to Barmera to be with mum and dad, we always treasured the time, and the memories of those days will always live with me ...

More Barmera memories (above and below) from the Green Family home at 132 Nookamka Terrace ... fish night was always a very special time in our home, Grannie and dad cooking up a fish feast for the boys and I, how good ... and again, we enjoyed so many remarkable visits to Barmera, this was a great time for the boys and I to be able to be with the 'Oldies' as the kids called my mum and dad ...

Bradley was the first visitor for Mitchell Thomas at Flinders Medical Centre on August 15th, 2002 ... Moo was born by C Section earlier that afternoon and an hour later Bradley came to see his new brother ... Bradley and Michell in early 2004 in the city at Bradley's work office off Hindley Street on a Friday afternoon ...

Our adventure as a family were many and varied, the boys always loved the Royal Show, they embraced all things about it, well especially the rides and sideshows and maybe the sample bags, ok especially the sample bags ... but I always loved the show time so it was a happy fit to make some Royal Adelaide Show memories with Mitchell and Jacob ...

We always had fun on our bikes, and they certainly had plenty of use ... the boys loved to go riding, they really embraced the bike idea, and we travelled many miles on the bikes and with the bikes ... we took them everywhere we went; it was a great healthy connection for us as a family and we enjoyed every minute of our time ...

We certainly did the rounds as far as bike tracks and skateparks went, we visited a few over the years and had some great outdoor fun times ... top pic is the creek up at Woodcroft Farm, great place to play and ride, this is the last pic I ever got of both boys on their bikes ... at Happy Valley BMX track just clocking up the miles going round and round, but all good fun ... that's Eden Hills skatepark but on a bike day ... and at Woodcroft shops hacking around the carpark after hours on a Sunday, it was a good safe place to burn some rubber ...

A special pic, Mitchell and Jake with Dad and our SUV at Barmera out the front of the Green Family home, and the pic shows the bikes carried on the rack at the back, gee we transported those bikes a few clicks around the country, made for some great days ...

We spent a lot of time at the water either the beach or when in Barmera at the lake, oh, and some pools if we had nothing else ... both Moo and Jake were water babies and I did not mind a dip, it was another activity we could all do as a family ... we had some great times in and at the water, so much fun ...

(below) at O'Sullivan Beach on a hot summer evening, we went to swim here many times ... another church picnic day, this time down at Gawler and the last pic is at Moonty Bay beach on a summer holiday, we had an overnight stay at Kadina and had time on the beach nearby ...

Birthdays were special, because the boy's mum and I were not together, as time went on the boys would have two birthdays as is mostly the case with split families ... and we always tried to do something special for the birthdays, the Monster Truck nights at the  Wayville Showgrounds were something we did a few times as a birthday treat , very noisy, very smelly and lots of dust but enjoyable action ...

Go Cats ... we had some interstate trips to watch the Cats play in Melbourne, the boys loved the MCG and I will never forget Mitchell saying to me the first time we watched a game there, "Dad, I can't believe I'm at the MCG" and he was so excited, he loved it, and for the record, Cats won that night ... we all loved our road trips into Victoria and had a few visits to Kardinia Park ...

Jakey loved his footy, he was always talking about and involving himself with anything to do with the game ... as a player he went ok, not flash in his age group but thoroughly enjoyed every moment, he played with mates at Mitchell Park Football Club and he was popular in the team, Jake had a lot of footy fun and many really good times ...

Mitchell was always full of life, he pushed his boundaries but never really got out of control, he just knew what he liked to do in life and he had a real crack ... he was fun and loving ... a Cats night at Footy Park in Adelaide, big night at the footy ... in his Mitchell Park Football Club trackie top, reckon that pic is at Hungry Jacks on Junk Food Corner in Morphett Vale ... a younger Moo, again just having fun ... and with Sam over at Hispano Drive in Woodcroft, Sam was dearly loved by us all and Sam dearly loved us ...

So many memories in these two pics, both Moo and Jake were decent kids and happy in life given how things were ... they were so different but even at their younger age they did have each other's backs, made me very proud to be their dad ... they went to Marion Primary School and did ok at school, both had some learning difficulties in some areas but both were decent and respectful students who were always popular with teachers and staff ...

