The Day The Hobbits Arrived (Thematic Photographic)

Ok, to be a part of Carmi's thematic Photographic this week, (Flying), I thought I'd add in the latest logojet, from Air New Zealand; The Hobbits!

Arrival from Auckland
Departure back to Auckland

You can, of course, read more about Thematic Photographic over on Carmi's blog... Written Inc!

---

The day started with rain, and although the forecast was to top 40c, I initially doubted this very much... How wrong was I! There was a few of us out there, and a few left to try and grab a different view of the beast. I, and a friend from Holland, and another local spotter all hung around on the mound. She did look lovely, and a credit to ANZ for doing it!

However, by the time it was scheduled to leave, it was now after midday and not the best for spotting, but the heat was increasing by the minute! And by the time it actually left, it was nearing 36c!

On my way home though, I had to stop at the Pool Clinic, and purchase a 'Creepy Crawly' for the in-laws pool. Initially, I was going to go home and pick up Bronty, but she was probably better at home in the cool, so I went straight over to their place. Installing it took no real time at all, and before too long, it was circling the pool picking up leaf litter from the bottom! We also added some chemical, chlorine and an acid to stop the chlorine escaping, and I left it to do its thing, happily do its thing at that!

By the time I got home, Miss Bronty was MORE THAN HAPPY to see me, bless her! I had gotten something light to eat for dinner, as the last thing I wanted to do was cook! The heat did NOT get any cooler, and thank goodness I fixed the air-conditioner a couple of months ago! I eventually got too bed, but later in the night, 2.30am Sunday, it was still 27c!

Hoo roo for now...

------

Photo a Day Challenge - Day 127 A Smell You Adore

Firstly, I thought, how do you take a photo of a smell?? So a little 'outside the box' thinking was needed for this one. A smell that I do adore, apart from the standard perfumes etc (Michael Kors being VERY high on the list) is that of flowers, and more so, the smell of freshly cut grass. No surprises there hey?

Turf Trials

I don't know what it is, I just like the smell of fresh cut grass, much the same as a storm that is not to far away. Also, again weird I know, but in the middle of summer, on a hot bitumen road, when it starts to rain, again when there is a storm nearing, ahh the smells of summer...

Hoo roo for now...

------

Summer in Australia: - A bit of a 'catch up'

I had this sent to me today in an email, and thought that I would share it all with you (since we have been having a rather extended heat wave...):

Mr Whippy

Even though it has been hot, we are expecting even hotter weather this coming weekend, 42-44c, so I do hope that this will not happen in reality!
With the current water restrictions (Wed & Sun: - Before 10am and after 4pm) in place, coupled with this current hot dry season we are having, both at work and in the suburbs it is very dry (not to mention in the country and our farmers). Over the Christmas break, we ripped out our first season veges of Tomatoes, and replanted with some fresh stock. Whilst seedlings went in which were about 5cm tall, in the 2-3 weeks that they have been in, they are now nearly 40cm! Must be all that yummy Chook pooh I put into the vege patch whilst it laid fallow! Macc wanted to help with the vege patch (Tomatoes, Basil, Capsicum or Peppers and some Chives + Rhubarb) by turning over a small patch. Well, a small area that he wanted to bury his belated Christmas bone... The Ham bone! I was soooo angry with him, and he knew it, as he went off to the garage and tried to hide as soon as he saw it was me at home!!!
We also had the opportunity of finishing off insulating the house. We had some left over insulation from when we did the laundry (here, here, especially here, here, here, here, here & here) so it got used as a 'lining' of the upstairs study walls (in the roof space) and an additional bag of batts went into the area above the dining room, previously not accessible. Yesterday, the study was actually not to bad, heat wise, although a little stuffy from there being only the one window and not allowing the delightful breeze to pass through. but it WAS cooler!
Last week also saw the Diamond Princess arrive in Sydney. She is a very loooooong cruise liner indeed, not to mention BIG!

Diamond Princess Circular Quay

This was actually a photo I 'stitched' together from two photos. The following photo, I used a Circular Polarising Lens, which intensifies the blues and greens slightly... It gives it a somewhat dramatic style to it!

Diamond Princess: - Circular Quay

And that's life in Sydney, during Summer, for the moment...
------