My Way of Seeing the World

Yesterday I mentioned reading the book Traveling Light by Deborah DeWit Marchant and that our photographs are very similar. Here's what she says about what motivates her photography, "I sought the familiar in confined spaces: the sky reflected in a window or the shadow of a tree on a sun-painted wall. I tried to connect with some sort of common
human experience. It wasn't the fantastic or the awesome that we shared, it was the simple daily things. The sights on my everyday paths were a deeper source of beauty than any extraordinary place. Soon, everywhere I looked some proof of humanity's moment in eternity captured me. A doorway, a cluttered shed, a rundown porch."
I've always been enamored with trying to capture small pieces of daily life. These are the cumulative pieces of our existence. I'm also reading The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. She says there are two different ways people look at life; one if seeing the big picture, and the other is noticing the small details. I'm definitely in the later group, so I guess that's why I take photos of bits and pieces. Above are a few examples of what I mean.

Firecracker

Firecracker, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Starting off the New Year with a bang...firecracker penstemon!

The other side of the lake

Most of our Lake Michigan paddling takes place on the western shore of this Great Lake. It's lovely to be on the eastern shore, which tends to have steeper beaches and therefore more breaking waves during the summer. (We get our fair share of those in the fall.)
Approaching the lighthouse from the side it was designed to be seen from.
Today we paddled from Stony Creek up to the Little Sable Lighthouse. The shore is lined with summer cottages ranging from the sweet to the ostentatious. We battled a headwind all the way up, so we stopped for lunch on what appeared to be public land. It turned out to be private but not yet built upon, and the Florida resident who owns it motored over in his ATV to make sure we were OK. (It was pretty wavy.)
Yes, we're fine. In fact, we like the waves. Would you please dispose of the garbage we collected from the water?
He kindly took away the garbage we had collected from the water. (We think there's so much of it because of the July 4 weekend. What a way to celebrate your indepenence!)
We returned just in time to catch headwinds all the way back, too. Here's what we collected on the way back.
We went fishing for trash and came back with quite a haul!
Most of it is chip bags and candy wrappers. If fewer foods were sold in single-serving packages and people ate more whole foods and fewer convenience foods, perhaps there would be considerably less garbage in the water.

The Inside Story on the Polytunnel...

I won't bore you with the details of how we got the cover onto the framework of the polytunnel, a wonderful, humorous version can be found here. Covering the polytunnel was relatively easy, compared to the backbreaking work of making a good level base, digging out huge tree stumps, digging 14 deep pits to hold the base plates, etc.





Still, that is history - even if my back is still protesting! George's sciatic problems have resolved themselves, thank goodness.





Inside is very messy, there is still a lot of work to do. Staging to make, water supply, electrical supply, flooring, vegetable beds to create... it will all get done as we work on it every day.





The plants are enjoying this new and wonderfully protected space.





Harry carried his garden chair across, yesterday, and then insisted that Toby and the cats should have a cushion each. He wants us all to have a picnic in there. Hemay not be 4 until later in the year, but he is a surprisingly good helper as he whizzes around with his little wheelbarrow and gardening tools. He was given a tiny pair of strong gardening gloves a few weeks ago - happiness! He is very proud of them and doesn't seem to mind at all that they are a bright, zingy lime green.

This is not how it will look in a week or two.

We have just brought all the plants/seedlings out of the conservatory

and put them down where we could.

I can't believe how many plants, seedlings, trays of seeds George had managed to cram into the conservatory and the small greenhouse. He has got us off to a flying start this year with peas, broad beans, runner beans, mangetout, leeks, tomato plants, special heritage tomato plants, kale, potatoes, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, cucumbers, courgettes, herbs, etc etc. We, and the neighbours, should dine like kings this year!





Salads, stir-fry's, creamy risottos, vegetable flans, soups, simple roasted vegetables...









It washard work.

Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Would I do it again? Yes, but not for a week or two.





PS George has just announced that the armoured cable has just gone into the polytunnel. We have power out there, things are progressing.





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Bonus picture, for Jonny. This is Francesca at almost 10 weeks!

Fruit salad and icecream appreciation post

What can I say? It was hot out there today -- too hot. Yesterday I'd had a slight fever, but it appeared to have cleared up this morning, perhaps it had not. I set off regardless, initially through the beautiful gorge country between the Gold Coast and Canungra -- this is one of the most underrated rides in the entire country in my view. Actually, it was quite a pleasant start to the ride, the temperatures weren't even all that oppressive!

After Canungra the scenery changes dramatically -- I don't know whether it's the mountains of the Beechmont Range and Mt Tamborine, or because it's been cleared, but it always seems drier -- and somehow wilder -- out here. Although, Today it was surprisingly green.

Now it was warming up, through the towns of Beaudesert and Jimboomba in ever increasing temperatures, clearing 30 degrees C quite early on, before doubling back on Camp Cable road and heading for Mt Tamborine -- it was here that the problems started. On the early part of that climb (around an 8% gradient), the heat really got to me -- I had no power, my heart rate was jumping on even the slightest effort. My legs wanted to work, but the heat just wouldn't let the rest of the machinery function. I ate a muesli bar, and had to fight to keep it from coming straight back up. Eventually I reached the rainforest on the higher part of the mountain, and was quite relieved to grab a couple of pictures.


