tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9476928809680834592024-03-05T23:58:36.315-08:00Extraordinary LightReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-72856054960302683572013-09-18T17:08:00.002-07:002013-09-18T17:08:52.410-07:00<b>FLOWERS AS ART</b><br />
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We have arrived at the very best time of the year in Australia ~ Spring. It is the time of the year that brings pleasantly cool mornings and evenings and sensational bright, warm days with the vibrant colours and intoxicating fragrances of the myriad new flowers that suddenly seem to be everywhere!<br />
It is a wonderful time to be out in the garden and I am continually surprised each day by what has popped up overnight ...<br />
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What always strikes me at this time of year is just how bright and vibrant the flowers are and I thought I would shoot a series of photographs of flowers leaning towards abstract art and focusing on bold saturated colour and shape. Here is a selection from this series:<br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-10746671256407674922012-09-27T17:58:00.001-07:002012-09-27T17:58:42.831-07:00Tropical FishscapesIt's been a long while since my last blogpost and I have had many emails and messages encouraging me to continue. Somehow of late, for many reasons, time has got away from me and I have not had the mind space to do any art photography other than commissions or booked photo shoots. Not ideal for my growth as an artist!<div>
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For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by tropical fish and always wished I could paint what I saw in my mind. I imagined large elegant "fishscapes" with lots of sparkling light, rich textures and soft, coral colours swirling around the gentle movement of the fish underwater. Of course this would be easier to capture if I was underwater, swimming with the fish - and one day I intend to purchase an underwater camera. However, until then I will have to make do with an aquarium!</div>
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Earlier this month I had the opportunity to sneak off with my camera to a tropical aquarium for a couple of hours. It was late afternoon and a lovely, mellow light streamed in through the large ocean-facing windows onto the central glass tank, providing the perfect quality of natural light for my project. </div>
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These are a few of the images from that shoot ...</div>
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Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-63246404217225251112012-04-10T03:24:00.000-07:002012-04-10T03:24:42.412-07:00Camellia Time<div><br />
</div>It is certainly a truism that it is often the simplest things in life that make us the happiest!<script type="text/javascript">
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<div>Standing in a friend's garden a few days ago in the soft Autumn light, listening to the muted chattering of the birds, feeling the very slight chill in the air and breathing in the earthy scent of the flowering Camellia bushes, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and serenity.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>There are certain flowers that typify each season for me, and it is the Camellia in its myriad of colours and varieties that I have always associated with early Autumn in Australia.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>In the season where most of the flowering trees and plants have dropped all of their flowers and the garden is gearing up for Winter, the Camellias generously burst into bloom, their glossy green leaves supporting masses of exquisite flowers.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Yesterday, while waiting to collect my daughter from a lesson, I grabbed my camera and took a quick walk through one of my favourite botanical haunts, where I knew the Camellias would be putting on a flamboyant show. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>They certainly lived up to my expectations! It was a magnificent show, starring the many glorious varieties of these elegant flowers in full bloom!</div><div><br />
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</div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-53286174105613374832012-01-12T20:00:00.000-08:002012-01-12T20:00:40.742-08:00Captive<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>689</o:Words> <o:Characters>3932</o:Characters> <o:Company>Renee Hubbard Fine Art Photography</o:Company> <o:Lines>32</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4828</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVLZkiSIWbjXAkpVz9ZsdQe2PPZKyjHSaNxFQu7MzRqU9WJStLwrmpgETap4q_CdT5tr0byabVkUGo0Sby7UvCJ73wNRpP1nMkdEkoB9lDcE-cqUGPGP-UPisz32AUgtQA4wq9G2iZOq2/s1600/_REN1392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVLZkiSIWbjXAkpVz9ZsdQe2PPZKyjHSaNxFQu7MzRqU9WJStLwrmpgETap4q_CdT5tr0byabVkUGo0Sby7UvCJ73wNRpP1nMkdEkoB9lDcE-cqUGPGP-UPisz32AUgtQA4wq9G2iZOq2/s400/_REN1392.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a sad, sad world when we have to imprison animals to ensure their survival on the planet!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiW1PgztQO-q7VLifxTWq2v8tm8pmBuDiok5wRJlBMJ1qxQP4rRKLZdXt3RnzG4F5SiCyK3ZMI4t9q5rC1QYU3NqC42T2Xq1Q37PKvSvvqdAAAn7HOTKzaYSAVqD4tl9wEmk9LYQ5Sjq6/s1600/_REN1245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiW1PgztQO-q7VLifxTWq2v8tm8pmBuDiok5wRJlBMJ1qxQP4rRKLZdXt3RnzG4F5SiCyK3ZMI4t9q5rC1QYU3NqC42T2Xq1Q37PKvSvvqdAAAn7HOTKzaYSAVqD4tl9wEmk9LYQ5Sjq6/s640/_REN1245.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Peacock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I recently spent a morning at a local zoo that is soon to be relocated due to a housing estate developer’s successful bid for the land that the zoo has occupied for a very long time.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYheEdw_LBRHrGCvFjcaPF0Hx2orOaRLZObG0F7dKKyEzl1ecQA8tYvIXieAZ_WGIAZRK-65Lt4LpP2ZbmKBMpN7sS8oSlTUGJcwQZDeET4ucZWZURNXdDiXK_bPq8VzwZj_IlSBO04SQK/s1600/_REN5897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYheEdw_LBRHrGCvFjcaPF0Hx2orOaRLZObG0F7dKKyEzl1ecQA8tYvIXieAZ_WGIAZRK-65Lt4LpP2ZbmKBMpN7sS8oSlTUGJcwQZDeET4ucZWZURNXdDiXK_bPq8VzwZj_IlSBO04SQK/s400/_REN5897.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sumatran Tiger</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mission statement of this zoo reads: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“To create a unique and exciting experience in a natural environment that will empower the community to be involved in conservation of wildlife and their environment.”</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RAACZ5rtkyM4od31XxOwbqA0JMj8lHTekIPOWYJX9Dfij6kG-WSqsWxbLPIobrDDnVcNK3tpkApuxL_e4lY2tRVVN3id_0_wSDR0F3T157WqWfLm-ARSnfpmkA9QSyRBtr_g3s5I5VaR/s1600/_REN5755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RAACZ5rtkyM4od31XxOwbqA0JMj8lHTekIPOWYJX9Dfij6kG-WSqsWxbLPIobrDDnVcNK3tpkApuxL_e4lY2tRVVN3id_0_wSDR0F3T157WqWfLm-ARSnfpmkA9QSyRBtr_g3s5I5VaR/s640/_REN5755.