ADVENT CALENDAR..............DAYS 4 & 5.

Another 2 days of Julie's Advent Calendar with words and photos.

DAY 4............ CHRISTMAS BOOKS.

This collection of books I bought over a few years when we still had young grandchildren, but the 2 youngest are now 10 & we don't see them at Christmas very often now, due to living a lo..........ng distance from most of them.  They are all beautifully illustrated so I'm finding it hard to let them go.

DAY 5.........STAINED GLASS WINDOW.

The stained glass window in Notre Dame  I took this photo back in 2009, when we did a short European Coach Tour, as a side trip whilst visiting UK for my niece's wedding.  It was amazing & my old camera didn't do it justice.

I'm enjoying this and seeing all the participating bloggers takes on these words.  I've still a few to find, so see you all next time.
Huggles Susan.

QUICK TRIP TO SYDNEY.

Last week saw us head to Sydney for a few days to help my younger brother with an interview to access the new scheme they are rolling out here in Oz for disabled people.  All went reasonably well.
Whilst there we also caught up with family and friends.
We stayed south of Sydney due to the caravan park where we used to stay,  has now gone, so it was panic stations to find something suitable, inexpensive & with en-suite sites.  Found, though it did mean a bit of travelling back & forwards, but that was OK.
A lot of photos  taken of the week away, with a small selection here.  We stayed south of Sydney in an area we know well, having lived there for about 9 years before we came to Victoria.  I also spent a lot my childhood holidays & outings on the South Coast of NSW.

Typical countryside of the South Coast & a road we've travelled may times.

East Beach at Kiama, accessed from the caravan park where we stayed.

An action shot of hubby jumping across the running water.

Waves breaking on the rocks.  Most were small until this one came along.
What happens when these hit whilst standing staring out to sea.

                                                                           THIS!!!!!

You get very wet as hubby found out.

Then whilst waiting for me to make a cup of tea & with legs outstretched drying in the sun, this critter (duck) came along & bit him on the ankle.  I couldn't stop laughing!!  There must have been something tasty on his trouser leg.

On Saturday we visited my bestie from school, whom I've known since I was 5 1/2.  She minded me on my first day at a new school & we've kept in touch ever since, though there have been times when it was few and far between.  She said I could put this photo on & I do have a better one where I don't look so silly, but I don't know how to get it off my tablet.  This tech stuff does my head in at times.

                                                        Sue on the right & me on the left.

Now for a funny story before we head home with some more scenery.
On Sunday we met up with our older son & his family for a day at a Car Show.  We don't see a lot of A due to him being so far away, but it was a lovely day out. His partner J, our drandaughter Miss A, grandsons, B1, J & R all did a lot oohing & aahing over the vehicles on display.
One of them caught my eye.

Now remember, I'm an Aussie girl who had her teen years in the swinging sixties.
"Oh", I said, "What a bright orange panel van".  As the boys moved further along & Miss A was out of earshot, I laughingly told J, I was actually going to say, look at that 'shagging wagon', but thought better of it with the kids around.  She started laughing and said she was actually going to say that too, but thought I might not approve.  Whilst we were laughing about all this, a voice next to me said, "Really Nana", & Miss A had overheard us, but then she is nearly 21, so it was the laughter all round.
I forget she is all grown up now.
At the show we saw this and all agreed it could be on Pop's garage door.

Just a few more pics of the trip back home.

The bridge at Bateman's Bay which has a centre section that elevates to let boats through.

Wagonga Inlet at Narooma where we ate lunch.

We were asked to pull over by the police as this appeared coming the other way.
What was behind it?

This very large piece of equipment.
Our older son A, actually works on the mechanical side of things like this.

We stopped at the lookout to take some photos of Bega with the mountains in the distance.
It is quite stunning scenery all the way down the coast of NSW.

Threatening clouds that didn't amount to anything at all.

Just 2 more.

Closeup of flowers from an Illawarra Flame tree, that are dotted around the Wollongong area south of Sydney.
Not sure they are called this anymore, but what we said as kids.

On our lunch break on the last leg of our journey at Cann River, I took a photo of this old church.
I've said many times over the years, I should take one & now I have.

OK, enough from me and I will be back on the weekend, "hopefully", with some crafty bits 'n' bobs, that I've got on the go, to post about along with whatever else is happening in our part of the world.
Take care all and lots of huggles.
Susan.
PS.  Thanks to all who browsed my Scavenger Photo Hunt, as their were some newbies in there.  Ta!

