Botanic Garden, Tartan and Arrium

When I returned from Adelaide and calmed down from the slightly chaotic days afterwards, I  spent some time in the garden. On my way back from Adelaide I stopped in at the Arid Lands Botanic Garden and bought three new native plants. Also, when I was in Adelaide I drove to  Bunnings at Modbury and bought a garden arch. I wanted that to be a climbing base for the  two Mandevilla – now one on either side of the arch. I spent the Saturday assembling that and getting it into place. Saturday afternoon and emails asking me to take the minutes of the RFDS meeting since the secretary will not be there. Next thing was an email from the secretary resigning her position – and she wont be at the AGM.  Actually, the President wont be there either. so it should be an interesting meeting since there will be people from Central Operations in Adelaide there.

As it turned out it was a good productive meeting Chaired by the Vice-President with me as Acting-Secretary. After a fairly quick general meeting, the chair of the meeting was taken by the Adelaide Central Operations Coordinator and all positions declared vacant. Only one change as I was asked to take the Secretary Office again, which I agreed to do. Our contribution to Central Operations was $37,000, which, given the depressed state of the town at the moment, was not a bad effort. In the last nine years we have contributed  almost $300,000 to the RFDS Central Operations.

Interesting article I was reading that after a long wait the final process, initiated by Rabbi Mendel Jacobs, Scottish Jews now have their own, Officially Registered Tartan. It is registered in the Name of The Jewish Community of Scotland and The tartan, featuring distinctive tones of navy and burgundy, is a kosher non wool-linen mix which abides by shatnez – the Jewish law prohibiting the mixture of wool and linen in garments. The design, representing the colours of the Scottish and the Israeli  flags, the silver to represent the silver from the scrolls of the law, the gold represents the Ark of the Tabernacle, the red from a traditional Kiddush wine. The threads have also been carefully chosen, in blocks of Seven and Three – Seven lines in the Central Section and Three Lines in the Flag.

While Scotland is having a bit of a heatwave at 29c it is cold and wet here and I spoke to one person. who told me that he doesn’t take his pullover off until it reaches 32c. I can understand this

Arrium has now been sold. The South Korean  dropped out of the running mainly because they wanted too much in Government handouts, or so I believe. The British buyers have said they will upgrade and do so without any loss of employment. In fact, in an interview this afternoon the British company will spend $1Billion to up grade and modernise the place and start to bring it up to world class standard. So the future is looking a great deal brighter.