Ian from Sydney

Hi Ian, this is my plan
****ATTENTION: ALL QUEENSLAND SUDOKUIST****
Our esteemed Ian from Sydney and his charming wife Anne will be in my neck of the woods (Thorneside) from the 26th to 28th September.
Any Sudokuists and their families are invited to join me in a get together at my place either Saturday 27th or Sunday 28th (to be decided) for a lunchtime BBQ. Please post your preferences on my page and I will confirm the date shortly.

Thanks Broni, we'll be there with bells on.
By the way, I think you are overdoing the 'esteemed' and 'charming' bits - but Anne won't object.
I have your phone numbers and will give you a ring closer to the time.

Ian,
I'm sorry that I won't be able to come and meet you and Anne at Broni's place. I am going south on the Friday to my sister's place in Nelson's Bay for the week.
Hopefully I will catch up with you both another time. Safe travels and I hope you enjoy your time with the Brissie Sudokuists.

Hope each day is better and better.

I never pictured you as the Willie Nelson type, but all I can think of is his song -
On the Road again...

Ian, I'm sorry you had to have surgery and delighted that you're doing so much better. It's amazing what they can do these days, I have friends with stints, pacemakers, defibrelators, the works and they All are terrific. My one friend is playing tennis again like nothing happened. I'm sure you will keep progressing in your recovery, God bless and have a wonderful time at Broni's... I'd Love to meet up with some of you folks, I'm enjoying this site muchly. Take care Ian, I can see from the postings that you are Very Much Loved. Cheerio.

Hi Ian, Thanks for you comments re Rev Fred McKay. His name was much revered in our home when we were growing up. My parents had a strong interest in the AIM. Fred offered my parents a job at Mt Isa when I was very young which despite their interest, they were unable to pursue. We were in SA at the time. I do remember Frances McKechnie (who worked with Fred) visiting our home when I was in my early 20s and encouraging me to take a position at Fitzroy Crossing as a preschool teacher. At that stage I wanted to do my own thing and became a jillaroo and then a governess in QLD for a couple of years instead. I just gooogled and found a St Phillip's Newsletter with a tribute to her. She died earlier this year. I hadn't heard of her for years... but she too was a great character not to o be forgotten.

Hi Ian - thanks for explaining your surgery, my Dad had something similar and was fine after also. Travelling in your motorhome should be really enjoyable, it'll be like having most of the conveniences of home with you. I've heard of your Anne through other postings and she sounds just as nice as you. Go and have a grand holiday, we'll be awaiting your return. Happy and safe travels... God Bless.

Have a great trip Ian and Anne. Sorry it is wet for the start of your trip. Enjoy meeting up with folk in Brisbane.

Safe travels Anne and Ian! Have fun and enjoy good cheer along the way!

Safe Travels

Ian and Anne

This is the best news I have heard for ages. Have a great time and a wongerful meet at Broni's. Give her a hug from me. Wish I could be there.

Thank you for the birthday good wishes. Have fun on your adventure.

Hi Ian
Great to meet you & Anne yesterday. You are looking great after your surgery. Enjoy the rest of your trip. I am sending a friend request now that I can put faces to names. Looking forward to the photos.
............Linda.

Ian!...it finally happened. I came across a beautiful specimen of a Florida Panther - in the wild - twice in one morning! I am elated! I was able to take one shot - a lousy one at that but at least I have it to show it to my grandchildren. I was safely inside my car with locked doors ... then I realized my window was wide open as I had just been shooting. I quickly closed it before continuing driving pass the area where I had seen it.

It stood in the middle of the road, looking straight at the car, before it jumped into the bushes bordering the road. I passed the area, drove about a mile and doubled back. I never thought I would see it again! Wouldn't you know it? As I approached the same spot there it was again, walking on the road. I took my shot and made a u-turn. I didn't want to bother it any more.

It was a beautiful sight. One I will cherish - and talk about - forever.

Hi Ian. Peter and I were very happy to meet you and Anne at Broni's place. Great conversation... Hope to meet again if you are in Brisbane this week.

Hi Ian saw your post on medium today. Glad you made it back safely. Hope you had time to do every thing you wanted to. It was a real pleasure to meet you and Anne.

