Definitely not 'the sugar plum fairy'.....!!

My very gorgeous daughter has always as long as I can remember enjoyed dressing up, so you can imagine what fun she has each year at Halloween. For the party this year she was, apparently, a 'sugar skull Mexican day of the dead' type person/thing...I have no idea either! If you'd like to see the step by step method she used to put this look together check out her blog (Midnight Pie). Last year she was luminous green and 'Frankensteins's Bride' and then there was Medusa, oh my you should have seen the snakes!  It's a little disconcerting seeing your 'child' (she is 27 but still my child) driving off looking like 'the living dead' This how I prefer to see her below..... Have a fun Halloween.....!!

Les Ponts de Perth IV.....

At 660 mtrs Mount Henry Bridge is the longest road Bridge in WA. It was completed in 1923 and at that time carried the Kwinana Freeway and Mandurah Railway line across the Canning River. It was widened and strengthened between 2004/6 and as it stands now the original bridge carries the two railway tracks plus three southbound traffic lanes and the added structure carries three northbound traffic lanes. In cross section it is a 'double box' section with the upper deck (including cantilevers) carrying traffic, and cantilevers at the bottom of the box carrying pedestrian/cycle paths. It's not what you would call an elegant or graceful bridge but it is a very impressive solid, strong bridge, it seems to have the seal of approval from this little swallow who followed us all the way across, alighting  here and there on the rail as we walked.....!! Hope you have a happy Sunday.....

Reflections on schoolyard memories....!

I heard a disturbing discussion on the radio a few days ago, they were debating about whether in the future it might be better if school children didn't have the facilities to play outdoor games in their breaks, suggesting that swings and other playground equipment could be dangerous, and instead substitute board games and computer time.  The argument against was that we would then be raising a generation of 'cotton wool kids' missing out on important 'coping' skills, and while I have great memories of playing Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and other games on a cold and wet day, surely when the sun comes out skipping, hopscotch, ball games and simply 'running off' excess energy must still play a part in primary school memories. It makes me a little 'anxious' when I see rows and rows of computer games, as above, from simple children's games all the way up to 'shoot to kill and more', I find them way more scary than falling over and scraping my knee, THAT I can cope with....!! What say you? Have a fab weekend.....

A touch of gold.....

This was taken just as the sun was setting a few nights ago. Within a matter of minutes the optimistic little patch of gold gave up the battle and disappeared completely, engulfed like the rest of the sky in dense rain laden clouds. I really enjoy that fleeting moment just before it buckets down when the light magically touches anything white in the surrounding area and makes it 'glow'..... Happy skywatch Friday.....!! ps it's a holiday in Perth today, the Queen's in town.....

If it makes you happy.....!!

One of the things I enjoy most about photography is the diversity of images that can be created ..I know there are the purists who think that the captured image should always be as clear and precise as the subject itself, and at times I'm there, that's me too, but there are also times photography is like art, it's what makes you look at an image and see something about it that makes you smile,  a feeling! These two ducklings splashing around creating ripples in the water that caught the sunlight made me happy, but I can almost hear my 'friend and sometimes mentor' groan out loud when he clicks on to see what I've posted today...ah well 'vivre la difference'.....!! Have a happy day.....

"Don't be such a goose.....!!"

Last week we had a little walk around Kent St. Park, the main feature being the weir, which has changed dramatically since it was introduced as a 'sand bag' weir' in 1911 (Kent St Weir). I have to be honest and say that until I read the link I wasn't fully aware of how important the weir was to the surrounding and beyond environment for both the flora and fauna. This young family were enjoying a very pleasant sunny afternoon swimming and boating in the 'weir pool', Mum sitting in her directors chair, drink at hand, knowing the girls were being supervised by big brother..in fact it completely made my day when as they passed by me I heard older brother say to his sister "don't be such a goose" have to say it took me straight back to my Enid Blyton 'Secret Seven' days when Peter would have said the very same thing to his sister Janet !!  Oh how I loved Enid B adventures..does anyone else have pleasurable memories of lying in the sun reading these stories.....?  ps. not a pelican in sight haha!!

