The osprey..

While I was taking pictures of the petit 'singing honeyeater' a few days ago P had his much longer than mine lens pointing skywards just in time to see the Osprey nesting atop the communications tower near the beach spot it's next meal, swoop down and bring it home! Measuring in at 60cm the osprey is a medium sized raptor but with a wingspan of 180cm it still has an impressive swoop :) Right now I don't feel impressive in any way having succumbed to the dreaded flu, so it's a couple of days in bed for moi and hopefully I'll catch up in time for weekend reflections. Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe..

Singing Honeyeater..

Although we have had much rain in Perth over the last few days there were moments like this when the skies were super blue. Yesterday at Hillarys Boat Harbour to take photos of something entirely different I was sidetracked by the singing honeyeater sitting so prettily in the scrub bushes along the coast. Not having the patience it takes to be a true birder, when one of the smaller birds (18cm) sits still long enough for me to take a shot.. I'd be mad not to. I saw many swallows also but they were not as obliging :) P was after bigger fish.. might be a guest post tomorrow. Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe... P.s. one thing that I've noticed lately.. I'm easily sidetracked :)

Welcome to Freo.. A kraken good endeavour!

On Saturday after leaving the markets in Fremantle we went in search of this massive mural, I know right, it's a bit hard to miss :) painted in 2013.. a collaborative endeavour between Jackson Harvey, Jerome Davenport and Luke O'Donohoe, paint supplied by the City of Fremantle. Found on the wall of Pearse Street Studio in North Fremantle.. visible from the train between Fremantle and North Fremantle it is a spectacular 'Welcome to Freo', can you see the 'Freo' in the mix of ship wreckage below, tres clever oui! Kraken! Just one more reason to keep my feet dry on terra firma :) Hope you had/are still having a fab weekend, happy Monday, take care and stay safe..

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Gothic art gallery..

While in the city taking these photos in Cathedral Square I popped in to see St George's Art 2017 held in St George's Cathedral.  This event, now in its 15th year is a terrific opportunity for students in Year 10, 11 and 12 from all around WA to present their work in a unique setting.. I did get a little side-tracked as you can see :)

The standard of work by the students was outstanding as always.. the piece that I have picked to show is indicative of young people's anxiety world wide re the current state of politics in the US.. and on that note :) I wish you a happy Sunday, take care and stay safe..

Umbrellas and winter sales..

 Apart from the winter festivities going on around Perth right now there are also the winter sales, signs announcing anywhere from 25%, 50% and below even better 70% off! In Australia we have Christmas sales, Easter sales, winter sales, summer sales and the biggest of them all the Boxing Day sales.. tourists come and buy up big! In Paris les soldes are restricted to twice a year. There are good and bad points to both.. we're pretty laid back in Perth, there's no rush, if you miss one sale eh (shrugging shoulders) another will be along shortly so there's no real bargain buzz. In Paris it sounds like the first few days of les soldes are a crazy crush and all the good stuff is gone vite then you have to wait until the next season for another. Personally if there's a crush situation I'd rather pay a few dollars more :) how about you? Bon weekend, take care and stay safe..

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Umbrellas up, up and almost away!

We've had some wild winter weather hurrah over the last few days, Aimee tells me the squalls in the city were quite ferocious so it was with curiosity yesterday afternoon that I went in to take a few shots of the umbrella installation on Hay Street.. just one of the events in this year's City of Perth Winter Arts Season. There were still raindrops on the brollies but for a short while the sky cleared. Colourful umbrellas en masse are a delight to see but for added interest some architectural details from the many heritage buildings along Hay St. That's Percy Archibald Buttons in the last shot, still entertaining tourists and locals 63 years after passing away, he had a tough life did Percy! Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..

Re-discovering treasure..

On this post last week some of you quite rightly admired the glimpse of the building here. This has to be one of the biggest and most successful restorations in the city. The Old Treasury Building built in 1877, occupied by the State Government for 120 years and then left abandoned for two decades.. imagine that, incroyable! You can see some interior pics taken before the restoration here. Now home to some of Perth's finest restaurants and boutique hotel, this old beauty is refreshed, restored and fabulous! If you have a few minutes scroll down and check out the short video here to have a closer look. Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. taken very early just as people are arriving in the city.. 

Cocktails and pizza at Alfred's..

