Whimsy in the park..

Love, love love the mural here spotted last week while driving through Mount Lawley, sublime whimsy in all my favourite shades of blue. On the wall of a private house on the edge of the park, there for everyone to see and enjoy. Featuring all the birds that visit my back garden plus can you see the cockatoo in the corner to the right. Unfortunately couldn't find the artist's signature although this lovely old home surrounded by trees might even be the home of the artist him/herself 💙 Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

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Yesterday...

Yesterday was perfect.. it rained all day. I was certain Hyde Park would look fabulous with it's many plane trees in winter mode.. wasn't disappointed. The shot above purely because it is wintery pretty :) the close up of the trunk of the plane trees that line the lake would make a brilliant but tricky jig-saw puzzle don't you think, I haven't noticed the many shades of winter colours in them before..

Good to see I'm not the only one who enjoys an invigorating walk in the rain..

The sweet little Kookaburra and his mate sat up in the winter branches, diving down every now and then for a morsel from the lake, the bird below with a little fish in his beak, I didn't have time to change to a longer lens, would have been a better close-up. Looks like the weather will be more of the same most of the week.. umbrella shots to come :) Happy new week, take care and stay safe..

Majestic winter skeletons..

I've said it before and I'll say it again, sometimes the only way to tell that it actually is winter in Perth is when the trees lose their leaves and transform into majestic skeletons! I took this picture exactly a year ago but I'm pretty sure if I had gone into the city and taken this same shot in Central Park garden yesterday it would be so similar you wouldn't be able to tell a whole year and a lot of world drama had happened in-between. Hoping for a storm today and finding my new winter header shot before winter is over :) Happy Sunday, take care and stay safe..

Mmmmm... lunch!

Was a little disappointed yesterday, we were promised forecast a wet and windy day but as you can see it was not to be, perhaps today.. it is winter after all. I love taking shots of our beautifully exotic black swans, here on the Swan River in Matilda Bay. I enjoyed the sequence of shots with the swan peering into the water, plunging his head in and triumphantly emerging with a tidbit of the greenish kind :) Hope you have a super weekend, take extra care and stay safe..

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The power of suggestion..

On a rainy day visit to the recently re-opened Art Gallery WA last week I was looking forward to seeing the work of Year 12 students from schools across WA. This year's Pulse Perspectives 2019 exhibition was as creative and diverse as always. The above work by Charlotte Olsen 'see with your hands and feel with your eyes' had me wanting to reach out and touch.. I resisted :) All of the art by these talented young visual art graduates was amazing and absolutely relevant to the time we are presently living. I feel the work below could be relating to the world's existence depending on us working together as a whole and the next work how this may not be possible as 'more young people disconnect as a result of digital toxicity'. I am ever fascinated to know how young people see their future in this uncertain world.. Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. I would love it if you would read the artists words 💙

Silly old galahs..

Although I didn't venture far yesterday I had a lot of visitors :) Sitting out on the patio early morning with a coffee and my book, my camera is usually nearby. I have no official pets but every morning my sweet feral cat is waiting on the doorstep for breakfast as are numerous birds. Even I was surprised when I stepped out to see the long line of galahs and corellas sitting along the pool fence patiently waiting for breakfast.. 

The only time they got a bit raucous was when after finishing his own breakfast the cat strolled nonchalantly over to sit by the fence, it was funny to see them turn and lean down to screech at him as he lay lazily watching them feigning indifference.. although I have seen him leap from the ground into the bird feeder before, maybe they have too :) Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe.. 

  

 

It's not always blue skies..

Oh how I love this weather 💦 Yesterday as we were walking around Hillarys Boat Harbour, five minutes from home, the skies grew more ominous by the minute. It wasn't cold though, still 21C. The first month of winter is almost over and I still haven't had my serious coat :) a  scarf, beanie or gloves on yet.. hopefully soon. Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe.. 

Lunch in Bindoon..

The road trip that keeps on giving :) It was quiet when we drove into Bindoon, the last and smallest of the country towns on our trip that day. One of the biggest events here is the annual Bindoon & District Agricultural Show which has sadly been cancelled this year because of the virus.. that's a huge deal for a small country town, the economy of most of the country towns in this area is based on agriculture. Couldn't believe my luck as we pulled into the Bindoon Bakehaus, country towns always seem to have amazing bakeries, to see the gorgeous mural above by WA artist Morris Jacobs, the loved-up :) pair of red-tailed black cockatoos surveying the lay of the land..

As we were driving out of town we stopped for a quick shot of the Holy Trinity Church built in 1886 using local stone and timber and holding up pretty darn well by the look of it. Well that's the country for a while hope you enjoyed the trip. Happy Monday, take care and stay safe.. 

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One gin too many..

Ducking back to Gingin for a minute for Weekend Reflections. This is another of those confusing reflections that I so love to find :) If you looked at the shot above you might imagine that I'm looking straight up to the sky through the trees, when I am in fact standing on the bridge looking straight down into the water of the Gingin Brook, a wider view below. Paperbark trees are so photogenic don't you think? Hope you are enjoying your weekend, take care and stay safe..

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Morning tea in New Norcia..

It all began back in 1846 with the arrival of two Benedictines in WA, Dom Rosendo Salvado and Dom Jose Benito Serra. Within a year the foundation stone for the mission at New Norcia was laid. New Norcia is Australia's only monastic town with a fascinating history that I won't attempt to condense here but if you are interested the Story of New Norcia here is a five minute easy read. The view below encompasses to the left..

St Gertrude's College for Girls, oh my they don't look happy.. actually they look a lot like I did when I had school photos taken :)

 In the centre below what is now the Monastery guesthouse..

 ... and to the right Saint Ildephonsus College. Both buildings now used for accommodation and events..

 Below, the New Norcia Cemetery with burials dating back to 1860.. including 130 Benedictine monks and sisters.. and the Abbey Church..

Below the portraits of 70 of the monks that were there in 1870, my goodness they look glum.. but if you embiggen the daily timetable you will see why.. it certainly was an austere, exacting life they had chosen for themselves. New Norcia is well known and respected for it's breads, olive oil and wines all produced in the monastery.. of course we had to bring home samples of all three 😉 Off to Bindoon next but not before doubling back to Gingin for a few reflection shots. Happy Saturday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. New Norcia is definitely worth a re visit when the church, museum and art gallery are open.

 

Gingin.. a walk before breakfast.

You cannot beat the early morning light on a crisp winters day. On arriving in the country town of Gingin, although desperate keen for a coffee after the drive, we walked the 45 minute Gingin Walkabout Trail to explore and work up an appetite first. The waterwheel above in the park is a replica of the original waterwheel used by the flour mill in 1855, the axle actually the original.. here it is pumping the water for the park fountain..

Below looking up and down Brockman Street, the main street in this charming and beautifully maintained agricultural country town. On the corner St Luke's Anglican Church built in 1860 is a pretty little church hidden amongst the trees..

All I can say about the 45 minute walk across and around the bridges below, is that if you ever get the chance to do it you should.. especially if you get a chance to do it early on a crisp winter's morning :) suffice to say the breakfast and coffee went down a treat before we left Gingin and on to New Norcia.. Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..