Bart Bear's Blog

Our family increased by one last week. Mum brought home a cute cat to join Scruffy, Milkshake and me. We have named her Ivy Bella, because our apartment block is the Ivy, and "bella" means "beautiful" in Italian. I think she is the cutest thing; Milky is showing signs of jealousy. And guess what, she likes cricket. There is a big cricket series on at the moment, the Big Bash League, and we have spent the evenings right in front of the TV watching every minute of the games. Our favourite team is the Melbourne Stars, and so far they are right at the top of the ladder.
Otherwise, things have been pretty quiet here for the last couple of weeks as we enjoy settling into our new home. However, things are about to get exciting again, because I see the oldies planning some road trips and cruises. I should have some new places to show you soon.

Labels: cricket, family

Today is Australia Day. Every year we try to get into the spirit of things by wearing something that says "We are very proud to be Aussies". This year we have gone for the minimalist approach and used stickers to give the message. We didn't do as much as other years. We just had a quiet day doing craft, watching cricket and going down to our favourite spot to watch the fireworks. The shores of the lake are packed with people during the Aus Day events, so we watch the fireworks away from the crowd. Of course, it is India's special day as well and at the moment I am watching a cricket match between Australia and India. Now those of you who are cricket tragics like me will recognise that the photo is not of this game, but a Big Bash game from a few days ago. All cricket is great, and it will be even better if Australia wins the game tonight.
p.s. Drat! The game had to be abandoned due to rain. We really need more  sports stadiums with movable roofs in Aus.

Labels: Canberra, craft, cricket, family

Well, 2014 has finished and we have another year to work with. 2014 was a traumatic year for our family and I am not sorry to see the end of it. Now here's hoping that 2015 will be less stressful. I always stay up late on New Year's Eve so that I can see the fireworks on TV. If you can't actually be there, seeing them on TV is the next best thing. Watching the cricket  which filled in most of the earlier evening helped me stay awake this time. I think that Sydney has the best fireworks most years, although Melbourne is getting better. I like the ones from around the world that are shown next morning as well. Anyhow, have a good 2015, may it be a better year for all of us.

Labels: Canberra, cricket

Labels: cricket, heroes

Whew! I have just finished watching the finish of a fantastic cricket series, the Ashes Down Under. For those who don't know much about cricket, it is (in the opinion of this small bear and his Oldies) the most skillful game in the world, and the Ashes tests between Australia and England are the games that generate the most fanatical excitement. The Ashes are supposed to be in an Urn containing the burnt remains of the stumps used in the first test series between the two countries, but that is not so. In fact the Ashes Urn is more of a notional prize. For a good story on how a joke by a newspaper reporter in 1882 has generated the most contested prize in cricket, just Google "the Ashes". Anyhow, since 1882 there have been 69 test series (a test is a 5-day game), each test series being 3 or 5 games. Australia has won 33 series, England 31, and 5 have been drawn. Last year our team did very badly in a short Ashes series held in England, beaten 3 to 0. The English press has been giving Australian cricket a bad time ever since. Now justice has triumphed and the Ashes have returned to Australia. The series that finished this afternoon was a complete whitewash of the English team. We thumped them 5 to 0 !!! Aussie cricket is back on top. Any team that is supported by small bears just has to be No.1. And I have my own Bart-size replica of that famous Urn. Now I can get away from the TV and get back to preparing more posts about last year's travels.

Labels: cricket

If you have been wondering why there have not been any posts for the last 4 days, the reason is very simple. I have been glued to the TV, watching one of the best cricket tests that I have ever seen. The game between Australia and India was a beaut. Not just because Australia won by a huge margin (an innings and 68 runs), but because it contained some brilliant batting and bowling by both teams. The superb effort of Australia's captain, Michael Clarke, will go into history as one of the best ever, 329 not out!!! He is now officially one of my heroes. I really enjoy watching good batsmen and Clarkie, Hussey, Ponting, Tendulkar and Laxman were really great to watch. So were the bowlers; I like Hilfenhouse, Pattinson and Sharma best. I watched every minute of the match and Mum kept dragging me further away from the TV every time I got close. She says that I will get glassy-eyed if I sit too close but I don't think that will be a problem as my eyes are made of glass anyhow. Now, if either team needs a mascot for the rest of the series, I am open to offers.

Labels: cricket, heroes

Wednesday was January 26, Australia Day. The Oldies and I always try to do something special on that day and this year was no different. Actually, we started our surge of patriotic feeling a bit earlier in the year when we went to see the English cricket team play the Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval; the Po*s won. You have probably noticed that I have been very quiet about cricket this season. The reason is obvious; our team is being thrashed by the fiendish Po*s. They beat us soundly in the Ashes series and drew the 20/20s. At least we are winning some of the 50-over games. I think that the team needs help from a certain small bear. Anyway, back to Australia Day. First off, a real Aussie dessert for the night before - pavlova and beer. If you've never tried pavlova, make sure you do when you come to Oz. Then on the day we went down to the Yacht Club and settled under a big shady tree to listen to Aussie folk songs played by a band called Franklyn B Paverty. These guys are really good. I was surprised that Dad knew the words of nearly all of the songs. Maybe his convict ancestry has something to do with it. And what did we have for lunch? Fish'n'chips and beer of course, you can't get much more Australian than that.

