PerthDailyPhoto

Sculpture by the sea III.....

2012-03-05T06:58:00.001+08:00

This sculpture by Chen Wenling one of China's leading contemporary sculptors in bronze and painted with red automotive paint is called 'childhood - morning' and is 'in memory of the artist's childhood during the times of Mao' which explains the colour. Again if you have time it's definitely worth a click to enlarge to see the sculptures in more detail...

The work below by Toby Bell of WA, a stone base in steel frame and cold cast aluminium sculpture called 'caliban' , and that's it, no other explanation was given, all I can say is that it is massive, and must have been quite a feat to construct.....

I was a bit taken aback by the next group, from afar they were very life like. This is a work by another Chinese sculptor Wang Shugang sculpted in painted bronze called 'meeting1', it was kind of creepy, but that changed when a few tourists decided to have some fun with it and sit in on the 'meeting' ....

I'm really not sure about these little suckers below, they were sprinkled in the rocks all along the pier. As a group they're called 'the yearning' by NSW artist Margarita Sampson, the explanation being 'Gonna git you, sucka!' I'm as much in the dark as you but they were colourful little suckers and interestingly not for sale, which is shame because if they came individually ONE sucker might have been in my price range.....!!

So I'm going to finish with an 'interesting' sight that met me as I was coming up the slope from the beach, I looked up and thought 'what the...!!' This sculpture is by Paul Kaptein from WA and is called 'and in the endless pauses, there came a sound' the artist's aim is 'to convey new possibilities for thinking the present - a remixed now proposes things as not quite truth, not quite fiction'. This one is definitely worth a closer look and not for the obvious reasons haha! it is constructed out of laminated wood and steel and is really quite a complicated piece of work....

Tomorrow I thought I'd finish off with the last few of my favorites from the exhibition and then we're done with the sculptures! It's a public holiday in Perth today and it's going to be 37C, sounds like a good day to hibernate indoors. Have a good start to the new week.....

Sculpture by the sea II.....

2012-03-04T06:57:00.001+08:00

This sculpture is not the winner, but it's definitely one of my favorites for it's style and simplicity. It's called 'oushi-zokei by Japanese artist Keizo Ushio. I'm not sure if I mentioned yesterday but there are sculptures here by artists from all around the world, and the sculptures are for sale, the price tag on this one is $125,000. Looking through you can see a work by Ayad Alqaraghilli in silicon bronze titled 'highness'.....btw it really is worth it to click and enlarge to get the full impact of the sculptures.

Below is the sculpture that won the $15,000 first prize and while it may not look as appealing as some of the other displays it definitely relays a hugely relevant message for the times. It's by WA artist Paul Caporn and is called 'dump'.. the message being 'overloading a system eventually leads to it's failure'. It's constructed from EVA foam mats, hi-density styrene and sand, what do you think?

I loved this one below called 'many threads' by Mia Rappel from Victoria. A collection of hand woven wool spheres and threads. The 'gathering of the many threads of our personal and global lives'.

This last one for today is by Japanese artist Zero Higashida in stainless steel, it's called 'inochi', the gorgeous girl sunbathing is just an added bonus haha!

I'll show you some of the very much more bizarre sculptures tomorrow, I mean REALLY bizarre..!! I hope you're having a fab weekend, it's heating up again here in Perth, high 30's for the next few days, really enjoyed the few cooler days.....

Sculpture by the Sea I.....

2012-03-03T06:58:00.000+08:00

OMG is exactly how I felt yesterday after hours of shooting on Cottesloe Beach. The eighth annual Sculpture by the sea started on the 1st March and there's some pretty amazing and incredibly bizarre entries this year. The one above is described as a 'monolithic statement,and in its dimensionality and materials transcends the mundanity of the humble letter and reaches ironically for a high form of expression'.... Not sure about all that, I just liked it!!

This one is rather saucily named 'screwing by the sea'..... 'nuff said methinks.....!!

When I was editing the pictures last night I called this one 'the trumpet' to identify it, but it's actually called 'thought process' an abstract representation of the evolution of a concept, righty ho!! As you can imagine there were a lot of cameras clicking on the beach today, couldn't resist snapping this chap trying to get his own perspective on 'the trumpet'!!

There's heaps more to show you over the next few days. I'll show you the winning sculpture tomorrow, it surprised me, not that I don't appreciate the idea, it's just that there were so many amazing 'objets de art' to choose from that I wonder sometimes just how they make their selection.....!! The weekend seems to come around faster all the time, I hope you have a good one.....

Life's a 'beach'.....!

2012-03-02T06:55:00.001+08:00

And then the big kid comes along and says

'KEEP DIGGING'.....!!

The 'good' wind.....!

2012-03-01T07:06:00.000+08:00

When P walked the (Bibbulmun Track) back at the end of 2010, he came home with some amazing images, these being a few of them. The theme for CDP'ers today is electricity. I know many countries around the world are now using wind turbines as a source of energy, but I'm wondering how many are in such rugged, remote and incredibly beautiful areas like the Albany Wind Farm which is situated about 12klms south west of Albany. The 18 wind turbines are elevated 80mtres above the Southern Ocean close to the coastline, near the main electricity transmission system, making this the perfect site to capture the power of the 'Roaring Forties'.....

I couldn't resist this last image, I don't think P knew he was being observed by this curious kangaroo, can you see him there in the right hand corner! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this theme,

Deep contemplation? Maybe, maybe not.....!!

2012-02-29T06:55:00.000+08:00

I was a bit taken aback when I looked up to see a monk standing staring out towards the water, immediately I thought 'can it be!' he looked about the right height and weight. The Dalai Lama (Dalai meaning Ocean and Lama, teacher or guru) has visited Perth on a few occasions and I was furiously trying to remember if I'd read anywhere that he was here right now. Once my excitement was replaced by common sense (yeh right!) I realized that even from the back you could tell he was much younger, and that the Dalai Lama probably wouldn't be strolling around the marina by himself.. or maybe he would!! I'm thinking that perhaps this monk was gazing over at the Wind Rose and contemplating... 'Ommmmmmm! what a 'divine' sculpture, could it be used to fathom the path of the winds... !' Or, he could be looking over at Jetty's and wondering what to have for brekkie!! It's going to be a beautiful 32C day in Perth today, it's amazing the difference 5 degrees makes. Hope your day moves along the way you'd like it to.....

When is a rose not a rose.....!

2012-02-28T06:57:00.000+08:00

When it's a Wind Rose. I walk past this sculpture near the ocean at least twice a week and for the first time yesterday I actually 'looked' at it and wondered a) what it was called and b) who created it! The words read: 'THIS WIND ROSE REPRESENTS AVERAGE WIND VELOCITY RECORDED DAILY AT 3PM' and around the base are the compass points N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, N, NW. I'm guessing that the positioning and the curve and size of the centre opening of the sculpture is vitally important, but even reading the working description in the above link it's as clear as 'mud' to me (come on, it's nothing at all to do with being blonde haha!). I was wondering if anyone has seen a Wind Rose (not necessarily in this particular design) and can perhaps in 'non technical' terms make it all a little clearer! I hope you have a less puzzling day than mine was trying to figure this out.....!

Hanging balls in Green & Co(ck).....!!

2012-02-27T06:58:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I went with Bill to the camera market held in the Leederville Town Hall, it's an every three months event where you can find everything from antique camera's right up to modern SLR's. It's a great opportunity if you're looking for a different sized lens, filters, tripods etc. I was seriously tempted by a limited edition white Pentax complete with 18-55mm and 28-200 lens' in matching white, it was just so 'pretty', but I really couldn't justify spending $600 on something that I really didn't need! I did come away with a great book full of tips on how to take better portrait shots for $10 and was very happy with that (easily pleased, that's moi). On the way home we stopped in Leederville to have a cup of coffee in Green & Co, someone regularly adds a 'ck' onto the end of the Co which is slightly amusing, described as 'bohemian' but actually pretty 'shabby' looking from the outside, it's pretty funky inside with walls covered in old music concert posters and light balls hanging from the ceiling, the main thing is that the coffee is good and the cake even better!! Hope you have a great start to the new week.....

Can it be true what they say about blondes.....!!

2012-02-26T06:53:00.001+08:00

Yesterday I was making a comment on Linda's The Road Awaits blog and she mentioned that she was experimenting in black and white images as a challenge for her photography club, she was hoping to get some feed back on subjects that translate well into this genre. For me I think you can't go past either portraits or street scenes, I took this one in the city this week and as I had more than enough time to take the shot, it seems what they say about 'blondes' getting just that wee bit more attention may be true, the waiter definitely 'loitered' haha!! I hope you have a fabulous Sunday.....

Wonderful women.....!!

2012-02-25T06:54:00.000+08:00

I had lunch with a friend in Cottesloe yesterday, with the intention of taking some shots of The Indiana Tearooms to show you, which I did and I will, but along the way I got a wee bit distracted by not one, but four 'wonder women' posing for pictures on the beach.. The beach front was being prepared for the annual Rottnest Channel Swim (a short video of the 2010 swim). Thousands of swimmers set off early in the morning to swim over to Rottnest Island which is 20klms off the WA coast near Perth, to be honest with all the shark sightings we've had this summer, you couldn't pay me to do it! The race can be swum by singles, pairs, fours etc. and I'm thinking that perhaps these four ladies were a team having some shots taken before the race which is today. I'm going to have to check the news tonight to see if I can spot this colourful group among the masses that took off from the beach this morning. Personally, I'm going out to dinner and take in a movie with my family, how about you, are you doing something exciting this weekend.....?

