I’m really not sure where this year is going. The days and weeks seem to blur into one another and now here we are mid winter!
So, where are we. The project car is still a work in progress. Got to the stage of installing the radiator and it got nicked ever so slightly in the process and well, now it leaks. We will get this one fixed, but we are going to buy a new one and the nicked one will be a spare.
I have been out several times in the last month or so in our “backyard” and have been trying some astro photography. Kind of pleased with the results and look forward to a little adventure out some where soon to expand on my knowledge. Spent a few $$’s on an app and it gives you a augmented view of the milky way at any time. date. location, an invaluable investment.
The Ol’ Girl This was taken with an art filter and is straight out of camera! The Daggy Tree
Apart from Milky Way season, it is also fungi and native orchid season so there is lots to photograph should one wish to venture out and about. Below, a snapshot of a few hours walk around our greater backyard in the Paperbark Forest on the weekend below … always an adventure.
I have to admit that my blogging attempts this year have been very hit and miss. I think about putting together a post and then get sidetracked (very easily I might add!). I guess I can only get better.
In January we purchased a “project car”. We sold a vehicle we’d had in the family for about 14 years to someone who was very keen to get his hands on it and in turn bought a 2006 Chrysler 300C. The deal was the owner thought it had a blown head gasket but wasn’t really sure, but it had been in storage for about 2.5 years and he wanted it gone. Hubby got straight into starting to pull it apart. Firstly we replaced the radiator as the one in it was leaking. Tried starting it and well to be honest it just didn’t happen … so hubby dug further. Upon pulling the heads off we could see that our “quick project” was going to be a much bigger project. The motor was cooked … radiator had obviously leaked and had run on empty for a bit. We tried one machining shop but they just wouldn’t touch it. After a couple more weeks hubby found another machine shop and things started to roll. After a short couple of weeks the Team @ Harris Engines had worked their magic and had the block and heads looking like new again. Very impressed with their work and short turn around time. We’ve also got new gasket sets coming, new oil pump, bearings, timing chain, head bolts and all those wonderful things that make the magic happen when you turn the key.
Currently the block and heads are wrapped in glad wrap while we are waiting on all the other goodies to arrive. So … while we wait for all the other goods to arrive we took off for a quick over night camp trip. Wanted to go south but so many of the campsites we looked at were quite full so we ended up camping at a friend’s block way out at North Baandee – check out the map below. We pretty much drove straight there after lunch and arrived around 4.30-ish giving us time to find a location as much out of the wind as possible.
It was a new moon so gave me the opportunity to shoot a bit of astro, although it was too early in the evening for the milky way, it was still wonderous to see the sky and capture the ISS (Internation Space Station) streaking across the sky.
ISS Streaking across the Southern Sky Shooting star
Friday we took off and explored the eastern wheatbelt some more. First stop was Danberrin Hil, on top of which stood a monument in memorium of the early pioneers of the area.
Darberrin Hill Obelisk in memorium to early pioneers of the area
Next stop was Narkeening Gnamma Hole, which was quite deep and I imagine it would have been an important stop for Aborigines in the day.
Next stop was supposed to be a quick one to check out the camping area at Eaglestone Rock. So impressed by this beauty that we stayed a while, did a bit of rock climbing and explored Lake Campion a little, the salt lake that sits to one side of the rock. Both worth a second visit at some stage!
Eaglestone Rock and Lake Campion
Final stop before returning home was a late run out to Elachbutting Rock (should be on the map, top right hand corner) … such a magical place and has a great camping area, even has a flushing toilet (it’s the little things!). We checked out Fonty’s Pass where a HUGE dome top has slid off the top of Elachbutting Rock and created this cool walk through area (that is my 6′ hubby standing part way around so you can just imagine how big this dome top is!), 2nd photo is the Wave … kinda similar to Wave Rock and just as cool, it’s just located at Elachbutting not Hyden. Lastly there is a section to the north side of the rock that you can drive partway up (or walk if you choose) and you get to see what I called “The Edge” … not much more in the way of farming beyond this point. Beyond this it becomes pastoral land and stations.
Fonty’s Pass The WaveSitting up high
and there you have what can be seen in less than 24 hours. Plan to go out there again one day soon. Today I watched a WordPress Webinar as I need to build a new website for my wholesale business after an “expert” totally destroyed the one I had, but we won’t go there. Looks easy enough to do but it’s a time thing. Anyways … until next time … Ciao x
Where does time go these days? Like, today is 8th February already. Anyway … where am I at.