There hasn't been that volume of water coming over Curtis Falls in years -- although I don't venture to Tamborine that often these days. At the top I found a place selling fruit salad -- good, something I knew I'd be able to keep down. I was asked "do you want icecream with that, or are you too healthy?" Icecream is healthy on a day like this! Actually, Tamborine offers some breathtaking views from the top.


The descent came and passed quickly, and I was back in the lowlands before too much longer. Great, back in the heat again -- only now I had mechanical issues, and the smaller gears on the middle chain-ring were slipping -- meaning I couldn't attack Wongawallan* as I would have liked. I pressed on through the heat, struggling across the relentless hills all the way to Nerang, just concentrating on a high cadence and efficient pedalling in this heat.
At Nerang the temperatures seemed a little cooler momentarily, could it be that it might be cooler on the coast? After negotiating a surprising piece of gridlock, I discovered the answer to that question in the negative. It was 35 degrees C on the Coast, and about 169% humidity. About 3km from home I found a convenience store, and bought some cold water with which to wash down my last muesli bar -- the heat had been that oppressive that I wasn't expecting to make it home without doing so (despite the fact that I'd already covered 165km in those conditions).
Now I'm left wondering what the problem was. I've dealt with hotter before, and the slight fever -- even if it was still there, appeared relatively benign. I'm not sure it was the "bonk" in the conventional sense -- my legs felt fine, and I still had the mental faculties to successfully spot and predict the rat-runners when I got back to the Coast, but for some reason I just didn't cope with the heat at all.
I am sure of one thing -- next time I'm given the option to take a different day off work for a public holiday, I'll check the weather forecast and pick the one with the lower temperatures!
* Wongawallan is a range east of Mt Tamborine. It's not massively high (only 130 metres above sea level), but coming just after Tamborine it can cause a problem. The way to deal with it normally is to just attack it from the outset -- take it as a personal affront that such a range would dare get in your way, and tear it apart. Make the entire Earth tremble in fear at the thought of being hit by shrapnel from your tearing of Wongawallan to pieces. Don't defeat it, own it 169%, why settle for victory when fatal ownage is so much better? Victory is for wet, wishy-washy losers!
Time for bed I think.

How To Build Community

Our country definitely needs to do more of these things. I need to do more of these things. How about you? How would life change if we all chose to be more community oriented?

Taking the low road

This weekend I'm heading off for a tour in the vicinity of Killarney. I was in the same area at the same time last year, but this time I'm taking a different route -- the dirt road through the Condamine River Gorge. Apparently there are something like 18 unbridged river crossings in the space of 20km, although at this end of the river, they're unlikely to present any major problems. Incidentally, the Condamine River is actually the start of the Murray-Darling system, which is the largest river system in Australia. It ends near Adelaide -- virtually at the other end of the country.

Last year, of course, I took the high road over the Head, which includes what is probably the most brutal climb in the entire country.



This time I'll be climbing the range on the little-known White Swamp Road, which will pass through country I haven't visited before (although I've certainly wondered about it).

The weather forecast seems to suggest it's going to rain -- unlikely as that may seem in the dry season with the SOI sitting at -11 currently. If it does look like rain I may set up camp slightly earlier on the Saturday. I still have a couple of route-related decisions to make. The first is whether I head through Boonah or Rathdowney on the way out to the ride. The Boonah option gives me terrain I haven't passed for a while, a slightly shorter distance, and a later supermarket (meaning less time carrying loads of groceries with me). The Rathdowney option offers a hearty feed at the local pub, and a possible stretch near Lake Maroon. I may wait and see what sort of day tomorrow is.

There's another decision to make on Sunday, as to whether I head north or south from Killarney. Again, I'll wait and see how I feel at the time. In a sense I don't mind the respect of rain -- as it means the nights are likely to be warmer in that area. I'll also have some new gearing on my bike which should cope better with the fully loaded climbs. Now it's just a matter of trying to find a way to concentrate on work for the rest of the day!

DAWN OF A NEW DAY

The dawn of a brand new day from the corner of the field.

Will the harvesters come?





Today is a Baking day - possibly something to do with the Village Show? The Rayburn is fired-up and so am I. More photos to follow as the day progresses - wish me luck.





Bon Voyage, Jonny.

x





PS: First job was to make lemon curd - it took ages - but I think it turned out reasonably well.





Then I made cheese scones





and they look pretty yummy too.





The biscuits are so-so, the Victoria Sponge Cake was dreadful and only fit for home consumption (probably by the hens), my painted stone is ok, but not fantastic, the two flower arrangements are very amateurish but pretty.





I am now officially tired and ready to have a cup of tea and a bath. At least all this activity has kept my mind from worrying about Jonny!