OUI..! c'est Percy P encore.....!!

So here's the thing....!  When Percy Pelican maneuvered his way through the pylons he rose up into the sky above the bridge to find a spot where he could get a better perspective of the situation and settled on one of the overhead lights on the Freeway heading south with nary a thought for the traffic speeding by underneath him..I have heard that on a good day, probably more in the cooler weather, you can at times find a row of pelicans one on each of the overhead lights, trying to keep warm...I'm definitely coming back for THAT shot.....!! He did look kind of impressive with his wing feathers blowing in the breeze and a rather 'snooty' expression....

Fun under the bridge.....!!

 Just as I was making my way under the Canning Bridge that I posted yesterday I spotted this pelican sailing so gracefully for such a big bird through the wooden pylons, he maneuvered his way in, through and out the other side!  When I asked  the two young girls what they were searching for at the edge of the water they told me they were catching hermit crabs to use for bait and the two lads were fishing for 'black finned bream'. They did catch one while I was watching, but the young angler looked up at me as he was gently taking the hook out of it's mouth and said  "it's a female, with eggs, got to do the right thing" and he put her back in the water, completely restoring my faith in young people all over again....!!

Les Ponts de Perth III .....

The Canning Bridge (Canning Bridge) is possibly the most complicated bridge I've researched so far.. I'll try to give it to you in a nutshell, but the link is there if you really want more details. The bridge was built three times, firstly in 1849, after damage by floods in 1862 it was rebuild by convicts in 1867 but due to poor maintenance it deteriorated and a new and sturdier structure was built in 1908. Here's where the bridge starts getting a bit more interesting as far as I'm concerned.. a new timber, pile-driven bridge was completed in 1939 but as the outbreak of Word War II had begun the old third bridge wasn't immediately demolished incase the new bridge was destroyed by enemy attack. The Bridge has been added to and changed over the years since, but as you can see from the magnificent  Jarrah, Karri and Wandoo timber pylons that still have the original numbers emblazoned on them, that parts of the 1939 bridge still remain in place, thank goodness.....!! Hope your Sunday is a lot less complicated.....

Riverbed reflections.....

I did initially think of making this image into a black and white for a more dramatic look, but I just couldn't bring myself to take out the blue of the sky reflected into what, with a long hot summer approaching very quickly, will soon be a dried up river bed with no possibility of any reflections at all....right decision.....? I'm really enjoying catching up on all your posts that I've missed over the last few days.....Have a fab weekend.....!

I can see for miles, and miles, and......!!

Thank you so much for all your good wishes about my eye op. and thought I might just take this opportunity to explain a little what it was all about..I can say without a doubt that if I'd been born 100 years ago I'd almost certainly be blind now..Dramatic maybe, but if I hadn't by some stroke of luck walked into The Lions Eye Institute (Lions Eye Inst.) fifteen years ago to see if I was a suitable candidate for laser surgery to correct my short sightedness, I would never have discovered that the pressure in my eyes was sky high and that I had Glaucoma, because you just don't feel it!! After many years of trying different types of eye drops and pills to reduce the pressure, and two detached retinas, five years ago I had a trabectalectomy in both eyes which to date are working 100%. I have four monthly checks and the reason I feel so very, very lucky is that despite all the trauma my eyes have been through, I can see fantastically well, no peripheral damage, to the point that I only use glasses for driving.  I don't have to mention the Ophthalmologist's name who has saved my sight on at least three occasions, he doesn't need the plug, he is well known and respected internationally I just thank God, often, that our paths crossed. The reason I decided to write this post is because I think we tend to check most things when we feel that there might be something wrong, but perhaps not so much the eyes. Glaucoma isn't something that you FEEL, but if the pressure isn't checked it can wear away at your peripheral vision and once gone, it can't be recovered... So go..go and have your pressure checked, no big deal, but could be sight saving.....Alright enough of all that,  back to business as normal, there's not a cloud in this sky and that's why I chose it for sky watch Friday. Hope there are no clouds in your sky today.....p.s. I missed you.....!!

Eye, eye.....!!

