Ahoy, zuni bowl ahead, me maties...
Wettest year on record. That’s what they’re saying…
Which means (amongst many other rain-related things, most of them good) that our erosion control Zuni bowls are consistently full of water. And they make fabulous tiny oceans for setting sail…
Tweeting
Tweeting has many meanings these days….http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweet
I don’t really have technophobia – otherwise how would I have a blog! – but there are some things I just don’t get…..
Recently while out on a bike ride, I spied this little bird, and asked him what he thought about tweeting:
“Tweeting? It’s about singing isn’t it?”
“Really? You mean there’s another definition of a tweet?”
“Well I never!”
“You humans are a strange lot…..”
“I’ll stick with my sort of tweeting thanks anyway.”
And you know what, I completely agreed with him!
Let the Muppets have the final say 
The Mayan Calendar, 2012 and the Shift in Consciousness.
Missy contemplates the day.
Hyacinths emerge from their winter slumber into the delicate light of a very early Spring morning.
This year, on December 21, 2012, the Mayan Calendar’s 13th Baktun cycle will end.
Many prophecies for this date state that the world as we know it will also change.
According to one interpretation of the Mayan Calendar, December 21, 2012 is the beginning of a new era…a time when humanity will evolve to a greater understanding of our place in the universe.
O Sole Mio
When I get stuck for a title, I ask a friend Many thanks dear friend
Fred’s namesake’s favourite tenor was Mario Lanza.
Tree-mendous
I had the opportunity this week to venture into the paddock with the beasties, under the cover of the morning mist. This tree is such a wonderful shape it really adds to any picture I think, and makes the dangerous journey worthwhile
There’s many images I’ve taken in the past week, some under Fred’s guidance, but I’m afraid I’m being distracted by the Australian Open Tennis. Next week will be different.
Come fly with me
“It is not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau
What do you see?
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One fine day
Finally, a sunny morning! Once the mist cleared anyway…..
And another blast from the past….
When the sky is dull and grey
I’ve been faced with many mornings of dull grey skies, and so what to do? Why find some heavy metal……
Click on any image to view larger and watch slide-show.
Froggies
It’s been cold and windy lately, despite it supposedly being summer. Not great weather for being outside, by and large. But finally mid-afternoon, the wind lessened and the sun appeared so I got outside to do a little gardening. Mostly all I have is a small assortment of pots – such a change from the vibrant garden I left behind…..but it’s better than nothing. I used a few pieces of logs to sit the pots on, and when I lifted a pot today to change its position, I unknowingly disturbed a handful of little froggies who had taken up residence in the small gap between the base of the pot and the wood. Immediately I raced for the camera to grab some shots before they all leaped off into hiding. Aren’t they just the cutest little creatures?!
Would you believe it, I think I was being checked out!
I’ve noticed when photographing birds, that I can get closer when my face is obscured by the camera…..seems to work on frogs too, as they kept moving towards me. Try focusing on a tiny frog as it leaps toward you!
Frogs are a great indicator of the health of an environment, as they are sensitive to toxins, so I’m doubly glad to have them around. You can read more about frogs here and here . Remember, for the sake of the frog, please avoid touching them – here’s the reason why . Definitely no kissing!
Thanks for the memories….
“The day was bleak, in weather and mood, and I reached up and took down my box of memories from on top of the wardrobe. There’s the badge I wore as a fourteen year old when my team won the State competition, and the Rego disc of the dog who was my constant childhood companion. Pasted on a piece of cardboard, the photo of me taken by a reporter from the local paper which made front page – and then graffitied by a school friend. A birthday card from an admirer……and then, my heart misses a beat, for there it is, the photo I took of you that wondrous summer at the beach. You, my first true love, my first romance; you, who stole my heart, my dreams, my innocence. After all these years, the sight of your face makes me tremble, as I am again that teenager in love with my Adonis. Did you share my love, or was I just another summer’s conquest? Oh well, it is many years ago now, and perhaps it’s time to let go of regrets, to forgive, to say thank you for the memories…..and know that while the girl has grown old, she has for a little time, been young again. “
Desolate
Last summer I was driving around the Mid-North of South Australia, and I came across this abandoned farmhouse. Now I see plenty of old ruined farmhouses, some that people walked away from during the droughts of the 1870′s, others more recently left as smaller farms merge into large holdings. But none felt as desolate as this place. The paddocks around it felt bereft of any Spirit - they felt as if all the life-force had been squeezed out by ignorance and greed.
Will we see more sights like this in the future? We will if present farming methods don’t undergo massive changes.
Words of wisdom
I’d like to bring your attention to another WP site that I follow, A Life in the Country. In particular, to the most recent post – Healing our Environment and Saving the Earth. Please take a trip over to there, and read what this wise woman has to say.
Wonder and humility
“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility.”
Rachel Carson
She’s like a rainbow
A river of fog floats past and over the trees…….
And it’s a good excuse to play the Rolling Stones….
Love it all
Clouds hampered the colours of the sunrise this morning, and I only took a few images before deciding to move on and find something else to study my lens on. No sooner had I posed the question in my mind, of finding beauty in unlikely places, than my eye was caught by a plant on the side of the track.
It had a companion nearby……
Yes, it is a weed, an introduced pest, but it is still beautiful.
Love all that has been created by God, both the whole and every grain of sand. Love every leaf and every ray of light. Love the beasts and the birds, love the plants, love every separate fragment. If you love each separate fragment, you will understand the mystery of the whole resting in God.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Illumined
Yesterday morning I was out on my bike and up the road well before the sunrise, so that I could get the pre-dawn colours. Despite the high temperatures the previous day, and forecast for this day, there was a coolness to the air. It was really pleasant to be out and standing quietly in such peaceful surroundings, not another soul about, just me and my dog. I took several shots of the sky colours prior to the sun’s arrival, experimenting with various camera settings. It’s all too easy to stick with the familiar, with what I know works, but that won’t increase my proficiency in the longer term.
Anyway, here’s one with the sun just peeking above the horizon.
A nice reward for the early start. Once the sun was up, the colours disappeared very quickly and the air began to warm once more, heralding a scorching Australian summer day. I turned from facing east, to the north, to begin my return home, when to the west, I noticed a single beam of light heading across the paddock straight to a gum tree.
It made me think of Stonehenge… I also realised that it’s not the obvious that we need to take notice of, but what is behind our backs that can be just as important. Illumination can come when we’re not expecting it at all.
A brand new day…..and year.
Here’s the first sunrise of 2012, but one with a difference which I believe reflects what the year will hold in store. A new way of viewing the world is being called for, and a need to really define what is important when the chips are down. May we all show compassion, strive for justice, and act with courage and determination in this year of 2012. ♥
