Rug up.....!!

Even in mid winter there's a lot going on at the marina, can't let a bit of cold (?) weather stop you getting out and about. It's a favorite spot for school excursions and outdoor sport activity. Don't let the blue sky fool you, it's crisp out there, even though I get the definite impression that our idea of 'crisp' here in Perth might make a few of you 'laugh out loud', it's all relative right!! My plan is to start the weekend with a sleep in, and by that I mean at least 8am (here's hoping), and then it's off in search of a chimney for the theme tomorrow, could be tricky. Have a great weekend, take care and keep safe.....

Bleak or beautiful.....?

I'm one hundred percent sure that Rae from Perth and Other Places would agree with me when I say that a walk through Hyde Park is a super enjoyable experience winter, spring, summer and fall.. now why did Carole King's You've Got a Friend come to mind there, life is a song oui!! When the Plane Trees in the park are naked as they are now some may feel that the scene is a little desolate, personally I think the framework of these gorgeous old trees is a beautiful sight to behold, they give no shade, but none is needed, nature at it's most efficient!

and then quite unexpectedly.. a flash of colour, I'm thinking he must be wrapped up in his own warm thoughts because he certainly didn't have enough winter gear on! I'm hoping that you're having warm weekend thoughts of your own, take care and stay safe.....

Thinking 'inside' the frame.....

As far back as I can remember I've always looked at things 'in a frame' wondering what kind of image they'd make. Most of the time my camera sits in my (huge) bag and comes everywhere with me just in case, now and then I'll deliberately leave it behind with the aim of just chilling out and enjoying the sights, it really doesn't work because guaranteed I'll see something excellent and think 'merde, if only'..swearing in French never seems quite so vulgar haha!! Anyway here are a few things that caught my eye a couple of days ago in the city. Above reflections of the Wesley Church in a very modern building next door, below I thought the last of the autumn colours suited this building so well.....

 Sculpture (Tree of Life) by Rod Laws beside the  Wesley Church.....

Stepping out in style in Alannah Hill.....

Spend more time together in Perth... I think we should don't you.....?

There's a McDonalds around every corner down every lane.....

and one just for fun, read the words and check out the happy look on Aimee's face.....!

Now you see me II.....

Now you don't.....

I wonder if these two youngsters are related haha! I caught this young kangaroo yesterday afternoon having a chomp on the native bushes around Pinnaroo Reserve, he was a little shy and I'm sure he thought if he couldn't see me then vice versa. Sorry mate you were just too cute to resist! Midway point in the working week already, hope you have a good day, take care.....

The great divide.....

On Saturday in the city we zipped up to Aimee's office on the 13th floor of One40William St.  I was keen to see her views of the city from up there. I was really happy with this shot above because it shows clearly where you enter the Horseshoe Bridge in Northbridge and exit the bridge in the city.  Northbridge and the city centre have been divided for the last 100 years by the railway lines running north and south, but these now run underground and work is well underway to create the brand new Perth City Link area which will bring the entertainment and cultural venues on both sides together. If you look to the right in the shot below there is still the odd glimpse of the Swan River between the skyscrapers, and down below the Wesley Church on the corner of Hay and William St. where I had hoped to take some shots of the stained glass windows, another time as it was all locked up. I hope your week has started off well, take care and stay safe.....

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

Yesterday it was crisp and clear here in Perth and although the beaches were empty apart from a few hardy surfers, the lifeguards were still there keeping watch. There were two shark 'incidents' last week prompting the WA Fisheries Shark Response Unit to comment that there was 'some type of shark activity occuring along the Perth coast at present', and yet there they were, still paddling their boards out into the water. It seems that the thrill of riding the waves outweighs the the threat of being attacked and part of me really admires their courage and determination to carry on whatever, but a bigger part of me thinks....no, I couldn't possibly say that here haha! The start of another week, enjoy, before you know it ziiiip it'll be gone. Stay out of the water and keep safe.....!!

