Muse.
At Faulconbridge, the works of Norman Lindsay are shown in his former residence, which he left to the National Trust. He was an artist, sculptor, writer, builder, ship model maker, produced etchings, and he led a very eventful diverse life that ended in 1969.
Robust women make up a hugh body of his works. Wowsers were in his sights.
As part of the war effort, Lindsay had painted war posters, so his second wife feared enemy occupation in WW2 and shipped a selection of works to the USA for safe keeping.  Unfortunately, while the crates were on a train they caught fire outside Scranton PA and much of that collection was lost.  The internet reveals the illustrated bio and more, and one link is found here

Trees and boulders were both indoors and outdoors as well as a log fire which warmed up the whole hostel and was nice to have during a gale. Passive solar warmed up the concrete floor slab and stored the heat, so really any anchorite would have a relatively comfortable time  -  not that there were any of those there.  

Youth Hostel (YHA) is on a hill side with an outlook in bushland at Hawkesbury Heights on the lower 'Shan' Blue and is built to withstand bush fires. How many other hostels would be purpose built with that in mind?  Not many?
The building is totally clad in iron and is without gutters and the windows have metal grills, ready to be lowered into place to ward off heat. Rainwater is collected in ground level drains and is diverted to a tank possibly for use in fire fighting.
Solar roof panels are in use to offset the connection to the power grid.  A small suburb is relatively close but is screened off by the bushland. The coastal areas can be seen in the distance on a clear day from a vantage point off the main road at the top of the zig zag.

 Hairpin bends.....Zig zag climbs up to a couple of hundred metres above....'falling rocks do not stop' (!)....a  cyclist in red in low gear seen from above...crawling to dizzy heights at Hawkesbury Heights

Why the urgency?  Why the pressure?  Why are our mineral resources needed yesterday?
Mining at breakneck speed is so taken for granted.
Expansion can be rightly constrained by what the work force can manage to do instead of rushing to bring in workers from here there and everywhere and use any darn fool wasteful exploitative extravaganza as a solution to profit making.

GrowthBusters Hooked on Growth is a doco by Dave Gardner....the culture of growth and the myth of prosperity ...is not delivering good and fulfilling lives...can we re-define progress?.he asks and more in interview on ABC Radio National at: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/growthbusters3a-hooked-on-growth/4030534

Levitating above our planet

Sydney 'basin' was under a white fleecy 'blanket'.

Here's a song of global aspirations.  All patriots: ease up, lighten up, please!

This is my song O God of all the nations
A song of peace for lands afar and mine
this is my home the country where my heart is
Here are my hopes my dreams my holy shrine
But other hearts in other lands are beating
with hope and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover
and skies are every where as blue as mine.
O hear my song O God of all the nations
A song of dreams for their land and for mine.
A Song of peace words by Lloyd Stone music by Sibelius.



....trembling on the very edge of transformation....that's Newcastle!....

Follow the city and go to http://www.thenovocastrianfiles.com/  for photos and comment plus a long list of Newy Links
Vocab: novocastrian = newcastle nsw. newy = newcastle nsw!
See Newcastle in Youtube slides by TheVincinia and by video from many others.

North from Merewether Heights on a clear day.  Yesterday's pic gave the opposite view.

'

South from Merewether Heights.  Murdering Gulley and beyond where more wild things are.  A green reserve is left over to buffer the sanitation works! 
Newcastle's camino takes the pilgrim along this coastline along a prepared track.
In coastal towns the headland is a typical place for a viewing platform but residences have beat us to it on the city side . A new platform is now above Bar Beach, only accidentally pictured.

Today's surf where things wild are.

Strange Newcastle Slides on Youtube by TheVincinia

Cheers from Newcastle NSW as it was seen this very evening.

Newcastle Slides on Youtube by TheVincinia.

Lambtonparkplayground

The park has interesting new equipment. 

And seems the council has built features using recycled stone slabs. 

 Trockenrutschen/kinderrutschen made by Wiegand,  Rasdorf, Germany.

Macedonian christenings are celebrated in fine style judging by this peep in on the party.   Congratulations Eva!
The band and the distinctive ethnic music was terrific, tones and rhythms completely haywire.

A lifetime of music is out there, to catch up on, as a long lasting treasure.  A lot to discover after my failing to give much attention to it over time and leaving me completely ill informed, except for classical this and that.

Thank you SBS!  Vintage Sinatra was played on SBS TV1 and old film showed us his artistry, the perfect phrasing and ad lib games, hard to go past the slow reflective numbers although, up tempo, New York ditto was outstanding at an outdoor evening concert in his mature years.
The vintage big bands were something else, beautiful style, quite different before the advent of electric guitars and seventies rhythms.  What's next?

Entrance doors at Saint John's Lambton.
Generally, we look in vain for redundant artistry on the local scene.
Kids matter school?!

Community. Taken in very small doses. Yet have noticed that churches are significant for community and are where you will confront the seven ages of humanity in all its glory and struggle.

All the drama is present.

Youthful energy; marriage; births; extended families in a whirl; illness and recovery, ageing as well as the gradual chilling loss of familiar old faces. And our response. The stuff of our existence and sure to ground you.

Can't really say much about the subject of worship except, surely it is not an act of individualism.

True, few children are church goers. There are other ways.

When church going is found to be redundant, then the role of community in our lives is overlooked.

                                                                                                                

Guess what?  It's Newcastle once again.

How would you like a crib room like this?  Vans for the Council workers on location. 

May is a terrific month. Yesterday, sunshine, waves, a giant white cloud, low tide and sand castles.

Pittsburgh to Oz.blogspot: yes, saw your post about Glenrock (or Yuelarbah Walking Track) and glad you liked the nature reserve,  although several of the photos have suffered a wipe out. As well, the chronicles go far and wide during what must have been an action packed time in this region. Hamilton, northern side, is still going strong, some rebuilding, ubiquitous coffee shop etc - I have occasion to visit the suburb.

My blog trivia can't last forever and trust that you follow other blogs from hereabouts. We move on but the past is simultaneous with the present! Over time, my change from one PC to another meant that bookmarks got overlooked and I lost the reference to Pittsburghto so have just caught up with your snapshot and it serves a purpose, I know an Aussie family expatriated to the UK for several months who publish and I like to see their blog diary.

Everyone knows how the USA is a small place (not) so do look out for the Newcastle University Chamber Choir in NY and at the 7^th World Choir Games in Cincinnati!! According to their web page.

    

Here is the start, at Nobbys Beach, of a terrific sign posted walk to Glenrock, maybe 10 ks, and beyond, passing above the beaches and cliffs, then down to the beach, in easy stages and includes sandy beaches under foot.

View from above Bar Beach.

Are there plans to coal mine in Newcastle?  Wallsend, Kotara South, Minmi, King Edward Park, Glenrock? Look at the possibilities!