Wangi Wangi 24th Oct 2024

 - a Perfect Day at Wangi Wangi

It was a beautiful day, perhaps the most beautiful day of the year. A few fluffy clouds, a steady 23 degrees dipping to  a freshening 21 degrees as we ascended up to Peats Ridge and - Life is Good. You know the feeling!

There were an indomitable dozen of us. Actually a couple more who left at morning tea, but not before they paid their dues to UCARF, who had arranged the perfect weather which ran contrary to the misleading, dire and deceptive representations from the weather bureau and the ABC.

I was amused at the way, in almost perfect (sorry to use that word again, but it was that sort of day) formation the dozen followed me. Swooping up the old road at precisely the speed limit, if the speed limit had been the one I thought appropriate. A quiet coffee at Jerry’s, swooping and tweedling down Bumble Hill and a lovely run through Yarramalong, Dooralong, Mandalong and along the Lake to Chez Wangi in Little Wangi Bay. Rob Toshack did a perfect job as TEC and we all arrived together in very good time. No one lost, no one stressed, no one discombobulated.

Wangi Wangi, by the way, means home of many owls.

Frosty had arrived, under his own steam in an ancient Citroen a little earlier and had the BBQ running and the first sizzle of the perfect snags and rissoles from Rathmines Butchers wafted out over the lake. The BBQ is yet another skill of Frosty’s and he further burnished his reputation as a polymath.

Jennifer, my perfect wife and life partner had procured and prepared all the stuff, including a great salad with herbs and spices from our garden. She really did all the work. Thank you, my sweet.

All dug in joyfully, including Maria & Steve Sampson who had driven in, with their two dogs, from another direction. The dogs have written me a note thanking me for their “best day ever” and were rude enough to say how the Rathmines sausages were such a great relief from their normal, miserable, diet of “Woof”.

Of course, we can have perfect days like this but the human condition is often blighted. Sometimes it is blighted by just good old arthritis, which knocks the “perfect” off what might otherwise have been a very nice life, and leaves us bent and twisted and hurt. Or it may be that insidious form, Rheumatoid Arthritis which founder’s, Stephen Dearnley, wife suffered all those years and which led to the creation of Ulysses Club Arthritis Research Fund (UCARF).

The crew at lunch were good enough to contribute $545, cash. Thanks. A few others have contributed directly to UCARF by EFT. If you weren’t able to make the ride due to some lame excuse then you should punish yourself and contribute now. If you had a good excuse you can contribute. If you know someone with Arthritis in whatever form, you should contribute. If you feel a few twinges coming on, your should definitely contribute. It will be a relief. 

Details of the account are:

UCARF 
BSB: 062 517
Account No: 1078 6075

Mark “Northern Beaches” in the details so we track the money that comes in. We think we have around $750 as a result, so far from the event. Let’s make the target $1,000 - please.

Thanks
Stephen Davies