Email to:Field Of Dreams AND Nightmares!
People enjoy – are even naturally drawn to – Open Spaces.
Even taking, taking, TAKING their pleasures as if a constitutional right – sweating themselves stupid in the never-ending battle for just above average body weights, walking designer huskies fouling inner city courtyards, pushing their mental and physical limits via extreme Tai-Chi……
BUT DOES ANYONE STOP TO THINK WHERE NATURE’S LEISURE CENTRES COME FROM?
This is the story of the lush sports fields of St Francis De Sale College, corner of Pine and Maiden Avenues, Leeton (motto ‘Virtue et Constantia’/ ‘Courage and Perseverance’).
In the late 1960’s, these showpieces were a pathetic sun baked paddock. And, for The Sports Field Dreamers, it came with a huge logistical problem: ROCKS. From pebble to boulder proportions. Igneous. Sedimentary. Metamorphic…..
(Leeton’s Sports Fields Of Dreams: circa 1969 cr: cenz: flickr)
But that didn’t stop Sister Mary McKillya and Big Marist Brother Where Art Thou?
Quite the opposite.
The removal of 809,876,590 tonnes of rock, to be known thereafter as ‘Emu Parade’, would be the centrepiece of all curricula and disciplinary protocols.
From 1969-1972, like hundreds of other Muscular Young Riverina Christians, I toiled in the Paddock Of Boulders.
In 108-degree heat, Children Of The Boulders, with hunched backs and gnarled hands, battled with rocks more than twice their bodyweights. Colossal rockpiles sprung up only to disappear overnight. What happened to them no-one knew.
Across the Paddock Of Boulders, there could be heard massed singing:
Consider yourself, well cooked,
Consider yourself, part of The Family……
…..Plaintive young voices always ignored by passing motorists who desperately wanted sports fields but – God forgive them - didn’t give a damn about who got maimed and ‘melanomaed’ in pursuit of them.
The ghastliest of The Ghastly Years for The Children Of The Boulders was 1972.
Sister Mary McKillya and Big Marist Brother Where Are Ya? were nearing death and feared they’d never see the (and may I say, very handsome) Bishop of the Wagga Wagga Archdiocese, Francis Carroll, bless their Sports Fields Of Dreams.
History records that in 1972, there were 789 disciplinary ‘Emu Parade’ actions following well-targeted surveillance campaigns ending in dawn raids. These included:
* Detection and seizure of tampons – banned because of their penetrative nature.
* Detection of kohl on eyelids – banned because Cleopatra was a tart.
*Detection and seizure of personal diaries - banned because ‘ If you want to write to someone, write to God…..’
And so it was that St Francis de Sale College got its Sports Fields Of Dreams.
I gaze upon them when I’m home – enroute to the famed Golden Apple Supermarket to pick up a couple of bottles of local Spumante.
Cheers…….
********************************************
So, here’s to you…….how ya doin’? At season’s change….
Can’t tell you how much this Melanoma Kid loves the first whiff of something – anything – other than summer. Feel better. Less loopy.
As usual, I await news from your patch…….perhaps you’ve even got a favourite Open Space which Australia should know about.
All posters take a deep breath…and just click on the ‘comment’ thingo and follow the simple instructions. The place to write your gems is at the bottom of the last published comment. *A little bit of counsel for people new to this caper. Your email (just called ‘mail’ in this case) address does NOT come up on site. And just ignore the URL thingo – just ignore it
Prawn Cutlet Award
April 12th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
And now, let us all read from the good Book Of Exodus……
Dear The Dude,
Ah aam readin’, ah aam prayin’ and ah aam fossickin’! KJ.
April 12th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Came downstairs not so much As An Act Of Courage but A Leap Of Faith…not too good today.
Saw the post about stones…
Bad news.
Back upstairs to the man-eatin’ doona.
Dear, dear The Knuckle,
Please relax – all will become well in its own place and time.
Won’t you hum along……?
‘Consider yourself at home, consider yourself one of the family…’
KJ.
April 12th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I had no idea about that little cranny of local Catholic history. Marvellous little yarn.
I can offer something along similar lines about one of the earlier sub-divisions on the Murrami side of the avenue, tucked in behind – and partly adjacent to the St Francis – ovals….