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Giraffe</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a far cry from the zoos I grew up with in Africa where animals were kept purely for the entertainment and enjoyment of the public, and often in cramped and less than ideal conditions due to a lack of funding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyTpjYn13Z6FvVEvA4e2yFhFhzKefEokRoSHTGLQg1ny5SA8qFrCfnoof-06NsMvgH9zP-n7vXMB4djpdhARBoHafcEODNZQZN3x9tMpeEFfKdd9pOwgerEPg_4OoFvfNltx7iyE0bZHR/s1600/King_REN8137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyTpjYn13Z6FvVEvA4e2yFhFhzKefEokRoSHTGLQg1ny5SA8qFrCfnoof-06NsMvgH9zP-n7vXMB4djpdhARBoHafcEODNZQZN3x9tMpeEFfKdd9pOwgerEPg_4OoFvfNltx7iyE0bZHR/s640/King_REN8137.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Young Male Lion</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Human interest in keeping animals for entertainment and pleasure dates back to around 1500BC when Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt built a zoo. From that time, rulers in India, Africa and China created zoos as a way to demonstrate their wealth and power.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD2dhUrYPIobL8zB67Ys7yJCHkn4CdpOYCmeIpW9hqPUpV_UUQhppe6j1bmU8gV5Xv5ws4EaYjnahQLcVnc4od7PSGy5DEgQG4UojvMqmUlfGJFynDJ75Aleoeor-JleM9nivNCjh7nOi/s1600/_REN8469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD2dhUrYPIobL8zB67Ys7yJCHkn4CdpOYCmeIpW9hqPUpV_UUQhppe6j1bmU8gV5Xv5ws4EaYjnahQLcVnc4od7PSGy5DEgQG4UojvMqmUlfGJFynDJ75Aleoeor-JleM9nivNCjh7nOi/s400/_REN8469.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Zebras</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Greeks were the first to establish zoos to study animal behavior and to attempt to educate the public, with Aristotle being one of the most notable teachers at that time. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6VNJOd9WyXca5ODWPkxXHj7DGDsVW5LBgVGJl9iAgI-O1M3b8bOom5rXbYERVWZQY3di4o751R1IcBHFRxHnh8G9WA5Mwfl9vvYUAneFM8m84lpG3mmCR-u8k5jG565R4X_5Q8-iIcir/s1600/_REN1439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6VNJOd9WyXca5ODWPkxXHj7DGDsVW5LBgVGJl9iAgI-O1M3b8bOom5rXbYERVWZQY3di4o751R1IcBHFRxHnh8G9WA5Mwfl9vvYUAneFM8m84lpG3mmCR-u8k5jG565R4X_5Q8-iIcir/s640/_REN1439.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Llama</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although much thought today has gone into creating zoo environments that are closer to natural habitats, most of the animals in modern zoos still reside in cages or small man-made exhibits with no freedom to live the life for which they were conceived. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSPrMHfyoO71AL_Zy0lTOq4FAdj4kjMwjVucVvlGBdspUa3xLPXFDlTZ2npD5Y7U8VequUcgHC0V1AFrjW8a_PeAc4_VGOORe8R5WEPwjzA8J1PXDLMH7LvrbjIBo7PRh0Xds1xV5RvqM/s400/_REN1444.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Goat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Almost all of the animals I photographed on this particular morning last week were in good physical health and extremely well cared for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the majority seemed sad and somewhat depressed, either lying in a corner of their exhibits or wandering aimlessly in well-worn circles around the rusting iron boundaries of their enclosures. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tv3VrMRLYxZPDTB-nRnQFkg5u9Skibm2Gd8nykOnOMkJUmEtfh9B38x-o2n24CtPb7qXYMTnqFtYPkiZEwdeC_2jBo3KecmAfcXQAxUY8aYQqQdM-WOrC0UTUgNxNZVfyGkauFWMMJy6/s1600/_REN1428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tv3VrMRLYxZPDTB-nRnQFkg5u9Skibm2Gd8nykOnOMkJUmEtfh9B38x-o2n24CtPb7qXYMTnqFtYPkiZEwdeC_2jBo3KecmAfcXQAxUY8aYQqQdM-WOrC0UTUgNxNZVfyGkauFWMMJy6/s400/_REN1428.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Male Cotton-top Tamarin Monkey</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The primates were the saddest of all to watch with their intelligent human-like expressions and mannerisms. Of all the animals, they <i>know</i> that they are captive ...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT81nFBKxsKtL94NFqxqZqVaBUMLG0dfj8LG441Xl2QdLPAFWXF7l7KkDWlFTPsq2O7F_oTIuyFEvTSJJyx5QsgV92J4zG2P6pgOtwUsmtZMW1upud2cjQL3pypQvyZhBfINbYvTEV5NfA/s1600/_REN1395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT81nFBKxsKtL94NFqxqZqVaBUMLG0dfj8LG441Xl2QdLPAFWXF7l7KkDWlFTPsq2O7F_oTIuyFEvTSJJyx5QsgV92J4zG2P6pgOtwUsmtZMW1upud2cjQL3pypQvyZhBfINbYvTEV5NfA/s640/_REN1395.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hamadrayas Baboons - Female and Child</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whole families seemed to be in limbo, just waiting around for something, anything to happen ... </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1KzOmzc9fVte1gzifK62BYbaRFWmqn5f7BmU8b84hdPimOn7qWno9Qa1sxHV_0N824hXFe3Z5eyOu_-9J1sgyCW5XD7O7rdqX0Pw6xL3-fwyvcFEIrWHlYW-cVT0QKgId6cnVCY4GtI/s1600/_REN1403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1KzOmzc9fVte1gzifK62BYbaRFWmqn5f7BmU8b84hdPimOn7qWno9Qa1sxHV_0N824hXFe3Z5eyOu_-9J1sgyCW5XD7O7rdqX0Pw6xL3-fwyvcFEIrWHlYW-cVT0QKgId6cnVCY4GtI/s640/_REN1403.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Male Hamadrayas Baboon</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">One of the primates I observed for a long while, a large male Hamadrayas Baboon, kept moving at regularly spaced intervals from his seat on a ledge in the centre of the enclosure to the iron bars at the locked Keeper’s Access door. </span>Every time he reached the bars, he would take hold of them and shake them, seemingly to check if there was just the slightest possibility that they would open …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB5CaTjbmoMHHd6SpGEKh-CJAtsKmpVc3IPj9KjXgclFI_XtDoyD9XcTE79TRbPr8mDK63dRkQgWQgU_Bzy_V7HwV2XmnyJ8zoGjqypCQf69XuKdjpHdVmYw3K97VRhkjrH7NUDkYp65A/s1600/_REN1385+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB5CaTjbmoMHHd6SpGEKh-CJAtsKmpVc3IPj9KjXgclFI_XtDoyD9XcTE79TRbPr8mDK63dRkQgWQgU_Bzy_V7HwV2XmnyJ8zoGjqypCQf69XuKdjpHdVmYw3K97VRhkjrH7NUDkYp65A/s640/_REN1385+-+Version+2.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Black-handed Spider Monkey</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another primate, a long-limbed Black Handed Spider Monkey, sat stone still at the edge of his cage for the entire time I stood there, with his chin resting on his hand and his bright eyes staring out into the distance with an expression of such intense longing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8FEYiWLufJsscZX-TIt3szb3Zphl6FNry0f_xoav_gcocG8dZvxRnmt342yoOmF3KKCt5CGJvOZMXEvZgizrufRuM5g5wQFQcgdvl7hCzbg5scPH8IgtfBCjLemOIBNA6EhBjpKpNH_y/s1600/_REN1382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8FEYiWLufJsscZX-TIt3szb3Zphl6FNry0f_xoav_gcocG8dZvxRnmt342yoOmF3KKCt5CGJvOZMXEvZgizrufRuM5g5wQFQcgdvl7hCzbg5scPH8IgtfBCjLemOIBNA6EhBjpKpNH_y/s640/_REN1382.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Black-handed Spider Monkey</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet another young Spider Monkey sat wedged into the corner of his enclosure, brooding like a depressed teenager.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLOTR5tsE-FuNIWt_tbu23WXQddNTwZxjOTJD2-8Chq4evgj__UOyDFLu5_gJ_vZOlSN2kjB-NH1apF3ssBdIAIqgl3l71jqT1tsdgSWrp7ZpxG8gvhKY6ivnSWL7n6QxNCX7JhGAEIko/s1600/_REN1388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLOTR5tsE-FuNIWt_tbu23WXQddNTwZxjOTJD2-8Chq4evgj__UOyDFLu5_gJ_vZOlSN2kjB-NH1apF3ssBdIAIqgl3l71jqT1tsdgSWrp7ZpxG8gvhKY6ivnSWL7n6QxNCX7JhGAEIko/s400/_REN1388.