While it is never to late to learn, another lifetime is a good idea, firstly for me to learn how to live and secondly to learn to write English prose.
A review in the Newcastle paper, The Herald, gave us the key to the use of adjectives.  A revelation. A suggestion for the word order of adjectives is there and word order is significant in English. No expert told me about the use of adjectives which usually stumps me.
  Goodness, recently it took me hours to recall the name  behind Universal Grammar namely Noam Chomsky who presents counter intuitive theories of language learning. Very mysterious.
Opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose-noun... so there.
The Elements of Eloquence How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase by Mark Forsyth. Icon Press

These four birds look like plovers. Here they were at the beach but they are often found on the ground alone in the very middle of a green sports field or stomping around a busy car park or close to the side of a busy city road. Like living in a war zone.

 

Happy Chinese New year. Some planners must be expecting similar crowds here if this taxi sorting area is anything to go by and, gosh,  it puts us right up there on the world stage.

Recently I grabbed some canned fruit at Aldis and it is not my favourite food and later I noticed how pale were the chopped scraps of fruit containing 40% fruit juice and was made in China and the brand name was Sweet Valley (sic).  Remember our Goulbourn Valley brand?
   Australian fruit and processes are much more preferable than imports.  The food miles from Chine are absurd and unsustainable.  I won't buy such as that till forced.
  All the same, the space for real food, such as canned fruit, has shrunk on the shelves.  Dinky little tubs of fruit are the go.
  All wise,  all modern woman at the supermart happened to be praising the said tubs of fruit as the best thing since sliced bread for her children.  Better choice than some the processed fruit contains sugar in the sweetend fruit, is 40% juice and has packaging and shipping.
  We don't want to lose the ability to eat a piece of fresh fruit which is a more complex food and is a healthy choice. We can't become too helpless and lacking fibre to manage a piece of fruit!  The experts promote fruit and vegies for health - it is so easy.  Nevertheless, there are those who manage without eating fruit and vegies.  They must be the exception. 
 
Australian fruit industry needs support now.

Rediculous photo.  Several months ago bush fire swept through and took out a service station on southern edge of the district while the 'big' prawn is all that remains intact
Rafa was one of the big ones in combat in the Australian Open but his fortunes changes the next day.  Mens and womens finals were unlkely matches this time.

On the beachfront at Port are found very lovely tributes, graffti and memorials.  Words about unforgettable holidays, many year after year, caravaning and camping and annual reunions.   That's Port Macquarie. Will the beachside caravan parks be retained in perpetuity? Let's hope so!

For Australia DAY 2014 and the birthplace of European settlement: Botany Bay.  Two runways of Sydney Airport extend into the bay and a succession of early flights touch down after the longest of hauls. 'Straya Day

Arrivals.  The indicator keeps repeating 'flight delayed'.  No, it won't be the travellers emerging in winter clothes and coats nor the warm designer outdoor gear. Activity stops. Next a crowd from an Asian country and cabin crew women extremely slender and in delightful long outfits.     What's next?. A crowd totting trailer sized snow boards.  Then some with Muslim scarfs

Welcome to Straya.

- now that's getting closer. Yes, several people in crumpled summer gear with vast luggage and Straya lookalikes - its hopeful. Then no one emerges. Next, a few sturdy Anglo cabin crew possibly Jetstar or Qantas related - good sign. Even a few of post-Bali appearance emerge. It can't take much longer.  A newborn with very long black hair and from Jakarta is greeted by the relatives beside me. Next, I believe is a large group of Vietnamese, many with cartons of cargo piled high. No, a return to lots of rugged up travellers, and an Ashkenazian look a like and an overthetop fun pretend celeb.   Another gap.  What's the delay? Is there a drug bust inside? Wait, a pilot and side kick in SHORT sleeve shirts - is that a give-away?  Followed by a long gap. Some stragglers then the object of our long wait roll into view.  Relief and joy. 

Things to do on an extremely hot extremely humid late afternoon. Two surf boats race to the shore at Crescent'. Surf was 'up' yesterday.

High wide and green rows of trees are found all around the Southern highlands.  They don't lend themselves to the climate of the Newcastle district.

 At the institution, vintage pine trees grew in the garden.

