Shadow Shots

No, we don't have snow, but all the same it's been cold by Queensland standards.  It was minus 1 overnight in some parts of Brisbane (including Chez Fudge) before it topped at 21 degrees Celsius, or 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Still, it was a stunningly clear morning and what better could we do but visit the farmers' market for some fresh produce. 

A cup of Dutch Chocolate Coffee renewed the spirits ...

... before stocking up on herbs for the jaded kitchen garden ...

... and some beautiful parsnips and mushrooms,

... as well as fresh tiger prawns, pumpkin and bunches of basil, coriander and all manner of goodies for a Thai prawn and pumpkin curry which we had tonight.  Mmmm.

After settling the herbs into their new home this afternoon, I noticed some shadows dancing across the lawn.

For more shadow shots, why not visit Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday. 

Christchurch Shadows

The weather has been so unpredictable over the past week and as a consequence I have had to rely on some images from our recent trip to New Zealand for this week's Shadow Shot Sunday.

Please visit Hey Harriet for some wonderful shadow shots.

New Zealand Shadows

It's been a couple of weeks since I've participated in Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday and I have had withdrawal symptoms.  We've been home a little over a week from our wonderful trip to Christchurch in New Zealand, where we shared six delightful days with our daughter and her family.  Our son-in-law was attending a conference, so it was decided since we live in different cities (Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne)  it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up - all four grandparents, parents and three grandchildren. 

This cheerful and talented Maori group entertained us most days with their colourful singing, dancing and, of course, the traditional Haka.  They are my obvious choice for Shadow Shot Sunday.  It was quite cold and my motherly instinct made me want to rush out and smother them with some sensible warm clothing.

The two older grandchildren delighted in frolicking in the mid-autumn leaves and generally discovering all that Christchurch had to offer.

 

Our granddaughter was intrigued by the old fashioned cash register and equally by the lovely lady who allowed her to operate it.  She was doubly intrigued by the tattooed chin, but was very polite and didn't make any comment.

The New Zealand branch of the family.

Our Little Red Riding Hood pays respect to Christchurch's local heroes...

... while Mr Fudge III pays respect to Grandma's scone.  I must admit it's the first time I've ever had a scone baked in a flower pot - when our son back in Brisbane saw this image he reckoned that it had its own postcode.  Yes, it was steaming hot, fresh out of the oven and light as a feather and yes, I did share it with the little boy with the big blue eyes.  Had it been a fine day, you can only imagine the shadow it would have thrown!

Autumn Shadows

We celebrated Mr Fudge's 70th (!!!) birthday on Friday and as a special surprise our daughter and her family in Sydney booked us a room at our favourite hotel in Brisbane and a table at a very classy restaurant a short stoll from the hotel.  Needless to say, it was a painless experience and one which we will not forget until dementia kicks in.

The weather was stunning, resulting in plenty of opportunities for shadow shots.  This was the view from our hotel room.

The late afternoon threw beautiful blue shadows across the pool.  Autumn is so hard to take in Brisbane.

After a buffet breakfast the next morning we stepped out of the dining room straight onto the river walk.

Why can't every weekend be like this?

To feast your eyes on some stunning shadow shots, visit Hey Harriet - you won't regret it.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Centrepoint

I was in Sydney last weekend for a school reunion and met up with our daughters on Monday for a girly trip to the city.  This inner city shopping mecca, Centrepoint, has been closed for many months of reconstruction, causing no small amount of withdrawal symptoms among serious shoppers.  It still has a long way to go, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The jury is still out on the patterned glass, but it does make for interesting shadowed reflections of the department store across the road.

Hey Harriet hosts Shadow Shot Sunday and it's always well worth a look.

Vertical Shadows

It was getting dark, so I turned on the Evil Bedside Lamp (more of that in a couple of days) and closed the vertical blinds.

Up until now the lamp, in its old guise as the Good Bedside Lamp, had not thrown a shadow, but it's amazing what a touch of evil can produce.

Tracy of Hey Harriet has some spectacular shadow shots on her blog, so please go and take a look.

I have had a somewhat interrupted week, but now it's the homestretch to the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market next Saturday.  So much to do ... so little time ...

Have a wonderful Sunday.

One Bright Golden Moment

When you come from the Land Down Under, the Winter Olympics is usually a time to sit back and watch in awe as all those cold nations vie for the ultimate prize - a gold medal.  Yes, we did win our first gold way back in 2002 when our hero Steve Bradbury was the last man standing in the short track ice skating event.  And yes, we did win two golds in 2006 which was pretty remarkable for a country covered mainly in desert.  When Torah Bright stood up to the pressure and won the Snowboard event after suffering three concussions and a dislocated jaw in six weeks, we all went a little crazy.

This is the beaming face at the medal presentation today.  I do hope Mr Samsung is impressed with my product placement.

So here is my effort for Shadow Shot Sunday, again courtesy of Mr Samsung:






















The medal reminded me of my favourite handbag:

All this Olympic activity has brought back some painful memories for me.  It is a little known fact that in my mid teens I was an elite athlete.  No one was more stunned than me, apart perhaps from my parents, when in my last year at school I was elected captain of one of the sports teams.  I was the sort of runner who blacked out if I ran more than 50 metres.  However, I found my niche and after many months of training, it all paid off.

I was too young to be chosen for the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, so I bided my time for the Rome Games of 1960.  You can imagine the devastation felt when the Egg & Spoon event was dropped from the Olympic programme.  All those years of training down the drain.  To this day I don't have sugar in my coffee because I can't bear to pick up a teaspoon.