End of the day.....

2012-02-23T06:58:00.000+08:00

It was 37C in Perth on Tuesday, is there any better way to end such a day than with a dip in the ocean as the sun is setting.....!

Battling 'the doctor'.....!!

2012-02-22T06:59:00.000+08:00

A few days ago after lunch at the Trigg Island Cafe with my two sisters-in-law, heading back to the car I was sidetracked for a while watching this guy wrestling with the Fremantle Doctor (you'll have to look to see what that's all about haha!) to get his board and kite into the water, check out this short video showing a kite boarding lesson, looks fun, but to be honest it exhausted me just watching him fighting the elements. Like anywhere in the world where there's a beach and strong winds, kite boarding is hugely popular, there is a spot just a few kilometers up the coast where there would probably have been ten instead of this one lone kite boarder....

Then eventually he was off and flying through the water, it looks like it would be excellent fun, if you were not 'multi phobia' challenged like moi!! Where to even begin.....!!

Och aye the noo.....!!

2012-02-21T06:59:00.000+08:00

Like any big city Perth has it's fair share of fabulous buskers and this super cool guy is one of my favorites, here he is doing his thing in Forest Chase. He rocks those bagpipes with traditional Scottish music played in a very different way, I remember we saw him once when my Mum was along too, being a true Scot she wasn't terribly impressed with his rendition of 'The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond' and especially not 'Amazing Grace' haha! I've never spoken to him so I don't know if he actually is a Scot, next time. Hope you have rockin' day.....!!

What's in a name.....

2012-02-20T06:59:00.000+08:00

A few of my favorite signs on Market Street in Fremantle.. Firstly, very clever and very Aussie is shock & oar everything nautical that you might need to wear when you set off on the high seas in your yacht....

Or you might like to stay the night and have a wee dram in Rosie O'Grady's Irish Pub, I've heard it has 'great craic' , pronounced 'crack', meaning a fantastic time, which I'm sure I didn't need to clarify!

Princess Chambers is a suite of offices, what a lovely address to have on your business card oui!!

You can tell by the signage that this isn't any old corner store selling fruit and veg. Inside is a haven of gorgeous homewares, beautifully made although just a tad pricey.....and below we have my personal favourite, let's just say Jayne is not the only one addicted to chocolate, a little everyday keeps a smile on my dial.....!! Start the week off well enjoy some chocolate today.....

Mothers and daughters.....

2012-02-19T06:52:00.001+08:00

There's an old saying that if you want to know what your future bride may look like, look to her mother...this adorable little joey (baby kangaroo) above, that could be mistaken for a baby deer minus it's spots and is cute as can be, will one day be a powerful mamma like 'herself 'below..check out the claws on those back feet..oh la they could do some damage if you stay out late drinking with the boys....!!

Fortunately if you have to make a hasty getaway, you are well equipped to bound out of reach pronto, unfortunately she is equally equipped and will be right behind you haha! Bit scary huh.....!! This is my entry for the 'silly Sunday' theme...what do you mean there isn't one!! Hope you have a fab Sunday....

Ol' Blue Eyes.....

2012-02-18T06:52:00.000+08:00

It always amazes me how the same subject for an image can look totally different depending on the angle or light. This Little Black Cormorant sitting quietly gazing out at the comings and goings of the marina through his startlingly blue/green eyes (click on photo below to see this unusual colour) ignored me taking his picture from the pier looking inwards towards the cafes. I must say I did enjoy the rusty reflections from the steel girders in the water.....

The same bird, not having moved one gleaming feather was totally unaware that I was still clicking when I was sitting having a skinny cappuccino (minus pastry!!) in one of the above mentioned cafes, but this time looking out towards sea, the light and reflections became so much more defined....I hope that you enjoy a café et pâtisserie at your favorite cafe this weekend.....

Skyscrapers and laundry baskets.....!

2012-02-17T06:59:00.001+08:00

Well I went out looking for a bit of fun, and I think I found it sitting looking very much out of place in the Supreme Court Gardens, trouble is I can't tell you very much about it!! I've searched Google under every combination of key words I can think of to no avail. All I can tell you is that it's a sculpture, three actually, made entirely out of what looks like plastic laundry baskets (please click to enlarge, it's too weird) all tied together with plastic snap locks. At first I thought it might be one of the visual art projects included in the Fringe World Festival but then realized that the Perth Festival is on at the same time (it's all happening in Perth!!), so if anyone from Perth is reading this and can enlighten me, feel free! I kind of liked in the first image the combination of 'laundry' baskets and big business, banking...get it , laundry, banking... nah!! that would never happen in Perth haha! I know I say this every week, but surely it can't be Friday already again!! Hope you have a great weekend.....

Fire update.....

2012-02-16T06:51:00.000+08:00

The bush fires south east of Northcliffe are 'contained but not yet under control'..according to the fire updates, as long as the containment lines hold the fires shouldn't run into rural land. The fires weren't started deliberately this time, they were caused by a series of lightning strikes! The air over Perth (and in my head) is even smokier this morning and it's expected to continue right up until the weekend. Despite the haze I'm going out on the scout today looking for a bit of fun haha! Hope you have a good day in your part of the world.....

Fire .....

2012-02-15T06:45:00.000+08:00

Perthites awoke yesterday morning to find the city and suburbs blanketed by a smoke haze blown up the coast by the southerly winds from a fire burning out of control in the karri forests in the South West. 15,500ha have burned through already with the expectation of double that by the time the fire is brought under control. It was only at the beginning of this month that I did a post about the Koalas and other native animals that suffer and worse in situations like this and it makes me unbelievably sad to think about it happening again now. I took these pictures last night on Sorrento beach, you can see the smoke haze being blown in by the strong sea breeze! The bittersweet irony is that I love the images, but the price to pay for them is too high.....

Then and Now..St. Georges Terrace.....

2012-02-14T06:59:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I had an appointment in the city and while walking through one of the arcades afterwards I spied a group of very old photo's of Perth circa 1900, fascinating stuff! So amazing to see dirt roads and horse and carriages where there are now wide avenues and queues of traffic. I think I've mentioned before that my favorite street in the city is St. Georges Terrace, the heritage buildings nestled amongst the skyscrapers make a great contrast, so I chose this old photo of St. Georges Terrace to do my 'then and now' comparison, there were two pictures of the Terrace, unfortunately the one with all the horse and carriage action going on was directly under a light and impossible to get a shot without a flare, this one is pretty quiet, maybe a weekend, I wish it was a little clearer and minus the dribbles of goodness knows what, but we are talking one hundred and twelve years ago, you can see that even way back then this wide road was destined for great things! I like the sky, makes me wonder if whoever took this shot all those many years ago, didn't do a little bit of tweaking haha!

Oh and btw...Happy Valentine's Day.....!

Put up your dukes.....!!

2012-02-13T06:56:00.000+08:00

I was pretty excited last night as Aimee and I were having our walk through Pinnaroo, to spot these two big fellas having a bit of a sparring match. The boxing kangaroo is an Australian national symbol which you will have seen at the Olympic Games and other big sporting events, but to see it occurring before your eyes is quite a spectacle! I loved this shot above because you can see that they have both feet up and are totally balancing on their tails, how cool is that! The other thing that impressed me is their height, you don't realize until they stand full upright just how tall they are. Let me assure you here that this was not a serious fight, they were just 'monkeying' around haha! and letting off a little steam.We watched until they got bored and then they just hunkered down and carried on with diner. Here we are again at the start of a new week, more than anything else let it be a peaceful one.....

You're late, you're late.....!!

2012-02-12T07:57:00.000+08:00

Like Alice through the looking glass, if you step through a door that magically appears on the beach, you never know what you'll find on the other side..a pretty girl lying in the sun, a golden ball floating on the ocean... probably not a rabbit with long white ears! Beach art at Cottesloe. We are talking 'wonderland' here, so a bit of tweaking has been done. I hope you find something exciting on the other side of a door this weekend.....

Perthdailyphoto was featured in 'Pocketchange' this week, if you'd like to check it out and see some of the other interesting info on their site click the image below.....

Pocketchange Lifestyle Blog

Errrk, urrrk.....!!

2012-02-11T06:49:00.001+08:00

I'm sure this was the same 'wild' look in my eyes yesterday when I kept coming up against these seven letters..SMENITA, talk about annoying, and I was wondering if anyone else had had the same problem. When I tried to make a comment, these letters would appear in the code box and the comment wouldn't go through and I wasn't sure if it was just happening to me! In the words of this Western Corella 'aier-ek, aier-rr-k,aer-rk, errk,urrk,aiirk' I did manage to pull myself together and leave out the 'loud screeching' that usually follows!! I'm hoping for a calm weekend and wish the same for you.....p.s. sorry about the lack of 'crispness' of this photo, he was very high up in the tree.

Sing for your supper......!

