In which I visit RVE again

Just a quick update but I distributed the letters inviting people to participate in my research/be interviewed, and it was good fun. I actually really like the RVE area and would probably live there if I had a lot of money. The view is unlike anything else. I finished distributing the letters just after sunset and it was eerie walking back to my car via the undeveloped part of RVE. A huge section of the land has no houses, just broken glass all over the streets and rabbits everywhere and CCTV cameras pointing at nothing in particular. It was also windier than I expected for the bottom of a valley. The final few raucous calls of a cockatoo flock settling in some nearby gums only further contributed to the weird vibe (and let's not get started on the distant sounds of Western Ring Road and freight trains). 

Josh walked with me and was really tired by this point so I left him at the dead-end roundabout thing while I walked to the car which was parked at the top of the hill (I actually did ask him whether he was concerned by this and he said he wasn't worried and that most likely nothing would happen - foreshadowing...) and by the time I got there and began to drive back down, he had already walked 3/4 of the way up the hill because he was spooked by a bunch of people with flashlights walking around and then a small blue car being driven down by the quarry lake. Even worse, a car drove past me as I was walking back to my car, and I asked if Josh had seen it and he said no (but it would've had to drive past him...? Spooky). 

Also, I spoke with some residents (Sunday afternoon is good for hanging out letters because everyone's garage doors are open) and they are enthusiastic about being interviewed (one guy wanted to be interviewed right then and there, and said it was unfortunate that I had just missed a huge group of motorcyclists leaving the quarry). 

I can see why many of the empty blocks of land here remain undeveloped and unsold... seems like levelling the block would be a hassle 

Spot the cat

Gotta love these giant chunks of basalt hanging out on the footpath 

There were cameras EVERYWHERE. It was so strange. They weren't there last time

You can barely see the cockatoo family. How good is that giant bunch of trees 

Imagine having to dig through that basalt to make the block suitable for a house

Sorry

I meant to update this from Canberra but 3 days of no real internet meant I fell out of the habit. I am back now (obviously) with not much to say. I have a bad cough that is evidently going around because most people I know are also suffering; teaching is good; kitten is bad (in a good way) and is also now officially named Egg; and thesis is going well (I think). I went to the VU library today because they have a lot of old municipal reports/documentation concerning the Maribyrnong Valley, quarries, and industry in general, which aren't available at the ERC for some reason. I only intended to ask if intra-library loans were a thing and the woman there made me sign up for some bizarre card and told me that half the things I wanted are only "available by appointment", meaning I now have to go in at 3:30 pm on Friday to talk to a specific person who is permitted to fetch it and supervise me while I photocopy relevant pages. But that's OK I guess.

Egg makes a new enemy 

Bowling ball cat with a terrifying face

Egg in a box

Happy