perry and i are creatures of leisure - pt 1

Yesterday was a fuck up but it was a funny fuck up with no lasting implications. Perry and I drove to Avondale Heights to walk by the Maribyrnong there. It's very pleasant. 

At one point Perry thought he saw something, I don't know what, and he thought he needed to be on his back legs to see it better, I really don't know what it was and he won't remember. He was looking towards the river. 

This dog behind a fence got involved in the conversation and like the dog at the Merri Boulevard (or whatever it's called) this dog and Perry were very convivial.

Perry and I then walked on a bit further, and just like the Merri Blvd dog, Perry wanted to visit this one again, but when we passed by again they had gone. 

We marvelled a little at this sign because - who would ever think this was a road, through or otherwise? You could put up a sign like this at most places and it would be true, I suspect. 

I guess my thought initially was maybe it's the path of an old road from a stupid subdivision or something... might be, but maps-on-my-phone doesn't think so. 

Grapefruit. 

There really are great looking houses here. I know you will know what I mean when I say 'wog mansions' I don't think it's an offensive term anymore but it's not a pleasant one but it'll have to do. I remember as I child I would pass houses like this - rarely entered one - and think they looked like they'd be really cool in summer. I am not sure why, looking at it now, but I did. 

And how amazeballs are these eagles. I don't think they have any symbolism, but I don't know why I don't think that. 

Another great one.

So the reason I said we are creatures of leisure is that I have been listening a lot to side two of Creatures of Leisure lately, along with Laura Imbruglia's self-titled album. Both incredible records of enormous depth. Anyway, that house above reminds me of the cover of Creatures of Leisure. 

Such a fun, talented, radical band and with so many high quality songwriters the album tracks are as amazing as the singles - anything off this record could have been a single, with the exception I suppose of the hidden track at the end of side 2 which I believe sometimes went under the name of 'Business & Pleasure'. 

There is a US version of this album which fucks around with it - for some reason I have that too, and may play it soon. Of course I'll let you know.

Anyway to get back to our Avondale Heights adventure, things got weird, but it was all fine, but I'll tell you about that later on OK. 

broadmeadows valley park

Yesterday, Ferdie and Perry and I went for a stroll on what I used to (and perhaps still do) call the Broadmeadows Valley Park loop. It's been a long time since I traversed that - Ferdie has done it before - Perry never. You will definitely recall the time I passed through here and went to what was known as Barnsley Mews - now long replaced by three-storey townhouses which don't seem to have a collective name. You might also recall the 'Yuroke Creek Trail' enterprise of 9 years and 9 months ago. 

Broadmeadows Valley Park is one of those places that feels completely exotic and remarkable, spacious but always close to, I guess, the suburbs though I did have cause to think that if I had a heart attack there notwithstanding the capacity of two dogs to run for help it would be at least 15 minutes before some cyclist came by and stole my wallet lol. Annoying to be making a joke like that which is hilarious anyway but of course you will think I'm making a joke about Broadmeadows, which just shows how little you actually know, I don't do that gear.

So this is a view of the BVP. No-one's going to ever tell you this is its natural state. I have no idea whatsoever of its history, whether it's remnant farmland (seems likely - a lot of this area was first bought in a post-invasion period by John Pascoe Fawkner) or what. This is the area in 1966:

(I may have mentioned this before btw but that 'Lyons St' - the dotted line on the left there - is basically the side of a hill, the possibility of building on that is negligible and it does not/never did exist). The creek that goes off to the left there and subtly crosses the Bulla border a little is Yuroke Creek. You will see it again later. This 1966 map tells you nothing, but look at a contemporary map - we went off to the right towards the John Ilhan Memorial Park and then cut across at some point indiscernible from a map towards Greenvale and then south again. 

This house's 'sun room' addition always appealed to me. 

This house is new. Doubtlessly has a pretty great view:

As we walked I noted that Perry always took the opportunity to drink along the way but Ferdie was really pretty reluctant. He was panting pretty heavily but there weren't that many options for a drink so it was a nuisance when he wouldn't take the opportunity. So when we got to this ford I was feeling relieved, but not sure how he felt because... 

...he really wasn't that keen on drinking from it. I mean, yeah it probably isn't the cleanest water in the world but that doesn't usually bother a beagle. Anyway, Perry drank deeply from it. I had another one of those thoughts related to the heart attack one, where I was thinking - well, I'm crossing this and what if I slipped and fell and whatever? 'Whatever' indeed, it didn't happen. 

This car park - no longer accessible for the parking of cars - is I think the final relic of a high school which hasn't been here for 20 years at least, and wasn't there in 1966 either. 

This stone is remarkable. 

Here we are reunited with Yuroke Creek again, and finally Ferdie drank, basically his weight in water I think. 

Perry when we got home. 

It was a good walk on the whole with few drawbacks. 

note to self

Usually when I'm walking in this neighbourhood the only people I see walking as well are people walking dogs. Not so today - I saw about 8 or 9 people walking and no-one walking dogs. I want to note this in case it becomes a trend and I can say, 'I first noticed that on 21 January 2012.'

* NB similar story on 26 Jan 2012 though only about 3 or 4 people.