2012-02-10T07:00:00.001+08:00

Well not quite, I had lunch with a friend yesterday at Hillary's Boat Harbour where the choice of eating venues are many and varied, from all chocolate at San Churro to Hippo Creek, a meat eaters delight! We chose a fairly new venue at the marina called Grill'd, healthy hamburgers, really they are, check it out! We chose to have the burger minus the bun, with salad, relish and aoli, yum! Now about the fries..the young lady on the till asked if I would like to try a 'tongue twister' if I managed to say BERTIE BASHFULLY BITES BOMBAY BLISS BURGERS BEING BEAUTIFUL AND BASHFUL WHILST BREAK DANCING five times really fast without fluffing it we could have the fries for free, well although we didn't want the fries I can never resist a challenge..pffffft! too easy, despite the fact that everyone around me was cracking up. As you can see I'm a master of the fast tongue...unfortunately rubbish at resisting fries.....!! Happy Friday.....

Highrise rendezvous.....!

2012-02-09T06:56:00.000+08:00

I remember clearly back in the early 1980's the controversy surrounding the building of, at that time the Observation City Hotel, a 24 level hotel at Scarborough Beach planned by Alan Bond in anticipation of the visitors who would be pouring into Perth for the 1987 America's Cup challenge being held in Fremantle. It went ahead and was completed in 1986 despite a very intense public 'campaign against highrise beachfront development', these days the maximum height is eight levels (or 32mtrs above the natural ground level). The hotel was taken over by the Rendezvous group and is now known as the Rendezvous Observation City Hotel, it has a four and a half star rating and the reviews read anywhere between fantastic to tres ordinaire, I guess depending on what you're used to, the fact remains that the beachside rooms would have one of the most spectacular views you're likely to get anywhere in the world. Just for interest it was in 1983 that Alan Bond's team finally, after four previous attempts won the America's Cup challenge held in Fremantle, persevering little tycoon he was.....!! Taken yesterday from the cafe in the Rendevouz Observation City Hotel......

Too much information.....!!

2012-02-08T07:01:00.001+08:00

Everywhere I drive in Perth these days I see way more information than I need or want to know about the people driving the car in front of me.. From what I can gather this family consists of Mum who might or might not be doing a course at TAFE, Dad who spends too much time at the gym, a grommet (young bodyboarder), a surfer and a daughter who's always on Facebook, do we REALLY need to know that this family also have two cats, two dogs a goldfish AND a mouse! I apologize profusely if anyone reading this has their family tree on the back window of their car haha! Presumably they are sold separately to accommodate individual family groups, some clever person is laughing all the way to the bank (hmmm! maybe this is my problem, why didn't I think of this first) Is this a Perth thing or is it a more widespread phenomenon? Happy Wednesday, from 'grumpy chops.....!

You lookin' at me.....!!

2012-02-07T06:56:00.000+08:00

We had a brief respite from the searing weather last week and had a few days of very welcome and refreshing rain..which made it 100% more pleasant for Aimee and I when we were doing our early evening walk down the coast road....Back to 35C tomorrow, but you know what, I'm not going to complain, well not now I'm not..it could be a very different story after three or four days of it haha! Hope your week has started well and continues that way.....!!

A whole lot of luck and a little bit of 'sassy'.....!

2012-02-06T06:57:00.001+08:00

Walking up along Riverside Drive towards the city we come across the WA Rowing Club, a feature of the Perth City landscape since 1905 when it was built. It was almost lost in 1960 when the State Government river reclamation program threatened to see it demolished and again in the 1990's it fell into disrepair which few could see it recovering from. Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly to restore it, it's now the fantastic building it was in it's hey day and the only remaining rowing club left in the Perth CBD district from the many that lined the Swan River. Thankfully it's now on the State's Heritage list and is a thriving and successful club, rowing is huge in WA and I'm determined to get down there early one morning and catch them 'enthusiastically' at practice....Just to the side adjoining the Rowing Club is Sassy's on the Swan, which according to the rowers serves the best breakfast in town after training, the closest too for sure!!

and lastly a view of the back of the rowing club showing the decks where the rowers take off and come back to, with a view of hotels and apartment blocks (what fabulous views they'd have) to the east of the city....A new week starts, let's hope it's a good one.....!!

The Big Picture.....

2012-02-05T06:55:00.001+08:00

Sometimes when things seem to be moving along way too fast, it's good to take a time out and just chill with a friend and contemplate the big picture, I can't be certain what these two were thinking about (well I can if what they say is true haha!) but whatever, they were enjoying a companionable time together... Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes for Aimee yesterday, she had a brilliant day surrounded by aunties, uncles, cousins and babies...Aimee as a pirate captain is a hard act to follow, I'm not sure if these shots are going to cut it, but *French shrug* what can you do.....! I see on the news that the weather in the northern hemisphere is horrendously cold, a very frightening situation. My heart breaks for the homeless and can only hope that somehow they are being cared for at times like this, realistically knowing that there will be lost souls out there with no one. One thing is for sure, no matter how hot it is here I will never complain about the weather again!! I hope that your weekend is going well.....

Watery skirmishes.....!!

2012-02-04T07:02:00.000+08:00

On Aimee's 25th birthday her friends (knowing her love of all things yarrrrrrrrr!) clubbed together and bought her this blow-up pirate ship. To be honest I wasn't amused, can you imagine how much air it takes to blow this baby up and it's huge, taking up a lot of space in the pool. The thing is, that once it IS all inflated (electric pump), the cannons at the side (attached to a hose) actually squirt water, there's blow up swords, shields and hats, well what can I say..it's hard not to have fun and every birthday since, pirate scuffles ensue throughout the summer months. It's Aimee's birthday today, so I leave you with these few words.....LET THE BATTLE BEGIN.....!! If I'm not around much today you'll understand why..hope you have a fabulous weekend.....

On the inside looking out.....

2012-02-03T06:57:00.000+08:00

Petticoat Lane in Subiaco is one of my favorite places to browse for interesting little bits and pieces from times gone by.... From silver teaspoons to fireplaces, rocking 'zebras' to ballet tutus, you can pretty much find all that is old and intriguing. Is that a Spode potty I spy in the window or perhaps it's a soup tureen.....!! Friday has come around again and we have rain in Perth..HALLELUJAH....!

Jewels in the grass.....

2012-02-02T06:55:00.001+08:00

The pink and grey Galah may well be a common and widespread sight across Australia, but caught in the right setting, with evening light and yes perhaps just a wee bit of 'enhancement', I think they can look anything but common.....This was taken one evening while walking with Aimee, there they were on the side of the road partaking in an evening meal of grass seeds!! Happy Thursday.....

Kipping Koala.....

2012-02-01T06:44:00.000+08:00

Along with kangaroos and kookaburras, the koala bear, which is really not a bear at all, is probably one of the most iconic Australian animals. Unfortunately here in Australia we are plagued by bushfires in the summer, many deliberately started which I find so hard to understand. The koala and the many native animals that live in the bush are the victims of this senseless crime and it breaks my heart to think of them suffering such a horrendous fate, the animals surviving, confused and terrified. Thankfully there are dedicated teams of animal rescuers (please watch the video it certainly made me tear up) out there that search the bush after such disasters and do everything they can to save the surviving animals. Thank the Lord for them and may they continue to do such a fantastic job.....! The theme for February is animals, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Before the rain.....

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was one of those frustrating days that whenever I touched my computer it kind of went BLAAAAAAAH at me and refused to make any sense, I demonstrated my 'superiority' by calling it all the rude names I could think of in a humungous tirade..this went on for quite some time until P couldn't take it anymore and removed me from the vicinity while he spent most of the day sorting the problem.. All fixed, but it was early evening before I could get down to choosing a post for today.. I decided to go with some last pictures from Australia Day before the fireworks began and believe it or not these three very different skies were all happening at the same time. There was a small aircraft flyby and they circled the Bell Tower several times before heading back to the landing strip.Just to the right of the above scene the sun was going down over Kings Park below, and.....

Behind on the city side this is what was going on and what was responsible for the rain that we had just before the fireworks started..I really liked the way the combination of lights made this tall glass building, which I can't remember the name of at the moment (help anyone looking in from Perth!) look so dramatically blue.. Hope you have a peaceful day.....

Something silly....!!

2012-01-30T07:19:00.001+08:00

Do you ever spot something that strikes you as funny and your 10 year old 'inner child' imagination takes over and you just go with it thoroughly enjoying the moment! Maybe it's because I had just come out of IKEA and that place is enough to drive anyone nuts, but when I saw this little scene above the first thought that popped into my (obviously addled haha!) head, was that it looked as if the two scooters were eagerly looking up, ears cocked, you CAN see the ears can't you, listening avidly to what the obviously superior bike icon 'above' them was pronouncing!! It's too silly I know, but hey, some days are just like that! I'm putting it down to the heat, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.....!

One of my favourites.....

2012-01-29T07:02:00.001+08:00

This view of the Swan River was taken through and under the Upper Swan Bridge, renamed in 2010 as The Yagan Bridge in tribute to the famous Aboriginal warrior Yagan, who's head was removed when he was killed way back in 1833 and was for some bizarre reason sent to London as an 'anthropological curiosity'. I do believe that some of the actions carried out by the early colonial settlers, could hardly be described as 'civilized'! His head was stored in a box for over a century and then buried in an unmarked grave. In 1933 the grave was identified and four years later his head was exhumed and returned to Australia where it was 'reunited' with his body and after much deliberation, given a traditional Noongar burial to allow his spirit to fly free once more...You just know what I'm going to say next don't you...I hope YOUR spirit flies free today, haha! sorry it just had to be said.....

