Brick upon brick and Nobbys signal station. We have a lot to be thankful for. We need to keep things in perspective and cut some slack for the older generations and the retiring age. Not so long ago there was no financial assistance of note to raise children even when families were bigger than nowdays. Childcare subsidies were unknown and doubt those costs were a tax deduction. No first home grant or relief from stamp duty. No paid maternity leave nor government bonus. Superannuation was not subsidised. Power consumption and carbon footprint were unbelievably low. Freeway demand was a non event. Not long ago, prescripton drugs, diagnositic tests, therapy, mental health care and elective surgery was minimal and did not drain the economy in a hugh way and overall the older generation "cost" much less than today. Without illness prevention obesity in the young could lead to a much bigger and costly issue than any from the past. Deafness could increase like never before. Paid employment is fine for the elderly and it is responsible to extend financial independence and extend the retiring age but we need to cut some slack for the generation that is in this transition for they have managed without much of what is taken for granted nowdays.

Another coal ship arrives

Overhead, a chopper returns to base after taking the pilot to meet the ship.

Newcastle and the harbour.

 Newcastle on Pacific.

The road to Nobbys.  Bright and sunny on Sunday. Gloomy, rainy and deserted on Saturday. What a surprise to breech the link and return it to an island again. No, nothing in the budget for works like that.

exxterminate!

Only takes a bit of a stretch

Among any number of old warehouses  here's one in Newcastle that's similar to THE book depository. 

Undiplomacy in bursts of 140 characters. That's the state of play and politicised issues.

Photo: Take the high road or the low road.
Are clues found everywhere? A cyclone (as in weather) is brewing on our northern shores. Why? It is very early for cyclones. The whole country is touched by thunder storms and a big storm has just hit so better shut down

Higher temperatures. A humid steamy environment? Not just on the Paterson River but over the world. Just saying. A global protest is due on the beginning of repeal of carbon trading today. Unbelievable. No alternative policies. Even the Chairman of BHP Billiton says the company publicly advocated for policies such as carbon trading. Ian Dunlop, past CEO of energy giants has had a conversion and is seeking to join the board of BHP in London, today, to keep the board on task with his platform of radical climate action (as reported in SMH)

We can live in hope - cessation of live cattle export. Tit for tat with our northern neighbour. There's a lot of bull. Property near Nundle NSW

BLACK TOTEM II 1993 Brett Whiteley. Dream that Newcastle will hatch into a community with quality of life rather than the brash or the biggest and have sustainability over consumerism.

or is it a nightmare, tempting fate. This is inviting a mega fauna, a giant dodo from the pages of Dr Seuss

www.newcastleproductions.com.au has Trevor Dickinson and special take on simple local sights and individual styled urban features warts and all.

Not refugees on the Hunter. Wake boarders. Tranquil waters last week, risk of minor flooding today as lovely rain continues.
What if an Obama envoy had criticised Sri Lank's record on human rights?  Would our guys get behind the criticism then? Do something notable. "world leaders meet in paradise" (sic)???
It was ill timed.  Our self interested donation of a few runabouts to Sri Lanka. CHOGM became an opportunity to apply some pressure. Too much to expect.
Apart from our uncivilized measures to thwart the refugee how many national enemies are we making among certain groups of people who test the waters. 

A crowd gathered on this rainy Day of action to support action for climate change. One speaker was an academic who was not a quasi climate sceptic - for a change. Strangly, a photo shoot nearby was of maidens of peep show vintage - not that I have ever seen a peep show - until today sort of.

eHealth record.  I'm up for it - good or bad. "Personally controlled electronic health records" organized by the government. Personally controlled - believe it or not. eIllness record more like it.

An old tried and true drug is in short supply around the globe.  Supplies are due, sourced from Germany, I read.    Lots of 400 tablets were the usual number dispensed and maybe that is wasteful and led to the shortage although a dose may be 1 tablet to up round 10 tablets a day.
So, in some other instances where a vital replacement medication is of great importance there would be a problem if supplies failed. Such is life. eHealth to the rescue!   

Interlude at Steiner school. The arts are high on the agenda. Do your bit for NATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION. This Sunday 17 November 11am Nobbys Reserve or Stockade, Newcastle. Wear bright heatwave colours

The country is open for business as the 'Bott said.  Well, this charity is open for business regardless of him.

Idle threats from the treasurer, something about a shut down. He is rediculous.

Good bye Rudd. A character study, an enigma who doesn't get much of my sympathy.  A little late for family. Family responsibilities are a constant and go without saying. Turnbull went overboard at one junction in an otherwise neat speech.  Parliament was self indulgent last evening.

Dragons Abreast. All female crew d'oh.

Hunter River early Sunday. The Sun Herald cartoon had Men of Faith: Hunt - Enviro Minister, Prime Minister Abbott and former PM Howard standing in a church pew -

Oh Lord, protect us from the zealotry of climate scientists, and deliver us from experts with their wacko, evidence - based thinking

11am Sunday 17 November join SYDNEY DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION Prince Alfred Park. Be part of National day of climate action.

.....if you go down in the woods today you're sure of a big surprise...beneath the trees where nobody sees....
and the groom wore a ten gallon hat

...beneath the trees where nobody sees they'll hide and seek as long as they please.....

If you go down in the woods today....

Tranquil. How long will it last? Unprecedented cyclone in Asia and extreme hardship for the people. Take the safer option and prepare for climate change with carbon trading and sustainability.

Into the psychoanalythic woods and the mirror image. Rorschach would have a 129th birthday according to Google's person of the day. Rorschach did inkblots.  It's simple, an inkblot is is an image of the thyroid gland and that's significant because the thyroid is of hugh importance.

More horse power - Emirates Park in the Upper Hunter - horse breeding not the airline.  Coal trains are seen on the move all down the valley.  It is relentless. 

High noon at Murrurundi just this side of a 'mountain pass' through the Great Dividing Range into the Hunter valley.
It looked as though the long coal trains from Liverpool plains or where ever are assisted over the range by two extra locos on the end.  But there was no sign of them here. They must have parted company prior to this point.

Melbourne Cup Day,  Horse power and Raymond Loewy - who is today marked by Google who shows us a rakish steam locomotive designed by Loewy.
An old paper clipping found tucked away by a relative is of the then biggest and most powerful locomotive in the world completed at the Schenectady works of the Northern Pacific Railway, America. "It will develop 6000 horse power, and with tender will weigh approximately 1,100,000 lbs." On checking the 'net it could be said that this loco is a 2 8 8 4, with those two sets of eight driving wheels, possibly a Yellowstone type and Northern Pacific was the first to order one in 1928. Seemingly built by ALCO connected with New York Central rail. Rail was hugh and soon traversed most of America. Imagine the classic syle of vintage rail cars some of which had interiors also designed by Loewy. Another loco, Big Boy is a 4 8 8 4 with Union Pacific and must be well known and restored examples may be seen. Just imagine a behemoth 2 10 10 2 type of 1913. The last of such big examples of locos were probably built in Russia as late as 1955. Mallet, a Swiss engineer, developed the amazing articulated aspects where the first set of driving wheels were free to enable the loco to drive around curves. Yesterday, I came across what seems to be the same train as the photo in a baby's first picture book.   

Paterson River.  Just after sun rise. The cattle in the paddock could be young Charolais cattle originally a French breed. doh.

Sunrise. Paterson River.

Dawning. Paterson.

Family Fair and Open Day that is set to enjoy This Saturday Nov 2 Linuwel School East Maitland on the road to Morpeth.