I haven’t contributed to Su’s Changing Seasons in while. Neither have I added anything to my blog. I know that it is always there to fall back on. Every year we are drawn to the Mornington Peninsula, South of Melbourne, to enjoy the calm beachside. Every year there are more photographs to admire. Then they just disappear. I miss the days when photographs meant more. But to most, it’s today here, tomorrow gone. I hoping a little return to this blog will help me diarise my observations of where I visit, like it used to. By the way, I don’t really visit that many places. For the most part, I’m fairly happy with where I live. It’s can be beautiful, and other times quite droll. But it still surprises me. Attached are some photos from the edge of Port Phillip Bay in April this year. I have added some homecoming autumnal photographs to finish the month.
These photographs were taken in Greens Bush in the centre of the Mornington Peninsula
The following photographs are an assortment typical April in Port Phillip Bay
I really enjoyed blogging when I started six years ago. I seem to have lost my way with it lately. I think my weakness for Facebook is to blame. It reminds me of when I was a smoker. I knew it was doing me harm but could not kick it. I am not dumping Facebook this time like I have before. I am going to try to become a watcher, and initially, a once a day poster. It is now 12:15 PM and I have already shared 2 things today. Oh well. One was plugging a CD by a local musician, the other a mariachi version of Gold and Brown. Hardly controversial. Maybe good shares like this are OK? Having said that, I still do not want to allow Facebook to continue to consume me. I gave up cigarettes by slowing weaning myself off over a few years, thirty years ago. I think I can discipline myself with Facebook, and get it down to a decent level of observance.
In early January 2020, large parts of Australia were on fire. Some of these fires had been burning since September 2019. An overseas observer would be forgiven for thinking that all of Australia was burning. This was most certainly not the case, however, no matter where you lived, except maybe the top end, there was ever present evidence of these fires burning; in all capital cities, bar Darwin. This is unprecedented. This was, and is still, a crisis for Australia. I have no photos from this period.
The weather turned later in January, as we prepared to go to our yearly sojourn to Rosebud, on the Mornington Peninsula, South of Melbourne.
Rosebud at night
Waxing crescent Moon set
Beautiful serene coast
The stars were amazing, and my phone could take pics of them
Milky Way over the dark Bass Strait skies
The Large Magellanic Cloud
The Milky Way
Orion over the Bay
Orion through the trees
There was of course relaxation, entertainment, catching up with family and friends.
An there was plenty of beauty
We do not stay at the beach constantly, as we have two dogs that need caring for at home. While there, in February and prior to the covid lockdown, I started the process of baking sourdough. Here are some photos of my fun.
I like to take photos of plants, and this six month period has been no exception.
I have stopped adding to these photos because I did not feel I was following of the spirit of the exercise. I was treating it a bit like a photo diary. I am hoping I can add some photos here from the 4 months that meet the requirements, at least in my mind. Excuses. I have been lazy and just been doing stuff I wanted to do
August 2019
Snow events such as this are rare indeed in our neck of the woods. We were so excited because it stayed on the ground for a few hours. This was on August 11 on the day we went to the first Pub Warble.
September
The flowers were eager to get their growing done.
Ornamental pear blossom
Correa
Blackwood
Grevillea
October.
Mandatory sky pics taken a trip on the Bay, of which I paid for.
November
More flowers – first Roses. It has been a good year for the roses here in Victoria.
Boy has it changed. It’s raining and cold (for us). Days are short (for us) It is a great time of year for daytime photography. I have not been doing much but the phone is always near. I’ll add some for Su’s changing seasons.
I look forward to dedicating more to time to being regular on this forum.
In the last two months I have been busy with moving and visiting my mother in several hospitals. Mum is 95 and has undergone bowel surgery and is currently in a rehab hospital. She probably won’t be able to go home.
In late August. early September Melbourne endured a horrible industrial fire. I have added a couple of pics.
We have moved to our new house but are still managing the old property as we hope it to be subdivided into two blocks. This is a very involved process requiring all kinds of local government scrutiny. I do not agree with rampant, unchecked development so I am in full agreement with this process.
