Ford Closes its Australian Factories After More Than 90 Years of Car-making and on the Same Day Kingswood Country star Ross Higgins Dies?!

Ross Higgins (14 June 1931 – 7 October 2016)

The last Australian-made Ford car has rolled off the assembly line at the company's Broadmeadows plant today and Ross Higgins, the star of Kingswood Country, died today aged 86.
WTF?!
Ford closes its Australian factories after more than 90 years of car-making
If you are an Australian you would have to agree that this is really bizarre, as the show that Ross was in was named after a Holden car and Ross's character hated Ford with a passion.
Kingswood Country star Ross Higgins dies

If you grew up like I did in Australia, there was always a polarization between driving a Ford, or Holden car.
It was almost like being either a Catholic, or Protestant in the same era.
I've driven and owned both brands of cars and now own, and am very happy with my Hyundai i30, so work that out for yourself.

My Hyundai i30 parked in
  Sydney last weekend

But on Sunday night there is a TV mini-series about Peter Brock, who died in a race crash ten years ago, and he was the Holden poster boy when I was growing up.
Not only that, but fellow Cronulla Sharks supporter Brenden Cowell is playing Ford stalwart Allan Moffat in that show and Steve Bisley is playing Harry Firth.

I've written posts about meeting Brendan Cowell and Steve Bisley at these links -
How It Feels??? Synchronistic That's How! (Part 1)

and
Stillways: A Memoir

I had no interest in watching this TV series until I learned today that Brendan and Steve are playing characters in this TV show.  

Brendan Cowell and ex, Rose Byrne
wearing a Sharks jersey

Brendan Cowell and Sharks captain Paul Gallen last year

On a personal note, my father mainly owned Ford taxis, which is where I got to drive Ford cars, as when he had to buy a new taxi, he would give me his old cab to drive as my own personal car ... minus the yellow cab paraphernalia.

My old Holden Torana

My old ex-taxi and XD Ford Falcon outside my rented unit

Personally, after driving Fords and Holdens for years I can see why most Australians are buying Japanese and Korean cars now.

But on another personal sync, my father passed away aged 86, also in the same year that Ross Higgins passed.
This has to be a truly bizarre synchronicity for most Australians with Ross Higgins passing away the same day Ford pull out of Australia.

Room 216: Chasing the Big Fish

When I was in Sydney I had listened to and written a post about David Charles Plate's talk where he discusses the numbers 216 and 237 and I think he mentioned 217, as well, in that talk -
CLIMBING THE TREE OF LIFE – 
DAVID CHARLES PLATE
I left Sydney and checked into my motel room in Canberra and was given the room number 216.
I did not request this room number; in fact, I had no idea they even had a room 216.

But to my surprise there was even a room 217 across the hall from my room and a room 237 on the same level down the hall and around the corner from my room. 

The Doors?

The weird thing is though that my whole mission on my road trip was to follow the team of big fish (The Sharks) and watch them capture a premiership trophy that has alluded them since the club joined the NRL competition nearly 50 years ago.

Friday the 23rd of September was my birthday BTW

David says in his talk that the number 216 is associated with big fish.

The Sync Book

The extra weird thing was that my team (The Sharks) would win their first ever premiership trophy by the end of the week in the year 2016:-)

And there was even a tree which would come to life outside my motel window every morning with the sound of currawong calls.

The Tree of Life?

The tree full of currawongs singing outside my motel room

Not only did the Sharks win the grand final but they had to beat The Storm (777?) to do it.

Canberra Connections

Hurricane Matthew: Trick or Treat?

I was just reading a post from some friends in Florida who are bunkering down as Hurricane Matthew approaches on its deadly run -
Hurricane Matthew, a Trickster 
They mention the satellite image of a grinning death head, which to me looked something like a cross between the Grinch and a Jack-o'-lantern.
Hurricane Matthew is scary (and serene) when seen from the sky

It also reminded me of that creepy NASA image of the sun from two years ago.

The NASA image of the sun from two years ago

Hurricane Matthew I see has already claimed at least 283 lives according to this news story -
Hurricane Matthew: Millions evacuate as south-east US braces for violent storm; at least 283 dead
This hurricane is certainly no treat for anyone in its path.