Happy 2009!!!

Well, one of my goals for 2009 was to post to my blog at least once a week. Clearly didn't get off to a running start on that one. Honestly, I was concerned about not having much of interest to talk about since I don't have kids. I absolutely love reading the blogs of my close friends, filled with loving and often hysterical stories about life with their tiny loved ones. But they often post about other random topics and I still love to read them. And then I realized that my friends' children will be grown one day and they will still be interesting, so I'm going to give it a whirl.

I have to say, I was thrilled to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama yesterday. I am the odd man out in my family as the token liberal, though they are very respectful of my politcal views, as I am of theirs. I would probably be defined as a Democrat by virtue of my somewhat liberal views, though I've never committed to a specific party. I generally vote based on what things are important to me at that specific time. But for the first time I can remember, I was giddy watching all of the festivities. I often hear my parents talk about moments in time that stick with them - the election of JFK, the death of Elvis, etc. This will be one of those moments for me. It is nice to feel hopeful.

So, this post will be short and sweet, my first step toward a goal. More soon, including pictures from my crazy family holiday gathering at my house weekend before last.

South Australia - Last Week of Trip

When we got to Murray Bridge, we all had some laundry to do. But they are under water restrictions due to the drought, so we limited the laundry to only what we had to have until our trip was over and this is the guys hanging their laundry out on the line to dry. Most people in Murray Bridge have clothes lines, which they actually USE and it is mandatory to have a rain water system, which gathers rain from your gutters into a resevoir to use in the home.
We went to a nature park and that chunky monkey behind the koala is me.

This is my dad, Murray Jarvis. He and his wife Chris were my counselors for my entire Rotary Youth Exchange year in Australia and have had an permanent impact on my life. They are my family.
We were able to feed the kangaroos in the park - see the joey (baby kangaroo) peeking out of the pouch?
Trevor and Cody feeding the kangaroos.

Damon and the 'roos.

Another joey.
This is an emu - very large bird, sort of like the ostrich. You could feed it, but this one was kind of mean.
Cody fed him, but only under duress.

Australian parrots - aren't they colorful?
This is a place called Goolwa about 30 minutes from Murray Bridge - if you are going to have a beach house in South Australia, this is the place to have it. There were people surfing here today, even in winter, and if was whale watching season, but we didn't see any.
Beach at Goolwa.
Me with Chris and Murray.

Life with Australian Family

This is Damon with my host brother Daryl Gogel. Alan and Trudy Gogel were another family I lived with. Daryl was an exchange student in Pleasanton, Texas in 1986.
We went to lunch with the whole Gogel Family, this is Cody and Trevor with Daryl. They had great beer at this place.

Getting our drink on.
Me with Alan and Trudy Gogel. Alan and Trudy visited us in Texas in March of 2008.

This is my sister Margaret Gogel with her boyfriend Colin.
This is Jack, who belongs to my brother Daryl and his wife, Sharon. They have been caring for him for over year and are in the process of adopting him.
Daryl with Sharon and Jack at the Bierhaus, with the statue of a drunk German.
This is my dad, Murray, his mom Ella and his brother Charlie.
This is my mom Chris, Grandma Ella and me.

This is my sister Megan and her husband, Darren.
And this is me with my mom and dad, Murray and Chris Jarvis - wonderful people.
The whole gang in Australia.
We drank quite a lot of wine at the BBQ.
Aunt Trudy and Uncle Charlie.

Cody with Chris and Murray, trying Bundaberg Rum (Australian rum) and coke.


Dad pulling out the Bundy Black label, which you can't get anywhere in the world except in Queensland, Australia.

View of the Murray River (can you guess how Murray Bridge got it's name?)from the Jarvis' back yard.
Playing Texas Hold 'Em with the family.
View of the Marina from the Jarvis' back yard.
This car was purchased by Murray's grandfather when Murray was born. Still runs, too.

The Adelaide Hills

This is a picture of the hills between Murray Bridge and Adelaide, and this is when there has been a drought. It's just beautiful countryside driving between the country and the city. Murray Bridge is the fourth largest it city in Australia, but only has a population of 19,000. The bulk of the population in Australia is on the coast in the large cities. The entire country has a population of 20,450,000. The US has over 300,000,000.

This is the view from Chris and Murray's back yard.
This is the Jarvis' dog - Jess.
This is Jay, my sister Megan's youngest son.
This is Riley, the middle son.

And this is Sam, the oldest.
My dad, Murray, drives a milk truck, which picks up milk from dairies all in the southeast and takes it to Adelaide or the depot in Murray Bridge, depending where it's needed. It's a double hauler and is just ENORMOUS. You can tell more in the second photo.

The day before we left, we went to lunch with dad in a pub in Tailem Bend, which is about 20 minutes from Murray Bridge, so named because there is a bend in the Murray River there.
View of Murray River from the patio at the Tailem Bend Pub.