When the construction gang set to ripping up the orange trees in that former four or five acre orchard, they were surprised to find hundreds and hundreds of old golf balls littering the joint, all of which had to be cleared by means of emu parade before clearing and construction work proper could commence.
And THAT dear Roma Street is a marvellous little yarn which comes as news to me….
*I’ve been into Google Earth and concluded that with Leeton’s signature hot westerlies hitting up against those notorious Griffith Busters hundreds of thousands of balls (rendered missiles) from the Leeton Golf Club would have been swept up in the tornado-like conditions – coming to rest EXACTLY where you say.
Thank God no-one was killed walking huskies along the nearby irrigation channel.
*I changed ‘High School’ to ‘St Francis’. Please advise if I should NOT have – serious implications for my theory AND state of mind – ie. How did thousands of golf balls land on the sports fields at Leeton High – which is on the opposite side of town to the Golf Club?
KJ
April 12th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Hi KJ,
At least you never had to play football on the Paddock of Boulders.
Never liked those grounds – and it wasn’t just the rocks and bindi-eyes.
There always seemed to be strange men in the change-rooms, and they wore dresses!
Hello there Skinned knees,
Sorry to hear about your personal dramas….
AND an apology that I didn’t reach out to you at the time. BUT I was very busy….fighting off the kohl police who were blasting my eyes with wet toilet paper in the ablution block. They too, wore (long) dresses. God bless ya Skinned knees. KJ.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:20 am
I was walking down the local oval the other day and noticed a new sign:
No soccer games are to be played on these playing fields unless prior permission is sought and granted by the local council.
Is this what these rock exhumations have led to?
Public playing fields NO longer a place to kick a ball around but another opportunity for government supervision and revenue.
Has anybody else experienced oval creep?
Dear Greek and loving it,
Thank God someone’s finally been brave enough to mention oval creep…..
Yes, I have experienced it. It’s not pleasant. It can lead to great embarassment. And it never goes away.
That’s enough for now….KJ.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am
KJ – Fully understandable, that change you made (I’m sure the orchard next to the par 3 (4th) is chock-a-block with errant golf knackers), but not necessary…
I was indeed referring to the sub-division next to the Leeton High School ovals.
No names, no pack drill, but I think the source of the unusual discovery was a pair of keen young local golfing siblings who were resident on the adjacent semi-rural block, being fairly prodigal with their dad’s golf balls.
Dear Roma Street,
Thanks for the swift clarification – and there’s goes my hypothesis out the window, along Trunk Road 80….Griffith bound.
Next, they’ll be finding thousands of golf balls at the bottom of Leeton’s famous Walter Burley Griffin Water Towers. AND that would be UNFORGIVABLE. KJ.
April 13th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
The autumn sky is gold as brass,
But I just lay here on my arse,
Phantom life (back so fast).
Keyboard magic’s gone from me,
Cannot eat, or drink, dance nor sing,
Write my name (do anything).
Long dead traitors haunt my room,
Take some wine (just a sip)
Hey man, getta grip.
Sun comes up,
And hey I’m fine,
Cook sausages (and then dine)
Don’t feel sorry all the time.
Between you and me,
The answer just may be,
Lots of Lovin’ (and Vitamin C)
April 13th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Greek and Loving IT,
No drinking in pubs, dancing in dance halls, eating in restaurants, singing in karaoke bars – ‘unless prior permission is sought and granted by the local council’.
Oval creep? You’ve detected a trend here.
The Dude – A special reminder just for you: ‘Absolutely NO Swimming Between The Flags’. KJ.
April 13th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Came downstairs as An Act Of Courage…..
AND to have a bath.
I like to think of baths as water doonas.
Anyway, back upstairs to the man-eatin’ doona.
Dear The Knuckle,
This is the very first time you’ve mentioned taking a bath. On behalf of everyone in here, CONGRATULATIONS! KJ.
April 14th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Thanks to Greek and loving it for outing OVAL CREEP.
Cop this one. My local council has decided to increase obesity in Australia.
WHAT? … ???
Yep, if anyone can identify a Personal Trainer making use of the parks, civic duty is to notify THE COUNCIL.
WHY? … !!!
Greek and loving it has already answered my question – bung up the revenue by bunging a fee on the PT.
FNH.
