by Taswegian1957 & Human59
As an area that once had many more farms and orchards than it does now the Huon Valley has its share of abandoned sheds in various states of disrepair. As photo subjects I rather like them.
And finally my own dear departed rustic shed, demolished a couple of years ago to make way for the pergola.
While out today I spotted this sail boat that I rather liked so snapped a quick shot of it. At first I thought it had been left high and dry but it was in the water. It was surrounded by reeds and grass which gave the impression it was on dry land. It made for a good photo anyway.
Today, for my birthday treat we sailed on Yukon, a restored wooden fishing vessel. Originally from Denmark it is now based in Franklin. The weather was kind to us and although rain was threatened it stayed dry until after our trip.
Two grand old ladies, MV Cartela built in 1912 and Preana built in 1896. Cartela is currently undergoing restoration to be returned to steam power and Preana is restored and available for charter trips.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs between Queenstown and Strahan. Its three locomotives are the original ones used by the Mt Lyell Railway Company to service the mines. All were built inbetween 1896-98
I’ve always been drawn to places where there is water and I take a lot of photographs of bodies of water wherever I go.
I’ve always loved to be by the sea. As a child a trip to the seaside was an annual treat but even then it wasn’t just about amusements, paddling, ice cream or donkeys on the beach. I liked to look at the sea. At the beach you can see the power of the waves breaking against the shore.
We spent a month on a ship sailing to Australia from England and it fascinated me to watch the waves and see the wake the ship left behind us. Fast forward fifty years and I find sitting in a deck chair looking at the water one of the best parts of a cruise holiday.
I live in Tasmania, it is a state that is blessed with many rivers and lakes. Occasionally nature plays tricks and there are floods or droughts but mostly they are a source of pleasure. I feel calm when I’m by the water and I’m never bored because it is always different. Some days the water could be as smooth as glass and you can see the reflections as clearly as in a mirror. Other days there are little ripples that make it sparkle and then there are the grey, wintry days when it looks cold and forbidding.
Huon River, first day of winter . 1 Jun 2008
I like the sight and the sound of fountains too. I find them very relaxing .
Complete this sentence: This sandwich could really use some …
You’ve got me there, I’d only say that if I had run out of cheese at home. On the other hand if we were talking about burgers my answer would be salad. McDonald’s and Hungry Jacks (Burger King) don’t put enough salad on their burgers and I like mine with a bit of crunch not just a piece of cheese, onion and a pickle. A proper burger has meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato,onion, beetroot and sometimes a fried egg.
What is your least favorite candy?
I was going to say liquorice but on reflection I think it has been displaced by the sour tasting candies that seem to have become popular and the even more popular salted ones. Just give me chocolate.
What sign are you? Do you believe in astrology?
I am a Taurus and I do think that I am true to the characteristics of my birth sign. However, I don’t take the horoscopes that you see in magazines or these days online very seriously because of course they are generalised. In order to give a more accurate reading the astrologer would need much more precise details about me than just the month I was born. So yes I do believe but I take it with a pinch of salt, just like any practical Taurian would 😉
By Unknown – I scanned this image from a reproduction of a (normand?) medieval book of astrology (15th century), Public Domain, Link
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Â Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.Â
As I mentioned in my Sunday post we had three wet days last week. In fact we had a huge thunderstorm, one of the biggest I can remember and there was flooding in several places, parts of the Huon and the city of Hobart in particular.
I was lucky because I did not receive any damage, lose power or my internet connection so that’s something to smile about. On Sunday the weather was a little better and I was able to plant the bulbs I had ordered earlier. I am going to have pots of daffodils and bluebells, tulips, hyacinth and crocus and hyacinth and freesia. I also got out my kneeling pad and popped a few bluebells into the ground under the apple tree. After cleaning the shed I found a few more stray bulbs. I have no idea what they were, they were from previous years pots I think. I popped them under the tree too. Maybe they will grow and maybe they won’t. It was easy to dig the soil after the rain and there were lots of fallen leaves to cover everything with. I love bulbs, they are so easy to garden with and you nearly always get at least some flowers. If I am not here to see them I hope the new owner will get a nice surprise.
Of course Cindy and Polly came to see what I was doing. I spent some time reorganising the shed and sweeping out dust, and other accumulated mess. Even Polly who rarely goes to the bottom of the garden came in to investigate.
Although I don’t live on a farm I do live in the country so there are opportunities to photograph livestock either at country shows, neighbouring properties or just when I’m out and about. These are all old ones from my archives.
How cute are these two? 2010
 Alpacas, a few people breed them around here.
Molly the horse used to live in a paddock at the bottom of my garden until the land was sold and they built houses there. I preferred Molly as a neighbour.
Irish donkeys