I would very much like to claim this picture as one of mine (and believe me I WAS tempted haha!), but this candid shot of an Emu with a very penetrating stare was taken a week ago at Caversham Wildlife Park in the Swan Valley by Bill from (billsdiving) who I'm trying to convince to expand his blog to 'billsdivingandmore'  as he takes brilliant photos of all sorts of things.. I'm having a little eye operation today, nothing serious, but I might be out of commission for a few days...so take care and hopefully 'SEE' you in a few days.....!!

BBB's..Belated, birthday blooms.....!!

I think that everyone who knows me well, knows that a bunch of home grown roses is possibly the best pressy they could ever give me.. Roses grown in commercial conditions just don't cut it as far as perfume (there usually is non) and shape. So I was highly delighted when a friend called in yesterday with this gorgeous bunch hand picked from her own garden.. lucky, lucky moi !! I wanted to share them with you and only wish somehow you could smell the perfume....Hope you have a beautiful Sunday and btw did you notice my careful 'petal placement' in the top picture.....!! pps 35C in Perth today and we're still in Spring, not so thrilled.....!

What do you mean it's not Friday.....!!

When you're driving down the coast road towards Fremantle Harbour, if you look out to sea there will always be an orderly queue of container ships from all around the world waiting patiently (or so it looks from afar) to dock and unload their cargo. Fremantle is the busiest harbour in WA and operates 24/7 handling vehicle imports, livestock exports, cruise shipping, naval visits and so much more.. I'll definitely be showing you more of Fremantle, but for now I thought this shot might be suitable for Skywatch Friday..... btw I seem to be a little more confused than usual, when I saw the first few of your sky shots yesterday I thought 'Oh dear, they've posted too early' , as the morning went on I thought 'oh dear what happened to Thursday' hahaha! Hope you have a 'switched on' kind of weekend....!!

Edwardian Majesty.....

In complete contrast to The Regal Theatre that I showed a while back, His Majesty's Theatre or 'The Maj' as it's affectionately called by Perthites, is a splendid affair..! Sitting on the corner of Hay and King St. in the city centre,  it was built in 1902/04  when Perth was in the grip of the WA gold rush and experiencing a high growth rate. It was then, and still is now I believe, the only Edwardian style theatre in Australia. (The Maj) It's seriously worth clicking the link to see the little slide show of the interior of the theatre that is home to both  the WA Ballet and the WA Opera Companies. The importance of The Maj to the cultural fabric of WA  has been recognized by it's inclusion in the State Register of  Heritage Places and being named as a State Heritage Icon....quite rightly, it has a history that should never be forgotten.....!!

School's out..surf's up.....!!

Yup, the weather's heating up, it's the school hols, and in Australia if you live along the coast that usually means 'beach, surf and sun'. It's a flourishing time for business in the many surf shops in and around the City.  Star Surf Shop at Sorrento Quay were displaying these colourful junior surf boards designed to entice young surfers into the water! With regular shark sightings off our coast it would take more than a snazzy board to get me further than 'knee deep' in the water, I love living by the coast but prefer to enjoy it from the safety of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.....!! p.s. thanks so much for all the birthday wishes yesterday.....

I'll take it in blue.....!!

EXCITEMENT....!! A few days ago a friend and I were watching a 'willy wagtail' darting about and commenting on how cute they were, and he asked if I'd seen a blue 'fairy wren' (Fairy Wren)..well I had not, as much as I had looked, I never seemed to spot one....WELL.. as I was walking along the coast yesterday I caught a glimpse of bright blue in the scrub at the side of the path and there he was darting about, the picture isn't nearly as clear as I'd like but I had literally seconds to snap before zip..he was gone..The reason I know that he's a male is because the males have the bright blue plumage and the females are more 'sandy brown'.. what's THAT all about, I don't know about you... but I think that's just sooo wrong  haha.....!! and yes, I will happily accept this sighting as a 'happy birthday' from good old Mother N.....!!

Doggie distraction.....!!

