John Forrest Heritage Trail I.. trails & vistas.

Another up and at 'em early morning on Sunday to get to John Forrest National Park and walk the heritage trail. It's always a good idea, in fact essential if you do the whole circuit, to sign in with the ranger.. just in case! Despite difficult conditions, experienced in all national forests.. drought, die-back, government funding cut-backs, fires (often deliberate) etc. it's still a beautiful expression of our unique Australian vegetation, plus a few colourful intruders :) and a pleasure to walk.. on Sunday our trail would lead us to Hovea Falls.

This was a bit interesting.. below, growing on a Jarrah tree, a 'burl'! Likened to a cancerous growth, it can be cut off without damaging the tree and is highly valued by carpenters for the striking wood grain and colours, each one unique!

Horse trails, walk trails, and at one point a cyclist went whizzing by :)

If a tree falls down in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

 Banks of wild freesias, heavenly perfume!

.... and there in the distance Hovea Falls, our destination.. where I had a bit of a 'thing' :) show you more tomorrow. Hope your week is off to a good start, happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

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In the eye of the beholder!

When this piece went up on the wall of the Corner Gallery in Subiaco it was deemed 'inappropriate and offensive' by some of the female shopkeepers in the area stating 'how does this help the self-esteem of women who might be viewing this image' demanding that it be taken down and someone made accountable! Read on.. the artist Fieldey (remember this) replied 'as a woman and a feminist I painted this piece to satirise objectification of woman'! Quoting Stephen Bevis, Arts Editor, The West Australian newspaper 'art that just makes people feel comfortable is likely to be craft, not art. Good public art should engage us in a kind of debate, interrupting the mundane and stimulating a fresh appreciation of our surroundings. Hopefully, bravery will prevail so that artists' vision will not be hammered out of shape by a selection committee'.. succinctly put Mr. Bevis! Personally this image did not dent my self -esteem in the slightest :) Happy Monday, take care..

This post is linked to Monday Mural.

Surfing the wave of reconciliation!

Image overload today but so worth it! We were up and on our way to Cottesloe Beach bright and early yesterday morning. I had been invited, thanks Kelly, to take photos of an event much too special to miss, the 5th annual ICEA Classic. ICEA (Indigenous Communities Education & Awareness) Foundation is a not-for-profit organization run by a group of amazing young people whose aim is 'to inspire reconciliation and promote mutual respect and cultural awareness in local schools and in the wider community'. If you would like to know more you can read about the ICEA program here.

Above the girls in action and below the 'expression session'.. everyone heading in for a bit of fun between the competition rounds..

 While some perched on the rocks for a  closer view..

..others opted for a more comfortable spot on one of the many old sofas along the prom, novel idea.. not seen that before :)

So much more than surfing going on.. the skateboard comps getting a bit of attention, four cameras plus me I see!

Traditional basket weaving and beading..

Getting to grips with the Didgeridoo! Beautifully decorated..

Young artist at work adding her own special creature to the sea!

It was the perfect day for the ICEA Classic, a day for the whole community to come together to celebrate Indigenous and surfing cultures, check out super short video here. Only able to stay for a few hours I missed many wonderful events of the day.. next year! Hope you're having a good weekend.. what are you up too? I'm off on a bush hike today, wish me luck! Happy Sunday, take care!

Santé! Happy weekend!

This is what's called making the best of a bad situation :) We went out last night to celebrate my sister's birthday.. happy birthday Marge! Excellent company, good food, too much champagne and well here we are with only one shonky shot to show for it, c'est la vie! Vino et moi are not good bedfellows.. I'm expecting dire 'consequences' :) Whatever you're up to this weekend.. enjoy! Take care and stay safe..p.s. catch up today!

To see better more reflections from around the world visit James here..

Coffee.. with a side of salad?

Usually associated with alcoholic beverages 'happy hour' here in Perth can also refer to coffee. According to the Business Insider Australia at an average of $4.31 per cappuccino against $3.93 in other Australian cities Perth is the most expensive.. but if you read the article, on the plus side if you're into lettuce in a big way and who isn't :) Perth is the place to be! Tucked away under the stairs leading up to Trinity Church on St. Georges Terrace the inviting glow from Tartine Cafe delivers on it's promise of un très bon café! Happy Friday, take care.. p.s. how much is coffee in your neck of the woods?

The other side of the road..

Just a few shots to show you what lies behind the magnificent Moreton Bay Fig trees in yesterdays post.. the good side of the road! First shot, the entrance into the Supreme Court Gardens off busy St. Georges Terrace, the gardens are always lovely but in spring they are especially so.. and surprising also, I'm not sure if I've ever seen rhubarb (below) used as a border plant before :) here combined with red geraniums..

Close up just to be sure :) rhubarb.. right! Maybe not :)

 If you look carefully you can just see the Bell Tower down there on the Esplanade above the trees to the very right..

Below the Supreme Court building established in 1861. Here unfortunately looking a little washed out in the midday sun, apologies!

Looking down Barrack St. below another view of the Weld Club and in the distance through the trees a glimpse of the Narrows Bridge..

... and to finish, below the entrance into the gardens from along the Esplanade. It will be interesting to see how the established here, and the new modern architecture just across the road will meld together. Perth and particularly St. Georges Terrace is already a mix of old and new, it might work.. desperately trying to keep an open mind here :) Happy Wednesday, take care..

J.J.Talbot.. an architect's view..

It seems beyond ironic to me that the memorial, unveiled in 1940, to Sir Joseph John Talbot (excellent biography link), architect and distinguished soldier stands here looking over the chaos construction that is Elizabeth Quay! A leading architect of the time Talbot designed some of Perth's heritage buildings like the Weld Club below, already dwarfed by skyscrapers behind and soon.. well maybe not that soon :) in front also.. what would Talbot make of it all. It's more than likely that as an architect he would be more excited than I.

The expression on the General's face below looks perplexed, as if he's thinking 'what the'! Oh hang on, that could have been me :)

Below we're looking up Barrack St. towards the city, on the right side the fabulous Moreton Bay Fig trees that survived the massacre. Tomorrow I'll show you what lies safely tucked away behind them..

... and here on the left.. well we'll have to wait and see how that turns out! Have you noticed my rants about EQ are getting a little pitiful lately :) sometimes it's better not to waste energy on things you can't change oui! Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe.