Zzzzzz
12 presentations in 10 days. Three out the way (including one to 84 students in a huge lecture theatre), and then another two requests come along today. Aye Carumba!

101 Things you Never Wanted to Know.
#1. It takes 3 days to defrost a frozen greyhound.

Why do I know this? Because I've just had to reschedule some filming as the dog wasn't going to have defrosted in time for us to film it's forelimb dissection!

Ewwwwwww.

Coming up for Air...

It's been crazy busy at work. Today I gave the first of 11 presentations that fill the next two weeks, I have half a day filming tomorrow morning and another half day next week (don't get excited, one of them is someone explaining how to read radiographs and the other is a dissection from skin through muscle and down to bone of an animal species I am yet to be informed of), and I've got 400+ students to enrol across something like 80 modules. Eeek! It's been manic, like being on a treadmill, running like crazy from one end of the day to the other, only to realise you didn't actually get very far because of all the new things that came in needing your attention, so you have to do it all again tomorrow. At least I know it will quiet down towards the end of October. I hope!

We went to Highbury last night and saw Arsenal spank Everton with two beautiful headers by the magnificent Sol Campbell. He warmed up right in front of us and as he bent over I got to admire and appreciate his well developed, gleaming, toned, erm...shorts. And one more bend to the left Sol....!

We had a lovely weekend with Steph and the boys in their new home in Pirbright. On Sunday afternoon we walked to the village green for a community fair! I think the boys could have happily stayed on the fairground rides all afternoon!

Chess at age 5! Ok, he hasn't quite got how all the pieces move and the intricacies of strategy yet, but he's on the way!

Arthur gets a shoulder ride!

Arthur peeking out of the Moon Walk bouncy castle...

Thomas at the top of the slide...

Life on the rural campus..... 4 horses were just led from the field across the road and along past the lawn outside of my window!

Wine Recommendation

Frogmore Creek, a Tasmanian winery has been mentioned in the lastest issue of 'Decanter' magazine (a global wine industry publication ergo quite illustrious!). From a feature starting on page 194 entitled: 'Treasure Island':

"And there's another promising development, this time in the Coal Valley, where Californian Tony Scherer has set up Frogmore Creek, an organic property that is also flirting with biodynamism. The ubiquitous Andrew Hood is the winemaker, and the 2002 Pinot Noir Reserve is easily in the top tier of Tasmanian Pinots."

From the same article:
"Wineries to Watch - Frogmore Creek, Coal River:
It's early days for this expanding estate, but first releases of Pinot Noir have been both succulent and flamboyant."

Keep an eye out for it! (That I know one of the co-owners has absolutely nothing to do with my shameless promotion of it!)

Click here for their website.

I've had a bug all weekend, no energy, headaches, generally did an impersonation of a sloth on the sofa, only this sloth had a packet of biscuits and Sex and the City series 6 to get through! Feeling slightly better after doing nothing all weekend, but only slightly. Stu thought I looked funny sitting (slothing) halfway down the sofa like this!

On the terrace last weekend enjoying the remains of the summer...

Divided by a Common Language
Work is quite full on in the lead up to the new academic year. I was asked today how I was and replied 'I'm flat tack!'. The academic paused, looked at me, and then said 'Does that mean you're busy?' ! I was sure I'd heard that expression over here but after a quick poll of my and Stu's offices, no, it must be an Australian thing!

P.S. Here's an urban fox (not my pic)! They aren't native to the urban environment, but have adapted and live there quite happily now, for the most part. Sound familiar??

G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S! Iain with baby son Freddie (fatherhood is definitely agreeing with him!) and my two other beautiful nephews Arthur (post-run-in with a wall!) and Thomas. Both looking like cheeky little adorable monkeys!