NUMEROLOGY

This is a digital collage of photos I've taken of signs, numbers and house numbers around my neighbourhood. During Summer, I go for my walk early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

NO ENTRY

Looks forbidding...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

TOMATO PLANTING TIME

Our local nursery proclaims that it's high time in Melbourne to plant our tomatoes so we can harvest the first ones before Christmas. There is a bewildering variety of cultivars available and they all look wonderful on the colourful labels of the seedling trays, while the descriptions wax lyrical about the taste and texture of the fruit...

We always put in a few tomato plants every year, a couple in the garden amongst the rose bushes and a couple in pots. I must admit, that although a bumper crop is not assured us each year, even the few tomatoes harvested (whatever the variety) are infinitely better than the plastic ones sold in the greengrocer.

So, off to plant the tomatoes, with lots of organic fertiliser and a good supporting frame, hoping for a good crop for the Christmas salads!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Signs, Signs meme.

YARRA BEND PARK SERENITY

Yarra Bend Park has been one of Melbourne’s largest expanses of inner suburban parkland for nearly 150 years. Yarra Bend Park and neighbouring Studley Park were reserved in 1877. Both park areas and several reserves were combined in 1929 to create one large park. The combined area became known as Yarra Bend National Park despite never being raised to formal national park status.

During the 1930’s additions included picnic and sporting grounds, toilet facilities and a public golf course. The Yarra Bend Golf Club House, officially opened in May 1936, is an original example of American ‘Country Club’ type architecture. The Park provides a great open space for walking, bike riding, riverside cafes, golf, boating, BBQs, picnicking and a host of other leisure activities.

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme
and also part of the Signs, Signs meme.

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Our public library (like most others around Melbourne) has a Community Noticeboard on which people place advertisements, notices, photos, lost-and-founds, art or even bits and bots of pure whimsy. It's always amusing to look at these noticeboards every now and then as you never know what you will find...

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

FLORIST SHOP IN IVANHOE

Ivanhoe Shopping Centre is an old-fashioned, strip-style shopping centre along Upper Heidelberg Rd in Ivanhoe. We enjoy shopping there, much more so than in the newer style shopping malls that all look the same and are full of boring shops, cranky staff and impolite, presumptuous security guards.

A beautiful florist shop we often frequent is the Jaclyn Roma Floral Designs at 168 Upper Heidelberg Rd. We enjoy going there because of the friendly staff, lovely fresh flowers and tasteful accessories. We went there today and the smell of Spring greeted us as soon as we walked in. Here are some of the photos we took there.

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FLOWERS VASETTE, FITZROY

Flowers Vasette, a boutique florist was established in 1989 and has established a reputation as a Melbourne retail icon, delivering flowers throughout the Melbourne metropolitan region. Situated in cosmopolitan Brunswick Street, Fitzroy the landmark signage and sculptures invite the passers-by into the shop. Inside is a wonderful mix of multicoloured flowers and patterned foliage, and one is assailed by a delicious fragrance. Definitely a place to stop and shop at in Brunswick St.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Signs, Signs meme.

THE BATTLE AT ALPHINGTON STATION

Alphington is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Alphington, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Alphington Station is unmanned and is in Metcard Zone 1. It is located in a quiet, well-treed area, with mostly single-storied, individual houses, many of which are lovely old period homes.

The State Government has announced plans to redevelop Alphington Station and build around it a large, multi-storey residential/shopping precinct, based around the Wingrove Street car parking area used by rail commuters. Traders in the small Alphington Village shopping strip (located opposite the station) welcomed the development, but most residents are against it. Residents feel that the development will create congestion, have an impact on parking, lead to tree loss and the area would lose its "village feel" if the concrete apartment blocks go up.

Several residents have become very passionate about the development and are becoming organised in order to oppose it (contact this group here: asagnow@gmail.com).  I feel for them, as I have gone through similar processes in my neighbourhood, but to no avail. The development will most probably go ahead, just as it did in my area. Good bye, green suburban Melbourne, welcome concrete city, full of rat cages for the rats of the rat race...

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.

JUNK MAIL IN MELBOURNE

We have quite a problem in Melbourne with junk mail. Many houses, like the one pictured here in our suburb have very visible signs that attempt to prevent the delivery of such unsolicited advertising material.

The Distribution Standards Board (DSB) is the self-regulatory arm of the Australian Catalogue Association, which represents about 90 per cent of all unaddressed advertising catalogues. Their Code of Practice requires that ‘no junk mail’ stickers are respected.
People can report irresponsible distribution practices by calling the DSB Consumer Hotline on 1800 676 136. The Board can follow up the complaint with relevant members.

However, a lot of the unwanted junk mail we receive falls into that 10 per cent of materials coming from non-members, who are typically local pizza joints, estate agents and other local businesses. If this is a problem for you, you should contact the business directly and politely inform them that your sticker has been ignored. They will follow this up with their distributors accordingly. Most of the businesses that distribute advertising mail are happy to abide by people’s wishes to avoid junk mail. The last thing they want to do with potential customers is rub them up the wrong way.

For more information visit www.catalogue.asn.au. The DSB offers their own standard No Advertising Material sticker for free if you send a stamped self-addressed envelope to DSB Sticker, PO Box 7735 St Kilda Road Melbourne VIC 8004.

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

This house is in our neighbourhood and it obviously belongs to some very committed people as far as their attitude towards climate change and environmental pollution is concerned. The multiple signs carrying the message leave no doubt in the eye of the beholder, but I doubt if they are effective in converting the sceptics...

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.

SIGNS AT MELBOURNE CENTRAL

Part of the Christmas decorations at the Melbourne Central shopping centre in the City were these signs. Quite effective and festive looking, despite their simplicity.

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.