The boys were good to each other, had some testing moments but as young siblings they did have fun together, that made being a parent so much better, I loved to watch the boys being happy with each other ... and we had a few days at Uni footy on Park 10 watching Bradley play, they were good days ... Colonnades Shopping Centre in 2014, enjoying milk shakes made by Anna at The Balfour's Shop ... up at Stirling on a Corro church picnic day ... and this pic is special, that is their Grannie's grave in the Barmera Cemetary, the boys had some fun times with my mum and it was special for us to visit mum at her grave site, 2012 ...

Jake was straight down the line but had a marvelous, yet odd, sense of humor, he was serious yet so much fun ... that is birthday number 11 at Hispano Drive, Jake loved birthdays ... with Sam as a very young dog, that is a unit day at Morphett Vale, Sam came at a good time in life and the boys loved to have a puppy ... skate medal at the Seaford Skate Park, Jake finished third in a freestyle comp for his age, a proud moment for him ... and that pic in the shower, yeah he was just a bub and a bit and enjoyed a wash in the bucket under the shower ...

Looks like a hot night at the unit, the boys loved the bunk bed set up, the pecking order was Mitchell as the oldest got the top bunk, Jacob the youngest had to sleep on the bottom, the boys enjoyed their room and the bunk sleeping idea ... Dad and Mitchell at Woodcroft Farm up near the houses on the side of the creek, looks like repair day to the bike jumps ... and Jake at Morphett Vale on the BMX track, he loved getting 'air time' and both boys enjoyed being BMX kids ... many fun days here at this track ...

Time with mates from the local neighborhood, at Hungry Jacks one Friday night, was always a special time when Moo and Jake could have the mates come along for a night out ... birthday time again for moo, now that's a cake, a Cheese Cake Shop special ... oh, another birthday, number 7, a special cake, zoo/farm theme, made with love by our dear mate Rhoda ... and with the Holy Grail at Kardinia Park, Moo has his hands, sort of, on the 2011 AFL premiership cup, Go Cats ...

With all the bike riding and scooter activity, thankfully injuries were very minimal ... great outdoor fun and being out playing was something we all cherished ... but this day Mitchell did have a buster, he was attempting a jump up in the Woodcroft Farm creek and he landed awkward, ouch, his foot and ankle came off second best. ... no broken bones luckily but a few days on crutches and sitting with his leg up did follow ... was a hard day for Moo, I know it really hurt and he did suffer from the pain ...

Even in the winter the beach was a popular spot for the boys and dad, here at Port Noarlunga in July but still we had fun walking and messing about near the water despite the cooler weather ... New Years Day at a motel on Anzac Highway, we spent a couple of nights here by the motel pool and chilled away from home, the boys some other kids from Murray Bridge who were doing similar to us, just having some timeout, here sharing a KFC meal with the new friends ... that's the Hilton Hotel having dinner with Uncle Rod, he lives close by and at Charlies in Brighton, this time it's a meal with Emily and Jett, Emily was always good to the boys ... 

Boys being boys, I do think that is dads' bed, maybe you guys would like to head off to your own beds, or maybe not! ... at Mitchell Park Oval on a footy morning, having a chill in the back of dad's car with a footy mate ...

Aunty Jan loved the boys, and they loved her, we always had good times and really enjoyed the visits to Barmera that always meant time at the Bartsch household ... Jan took the time to be involved with Mitchell and Jake and I know she really misses both boys, thank-you Jan for your support ...

A very special day this one, Mitchell and Jake had the chance to play Mini League footy for West Adelaide at Richmond Oval during the half time break in the league game ... they were so proud, as was dad, a memorable day for all of us ...

As a family we did get to enjoy many days at the footy and with some great road trips ... at West Lakes Shopping Centre enjoying a drink and a snack before heading across to Footy Park for an SANFL game for our beloved Roosters ... and that's another shopping center visit, this time in Victoria at Chadstone Shopping Centre, wow, that's a big place ... and at Barmera, a pub lunch, Mitchell loved his food, this day, Lamb Shanks ...

