Are you a lucky person? Do ideas and opportunities just seem to jump into your lap? Or do things like that only happen to other people? Sometimes it’s worth taking a chance When Carmel won a free trip for two… Read More ›
travel
Superstition – Eye spy something creepy in Noto, Sicily
Is this a talisman to ward off the ‘evil eye’ or is it the Freemason symbol that reminds us that God sees all? Is there a connection between the two? I can’t wait to read Veronica Di Grigoli’s latest book, How to Protect Yourself… Read More ›
Superlatives – Does this ‘Organum Maximum’ in Sicily live up to its name?
This photo/story challenge seemed like a good opportunity to find out the story behind the name of the organ in the Duomo di San Giorgio at Ragusa Ibla, Sicily. (Inspector Montalbano fans would probably recognise the Duomo as it regularly features in episodes… Read More ›
Super Pippo to the rescue – Make the most of your superpowers
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of Goofy sitting in a Palermo shop window. Italians call this adorable but frustrating Disney character ‘Pippo’. In addition to sharing similar names, I have a real soft spot for Pippo as he is perennially distracted and disaster-prone – but somehow everything… Read More ›
Supercibo – Superfood Italian-style
I have no idea if this cafe in Trastevere, Rome sells healthy ‘superfood’ or unhealthy ‘fastfood’ as it was closed. I suspect the latter given the speed at which Superman appears to be shovelling down this mountain of (lentil?) burgers. ************* This is… Read More ›
Why we still need to stop & draw the roses
I recently discovered a fantastic new app called ‘Waterlogue’ that can turn photos into really good watercolour paintings. It’s a bargain for only a couple of dollars!* (Here’s a picture using Waterlogue that I prepared earlier of my neighbour’s dog and her favourite… Read More ›
Explore the Elements: Thomas Cook Photography Competition
Thomas Cook is running a photography competition. The rules are simple: post four photographs, each one representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Click here for Competition Details. My blogger nominations are listed below – but hurry as the… Read More ›
Great walls & fences of Australia 2
Anyone who read my last post about wild dog, dingo, emu and rabbit-proof fences in Australia, will hopefully appreciate the humour in my favourite TV commercial that encourages parents to invest in an Internet connection to help their kids with… Read More ›
Little Italy in Canberra’s south – poplars & all
Anyone who knows trees may have thought that the Lombardy poplars (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) beside the woolshed in a recent post seemed out of character. However, poplars are ideally suited to Canberra’s hot, dry summers and were quite common near homesteads in the… Read More ›
Sisters unite – my first ever award nomination
Thank you so much to Sandy at Hoarder Comes Clean for a Sisterhood of the World Blogger’s Award nomination! I really enjoy reading about Sandy’s efforts to clear out superfluous items – but her posts frequently hit a bit close… Read More ›
Road signs & the Little Prince
When I visited the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne (on the outskirts of Melbourne) recently, I was struck by the numerous road signs along the entrance route that implored drivers to slow down for snakes, wallabies, lizards, bandicoots and people…. Read More ›
Thousands of bogans, seven chain mail sheep, six Christmas beetles, five hardwood poles, three old farm sheds & a sheep dog sitting on a rock wall
I had assumed that some sculptures at my local shops were dung beetles (amazing insects featured in an earlier post) – but the artist’s website says they are Christmas beetles. The beetles are accompanied by other sculptures of sheep and a sheep dog, hardwood poles decorated… Read More ›
Snow domes
I was amused when a friend gave me a snow dome as a souvenir from Broken Hill years ago. I have never been there myself but I doubted whether it had ever snowed in the ‘Capital of the Outback’. This… Read More ›
Canberra – A city where the landscape rules
The original design of Canberra drew heavily on ‘City Beautiful’, ‘Garden City’ and other aspirational town planning movements that placed a high priority on the landscape. But have the ideals and vision of Canberra’s founding and subsequent ‘parents’ and designers resulted in a… Read More ›
Canberra – Smack bang in the middle (but just a bit closer to Sydney)
A great song was released in honour of the Centenary of Canberra this year. I recommend watching the music video.* The title of the song (and this post) refers to when Australia was selecting a location for its federal capital city… Read More ›
If you can believe in bigfoot, then why not drop bears?
There are reports this week that DNA analysis has identified a genetic match between two ‘yeti hair’ samples from the Western Himalayas and Bhutan and the jawbone of an ancient Nordic polar bear.* This follows hot on the heels of discoveries involving… Read More ›
Why not turn water tanks & reservoirs into landscape features?
A fantastic water conservation project at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne proves that reservoirs and tanks, not just ponds and lakes, can be things of beauty and landscape features in their own right. Over the past few years, ‘Guilfoyle’s… Read More ›
Will you even notice when I’m gone?
It used to be hard to keep in touch when you travelled. The first time I went overseas by myself, I remember sending a telegram to my parents to say that I had reached my final destination. ARRIVED SAFE STOP… Read More ›
Bless this computer
Earlier this year my family went to Bali. I chose not to go along as Bali had never really appealed to me as a holiday destination. Then I read an article in a travel magazine that helped me to understand… Read More ›