By the way Jonny, your dad has now got the photography bug too. He saw my shot of the sunrise and decided that he could do better - and he did. His photographs are brilliant! We have printed one off so that he can enter it in the show tomorrow.

xxx

BHFTF Day 2

Yesterday it was an early call to get up and ready for the first day of the Mickelson Trail ride. Breakfast for the riders and volunteers at 6am. A shower came though as we were eating (just hoping that was not foreboding the what the weather will have in store for us). A little after 7 we rolled out for Deadwood. About 8 we were in Deadwood, unloading the bikes.
I decided to try riding the first section - climbing up from Deadwood. While the grade is not that bad (about 4%), the thinner air took its toll on me. Made it 6 miles up the hill. Had to walk the last few hundred feet to the trail head. Lactate was builting up in my muscles. Rode in the van for 2 section. Then rode 2 downhill sections from Dumont to Mystic. All totalled 24.77 miles for the day. I was pleased with my effort.
The photo here is me coming out of Tunnel C. Some very beautiful scenery down the canyon from Rochford to Mystic. Mickelson Trail Day 2 today.
Oh, yesterday I hit 1100 miles for the year.

Birds

Rain? It rained sometime during the night or early morning hours. When we got up, Rigamarole was covered in water, the picnic table was wet and so were The Beast and the Escape pod.

My 10K Volksmarch today was at Mitchell Lake Audubon Wetlands in south San Antonio. I would have started much earlier than 8:25 a.m., but the wetlands don't open until 8 a.m. When I arrived at the Audubon Society, I had to go into the office to pay my $2 admission fee and sign in for the Volksmarch. The man working at the Audubon Society was very chatty and that took another 15 minutes or so.

A tour of two people was ready to head out for a bird survey. I guess they try to identify as many birds as they can on the survey.

Upon leaving the building and passing by beautiful, butterfly-attracting flowers, I had to photograph a butterfly or two.

Monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus)

Monarch butterfly backlit by sun.

The first birds I encountered were a family of purple martins on a line.

Purple martins.

Today was enjoyable because I could take my time, listen to bird calls, and try to spot elusive birds (not too successful on the elusive birds). Bob plays basketball on Saturday morning, so I like to hike somewhere interesting and safe when he's not with me.

Here are interesting finds along my path...

Hairy-looking seed pods.

A couple of wild rabbits darted across my path, but they were too fast; no chance to get my camera in position for a photo.

Silver-leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

Wild petunia (Ruellia sp.)

Carolina wren.

When the Bird Pond appeared on my right, I started looking for water birds, but didn't see any other than the great egrets. As I walked, a casual glance to my left almost made me wet my pants. I am petrified of spiders and what I saw was a HUGE orb spider sitting in the middle of a web that was, I'd guess, four feet across. The spider in the middle, including legs, was as big as my palm.

Golden orb spider in the middle of its web.

Golden orb spider.

Golden orb spider.

Northern rough-winged swallow.

House finch.

House finch.

While walking near the Bird Pond, I met a man and asked him what birds he had seen. His name is Jim and he writes a blog called Jim's Assorted, Usually Photographic, Ramblings. He said he wasn't looking for birds but was looking for dragonflies. That's his specialty. In fact, in front of us was an Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly, perched beautifully, waiting for its photo to be taken. You can find his photos on his blog. I was able to capture the Eastern Pondhawk as well. Jim explained to me that this particular dragonfly is very mean to other dragonflies and bugs. I would have missed it if it wasn't for Jim pointing it out to me.

Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly.

Once he pointed out that Mitchell Lakes is a good place to spot dragonflies and damselflies, I was on the lookout and you will find a couple more photos of dragonflies today.

Identification, anyone?

Four-spotted pennant.

Roseate skimmer.

As I rounded the corner from the Bird Pond headed for East Poulder, it was full sun ahead: 85-90 degrees with relatively high humidity. My best birding of the day took place in East and West Poulder ponds. The black-necked stilts are in residence and they are gorgeous. They also make quite a racket when a threat comes around.

Black-bellied whistling duck family.

Black-necked stilt

Least sandpiper and killdeer.

Four black-necked stilts in a row.

Black-bellied whistling duck.

Black-bellied whistling duck and willett.

Every once in a while you find something you don't see everyday, like a turtle or armadillo remains. The turtle below was trucking along the trail until I came along, then it got all shy.

Armadillo remains.

Snowy egret fishing.

Neotropic cormorants.

Orb spiders were everywhere today!

Self portrait. Don't you love the hat?

Cacti ready to bloom.

Orb spider in front of cacti.

Beautiful blooms outside the visitor center.

By the end of this walk (which lasted three hours), I was beat. Couldn't wait to get inside the visitor center. The desk person helped me identify the birds in the photos, although he wasn't sure about the sanderling because the photo was so small on my camera screen.

I really enjoy my alone time on walks like this when I can go at my own pace, look for birds and photograph to my hearts content. I would love to learn the songs of different birds to identify them as it isn't always possible to spot them.

Bob worked today. When he came home he could barely walk. He's pretty sure he has plantar fasciitis. He is going to take it easy on his exercising and do stetches to help alleviate the pain. I hope he gets better soon because I'll miss my best walking partner while he's convalescing.

I hope you're all having a good weekend.

Travel Bug out.