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Baby Hamadrayas Baboon</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">… And an adorable baby Hamadrayas Baboon made eye contact with me and then stared unblinkingly at me through the bars with the most convincing “please take me out of here” look in his eyes!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQrMpgQ3h4dNxQIuPL9AwrpO579CT1gl2DGX4bGeQwQqLKRd0y2fq2gVC3OieFsD6fXbI3VUSpKlBfvBUNegAAug_ipwZHZvBn_MJQdgwj2PAfL_Lw9G-TjygCs_Gu86KxPq60N71bVPx/s1600/_REN1331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQrMpgQ3h4dNxQIuPL9AwrpO579CT1gl2DGX4bGeQwQqLKRd0y2fq2gVC3OieFsD6fXbI3VUSpKlBfvBUNegAAug_ipwZHZvBn_MJQdgwj2PAfL_Lw9G-TjygCs_Gu86KxPq60N71bVPx/s400/_REN1331.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Malayan Sun Bear</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further along, right at the back of the zoo, the lonely Malayan Sun Bear paced backwards and forwards in his walled enclosure, seemingly on an endless quest to find a mate … or perhaps just searching for a remedy for his unending loneliness.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SqblaV38lnR2pj7Dx6AkpbOdnRvK3IHkJRGXkrcdSH63pw4YteB1_LKKIthR58h5U8asepoGnaZw2AIpYtPCQGNpNR1BXxnGkItooYrEoxD-AtLtIShRxcmuLP1QWbI6hOPunBdGblFH/s1600/_REN1375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SqblaV38lnR2pj7Dx6AkpbOdnRvK3IHkJRGXkrcdSH63pw4YteB1_LKKIthR58h5U8asepoGnaZw2AIpYtPCQGNpNR1BXxnGkItooYrEoxD-AtLtIShRxcmuLP1QWbI6hOPunBdGblFH/s400/_REN1375.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tasmanian Devil</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Tasmanian Devils were noticeably irritable and raced around and around their cramped space, often in opposite directions, passing one another in the middle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC42Mys63RmTckPF4euFJEObatdUi4kCMkJyMaol5KVjyVSRAyD_omUNuLMO-acTJh_RCtf_fGQwkDfVEcvO4qFacxon0YCPCETmzPTBAKPU1MoXSKdJAD4pEsd7ogIs3zb0IYuOJB6VE/s1600/_REN1325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC42Mys63RmTckPF4euFJEObatdUi4kCMkJyMaol5KVjyVSRAyD_omUNuLMO-acTJh_RCtf_fGQwkDfVEcvO4qFacxon0YCPCETmzPTBAKPU1MoXSKdJAD4pEsd7ogIs3zb0IYuOJB6VE/s400/_REN1325.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Red Panda</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Out of all the zoo’s inhabitants that I observed, the cute and cuddly Red Pandas and the lazy Koalas seemed to be the most relaxed. </span>The Red Pandas remained stretched out on their hammock strung between two tall trees in their enclosure – napping, and only waking up every now and again to turn over and yawn widely.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbdL3uyhPV2WmpBWQ7TGXMmnbfhJBv8ZjcsfGF_6k2LqoJWf0BKsK_tA0eJLS18Y__NbK7oAQQ_x6z8iSdb2c5vlShSw2bzJCrS5dEn4RoGTVYpHROorw16DVWZZEkZBbC7IMBxL-xzEL/s1600/_REN1546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbdL3uyhPV2WmpBWQ7TGXMmnbfhJBv8ZjcsfGF_6k2LqoJWf0BKsK_tA0eJLS18Y__NbK7oAQQ_x6z8iSdb2c5vlShSw2bzJCrS5dEn4RoGTVYpHROorw16DVWZZEkZBbC7IMBxL-xzEL/s640/_REN1546.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Koala</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Koalas were nestled comfortably into the elbows of the various Gum trees, all fast asleep for most of the few hours that I wondered around the zoo.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7csOX9wGYJ2lD8x2N_oQf-s6a6WrDtHZ9cV9yYT_VD0cfu_H7OnF7qnaB2Mo2nFrHf-SzgCvy6N5lbonyA9Fkvvqg6m9L4m5HhhRJkZHjwBhywQDNeHokDD16fOnlbl_UFbQwmmICqyC/s1600/_REN1318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7csOX9wGYJ2lD8x2N_oQf-s6a6WrDtHZ9cV9yYT_VD0cfu_H7OnF7qnaB2Mo2nFrHf-SzgCvy6N5lbonyA9Fkvvqg6m9L4m5HhhRJkZHjwBhywQDNeHokDD16fOnlbl_UFbQwmmICqyC/s400/_REN1318.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Peacock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realise that zoos are a necessary part of the conservation and protection of endangered animals all over the world and that zoos do much to assist in the education of the public about the plight of endangered animals. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquxroAqZXHv3eTH1tViYl4ClcHyEpYni7uFx5S19SSZ4OozfQopGthmP0-vuMqrnl6DKErNOrIOKAOdh023Jvf3Sdge9XC1Zt9zvXlaGDgLfg2TbI0Y00hxtIDcO43EeHsmyDhWeWyRMb/s1600/_REN1425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquxroAqZXHv3eTH1tViYl4ClcHyEpYni7uFx5S19SSZ4OozfQopGthmP0-vuMqrnl6DKErNOrIOKAOdh023Jvf3Sdge9XC1Zt9zvXlaGDgLfg2TbI0Y00hxtIDcO43EeHsmyDhWeWyRMb/s400/_REN1425.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cotton-top Tamarin & baby</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And although there are many problems with attempting to conserve endangered species in this way, not the least of which are inbreeding and an inability of the captive-bred animals to survive if placed back into their natural habitats, at least <i>someone</i> is doing <i>something</i> to ensure that these animals have the chance to live on into the future.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCxrPAyV9QztTXF_pJov-XPASBvt17Htalku8Ci-lodiUxHo5Df94vMEGeauaWOmjpWIG1bLk5OIxCbBkPMCVIi1hn8ZYkA2mcDp8WRXNV34bjHkILefIowPVRCW3vJ9NGF2_ZqGtr96/s1600/_REN1347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCxrPAyV9QztTXF_pJov-XPASBvt17Htalku8Ci-lodiUxHo5Df94vMEGeauaWOmjpWIG1bLk5OIxCbBkPMCVIi1hn8ZYkA2mcDp8WRXNV34bjHkILefIowPVRCW3vJ9NGF2_ZqGtr96/s640/_REN1347.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lemur</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Still, I cannot help but to feel sorry for the inhabitants of zoos all over the world, forced to reside so far away from their natural habitats and species, surrounded by artificiality, plagued by boredom, loneliness and staring visitors, and with absolutely no hope of freedom.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnit_9aWRo_8UzBIK-fWNLv6WLoWHo1cOTnps206gpPKlU4CO-13qt3iqEN5672ojgPY27-DJW8l3w22_QIAoWbIbZUAhoe1laI1AJeFVM81MdNZbrwaNnkrwp436voj6dUwZ-LmRtwLd/s1600/_REN1558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnit_9aWRo_8UzBIK-fWNLv6WLoWHo1cOTnps206gpPKlU4CO-13qt3iqEN5672ojgPY27-DJW8l3w22_QIAoWbIbZUAhoe1laI1AJeFVM81MdNZbrwaNnkrwp436voj6dUwZ-LmRtwLd/s400/_REN1558.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A sign above the gates of the 16<sup>th</sup> Century public zoo belonging to the Emperor, Akbar the Great, said: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meet Your Brothers<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take Them To Your Hearts,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Respect Them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-16450748078743445512011-11-29T22:15:00.000-08:002011-11-29T22:15:42.797-08:00The best sight of Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"A woodland in full colour is awesome as a forest fire, in magnitude at least, but a single tree is like a dancing tongue of flame to warm the heart."</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"> ~ Hal Borland</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMIfqY-U-BNvCwZl79i0HtUWulyj9NxyJJPXIJtqLdC312WedqRXhLKQAbEXtFhsDaUact-WtwXcwpToMrk3IonSDVp9tiEhU4Nlke9_15O6fe9geQUNGU8POKXfTE-n75RhRw8AGHCyw/s1600/_REN0569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMIfqY-U-BNvCwZl79i0HtUWulyj9NxyJJPXIJtqLdC312WedqRXhLKQAbEXtFhsDaUact-WtwXcwpToMrk3IonSDVp9tiEhU4Nlke9_15O6fe9geQUNGU8POKXfTE-n75RhRw8AGHCyw/s400/_REN0569.