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The local supermarket community noticeboard advertised a trash and treasure market from 7am til 1pm on Sundays. We decided to drag ourselves out of bed early to go. This meant making a determined effort to get out of bed to wrestle with the toilet block crowds for a shower and grab breakfast in a hurry (not our usual morning pace). Actually, we asked Caleb to wake us up and told him to not take any notice of the groans but to keep persevering. It worked, and we arrived there with the bulk of the crowd around 9:30 am. 

As we paid the $1.50 entry fee we realised that we only had about $20 cash between us. The service station was next door so we concluded that we could get some more cash easily if we needed to. We couldn’t imagine what we could buy from a Trash and Treasure market that would fit in the van anyway. As it turned out, we got all of the following list for $15. 

• A Toy – it was 50c but the man let Caleb pay 30c. Caleb thinks he keeps getting bargains because he is cute. 
• 2 t-shirts
• 2 screwdrivers
• 1 dozen eggs
• A bag of Pistachio nuts 
• Bananas
• Entry fee

We left feeling very much like successful bargain shoppers and headed back to the caravan with our bounty.
After a lunch of sandwiches and the cracking of delicious pistachio nuts, (accompanied by a load of washing) we ventured back to Adelaide to the site of the statue of Colonel Light who first surveyed Adelaide and set out the plan of the streets. The statue overlooked the Adelaide Oval where something was happening so we wandered down for a gander and to find out what was happening.
Ray was smiling when he saw the sign that said “Sheffield Shield -Free Entry” and as I followed him in I worked out that it was cricket. We bought an icy pole and climbed into the stand to watch. 

I’m not that interested in sport so I sat back in the shade, checked my emails, worked on the blog and sent a few texts. I also managed to spill red icy pole juice all down the front of my white tshirt. I hurried to the ladies where I had to just about hand wash my whole top and stand with it under the dryer for a good 20 minutes. 
When I got back, nothing had changed. It seemed that they had stopped the game in time to wait for me to return!

I decided, (through sleepy eyelids because cricket is not the most riveting thing to watch), that the systematic nature of the game must be what appeals to most men. It goes like this: 1. Man bowls ball 2. Man hits ball (or not) 3. Man chases ball 4. Man throws ball (after polishing vigorously in, on, or beside nether regions 5. Man throws ball to bowler. Then it all starts again. 1. Man bowls ball… Etc. etc. etc. this rhythm is punctuated by cries and jubilant fingers pointing skyward which sometimes seem to work and other man walks hanging head.
It is simple, unchanged throughout history and I believe rather boring. I’m not saying anything more. No wonder entry was free!