It came via email, and rather than chuck it through a journalese filter, it’s best if you read this straight from the fingers of Jessica Clark, whom -  we believe – should be nominated for the award of nicest daughter and grand-daughter of the month.

“Dear Bendigo Advertiser, 

This is a silly little story but I thought it might brighten my grandfather’s day if you put a little article in your paper about it. 

“I recently graduated from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in civil engineering. My grandfather, Stuart McDonald, and my mother, Marie McDonald, came to my graduation and it was at that moment I realised that each of us has graduated form Melbourne University with a BSc, three generations in one University. Grandpa and Mum have always encouraged us to study hard and emphasised the importance of education. 

“Post graduating, grandpa went on to be a CSIRO research officer and a tutor at Trinity college, where I soon followed. I resided in Trinity college for two years and now work for the AWRI and CSIRO, making contract wine for them while I complete my Masters of Oenology. 

“As well as being a farmer he was also the federal president of the National Party and chairman of Rural Finance. Mum on the other hand became a mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Blake Dawson Waldren and has now returned to her scientific roots, becoming the director of the CSL Limited board. It is interesting how after one degree, each of us has taken a different route. 

“I have never met a more interesting person than my grandfather. 

I know this is a silly little story but it would mean a great deal to an old man to acknowledge the amazing path he set behind him for the next generations to follow. 

Thank you, 

Jessica Clark." 

No, Jessica, thank you. 

Albino frog explained

A few weeks back, DTM edged into the issue of strange animal sightings in the region and wondered if they seemed a bit sparse these days. But among the odd animal stories we found was the case of an adult-sized albino frog found embedded in a lump of quartz extracted from deep underground. It lived a few minutes when exposed to the air and then died.

DTM urged folks to think how that might have happened. We’ve since been asked the Pauline question: Please explain!

The (only?) logical explanation is that a microscopic tadpole was washed deep underground in a rain storm, and ended up in a small cavity in the rock. It had enough water and nutrients to grow as large as the space would allow, but being deprived of light, it remained ghostly transparent.

Exposure to light ended its sad little life.

We don’t want to jump (groan) to conclusions, but that’s our story and we’re sticking with it.