Old Owl's photos with the keyword: AJR

Wellington Street, Perth WA. Taken by Ms Much Younger Owl (She, Who Must Be Obeyed).

A Happy Fence Friday to all. Keep yourselves as safe as you can and take care of all those you come into contact with. Above all, enjoy life.

The moment just before the action ... The "set" after "ready" and before "go" ... The point of balance ...

May I wish a Happy Fence Friday to all. This is a picture taken by She (Who Must Be Obeyed). Rather Arcadian, isn't it.

Wiser words were never spoken.

A Happy Bench Monday to everyone. I hope your week starts out well and steadily gets even better as next weekend approaches. This bench overlooks part of Geographe Bay in Western Australia.

Gnarabup beach, WA.

Inside the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste, WA.

HWW everyone. This is a wall of Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, Kent, which was the home of the artist, gardener, designer and film maker, Derek Jarman between 1986 and his death in 1994. The cottage is also the home of Derek Jarman’s garden in the shingle close to the beach at Dungeness and in the shadow of the nuclear power station. This garden is wonderfully sparse and is well worth your time if you visit. Be warned, however; it is not the lush, regimented growth of a formal plantation; rather it was made by a man who used its creation for his own therapy when he was desperately ill and thus it reflects both his vision and the landscape in which it appears. On the wall, the first stanza and the last six lines of the poem “The Sunne Rising” by the 17th century poet, John Donne appear, created by hand carved wooden letters affixed to the timber of the cottage wall. My picture does Prospect Cottage and the carving scant justice, my skills being insufficient for the task. It does, however, show what is a fine and much admired project by a fine and much admired artist. The book “Derek Jarman’s Garden”, published by Thames & Hudson, is worth reading and has some wonderful photographs by Howard Sooley. The extract from "The Sunne Rising" is below. The spelling is the original 17th century style; modern versions are readily available on the internet. Perhaps more clear if the picture is enlarged by pressing Z. Busie olde foole, unruly Sunne; Why dost thou thus, Through windowes, and through curtaines call on us? Must to thy motions lovers seasons run? Sawcy pedantique wretch, goe chide Late schoole boyes, and sowre prentices, Goe tell Court-huntsmen, that the King will ride, Call countrey ants to harvest offices; Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clyme, Nor houres, dayes, months, which are the rags of time. Thou sunne art halfe as happy as wee, In that the world's contracted thus; Thine age askes ease, and since thy duties bee To warme the world, that's done in warming us. Shine here to us, and thou art every where; This bed thy center is, these walls, thy spheare. John Donne published “The Sunne Rising” in 1633.

A beach by Folkestone Harbour.

Happy Fence Friday, everyone. I think this fat and grumpy herring gull stole too many chips from the tourists in Folkestone, hence the need for the cart. The photo was taken by She (Who Must Be Obeyed), who has given her permission for me to use it, because she's nice like that. I hope your Friday is a good one and that your weekend allows you to relax from the past week's labours and to prepare yourself for next week's exciting prospects.

HFF to one and all. It's good to be back.

"Like a vision she dances ..."

Happy Wall Wednesday to all. This Australian Shelduck a symbol for the small town of Dumbleyung in Western Australia. It appears in a number of places throughout the town, although I have no idea why this symbol is used here. The town has a population of about 300 and is famed as the place where Donald Campbell broke the world water speed record on 31st December 1964, his boat "Bluebird" reaching 276.33 mph (444.71 km/h) on the nearby Lake Dumbleyung. He thus became the only person to break the land and water speed records in the same calendar year. The fine picture above was taken by Mrs Much Younger (and Far More Attractive) Owl, and has been used here with her permission

Happy Fence Friday to everyone everywhere. I hope you enjoy a fine and pleasant weekend. It is the start of spring here in WA. Actually, according to the indigenous Nyoongar people of the region it is Djilba or First Spring, the season of conception which encompasses August and September and when many of the 12,000 different species of wild flowers which explode throughout WA begin to bloom. Many of these species are not found anywhere else in the world. We look forward to seeing them over the next two months. This is one of the traffic bridges over the Avon River in Northam, WA. The picture was taken by my wife and is used with her permission. Thanks, hon.

Busselton Jetty, WA (Press Z to see it shine.)