Heavenly Beverley : A Series of Sixties...

When I was younger, I didn't think people were much chop after sixty. Actually, I didn't believe people lived past thirty. Until I turned thirty...

Now, the sixtieth birthdays are starting. Michael's sister Sandra and cousin Zoe turned sixty last year. We went to their excellent Horses Party, in honour of all the attendees - there were a few of them - being born in the Year of the Horse.

And this year's crop is underway. One of Michael's oldest friends, Leigh, turned sixty on Saturday. He had flown from Queensland for the occasion and opened the old family beach house on the Dawesville inlet for the duration. About twenty family and friends descended for the festivities, including a mad couple who had also come from Queensland. Talk about devotion.

We arrived about four in the afternoon. We could not have wished for a better day. The weather was magnificent - warm and sunny. Not bad for winter. Other guests arrived over the next few hours. There were balloons, banners and a fabulous BBQ. And a birthday cake. The "boys" were in fine form. I went to bed around midnight - there were numerous beds scattered around the house and we had commandeered one on the ground floor near the loo. The party was still going strong when I woke in the early hours of the morning. Determined not to miss out on the fun, I rejoined the rest of the revellers. But, I had to admit defeat shortly afterwards and returned to our sleeping bags.

Michael crawled into bed next to me at some stage. I could tell he was there as he had turned into a giant ice cube and was using me as a human hot water bottle. After his body reverted to normal temperature, we both went to sleep.

The morning after dawned warm and breezy. The "boys" were all suffering from the after effects of a very good night. Coffee helped, as did sitting very still in the sun. A cooked breakfast was prepared on the BBQ by the outstanding Jen. Some of us partook - surprisingly, I only had a minor headache - whilst other guests looked at the food and decided against it. Michael was able to get a sausage wrapped in bread down so he could take his antibiotic. He chose not to have the rest of his usual meds, as he didn't want to push his stomach too far.

The major disaster of the day, considering the state of some of the hangovers, was the Blocking Up of the Toilet. This particularly ancient piece of equipment had been used very frequently and gave up the ghost at the volume of visits. I heard a whispered rumour of tree roots in the septic tanks. Personally, I think the problem had been caused by too many blokes with alcohol afflicted digestive systems.

So, one by one, we traipsed down to the facilities on the foreshore to answer varying calls of nature. The access path was very steep, so Michael chose to drive to the gents. I tackled the walk. It was beautiful if a bit strenuous coming back. The steps were okay - it was the near vertical road at the top that nearly killed me...

Reluctantly, we left after brunch. Hugs were exchanged and promises to catch up before they all turned seventy! We had to pick up Simon, our backpacker, from Midland on the way home. And we bought Tandoori chicken legs for dinner. I was not in the mood for any complicated dinner preparation. Simon looked a bit the worse for wear. I think he's had quite a good weekend with some mates in the Big Smoke.

We were all tired when we arrived safely home at the House that Rocks. Simon had a sleep and then went to catch up with the French barmaid at the bottom pub. Michael fell asleep in front of the footy and retired to bed for an hour. I pottered around, sorting some washing, thanking Lorna for feeding the dogs and prepared a very simple dinner.

We were not up late last night - any of us. By ten o'clock, one almost sixty-year-old bloke, a slightly younger wife and a fit twenty-two-year-old backpacker were all in bed. The dogs were astonished.

And we were planning on doing it all again in another three weeks. The next sixtieth birthday is Michael's on 4 September. Naturally, we have a weekend blast planned. Just to prove we're not getting old!