Changing seasons – August – Winter with hints of Spring

31 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in one with nature, photography

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My head knows that the seasons here in Tasmania are back to front to my instincts and UK background.

I know that Christmas is in summer here, that July is winter. But I still wake to a beautiful sunny day in August and my impulse is to wear a t shirt and sandals. Wrong!

So I’m beginning a monthly series – changing seasons – to share what each season looks like here but also to nudge my instincts to grasp this southern hemisphere reality.

August started with the heaviest snowfall in Tasmania for thirty years. Snow down to sea level on one particular day. There has been snow on the summit of Mount Wellington for the whole month. Yes, this is winter!

The month has provided plenty of mild, blue sky days. A few showers, a few rainbows.

On dry days, there are always people out walking, families in the parks and playgrounds.

The native trees are in full leaf. European trees had bare branches but are now in blossom. Magnolia are in full flower.

Wattle is evident everywhere. Yellow trees and bushes. Such delicate flowers.

Spring flowers are in bloom now towards the end of the month. Daffodils, iris, and plenty of other flowers I have yet to identify.

The vineyards have pruned the vines ready for new growth.

There have been occasional stormy days, some rain and this final weekend of the month has been constant drizzle for two days. Our view across the river estuary keeps disappearing. A white out.

But spring is definitely on it’s way.

WPC – Mount Pleasant Radio Telescope

30 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in days out, weekly photo challenge

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astronomy, photos, Tasmania

Today was an open day at UTAS – University of Tasmania. The university is fortunate to own it’s own radio telescope, which was donated by NASA.

The telescope was originally located near Canberra and was part of NASA’s satellite and spacecraft tracking network. When NASA rationalised is global operations in the 1980’s, the telescope was dismantled and moved to the Coal Valley in Tasmania.

We were able to walk right around the telescope, see the equipment in use to monitor and record the data captured by the dish. Even though the telescope itself and some of the equipment is fifty years old, it is in full time use. Today it was tracking a pulsar and we heard the radio sound.

It was an excellent family day, with activities for kids of all ages, 3D movies, face painting, rocket making and launching, We joined a free tour of the site. The local astronomy group had a few telescopes set up for visitors to safely look at the sun. There were food and drink stalls in the grounds.

The site is also the home to a small museum dedicated to the world’s first radio astronomer – Grote Reber, who spent the later part of his life working in Tasmania. It was a fascinating and free day out. And it provided an ideal subject for the weekly photo challenge – from all angles.

Here is some techie stuff about this radio telescope.
The 26 metre telescope is at latitude 42 48′ 18” S, longitude 147 26′ 21” (east of Greenwich) and is 43 m above sea level. The telescope is equipped with a variety of receivers which operate between 660 MHz and 22 GHz. The large number of available receivers makes the telescope suitable for a variety of research projects within the University and its location makes it a vital element in the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) VLBI network.

Telescopes in Australia have played important roles in worldwide astronomy collaborations over the decades. Most notably during the Apollo 11 mission when signals were received at Parkes radio telescope and at Honey Suckle Creek. Initial minutes of the television broadcast of the moon landing on 20th July 1969 originated from Australia.

From Every Angle

Weekly Photo Challenge – From every angle

29 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in weekly photo challenge

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beach, photos, Tasmania

This week’s photo challenge is … from every angle.

There have been interesting photos of flowers, people, a sun dial and a tea set, amongst others.

I have chosen to show Clifton Beach, Tasmania, from a few different angles.

Anticipation

Looking right

Looking left

Beside the dunes

By the cliffs

From up on the cliffs

From Every Angle

Be the Coffee Bean!!

28 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in more to life

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quotes

I’m sharing a post from a fellow blogger – Nuggets of Gold

Did the title grab your attention? 🙂 I heard this story this morning and knew what my blog had to be about today. May it speak to you!

There was a young woman who was devastated as she talked to her Grandma about all the trials she was going through. She felt so worn down and was ready to throw in the towel and just give up. Her Grandma didn’t say a word, just listened as she took 3 pots out and put carrots in one, a egg in another one and coffee beans in the 3rd pot. She proceeded to boil water in each of the pots and she just sat there with her granddaughter as the pots boiled. She put the pots in front of her granddaughter and asked what she saw. “I see carrots, a egg and coffee.” She invited the girl to feel the carrots and the egg. The carrots were very soft, the egg had a hard shell for it was hard boiled. The grandmother told the girl to take a sip of the coffee, she did and smiled as its rich aroma was in the air and its sweet taste delighted her taste buds. She smiled, but was confused and asked, “What does this all mean Grandmother?”

Her Grandmother replied, “Think of this, Which are you?” Are you the carrot that seems strong at first but with pain and adversity you wilt. You become soft and lose your strength. Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat. Did you have a fluid spirit that has now become stiff after trials and hardship? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside you have become bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean that actually changes the water. The very circumstance that brought the pain. When the water gets hot it releases its fragrance and flavor. When things are at the worst, do you get stronger and release your sweet spirit? When the hour of adversity gets the worst and things get darker, do you rise above it and make yourself better through it all?

So now do you know the answer to the title of this post? Which are you? Or what do you want to strive to be?

A walk around Battery Point

27 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in days out, my place

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Hobart, walks

Battery Point is one of the oldest suburbs in Hobart, just to the south of Sullivan’s cove, the waterfront and today’s central business district. The area is named after the battery of guns that were placed on the point in 1818 as part of the early coastal defences.

