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Showing posts from July, 2018

Early Cheer

Erlicheer Jonquils These are the flowers of the moment in our Mountain garden.  The first daffodils are also beginning to come out. A garden task this week I will have to sweep the path near the pine tree, the cockatoos have been having a great time snipping off small pine cones and branches.

Nature's art

Walnut Branch by Nature The Tree Inside by Karl Chilcott The fallen branch from the dead walnut made me laugh because it reminded me of an artwork at the recent Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition. A poem for today To A Dead Tre e by John Clare

City Church

St Andrews Cathedral We attended our city church today.  Those are the last few people leaving, who like us hang around talking for a long time over morning tea.  We attend here as often as we can -- the preaching, people, music and worship are very special. Reflection: Colossians 3:16 New International Version (NIV) "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

Robins

Pale Yellow Robin These lovely little robins are frequenting our Kandos garden at the moment. Now I am photographing again, I have resumed the often frustrating activity of stalking birds to grab a shot. I am hoping to publish more over the coming weeks.

Vintage 3

It looks like it has been quite while since Aunt Betty served cuppas. That's a shame because it looks like the type of place I would enjoy. You may have noticed I am running with a Vintage (old stuff) theme on Fridays as a way to focus my photographic muse.

Another Kandos street

Nearly every house in Kandos has a nice mountain view because we are more or less ringed by mountains.

Odd

Many of my city colleagues find it rather odd that we have opted to retire to Kandos (population 1,300),  but we love backdrop of Coomber Melon Mountain, the community and the quiet lifestyle. A book I have read recentl y Who Reads Poetry - 50 views from Poetry Magazine  edited by Fred Sasaki and Don Share. I read poetry, I guess just one more thing that makes me a little bit odd.

Back home

This time last week I was wondering what would be in flower in my garden when we got home -- here it is.  It's so good that they flower when the rest of the garden is looking so drab.

A cold morning

Merriwa, NSW We spent the night camped at Merriwa which is in the Upper Hunter, a farming area badly affected by the current drought. I knew it was very chilly on the other side of the doona so I went outside early hoping get a few nice white frosty photographs but there was none.  Our water pipes were frozen solid but the air too dry to form frost. So I took a shot of the church in the distance surrounded by winter trees and softly lit with the rising sun then went back to bed for another couple of hours. A poem for today Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Moving on

Well you have reached the end of all of the watery shots.  It's time to pull up anchor and head back home.  Retirement Bootcamp is over, now to get on with the real deal. Reflection: Mark 6:47-51 New International Version (NIV) "Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed."

Off into the sunset

The intersecting wave patterns made by the ducks remind me of my knitting which I have been doing each day sitting by the lake.  The lace pattern drove me nuts so I threw it aside some years ago, now with some time to concentrate I have managed to get it moving along again. Sadly, we are nearly at the end of our watery sojourn.

Vintage 2

Another shot of the lake at Sunrise.  I like the light in this photo, reminds me of an old painting. I guess the morning light has been painting the trees along this shoreline each morning for many, many years.

Sunrise

I have been very lazy since coming here but one morning I got up early enough to capture some images at sunrise.

Families

Pelican Family I have had plenty of time to read lately and been immersed in yet another story of an odd family. The book I have read recently "The Man Who Loved Children " Christina Stead.  A good read, a bit long and sometimes tiresome but well worth reading.  I am amazed at the ability of these writers to create characters and sustain them for so any pages.

Banksia

Banksia Thinking of my gardens at home today.  I wonder what flowers will be there to greet us. Around here there are banksias, paper bark trees and grevilleas in flower.

The sea

Seal Rocks We have visited the sea. A poem for today I started Early - Took my Dog by Emily Dickinson

Be still

House boat Morning calm. Reflection: Psalm 46:10 New International Version (NIV) “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Golden hour

Afternoon light Glad we are here it’s very chilly in the mountains today.