The boys did enjoy many different life experience times as we went about making the best of what we had in a split family situation ... sometimes you camp out, but sometimes it was easier, and warmer, to just camp inside, either was a fun time and the boys embraced it every time ... Barmera Bakery day at 132 Nookamka Terrace, sitting out the back under the carport having lunch, and note the Grannie sauce bottle on the table, that is a family airloom ... and clearly we did head off to Maccas, the pic spills the beans, why did we do Maccas, I have nothing ...

Some more Barmera pics with Grannie and Grandpop ... in the driveway at 132 Nookamka Terrace, this had been the Green Family home for over 50 years at this time, a special place for all the kids and grandkids ... Grandpop and Mitchell share a laugh in the kitchen, again with Grannie in the driveway and the last pic is Jake guarding his toast house that he claims Grannie was trying to knock over, was a fun moment for a very serious Jake and a bemused Grannie ...

Moo fancied himself as a cook, he did enjoy having a crack in the kitchen or doing his bit when it was BBQ time, here cooking at Hispano Drive on a Sunday afternoon for the family and his stepsister Sarah who was visiting from Pyramid Hill ... Moo and Jake at Hard Rock Cafe in Glenelg, we loved Hard Rock ... at Prospect Oval for a training night ahead of the 2014 Grand Final, this was a great experience, the boys and I had a kick to kick at the famous SANFL suburban ground ... and, oh my, a hard night at Footy Park, the Cats lost to the Cows, bummer ...

Moo loved his Green Machine, this was like an Ikea toy, came as a flat pack and we assembled the machine, that was a good part of this fun time, even had the 'Ikea' type obligatory pieces left over, here is Mitchell with the finished product at Morphett Vale in the driveway ... more skating time at West Beach, this time a Sunday afternoon on competition day ... that's the Morphett Vale BMX park, gee we had so many times here, was close to our unit and was always a challenge, some great days here with the boys and their mates ... and at Trott Park on the adventure playground, was a good place to visit when the boys were smaller. they did outgrow this playground ...

Skateparks and more skateparks, so many visits to so many skateparks ... the boys and I had decided to stop for a ride at every park we came across, locally, in SA and when we traveled interstate, so many fun times ... Eden Hills in SA, oh, that's not a park, that's Bounce in Melbourne, I remember it being something so different and the boys loved it ... at The Shed in Geelong, Moo at the top of the ramp and Jake down lower, that was an experience having time at an indoor skatepark, and at Hallett Cove, a skatepark and a BMX track at the same place, we went here a few times ...

Random times for dad and the young boys ... the bottom right pick is a doozie, that's the swimming platform in the shark enclosure at Moonta Bay out from the jetty, we had an odd time here, getting to the platform was not easy as it was in seven foot of water so I had to carry Mitchell and Jake out, once on the platform it was rather windy and the boys crapped themselves, it was fun but gee, the commotion from the kids, made for an interesting time and getting them back to shallow water, both clinging to me, was a work of art ... top pic is at Lake Bonney in Barmera on a hot summer's day, the army tank is at McLaren Vale in a park, the boys both loved all things army and then bottom left, that is the swimming pool at the Stamford Grand in Glenelg, we were having a few days rest away from home with some time staying at this grand place ...

From across the years, the boys were great company for me and to each other ... at Lockleys in the park near the oval, stopped here on a workday/school holidays filling in some waiting time, the boys loved the playground ... Jake without that front tooth, and again Jake climbing at the Seaford Skatepark adventure playground ... and the boys trying to be funny at the Morphett Vale unit ...

Mitchell loved his muscle cars, here at Mile End on an Australian muscle car display day ... at Brighton Beach having some footy fun in the summer ... back at the Royal Adelaide Show, we had plenty of great show day fun times and more scooter time at skateparks, this time, under lights out north at Pooraka, it was the only night skate park we knew of at this time ...

The boys did like to be typical boys and have a crack at all things mechanical, after dark bike repairs at the Morphett Vale unit, it was good to know they had the inclination to look after their equipment ... that was Easter Sunday, sitting out on the trampoline going through the egg nests ... bad hair day for Mitchell or did it just look good, I am on the fence on that ... and Mitchell having a nap of the Footy Express bus coming home from West Lakes after an AFL game Cats v Cows ...

Jacob Edwin Green, born December 17th, 2004, at Flinders Medical Centre, he was a C Section birth, rather prem, 31weeks, he was always playing catch-up in the early days, was a tough start in life for the little bloke ... but Jake developed fine and became a great kid, a touch under size but he was genuine and serious yet so much fun and he was very loved ... maybe he trusted dad's stories a bit too much, he never questioned when maybe he would have been wise to do so ... like the day I explained to him how chicken salt was made, we were travelling out along the Port River Expressway near the Boliver salt plains on a trip to Barmera, lots of salt harvested from this area, anyhow I told the boys that to make chicken salt the company raised chooks offsite, then when the chooks were old enough they would plant the them leg deep in the salt lake and after time the salt would become chicken flavor, well, this was another time when Jake went to school and proudly told his class at show and tell how chicken salt was made, mmmmmmmm not sure how that went down for the poor kid ...

Mitchell and Jacob with Christine in Bendigo after having a night's rest on a return trip to Adelaide from Melbourne via a day in Geelong ... at Hispano Drive, soccer time in the back yard with the youth crew from Corro Church ... West Beach for a birthday party with a school mate, was a good day and that's Moo the cook trying his hand at spag bog, Morphett Vale Unit ...

A day at Cleland Wildlife Park in 2013 with Tim, Cordelia Bale and the kids, something the boys really loved, it was winter, cool day but had enough sunshine to make it a memory to always keep ... having a picnic lunch with Cordelia, Ella, Daniel and the boys, plenty of food and it was a good pig-out ... that koala did not endear himself to everyone, think Jake was less than impressed, but good to have this experience ... feeding the roos out in the paddocks with Moo then Jake as Daniel wanders past ...

Two young lads who did genuinely enjoy messing about together ... junk food time, please don't judge me, we only went to these places to use the playground, and the loo, mmmmmmmm ... scooter time in the driveway at Morphett Vale, and that's Moo and Jake helping dad put the new trampoline together, it was a big job but it then had so much use, was a great investment for the boys to play on ... and I can't really explain this pic, that is the boys having a wrestle probably one day at the footy on Park 10 ...

Port Noarlunga Beach in December is a great place to relax, Anna was the babysitter this day, reckon you guys all had a fun time ... and on the babysitter theme, this day it was Lucas Pittaway, star of the Snowtown movie, Lucas was a good mate to both Moo and Jake ... and back to Barmera, having a spell sitting out the back, you loved that video camera Moo, had some real fun with it ...

Bradley played for Adelaide Uni but this day we were at Flinders Uni Oval off Sturt Road, always a great day out being at the footy ... some shots of Jacob, on the letterboxes at the Morphett Vale unit trying to get some extra elevation for a frisby throw, sparkler nights were always good fun, simple and harmless and we had some good times, and bath moments captured on film ...

Port Broughton Caravan Park for a weekend stay and there was so much to do, here the boys had some pedal go-kart fun hacking around the park, was so enjoyable racing with the boys ... more fun in the park at Broughton an inflatable air bed entertained the kids for ages, they did laugh and laugh, and it was a good watch ... food time at the Show on one of the many visits and once again at Barmera swimming in Lake Bonney, the jetty helped the boys have some great water moments, all good fun ...

Footy days for Mitchell, he played for the Mitchell Park Football Club in the junior age groups, no star but enjoyed the fun and involvement of being with mates in the team, Moo did like his footy ... this time it was SAPSA footy down at Brighton, Mitchell was in the school area rep side, this was a part of a lightning carnival day, all day footy ... after a win with Mitchell Park, the boys sing the club song back in the rooms ... and knee injury day for Moo, he sat out the game with an ice pack, no real damage but had a sore knee for the next week or so ...

Still at the footy, that's Jake (no8 red sleeves) at the Mitchell Park Oval in junior grade 2013, he tried hard and as said he went ok ... mmmmm, a double up pic, we had this pic in the previous set, but I will leave it in, go Moo ... and at Richmond Oval for Mini-League duties with West Adelaide, both boys loved the day and the chance to be on Richmond Oval at half time in the SANFL match, a big day ...

