My Bright Field

St James Anglican Church, Rylstone We're back home from our beachside break so today found us worshiping at Rylstone. It is a lovely worship space, I have shown you some of the stained glass windows in earlier posts.  Reflection: James 1:16-18 New International Version (NIV) "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."

Australian Pied Oystercatcher We end our time at the seaside with one of the birds that love wading around sandy beaches.

Arthur Boyd's Studio As promised last week here is the interior of Arthur Boyd's artist studio.  It is nestled at the edge of the garden I showed on Tuesday.

We are getting close to the end of my seaside series so here are some of my favourite shots.

I really liked this roadside cutting on the road to Bandanon.  I imagined it done an artistic print. Beautiful art is uplifting which is more than I can say about this week's book. A book I have read recently Another older book from the Australian list, Power without Glory by Frank Hardy.  This is a long 700+ pages novel which is apparently a thinly disguised portrait of a real person who lived and ruled in Victoria around 1900-1950.  It covers his early life as a gangster (from which he built his riches) to his later life as a major political influencer (using largess from his ill gotten gains) and his failed family life.   It starts off at a great pace and slows down with all of the detail of his political manoeuvring.   I guess the awful realisation is the extent to which money can buy power, even in the hands of quite unsavoury characters.

At Bandanon, the home of artist Arthur Boyd, there is a lovely garden with sculptures by various members of the Boyd family.

Artist - Jules Sydenham I was delighted with this mural on the public toilet block at Ulladulla.  I imagined the excitement of the little boy lifting the curtain of the sea and seeing the wonderful sea creatures below. When I got closer I saw he is discovering cigarette butts and plastic bottles. Oh why does everything have to be so PC these days! A poem for today On the Sea by John Keats.

I love driftwood sculpted by the sand and waves, bleached by the sun. Reflection: Genesis 1:21 New International Version (NIV) "So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."

The sea birds seem to like to gathering on this little beach at Millards Creek. I didn't have my long lens with me to get a closer shot.

Bandanon Homestead On Sunday we visited Bandanon, the home of the artist Arthur Boyd, now gifted to the people of Australia.   It is in a wonderful rural setting near the Shoalhaven River which he painted so often.  I will show you his studio next Friday, in fact I think I will make next week an arty week. Shoalhaven River

Ulladulla has a small fishing fleet.

Today's photo is chosen to match this week's book which of course I know is not THE hanging rock which is a mountain peak in inland Victoria. I love the colour of sea splashing on the rocks. A book I read recently Another one on the Australian list  Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. I saw the movie when it came out in the 1970s and I remember the haunting  pan pipe music , old fashioned schoolgirls in white muslin dresses wandering about the Australian bush on a very hot day, the inconclusive ending and that it was boring. I was rather hoping the book would be better and it was but for me was still tiresome.

Spotted gum forest I am not at home in my own gardens this week so here is what is happening in natures garden around me. In the hinterland the forests are majestic Spotted Gums with Burrawangs (a type of cycad) growing in the understory. Nearer the coast is beautiful green grassland rolling right to the sea cliffs. Farmland around Milton At the seaside the stunted and windblown trees currently have banksias in flower. Banksia flower

Our caravan is parked in a spot where we have a view across the harbour to the town of Ulladulla.  The weather is grey and sometimes wet but I don't mind. So many caravan parks don't have water views these days.  The beachside ones have been taken over by high rise or the places with views given over to cabins.  A poem for today A Musical Instrument by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  I read this poem during the week and thought it amusing because it has a link with the movie version of the Australian novel I am going to feature on Wednesday.  Any guesses as to what the novel will be?

Lighthouse @ Ulladulla We are Sweet Wayfaring at the South Coast of NSW. How nice is that - a seaside break.  Reflection: John 8:12 English Standard Version (ESV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Common (Indian) Myna  This is an introduced species that has made itself very much at home in the cities - I took this photo at Sydney Botanic Gardens. Lots of people are very unhappy with these birds because they are said to displace native species.  There is another grey version which is a native bird the Noisy Miner which is also a bit of a lout. I'm glad I don't see either of them in my gardens.

Kandos Rotunda This rotunda at the entry to Kandos - made of cement of course - is a lovely feature.  I think it is a long time since a band played here.

Cement Works @ Kandos viewed from the lookout Kandos was born in 1913 when a group of industrialists realised that limestone, shale and coal deposits near a railway could foster an industry.  The cement works and coal mining were the backbone of the town until 2011 when the cement works closed.  In 2013 and 2015 the nearby underground and open cut coal mines closed. One of the quirky features of the town was a ropeway which ran 5 kms from the limestone quarry to the cement works.  Sadly it was dismantled when the cement works closed.  Here is a photo from my archive below.

This photo is from the archives to match today's book - the big Ned Kelly at Glenrowan, the location of Kelly's last stand. A book I have read recently Another from the Australian list,  True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.  I have not read any of Peter Carey's books thinking they would be too literary for me.  As such this book was a surprise, it was very engaging.  Another reason I was reluctant is the business of putting a positive slant on the life of outlaws - Ned was a horse thief, killed police, robbed banks, wore a unique armour and is an Australian folk hero.  I liked the insights and perspective offered but can't help feeling a 'victim impact statement' might change the lens (similarly for the Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, another bushranger story I covered a few weeks ago).

Belladonna lilies @ Burnbrae Before the trees turn on their autumn colour the flowers announce the arrival of the new season starting with belladonna lilies and ginger flowers. Out at Rose Orchard Haus other flowers welcome autumn as well - crocus and spider lilies are popping up all over the place, joining the marigolds and the last of the roses for the season. Crocus @ Rose Orchard Haus Spider lilies @ Rose Orchard Haus

I went up to the local lookout to show you a view across the town and the avenue of poplars.  Unfortunately, trees are beginning to obscure the view.  Nonetheless you can see we are a small town in a beautiful natural setting. A poem for today : Binsey Poplars by Gerard Manly Hopkins

This weekend I went out an took a few shots around Kandos to get my blog back on track.  This is the avenue of poplars at the entrance to Kandos.  In the next few weeks they will all become lovely and golden.  On our drive from Lawson to Kandos I notice that quite a lot of the poplars are colouring up now. Reflection : Proverbs 3:6 King James Version (KJV) "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

The King Parrots have visited the sunflowers to gorge on the seeds. I am posting this very similar photo to the  Rosellas   because I have no new bird for this week. I saw a little silver eye in the walnut tree (they migrate at this time of year), a New Holland Honeyeater on the fence, heard Cockatoos screeching in the trees, woke to a Kookaburra laughing at dawn and in the afternoon doves were cooing somewhere in the distance but none of them came near when I had a camera. In fact, I haven't had my camera out much lately so posting is likely to be sporadic for a while.

Today I am participating in the City Daily Photo theme day which this month is the colour green.  After a hot summer the green hillsides are drying off but I could still find green in the parks and gardens. Beside the Cudgegong River in Mudgee there is a lovely sculpture park.   This one titled Leaf Tree by Henryk Toponicki seemed like a good choice for today. For more takes on the theme visit http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/2019/02/march-2019-gallery-green.html?m=1