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Much wider than they are high, the majestic Poinciana trees spread their elegant arms draped in masses of flaming red flowers and bright green feathery leaves. </div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fFBfyr5uiPCgVApSRrbJ_Njl8as_EDUeaogrXHFts5zqasmI3g3XsLPha2Io59J9hTtAmQni8QWh3HsmJNMYrYrpHxYnSJKLkw4LACH8gYkzqFy-3lhRb_4F3ZdcFuEgm0QGY8UvBzCG/s1600/_REN0514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fFBfyr5uiPCgVApSRrbJ_Njl8as_EDUeaogrXHFts5zqasmI3g3XsLPha2Io59J9hTtAmQni8QWh3HsmJNMYrYrpHxYnSJKLkw4LACH8gYkzqFy-3lhRb_4F3ZdcFuEgm0QGY8UvBzCG/s640/_REN0514.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Heralding the start of summer by filling the streets of Brisbane with the festive colours of the holiday season, these magnificent trees imported and planted by our forefathers many years ago have done much to shape the character of our city.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWWy9ouB7gPv-odVS1D5iWMSZ9oACe-ugOYCtfk2PMBkmzKkuO9YiHJX2Ml87TYV5Nm_DVOpFNpy7W9Ern4UELVGSnVNC237VRuG3ochLVJlLUOOIvIwvV3jjvP379efOAugy73ACsJ6W/s1600/_REN0572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWWy9ouB7gPv-odVS1D5iWMSZ9oACe-ugOYCtfk2PMBkmzKkuO9YiHJX2Ml87TYV5Nm_DVOpFNpy7W9Ern4UELVGSnVNC237VRuG3ochLVJlLUOOIvIwvV3jjvP379efOAugy73ACsJ6W/s400/_REN0572.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the most spectacular of all trees and native to Madagascar, the umbrella-shaped Poinciana grows to around ten metres in height and fifteen metres in width. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjht_BEW2D1sr6-M5TRetfA_nUcMdPQdRDyY15TGYmdrKhMBFzq0t1PSKhNM9j2WeChfNIrm0q6xAIQMka3CAFaPffmYQG9AqPwb8YyNMP35zLNrE7NFOfbGgDwlc_kx52qB4co9MJlP8UF/s1600/_REN0538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjht_BEW2D1sr6-M5TRetfA_nUcMdPQdRDyY15TGYmdrKhMBFzq0t1PSKhNM9j2WeChfNIrm0q6xAIQMka3CAFaPffmYQG9AqPwb8YyNMP35zLNrE7NFOfbGgDwlc_kx52qB4co9MJlP8UF/s400/_REN0538.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The large, scarlet orchid-like flowers consist of five petals, four of which are bright red. The fifth petal is either white or yellow and patterned with crimson spots or streaks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ogHghgAxdiOd2MZy875WpqyAcRPw3a9gWirI9xFZvouU-o1FHqV8cnpD1Shc2p-9tKyx7Ot95P6avk1ZQ58yZ9mPKctFtzpz3WdxpGUWd0BOvZ-S6ZXK1Wnoxipu3PPOF17yKc3yoGxb/s1600/Red+spring+blossom+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ogHghgAxdiOd2MZy875WpqyAcRPw3a9gWirI9xFZvouU-o1FHqV8cnpD1Shc2p-9tKyx7Ot95P6avk1ZQ58yZ9mPKctFtzpz3WdxpGUWd0BOvZ-S6ZXK1Wnoxipu3PPOF17yKc3yoGxb/s640/Red+spring+blossom+detail.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These unusual flowers are fantastic to photograph, especially with a macro lens where they seem to take on an almost alien appearance.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc926tOGFhoXkdJD39FdTxqo4MLpsUi_e_T7HQwbH8Zrfc2-ySvwLdeYtiIZgAmzmqPsn9gySfzzGHvrusAY1azMp0SbgoBWiaeocEHhQ56_OQXUB_x5FYW3E_UP252iaRw_73I6x-Sq0/s1600/Abstract+Poinciana+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc926tOGFhoXkdJD39FdTxqo4MLpsUi_e_T7HQwbH8Zrfc2-ySvwLdeYtiIZgAmzmqPsn9gySfzzGHvrusAY1azMp0SbgoBWiaeocEHhQ56_OQXUB_x5FYW3E_UP252iaRw_73I6x-Sq0/s400/Abstract+Poinciana+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRfTUKSzdCcQ8gYN-XOLuLYBC3b01WvEgSeaNFe41hrHagOJ4jAwBQLBgwKwLngUBRXic5Vm4ZRlYvv8qNrNKNCkKo3NU0g-b0g2lXK6vDvQk2NsgpRTLkDiAAO1EQixxuOEPMgaAmsz8/s1600/Red+spring+blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRfTUKSzdCcQ8gYN-XOLuLYBC3b01WvEgSeaNFe41hrHagOJ4jAwBQLBgwKwLngUBRXic5Vm4ZRlYvv8qNrNKNCkKo3NU0g-b0g2lXK6vDvQk2NsgpRTLkDiAAO1EQixxuOEPMgaAmsz8/s400/Red+spring+blossom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbCCYTx8qFfbWGjKYRZKS0aoOHI9ShqUu-Sm7ooQfjLgYflC0j9j-FzhCXGqv8V43j9Q2QcVh9YACxtc3Gwwc4uQzB1dleHfxvsGY1nhEzoGjid0CMWoDy65mzSUbPemA4WVvfpHXVkCc/s1600/Red+stamens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbCCYTx8qFfbWGjKYRZKS0aoOHI9ShqUu-Sm7ooQfjLgYflC0j9j-FzhCXGqv8V43j9Q2QcVh9YACxtc3Gwwc4uQzB1dleHfxvsGY1nhEzoGjid0CMWoDy65mzSUbPemA4WVvfpHXVkCc/s400/Red+stamens.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Though nature surprises us with her beauty all through the year, I especially love these last couple of months of the year in Brisbane, characterised by brilliant and flamboyant colour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-tcYgEC-wDA0giFzesLeH_fJNhDNlJtFMUCJ0CBIiaw6mnrRt-54EsTV99Q_cWaeX57uNXb_kXkBl31xh7BH3yFLQC4_f7SuYjbvixRSZBHL8rsP4s_vBGisP9YiCcKeYynbp9gODrp6/s1600/_REN8764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-tcYgEC-wDA0giFzesLeH_fJNhDNlJtFMUCJ0CBIiaw6mnrRt-54EsTV99Q_cWaeX57uNXb_kXkBl31xh7BH3yFLQC4_f7SuYjbvixRSZBHL8rsP4s_vBGisP9YiCcKeYynbp9gODrp6/s640/_REN8764.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Jacarandas have recently bloomed, leaving behind the purple carpets of their delicate flowers on the fields and streets as a reminder of the short-lived season of Spring, the temperatures have not yet reached the highs of mid-summer and the storm season - though close - has not yet begun ... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">And now, just in time for Christmas, the streets are carpeted yet again, this time in fire-engine red - courtesy of the stately Poincianas!</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-48954465302922643042011-09-29T17:53:00.000-07:002011-09-30T05:29:34.052-07:00Weird & Wonderful - the extraordinary diversity of Australia's natural inhabitants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrATBLXFhtRd0NZq-lwe7nxXQ920EmLYjDBVwLtJv0jDUc3q6AqloaIBvSRcFZs-fRj0woeqLNSC-HYD95hhiz3EiNvJ9TypDKBuLug3wzDjzcu_CLb-dFmrwidBoNdlhNFdvpr9MfBmmg/s1600/_REN5855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrATBLXFhtRd0NZq-lwe7nxXQ920EmLYjDBVwLtJv0jDUc3q6AqloaIBvSRcFZs-fRj0woeqLNSC-HYD95hhiz3EiNvJ9TypDKBuLug3wzDjzcu_CLb-dFmrwidBoNdlhNFdvpr9MfBmmg/s640/_REN5855.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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Unfortunately, as we migrate in greater numbers every year to the cities and leave the bush behind, we are steadily losing our awareness and appreciation of the magnificent legacy of globally unique flora and fauna that we Australians are so privileged to live alongside.<script type="text/javascript">
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</div><div>Due to Australia's geographical isolation and our ancient Gondwanan origins, we have some of the most startlingly unique wildlife inhabitants on the planet.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>From the strangely hopping marsupials, the egg-laying duck-billed Platypus, the spiny Echidna, the outrageous Southern Cassowary, the elegant dancing Brolga and the flightless Emu to the bear-like Wombat, the big-headed laughing Kookaburra and the extravagantly coloured parrots and rainforest birds, it is truly a smorgasbord of animal delights for the many travellers who visit this extraordinary island.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Earlier this week, I joined my daughter and good friend for a day out with our cameras at Australia Zoo, a wildlife park situated on the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland.<br />
