Star-spangled footpath

Autumnal improvements to ugly paving at uni.

In which Juddie hits the bottle

While we are grateful to have our lovely little house, our (unplanned) renovations do feel very tedious after 7 months of disruptions and cramped living. We are very much looking forward to having a kitchen - the idea of being able to prepare food on a bench top, put things in cupboards, and wash our dishes in a sink or dishwasher instead of in a tub in the bath, sounds almost exciting.

I can't wait to get rid of the knee-deep clay mud that surrounds the house and gets tracked inside on big puppy feet (although this may not be achieved for sevaral months yet .... *sigh!*), and also to seal the house properly so we can heat it. The delivery of some doors and windows has been delayed, so there are some rather large holes in the side of our house and we have no heating options other than blankets. It's been very cold and wet and rainy out there, with a chill breeze that isn't letting up. *.... Brrrrrr ....*

Thank goodness for my trusty hot water bottle!

Sweetness and light

Today I lay on my back in the long autumn grass in Melbourne's central urban grasslands, two dogs at my side, watching white clouds scudding by and dozens of swallows swooping overhead ....

Simple moments = pure bliss!





(image source - I forgot to take my camera)

Autumn field trip

One of the best things about my job is that I get to spend time with really interesting people, sometimes in fabulous outdoor locations.

I spent this past weekend in Victoria's south-west with nearly 60 of my post-grad students; the weather was dreamy and we explored all kinds of local landscapes.

 Coastal vegetation - a pleasing juxtaposition of lumpy and spiky forms

We saw lots of race horses out for an early morning swim

 The sea mists roll away....

 The wetlands in the crater of Tower Hill (an ancient volcano) have been replenished by recent rains.

 A jetstream sliced through the sky at dusk, as we were bathed in golden light.

My husband and dogs came along too - Gus loved the beach as always

Mesmerising!

Windcatching at Yambuk

More turbines! Nice.

Autumn

Autumn in Melbourne is magnificent. For a couple of weeks we've had gloriously clear, sparkling-sunshiney days interspersed with crisp moonlit nights and chilly mornings. Crunchy autumn leaves provide childish delights as they pile up along the roads and footpaths, perfect for shuffling through noisily on the way to work.

Now, as I get ready to bundle myself off to bed, fat raindrops are beating out a syncopated rhythm on our tin roof and the garden is soaking up the welcome rain.

This is contentment.

Loopy!

Recently I was walking Gus in the wonderfully golden sunlight that characterises autumn evenings in Melbourne. The streets were quiet and peaceful, with the heady scent of nectar filling the air, and I was thinking about how much I like this little inner-city suburb....

As I passed a little old bluestone laneway I saw a group of bright young things chatting and relaxing in the sunlight. One of them was very adeptly hula hooping, keeping 4 hoops in motion as she talked. It was an unexpected sight but somehow perfect in the warm, dozy evening light....

It made me smile.



(image source)

Well, we hoped for rain

We've had about 11 years of drought, and just a few days ago I was lamenting the dryness of our garden's soil ....

But this weekend Melbourne got a taste of the weather that has been ravaging towns up north.

To say that we got a bit wet is an understatement. In less than 30 minutes, the weather changed from being hot and sunny with a cloudless sky to a crazy hailstorm, flooding the city centre and causing extensive damage.

 

  

  

  

  

We stayed inside and watched from the safety of our little house, but I feel sorry for all the birds and animals that were caught in the storm. Imagine being bopped on the head by these!:

 

  

  

 

 

 

  

Note: it never snows in Melbourne. This is the hail that fell when the temperature dropped suddenly from a balmy 26°C (97°F), on a bright and sunny day in the first week of autumn. 

Weird! 

(Pics from here, here and here)

G is for ginkgo

Oh ginkgo! How pretty you look in this beautiful autumn weather!







~ you're definitely one of my favourite trees.

Autumn bliss

Yet again the Easter weather has been absolutely magic, with warm, sunny days consistently following dewy nights. Heavy rain a couple of weeks ago has prompted local parklands to restore their cloaks of green, and soft light gleams gently through quaking leaves wherever we go.


On Saturday G and I worked in the garden, tidying and replanting (..... I do have a habit of moving plants around every year, and of bringing home too many plants and seeds to fit in my little garden). Our garden is small but it is an intriguing and ever-changing system of form, fragrance, colour, movement, growth and decline. I love it.

Yesterday afternoon we took Gus to the beach, where he swam to his heart's content in the soft golden light as the sun dropped low on the horizon - a wonderful way to end the day! Today was lovely too - we popped Gus in his little pup-mobile and cycled to a cafe in Carlton for lunch (I love meandering with my husband, soaking up the local atmosphere, especially when we don't have to stick to a schedule). Later, at Royal Park, Gus jumped out and raced as fast as he could alongside our bikes for several laps of the park. When I watch him at full gallop, streaming through the grasslands, I know I'm witnessing pure puppy joy! What a shame I didn't have my camera to capture his antics (which were a bit like this):


Riding home in the dappled sunlight through the avenue of old elms along Royal Parade I felt truly happy. This weekend was a good weekend.

Sweet, sweet wayfaring ...

If you're in the mood for moseying about the Australian bush, it's worth taking a peep at Joan Elizabeth's Blue Mountains Journal (and maybe also her other blog, Sweet Wayfaring, where she records slices of her life in the city). I love her attention to detail, and the beautiful images she captures and chooses to share.

Here are a just few of her photos, but there are many more over in her part of the interweb:










I should also mention this beautiful blog (discovered via Sweet Wayfaring), in which James Jordan shares his sumptuous photos. *sigh!*






So lovely!