Boardwalk reflections.....

Yesterday was crisp and sunny in Perth, just perfect to sit for five minutes, drink a hot chocolate at San Churros and watch the coming and goings on the boardwalk at Sorrento Quay. This cute little chap below was looking a little glum as dad had been talking on the phone all the way along the boardwalk and back..come on dad, ditch the phone, there's jumping fish to see (there really was, I saw them!!).....

Just when you get out your favorite umbrella, it's all over....!!

A bit of brekkie and a catch up on the headlines.....!!

 and there's always time for a little canoodling.....!!

Sorry I haven't been around much the last few days, I've been trying to get my garden (read jungle) trimmed (read hacked) before real winter weather sets in, sometimes (like now) I think it would be so nice to have a small patio with a few tub trees and flowers or even an apartment with nothing at all, but then when spring and summer come around again, it really is a pleasure to potter out there. I hope that your weekend is going well, take care and stay safe.....

P.I. Sweetheart or sleuth.....?

In a few weeks there will be another camera market at the Leederville Town Hall and I'm already getting a little excited at the prospect! One of the things I enjoy and find very tempting are the antique cameras like this early 1900's vest pocket camera made by the Eastman Kodak Co. which I bought a few years ago. Advertised as 'the soldier's camera' during WW1 and designed to slip into the uniform pocket, it has a flap at the back with a steel pen clipped next to it to write straight onto the negative while in camera.....

Then it was a challenge to see if I could find a film for it and actually take some photos.  My cousin who was coming out from England for a visit was able to locate the required A127 film at Jessops camera store and bring it out with him. Once the film was loaded (in the dark) it was lights, camera, action!! Despite having a tiny pinprick hole in the canvas and considering it's age, I think the results were pretty good oui.....

The thing that captured my imagination the most was the initials P.I scratched on the front of the camera in quite ornate scroll. Was this a gift to a soldier from his sweetheart as he went off to war, or was it used by a youngster who fancied themselves as a bit of a detective? Being a romantic I'm leaning towards the former, what do you think.....! TGIF have a good one....

Winter Solstice.....

Even though winter in Australia officially started on the first of June, many believe that today the 21st of June, day of the 'winter solstice' is the true beginning. All I know for sure is that Perth is awash, it hasn't stopped raining for days, and it's cold, well for Perth it's cold, tops of 17C. Even so if you look there's always some colour to be found. I'm very happy that I planted a row of  Geraldton Wax along my back fence last year, flowering from June through November this hardy native bush is a welcome splash of purple and as everything is soggy and blurry anyway I took the opportunity to have a little fun with a bit of HDR ing and posterising!  I wish a happy summer solstice day to all in the Northern Hemisphere, here's hoping the world doesn't come to an end and the 'dawning of the age of Aquarius' is a good one.....!!

Kings Park encore et fini.....!

Well when I say fini, I mean for a while, there's just so much to see in the park that it's possible we'll be back. As well as being the site for the WA Botanical Gardens visited by millions each year it has more memorials, statues and honour walks than any other park in Australia. Probably the most photographed and well known is the State War Memorial overlooking the city and where the ANZAC Day dawn service  is held each year (nice little video from this year's service). It wasn't really until I got home and downloaded these shots that I realized even though it was a slightly overcast day, the light was pretty special.....

My favourite is the Ceremonial Walk which you enter from Wadjuk Way (renamed to acknowledge the Indigenous connection to this land) through the 'Whispering Walls' below, curved walls on either side of the entrance, if you sit at each end of the wall and talk softly it's a little like the two tin cans and a piece of string theory, it really works! Walking down past the 'flame of remembrance' and 'pool of reflection' to the State Memorial and one of the best views over Perth and the Swan River you're likely to see. There are so many really beautiful memorial tributes in the park to the men and women who lost their lives in battle, I will come back and record them for you. In the meantime have a fab Wednesday, take care and stay safe.....

and furthermore.....!!