Too easy.....!!

2012-01-28T06:56:00.001+08:00

After many years of battling the traffic and the hassle of trying to find a parking spot, this year we decided to use Perth's extremely efficient train service to go into the city to see the fireworks on Australia Day. It's so rare that I use the trains that I'd forgotten how efficient and easy it can be. We drove to our local train station and ten minutes later we were speeding on our way into Perth. The suburban trains are electric (Fasttrack), quiet, clean, fast and most importantly on a 40C + day, fabulously air conditioned! It's five stops from our station into the city centre, so twenty minutes later we stepped out onto the platform in Perth, walked down to Langley Park to set up for the show, too easy as they say (whoever 'they' are).....

Strange things to see out of the window as the train pulls into the city station..this is the new Perth Arena which if you check out the link, will be an amazing looking structure when completed.....

The return trip after the fireworks was just as smooth and the verdict is..that in the future when going into the city for bigger events, the train is possibly the easiest way to travel..I hope you travel well over the weekend, go on, jump on a train to somewhere you haven't been for a while.....!

MELTDOWN.....!!

2012-01-27T06:53:00.001+08:00

Well what a couple of days...the weather (read it to believe it!!) has been almost at boiling point (or so it feels). Yesterday was Australia Day, celebrated every year on the 26th of January and by mid afternoon the temperature was nudging 42C, there was even talk at some point of cancelling Skyworks because of the high winds and the risk of fires, thankfully it went ahead as planned, it's such a highlight of the celebrations that it would have been very much missed. This year instead of heading as close to the shore on the Swan River as possible, Bill suggested we set up our tripods in Langley Park just behind The Bell Tower and I have to say I think it was an excellent idea as the fireworks looked quite amazing rising up from the barges on the river behind it, what do you think!

As the fireworks started, after so many weeks of 'forecast' rain that NEVER came....would you believe it.....YUP it started to rain, big heavy drops that if there hadn't been cameras involved, I would have happily thrown off my shoes and frolicked in. As the fireworks built to a crescendo, Mother Nature adding her touch with some magnificent lightning flashes, the rain got heavier, actually it was FABULOUS and I thoroughly enjoyed getting soaked, this was the last picture I took, haha! I quite like it (can you make out the Bell Tower).....!! Well here we are at the end of another week, I hope it's been a good one for you and that you have a great weekend, I'm desperately hoping for a wet one.....!

The temperature's rising, and it's not raining men.....!!

2012-01-25T06:59:00.001+08:00

Very early morning mist on the Swan River in the Upper Swan Valley.....

40C in Perth today going up for the next week also... Happy days.....not..!!

Just when you thought it was safe.....

2012-01-24T07:00:00.002+08:00

Shark attacks along the coast of Australia are a constant fear and here in the West we have our share of attacks, the latest being only a couple of days ago. There have been four fatal attacks in the last fourteen months, three of those in the last three months. These attacks have prompted the West Australian Government to budget $14 million over the next five years on measures to reduce the risk of shark attack. I have heard that if there are seals swimming close to the shore, there is the possibility that sharks will be around as well, so heed the signs people...see a seal and vamoose out of there pronto!! Although this is not a situation to be taken lightly, it must be pointed out that the odds of being attacked by a shark are pretty low and after all it is their territory, not ours..that being said, the shark above and below are the only close encounters of the 'big teeth' type that I ever plan to have .....! Have a safe day..... Something fascinating on bills diving check it out.....!!

What's for lunch at the Witch's Cauldron.....?

2012-01-23T06:58:00.001+08:00

A few days ago I was sitting in a cafe on Rockeby Road, the main street in Subiaco (affectionately known as Subi by the locals) enjoying an excellent skinny cappuccino. Directly across the road, nestled in the shade of the plane trees that line this very pretty street is The Witch's Cauldron a restaurant well renowned for their 'sizzling garlic prawns'. I like to sizzle and I love garlic but I don't eat prawns so I can't verify this fact.....!

I had heard that the service and quality of the food was not as good as it used to be, and was thinking about this as I was drinking my coffee and wondering if they'd changed their menu, when I noticed a line of young school children being led into the 'witch's den'. I'd like to show you a picture of them coming out at the other side, but.....I can't! Only kidding, haha! Of course they came out, I just didn't take a picture of it.....!! I hope your new week begins well.....

The best seat in the house .....

2012-01-22T06:59:00.001+08:00

Last few shots from City Beach on Wednesday and honestly I'm not trying to make you jealous with the blue skies, white sand and cool water of the WA beaches, well perhaps just a little haha! Take comfort from the fact that I am also suffering 'snow envy' and that we still haven't had a drop of rain despite the fact that the weather forecasters have said almost every day for the last week that we will!! Honestly I sometimes think that they 'outsource' the weather report because I'm as sure as the Pope is catholic they can't be looking out the same window as I am!! Anyhoo, this man has found himself a shady tree on the grassy slope, set up his table with all the comforts of home, his esky at the side to keep his drinks and food cool, a bucketload of suncream if that huge bottle on the table is anything to go by, phone, book..yup he's set for the duration! Whatever you are up to today, enjoy.....!

Look into my eye(s).....!!

2012-01-21T06:59:00.001+08:00

A while back at the 'Outskirts' festival my incredibly talented niece Jessica who not only did a lot of the organization for the festival but also had a stall selling her hand made 'fascinators' (small feathery creations to wear in the hair to the races, weddings etc.). Jessica asked me if I would take some shots of Aimee wearing the fascinator that she had bought on the day, to put on her website. We combined it with photos for Aimee's blog and it was only when I downloaded them that I noticed in the close ups I took to show Aimee's new eye make up, the reflections of moi and my camera leaning right in to take the shot!! Unexpected reflections can be such a bonus, hope you have a great weekend.....

It doesn't look like rain.....!!

2012-01-20T07:00:00.001+08:00

When it comes to colour, we always associate reds and oranges with hot, hot..and blues with cool. These shots were taken on City Beach the same day as the previous post and believe me it was hot in the city, hot in the city tonight , love that song! Even though the blues give the illusion of cool, it was scorching on the beach, just to get to this spot across the burning sand would have been a trek and in my opinion that umbrella is WAY too small, there ain't much protection going on there!! The ocean on the other hand disappears into infinity...The weekend is imminent, I hope that whatever you have organised goes to plan. Rain is predicted for Perth today hallelujah! I'm praying that it's not just a lot of hot air.....!!

Tequilas in Santa Fe? Si por favor..........

2012-01-19T06:57:00.001+08:00

On my way back from an eye check yesterday I remembered seeing the Santa Fe Tequila Lounge on Hay St (great website) and thought that Kate and Randy who actually live in Santa Fe, plus a few other blog friends who are around the same area might like to check it out.. The young lady who was setting up the tables in 35C heat was lovely and agreed to be in the shot, unfortunately it was almost noon, the sun was high and glaring so it makes it a little hard to see her clearly. I noticed afterwards on the board below it describes Wednesday as 'wild,' wish I'd asked exactly how wild..! So if you click on the website and check out the menu, what do you fancy? Me, I fancy a pescado fajita (try saying that fast after a few drinks haha!). There's no way it can be Thursday already, that's insane.....!! Hope it's a good one for you.....

A little bit of manipulation.....!

2012-01-18T06:59:00.001+08:00

I know that back in the days before digital photography it was still very much possible to manipulate film images in the developing stages, I know because about a hundred years ago when I was young, my Dad and I had a darkroom set up and we would have great fun with the negatives before the printing stage. It's just so much easier now with all the different photo editing packages available. I took this shot at the marina yesterday and in the above view I like to think the water seems to lead your eye up towards the sky, whereas the exact same photo below with a bit of cropping, colour change and highlighting, I think draws your eye down the silvery path towards the camera..What do you think and do you also sometimes enjoy having a bit of a play with your images.....

Waxing lyrical.....

2012-01-17T07:00:00.001+08:00

In the harsh summer climate that we have here in Western Australia, one of the very best plants to grow is the Geraldton Wax , a small to medium shrub endemic to WA, although I believe they would grow anywhere with a hot, humid climate. I love them because you can plant them fairly small (not so expensive to buy from the nursery) and within months they grow to three times that size. They can be tricky at the start, but once established they're one of the hardiest plants in the garden They start flowering towards the end of winter into spring and last through summer, you can't ask more of a plant than that oui! The colour and easy upkeep make me happy, they have a sweet smell, and the birds delight in the nectar from the flowers. I'd like to thank Malyss from chroniclesfromtheshore for giving me a lovely award, most unexpected and highly appreciated....Hope you're week has started off well....

Parisian chic.....?

2012-01-16T06:54:00.001+08:00

I think not..European grunge, maybe...! but I'm almost 100% sure not Australian..(I did say 'almost', you can never be certain of anything these days!!), where ever she comes from, welcome! There's covering up and there's 'covering up', suncream is a marvelous thing, and although he gets marks taken off for not having a hat on, she might think about taking a leaf out of her companion's book and dressing down a little..with temperatures in the mid 30C's all week, this made me hot just looking at her.....! Well another week begins, how nice, but highly unlikely, would it be if just for a few days there were no disasters occurring around the world. Have a peaceful Monday.....

The Big Blue.....!

