Travel Theme-World-Cups

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My

World Cups

Travel Theme

for this week.

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I see that this challenge was inspired by THE World Cup.

Hmmm!

Not being a fan in any way shape or form, this was nearly a ‘pass’.

 

My first cup comes from Queensland…and it seems to be full of baked beans.

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 I always thought a cup an unusual way to serve breakfast.

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This should be cup’s primary use.

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However, the nearest thing we have that could be called ‘world cups’,

or maybe cups of the world, are these.

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Last year we found ourselves wandering around the Johannesburg’s, O.R. Tambo Airport feeling a little lost as we did not have any ‘souvenirs’ to carry home.  We had planned to create an artwork from a photo, or photos.  But, it wasn’t quite the same as having something tangible to take with us.  Space, in our luggage, and weight was not helping the situation.

~~~~~ With a pocket full of south African currency in our pockets ‘we’ decided that these cups and matching vases would do the trick.  I think it was the zebra style pattern and overall colours which influenced us most.

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Where’s My Backpack?: Travel Theme: World Cups

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Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge-Wk-18

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This week’s

Odd Ball

Challenge

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Saving Money

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In mid-May the suggestion of a shopping trip, for the Queen’s Birthday Sunday (in June), was put forward.  I mumbled a vague form of consent and immediately forgot why the trip was suggested; apart from the fact that it was the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in Victoria.  Yes, I do mean the Queen of England and all other far flung colonies of several hundred years ago.  Although her birthday is in April, we have a long (Monday Holiday) weekend in June.

As the weekend approached I was beginning to have a type of panic attack.  The type when you know you should know something, but for the love of Mike cannot remember what you are supposed to know.

Carefully selecting my time, I ventured; ‘Why are we going shopping on Sunday, dear?’

“I don’t know.  It was your idea!” was the reply.

It appeared like I was forgetting more than the reason.  Dementia seemed only an inches away.

I drew in a deep breath and counted to ten….ten times, before quietly reminding MGW that it was, in fact, her suggestion that we drive into Geelong for breakfast and shopping.  About five minutes later and from the other end of the house came “We are going to spend your gift vouchers.”  (Did you note the use of ‘we’ and ‘your’?)

At that moment the veils of ignorance were removed.  I remembered receiving a Christmas and birthday voucher to a store whose doorway my shadow seldom crosses because my pockets are not deep enough.  It did have some ‘El Cheapo’ offshoots where Mr and Mrs Average could actually afford to buy clothes for their families.  In Australia they are known as K-Mart and Target!  K-Mart was our destination, to make some inexpensive purchases.

Being ever the sceptic I did not think my shopping trip would be successful and, as usual, I was correct.  However, MGW had some new on-line purchases to return and was, therefore, given a voucher which had to be spent in the store. That day!  MGW took one for the team and took up the challenge…an unenviable task of needing to spend money.  Not knowing what to purchase she spied a kettle and toaster.  Price tag…$129.95.  EACH!!!  Our own kettle and toaster were in no way defunct.  In fact they were/are relatively new.  In fact, they were only purchased a few years ago out of necessity at a modest $20 or $30 each.  I reckon they each had another ten or fifteen years of faithful service in them.

So why buy new ones?

Well…when the kettle boils the base gives a cute whistle…not the kettle.  It took a while to become accustomed to this and was quite unnerving for the first week or so.  Kettle clicks off.  Job done.  Water boiled.  Grasp kettle, take to coffee cups or teapot…about two feet away…and then there is a whistle (more like a mini siren) behind me.  My hands shake at the best of times so imagine how I felt when I first experienced this.  A $2 billy over an open fire will boil water just as well.

And the toaster!  Well, now we have ‘His’ and ‘Hers’ settings on the toaster.  This was a must because I prefer toast almost well done, while someone else prefers something akin to hot-bread!  Therefore, no-more discussions about toast.  Or so we thought.

What happened to the days when we twisted some (oft stolen) wire together to make a toasting fork?  That way you could stand back from an open fire, or stove, and cook your toast perfectly.

There are, comparatively, so many dials, buttons and levers on our new toaster that it would not look out of place if incorporated into the space shuttle dashboard.  And if it were, in fact, part of the space shuttle the afterburners would be turned on flat out, as is the ‘His’ side on our toaster in the hope that one day it may produce toast and not simply hot bread.

I will long remember our Queen’s Birthday shopping spree, 2014, as the day I did not purchase anything; and as the day that the demise of real toast at breakfast time.  R.I.P. Toast!

In all fairness, though, I must add that we did SAVE money.  How?  Because that weekend our new toaster and kettle were priced at a mere $69.95 EACH!!!  Saving this kind of money on a shopping trip will make us rich in no time at all!

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My apologies to all if I have over done the Odd-Ball challenge this week.  

I think a photo was Cee’s aim…but I just had to tell the story. 🙂

Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge-18