Our new house is comfortable and is situated on 1600m2 in 10 year old estate. A considerably more manageable piece of land. We are loving it so far; it has a few flaws but what house hasn’t? Our older dog doesn’t like much but the young dog loves it.
Spring has arrived here. We are experiencing warm days and cold nights. Like Su in New Zealand, we have been warned of a horror Summer ahead of us. So I am enjoying these beautiful days. And I am yet to cop hay fever!
Today is the day of the Australian Rules football grand final. Two avian teams are playing – the Magpies vs the Eagles. I follow neither. I am supposed to have some allegiance to the Victorian team, the ‘pies’, but I can’t bring myself to that place. I will be barracking for the Eagles (from Perth)
Ok, it’s July 31. I’ve had enough of this Winter thing now. I know we still have another three months of it to go down here in Victoria.
I have been playing a lot of music lately so my photos have suffered. And I am itching to get out on the water again. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I’m off to Gippsland again.
Also, Jo and I have been slowly emptying rooms here. After living here for 20 years, we are yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll get there. Here’s some pics from July. Added for Su’s Changing Seasons which can be found here.
June 30 already! It is been a different month for us with me changing to working 0.7, and preparing to move off the farm to a suburban block. I have added the usual bunch of cloudy watery pics with a couple of ring-ins taken by others.
Driving in the country in Australia, especially at night, and more so in Winter, is a challenge due to our lovely furry friends jumping in front of us without warning. This photograph is doctored but is a timely reminder for all of us to slow down a bit and keep our eyes peeled.
Last week Jo and went to see a special viewing of movie called Brothers’ Nest. Shane Jacobson attended the screening with an introduction and post movie Q&A session. I enjoyed the movie very much. It could be classified as a black comedy. For Australians it is nothing like Kenny. It’s distribution may be limited to Australia. Jo and I are in this photo but we cannot be resolved.
Thanks again Su for running changing seasons. See her blog here.
Late again. May started warm and ended quite cold. The fire is chugging along quite nicely and days are short. And at the end of May I got the dreaded Manflu.
It has been a month of car breakdowns. I have a bad habit of holding on to cars for too long and yes, they breakdown spectacularly. I’m out of pocket over 2 K and this car is running nicely one minute then all of a sudden, no transmission. On the freeway, thankfully out of the burbs. I just managed to get the car off the road, rang roadside assist and waited in the cold on the other side of the armco railing for a tow, because every monster truck that went by would wobble the car. That’s cars.
What a great day I had with the sampling team on Port Phillip Bay. The Bay was lumpy but we managed to finish all 6 sites, replicates and blanks. And we did all of this in 9 hrs.
Later in May our team headed down to Lake Wellington, the westernmost lake of the Gippsland Lakes, to investigate more sampling sites and to be involved in a media event. Lake Wellington is a large shallow brackish lake. It is partially surrounded by farmland and an RAAF air base. The LaTrobe River empties into it. I had initially requested to be not interviewed but I gave in and accepted it in the end. I was zero prepared. My colleague did not skip a beat but I bumbled my way through my bit. Thankfully, the editing skills of the journalist made me sound like a professional.
Now I’m 60 I’m grabbing every opportunity I have to make my life more interesting. I have not always done this; I don’t regret it because you can’t turn back time. There are also many very valid reasons why I have lived my life as I have to date; not a topic for these pages as I would bore you to tears.
I’ll add some photos below for Su’s changing seasons .
Looking west from Mt Macedon
Looking south-west from Macedon
Melbourne through the haze from Mt Macedon
Me sampling at Lake Reeve taken by Chris Garland
Lake Reeve at Loch Sport taken by Chris Garland
Sampling at Lake Wellington taken by ABC journalist
April for me has been mixed, with some highs and some lows. I know people like a good read, but I live my life with Jo and the dogs, play music, take photos and measure things. I wish I could enjoy writing but I just make a hash of it most of the time. Here is some photos from April 2018. Still warm here, even today on May 1. Colder nights and mornings. The beach is all (mostly) packed up, with our caravan still in a suburban driveway waiting to be brought home by a suitable vehicle. Thanks again Su for you inspiration and changing seasons initiative.
I turned 60 in March. This cake was baked by a colleague pictured below on the boat. Thanks Chris
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