2012-01-13T06:57:00.001+08:00

Although it is big and it is blue, it's not the water slide in the background that I was referring to in the title. I took this shot yesterday at Hillary's Marina when I met a friend for coffee, it was 10.30 am and the temperature was already around 35C the sky couldn't have been more blue. Even though it's the school holidays, vacation swimming lessons were in full swing, a huge percentage of children in Australia start learning how to swim almost before they can walk, and then proceed all the way through school with the higher levels of water safety and lifesaving....

You can see from the many small tents scattered over the beach that they come very well prepared for the heat and are all wearing hats and shirts, they wouldn't be able to participate without them..... I must say this sight each year does bring back some memories, both David and Aimee did swimming lessons here, many, many years ago, how lucky are they to have such a beautiful spot to learn.....!! I hope you have a good Friday and an excellent weekend.....

All aboard the Captain Cook.....

2012-01-12T06:57:00.001+08:00

I took this shot from high up in Kings Park, looking straight down onto Riverside Drive and the Barrack Street Jetty. From this busy jetty you can take a Captain Cook cruise (worth checking out!) to Fremantle, or upstream to the Swan Valley wine region, actually while researching this I discovered that there are so many fabulous trips to take on this cruiser, the one that caught my eye was the trip from Fremantle up to Perth on Australia Day to watch the Skyshow fireworks from on the river, hmm! I'm definitely going to check that one out for the 26th of this month!! It's also the spot to catch the ferry bus across to South Perth and the Zoo, and for Perthites living south who work in the city to get to work and back. Just off to the left in the shot you can see the Bell Tower, but that's a whole other story! Surely it can't be Thursday already, where did this week go.....!!

Playing Gooseberry.....!!

2012-01-11T06:58:00.001+08:00

This shot was taken from Gooseberry Hill which is a Perth suburb located in the Shire of Kalamunda and the site of Gooseberry Hill National Park, we were at the northern most highest feature of Statham's Quarry which is within park land. Perth Airport lies between here and the city, you can see to the right of the shot the airport tower. The haze was caused by a bush fire just off to the side of us, which didn't seem to bother the young couple sitting in the middle of the bush on a big rock admiring the view (maybe!!), can you see them down there! Ah! the joys of young love.....!!

Perthwatch I .....

2012-01-10T06:58:00.001+08:00

In the quieter periods when the weather isn't quite hot enough for the masses this would have to be a pretty sweet gig, but in full summer when the beaches in Perth are hectic there would definitely be no time to sit and ruminate. There's the swimmers who think they can handle the strong rips in the 'no swim' areas getting themselves into strife, the people who come inadequately prepared for the heat and suffer heat stroke and dehydration and of course there's the ever present danger of sharks swimming close to shore in the warmer months. The lifeguards, beach inspectors and helicopter patrols of Surf Life Saving WA do a very fine job and the beaches are a much safer place thanks to them. Still....that's not too shabby an outlook in those quieter moments oui!!

Loose stones and spiky trees.....

2012-01-09T06:59:00.001+08:00

I spent the day yesterday getting my garden (read jungle) trimmed back a bit and was completely 'cream crackered' (read exhausted) by the end of the day, so it was a hot shower and into bed with a couple of pain killers ..sore back, sore knee..such fun getting old haha!! Anyhoo today's another day and there will be no physical activity going on except typing..! Although Aimee and I often walk by the coast, we like to do a bit of bush walking too and as you can see the trails can be really quite tricky with lots of loose stones and uneven track, you really have to keep your eyes peeled for pot holes to avoid a twisted ankle. It's very worth it though, walking through the bush is an enjoyable experience. One of the better known Australian trees is the Banksia with it's flowering spikes and fruiting cones....The flowers produce a lot of nectar so are a vital food supply in the bush, as the spikes age and fall off the cones that are left, usually stimulated by bushfire, eject the seed.....

The other well known Australian bush plant is the Grass Tree (formerly known as the Black Boy, it's now considered politically incorrect to use this name). If you're lucky you might even find the odd bench along the trail, which comes in handy from time to time....Another week begins, Hopefully it'll be a good one.....!

Not really into garden statuary.....!!

2012-01-08T06:55:00.001+08:00

I was struggling a little trying to decide what to post today when I remembered a conversation I had with a friend about gardens, and saying that I wasn't really that big a fan of garden statues, then while I was pottering about in the garden late afternoon yesterday, I looked around and thought.. it could be that I'm in denial about the fact that I actually DO like a few scattered here and there.. The cherub above has been watching over the garden for many years now, the battered old number plate above it is all that is left of the old car that my Dad used to drive before he passed away, sentimental I know!!

Then there's my favorite Belle.....

Winston I think some of you might already have met.....

And yes I know it's tacky, but there is even a garden gnome, what could I do..it was a birthday pressy haha!!

So there you are, not so many...hmmmm! wonder if I can get to the garden nursery before it closes.....! Hope you have an excellent Sunday.....

Movies, mirrors and reflections.....

2012-01-07T06:59:00.001+08:00

Yesterday I went to see 'The Women on the 6th Floor' a new French movie at Cinema Paradiso on James Street in Northbridge. It's such a great place to see alternate and foreign movies. There are four small theatres, they all used to have glamorous movie star names like 'the Sophia Loren Theatre', but now unfortunately they are just 1,2,3 and 4..pourquoi, je ne comprends pas! It's still a super place, kind of dark and atmospheric, all mirrors, glass and low lighting and now fully licensed, so if you wanted to you could sip a glass of vino while you watch a movie, but contraire to what you might have heard (four glasses of champers at NY quel horreur!), I don't actually drink very often and I know for sure if I drank a glass of wine in the movies I'd be asleep before the title credits finished rolling, heck sometimes I fall asleep even without the vino!! I can absolutely recommend the movie if you're after something light and amusing, I love French humor, c'est très drôle.....! I hope you have some good laughs this weekend.....p.s. can you spot my 'pins' in the reflections below?

Marsupial bookends and French movies.....!

2012-01-06T06:57:00.001+08:00

The first thing that came into my head when I saw these two up ahead last night was how perfectly aligned in opposite direction they were and what a great pair of bookends they would make. Well after that it was just too hard to resist having a bit of fun... oh come on, you know you would have done the same thing.....!! I'm off to see a French movie with mon ami Marie today..'The Women on the 6th Floor', I've heard that it's a huge hit in Paris, looking forward to it very much. I hope your Friday runs smoothly into the coming weekend.....

Up there Cazaly.........!!

2012-01-05T07:02:00.004+08:00

What a buzz to have one of your photographs celebrated in statue form (although if one of my photographs was going to be immortalised, I'd prefer it to be of something 'pretty', not men playing with balls haha!), this is exactly what happened when Maurie Hammond, photographer for The West Australian, took this photo, impressive, who said white men can't jump! It was a 'mark' taken by South Fremantle's John Gerovich over East Fremantle's Ray French in October 1956, which Maurie clicked at possibly the most exciting point. The image was commemorated by local sculptor Robert Hitchcock and sits in front of the gates to the Fremantle Football Club. If you've ever watched an 'Aussie rules' game, you will have seen that the rules are very different from soccer in the 'mother' country, some say 'vive la difference' others say....eh!! check out this little video Up there Cazaly made in 2010....

It's all in the wrist action.....!!

2012-01-04T06:57:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago when we were crossing over the Narrows bridge I spotted this chap doing a bit of 'fly fishing' off a sandy bank beside the Swan River.. I've seen many fishermen casting off along the beaches and jetty's, but not until watching how he carefully selected and attached the 'fly', the light flicking back and forth wrist action did I appreciate the difference in style. Apparently in early summer, flathead and flounder spread themselves over the shallow sand flats and channels and schools of tailor swim downstream, there's also the chance of small mulloway and black bream for the skilled fly fisherman! I'm pretty happy with this shot, but oh how I wish I'd got the TIP of the rod in haha!! Still it is watery and it is Wednesday, so it's all good.....!!

Birds in my garden VI.....

2012-01-03T06:58:00.001+08:00

There she is again, click, click, click.....!!

Technically speaking these Rainbow Lorikeets are not actually IN my garden, they're in the palm tree next door that hangs over my back garden fence, so they're sort of in my garden and I'm claiming them for this series.....! The Rainbow Lorikeet isn't native to Western Australia, in the 1960's they escaped from private averies and are now considered a pest by fruit growers as they fly around in large groups, landing and stripping fruit trees bare. They certainly love the palm fruit, and circle around calling out to each other 'grubs up', land and voraciously start devouring the fruit, it's quite a sight to see, they have dreadful manners and seed flies everywhere. They may be a pest, but they have such beautiful markings and certainly make for a colourful and vibrant image...
If you'd like to learn some 'juicy' facts about me press here to read an interview I did with Jidhu Jose..p.s. they're not really 'juicy' haha! p.p.s. have a good day.....!!

Sand Dune stabilization .....

2012-01-02T06:51:00.001+08:00

I'm sure this is a sight that is familiar to most people who live along the coastline in countries like the United States, Canada and New Zealand. This restoration of the beaches along the coast started a few years ago and is part of a five year plan by West Coastcare and supported by The City of Stirling. The planting is carried out by volunteers, community and school groups, who work alongside Coastcare, City staff and qualified contractors to plant the many species of indigenous plants to rehabilitate and restore the environmental resilience of this stretch of popular coastline. A combination of careful planting and jute matting to keep the weeds under control, will hopefully see a return of the many types of birds and other species of creatures that make the sand dunes their home. I hope the first Monday of 2012 is a good one for you.....!