I couldn't find one bad review for Alfred's Pizzeria on Barrack Street, in fact one reviewer said they were tempted to give a bad review in the hope it would put people off thus keeping Alfred's a 'secret spot.' Too late, the jig is up, the word is out with another reviewer saying that 'the smell of pizza and the decor made them feel as if they had strolled straight into Little Italy.' Enter through the telephone box and you will discover 'tucked away downstairs all of your favourite things, a cocktail bar, late night pizza and rock & roll.' I think I've just talked myself into a visit :) Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. most of the pics this week were taken super early on Monday morning, just in case you're wondering where everyone is :)

Flowers in her hair, flowers everywhere....

I love the flower girl
Oh, I don't know just why
She simply caught my eye
I love the flower girl she seemed so sweet and kind
She crept into my mind.. The Cowsills

 Sitting in the recently opened Mrs S Cafe in Highgate, the lady with flowers in her hair had me humming the song by the The Cowsills, go on I dare you to listen, you'll love it.. a more upbeat 3.35 minutes will be hard to find :) Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe...  

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Dr Russell's Imaginarium..

A trip to Guildford is not complete for me unless I pop into Dr Russell's Imaginarium, the name alone is enough to entice! If you enjoy browsing vintage, art deco, retro, garagenalia and kitchenalia this is the place. The one thing I always admire and would buy in a flash, for Aimee, is the Betty Boop figurine based on the 1920's entertainer Baby Esther Jones. Here's the thing though, check out the tag on her foot.. it's Not for Sale, c'est la vie, isn't that always the way! Hope you're having a fab weekend, take care and stay safe... P.s. Boop-oop-a-doop :)

Love affair with the Gledden..

I remember saying here a few weeks ago that the next time I take a shot of the tall trees in front of Central Park in the middle of the CBD they would be splendidly naked! Two views of the Gledden Building above in reflection and below through the winter trees. I don't think I will ever tire of taking shots of this Art Deco building which is reminiscent of the Verizon Building in New York. Happy weekend, take care and stay safe.. 

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Shorts, slouch hats and men in skirts!

My favourite time to people watch in the city is during the lunch break.. office workers dashing to get things done.. and then there's always the one who is in winter denial wearing shorts and the occasional, most unlikely of men wearing a skirt around town.. I actually don't mind a man in a skirt though I'm not sure about his footwear :) My favourite pick here as you might have guessed is the older gentleman in the suit and slouch hat, très charmant! Where is your favourite place to people watch? Happy Friday et bon 14 juillet to my amis français, take care and stay safe..

Ore Obelisk.. The Harmony of Minerals.

WA has a rich mining history and I have wanted to show the Ore Obelisk the 'harmony of minerals' in Stirling Gardens for a while but the light never seems to be quite right. The Ore Obelisk, a symbol of the WA mining boom is 'a memorial to the State`s progress and a symbol of a decade of mineral expansion between 1960 and 1970'. If you embiggen the shot below you will see that...

...'the Ore Obelisk is really a simple mirror symbol. Mining goes on underground. To make it visible the process is turned upside down. The steel base is engraved as a 3-D production graph, and each year a current ½ in. plate is laid to keep the graph up to date. From it rises the 45ft oil drill pipe. It threads through the 15 ores and at its peak the drill bit dramatically points upwards symbolising the ore boom spirit ‘The Sky is the Limit’. Still not the best lighting, but important to show. Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe..

Embracing the love..

Whether you love them or hate them love-locks will always have a romantic appeal. Many city councils now regard the locks as vandalism. I don't hate them or love them but why not, like here under the Swan Bells have a designated spot for tourists and locals to 'lock it down' and embrace the romantic holiday ideal. Admittedly not quite as romantic as Pont des Arts, but also not doing any structural damage. It seems like a win, win situation to moi.. well what do you know, maybe I am a romantic after all :) Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. just reiterating there is no structural damage being caused here!

Do not pass GO!

I can't remember the last time I played Monopoly and I'm not altogether sure I agree with the ethos of the game 'wealth creation above all else' seems a bit sad don't you think.. but that's in the real world :) as a game it can be entertaining, especially if there are familiar properties for sale on the board. Found the just for fun Monopoly board down a lane in the inner city suburb of Leederville in the City of Vincent. Any of the streets on this board would be a lucrative pick up! Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

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Incidental exercise..

Leaving Elizabeth Quay to head back into the city is the perfect opportunity to walk through Stirling Gardens. I like to take the steps here at the side of the Supreme Court of WA, for that wee bit of incidental exercise :) back view of the court buildings below...

... and front view.

Through and out onto St Georges Terrace. It's been a perfect blue skies, chilly temps, by Perth standards :) kind of weekend. I hope that yours has been good too, happy Monday, take care and stay safe...