Saturday to Saturday: a week in pictures

As my 365 Photos project heads to its culmination, there are nights where I'm really scratching for subjects. Makes me wish I'd gone vacationing away from home more often this past twelve months. Mind you, I did find my old, expired passport last week, so at least I can apply for a new one more easily.


Johnny jump-ups begin to bloom. 17 April 2010.


Not a toilet for three men, but an elevator. Annoying signage for people
desperately seeking a restroom. Penrith Railway Station. 18 April 2010.


Truck on the building site. 19 April 2010.


Neon dog-walking lead. 20 April 2010.


Vases and cookie jar. 21 April, 2010


An artistic busker left this chalk painting behind in Sydney's CBD tonight.
That loaded trolley was wheeled across the artwork several times
while I waited to get a good shot. 22 April, 2010


Fruit before bedtime? 23 April, 2010


Storm clouds gather over Springwood. 24 April, 2010

Foundation Day, Springwood, NSW

What a glorious day to be in the Blue Mountains yesterday! Jack experienced a whole new vista of scents as he joined many Mountains-dwelling canines at Springwood's annual Foundation Day festivities.

I'd happened to notice a poster for this event on the Orient Hotel's front door on Friday night. I'd recalled finding it accidentally one year, but this time I made sure to get back up to Springwood early. I didn't really buy anything, except for homemade fudge - yum - and a few unique items from the garden store we like to frequent, plus pide for lunch. It was a fun day, nonetheless.



Springwood's main street was sealed off to traffic and transformed into colourful market stalls - vacated only for the parade of floats and marching groups - and there was a very friendly, family-oriented, country atmosphere.

Jack was alternately exploring on all fours, and being carried in my arms (which he seemed to enjoy too much), and he made lots of acquaintances, both furred and human. We struck up a conversation with a young couple who were seriously considering their first Jack Russell. They'd watched us pass by a few times, and eventually asked for some background on the breed. Jack really made an impression of them; currently they have a very bored - and boring - King Charles Cavalier spaniel, who spends her days sitting on a blanket being an aloof princess. Methinks a Jack Russell will colour their world a little more than that. ;-)

Thanks, Springwood, you did well!

Talking shop

I just arrived back home after a wonderful meal at Springwood's Orient Hotel. It was a staff dinner. Several non-teaching partners of the staff had that half-bemused expression as the teachers did what they do so well: talked shop about students, classes and teaching methods. No matter how earnestly we promise it won't happen, it always does...

The restaurant seems to have become become a staff favourite over recent years. Although there are several cosy nooks inside, we usually end up in the large front area, which is a transparent plastic-curtained area (with gas heaters on poles). The looooong table made conversations a bit restricted, so there was plenty of chair-hopping during the night.

When there are lots of us, there is a cheaper, limited choice menu available but, last night, we ordred from the regular a la carte selection. The lamb dish sounded very tempting, but I'd eaten lamb only last Wednesday, so I went for a well-recommended barbecued chicken fillet dish, which was scrumptious.

Oh, by the way, I've recently stumbled across the blog of Ian MacLean, a student of Dearborn, Michigan (not far from Ann Arbor, where my penpal, Olivia, lives) in the USA: The Chronicles of Ian. I absolutely love his blog's motto: "... where I'm Ian, and you're wrong."