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We had an incredible day reconnecting with the animals we had seen as children on trips to the bush and discovering anew the beauty and diversity of our native fauna in a very personal way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtjBPWyhw-bTeWovC0xXmVzenkjfYd0w4s4dFiAMwrDOFEh_LZBOe61wp5XD0GNWIJWoe0APZyFZfzcclUYfuDuref6lyoR1W_Bq7jk6ApaHlzBCOQowFOZuIl3WvT0VkHu60uX5bhgfE/s1600/_REN5824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtjBPWyhw-bTeWovC0xXmVzenkjfYd0w4s4dFiAMwrDOFEh_LZBOe61wp5XD0GNWIJWoe0APZyFZfzcclUYfuDuref6lyoR1W_Bq7jk6ApaHlzBCOQowFOZuIl3WvT0VkHu60uX5bhgfE/s640/_REN5824.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div>The images that follow represent just a few of the many species of fascinating creatures that inhabit this wonderful land.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2l6VN14Hkd7RZ2VCcZoUwgARmusdcdfGkU8iiGpN2YglhSOAG-A-M_RyFk-uCZKcYPv-U24PY4RzvtqVXAFZTjbZAum43Xn-Dgvz3_x87ACO3nhX-pEgUDunxuOyxYhaWKxAHLbDdOXt/s1600/_REN5844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2l6VN14Hkd7RZ2VCcZoUwgARmusdcdfGkU8iiGpN2YglhSOAG-A-M_RyFk-uCZKcYPv-U24PY4RzvtqVXAFZTjbZAum43Xn-Dgvz3_x87ACO3nhX-pEgUDunxuOyxYhaWKxAHLbDdOXt/s640/_REN5844.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jabiru ~ Australia's only Stork</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFrZjid_IloQcYjy_CBBPUwT56BZ1nbTSXGFoY_HnpesJ_XJwnUNSG-t9-BNW_pTYFVIc9_2p6rtbeqAz_j-o1Eplrc4_KdbVwmhOTnWaCo3dN7HwGR3acX6it-kctvuOnW46MF2QISkj/s1600/_REN5847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFrZjid_IloQcYjy_CBBPUwT56BZ1nbTSXGFoY_HnpesJ_XJwnUNSG-t9-BNW_pTYFVIc9_2p6rtbeqAz_j-o1Eplrc4_KdbVwmhOTnWaCo3dN7HwGR3acX6it-kctvuOnW46MF2QISkj/s640/_REN5847.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Stange-looking flightless Emu bird</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g7O52KEb7HFUO4IdP7KsUYiDpRk9L5PwUhSUhhHDRSqXntXT-_oHkQXdu-gjS6wKqgDs2Hky6eknRrS0ta6f1pahvHM3dKbtAG6Zafr_dJ51mbhzw7TWfZ7DwRMk61HMBpklY91Kxfgh/s1600/_REN5911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g7O52KEb7HFUO4IdP7KsUYiDpRk9L5PwUhSUhhHDRSqXntXT-_oHkQXdu-gjS6wKqgDs2Hky6eknRrS0ta6f1pahvHM3dKbtAG6Zafr_dJ51mbhzw7TWfZ7DwRMk61HMBpklY91Kxfgh/s640/_REN5911.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Southern Cassowary</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTd924yEPBV5zWWdz0NnHU-TUJHARUzTA7K6oQYqW6Sw84sjt9JJGh7Fn56E_I7e8byo3sYqGCtcskAAi_3r5gQSAbpl61Imx3FA6vyaam_c4E0anFO5eKIq8XYPrL_MH8ElqoyPRfs5I/s1600/_REN5799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTd924yEPBV5zWWdz0NnHU-TUJHARUzTA7K6oQYqW6Sw84sjt9JJGh7Fn56E_I7e8byo3sYqGCtcskAAi_3r5gQSAbpl61Imx3FA6vyaam_c4E0anFO5eKIq8XYPrL_MH8ElqoyPRfs5I/s640/_REN5799.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Chatty Koala</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVIxZqKdGswUJNsGoNs2IwlLpT4zDIGAat1ekcqscAGZDuw4uxKCa737hioUXfHDjUD-8_L6QkqVX-yYGpL1kg5HPOG-uAMicHscTDj0KNnTxrChxRMibbPcdSpqsmruy_xwaAR8U_1uc/s1600/_REN6172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVIxZqKdGswUJNsGoNs2IwlLpT4zDIGAat1ekcqscAGZDuw4uxKCa737hioUXfHDjUD-8_L6QkqVX-yYGpL1kg5HPOG-uAMicHscTDj0KNnTxrChxRMibbPcdSpqsmruy_xwaAR8U_1uc/s400/_REN6172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Red Kangaroo</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACxcY98Rb6Zef-seuf7kErnhsCMQX_BKg9JRl5tyveBEWciOVR1RLz074BOTvZkHTZ78dv5VdSNYBO-43Z_Se0xGxfPZ5sShk2MG8wpj6Mg60YHLBFnI_TjjvjXiINI7H5RA7Da_JMdRn/s1600/Wombat+3_REN8573+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACxcY98Rb6Zef-seuf7kErnhsCMQX_BKg9JRl5tyveBEWciOVR1RLz074BOTvZkHTZ78dv5VdSNYBO-43Z_Se0xGxfPZ5sShk2MG8wpj6Mg60YHLBFnI_TjjvjXiINI7H5RA7Da_JMdRn/s640/Wombat+3_REN8573+-+Version+2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wombat</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspuIiVrUrrW8uJLZtKnqboM5NDc2E3-rbqQgYmzn_uU3-0Eb0L098nYJT4SVUDblwcC-AbzMJr9TYK801__YjCe-3FfWj3PAxCMWussJRBmI9Npk4AVb3gIaGx9k1kRBqML6USQZlBumT/s1600/_REN5841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspuIiVrUrrW8uJLZtKnqboM5NDc2E3-rbqQgYmzn_uU3-0Eb0L098nYJT4SVUDblwcC-AbzMJr9TYK801__YjCe-3FfWj3PAxCMWussJRBmI9Npk4AVb3gIaGx9k1kRBqML6USQZlBumT/s640/_REN5841.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Brolga - Australia's only native Crane</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQvc6hrWPfpvg2KSb0cJ2A_jSXwelz7MLSwZIBb7zbBGkwx9wpFTNZTjqs16Vej_ZTFpFbYgET5p_IZiYaUUFqutkbuDN3yqeqFrmwOH6TEZS4mC6FqTvlgG-XDHJCYDRW4uuGoSzKrD5/s1600/_REN5945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQvc6hrWPfpvg2KSb0cJ2A_jSXwelz7MLSwZIBb7zbBGkwx9wpFTNZTjqs16Vej_ZTFpFbYgET5p_IZiYaUUFqutkbuDN3yqeqFrmwOH6TEZS4mC6FqTvlgG-XDHJCYDRW4uuGoSzKrD5/s400/_REN5945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Tasmanian Devil ~ carnivorous marsupial</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuf-JiRoqnq4wQiObUPmQsY4jKn9c07A-8BLRWvC3C8MX6y17nczSA8ZXY5GdctNnCjaorKSYUtV5-sF7tQKZh1aRnwptZOJtioANJlCGVJVNy03XZIrIWrEdI_JWyQpcOnxD891GiwWC/s1600/_REN5955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuf-JiRoqnq4wQiObUPmQsY4jKn9c07A-8BLRWvC3C8MX6y17nczSA8ZXY5GdctNnCjaorKSYUtV5-sF7tQKZh1aRnwptZOJtioANJlCGVJVNy03XZIrIWrEdI_JWyQpcOnxD891GiwWC/s400/_REN5955.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ferocious Devil</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdVJ7CcKCMcXR2qkRoVtgf3uWPPaPXn9BvbH0KUEEQfZuAv8oOVrnkZUp51hJI8LVA53z3sRqEMyTMOW-vpQskfD_gZYn_W7-qGWhVC0WaiZF_K5_HZTl8RvkTu1YduAZANy9wDyrEaHD/s1600/_REN5982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdVJ7CcKCMcXR2qkRoVtgf3uWPPaPXn9BvbH0KUEEQfZuAv8oOVrnkZUp51hJI8LVA53z3sRqEMyTMOW-vpQskfD_gZYn_W7-qGWhVC0WaiZF_K5_HZTl8RvkTu1YduAZANy9wDyrEaHD/s400/_REN5982.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>North Western Red-faced Turtle</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0QQIyIj3ZUh8Ua7VTRY_7mZXa959KdN9-_aleFmThvY3IoBUy_w7vAsv01vhf-S1aF4jpeAxWnp16Fz7fkgyatiJcBBFJcwUkKH3M-YypRw85imBvJNzRZy6TvxFb-biTJx-oCedllKJ/s1600/_REN5906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0QQIyIj3ZUh8Ua7VTRY_7mZXa959KdN9-_aleFmThvY3IoBUy_w7vAsv01vhf-S1aF4jpeAxWnp16Fz7fkgyatiJcBBFJcwUkKH3M-YypRw85imBvJNzRZy6TvxFb-biTJx-oCedllKJ/s400/_REN5906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Tightly coiled Carpet Python</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ErBlxLqqJCqfw0y1cNAy_2MUX9e-8Soc9wDcUn7n138LypGij6c1ahtwyj6ag1sZ7KRWEZai05EGiqb4t4cJ-2GFlT_7fcxRZDq8bitk9w16r0XiOlC4Sx1NFuWDNezolj5zLwAYyIjl/s1600/_REN6053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ErBlxLqqJCqfw0y1cNAy_2MUX9e-8Soc9wDcUn7n138LypGij6c1ahtwyj6ag1sZ7KRWEZai05EGiqb4t4cJ-2GFlT_7fcxRZDq8bitk9w16r0XiOlC4Sx1NFuWDNezolj5zLwAYyIjl/s400/_REN6053.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Venemous Brown Snake</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59p_dvgpNtbc_ZMh1Kc6a82WP4w8c_1pzfE9oaFQRw2jyAxZI-Yi3eZm_ChKpiIozspWXELgdWdew69GCAxs4H0Ows2W7chSD4aPNVcMgEK_4jeLf44OhNRFtx1FavrYuD9fIdrrwSYp2/s1600/_REN6054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59p_dvgpNtbc_ZMh1Kc6a82WP4w8c_1pzfE9oaFQRw2jyAxZI-Yi3eZm_ChKpiIozspWXELgdWdew69GCAxs4H0Ows2W7chSD4aPNVcMgEK_4jeLf44OhNRFtx1FavrYuD9fIdrrwSYp2/s640/_REN6054.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Green Tree Snake</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TF-6V6VklJFDizJ_xaYPYRCFQbRfxGWC7OmENvsZaGWjKjHEOrQqfmdC7jCeQS-bkvLFRLr6XrzDr0CA2goFDJLSCsjrEW9_GIH1R3gDYgxynsFYIsPPKKqEZsB3urrfElawIdtNLC0A/s1600/2010-10-28_FAP___REN3881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TF-6V6VklJFDizJ_xaYPYRCFQbRfxGWC7OmENvsZaGWjKjHEOrQqfmdC7jCeQS-bkvLFRLr6XrzDr0CA2goFDJLSCsjrEW9_GIH1R3gDYgxynsFYIsPPKKqEZsB3urrfElawIdtNLC0A/s400/2010-10-28_FAP___REN3881.