My Bright Field

  When I pulled up at the public toilets at Capertee this week I was surprised to find this lovely new mural. It turns out to be an education piece on the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.  The Capertee Valley is one of their key breeding areas.  Inside the toilets there was information on the conservation program and speakers tweeting their bird call (and the sound of running water too which I guess didn't matter since we were already in the toilet).   I have not spotted one of these beautiful birds but I do see many different birds in my garden.  My most exciting observation of recent times was a flock of double-barred finches. From your blog posts I know many of you observe birds.  What has been your most exciting sighting recently?   

  The harvest at Rose Orchard Haus has moved onto pears this week. I am thrilled to find that this year they are unblemished and looking delicious.  Pears are harvested before they are ripe, cooled in the fridge for a week or two then put out at room temperature to ripen as you need them so I have not experienced their full deliciousness yet.  However, I have stewed some of the unripe pears which ripens them and they were lovely. Shirley's comment on last week's post had me thinking about the ChatGPT AI robot that we are hearing so much about in the news lately. It had me wondering whether it is any good at creative writing. Here's the result: Write a one stanza poem about pears Juicy and sweet, with a tender flesh, Pears, oh pears, a fruit so fresh, In shades of green and gold they come, A perfect snack, nature's own yum. Make it more melancholy Once ripe and plump, now soft and bruised, Pears, oh pears, a fruit misused, Left to wither, forgotten and forlorn, A reminde...

  I don't read as much as I used to.  It is as if news and TV have stolen my mind since COVID. I mean for this to change so went for a drive to Sofala (an old gold town about 50 kms away) because they have a great second hand bookshop with good Australian and classic literature sections. I left all stocked up. Are you hoping to do something new/different this year?   

  Last weekend we visited the new Sydney Modern art gallery which effectively doubles the size of the Art Gallery of NSW.  The first things encountered are these giant figures at the entry to the building. I found the new gallery interesting and architecturally lovely as well.  We also took a quick walk around the original art gallery which seems to be benefiting from having more breathing space for the older works. We decided we need to visit more often so will be going back again soon. Do you visit art galleries? As a frequent or sporadic visitor?