Dave Latu and the bees
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Dave Latu and the bees |
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 Marist Fathers’ Novitiate, ‘Highden’, Private Bag, Palmerston Nth. Sat. 8th Feb. ’69. Dear Mum & Dad, I was sorry to hear about Shane Prendiville’s death. Actually one of the Brothers showed me it, asking if I knew her. The big news here at the moment is that Robert Devlin caught a hawk in his possum trap this morning. It is a fairly young one. At the moment it is in a cage with a mask over its head. Rob has great ambitions of training it for falconing. On Monday 10th of Feb. we will have been at the Seminary for a year. The new Aspirants arrived at the Mount today – 10 of them. There is only one Silverstreamer going in -David Egan, who left school with us in 1967. On Wednesday and Friday we were haymaking. We broke the record on Wed. for the greatest number of bales. On Friday we finished at 8 p.m. We then had Benediction in our old haymaking clothes, which provided a change from soutanes. We also had our first supper for the year. I was sitting in the Superior’s place at table doing a little “imitation act” while Tony O’Connor took a photo. Lo and behold – Fr. O’Connor walked in. However, he just laughed and asked if it was a good act! Dave Latu has been stung on the nose for the third week in succession. This usually provides the entertainment in Chapel. He works on the Bees and has about 20 hives. Kerry Maher cut a crew cut today! It was the first time that Kerry had cut hair – as a result I have a very, very short crew cut. I have started playing tennis again. We have a grass court here. Fr. Provincial (Fr. Bourke) comes to stay tonight for the second time this week. Singing – after a grand start - seems to have reach a dead-lock. “Just sing the notes and soften off at the ends.” That’s my punch line! On Thursday night we had a small unofficial concert in study, when all teachers in the Society were acted out on stage. Today Tim Donoghue, Tim McCann & John Owens went for a short walk in the afternoon, & ended up somehow in Bulls! They saw Fr. Connolly S.M. up there – he thought it was a great joke, shouted them a milkshake & said “Mum’s the word”. We believe he could be the next Novice Master! (Seriously however, because he has a Doctorate in Aesthetical Theology & preached our retreat at the Mount last year). Well, I think that that is all the “news” for this week. Everyone is in fine spirits here – we call ourselves the 12 Apostles. (We are waiting for the Judas to appear). They all send their regards! Love from Bruce |