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Water Dragon</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD6C_4Z9YhJNvTVRr36k0usg-Pm9UbiyJYvkoMFgjYpWVH1AtUEN729DaMcIYOs1DIavOnEbNsOzvglftwYeQx-56gN7VhWXgz6Vy1a5qnGwRhs7C_PXBMGPOfWOu8BSRglWLMfPbRD4P/s1600/_REN6030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD6C_4Z9YhJNvTVRr36k0usg-Pm9UbiyJYvkoMFgjYpWVH1AtUEN729DaMcIYOs1DIavOnEbNsOzvglftwYeQx-56gN7VhWXgz6Vy1a5qnGwRhs7C_PXBMGPOfWOu8BSRglWLMfPbRD4P/s640/_REN6030.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Tawny Frogmouth</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_tx9Iq-5M1wkp8-cbTWCjKjqz85GowmzcQVKWPrizO0MmwVrWkApbRILsRGOcXDK2E7PALbxQhwio76-YPNPW1kdVBxArnvfwtNMiSFatEjKSfdZq2kW-smhGD86MvPQ9CGAugksKCN8/s1600/_REN6086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_tx9Iq-5M1wkp8-cbTWCjKjqz85GowmzcQVKWPrizO0MmwVrWkApbRILsRGOcXDK2E7PALbxQhwio76-YPNPW1kdVBxArnvfwtNMiSFatEjKSfdZq2kW-smhGD86MvPQ9CGAugksKCN8/s400/_REN6086.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Male Eclectus Parrot</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN9uqXbFm0l6vyUhA-9rpxWsvAPCS8gkUlxFqyVsmsRxQEWbBATdk_lN1XdrLPM7qcnFg9UX3Y9ChNYTlz59-bbR7yqJHyZ7vDnHwP9MJW8147KDpam2vEfnIBclmkqNFRsLcwdhLXk2H/s1600/_REN6129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN9uqXbFm0l6vyUhA-9rpxWsvAPCS8gkUlxFqyVsmsRxQEWbBATdk_lN1XdrLPM7qcnFg9UX3Y9ChNYTlz59-bbR7yqJHyZ7vDnHwP9MJW8147KDpam2vEfnIBclmkqNFRsLcwdhLXk2H/s400/_REN6129.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Australian King Parrot</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c6mfvV5h7I41AxMSdmvB68b6ucwnEkghCPHJur6HAuon1_BXTUM3nsVzQRgDYUs1e2oiSgmvzvtMRkJWnqW_4QmXRKDbdEKrTMtylGW8STU396W8mz6XiH67Gsnck08mrvqVatUk5C4s/s1600/_REN6138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c6mfvV5h7I41AxMSdmvB68b6ucwnEkghCPHJur6HAuon1_BXTUM3nsVzQRgDYUs1e2oiSgmvzvtMRkJWnqW_4QmXRKDbdEKrTMtylGW8STU396W8mz6XiH67Gsnck08mrvqVatUk5C4s/s640/_REN6138.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Male King up close</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mNNhyphenhypheneS_L-ODZjmt10nu1K69Sz_utyevNu7eusksEQvgwTpzEDVJd2sHf7L_nb0_H8VS4WGAYtpO-NLEdJZmnPF6cnI47I3GWC0yI6FQv6Dzz1l3It4v6Wpya13thVEKtDSGNmP90iW8/s1600/_REN6089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mNNhyphenhypheneS_L-ODZjmt10nu1K69Sz_utyevNu7eusksEQvgwTpzEDVJd2sHf7L_nb0_H8VS4WGAYtpO-NLEdJZmnPF6cnI47I3GWC0yI6FQv6Dzz1l3It4v6Wpya13thVEKtDSGNmP90iW8/s400/_REN6089.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>White-headed Fruit Dove</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
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</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBO8NUbmFYQq4pjBpbI2nCC3YklE2ANdC_bH1kiUIWUmWxd8ksoC8a_xURpJDyEVsZmTqTAG7192cpQIXLOnveTUtMxvwjmXqgDqFbMqYgXW8hThgGdGB68xFrhy3MDmlR-m_u_Jb0TEi/s1600/_REN6142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBO8NUbmFYQq4pjBpbI2nCC3YklE2ANdC_bH1kiUIWUmWxd8ksoC8a_xURpJDyEVsZmTqTAG7192cpQIXLOnveTUtMxvwjmXqgDqFbMqYgXW8hThgGdGB68xFrhy3MDmlR-m_u_Jb0TEi/s640/_REN6142.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>White-headed Fruit Dove up close</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGuuGyiupUUpGhxePtZYNN9wjDXogp2BuinC6srGBkrnsUu3PQx8VCScZMHXK928rpvJA1kXWcuB_Haa8n84wmcxmRjdeIX_iXgAneOWRN3_bjrP_6ED18KiCXy1lyhtVxcoXFkqeyP27/s1600/_REN6103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGuuGyiupUUpGhxePtZYNN9wjDXogp2BuinC6srGBkrnsUu3PQx8VCScZMHXK928rpvJA1kXWcuB_Haa8n84wmcxmRjdeIX_iXgAneOWRN3_bjrP_6ED18KiCXy1lyhtVxcoXFkqeyP27/s640/_REN6103.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Rose-crowned Fruit Dove</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildM2lkGOjXiz1LkoTl2FYTDwJ5lzky_wVc1bJC2eURbcF0A3mdi8qlW-XPAqTBCBjHY4gfYA3oS0Bnr7s0niHye3kFovun7h3Wo5PoFq_PejTyamEES94AwDk4HA4aS8Eu-NAY_-iZ0KJ/s1600/_REN6111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildM2lkGOjXiz1LkoTl2FYTDwJ5lzky_wVc1bJC2eURbcF0A3mdi8qlW-XPAqTBCBjHY4gfYA3oS0Bnr7s0niHye3kFovun7h3Wo5PoFq_PejTyamEES94AwDk4HA4aS8Eu-NAY_-iZ0KJ/s400/_REN6111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Emerald Dove</i></div><br />
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</div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-64344581164407107992011-09-03T21:28:00.000-07:002011-09-03T21:28:18.936-07:00Celebrating diversity & religious freedom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Yesterday my daughter and I spent an incredible Spring afternoon at Eidfest, a festival celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan and showcasing the diversity of the Muslim cultures in Brisbane. <div><br />
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</div><div>There were many people there from the many different cultures as reflected in the clothes, the food and the music at the festival. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>We wandered through the brightly coloured clothing and book stalls, inhaling the inviting aromas of the many different traditional foods being cooked ... trying to decide what to eat. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>In the end, we could not resist the Indian naan breads, the little Somalian meat pastries, Spanish Churros smothered in cinamon and ginger syrup, Turkish baklava, Malaysian satays, and the absolutely amazing Langos - Hungarian fried bread drowned in cinnamon sugar!</div><div><script type="text/javascript">
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</div><div>We also attended the Asylum Seeker and Refugee forum with the objective of gaining insight from the point of view of the refugees into the issue that has been dominating Australian politics for the past couple of years. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>It was an eye-opening and humbling experience, especially as I am myself an immigrant, having left an unstable country in the grip of the untenable politics of apartheid many years ago. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>The difference is, my father who was an industrial chemist and a respected businessman, was sought after for his qualifications in many countries. My father made the choice to leave the country of his birth and to take his family to Australia, with a job already secured.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The refugees and asylum seekers that we met yesterday had no such choice. Some were lucky and had managed to obtain visas through the right channels to resettle in Australia, but many had no option but to flee to save the lives of their children by putting their trust and all of their savings into the hands of the people smugglers who arranged a boat to give them the only chance they had of reaching a country where they would be safe. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>These people, now part of our community, have gone through hell to be here. They have endured the terrible conditions escaping from their birth land, the sea journey, and then the capture and enforced detention in Australia where the situation was so dire that any hope of freedom had all but faded. </div><div><br />
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</div><div><br />
</div><div>Yet, they are grateful to Australia for giving them this opportunity of bringing up their children in a land that is tolerant of diversity and free from persecution and are now working as a community to offer help to other refugees and asylum seekers in need.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><br />
