Weekend Reflections

Location: Museum, Honeysuckle, N.S.W. 

played with this, added a watercolour effect

was simply sectioned highly polished metal segments bouncing off reflections from the signs, posters opposite

Near to Newcastle foreshores

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Mexican Sage (Salvia)

You might remember the purple flowering shrub in this Japanese Gardens/Dubbo post. My friends salvias were blooming madly too, they'd originally grown there with pieces from my own garden quite some years ago now. From the coast to the country, they're hardy and thriving still as you can see. 

The flowers are velvety; the simple purple variety ...

and the variegated, I like them both a lot.

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Royal Flying Doctor Service, Dubbo Base

Established in 1999, the Dubbo Base provides a valuable community service to outlying locations across central and north-western N.S.W.  A very interesting fifteen minute video is offered showing varying emergencies and other situations the Royal Flying Doctor service attends to.

Had never heard of these; it was part of the antiquities on display.

Sandy Hollow: Mosaics and Sculptures

A brief stopover at Sandy Hollow, approx. two hours west of Newcastle, on the Golden Highway between Denman and Merriwa.  In this rural village there was a petrol station on one side of the road, and a coffee shop at the front of a residence, on the other; the obligatory local pub no doubt somewhere close by.  Saw these mosaics when I pulled in, so took a wander over the morning-dew sodden grass to take these photos.

and I loved this!

 I sat beside the peacock with a flat-white (caffeine injection), 

but was a little perturbed with the guard dog being let off its chain nearby!

a parting goanna shot as I was leaving

Fridays Fences: Upper Hunter, N.S.W.

 Top wine-growing and horse stud country

 I don't know the purpose of the little building

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Skywatch Friday

Japanese Gardens, Dubbo, N.S.W., Part Three

According to the brochure "the people of Dubbo are very fortunate indeed to have this wonderful garden, which was gifted to us by our Sister City friends in Minokamo, Japan.  Work began on the garden on 25 February 2002 with the planting of the first Cherry Blossom trees.  Three twelve metre shipping containers arrived from Japan filled with building materials to construct the authentic Jurian Tea House".

watch those tootsies little duck

Hippopotamus

Location: Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, N.S.W.

 

It was feeding session for the lone hippopotamus, with apostlebirds picking up their share 

 Getting ready for the hose treatment.  Unfortunately the pressure was down, the line had been punctured 

.. but there was just enough to get by

..it's only a very short video clip since I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold the camera steady enough.

  To avoid sedative measures for keeping the teeth somewhat aligned, this hippo has been trained to open wide for his handler.

Outdoors Wednesday, Split Rock and more

Some time ago I'd shared a photo of this split rock from my archives.  On this recent country journey, as I saw this coming up along the highway I found a place to pull in and get an updated version.

looks like it had a good innings

you come across the best names often when out on the open roads, I could've been pulling up many times to take a pic but this one I remembered seeing on the 'going' part of my trip, and so I kept an eye out for it on the way back home again.

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1923 Model T Ford

Something for the boys this time.  Who'd have thought Carole's Creative Corner would embrace rusty old cars one day .. not me.  I know its worth passing around though; it's unique, and it's still alive while it's preserved in history under cover now.  Obviously not so in its past; and I was glad of the opportunity to take these pics for you at the Newcastle Museum yesterday. 

The signage reports in part that  "this car was not made in the USA.  Our Ford is the result of 1920s British Empire bonds and Australian trade policies.  The majority of cars on Australian roads were imported as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) chassis.  Australian coachbuilders, such as Holdens, TJ Richards and Steenbhom, made the 'top'/body of the car.  All pre-1925 Ford chassis in Australia came from the Ford factory in Canada, our Commonwealth sister".

I wonder what trips it took in its lifetime, and where it stood over the intervening years before it arrived at the museum?

Notation: Had you missed the pristine Vintage 1928 A Model Ford  post of a few days ago?