JUNE PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT.

Linking up with Kate for June's photo hunt.

1.   The setting sun.

Driving near home one evening and knowing the sun was setting behind us in the west, but to the east was this coloured blob amongst the clouds.  Evidently the sun was being reflected this way across the new estate.  Lucky I took this photo!

2.   Your local wild place.

Could you call this messy  corner of our backyard wild.  Maybe....... as the pile of wee logs & spare roof tiles could be a hiding place for lots of insects etc.

3.   Mug of favourite drink in the garden.

Being very literal with this one.  My mug of weak coffee at 10am this morning, sitting in the violets, whose leaves have a coating of frost.  Yes, it was -1°c this morning.   Brrrrrrrr!

4.   My kind of beautiful.

The River Ribble (I think) at Sawley in Lancashire which for me is a beautiful bucolic view.  Ahhhh!

5.   Look to the skies.

Taken one morning earlier this year at home, as I was fascinated by the cloud formation.  Lucky for me that I noticed it.  Isn't it amazing what we can find in our archives.

6.   Mini beasts.

Another one from the archives.  Taken by chance one day, as we don't get as many skinks here as we did over the other side of town.

7.   Rain.

Snapped last year in The Yorkshire Dales on the road from Otley to Blubberhouses.  Rain in the distance & a lovely rainbow.

8.   Something summery.

This was so HARD Kate!!!!!  As it is the middle of winter here & I've not really taken anything much I class as summery, I searched & searched.............  OK, this has to be it.  A very hot summer day with heat haze & kite surfers having some fun on the water at Inverloch.

9.   Urban wilderness.

This part of my old garden invariably looked like a wilderness, with a 6 foot high Alstroemaria in front of a Pelargonium which climbed the fence.  On the left is a grevillia which the New Holland Honeyeaters loved.  They are nectar seeking native birds.  I do miss that garden.

10.  My choice.

Staying with the wild theme, but indoors instead.  These beautiful floral drawings are on the wall behind the altar at the church attached to the ruins of Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, somewhere I often turn to when posting on my blog.  We always have a few outings to wander around the ruins, woods, riverside and have a cuppa at one of the lovely cafes dotted about the area.

Well, that's my lot this time and so sorry I'm late, but we've had a few hectic weeks in June.
Hopefully next week, I can do a catch up post on our trip to Sydney, though a lot of my photos didn't either happen or turn out well.  Don't try & take them through the windscreen when travelling, as more are yukky than you think.
Have a good weekend all and take care.

SUNDAY OUTING

On Sunday, we decided we'd go to the Talbot Farmers Market, so quickly made some lunch and a thermos and set off.  Talbot is about 50kms north of Ballarat.  I was expecting something along the lines of the weekly markets in towns through the UK, but I was disappointed.  It seemed to me, more hippyish (I don't think that is a word) than a farmers market.  We'll try elsewhere over the coming months to see what is around.
While there, we noticed signs for a vintage steam rally and went to see that.  Quite small but worth the gold coin donation to enter.

A very cute tool shed.

2 shire horses and cart.

One of the larger engines.

2 Morris Minors on display.

After we left the display, we decided to head home a different way and went via..........

and no, it doesn't have a castle, canal or weekly market, but is about 50kms west of Ballarat.  Whilst there, I photgraphed this unusual church for such a small town.

Bluestone church with quite a tall spire.

These unusual gargoyles are supposed to be kangaroos.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a country church here in Oz with gargoyles.

After we left Skipton another quick detour took us to a lookout tower and I snapped away, but only 2 of the photos are any good, so will just show those.

There were 360 deg views from up the tower.

The tower and I only went to the first viewing platform, as I am not too good with heights.  I think I did well as it was extremely windy.

 And last, but not least, I did something naughty.  I picked these lovely bright pink belladonna lillies from the side of the road.  As I was getting back in the car, I noticed I was being watched by a lady on the other side of the road.  These flowers are not native to Australia and were just growing on the side of the road, so I was not doing anything illegal.  Oh dear, trust me to be watched, but don't they look lovely in my new $4 dollar bargain bottle, which I bought at a small bric a brac shop in Smythesdale, after the lookout.

Well, that was our lovely Sunday outing.  Hope you all enjoy it too.
Take care.
Susan.