When I was in Australia in December 1987 aboard USS Missouri, I heard a wonderful song called "Christmas in Australia" by The Irish Drovers. For nearly 20 years I've been looking for that recording. When I ask for it the usual reply is, "You mean The Irish Rovers." No, it's The Irish Drovers.

Our ship's choir toured schools and hospitals and we sang a Wheeler & James carol called "Christmas Night." We nicknamed it The Boobook Song because one of the lines goes, "All the boobooks were silent in willow tree glade, And the night herons listens in star-spangled shade."