Weekend Walking

Last weekend, we took our dog to Brimbank Park - surely one of Melbourne's secret fabulous places. From the park entrance, it looks almost industrial, but wind your way down the entry road and you're in a riverside oasis. You could be in the country in another time rather than contemporary outer suburbia.
 

There are clues though. This farming house boasts a TV antenna. And if you peer through the trees, there are double storey houses perched on the steep bank on the far side of the river.

The ducks have discovered it.
 

This has been another plug for Melbourne and the benefits of being a tourist in your own town. 

Holidays 2

A North Stradbroke Island inhabitant, worn out by the island's pace

No filters (except for polarising). How's this blue?
 

 

Another worn out inhabitant
 

Brown Lake. Clear as weak black tea. Stained by ti tree leaves. Smelt fabulous. Medicinal swimming encouraged.
 

This fellow sang his approval of our dipping
 

At the beach near Ayr North Queensland. This bloke was having a wonderful time. Free entertainment for us too.
 

This cane machine belongs in science fiction - Mad Max?
 

Irrigation begins. It's dry in Ayr. Hard to believe really.
 

Rail nails are all that remains of this section of the cane train rail tracks.
 

Brisbane

Public art near Southbank. It seems to be made of lino bits and a map.
 

The preparations for the three day celebration of Buddha's birth day festival were extensive
 

A peacock on the run down?
A coat hook?
A candle holder?
 

It's a bird!
 

In the art gallery
 

Nice light.
 

 

Reflections
 

Up up and away
 

Spot the skinny house ... 

Seadog

A lovely review here :)  Less than a week until Seadog hits the shops. Yay!

Graduate Union Family Day

Renee Treml and I were part of today's Graduate Union Family Day in Melbourne 

 Warren from Embiggen Books in Little Lonsdale St (opposite Wheeler Centre) was the able bookseller.

 

Monty, daughter of Warren was happy to have a pic taken, as long as she could keep feeding animals into her paper sailor.

Here Monty is trying to smile-as-instructed, while maintaining the supply of food to Sailor  

Williamstown

Okay, so it was raining and a little chilly. But how cool is the light?
 

Love the panorama feature of my phone 

Oliv-eee-aaa!

My across-the-road neighbour has olive trees. A few years ago, I asked if I could join her next time she was picking/pickling. I was curious to see how the magic happened, and happy to help pick the fruit. 

The last couple of years had produced very poor crops and it wasn't until this year that there was an opportunity to help. On Tuesday, we checked out the fruit. 

On Friday, it was pickin' time. We picked all we could reach from the ground and from a standard ladder. Buckets full.
 

 

Then came the corker. All that we'd picked - probably three full 10 litre buckets full, were for me. She refused to keep any. She already had some pickling and there were plenty more in the higher reaches that her sons would pick for her. So my, I'd like to help you, became her gift to me. Hmm. Not quite the plan. Tricksy people these neighbours!

 

After coffee and divine syrup cake with walnuts, I lugged my load home. (oh okay, she helped me with that too). I delved into the deep, dark spidery recesses of our shed for the pickling and preserving jars that I knew I'd hidden in there more than a decade ago. And after I'd cleaned, boiled and filled them, there were still two full buckets and this large bottle full. Since then I've shared a few with friends, but am hoping to share a few more. Any takers?