This week, the WordPress photo challenge is “Round”. (No, I’m not late for this challenge, as opposed to last weeks challenge, which I managed to post just a tad late!
On Queensland’s famous Gold Coast one can spot many a varied and unusual building. My photograph features some apartment buildings in Coolangatta.
As you can see, all the balconies have a rounded effect, as do the main outer walls of the buildings.
The lucky occupants of these apartments would surely have the most enviable of views also, being situated just across the road from Coolangatta beach.
Round apartments ~ so modern ~ so typically Gold Coast ~ such stunning views!
“How fine has the day been, how bright was the sun,
How lovely and joyful the course that he run!
Though he rose in a mist when his race he begun,
And there followed some droppings of rain:
But now the fair traveller’s come to the west,
His rays are all gold, and his beauties are best;
He paints the skies gay as he sinks to his rest,
And foretells a bright rising again.” ~ Isaac Watts.
With summer now behind us, Mother Nature has taken it upon herself to have her last hoorah of hot summer’s days and nights, which we know to expect during the months of the summer season.
During this afternoon, I noticed the temperature had reached 31 degrees Celsius, a hot day for this time of year.
But when you see the brilliant red formations of clouds in the western sky late in the day, it is so worth the unseasonal heat!
Following my previous photos of Mount Warning, The Mesmerising Mountain, I just had to add yet another magical photo to the series. How could I resist?
“Come watch with me the shaft of fire that glows In yonder West : the fair, frail palaces, The fading Alps and archipelagoes, And great cloud-continents of sunset-seas.” ~ Thomas Bailey Aldrich
QuinnCreative and I have engaged in a comment chat recently, discussing the spiritual nature of the area around Tucson, Arizona.
Time stands still for me when reading Quinn’s stories. My son nearly missed the school bus a couple of mornings ago, as I had become so enthralled in reading Quinn’s blog posts!
When Quinn made mention of the Australian Aborigines in her post “Dreaming Your Life Awake”, I simply had to mention my Magical Mountain, which I admire daily from the back of my home.
The Aboriginal name for my Magical Mountain is “Wollumbin”. The European name, given to the mountain by Captain James Cook in 1770 is “Mount Warning”.
Looking across sugar cane fields
Regular visitors will no doubt remember my waxing lyrical over the mountain on many occasions. I find myself staring at the mountain regularly, in an almost hypnotic state.
The closer I drive towards the mountain, the stronger I feel the “pull” towards it, as the folds within the rocky face of the mountain and the gigantic trees become clearer and clearer.
The “feel” of Mount Warning is both hypnotic and tranquil. I’m sure that the spirits of the local Aboriginals smile upon those who admire their “Wollumbin”.
Mount Warning from Lyon's Lookout, Murwillumbah
Quinn asked for a list of posts I have written on Mount Warning. I discovered five posts in total, although two of those posts are mostly about landmarks in my area, named by Captain James Cook.
Thank you, Quinn, for giving me the opportunity to show off the beautiful area where I live yet again. I constantly complain about the humidity during the summer months ( sorry, patient readers!) but apart from the heat, we really do have the most magical scenery.
There are quite a few links here to explore, so grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, and explore a part of my world!
To replace the pounds, the shillings and the pence,
Be prepared, folks, when the money starts to mix
On the 14th of February, 1966”.
And so went the jingle, to the tune of “Click Go the Shears”, during the weeks leading up to Australia’s change in currency.
Yes, yes, yes, I know; it’s Valentine’s Day today! There’ll be enough love spinning around the internet today, without me adding my “penny’s worth”, or perhaps “two cents worth”!
So, dear reader, you’ll probably not hear this story anywhere other than here!
Today, I wear the hat of the “individualist”. Everyone else can take the high road and I’ll take the low road and we’ll all still arrive at February 15th in the same way!
Some may arrive there more broke than others, having spent a small fortune of their dollars and cents on materialistic impulses, in an effort to impress someone they love.
Perhaps this is the point where I should be yelling out “Bah, Humbug!”, even though it isn’t Christmas! But really, I ask you, why can’t we say “I love you” every day of the year?
Today is the anniversary of a momentous, monumental and unfortunately, probably forgotten memory, a day in history, lost in the depths of an ocean filled with a million bunches of perfumed roses.
It was forty-five years ago today when confusion began to reign supreme, when no one could work out the equivalent of what, in our currency, so everyone admired the shiny new coins, featuring Australia’s native animals, instead.
The change over period of pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents lasted many years until eventually the old currency was completely phased out.
It is a rare occasion today to see any money from the old system.
So there you have it, my reminder that today is something more than just Valentine’s Day, especially in Australia!
Footnote ~Any contributions of roses to the author would be greatly appreciated, the real and scented variety, that is. And afore said contributions need not be limited to just one day of the year! (I’m not that Scrooge-ish!)
On a more serious note, please read a story of family love, here…. And tell those who mean the most to you “I love you”, not just today, but every day. xxxxxx
This afternoon, my trusty little camera and I took ourselves outside to see if we could find one of our infamous and stunningly beautiful sunsets.
Hmm, no such luck today; however, we did manage some very pretty photos.
The moon has made an early appearance. Well, either that, or it has been hanging around visibly in the sky all day! Either way, my photo came out rather well, I thought.
Afternoon Moon
The northern sky is a brilliant blue right now, but the southern sky is sporting some rather grey clouds.
Southern Sky
Whilst standing in the shade of a massive Poinciana tree I had a trial run of taking a series of photos pointing the camera directly into the sun. This photo is my favourite.
Setting Summer Sun
As the weather begins to cool down, (I’m sure it will, very soon!) my camera and I have made a deal to take our walks further afield than our own garden. Who knows what we may find! 🙂
