Hi, I am Andrew

Hello,

After a month of fooling around, reading posts, making a few of my own and generally just getting familiar with the site, here I am making an introduction post. I know it is a bit belated, and I have already picked up a few followers, but I wanted to get familiar with the site, its vibe and the people here before committing to a course. In truth, I knew little about what to expect. I came here mostly because many of the creators I follow on the conspiracy and politics channels on Youtube are being censored and many, such as @theouterlight, @highimpactflix, @titusfrost and @defango are here. So I figured I might as well jump over too. What I found made me rethink things and I am now keen to build my own blog. I love photography and have just got a Nikon 5600 which I am learning how to use to its best advantage, so expect a few photos.

I am 47 and have lived in the Canberra region of Australia for much of my life, with a stint in Townsville and a couple of years in the Solomon Islands when I was a teen. I love this area and Canberra is the most beautiful city I have seen, and I have been to a few. Designed by Walter Burley Griffin and regulated in its growth and expansion, the city is easy to get around and has not got the traffic and crowding many other cities suffer from. It is designed to fit into the surrounding countryside and has earned the name The Bush Capital due to the vast amounts of bushland and grassland present within its borders, separating the smaller satellite city centres which together make up the greater city.

As a keen angler, Canberra also provides me with plenty of scope to practice this passion. From the local lakes with their populations of carp, redfin perch, yellowbelly and cod, to the mountain streams with rainbow and brown trout, to the South Coast and some of the best estuary, beach and offshore fishing in the world, I am spoiled for options within an hour and a half drive from home.

I also do a lot of miniatures modelling. Painting miniatures and making terrain is how I spend many winters evenings. I do not play any of the wargames much any more, but used to play Warhammer, 40K, Warmachine/Hordes and Malifaux among others. Now I find I prefer to just paint and work with the models to actually playing the games.

I am amicably divorced and live alone with my 2 cats and 3 dogs, 2 mini foxies and a 17 year old Dachshund cross who has been my best mate and great company since he was 4 weeks old.

My kids are great people and have grown up to be responsible and respectful so I could say I am very impressed with them, but I am biased. However, my son is doing well at work, and my daughter, who is in her final year at school, is School Captain, so I am justified in being impressed. I could say I was proud, but that implies there might be something I influenced. I prefer to be impressed by their own efforts and achievements.

My Daughter Charlotte leading her class into the opening assembly last year.

My son and the menagerie

And finally, this is me at Lake Tuggeranong doing what I love most, catching big carp.

So please drop by and say g'day every now and then, take a look at my stuff, comment and let me know what you think. I will always try to improve my work, and want and hope to build a blog that is of value to the whole community, not just a self glorifying, self-promoting and selfish blog.

Thankyou to those who have made me feel welcome to the community and who have followed me already. I hope I can keep you entertained. Thanks especially to @papa-pepper whose kind encouragement is inspiring and whose marvelous blog posts are a thing to aspire to.