Looking the other way

Paperbark Forest Looking other otherway from our campsite. Retirement Bliss Did I say I enjoyed not checking emails? There is no phone reception at the campsite and I have to trudge up a hill to get any. I am finding the rapid Digital Detox a little hard to take. Working 45 years in IT has me wired, it will take a while I think.

First Watery One

View from the campsite I could get used to this.

Myall Shores

Myall Shores Camping Area That's better.  We are here for a week or so so I expect there will be lots of watery shots coming up. I've found there is no mobile reception but wi-fi if I trudge up the hill -- so reading, knitting and navel gazing for a while. A book I have read recently "My Brother Jack" by David Meredith I am working my way through Australian Classics.  This is a good one, very readable. I remember it was set as a school English text in my brother's year.  It was 1970s Queensland, the censorship era, so they had a "student edition".  I would love to look at it, because I can't quite figure our how they would keep the story moving along properly without the sex.

Sandy Hollow

Sandy Hollow Looks more like the outback than us moving closer to the coast.   Park photos show this place all green but the Upper Hunter region is in the grip of a severe drought.

On the road

Mudgee Region Heading towards the coast, travelling through dry landscape and winter vineyards. A poem for today Bullocky by Judith Wright

Dry

View from Whistlers Rest It's very dry at our native garden.  A little bit of rain has added a slight sheen of green to the next door paddock but not enough for grazing animals yet. Reflection: Psalm 121:1-2 The Message (MSG) "I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains."

Brrr

Snowflakes (Leucojum) When there are snowflakes in the garden it's time to travel to some place warmer for a while.  It was 3C when we stopped at Running Stream for lunch today. Light rain and brisk winds added to the winter chill.

Vintage

At Queen Victoria Building, Sydney CBD I liked these pretty vintage-inspired dresses I saw in Sydney today. We took our laptop to the store for repair a while ago. Despite still looking modern, sleek and beautiful like all things Apple the assistant declared it to be a "vintage" model which couldn't be fixed. Same verdict at the camera store for my broken telephoto lenses. Since I not up for investing in new camera gear I will use my iPhone 6s Plus before it becomes vintage too.

It's a new era

Shopping at Penrith The first week of no single use plastic bags at Coles, so shopping trolleys at Penrith today were looking a lot different.  Retirement bliss Enjoying afternoon tea without checking email.

Night Ride

Blue Mountains train, Sydney Central Station This reminds me of the old days when I used to commute back and forth each evening and at the crack of dawn, hours of sleeping, reading and pounding away on my laptop.  I'm glad those days are long over. Now I enjoy reading on the train and I enjoy catching the train -- so much better than a  long drive to the city on conjested roads and who would when it's only $2.50 on the senior's card. A book I have read recently "The Tree of Man" by Patrick White. Why did I take so long to read my first Patrick White novel? His writing is awesome.

Ice rose

Ice Rose @ Rose Orchard Haus I love a good frost, photographically.  Some of the roses are still bravely battling on. The begonias in the window box are another matter.  They are turning up their toes with the frost. I was caught by surprise on this because begonias in our Burnbrae garden manage winter without a problem (no frost). I have moved the window boxes to shelter in the hope of saving the plants but it is a reminder to not plant begonias in the garden beds.

Frosty morn

Rose Orchard Haus Garden Our Kandos garden presents a very different winter perspective. There are no evergreen trees to provide winter colour or to shield the ground from frost. This was yesterday's big white out. The old chook pen down the back is currently undergoing transformation into my writing studio.  The big walnut tree creates a lovely shade when in summer leaf and delicious nuts in Autumn though they are a devil to crack open. A poem for today The Black Walnut Tree by Mary Oliver

Sundays

St Laurence's Anglican, Kandos Sundays usually find us attending church.  This week at our Kandos church for worship and warm friendship on a very chilly morning. Reflection Psalm 92:1-2 New International Version (NIV) A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. "It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night."