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Fremantle Markets are buzzing with folk looking for something unusual at a bargain price, these markets have a long and interesting history (Freo markets) and have been around since 1897. I will post a picture of the actual market at another time as it's a great looking building, but I couldn't get past these two little cuties patiently waiting for their 'parents' to finish shopping, and I wasn't the only one, not many were able to pass without a little 'chat'.....!!

Now you see me.....

                                                       Now you........!

                             What..!! What do you mean you still see me.....!!

This little fella peeked around the tree at me, hopped out a few paces, decided he didn't like what he saw and hopped straight back behind the tree, I didn't think I looked THAT bad!!  Anyway  I was happy to be there to snap his 'predicament' .....!! Hope you don't see anything too scary today.....!!

Meaningful reflections.....

I took this picture a few evenings ago when Aimee and I were walking through Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park (Pinnaroo),  it has become a very special place to us and we often incorporate it into our evening walks. Hope you have a weekend full of happy reflections.....!

Put a lid on it.....!!

On a clear day if you are walking, biking or driving down the West Coast road you may be able to see
Rottnest Island which is 20klms off the coast in the Indian Ocean. On Wednesday when we were walking along the coast I noticed the oddest thing!! The sky was as usual, immense and wonderfully blue, except....that there was a huge cloud almost the entire size of the island hovering above Rottnest, it really did look quite bizarre!! I have to say it was a very attractive cloud, dark underneath and fluffy on top, beautifully shaped and perfect for Skywatch Friday.. p.s. if you pull the first picture right in, you can juuuuust see the white of the island lighthouse to the right .....!!

Les Ponts de Perth ll .....

It was a little unfair that by the time we reached The Narrows bridge (The Narrows) the light had changed and softened giving a warm glow to the stone structure thus making it straight away more attractive than the cold utilitarian aspect of The Causeway.  Even though it doesn't boast  any statues and sculptures this bridge is slightly more fetching even minus the 'glow', and the views from the top are pretty spectacular! The second picture is the view from the top of the bridge looking over to South Perth where we started the walk and where we're headed back to, the third is the view the other way looking back to the City from where we have just come. The Causeway is just out of sight to the way, way right of this shot, quite a walk, come on... surely you must be a little impressed haha.....!! Have a great day.

A stop along the way.....

If you look at the second picture and click to enlarge you will see in the far, very far distance in the left hand corner the second bridge that we will cross over....eventually. It's a beautiful walkway alongside the Swan River, we saw so many different types of birds and the other good thing is that there's a separate cycle track running alongside too, so when you're walking you don't have to fear being run over by the dreaded 'enthusiastic (sounds better than crazy huh!) bikers.!! By the time we reached the spot in the top picture it was getting later in the afternoon and the light was changing and made for some pretty reflections.... Next bridge tomorrow, not quite so utilitarian .....!!

Les Ponts de Perth l .....

Now I'm the first to admit that The Causeway (The Causeway) is no 'Pont Neuf' neither in age nor beauty, but it has had a colourful history from it's humble beginnings in 1843 right up to the new and improved bridge that was completed in 1952.. There's the story of Mr. E.C.Loftie who in 1867 was fined forty shillings for causing an obstruction, the mob of cattle he was driving got spooked and wedged themselves between the rails and couldn't be moved for an hour.....ah! those were the days. Nowadays you can see The Causeway is more than sturdy enough to cope with the heavy traffic flow, unfortunately not a herd of cattle to be seen, although I did hear that a few weeks ago the traffic was held up for ten minutes or so by a family of black swans walking across the main traffic flow...fabulous, I just wish I'd been there to get the shot.....!! Hope you snap something fantastic today.....

Mistaken identity.....!!

We went for a walk around the bridges yesterday and I really should show you the bridges....and I will, but this bird which I thought was a Cormorant, but when I researched it a bit more thoroughly at home turned out to be an Australasian Darter (Darter) put on such a show for me, stretching out his wings to dry and turning his head this way and that as if to say 'make sure you get my best side'  that I decided to show him off today. Have to admit I was a little disappointed he wasn't a Cormorant, commonly know as a 'Shag' .....hehe! there, I got to say it anyway.....!!