There are a delightful mix of Colonial, Georgian and Victorian buildings, sandstone houses, brick cottages, in a village atmosphere. Today there is a post office, bakers and cafe, of course a pub or two, plus artisan shops and restaurants.

Arthur’s Circus is a quaint circle of cottages, with grass, trees and a small playground in the middle.

St George’s Church is known as the Mariner’s Church and was designed to be a landmark for seamen, sailors and mariners.

Kelly’s Steps link the high ground of the point with the “new wharf” that was constructed in the 1830’s, now called Salamanca Place.

Glimpses of the harbour and Derwent estuary can be seen along the streets, or from the top of steps and paths with names such as “Billy Goat Lane” and “Nanny Goat Lane”.

Various streets lead down to the waterfront. Small parks or reserves are dotted along the shore line. There has recently been proposals to build a boardwalk around the point, but objections from property owners who’s land runs to the high water mark have put plans on hold.

Battery Point Sculpture Trail is a unique collection of modern designs that highlight random facts or history of the suburb. Here are just a few examples.

Colourful benches

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in photography

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bench series, Tasmania

Here are two more photo’s for Jude’s “bench series”

One in Hobart city.

The other at Binalong Bay at the Bay of Fires.

A year of photos

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, photography, remembering / musing

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me, photos

As well as starting this blog a year ago, in the same week, I also began a photo a day challenge #fmsphotoaday.

Each day I have posted a photo relating to a given word prompt, although not every photo was taken on the exact day. But it has become a good discipline and is a wonderful photo diary of the past year.

I tried to select one favourite photo from each of the twelve months, but I couldn’t narrow it down to just one per month, so here are two photos from each month, with the relevant prompt.

August
“surprise” (2015) 1 year, 52 weeks, 365 days of PAD
“travel” (2014) the morning rush hour at London Cannon Street Station during my last week of commuting to work

September
“spring/fall” conkers will always represent September and autumn to me
“triangles” the Cutty Sark ship at Greenwich, London

October
“B is for…” a London bus
“N is for…” a natural rock formation – The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Island

November
“after” the rain at Stirling Castle, Scotland
“so this happened” walked into a church and found a book store, in the Netherlands

December
“something red” holly and ivy
“tree”

January
“me today” in Gibraltar
“old” The Old Bailey law courts in London

February
“matching” boats and net sheds at Hastings
“macro” frost on leaves

March
“favourite” Big Ben
“something white” blossom

April
“where I work” no job but I sit here to check emails while no internet in new apartment
“I walked here” Nutgrove Beach, Hobart

May
“clean” lines of Sydney Opera House
“over there” Wineglass Bay, Tasmania

June
“what I’m doing now” looking at art installations at MONA
“joy” living near the beach

July
“late” sunset over the ocean at Strahan, Tasmania
“special” snow on Mount Wellington, Hobart

Happy Sunday – dolphins and aurora

24 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in one with nature

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astronomy, Tasmania

Yesterday was a grey rainy day. We had no “get up and go” so we stayed home. The hours passed without us really achieving anything.

Then, out of the blue, it became a memorable day.

We spotted a large pod of dolphins, swimming out in the estuary. We watched them for ages. Four groups, swimming in a line, four or five in each group. This was the third time we’d observed dolphins from our window. By far the best spectacle so far. Just beautiful.

As I’m writing this, a seal has just caught my attention. Binoculars are out again.

I’d been keeping track of the aurora forecast. Activity on the sun had been observed a couple of days ago, which could result in aurora activity here on Earth. The timing was ok, with the best likelihood of an aurora during our Australian evening. The weather was also due to clear by eight pm.

We had dinner and I monitored comments on the Facebook group. It all sounded promising. Skies were clear, stars visible and a quarter moon in the northern sky. So out we went.

The glow of an aurora was visible in the distance. A large arc across the southern sky. There were a few other people on Taroona Beach, set up with camera’s and tripods. We stopped and spoke to one lady. She was happy to chat and showed us images she was seeing through her camera.

Here are two of her photos, that she is happy for me to share. Many thanks to Ludmila Thornett-Levykina.

The naked eye sees distant aurora more in monochrome than in the colours that a camera will pick up. It was interesting to see the green and purple of the sky we were looking at. I’m getting used to talking to strangers. A man was set up with chair and flask, with his camera set to take regular images. He was also happy to chat and explain how he collates his images into time lapse videos. Again we saw the true colours through his camera.

Aurora chasers are a very friendly bunch. It was an exciting hour out in the dark, walking on the beach in the moon light, finding shady spots to get used to the night light.

The aurora began to fade and we started to feel the chill of the night. But it was well worth the effort of going out. Yes, it was a memorable day.

I will have to get a proper camera. My iPhone has been fine for everyday photos, but I want to take photos of the wildlife, and certainly of the aurora. I’m starting my christmas list in August.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Today was a good day

23 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, weekly photo challenge

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me, photos

There is something special about Sunday’s. Today is a rather grey one and we’re staying home, enjoying the Sunday papers and a novel.

So for this week’s photo challenge – today was a good day – I’m remembering a day from a couple of weeks ago.

A perfect sunrise.

Sunday brunch. Eggs and bacon or my current favourite, avocado toast.

A knock on the door. Our neighbours asking if we’d seen the pod of dolphins swimming past. Oh Wow. Sorry no photos of the dolphins as we were too busy just watching, enjoying our first sighting from our lounge window.