The facade. More like I'd imagine from the likes of southern Europe.

Closer to the old institution

At the same institution
Who was spied in a brief appearance, faltering, short beard, pink tie - Jay Carney. Good grief! 

A large institution

Enjoy nature. This is the district where the film Babe was made.
Nature and a polar vortex brings life threatening cold to some and at the same time life threatening heat wave to our western state. Enjoy nature while you can. Abbott government is most interested in big business and letting them off the hook as regards carbon pollution. So called progress at the expense of global survival.

at dawn

sunrise

Bong Bong race track is a long standin name and is nothin to do with recreational drugs as far as I know. This ain't Colarado 'yr know.

late sunrise
Horse show events include jumps and a charge up over the hill

Historical village becomes tea rooms.

In Bong Bong Picnic Race Track late afternoon.

Ambush

Guard duty on the staircase or is it time for a cat nap?

Test fans: here is Don Bradman's home turf in Bowral.

Hunter street shop windows. It must be Christmas. I'm out of here!

From a tiny island the natives commute by tinny or ferry to meet the train at Brooklyn or to their car to reach Sydney etc

Barge is off to an early start in a wonderful workplace.

Early morn ferry leaves Brookland Brooklyn. That is Brookland Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury.

Here is the submarine Archerfish.  Nobbys in the background. Is the flag at half mast?

Visit of U S submarine Archerfish in 1964.  The wharf would be high above the sub. State Dockyard Newcastle is opposite.

Port of Newcastle once upon a time when people drove around the wharves to have a look. 
Usually, in these particular photos, the pet dog and a few people feature without revealing much at all about the surroundings unfortunately. Who knows what was there just out of view.

Fashion for the day of the agricultural show

Seaside holiday in days gone by. Did the pets go along as well?  Days of fishing and canoeing at Minnamurra - nice sounding name. No sleepy village on the south coast, today it's Bali, Indonesia, at least, for Christmas hols. I must be the only Australian who has never visited Bali which must become wall to wall Aussies who converge over Christmas time. Conforming to resort culture would be one thing but there would be alternatives.  For a complete knockout seen on the 'net are some totally original buildings constructed from bamboo in Ubud.
 As for alternatives there is Mandela's funeral on live tv now, after all there was no one just like him.  Voting in South Africa was a significant landmark I witnessed from afar.      

We always write the date in the correct format! And that makes today 11-12-13.

Fashion. Pearl necklace. Teapot? What about gloves? Another Show Day in the 'bush'.

Sargeant Toohey - according to the back of the photo. Another Irish policeman! About the ring cycle of life, and nostalgia, lodes of which feature in the English show Call the Midwife which in its straightforward and evocative way delivers something past, special and overtaken.   The series always deserved a special mention. It contrasts with the growth we have seen into a juggernaught service. Perhaps it marks the start of National health and social housing and how they began to fulfill the dream of better times for the underprivileged. There was need enought for grand beneficial policies likes those. Seen on ABC TV. Support the ABC!

A carefree expedition to Nobbys when a drama is spied where the beach sands meet the road.  Exceptional numbers of  Shearwater birds have died over much of the east and south east coast.
A major cause: starvation.  The birds have flown a vast distance direct from the far northern Pacific in accord with their annual migration and their life depends on finding food on their return. It is said that their diet of seafoods from our coastal waters is in short supply. Warm currents and wild weather events are likely causes of the shortage.
Experts are figuring out whether all this is within normal bounds.
Biodiversity is crucial for all life and for the food chain to continue. Humans reap the food chain like never before. Preservation of biodiversity is a global imperative. Permit your garden to grow bugs, insects, lizards and snakes - insectacide free! Limit plastic - it fills the oceans - most of it changed to minute forms of plastic.
They say no sardines were found off California this year - if that is to the point.
 

Fashions
Show day in country town was another time snaps were recorded

Fashions.
A visit to Sydney was often captured by a street photographer who mailed the photo back to the home address.

Horseshoe Beach within Newcastle harbour.

What's the technical difference about the Port of Newcastle and Newcastle Harbour. Whatever. The name port is in more recent usage.

Kings street steps. Between a rock and a hard place or take the stairs - up or down.