Labels: Canberra, cricket, family

Mum, Unka Paddy and Aunty Karen went shopping yesterday. They went to a special Christmas shop at Bredbo, a little town south of Canberra where there is a whole big barn full of Christmas decorations and stuff. Dad stayed home and we watched the cricket. This first Ashes test is turning out to be a great game, even if it ends in a draw. Anyhow, Mum comes home with something that claims to be a Christmas tree. Well, it's the smallest tree I've ever seen. It's made of glass and only has nine branches. It looks kind of pretty, but I have a big worry about it. How on Earth is Santa going to be able to fit my presents on or even under it? Maybe if it gets lots of water and fertilizer over the next few weeks it will grow bigger. Does anybody know what fertilizer works best for glass trees?

Labels: Canberra, Christmas, cricket, Santa

Aussie cricket selectors please note; I have the gear and am available for the next test. Santa left me my very own cricket bat and pads. I have studied the game on TV for years now and have been practicing using Mum's beads as balls. My arms are too short to be able to bowl like Mitch, Warnie or Pidge, but I can slog beads around like Punter, Gillie and Hados. All through last season when our guys were not doing so well, I thought that if only I had a chance I could help the team out. Well, I now have the equipment and the selectors are giving the younger guys a chance to fill the gaps left by the retirement of my heroes, so what about giving me a go??
And how about that last test match? After the first day I thought that we had had it. A bad call from our captain and the whole team bowled out for next to nothing. A big score from the Pakistanis and what seemed an impossible task for the Aussies to win, but the guys did it. I have just about made holes in the lounge with the excited jumping and bat-swinging. Cricket is never boring.

Labels: cricket, Santa

Only five more sleeps until Santa comes. It's a tough time for small bears and kids because patience is not our strong point. Interesting parcels are starting to appear near our sparkly Christmas tree but so far none of them has my name on them. They are presents from Mum, Dad and Trent to each other, so I guess that my bundle of goodies is coming with the old whiskery bloke. I hope there is something techno in it because Mum won't let me keep her iPhone. I am spending a lot of time on guard near the present pile. If any of those sneaky elves comes in and tries to add anything to the pile I will grab him and try to get ransom for him. I hear that it works if you can catch a Leprechaun, so maybe elves are similar. If I catch one I will let you know. My favourite guard spot is near a box at the end of the pile. It has almost the same colours as me, so I am pretty well camouflaged when I am near it. The trouble is that I can't watch cricket (and it's much more even with the South Africans as adversaries), swipe the sometimes-unguarded iPhone, be upstairs beading with Mum, making aeroplanes with Dad, and still be on guard. And I find that if I sit still long enough I go to sleep. I wish Santa would hurry up.

Labels: Christmas, cricket, Santa

I have been spending lots of time in front of the TV lately. The reason is the Indian Premier League Twenty 20 series. These must be some of the best cricket matches I have ever seen. At first I thought that the idea of making up teams of the best players from all over the world, sharing the players around so that every team had a mix of nationalities in it, seemed crazy. But hasn't it worked out well. I think the best thing is the way that players who had only played against one another have had a chance to play together on the same team. With one notable exception (the shameful Harbhajan Singh incident) it has worked really well. Mind you, my favourites are still Gilly, Haydos and Roy. When they get going they look like they are carrying the rest of their teams. Maybe I am just a little bit biased? And hasn't it been great to see Warnie and Pidge back in action. And how about that new stadium in Mumbai? That will be really something when they get the roofing on it. Usually, my favourite spot for TV watching is on the corner of the coffee table, right in front of the screen, but this series is a bit of a problem. The games go on right into the early hours of the morning and my oldies need their sleep. So I do a lot of watching from their bed. They get a bit stroppy if I keep the light on too long or get too excited and bouncy. If I do they turn on the recorder and turn off the light and I have to wait until the morning to see the finish. You can see that the rest of the bear crew are not so interested. Scruffy is his usual grumpy self, Samisch is confused because he can't understand the rules and William Thomas is completely uninterested, but he is Canadian so I guess that explains it.

Labels: cricket, heroes

What do small Aussie bears do in the days after Christmas? That's right. They watch the Sydney-Hobart yacht race and the cricket. I love cricket. I have only been to one game and that was the only game our guys lost last year, so I am happy to watch it on our TV. It seems that they never lose then. I thought this summer we might see some close matches, but it seems like it is more of the same. The series with New Zealand was a complete win for us and the Indians are struggling at the moment in the first test match. I hope that they will put up some real opposition to our team, but I do like seeing Gilly, Ponters, Haydos and Pup slamming balls all over the ground, and Clarkie and Brett Lee bowling wickets over. Who says cricket is boring? They just don't appreciate the skill and strategy involved. If small bears are ever allowed to play for Oz, I will be there.