Better late than never.....!

2012-01-01T16:12:00.001+08:00

Oh la la! excusez moi for being tardy today of all days...too many glasses of champagne last night to celebrate the New Year resulted in le grand mal de tete this morning, and here we are late afternoon in Perth and I'm just starting to feel like there's a possibility I might survive haha! I picked this picture as my favorite for the year for three reasons, firstly the chances of actually seeing a Blue Fairy Wren are so rare and secondly, from the time it appeared, turned and looked at me as if to say 'blink and I'll be gone' was a matter of seconds, so all in all it was a miracle I even managed to get it in frame at all and thirdly, it's just so darn cute I couldn't resist the chance to show it off again.....!! I hope you had a great New Year and hopefully awoke this morning feeling much better than I did.... To view images for today's theme: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Going out with a bang.....!!

2011-12-31T06:58:00.001+08:00

Every year on the 26th January, Australia Day is celebrated by Skyshow, a fireworks display that gets bigger and better every year....I'll tell you more about Perth's Skyshow after the event but in the meantime here are a couple of shots I took last year to bring in the New Year. I hope you have a fantastic time whether you party, party, party or have a quiet night with family and friends, stay safe and I'll see you next year....how weird does that sound.....!!

Skies over Sorrento.....

2011-12-30T06:57:00.002+08:00

The sky two nights ago when Aimee and I were doing our constitutional along the coast road..I know I tend to complain a tad (who, moi?) about the weather in Summer (39C blegh!!) but deep down in my 'clammy' heart I do know how incredibly lucky we are to live five (three if the lights are green) minutes away from sights like this. Happy skywatch Friday....

Jumping for joy.....

2011-12-29T06:46:00.001+08:00

Last few shots taken while having lunch at the Matilda Bay Cafe, these youngsters were having such excellent fun running along the length of the jetty and flinging themselves off the end with careless abandon. It did bring back memories, because even though I grew up in the middle of Africa, with no ocean for thousands of miles, just sixteen miles out of town there was the Mindola Dam reservoir, where as kids we would picnic and have exactly the same kind of fun as above. Ah! life was so simple back then...haha!! 39C in Perth today, so my simple pleasure will be floating in the pool, even though I'm sure I'd rather be trudging around in snow somewhere cool.....! Anyone care to swop?

Down by the Bay.....

2011-12-28T06:57:00.001+08:00

Now where were we before we got sidetracked by Christmas, ah yes, lunch at Matilda Bay Reserve (Matilda Bay). As Rae from perthandotherplaces mentioned yesterday on her post, it's the perfect place to have a picnic lunch, with skyline views of the city in one direction and the Mounts Bay Sailing Club in the other....

It's also a wonderful spot for youngsters to swim and enjoy themselves in the Swan River, you'll note that they all have either T shirts or what we call 'rashies' (Rash shirts) made from a very lightweight material but extremely sun resistant, to protect from sunburn, and hats, a necessity in our climate.....

And definitely a magical setting for weddings, I had to be a little careful here not to intrude on a private moment but couldn't resist a quick click (I think I have the bride sufficiently swamped by the tree to ensure her privacy haha!). My niece and her husband had their wedding service here by the side of the Swan River a few years ago, it was perfect....

Wings and wonder.....!!

2011-12-27T06:58:00.001+08:00

Well can you believe it, the build up, the angst (well, not much angst really!) and ziiiip it's over for another year! With seven great (literally and figuratively) nieces and nephews ranging in age from four years to four weeks old it's been a delightful Christmas in our extended family. I couldn't resist just one 'opening pressies' shot before getting back to business tomorrow. I know that it's a troubled world out there but I sincerely hope that you had the best Christmas that circumstances allowed.....

The temperature's rising.....!

2011-12-24T07:01:00.001+08:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come around so fast, is it just me or does this year seem to have passed by at the speed of light..? It's been a good year, in a lot of ways it's been a 'miraculous' year for some of my family members, with next year hopefully even better. I took this shot yesterday at Scarborough Beach and it's a scene that will be pretty typical here over Christmas with Perthites flocking down to the beach for barbeques and picnics. They started predicting the weather for Christmas day at 26C, nice..then it went up to 28C, still good..the last I heard was 31C, so really the weather will be what it decides to be on the day and whatever that may be, all will be good!! My son and his new bride have arrived from Sydney to spend Christmas with us which is brilliant, but won't leave me much spare time, so I wish you a wonderful Christmas, I hope Santa brings you exactly what you wished for haha! More than anything keep yourselves safe and I'll catch up next week.....!

Happy Bday Mya.....!!

2011-12-23T06:56:00.001+08:00

Yesterday on my way to lunch at Matilda Bay, I passed Eliza (Eliza), a great link this one.. She is regularly dressed up by mysterious 'fashionistas' in the dead of the night for whatever significant event is happening at the time! The last time I showed you Eliza was just after Cadel Evans had won the Tour de France earlier in the year and she was victoriously holding aloft a bicycle! This time she is 'styled' for Christmas in a glamorous red frock, fur stole (bit hot for that), tinsel and a Santa hat..and oh yes there's a bit of a clue there methinks... wonder if Mya might have an idea who the culprits are.....!! In the picture below you can see The Royal Perth yacht Club in the background.... Only a couple of days left till Christmas, hope you're all better organized than moi.....!!

Nautical musings.....!!

2011-12-22T07:00:00.001+08:00

A lot of my favourite reflections seem to be of the 'nautical' nature, which is a little odd as the thought of sailing out into the deep blue sea is pretty alarming to me....! Why are we so often attracted to the things that scare us the most! The above picture was taken in Fremantle harbour..... and in the one below the boats are all lined up in front of the 'pub' at Hillary's Marina.....Hope your day pans out the way you'd like it to.....

Saved from suburbia.....!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.001+08:00

I thought I might explain a little bit more about the spot where I take most of the kangaroo pictures, it's called Hepburn Heights bushlands and it's a 20 hectare piece of natural bush that only just managed to escape the clutches of environmental destruction at the hands of the notorious WA Inc (WA Inc) State Government who wanted it for residential development. A six year campaign from 1987 - 1993 by conservationists ensued and was won, saving this piece of nature and all that lives in it..result!! It adjoins Pinnaroo Valley Cemetery, where the kangaroos love to eat the lush green lawns,and as Aimee and I often stop to say 'hello' to my Mum and Dad this is where we see them quite freely moseying around. It's a beautifully landscaped cemetery with pretty little bridges over ponds that can, at the right time create lovely little montages...what do you think? Hope you have a peaceful Wednesday.....

The Old Swan Brewery.....

2011-12-20T07:00:00.001+08:00

This shot of the old Swan Brewery was taken from high up in Kings Park (Kings Park), you can see the city to the left and also the Narrows bridge going from the city over to South Perth. The brewery was founded in 1837 but only occupied this spot (Swan Brewery) by the side of the Swan River from 1879. There was a bit of 'argy bargy' as the area was being occupied at the time and deemed to be Aboriginal land, but the brewery went ahead anyway. When the brewery was relocated in the late 1970's the Government claimed the land for commercial use and this time the Noongar (Noongar) Aboriginal community set up camp on the site, their claim was opposed by 'the Brewery Preservation Society' (hmmm!!) the conflict lasted several months, and in January 1990 the police broke through picket lines to allow development to begin. The renovated 1879 brewery building is now home to a cafe, restaurant, function centre and a 'micro-brewery'. You will see if you click this link (old brewery) that it is the perfect location for this type of enterprise, hugely popular with locals and tourists alike, I can't help wondering how it would have been developed if the Noongar community had won their case!! Hope you have a great day.....

Happily munching..... until.....!!

2011-12-19T06:59:00.001+08:00

Walking with Aimee through Pinnaroo yesterday in the late afternoon as the sun was sitting just at the right height to give off a nice mellow glow, you know 'that special time' that we all love, about an hour or so before sunset, I spotted these guys through the arch of a tree branch nibbling away daintily on the grass. As I took this shot above, their ears and heads popped up to see what had made the intrusive noise.....

Checking me out, they must have decided I looked harmless enough and went right back to business.....! Honestly they are such a pleasure to watch, when something startles them and they bound off, it's quite a unique sight to see.....

A sad tail.....!!

2011-12-18T06:59:00.002+08:00

I know it's a common problem in many parts of the world, this very pretty little pussy cat is one of the many, many feral cats surviving around the marina. It looks quite healthy with a shiny coat and bright eyes..if only it had a happy, loving family to care for it, but not so. You often see them ducking and diving in the rocks near fishermen, hoping to pick up a morsel here or there. It breaks my heart to think of them out there in all sorts of weather, thankfully Perth has a relatively mild climate....

The solution to this problem could be as simple as owners taking responsibility and having their cats neutered, and if someone has a cat that they decide is impossible to keep, they should do the right thing and either try and find it another good home or take it to the RSPCA to see if they can. DON"T take it and dump it somewhere and leave it to fend for itself, that's just too horrible.. OK rant over, but hey, I'm sure you all agree right.....!

Getting priorities straight.....!!

