Darley Australia stud, near Aberdeen was peaceful in the Upper Hunter Valley.
The ruler of Dubai, Seikh Mohammed Bin Rashi Al Maktoum, who is into global breeding and racing operations, is the owner.
Darley has now purchased Woodland Stud which is another large enterprise that had been in the hands of a local identity, Bob Ingham, who is said to have received $500million.
Other millionaires from the Middle East and Ireland have similar thoroughbred breeding interests in the valley.


The Islamic calendar is marked by Eid al-Adha of the 8-11th December. The festival recalls Abraham's role and observances would be followed by millions, even billions of people, who, from where I am situated, form a somewhat parallel universe and follow an alternative traditional calendar.

The State Premier was about to depart from an event in Sydney.
Closer to home, the Toy Run is on today and it has been said that Newcastle has one of the best.
Possibly the Toy Run predominates in this country but Google refers to some others around the globe. Hard to know.
Hundreds of bikers do their bit and ride with donations of toys for charity for Christmas giving.

No horse power. The Car broke down. Roadside assistance from NRMA Motoring and Services. At least it was a convenient place for repairs.

Scone in the Upper Hunter Valley is home to the thoroughbred.
Mare and Foal, in bronze, has pride of place in Elizabeth Park. Scone is a small country centre where the horse reigns supreme in the surrounding shire.


Siart yr Wyddor a luniwyd gan T C Evans, Cadrawd, tua 1900. National Museum of Wales. Extract for study purposes.

Coasting along in the Hunter Valley humming Along the Road To Gundagai or, to be really over the top, pleasant Songs from the Auvergne.


Rustic Czech chic:

Countryside of the Scone and Aberdeen region of the Hunter Valley.
The sight of nature, on a wonderful day, is splendid. Is it like The Unbearable Lightness Of Being of the Czech novel (and the old movie), although, the lightness is really related, with some charm, to complexity, to instincts and to the mystery of life.


Below: A Czech children's book - at least, that's my guess. From Brink Brink Cililink by A Janouskova. An extract for study purposes.

Memorials. Memorials contrasted with exuberant students.
Further to the photo of the carillon several days ago is the grand sandstone tower in which is installed the University of Sydney War Memorial Carillon.
The bells were cast and installed by John Taylor & Co of Leicestershire and after various modifications over time the carillon now has 54 bells with a range of four and a half octaves and is fully chromatic.
The lowest note (the bourdon) is the G on the bottom line in the bass stave; it weighs over 4 tonnes. The overtones include the minor third that gives the bell its characteristic mournful sound.
Recitals include a free session every Sunday afternoon at 2pm. (this information is from the Recital Booklet)
The dulcet tones of the bells were unobtrusive and filled the afternoon air with melody quite free of electronic overkill and I believe, the minor overtones, did create an unexpected effect.


In the vicinity is the Nicholson Museum where another memorial is found from ancient Rome with Greek inscription as below:
....For Felix The sweetest child His nurse (made this) as a memorial.

We all grieved for some little children from our part of the world this past week.

Passengers on the Cremorne ferry.

Vale : Joern Utzon, designer of the Sydney Opera House.
Trivia: The shape of the opera house is formed by rearranging the segments of half a sphere.
A day ahead of myself my round theme was also posted previous to this.

Round as a photo theme.
Large bell in a carillon.
The keyboard is downstairs and wires run up to the tower to link the keys with the mechanisms that strike the bells.

Heroic styled art. An extract for study purposes.

Round theme. This dome crowned the tower of the Sacred Heart Cathedral
in Hamilton and was damaged in the earthquake on 28th December
1989. It is a memorial to those who lost their lives.

The Cathedral is Inter-War Romanesque style designed to avoid
modern themes yet get away from gothic lines (Maitland &
Stafford 1997).

Gannon is at his best in this example of his work - in my eyes. The work of other architects would have been welome as Gannon had dominated that era and designed quite a number of churches which have merit in an ordinary sort of way.















Below: English language

Who thinks big of him? (Warning modifications fueled by beer & testosterone)



Below: another tale in Russian about little people.

This cool hound was probably taught through a reward system and he was applauded at the markets.
Will any other dog stories emerge today? From time to time the blog accidentally parallels a local happening and I like to see any quirky connections although it is not good when a tragedy occurs.

In order to keep on task, learning theories explain how intrinsic rewards are important. They apply in the case of this blog. Extrinsic motivation is also identified.
Some opinion has it that money is a motivation that tends to have a motivational effect that lasts only a short period (on teaching staff for example).
Praise, respect, recognition and empowerment and a sense of belonging are far more powerful motivations than money. Is that so? The State treasurer would love this news. By how much will salaries be increased?

If you look closely you may see a snake who had made a warm home on the roof in the air vent. It was hard to say who got the biggest fright even when the snake was believed to be a harmless python who was soon encouraged to return to the wild.



Below is believed to be an example of child's verse in Russian mit humour.

Water is precious. Beside a small Hunter valley river as sunset nears.

A passage way makes a very small kitchen by Sydney standards.
Imagine a temperamental chef let loose in there. We know what four letter word Gordon Ramsay would use.

?woleb oihcconiP siht sI ! ol dnA

Memorabilia and a Soviet Arm band in red.
Memorabilia and memory.
Ostalgie (East German) and Soviet chic are occasionally used to refer to nostalgia for life under the socialist system (Wikipedia). Care still lingers on for the illusion of that world despite awareness of the reality.
And what about the Trabant and Lada fan clubs?

For sale at the markets: For the Aussie shopper, sheep skin hats on bearded Cossacks or KGB.

Didgeridoo: Australian Aboriginal wind instrument with these seen in a display of souvenirs.
Do Hugh or Nicole even render a tune in THE epic? Carefree with the use of anachronisms.
X-ray art of the Aborigines compared with ceramics, pictured below, of Mediterranean (Cypro...) art from around 800BC. (Nicholson Museum)




Petok....petok....sura apa itu?
ayam betina
Bahasa Indonesia

No photo today
Reproduced for study purposes

There's something for everyone at the markets. News of this craftperson had reached Florida and she told me photos were requested for a magazine there. Bronii.
This is not to take away from the work of indigenous people who have always been expert with gourds - I believe.




Kung....Kong....sura apa itu?
Katak.
Bahasa Indonesia