</div><div>The Eid festival yesterday, as well as celebrating the end of Ramadan with good food, gifts, entertainment and fun for families, also did much to raise money and awareness for the community work of the Muslim cultures in Brisbane amongst the refugees in war-torn countries such as Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-5662320368120493672011-08-24T02:01:00.000-07:002011-08-24T02:01:46.696-07:00Flowers feed the soul <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>469</o:Words> <o:Characters>2675</o:Characters> <o:Company>Renee Hubbard Fine Art Photography</o:Company> <o:Lines>22</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>5</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>3285</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPxtfHiKgCzkH4P6M_Hg7k8YPztD6AO519DWlYE8MYIvaYZPXfWuq1ToL86C_0QmjJ__eZfVODiU3TKrPY1VRH9DqExlMeRm26GkfFl8MKgcinytIYQHRMJ1UMfLhHheefoBThlaP2Yy9/s1600/_REN2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPxtfHiKgCzkH4P6M_Hg7k8YPztD6AO519DWlYE8MYIvaYZPXfWuq1ToL86C_0QmjJ__eZfVODiU3TKrPY1VRH9DqExlMeRm26GkfFl8MKgcinytIYQHRMJ1UMfLhHheefoBThlaP2Yy9/s640/_REN2785.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“What if you slept</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>and what if in your sleep you dreamed</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>and what if in your dream you went to heaven</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>and there you plucked a strange and beautiful flower</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>and what if when you awoke</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>you had the flower in your hand?</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Oh, what then?”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApnkun9D8rDh_zzF933KAFNMPBXO4fdDj0edn6XMpiQIHsZQjDaWpghAQJ-sE5qXdMzLnVcE4Gfgw3kT9q6XBW2AhT6NFjLIV6l5zifi-T40InZ57vrXnH6TW6JoGqHbHu1Ogf-lasxPa/s1600/_REN2774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApnkun9D8rDh_zzF933KAFNMPBXO4fdDj0edn6XMpiQIHsZQjDaWpghAQJ-sE5qXdMzLnVcE4Gfgw3kT9q6XBW2AhT6NFjLIV6l5zifi-T40InZ57vrXnH6TW6JoGqHbHu1Ogf-lasxPa/s640/_REN2774.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Today, I finally downloaded these flower images taken some time ago and left forgotten on my camera while I negotiated my way through a stressful few weeks. As I watched the bright, happy images appear one after the other in the filmstrip on my processing screen, I felt an instant calm pervade my mind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNrVZIZcnoq2OGYh3VJCxtJVmNPNs7zHdzshbtrDFI4oab3PPWCKZZM8Lxo17fmOzhePNfvfKfB5M7xaXOyqYcJOQxeqyNh1pTT9UworhBgVEKFJ_VFi4eQockMIl4vy0jquyi8TWTZI5/s1600/_REN2738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNrVZIZcnoq2OGYh3VJCxtJVmNPNs7zHdzshbtrDFI4oab3PPWCKZZM8Lxo17fmOzhePNfvfKfB5M7xaXOyqYcJOQxeqyNh1pTT9UworhBgVEKFJ_VFi4eQockMIl4vy0jquyi8TWTZI5/s640/_REN2738.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">There is something so uplifting about gazing upon the visage of a flower ... something that is so tangible yet at the same time so difficult to explain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20fJQH8sBap6yb8i7n0uVLFozbBSxGhVnE6emkS9KI-H_CSIVcaeykeM2bq8Cu9wMciFsPm62JfpJKLPKBkqW1TWAMEsnn2DYq2K6ee4WxCjwTnyUstnoSMO0vAJBjbF9tNS4H-AibEs1/s1600/_REN2944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20fJQH8sBap6yb8i7n0uVLFozbBSxGhVnE6emkS9KI-H_CSIVcaeykeM2bq8Cu9wMciFsPm62JfpJKLPKBkqW1TWAMEsnn2DYq2K6ee4WxCjwTnyUstnoSMO0vAJBjbF9tNS4H-AibEs1/s640/_REN2944.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I guess that is why I spend way too much time wandering through nature reserves, flower markets and gardens to photograph these magnificent subjects that link us to the earth and allow us to witness the miracle of creation over and over again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gE5bDz5etSPtc8SafDLcp-X3OMFBgwlvs7pi2F82tEakIQTNbmvVOmcDf5Qf3Xc7RQe9Qz9tEzIcGCT0wS1Uj5RpehlE3YkcoyQFB5Uy7vhpBeUsK-uqrIgZ_zbDv07HaCK4YFYE3nqq/s1600/_REN3015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gE5bDz5etSPtc8SafDLcp-X3OMFBgwlvs7pi2F82tEakIQTNbmvVOmcDf5Qf3Xc7RQe9Qz9tEzIcGCT0wS1Uj5RpehlE3YkcoyQFB5Uy7vhpBeUsK-uqrIgZ_zbDv07HaCK4YFYE3nqq/s640/_REN3015.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Right from the tiny bright green shoots pushing their way up through the earth in the Spring and maturing into glossy green buds that open and unfurl, revealing their exquisite flowers …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR76vNtjiXFbD2CH_GayDmiVIOJzRx82jimtK8dS1SzYa1wqYaC-j2hQfhw7ckUFKKUE573sq34W47cBEZwXGNiOfaf7zWtyeyh-xZlwTe2KirpUpkao5FPTy_VWpVRdXmhv6H-arTgiJ/s1600/_REN2881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR76vNtjiXFbD2CH_GayDmiVIOJzRx82jimtK8dS1SzYa1wqYaC-j2hQfhw7ckUFKKUE573sq34W47cBEZwXGNiOfaf7zWtyeyh-xZlwTe2KirpUpkao5FPTy_VWpVRdXmhv6H-arTgiJ/s640/_REN2881.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">… through to the magnificent orange, gold and red hues of the Autumn leaves falling from the trees to make way for the delicate blossoms of the new season, there is always something magical in the floral world to feed the soul. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_odHrWOpG4vDkcTKb1uiwA9vb1ytn5yLLV4OO160cmi5P4wuGQYW5K4k3Xagx9D-83Ja6CHN0xwajptBGRfdjkA7-VEK70_qOgeXyXmDCNNmN9L256SXIFxmT4g1MnsszJ0M-AMotZ9l4/s1600/_REN2795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_odHrWOpG4vDkcTKb1uiwA9vb1ytn5yLLV4OO160cmi5P4wuGQYW5K4k3Xagx9D-83Ja6CHN0xwajptBGRfdjkA7-VEK70_qOgeXyXmDCNNmN9L256SXIFxmT4g1MnsszJ0M-AMotZ9l4/s640/_REN2795.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Among the many joys I have found in photographing flowers and plants is the anticipation of the changes in light, colour and texture that each new hour, day and season brings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4GhxyU7F-Jb2NkXcu-kDGFksW9h7vkcl2zLDkZXYIYeQ4IAdU7C5mgMkpmE7ELFNQxYRb2PBateEZRYE4yKb_Zzoqwl1uEbhxnS6vfuP3IZLy_CpzNbfnOirZRsuNGm1f-qd6YoTOm_x/s1600/_REN3102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4GhxyU7F-Jb2NkXcu-kDGFksW9h7vkcl2zLDkZXYIYeQ4IAdU7C5mgMkpmE7ELFNQxYRb2PBateEZRYE4yKb_Zzoqwl1uEbhxnS6vfuP3IZLy_CpzNbfnOirZRsuNGm1f-qd6YoTOm_x/s640/_REN3102.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On the occasions when I have returned the next day to a favourite location, I have found everything to be totally different from the day before – the flowers that were just buds the day before were gloriously open the next morning; the slight breeze that arose overnight gave a new sense of movement and dance to the images from that day; a softer light, filtered through the few gathered clouds played with the bright colours of the petals and imparted a tender, more sensitive feel to the resulting images; and a dull overcast sky the next day deepened the colours and brought out the finer textures and patterns of the plants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEvLVEKxvg38X_34s-JJhwemx6JvBqwoUcS5RB-pfXluawQ0ttCZXsVgmvi1ouQO9mAYeuY80GNsqPYI_KLwNRSEFUzy_UBNccGLA3fmHjxZZDf0tMXSxmzvBhmur5eVW34SJOSMvnoQe/s1600/_REN2558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEvLVEKxvg38X_34s-JJhwemx6JvBqwoUcS5RB-pfXluawQ0ttCZXsVgmvi1ouQO9mAYeuY80GNsqPYI_KLwNRSEFUzy_UBNccGLA3fmHjxZZDf0tMXSxmzvBhmur5eVW34SJOSMvnoQe/s640/_REN2558.