Back from a weekend trip to Canberra. My old school friend John Hawkins has finally made the journey to the altar, having married Elo. A simple ceremony at The Knot, an eponymous metal sculture at the the National Gallery, followed by a reception in the Black Mountain tower. Congratulations Hawk and Elo. May your lives together be blessed!

I stayed The Mercure, near the War Memorial, and did quite a bit of walking. Canberra readily lends itself to such pursuits, being flat and systematically planned. One day I'll remember to bring my bicycle. Down Anzac Parade, large installations memorialize every major conflict that the nation has entered, including the Boer War. I may be wrong, but I don't think that Australia has ever entered a war on it's own steam, that is, without being asked or in some way influenced. First the British, now the Americans. Perhaps its time to grow up and let go the hand of the parent state.