Bill's down at Umuwa, Ann's gone up to Wilowra for a couple of days, the kids have all left home now so we have the place to ourselves, which is most unusual and a bit eerie. This place has been a constant bustle for years. Decades.
Yesterday we went into town and cruised the mall for a while, very pleasant, then out to Araluen again to do a longer tour of the Desert Mob exhibition. Maybe it isn't quite as breathtaking as in previous years, perhaps not so much innovation, but it's still pretty amazing. Especially if you've never seen it before. A couple of hundred paintings in many different styles, from Aboriginal artists working in art centres all around Central Australia.
There is a beautiful and very peaceful sculpture garden at the art centre too....
Merri in the sculpture garden
After lunch we visited Rod Moss who lives nearby. In addition to his successes as an artist and writer he has a girlfriend who works with the large numbers of dogs at the Aboriginal settlement of Yuendumu, some 250 k north west of Alice. Her passion is to restore the dogs to good health. As a result, Rod, who spends a lot of time at Yuendumu, brings little dogs back to Alice to help out. There were three there yesterday, all apparently thriving.
Life in Alice is just not like life in Adelaide, or possibly anywhere else.
We discussed many things, including Rod's new book, referred to in yesterday's blog, launched just two weeks ago. i think it will go very well. Reactions have been excellent, apparently.
Merri, book, Rod
Yesterday was Dave Oakes' mother Edie's ninety second birthday and Oakes had invited us to Feds, our Alice Springs gentlemen's club, (ha ha) for a birthday tea with his family. Oakes has one daughter, Alice, married to Denis, and they have four children, all girls, all very attractive.
Tonight marks the start of the Alice Desert Festival, not a huge event, but boasting some very fine and interesting performances, starting with a street parade at 5.30.
Will keep you posted.
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