Labels: Christmas, cricket

They say that when in Rome you do as the Romans do. Well, I was Roaming around Wildlife World when I met this guy. He wasn't roaming anywhere. In fact he was really laid-back. So in the spirit of doing what the locals do, I took the chance for a quiet stress-free chat and a quick nap. After all, my legs are a lot shorter than his.
Also, this was the day after that disappointing cricket match and I was still a bit low. Actually, every cricket match since has been a disaster. What the heck has happened to my team? I guess the only thing to do is for me to get into solid training and make myself available to the selectors for the next series against those tricky P**ms.

Labels: animals, cricket, New South Wales, Sydney

We were there for the match between Australia and the P..s (cleverly avoids the UN court) at the Sydney Cricket Ground last weekend.We got in early, just look at all those still empty seats. We found our seats despite the rather quaint and puzzling way the SCG numbers things. Mum and Dad had their Fanatics gear on and I had a pair of flags to wave. All ready for yet another Aussie win, and what happened. Our lot played like the P..s have been doing and the P..s played like our guys have been. We waz thrashed. I will never forget the wave of disbelief that rushed through my small bear brain when Gillie was clean bowled first ball of the innings. Even my other hero Cameron "Bear" White couldn't save the day. Oh well, we have the three final games now and maybe the P..s (sorry, England) will see how the lads play when honour is on the line. Remember the Ashes!!

Labels: cricket, New South Wales, Sydney

We have just had a super weekend. Mum took Friday off work and we went to Sydney to see the one-day match between Australia and England (Dad says I have to stop calling them Poms or I will end up in the UN court). Of course you can't go to the Sydney Cricket Ground in business suits; unless you are a member or an official. You just gotta get into the spirit of things and wear the green and gold. Here's us all togged up and ready for the game. The experience was fantastic with illegal Mexican waves, huge (illegal) cup snakes, and brawls on the remnant of the Hill. And of course there was a cricket match, but the less said about that the better... More on that over the next few days.

Labels: cricket, New South Wales, Sydney

Well, the Poms finally did it. They actually won a game. Mind you, it was against the New Zealanders, not our team. It was great to see a game where the teams were a bit more evenly balanced. Dad got real excited during the last 20 overs. He had me minding his vital supply. The one on the left was to drink if the Poms won, the one on the right if the NZers won. Since the game went down to the second-last ball he decided the only fair thing to do was to scoff both. Sometimes his logic escapes me.

Labels: cricket

Well, it's not quite like jumping out of an aeroplane at 15,000 feet but Dad says it is quite risky enough for a small bear. His version of a parachute is not quite up to the standard of the ones that the Red Berets use either. But it does work. Here he is about to drop me down the stairwell. Mum is waiting at the bottom with the camera to get a photo. I have to report that despite dozens of attempts this time and hundreds since, both here and at Unka Mark's where there is a longer drop, neither of them has managed to get a photo with both the parachute and the bear in a single frame. Dad says that gravity and Sir Issac always win. Despite predictions of gloom and disaster I haven't broken anything yet. Parachuting is great fun.

And I just have to say it: What about the cricket. We completely whitewashed the Poms in the test series and trounced them in the 20/20 game even without Pidgeon and Warnie. Maybe they will give us a closer game in the one-dayers.

Labels: cricket

Hi everybody. No updates for a few days because I have been busy watching the cricket and learning to drive my new car.
What a poor show the Poms put up in the 4th test. I think their team will have to apply for refugee status here because they must be worried about having to go back to England. Beaten by an innings and 99 runs. Four losses out of four games. And they are supposed to be the second best team in the world! Bring the Windies back!
My car is great. Dad is getting pretty good at getting it to go the full length of the tiled floor downstairs, Mum worries about the furniture. The only problem I have is that Scruffy and Samisch keep piling on whenever they hear me start it up.

Labels: cricket

What a Christmas present for us Aussies. Our lads thrashed the Poms and recovered the ashes. I have hardly moved from my telly-watching spot during the games. Now to see if we can make it 5 out of 5 and send them home really done.

By the way, don't forget to check the early posts in the archives.

Labels: Christmas, cricket

It's cricket season again.This year our guys get another chance to thrash the villainous Poms and regain the ashes. I will be cheering them on.
Last season I didn't have my new Mac to watch the games on, so when the oldies were out and the TV was off I had to swipe Trent's laptop. Here I am watching the Windies go under as Lara fails once again. Go for it Punters and Gilly!!!! I will be bouncing around and cheering. Mum and Dad are taking me to Sydney to see a day-nighter in Feb, so don't let a small bear down.
By the way, the netball waterbottle is definitely not mine.

Labels: cricket