2011-12-17T06:59:00.001+08:00

This is a familiar scene along the beaches, the sign for 'rocks no swimming' in the right hand corner of the top picture, never deters the hardened (?) surfers although in some places it can be treacherous BUT what made me chuckle was, even though the surfer in the shot below is cruising over imminent danger, he DID remember to put his hat on to guard against the hot sun haha! Got to get things in perspective I guess.....!!

Sailing on the Swan.....

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001+08:00

The South Perth foreshore is a popular point for sailing on the Swan River, you can hire one of these catamarans (funcats) and even if you are not adept at sailing there will be experienced staff to show you how to go about it, hmmm! I don't think so..not me...ok, moving on!! It does look great fun and apparently there is always the possibility of seeing a dolphin or two when they pop up in the river..now that WOULD be nice, dolphins have a way of making you feel happy...!! Just incase you hadn't noticed there's another glimpse of the city.... some other things that you might see as you walk along by the river are pelicans, black swans, lots of seagulls and also the occasional white faced heron.....

Tree with a view l .....

2011-12-15T06:57:00.002+08:00

One of the things I love about Paris is that if you keep your eyes open you can see little glimpses of La Tour Eiffel from so many places, up little side roads, across a 'pont'. It's the same in Sydney with the Harbour Bridge, it's iconic presence can be seen from far and wide, and even in St. Louis, Bob shares a picture every Thursday of the fabulous St. Louis Arch.. We don't have any really tall iconic structures, well there is The Bell Tower (Bell Tower) which I've shown previously, but because it's situated fairly low on the banks of the Swan River it's not that visible. Just lately I've noticed that the one thing that you CAN see glimpses of from the most unexpected places is our beautiful City itself, so I will keep my peepers peeled to see how many spots I can find her.. This view is from Lake Monger a great place to walk especially if you are a bird watcher...Happy Thursday.....

Not quite kosher.....!!

2011-12-14T06:59:00.001+08:00

For ten months of the year Karrinyup (great name yeh!) Shopping Centre (Karrinyup) is my shopping centre of choice, it has everything I need including a cafe where I don't even have to tell them how I like my coffee, they just know!! Then for two months at the end of the year when they drag out the Chrissy decs it all goes 'pear shaped'... You can see why can't you...I mean.. WHY PURPLE? It's just not right, they're Prancing and Dancing alright but I bet Donner and Blitzen would be mortified, as for the tree, those colours are hideous, and yes I know in the overall BIG picture it's a small matter, but what happened to red, gold and green and even white reindeers would be acceptable..next year I'm definitely complaining to the management, 'grumpy old woman comes to mind' haha! What do you think..traditional or 'glitzy'.....!! Thanks so much for the 'get better' vibes, much appreciated.....

Crawley Edge Boathouse II.....

2011-12-13T07:03:00.003+08:00

Well I'm digging in the archives myself this morning. The last few days I've felt a bit 'shabby' not too well, in fact as we say here in Australia..'a bit crook'.....So I haven't been out and about and even less communicative.. Back to normal soon I hope. This is another view of the old boathouse just up from The Royal Perth Yacht Club on the Swan River.... I seriously hope that you are having a better start to the week than I am....catch you soon.....!!

More fun in the sun.....

2011-12-12T07:01:00.001+08:00

This group of young people arrived at the beach en masse and all dived into the water with great enthusiasm! It wasn't actually all that warm 25C so I'm guessing they weren't locals, maybe visiting from cooler climes, they were certainly enjoying themselves enormously, trying to pick the right waves to 'body surf' and ducking under the waves that were too big.....

They were lucky that they chose the morning for their swim, by later in the afternoon it had turned windy and cloudy, although the temperature didn't drop that much it would have been cooler on the beach.....Hope you have a great week.....!

Every young girl's dream.....!

2011-12-11T06:57:00.001+08:00

Mon ami Marie and I went on the hunt on Friday for the perfect chair to suit my new desk, naturally my first choice would be a small, old chair with a bit of history that I could 'fix up'. Guildford being one of Perth's oldest areas with so many, some would say 'junk' shops, well that seems a little harsh to me, I prefer 'pre-owned and loved', was the best place to start looking.....Alas I wasn't successful this time, but I'm in no hurry and enjoyed many other aspects of the morning, like finding these beautiful old revamped cottages, 'roses and white picket fences, every young girl's dream' came to mind, surely not anymore hopefully.....

And I couldn't resist taking a shot of this sad little red bicycle leaning against a ladder surrounded by old tat, I bet it's seen a few scraped knees in it's time.....!! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.....

Birds in my garden V.....

2011-12-10T06:58:00.003+08:00

The birds in my garden are up at the crack of dawn and these days that's pretty early, I'm so happy that I planted these Geraldton Wax (wax flower) last year because it keeps the Port Lincoln Parrots (28's), also known as 28's because of the noise they make, busy until I can get out there and feed them with the rest of the birds. This shot was taken at sun up and they were so busy snacking that they didn't notice me at all.....

From Glasgow to Melbourne to Perth.....

2011-12-09T06:56:00.001+08:00

This lovely old paddle steamer the PS Decoy was built in Glasgow and shipped to Australia in sections and assembled in Melbourne in 1878 to be utilized as a harbour tug, instead it was resold for use on inland rivers and in 1905 sailed, or should I say 'steamed' it's way to Perth to become an excursion steamer on the Swan River. In the 1930's it was used as a houseboat and now it's berthed at the Mends St. Jetty on the South side of the Swan River and used for all sorts of functions, it is billed as a 'unique wedding experience' venue, but also popular for birthday parties, bucks/hens nights etc. I have seen some wedding photos taken aboard this old classic, especially at night with the city as a backdrop and they are absabloominfabulous!! Almost the weekend... yay! It's been the most hectic week ever.....!

Museum, masts and migrant dreams.....

2011-12-08T06:58:00.001+08:00

A few last shots from Fremantle for the time being. This is The Maritime Museum (museum) home to Alan Bond's winning America's Cup yacht Australia II, an Oberon class submarine and other iconic vessels from WA's maritime history. If you look to the right of the picture you'll see the green lighthouse that's on the South Mole, it's twin red lighthouse is on the North Mole.....

I think I've mentioned that Freo is the busiest docks in WA, on this stretch here called O'Connor Landing it's no surprise to see many different styles of sailing vessels berthed, it's also the point where the Swan River and Rottnest Island ferries come in.....

This rather forlorn sculpture of a young boy and his sister arriving in Fremantle is a memorial dedicated to the Maltese boys and girls who left their homelands to brave the unknown in Australia (memorial), unfortunately I think it wasn't all that they had hoped for.....

It's not all sun and surf.....!!

2011-12-07T06:57:00.002+08:00

There's thunder and lightening too.. I certainly don't want to make this all about the weather, in a way I'm hoping to make any of you shivering in freezing temperatures feel a little better.... This is what I was looking at sitting working at my desk the very next day after the previous post, and although not really cold, it was pretty wild, wet and windy.....crazy huh!! Looooove it..

You, me and the wide blue sea.....!!

2011-12-06T06:59:00.001+08:00

I wish.....!!

Taken yesterday on Sorrento Beach.....

Today it's raining.....

The Bio Cactus.....!

2011-12-05T06:59:00.001+08:00

Aimee and I were Christmas shopping in the city yesterday and I couldn't resist taking this shot of the newest addition to the cultural face of Perth to see what you think of it!! This new sculpture in Forrest Place in the city centre was the winner of an international contest and was designed by James Angus, a Perth sculptor who now lives in New York (hmm! smart move maybe haha! only kidding) it's called The Bio Morph, affectionately (or not!) known as The Cactus (local opinions), the cost to the taxpayers a cool $1 million, it's meant to represent 'a living organism', the practical side of me thinks surely they could have done something a little more useful with the money, but I guess that could apply to most cultural endeavors and we have to leave something behind for future generations, although goodness knows what they'll make of this one....and just to show we haven't gone totally insane here the West, just a little further up in Forrest Place...the very normal Christmas Tree....Hope you have a fabulous week.....!

'Bridgey' stuff.....!

2011-12-04T06:53:00.001+08:00

This is one of the pylons under the Stirling Bridge, which is just east of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge that I posted last Sunday and although it's a fairly 'industrial' looking bridge I did find some interesting aspects to it...Like this face that has 'those' eyes that follow you from whichever angle you look at it, then there is this shadow image of Bon Scott from the rock band ACDC.....

It was also the site for one of the many demonstrations against the export of live animals, a human chain that spanned the length of the bridge (demo) , interesting short video, the Stirling Bridge was picked for the demo because of the many animal transporters that pass over it on their way to the docks at Fremantle. As a result of protests all over Australia, the Government put a six month ban on the export of live animals, the results of which will affect trade and farmers for quite some time into the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see what the solution will be.....

Oh yes.. and then there was this chap swimming in the Swan River between the two bridges, talking to him on my way past he told me he swims there every day summer through to winter, good on him, he's made of tougher stuff than I .....!! Another scorcher in Perth today 36C, hope it's a bit more temperate where you are.....!!

Trip of a lifetime.....!