As a follow on from yesterdays post, heading into the city our destination was Kings Park where I took the pictures of the ferocious looking dinosaurs and the wee willy wagtail.  I love the view from the top of Kings Park looking over the tops of the Swan Brewery which has been revamped into The Old Brewery to the city and the Narrows Bridge that bypasses the CBD and crosses over the Swan River to South Perth below. It's not the actual bridge itself that causes me all the tension, it's the numerous lane choices before you actually get onto it, and even though they're very clearly marked, by this stage I'm a little blinded by panic.. Arrrrrgh! my computer is on a go slow, it's driving me insane, and yeh I know that's not a stretch haha! I hope your week has started well, have a fab Tuesday.....

Comfort zone.....!

Heading down the freeway a few mornings ago, the city ahead was shrouded in low, rain laden clouds, which as you can see below we drove straight into (looks good bigger). If you look to the left of the top picture you'll see the freeway exit marked Vincent Street, this is my 'comfort' exit, leaving the freeway here I can get to Northbridge, the city and most places that I go to on a regular basis, but... if perchance I want to go to the Zoo or anywhere South, the best way to cross the river is via the Narrows Bridge and for moi this is waaaay out of my comfort zone! I will do it, well you have to if you want to get somewhere right, but the minute I pass Vincent I tense up, my hands grip the wheel, my nose hits the windscreen..kidding (maybe). Do you have something that makes you leap right out of your 'safe spot', hopefully not today, have a good start to the new week, take care.....

'Stealer of secrets'.....

If you've ever tried to take a picture of a Willie Wagtail you'll know exactly how hard it is to catch them still for more than a few seconds. They flit around bobbing their fantails from side to side as they forage for bugs and insects in the grass.  Weighing in at less than an ounce they're very cute little creatures with black feathers on top, white underneath and very stylish white eyebrows, it's a bit hard to tell which is male or female as they both have the same plumage. This little fella jumped from the grass up onto the railing high above the city in Kings Park, it would have been so cool if I had managed to get the bird in focus in the city shot below, but I was pretty happy to even get him in frame at all and it does give some idea of the location. Because they aren't shy and are happy to flit around and about people, in Aboriginal folklore they are known as 'stealers of secrets' good thing I was concentrating on snapping him rather than divulging state secrets as is my usual wont haha! Have a fab Sunday, take care.....

Never smile at a Phytosaur.....!

According to my stats this is my 400th post and as we had a short break in our crazy wild weather, to celebrate I went out looking for something BIG! I've shown you pictures of Kings Park before, but not of the fearsome creatures that 'lurk' in  Synergy Parkland .Creatures like the Phytosaur above and the 'mutta..burra..whatta?' Muttaburrasaurus below.....

...and then there's the stomp! stomp! Diprotodon below and lastly the 'thunderbirds' Bullockornis which round off this small group of extinct Australian 'megafauna'. I found the Phytosaur just a wee bit scary, but apparently the kids love these ginormous creatures and have great fun climbing all over them.....

To complete the prehistoric experience you cross over the bridge to Lycopods Island which is  surrounded by water, to reach some modern day slides and 'climby' constructions! I can see how this park would be a really thrilling adventure in the eyes of a small person. Interesting to see that the Bullockornis above were prone to burying their head in the sand also, a bit like moi haha! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, take care and stay safe.....p.s Paris was way too easy, jardin des tuileries, was a little harder, but not for the Paris buffs amongst us.....!!

Where am I encore.....?

It's been so grey and dismal in Perth this last few days that I thought I might escape just for today and post a couple of my favorite holiday shots, the last time I did this I was in St. Peter's Square in Roma, which was sussed pretty smartish! Both these shots were taken on the same day in the same location and I have a feeling it's going to be way too easy for most of you. Hope you don't mind, but I've felt a little 'uninspired' today and indulged in a spot of wishful thinking.....Happy Thursday, keep warm..oh hang on, it's me that's got to keep warm haha!