Thursday, January 23, 2020


Imagine Phillip Island Victoria
Natural beauty is found there and a nature reserve is home to little penguins and the thousands of visitors they attract, as well it has a racing circuit for bikes or cars. In between mindless laps one can look towards the vista out to sea and along the blue coast line. Quite a setting!
Strangely, outside of the visitors centre of the GP race course is a fairly incongruous pleasant Japanese inspired garden with zen-like qualities and a small flock of peacocks. A little grove of pine trees is part of it.
A history of motor sport in Australia is presented. Strangly it comprises a small collection of early cars of no special trend as well as a very specialised collection of super bikes of only two Italian makes and probably not well known here at all.  Unusual.

Images and even mild technology needs to be sorted when there are apps and old style blogging at odds with each other and proving they are linked and who I am and downloading fun and games has not produced a working image this time.

Saturday, January 04, 2020

Just another day and is it a glimpse into some country at war.  The road ahead becomes increasingly smoke filled and the sun glows red and the thick smelly air reaches the nose and lungs. the surrounding country side is dessicated.
 Apps report the highway may be closed tomorrow so get well beyond that point but what is further afield?
 "Fires Near Me" and flamed filled triangles crowd the map, semis are in their usual hurry or are they fleeing to beat any delays while they would already know any so called war zones they have traversed to the south where the temperatures are up in the forties for the coming day along with unfavourable  winds.
The Fast food declares  that due to the bushfires they may need to shut up shop unexpectedly and those fifteen year old staff reach home safely as the blackend fields are a sign that fire was near and only the highway stood between it and the village.  Subdued customers roll in for chicken with eleven herbs and spices and ice flurry is an idea to keep ahead of dehydration and one power point is located to recharge other aspects. 
In the know, the fuel service centre has large water tanks, pumps and firefighting equipment as standard.
 Just another day but also a terrific warning to act to prevent climate change.




Wednesday, January 01, 2020

 Ulmus minor var. Cornubiensis  seems to be of the maple tree group and having heard how maple trees have been lost in the UK was curious to see a maple tree in these gardens.
 What's more there must be a connection with maple syrup - didn't expect that. Waffles, ice cream and maple syrup was on a wish list I asked for regarding Christmas dinner. I regret the salted caramel popcorn just a little - caramel all over even with a short cut in the recipe.
I am old enough to recall waffles ice cream and maple syrup were on the menu at Cahills Restaurants in Sydney - a bit of an institution.
On second thoughts there is more to this. The Acer group of trees are maples and of different appearance.  
Our trees and animals are being decimated by fire.  I am glad that we have a great carbon sink in our  lightly forested vast hills and dales 'but that was yesterday' as it all goes up in smoke.