To save or not to save, that is the question.....!

Well there's no question really, it has been saved. There's nothing I like more than to hear about old buildings being preserved rather than knocked down in the name of progress but I have serious doubts as to whether this one was worth the time, money or effort that it has cost the developers, read the story here, to support and design around it. This 120 year old 'gold rush era' cottage in Northbridge which has lain empty and probably used as a doss house for years has been been put on the New Northbridge Heritage Inventory with the reasoning that 'the building reflects the expansion and development of residential properties on the city fringes during the rapid population increase of the 1890s gold boom, and is a surviving example of the boarding houses that were once prevalent in the City of Perth'. This I could appreciate if it was going to be restored to it's original form, but I believe the cottage is going to be a restaurant! Still, it was a pretty amazing sight to see it up on pillars high above the development site, what do you think, was it worth the effort? Happy Friday, stay safe.....

Monstrous beings and Vivaldi.....!

Yesterday I went to Waldecks  garden nursery. I think of my Mum every time I go there, it was one of our favourite places, we didn't always buy anything, sometimes we would just stroll, enjoying the ambiance of Vivaldi and beautiful flowers. She would always wonder why these rather bizarre, badly sculpted Greek winged sphinxes with very impressive..em! 'wings' haha! sat guard at the entrance, I must admit moi also, considering that according to Greek mythology they're not really good 'sorts'! I have asked but it seems deemed to remain a mystery, maybe it's better that way! Nursery's are so much more than a place to buy plants these days don't you think, you could almost furnish your home and have breakfast or lunch while you're doing it! I hope you're having a good week, take care.....p.s. my computer is super slow tonight, so before I have a conniption fit I will switch off and start fresh tomorrow.....!!

 and just to show there are actually plants... plum trees!

The Vietnam connection.....

It was cold and wet in Perth yesterday so instead of heading out in search of inspiration I went back a few weeks to the pictures I took in Kings Park. As I mentioned Kings Park is the home to many memorials the Vietnam Pavilion being one of them. Behind a gated area on polished black marble honour boards are the names of 61 West Australian servicemen who died in Vietnam, a memorial service is held here every year on the 18th of August the anniversary of the battle of Long Tan. The sculpture by Khoat Van Nguyen is of a R.O.V. (Republic of Vietnam) soldier standing alongside an Australian soldier with the badges of the R.O.V. and the three Australian Services etched on the sides of the polished stone base. I adhere strictly to the theory that politics and religion are a very personal subject but let's just say the soldiers who fought in this war had to wait an overly long time to receive recognition for their bravery..I'm done! Surely it can't be halfway point in the week already, that's just nuts.....!

 

Look at me. Look..at..me.....!!

Although not the most attractive bird the Darter also known as the 'snakebird' because of the way they swim with their bodies submerged with just their long neck showing above the surface, does seem to give the impression of being a bit of a showoff! You often see them sitting like this on the rocks around the marina and the river, however since reading up a little I've discovered that their feathers are not waterproof so they do this to dry off, not show off!! They use that long spiky bill to spear fish and the water around the marina has abundant fish of all sizes, not sure what they are but  you can see (if you click to enlarge) they range from a good size to shoals if tiny fish. Just one of the many bird species that live around Perth waters. I hope your week has started well, take care and stay safe.....

Can you see him showing off down there.....!

Coming home.....

I wonder how many outdoor events were cancelled this weekend because of the wet and stormy weather that never eventuated, WA covers a lot of ground so I'll give the bureau the benefit of the doubt and assume that there was some inclement weather somewhere in the state. Hmmm! Methinks I'm being too kind! I took these shots late yesterday afternoon from the lighthouse below at Hillary's Marina, it's a top spot to watch the boats, big and small come in from a day out at sea. The above shot was the last as the sun was sinking fast, I like this image because it looks like two separate pictures joined in the middle, it really isn't. I hope the fishermen coming home in that little boat had a  successful catch and were coming home happy chaps!! Well here we are at the beginning of a new week, let's hope it's a good one.....

 

Clear and present danger.....

They both have piercing yellow eyes and they both pose a threat to the many different species of wild birds that touchdown in my garden for food and water everyday! Yesterday I heard before I saw, this young Peregrine Falcon high up in a fir tree in the garden next to mine, I think from the noises he was making he was not happy with the breakfast selection today! A second after I took this shot he spread his wings and swooped, if you've seen a falcon or eagle swoop down on it's intended victim, it's a very impressive sight oui! Then there's Sidney Ash below who is adorable but does like to scare the feathers off the doves. Sidney belongs to a young girl that lives near me, but comes to visit every morning for breakfast. She has arrived a few times with feathers on her whiskers looking very pleased with herself, I choose to believe that she wouldn't really harm the birds, just have a little fun!! Happy Sunday, enjoy.....

Double exposure.....!

Come on, you know we all like to do it, catch a fellow photographer at work that is! When Aimee and I were walking down the coast road a few nights ago just after sunset, this lady was on the beach shooting up the coast towards the lighthouse at the marina, her dog sitting by her side waiting patiently to resume their walk (can you see them down there!). Considering that it's the middle of winter the temperatures have been really mild this week here in Perth, around the 21C mark, cold in the early morning and evening with beautifully sunny days, but as I type that is all about to change, back to rain and stormy weather for the next week, excellent..looking forward to a 'snugly' kind of weekend, whatever you have planned for your weekend, enjoy and take care.....