2011-12-02T06:59:00.001+08:00

With the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships starting today, the replica of Endeavour (Replica Endeavour) has arrived and berthed at O'Connor Landing in Fremantle to add an extra bit of glamour to the occasion and also to take on board anyone who may wish to experience 'the trip of a lifetime' when the Endeavour sets sails around Australia... PASS!! It really is a beautifully maintained vessel though and I'm sure those brave souls who board and sail off into the sunset will have a brilliant experience.....

When I queried what these strange looking barrels were, turns out that they are lifeboats (lifeboats) who knew..they couldn't be more different from those used on the original Endeavour if they tried.....! Happy Friday.....

Windsurfer.....

2011-12-01T06:59:00.002+08:00

Spotted yesterday while walking with Aimee down the West Coast road, he looked so small flying along with the wind in the vastness of the Indian Ocean...... Click here to view thumbnails for all participants of this theme day..... ps it's official, it's the first day of Summer here in Australia.....!!

Magic moments.....

2011-11-30T07:01:00.001+08:00

This is my last picture from the Freo markets, and for me the one I enjoyed taking the most. It was one of those moments when you see a scene that evokes such clear memories, I'm sure every one of you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Sitting with your daughter or son (or grandchild) and being so involved in what you're doing together that everything around you is of no consequence! I only took the one very quick shot because I didn't want them to notice me and so disturb the companionable aura around them.....I have had a little 'tinker' (thanks Ciel, you'll know what I mean!), hope you like what I've done with it.....!!

Something to take your fancy.....?

2011-11-29T06:57:00.001+08:00

Established in 1897 the Fremantle, or Freo Markets (Freo Markets) are a great place to have a wander. The entrance above leads into 'The Shed' an area filled with fresh fruit and veg and if you saw yesterdays post many more exotic and interesting foodstuffs, like these 'Coffin Bay' oysters, slightly offputting name, but I'm sure delicious.....

The entrance from the other side leads into The Hall where you will find clothes, jewellery, candles, music and pretty much every kind of thing you'd expect to see at a big market, I'm almost 100% sure that no one would leave these markets without finding something to pique their interest.....!

Anyone for scramblers.....!!

2011-11-28T07:01:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I've been to the Fremantle markets, and I'd forgotten how much fun it is and how unusual and diverse the products available are..I must admit I almost did a 'double take' when I saw these babies sitting alongside the cartons of free range chicken eggs WHAT THE!!!! I'm not sure if this is something available at a local market near you, but I found them fascinating. Heavy, between 3 to 5 lb, apparently lower in cholesterol than chicken eggs with the equivalent content to make enough scrambled egg for 10 serves. When used in baking they are fluffier and sweeter than chicken eggs, not that I EVER intend to find out, there's something about them that would make me a little nervous to crack one open incase there was a bit more in there than I'd bargained for!! The shell is so hard and quite difficult to crack but there must be a way to do it without causing too much damage because they use the shells to make all sorts of 'arty' goods. All this for $8 a pop, would you buy (and eat) one.....? Have a 'cracking' good start to the new week.....

Les Ponts de Perth V.....

2011-11-27T06:59:00.001+08:00

The Fremantle Traffic Bridge built in 1939 just before the beginning of WW2 is at the end of the Canning Highway which is the main thoroughfare for traffic crossing the Swan River from Perth into Fremantle. It's a very heavily used bridge and the question of it's stability has been under discussion for a few years now (risks). The Government had put money aside for an up grade but has since decided to use the money elsewhere, the worrying thing is, that if a ship passing underneath is pushed into the bridge by the extremely fast flow of the current coming in from the sea, the bridge could possibly collapse, thus being a danger to traffic, pedestrians and boats passing underneath. Also, if you enlarge, you will see that there are both water and gas lines attached to the bridge, which would be a major problem! I must admit we did hold our breath a little as this huge cruise ship passed underneath, it really didn't look like it would fit....by the shell of it's hull, pretty tight fit.....!!

A little further along adjacent to the traffic bridge is the rail bridge which operates from Fremantle across Perth's Western suburbs to Midland, you can see it here through the wooden pylons of the traffic bridge..... Happy Sunday.....

How many horses.....?

2011-11-26T07:02:00.001+08:00

I discovered this fabulous little shop in Fremantle yesterday. Behind the wooden door below was a treasure trove of wooden toys and bits and pieces, including more rocking horses in one space than I've seen before!! As it's reflections today I opted for this shot and it was only when I got home and downloaded that I discovered there was more than one 'horsey' in the reflection. The bench was a bonus and made me think of Malyss (benchesonmyway) and VP (abunchofbenches) who are both 'bench connoisseurs'. Hope you have a great weekend, it's going to be a little cooler here than the last few days, thank heavens.....!

Hot, hot, hot.....!!

2011-11-25T07:00:00.001+08:00

I took this shot a few weeks ago as we were walking along the Burns Beach track when the temperatures were a little more 'civilized' than they were yesterday....37C phew!! When things heat up in Perth the many beautiful white sandy beaches are where most folk head to cool off and find some relief. I was thinking how great it would be if we could trade a few days here and there, not to be greedy just a few lovely hot days for you guys on the other side of the world in the middle of winter, you'd like that wouldn't you...and vice versa, some fresh cool days for us...oh heavens (as Joe Hevron used to say at every opportunity), two hot days and I've gone 'troppo' already.....!! Keep cool... or warm and have a great weekend.....

A walk on the wild side......!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001+08:00

James Street in Northbridge is one of the more 'colourful' areas in the city..Clubs, restaurants and a few 'seedy joints' too. It also happens to be where the Paradiso my favourite 'alternate' cinema is (foreign movies, just to be clear on what I mean by alternate haha!) So on the way up to Cinema Paradiso we start with The Brass Monkey pub (TheBrassMonkey).....

On the other side of the road is The Tattoo Shop (TheTattooShop) cool little video with this one if you're interested in that kind of thing....

A little further up the street there are a couple of 'adult' shops which I should have snapped but didn't... Moving on towards the top end of James Street are the cafes and restaurants, like Little Saigon, Vietnamese food.....

Here we go through the black and white sculpture created by Lorenna Grant called the Arch (TheArch) , one of the many sculptures in Northbridge where they have spent a lot of money upgrading the area.....

Arriving at our destination I noticed this super little sports car parked in the side lane next to the cinema, I liked the coloured wall against the shiny red of the car....

Et voila we arrive at Cinema Paradiso to see 'Angele & Tony' a French movie of course, which we enjoyed immensely! It's said that the Paradiso has a house ghost, I wonder if this is the blurry image of he/she here, or..... it could be that I just took a rubbish picture haha! It does look a bit 'spooky', what do you think.....?

Birds in my garden IV.....

2011-11-23T06:59:00.001+08:00

I mean honestly.....where else in the world would you get a Kookaburra (Kookaburra) sitting quietly on your fence regarding you hanging out the washing. You can tell it's a windy day, his 'coif' is blowing up in the breeze, he was a very sweet little fella and I felt quite privileged that he felt safe enough to sit there for ages while I snapped away! Hope you have a great 'hair day'.....!! p.s. 36C here in Perth today phew! that's way too hot.....

There will be no cruises on the horizon for me.....!

2011-11-22T07:00:00.003+08:00

Despite my fear of being a'sail on the open seas (deep water and all that!) one of my favorite things to photograph are the multitude of boats big and small that are moored in the many marina's around Perth. Strolling around Hillary's Marina I observed the contrast between the small but extremely attractive sailing boats parked only a stone's throw away from these huge,sleek motor launches and couldn't help wonder which would be the safest to brave the 'ocean wide' in..! After much musing, I decided...neither...nothing has changed, it's always going to be very deep water with 'nasty' things in it no matter how big the boat is, so I will continue to admire from the safety of the shore and let the brave mariners head off into the 'great blue yonder'.....!! How about you, 'set sail' or turn a key.....?

Tease.....It's all in the details.....!

2011-11-21T06:58:00.001+08:00

While we were away in Sydney last weekend, my incredibly talented niece Jessica (Jessica) had the opening of her latest art show. I had been lucky enough to have a sneak preview and fell in love with this picture called 'Tease', but as it's not really good form to have a sold sticker on a work before the show has officially opened I had to take my chances...I had the time difference between Sydney and Perth worked out to the second, and relying on the assumption that most people will have a quick first look around and to be fair (why??) fifteen minutes after the exhibition opened in Perth I sent a text message through to secure my bid! I was very lucky as it was one of the most sought after pieces in the show, and now it's safely hanging on my bedroom wall. It's an ink and embroidery on stretched silk, the embroidery touches were an inspiration I think on Jessica's part and give it that extra special pizazz..!

Jess had her exhibition in a fabulous space in the new State Theatre that I posted here. We were mulling over the idea of possibly having a combined show at sometime in the future, hmmm! sounds a little scary.....!! Hope you have a good Monday.....

A rose is a rose, is a rose, is a rose.....!

2011-11-20T06:55:00.001+08:00

This memorable first line from Gloria Stein's poem 'Sacred Emily' written in 1913 basically meaning 'when all is said and done a thing is what it is' although not literally referring to roses, was I thought one way to lead into how I feel about roses which is..'blooming marvelous'. I love the way roses are full of alluring promise from the moment they begin to open as a bud right up until the petals start falling off! I'm sure I can't be the only one who holds onto a beautiful vase of roses until they've gone through the full cycle of first picked to full blown and even then reluctant to let them go.....! Have a wonderful Sunday.....