I have started writing some snail mail again. I used to be an avid snail mail writer, I still write snail mail letters, just not as often. I seem to have lost the ability (ability isn’t quite the right word really but I am currently at a loss as to what other word to use) anyway, I seem to have lost my mojo (maybe that is a better word) to sit and have a good chat with someone on paper and then send it across the miles to hopefully bring a smile to someone’s face when they receive a non window envelope.
I am supposed to be working on an excel order form for my wholesale business because a supposed “expert” who was working on my website managed to totally destroy it. I was devastated to say the least and took a bit of a step back while I decided exactly what direction I was going to take. What can one do other than move forward. I plan to build a new website from scratch and I look forward to the challenge!
I have also been trying to get back into taking photographs with my camera on a regular basis. I changed camera brands about 4 years ago from Canon to Olympus and recently upgraded the Olympus camera body. Four years ago I could not justify the few extras available on the OMD EM1 body compared the the EM5 body for the extra $1000 they were asking at the time. Last year the stars aligned and with a wee little bit of help from a voucher I won, I traded the last of the Canon gear in, bit the bullet and have not regretted the decision at all. I am totally fascinated by all the features of the EM1 Mkiii and am still trying to remember to use them when out and about and how to find them all in the very substantial menu system.
sometimes it is the little things
Today I will leave you with this simple image taken in my backyard this last week.
Where do I start? The world is such a strange place to be at the moment. I feel I am living it on the outside, like in a surreal world. I feel quite lost and anxious a lot of the time at the moment but am trying very hard to be positive. I’ve had the urge to start blogging again … small steps 2022 … let’s go! I am still a member of a camera club and for the last 2 years I have been runner up photographer of the year. I won our Bonhoffer Challenge 2021 – theme “Abstract” with my entry below “Into the Light” … a single in-camera ICM (intentional camera movement), taken in a burnt pine forest. The Bonhoffer Challenge is a legacy annual competition to one of our members who lost her battle against cancer. Yvette was super creative, an absolute blessing to the club and is forever in our hearts.
I have started 2022 well in our first competition with the theme of our favourite photos of 2021 with placings of third, second and first for 3 of my 4 entered photos. I trust I can keep up the momentum. Click on each image to see the full image.
3rd place colour 2nd place colour1st place monochrome
I also write letters, like real snail mail letters, but haven’t written any for about 12 months now. I just feel so disconnected from the world! So for those of you whom I owe a snail mail letter … please don’t lose hope. I think of you all often but just haven’t felt the love of writing call to me for some time.
Well there you have it … a small start for 2022. Leaving you with love and light
Ok so a while back I found this little wombat … we named him Wilbur and now he is coming on a holiday with us. Wilbur is seen here with his personalised passport from Fables IVI on ETSY and a map planning his trip and putting forward his suggestions as to where we go!
Love our visiting froggies! We often see motorbike frogs and an assortment of froglets but this year we’ve also had numerous moaning frogs move in. Not so keen on their mating calls as they start at sunset and go through to sunrise and have been calling for about 6 weeks now. I have managed to photograph 3 of our froggie visitors and I thought I would share them here.
Wilbur will be coming along with us on our travels later in the year and will pop up in some photos on our travels. I’ve just organised Wilbur’s passport so he will be all good to travel with us. If you have a travel partner and want to take them with you on overseas travels you too can have a miniature passport for your travel companion … I ordered Wilbur’s HERE
The countdown is on with less than 120 days to go now. Really looking forward to it, can’t wait to spend some really good time with Brian … I feel that we don’t get that so much now as he has a 12 day roster, which includes night shift and I work 2 days a week in the city. Bring it on!
I belong to a smallish camera club and every year we have a weekend away … somewhere. This year Margaret River was chosen and there was no way I was missing it as it is one of my favourite areas in WA (at least that I have discovered to date). We visited the beach & watched surfers, stood amongst the tall trees in the Boronup Forest, found our first native orchids for the season, visited a distillery & had a tour by James the Canadian distiller, had my first sample of Absynthe, had a multi-cutural meal cooked by the members of the club, watched the sunrise at Hamlin Bay (unfortunately the sting rays didn’t come out to play as it was too rough, but that was ok), visited a rapture sanctuary & more. Here are a few photos from my 3 days there . . .
That is me . . . I love rain and today we had our first real rain in months. It felt good! Had a lot of lightning along with it, so kinda grateful for the rain. Last night I grabbed my camera with the idea of trying to shoot some lightning … well, I took 2 shoots before the rain and happily caught lightning in one!
Chelle's Corner 