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Weekly Photo Challenge-Contrasts

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My contribution for this week’s challenge…

Contrast.

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We have had a week or more of rough weather and today was no exception.

As I peered out at the western sky, my mind raced back about forty years to a neighbour who, upon seeing this sight, would have exclaimed…
‘Struth!  It’s black as a dogs guts out there!’

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Meanwhile, a few paces across the room and the eastern sky was a total contrast.

I was almost ready to break out the picnic basket…almost!

Sunshine, high clouds combined to create contrasting silhouettes of the trees.

The west was victorious though.

A cold wet night has followed.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast

(dailypost.wordpress.com)

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Floral Friday-14-2706

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Floral Friday Challenge.

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Winter

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We have had such a mild April and May this year …

that some of our trees have forgotten to drop their leaves.

However, this past week will have changed their minds.

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Now for some colour in the garden courtesy of our statice plant.

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Floral Friday

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Straight-Lines

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My contribution for this week’s

Straight Lines

Challenge

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More random photos for this week’s challenge.

Wish I could find so many empty spaces whenever I was looking for one.

Thought this was interesting.  Horizontals lines, support by verticals, which in turn are supported by a combination of both.

Street lamps on long straight poles.

Saved the best till last.  At least in my opinion.  So many straight lines…

in both photos.

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Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge: Straight-Lines

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Look Up, Look Down-Wk-45

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My

Look Up, Look Down

for Week 45

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Even though they have ‘mean’ eyes…
I do like them.  This time they put on a wonderful show for me.
This group soared high over the tree tops…
and higher, then…

banking, before diving and…
swooping in low over the water.

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Travelwithintent.com 

Look Up, Look Down, challenge

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Wordless Wednesday-Seagulls

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Seagulls are one of my favourite birds…

probably because they are an easy bird to feed and love to be fed.  I have many memories of feeding them at nearby coastal towns in my younger days.  Even now they often become subjects of my photo shoots.

The last couple of sessions, however, I noted that their eyes have not been as ‘friendly’ as they could be.  These three appear to be glaring at me with a glassy-eyed stare.

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Wordless Wednesday (create-with-joy.com)

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Craftyspices.com_Wordless Wednesday

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Black and White Tuesday-2406

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This week it’s

Black and White

Tuesday

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Some random photos for this week’s Black and white post.

A small, old, disused factory has me wondering what its initial use was.

Our Fountain Grass looks totally different in Black and White.

In fact I could argue that the flower, in particular, looks much better.

Last, but not least, one of our native trees… the Casuarina.

 Its common name is Sheoak.

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Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge-Wk-17

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This week’s

Odd Ball

Challenge

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My Odd Ball this week is a precursor for a future financial post which will help all of us save money.

And that is something which is always handy, right?

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Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge-17

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A Word a Week Photography Challenge–Delicate

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My contribution for this week’s

 Word of the Week Challenge…

Delicate

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This week I am featuring some delicate sights from South Africa.

The tiny Crested Barbet.

The delicately prepared Weaver’s nest.

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Weaver’s nests are made by the male weaver and pulled apart by the females if the standard is not high enough.

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Then poor old Mr. Weaver needs to commence nest-building again.

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Magpie Shrike.

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We sighted many Lilac Breasted Rollers, however, I did not truly appreciate them until after our trip.  On a larger computer screen their delicate features were more prominent.  This applied to many of the birds I photographed.  Viewing the birds at a distance through a zoom distance did not do them justice.  It was only after photographing them that their delicate claws and colouring were much easier to view on a computer monitor.

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 A WORD A WEEK CHALLENGE– “Delicate” 

(suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com)

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