My footy boys, Bradley, Mitchell and Jacob, so many very happy memories from days at the footy ... Bradley played for Adelaide Uni, here the boys make sure they are involved in the rooms after a game at Uni Oval ... that's the 2013 Uni Premiership day, Bradley deserved a premiership medal having lost three grand finals over the years, gee this was a big big day, proud of Bradley ... and at Park10 on a Saturday afternoon after a game, yeah footy was a big part of our time as a family ...

Well, I have nothing, nothing at all, clearly Moo thinks this is funny, but I rate this balls-up alongside the Umpire Vernon disaster at Footy Park in 1997, two very very disappointing moments ... card and game night with Christine at the unit in Morphett Vale ... sparkler night in Barmera, the boys were sparkler lovers ... and oops, oh no, now Jake is in on the act, what the? mmmmmmm, not funny, not funny at all ...

Jake fancies himself as a surfer dude, here at Lake Bonney in Barmera, this lake is not noted as one for big surf but clearly Jake just wanted to have fun ... at Barmera again, with Hannah the next-door neighbour, more sparkler times and snorkeling in a pool, not for everyone as an idea of fun but on this day, Mitchell enjoyed the water, at Glenelg ...

My 3 boys having a chill on the couch at Jan's on a busy day in Barmera ... early school days with Mitchell and Jake, making a mess I seem to remember but it was a nice time with the kids ... more from the beach, with good mate at the time Tyson ... and that's kitten time at Morphett Vale, my pussycat Dharma had just birthed a litter of 5 ...

At Morphett Vale unit, road trip time heading to Barmera for a stay with Grannie and Grandpop, the boys help load the bikes onto the back of the SUV, another great trip and the bikes always had plenty of use in Barmera ... mmmmm, looks like flat tyre day on the purple bubble, Moo and Jake lend a hand to change the tyre ... and parked at the footy out in Salisbury for a Uni game with Bradley, the car made a good sitting area parked outside the fence for a good view of the game, with Christine ...

Now that is a decent feed of crabs ready for the cooking pot, the crabs were caught earlier in the day off the Port Broughton jetty, the boys had such a good day, that was special ... and outside the Port Broughton RSL on an old army cannon ...

Back at the beach, this time Semaphore, not the best Adelaide Beach but the boys loved the water and on this very hot summer day this place was still ok for a swim and beach fun ... at Trott Park, a lunch in the sun and the boys had lots of play time and fun on the adventure playground equipment ... footy season 2009, Jake at Morphett Vale, it was a premiership season by the mighty Cats ... the last pic, not sure, the boys being boys, Morphett Vale unit days ...

Pub meal at the Woody, a favorite local place to eat, enjoyed a few meals here, this night with Chris and Anna ... relaxing at Hispano Drive, TV time and pig out time, always a good place for RandR ... and a Christmas meal in 2013 again at Hispano Drive out the back in the patio ... and another beach evening, O'Sullivan Beach, warm still night, ideal for swimming to keep cool, oh, and ideal for sharks ...

A scooter day out at Kathy's place in Salisbury Plains, Mitchell on the jumps with his scooter, Jake and Tom watch on ... that's school sports day at Seaview Downs Primary School, Moo was in the yellow team in case you were in doubt ... helping dad on the truck, the boys loved the truck days, school holiday help and they got to be 'high-viz kids' ... Footy Park at West Lakes, Cats v Cows, Sunday afternoon with Bradley, Mitchell and Jacob, Cats had a win, so yeah, great day at the footy ...

More skatepark time, West Beach was a popular place to be on a Saturday morning, always a good and happy group of kids on scooters or bikes, gee we spent plenty of time here ... a big half pipe and some very challenging bowls for all comers, and the place had a canteen so dad could get a much needed coffee, the West Beach Park was the best at that time ... and Moo loved his bikes, they were very important for him ...

Go Cats. Mitchell and Jake and the mighty Cats ... Moo loved the history of the distance runners and the Olympics once he discovered it through a school project, he knew about this statue at Olympic Park in Melbourne and on a visit in 2013 we went there to get this pic, he was proud of this day and he presented the pic back at his school and gave a talk on what the statue is about ... and that's a footy night at the 'G' for the boys when the Cats rolled the Power in a final in 2013, after being down 23 points at half time it was a seven goal to zip third quarter and clearly that changed the game and the Cats were through to a preliminary final ...