Sorry FattyNotHappy……..I have a very strong position on Personal Trainers of any kind – NIMBY! KJ.
April 14th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Ah, these Autumnal days when trees put on their brightest bed clothes as if to lure lovers, and the birds go on strict rations, while maternal spiders lay their eggs, eat their mates, and prepare to die for another generation……
Ah, these Autumnal days in Leeton in lovely Pine Avenue watching the girls off to buy their woollies at Woolies, their beanies at Bobs, ski pants at Sarinas.
Target girls in Autumn. What a sight.
That Hitler Youth Drug must still be effective.
Leeton Target Girl.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
(Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date……)
Shakespeare’s sonnet had it dead right.
At Bletchey Park, I would recite it to some of the FP (Fallatio Parachutists) before they embarked on their deadly suicide missions to destroy the twisted men at the Nazi upper echeleon.
They gave their summer’s lease for Freedom.
…..And summer’s lease hath all too short a day.
April 14th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Dear The Knuckle,
I feel for you when you say…’not so good today.’
Perhaps reference to our dear The Ginger Man’s last post, may be of some consolation.
(Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?)
Nope siree. However I cringe to think that you Mr Knuckle will ne’re find freedom in chewin’ up your doona.
If it is of any help, sometimes I talk to my pillow………
Love ya,
The Comer.
Dear The Comer,
Great to hear from you – where ya bin? *Sometimes I walk into my boudoir and find my two pillows fighting. Terrible when things get to that. KJ.
April 15th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Hiya KJ,
Where I (ya) bin? you ask.
NOT in battle for just above average body heights.
NOT walkin’ any dog of any social standin’.
NOT doin’ extreme anything
Just moochin’ – and most recently – takin’ to readin’ EVERY local gov signage.
The Comer.
Dear The Comer,
Sounds good. *Remember our motto: ‘Absolutely NO Swimming Between The Flags’. KJ.
April 15th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Up on the Queensland coast
They say we got a monster
Worthy of a TV show and boast
Bigger than anything you’ve read
Hey there, we got us a HAMMERHEAD
And it’s not going for fish ‘n’ chips
But it’s available for family trips
WHERE’S MY MOMMA ?
WHERE’S MY MOMMA ?
CRIED THE LITTLE HAMMERHEAD LOST.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/15/2873947.htm
April 16th, 2010 at 3:51 am
I am of average body weight.
I walk my designer dog to foul the streets.
I push my mental and physical limits via extreme Tai-Chi.
I do not care where nature’s leisure sites come from.
I love my local council.
I do not know my neighbours.
I’M TOO SEXY FOR THIS SITE.
Dead right I, dead right! KJ.
April 17th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Acts of Incredible Courage:
1.Came downstairs
2. Went outside
3. Saw doctor
4. Went shopping
5. Saw cowgirl in cowgirl hat selling milk and sang ‘Buffalo gal, caint ya come out tonight?’ to her.
A good day.
Dear The Knuckle – and it’s still only the morning!
Back to the man-eatin’ doona! KJ.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Oh Dear, Dearest The Knuckle,
‘Consider yourself at my home,
Consider yourself my family …’
Love is all around,
Marry Me.
Dear Marry Me,
May I remind you? This is NOT a pick up site. HOWEVER – as you know – I am able to grant special privileges in exceptional circumstances.
Romantic overtures to our dear The Knuckle are indeed exceptional circumstances.
Good luck. KJ.
April 18th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Dear KJ,
Sounds like ‘Virtue et Constantia ‘also applied at my Alma mater!
Another take on ‘if you want to write to someone, write to God’ was ‘If you girls have a question then pop it into the Anonymous Question Box.’
When NO questions were submitted by this khol wearing pagan to Anonymous Box, mum and dad received a visit from the Sisters Mary of Detection (always in couplets) to enquire as to why this non compliance was so!
Any floggings at your place of virtue for application of Magic Silver White to hair?
Younger contributers, should you not know what the Magic stuff is, pop a Question into KJ’s Tell It All Box.
Lapsed.
Dear Lapsed,
Come to think of it, you’re right! Nuns ALWAYS trawled through the streets of Leeton (ready to pounce on occasions of illicit sex or banned substances) in pairs.
ONE to indulge, ONE to keep lookout, I guess. KJ.