'Till We Meet Again Grandad

My Mum's Dad passed away this month. The 21st was his funeral. I've been putting off writing this as I can't seem to find the right words.

This is my Grandad, Joseph (Joe) Hall with the love of his life, Cath. That's all I know her by, which is a shame. I still have the pair of drop earrings she gave me the last time I saw her (in the pic, I was 18/19).

He was a gruff man, took no nonsense. Straight to the point with no hesitation. Soft in the middle and a good laugh when you knew where to find it. Went to his friend's farm every morning and had a freezer full of pheasant, duck and rabbit that he'd shot himself, hung and prepared. He was a great cook, especially when it came to pastry and sweet slices. 

 He grew his own food, always had a veggie patch, even from when my Mum was young they'd have pigs, geese, chickens and the lot. Seems Andrew and I have those genes :o)

Below is Grandad with one of the last ships he made from scratch. Every detail, every length of rope.

 

I remember him telling me a story, a memory of his mother; Mondays were washing days. She had dark hair and every time she scrubbed the clothes on the washboard in the tub, a lock of hair would bounce onto her face which she would keep having to puff away. Tuesday was drying day and the clothes were hung to dry all around the fire. He loved the smell of the fresh washing. 

Grandad, having one Catholic parent and one Protestant, would take part in both marches but worship at neither church and started working in wood mill with his father when he was young.

I used to grill Grandad about his family and wish I'd have done it more. I loved hearing about his life as a young lad and the memories of his parents.
 

He told me of serving in WWII. He'd still wake in sweats and panic though he'd never tell me what about. One story he did tell me, of being separated from his platoon, he lay in a ditch hiding. He saw a truck of our soldiers being driven to the coast and the driver was hit by a sniper making the truck go off course and stop.
Grandad ran out of the ditch, pushed over the dead driver and drove the truck of soldiers to meet the boats on the French harbour of Dunkirk. I'm proud to say he had a direct hand in saving men at the 'Miracle of Dunkirk'

Farewell Grandad, you old soldier. May you be at peace as your ashes are spread at the 
top of the Wrekin and your soul set free from pain.

Give Cath my love.

x

 

"How bleak the cold of winter would be if there was no knowledge of the spring."

A pic for Auntie Lil'

Hi there,
Here's us on a visit from Amanda and Arwen. Nanny and Grandad came down to see them too as it's a long time between visits when you live 7 hours into the country!

Shoalhaven Zoo and Adventure Park

I'm not quite sure what else was adventurous enough to put 'Adventure' it in the title of the zoo.. but the Rainforest Trail was definitely one!
When I get the gut feeling to do the right thing... do it! We went through from the exit to entrance and had to climb down all the ladders instead of up. It was the best kind of exercise ever!


Just outside the entrance to the rainforest were these gorgeous trees. I can't capture what I saw with my point and click camera.

The exit.. where we started. I could hardly get through  with my back pack.

 I love the smell of the rainforest.. can't stand the bush.. but love the rainforest.

 We got totally lost! Thankfully there was someone to show us the way out.. down into the base of the mountain, through dark caves - exciting!

Then a quick pic with a friendly snake, wombat and grandparents (Farmo' - says Riley and Gramps)

 .. what happened to OH&S!?! This would never exist in Sydney zoo. Lucas was terrified

 I love the look on his face.. fear but he loves it.