Hi Ian, haven't visited you in a while and was rewarded with some new photos, I think you look much better without the mustache, but can understand the reasoning behind growing one, you must be living a very fascinating life Ian, good for you! And good for all of us that you choose to share your memories with all of us.

Aimee :-)

It is a beautiful photo of Singapore on easy today. Lovely to hear from you.
Hope you and Anne are enjoying your time away and that all is well.

I am working my way through the months I was in Italy (May 14th through July 10th) and just did "The Swan" photo - that is a great muted, almost sepia toned picture with a few color points, really atmospheric in feeling! Just wanted to say I hope all is going well - very well! - for you and Anne.

Glad you are home safely. Did you enjoy your latest excursion? Silly question. I'm sure you did. The picture of your daughter on the beach in Wales on today's Medium puzzle is wonderful. I'm glad you posted it. Cheers!

Ian, glad to read your post and trust you are mo bettah. I am somewhat mo bettah too. Slow is not the pace I had in mind, did you?

Ian, thanks for the b'day wishes. Steve

Ian, about today's pelican comment. I was so tired when I did the puzzle, I first read it as piddling penguin! Had to look twice and was pleased I was wrong.

In case Anne doesn't want to share Ian, here's a double chocolate fudge pastry for you.... Cheers! Off and running to a hockey game.

Hi Ian, I am sorry I didn't reply to your last message but everyone is well here and my daughter has been to a few interviews for jobs in Sydney and two of them look promising (she will have to choose between them then). I hope you are going well after your procedure and are able to go on more trips in your mobile home. It's great that Anne joined, isn't it?

Hi Ian...how wonderful to have 'Mrs Ian' join us officially.
I trust you have more than one computer...if not you had better hot foot it out to the shops quick smart!! I often have the boys peering over my shoulder to see what I'm chuckling at despite computers being in different rooms.

Laughing over Gails piddling penguin comment...
Catch you later.

Hi Ian....looks like you are going to be stuck with good 'old cheerful, loveable Bean' to coin your phrase. We did have a a bit of fun and nonsense going troppo with our new names but sudoku was determined not to let 'Beanie Baby' log in!! Took me about 10 goes each time. Could do with a new lease on life but am happy to stick with most of the old personality. Ciao

Ian, for your encouraging comments about my photography. I have been enjoying the challenge of discovering the aesthetics of a square frame. My latest photography excursion was into the Fitzroy gardens in Melb. You can see the best of the pics on my flickr page.

I haven't been reading posts because of this trouble with my eyes, so I hope you are over your health probs and all is well and happy with you and Ann.

Happy motoring, Ian, and I hope you're able to enjoy your getaway in the best of health!

Ian - I posted this on Medium after seeing your Mannikin Finch but probably missed you. I know you'd be interested in it, so have copied it here...
Warning - not for the faint-hearted. This is the same finch that was caught in a huge Golden Orb Spider's web in Cairns, FNQ the other day. If you want to see photos check this out and click through the gallery. Quite amazing. http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2008/10/23/11601_local-news.html

Happy camping Ian and Anne.
See you when you get back.
No skinny dipping, you hear?

Hi Ian! Just curious - we are discussing the Guardian sculpture today, and I wonder if the Bondi sculpture fest is where those sand sculptures were some time ago, the ones we did for a number of puzzles. Since you are posting I trust you are back from romping about the countryside and that you are doing well - I hope very well! When is Anne going to put her two cents in?

Six to go!

Ian - isn't getting older exciting?!

to Rob! What an honor!

Anne and Ian... please pass on my best to Rob for his achievement. Hopefully his work with bio-fuel will benefit all for years to come.

Anne and Ian, congratulations to Rob on his prestigious award. What a wonderful acknowledgment of his hard work.

Thanks for the compliments, Ian. I use a cheap and slow digital cam, but I have inherited my father's eye for composition. The secret is in the framing. Sometimes I turn one pic into two or three by using different frames. It give me a lot of pleasure without using up too much time.

... and my congratulations to Rob and to the proud parents who changed his nappies and did all the other things parents need to do to support their kids.