So here's to our golden girl - her beautiful smile helps to take away my pain at the thought of what might have been.

National Capital Shadows

During our stay in Sydney immediately after Christmas, we took an overnight trip to Canberra to visit the National Art Gallery's exhibition, Masterpieces from Paris: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and beyond.  Having arrived full of anticipation at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris some months back, we discovered to our dismay that a major part of their collection was on its way to Australia!!!  The museum was about to undergo major renovations and Australia somehow managed to be first cab off the rank to snaffle these masterpieces.  It was well worth the wait and if you get the chance, go.  I believe it will soon travel to the US - not 100% sure though.

Another visit at the top of our list was to the Australian War Memorial.  It would take at least two days to do this museum justice, but we were limited to a few hours.  It was here that I found my Shadow Shot Sunday images.   

This floating bronze sculpture outside the museum represents sailors being rescued from the sea and is an extremely powerful piece of art.

These paper poppies left at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier throw shadows which give them an extra dimension and add to the poignancy of the image.

We stayed overnight at the wonderful vintage Kurrajong Hotel built in the 1920s which in its past housed as permanent residents many members of Parliament.  It has been faithully restored and is quite charming.

I particularly loved the Art Deco touches.

One of our Prime Ministers, Ben Chifley (1945-1949) used the hotel as his residence in Canberra and died there in 1951 (I firmly trust it wasn't in our room!).  This restaurant is the hotel's tribute to him.

We lived in Canberra for a year in 1990, and we have not visited the place for many years.  It was good to return and see that it still is a very pretty city.

Please visit Hey Harriet's blog for your fill of Shadow Shot Sunday.  You are bound to become an addict.

Casting a shadow on the waters

Don't ask me - I just took the picture.  We were out strolling with friends when we came across these cute little boats.  It was obvious that they were closely tied. 

The bottom boat was a little water-logged, so maybe the ingenious owner tied the other boat on top to flip it over rather than empty it out with a bucket.  Well, it was New Year's Eve ...

Celebrate the New Year by visiting Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday - you won't be disappointed.  And may all your ships sail smoothly through the waters of 2010.

Shadows in a Gallery

I always suspected that I was an angel, and here's the proof.  While watching a video installation at the Gallery of Modern Art during the week (see here), the film stopped and there we were standing like a couple of startled rabbits in the headlights.  It wasn't until I downloaded the image onto the computer that I noticed the halo - a little spooky!

If you haven't experienced Shadow Shot Sunday, why not hop over to Hey Harriet to view some wonderful shots, the last for 2009.

I hope your Christmas was as happy as ours, surrounded by family and friends, and I wish everybody the best for 2010.

Paris Shadows

There I was, all set to capture some great shadows when the inevitable Brisbane thunder and lightning show rolled into town, right on cue.  When all else fails, you can always rely on Paris.

Akhenaten humming Me and My Shadow in the Louvre

Reflected shadows in a boutique window. 

Oh, to have the youth and figure to get away with this little number, but you can keep the bear head.

Possibly the first man in history to be shadowed by a miniature poodle.

To see some really stunning shadows, visit Hey Harriet's blog - you won't be disappointed.

Christmas Shadows

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE WEEK AGAIN. The last few days have been pretty full on and we finally finished the Christmas decorations this afternoon just hours before our guests arrived for dinner.

I hurriedly festooned our Renaissance style bust ...


... and arranged a vase of lisianthus fresh from the markets.

If you go to Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday at http://www.heyharriet.blogspot.com/, you will be amazed by some of the most beautiful shots.

Shadow Shot Sunday # 80

It was fairly late in the afternoon last weekend when our 13 month old granddaughter begged her father to pick her up. Who could resist?

Have you become a Shadow Shot Sunday addict yet? Get your fill at Hey Harriet.

Scared of his own Shadow

It's late spring here in Brisbane, which means ...

... anything with a long, slithery tail should be avoided at all costs. We have some of the deadliest snakes on the planet residing right here in our little city.

On this occasion, however, the tail wasn't attached to a poisonous head.

And regardless the fierce look ...

... this cute little fellow was quite harmless, despite the ferocious title of water dragon. In fact, he was afraid of his own shadow and took off with that topsy turvy gait that makes them so endearing.

I encountered this little critter at the local hall during a get-together with some quilting friends on Wednesday. Part of the joys of living in a semi-rural area so close to the city.

Catch some other shadows on Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday.

Shadow Shot Sunday # 78

It's late Saturday night, close enough to Sunday to think once again about Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday. It's been a long and busy day which started at the crack of dawn, when we drove to New Farm, on the other side of the city for our fix of Farmers' Market. The sun was out, the birds were singing and all was well with the world.

Before we could even THINK of shopping, there was the serious business of heart starters. Ah .. coffee shadows ...

Next came Men with Trolleys and Babies - de rigeur at the markets.

And finally, with the warm spring sun fully out, there were the new season's golden, ripe mangoes.

With the shadow shots out of the way, we set about enjoying the simple pleasures of soaking up the market atmosphere. Here are a few images to show what we love about this particular market and what keeps drawing us back.

The flowers

The produce

The people

The quirky ...

And those priceless moments.

Oooo ... if I keep looking at the ground, maybe he won't notice me ...

Home again, home again,







Jiggidy jig.

What's not to love?