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This is the magic of the floral world for me – watching as nature reveals her secrets. Somehow all the stresses and concerns of my everyday life fade into the distance and for a short while I feel incredibly alive, aware and totally in the moment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_aUIbSWN1EI5rVP63HgAyib-j2-BYjg3oCUAnWIWVV1AIbYtR_PcXC7MRjYDjDzK2woVBxe1Dtu94dR5ZbjyVYz_IFsTFPCys0pejVaQiAN2pQT5SATmDWEr6IH16bELnUTBunO0RrxS/s1600/_REN2786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_aUIbSWN1EI5rVP63HgAyib-j2-BYjg3oCUAnWIWVV1AIbYtR_PcXC7MRjYDjDzK2woVBxe1Dtu94dR5ZbjyVYz_IFsTFPCys0pejVaQiAN2pQT5SATmDWEr6IH16bELnUTBunO0RrxS/s640/_REN2786.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Flowers have always been valued for their inspirational beauty and soul-enriching properties and have been depicted in art, literature and music in all religions and in all cultures since the beginning of time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmq9iNorJ76HzuiFpkiNEUmgkuhYnreexj95J3XTdozKj7y4zNS41TEtG12zDboXGd65FDsbHHqWKcK26Y7epJXU0wNLsJPviVNr6uH54_sW3aH1fg22KcEsA9E1yFGp8C9TUEnL1RHgT/s1600/_REN2907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmq9iNorJ76HzuiFpkiNEUmgkuhYnreexj95J3XTdozKj7y4zNS41TEtG12zDboXGd65FDsbHHqWKcK26Y7epJXU0wNLsJPviVNr6uH54_sW3aH1fg22KcEsA9E1yFGp8C9TUEnL1RHgT/s640/_REN2907.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In Greek mythology, Roses were supposed to have been created when the tears of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, were mixed with the blood of her wounded lover, Adonis. On the other hand, the Romans believed that the rose was created from the blood of Venus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXzLammsc7U9yRoLvYXt54EPZ54Ma0BHPu3mjcDSRM28utR5XURbTiSYC5shyphenhyphenhf-Jx2K0efsQDvNul9KFRM15J6emVk23M8Sn9zUhhHuc0Go8-Ug4NyXYWsqCkSM0m16fJ69BEePEdOXk/s1600/_REN2788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXzLammsc7U9yRoLvYXt54EPZ54Ma0BHPu3mjcDSRM28utR5XURbTiSYC5shyphenhyphenhf-Jx2K0efsQDvNul9KFRM15J6emVk23M8Sn9zUhhHuc0Go8-Ug4NyXYWsqCkSM0m16fJ69BEePEdOXk/s640/_REN2788.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Henry David Thoreau, American artist, naturalist and essayist believed that we should measure our own health by our sympathy with nature. <i>“If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature – if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you – know that the morning and spring of your life has passed. Thus may you feel your pulse.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbit4LqEYOZBfGw6dmUBalH2a8V53-5LJRtq61T65PLqr-9Xs1OTTSZfhJ4z83VLeqdvAHpPu802BasjezZw1FI4U8yH_Yl2E8eSJYTbj6xahvXaOeJiLiEgSsgCYd0Be_OzIPPVKqbOa/s1600/_REN2769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbit4LqEYOZBfGw6dmUBalH2a8V53-5LJRtq61T65PLqr-9Xs1OTTSZfhJ4z83VLeqdvAHpPu802BasjezZw1FI4U8yH_Yl2E8eSJYTbj6xahvXaOeJiLiEgSsgCYd0Be_OzIPPVKqbOa/s640/_REN2769.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In another excerpt from one of his journals, Thoreau reminds us that <i>“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads” </i>and we should take the time to make our acquaintance with nature, to know her moods and manners. He said often that "<i>one of the most attractive things about flowers was their beautiful reserve".</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUDbko1xUHAjuX2iwb4ncv2XsB5j1SDqI-aa6INUDEaGoYuyAPUparrmss3U0e_8mJwut3eNrpRn4f__11IwuhaOgK76jl5YdHbzKLuf_yiN6SIWC8OMwi8BDt4hBIRvw02u5m9GtM0S-/s1600/_REN2778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUDbko1xUHAjuX2iwb4ncv2XsB5j1SDqI-aa6INUDEaGoYuyAPUparrmss3U0e_8mJwut3eNrpRn4f__11IwuhaOgK76jl5YdHbzKLuf_yiN6SIWC8OMwi8BDt4hBIRvw02u5m9GtM0S-/s640/_REN2778.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And perhaps we should all take a little advice from Kahlil Gibran who said:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"Be like the flower. Turn your face to the sun."</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fJszLKLm4ZGEn7y6FIs3yyPcl7NuBFUoaB_EKazbblj7ppL9VfRFisT7Nhvek7sftMtJ6Rehs8gyZwIQbyPCvrey9nKsZYRyf1Z8CEJum_D45VnPzg4iqMvbEjv-nfrBI8tINgeTMvGj/s1600/_REN3106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fJszLKLm4ZGEn7y6FIs3yyPcl7NuBFUoaB_EKazbblj7ppL9VfRFisT7Nhvek7sftMtJ6Rehs8gyZwIQbyPCvrey9nKsZYRyf1Z8CEJum_D45VnPzg4iqMvbEjv-nfrBI8tINgeTMvGj/s640/_REN3106.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-2501589875294334622011-08-19T05:15:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:15:50.753-07:00Pictures from the EKKA <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>593</o:Words> <o:Characters>3384</o:Characters> <o:Company>Renee Hubbard Fine Art Photography</o:Company> <o:Lines>28</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>6</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4155</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ygE0Hh6ymLO1sFSnkxIN-_upfZhuGHCahTu73zN7Jsrt6M9SxX8v8QUAbGidS4XFj8HA_zfhJ3u_-TW-dyMqjHv0cA4pEGEK1TqG-9jCK1pTPAKD3YwICe2_D1FfvFM3r-brgQfebDKp/s1600/_REN3607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ygE0Hh6ymLO1sFSnkxIN-_upfZhuGHCahTu73zN7Jsrt6M9SxX8v8QUAbGidS4XFj8HA_zfhJ3u_-TW-dyMqjHv0cA4pEGEK1TqG-9jCK1pTPAKD3YwICe2_D1FfvFM3r-brgQfebDKp/s400/_REN3607.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It’s Exhibition week in Brisbane - once again! The chilly westerly winds have begun to blow and we are experiencing the last blast of winter before summer arrives with a vengeance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupxmh4BjbVB0xAeGzXn3oAWRn2xwL43kQcIcgLdEGe465rA6EOX7bU5-wzcKoDPlY5r5-BnuYFXgd895a8PFvas__Ck1XY1Yjr3XRw9xwbSpPnsLJUpmO_q7Zvgejd4n1vpW5V_rpnR1r/s1600/_REN3659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupxmh4BjbVB0xAeGzXn3oAWRn2xwL43kQcIcgLdEGe465rA6EOX7bU5-wzcKoDPlY5r5-BnuYFXgd895a8PFvas__Ck1XY1Yjr3XRw9xwbSpPnsLJUpmO_q7Zvgejd4n1vpW5V_rpnR1r/s400/_REN3659.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Wednesday was a public holiday – ‘EKKA day’ as all Queenslanders refer to it - created specifically to allow families to have time off work and school to attend the yearly Exhibition at the Brisbane Showgrounds. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4w2XOxISpP4EFBsrtQIsSA0tfpmmu9A05HHMIrnRtMXhI127gMMnN8us7DsjZ3t1c4Quii0IElgi3N6x6uaGTQbFRh5tXFaLXHtIYcChOe051R2dfCBktesh4W0NPjGjPvG9At80t7T0T/s1600/_REN3490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4w2XOxISpP4EFBsrtQIsSA0tfpmmu9A05HHMIrnRtMXhI127gMMnN8us7DsjZ3t1c4Quii0IElgi3N6x6uaGTQbFRh5tXFaLXHtIYcChOe051R2dfCBktesh4W0NPjGjPvG9At80t7T0T/s640/_REN3490.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Many Queensland families save all year to be able to go to the EKKA in August, only to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on entry fees, junk food, Pluto pups, strawberry sundaes, funfair rides, balloons, candy floss, and of course - showbags! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FADtpKoj3EBRnTxZ14-bag6O-Jm1mJwwW6-q6AYz4qEEmIF5iZ5GU7oSoAR4yp0_qOE8pmL2pRbYL0vn4tEg8xWjJJ9W6G_Coh9BW1I6Cq6nrhST9_hFiqG5G2okwdD4PkWDDGWYYT5v/s1600/_REN3527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FADtpKoj3EBRnTxZ14-bag6O-Jm1mJwwW6-q6AYz4qEEmIF5iZ5GU7oSoAR4yp0_qOE8pmL2pRbYL0vn4tEg8xWjJJ9W6G_Coh9BW1I6Cq6nrhST9_hFiqG5G2okwdD4PkWDDGWYYT5v/s400/_REN3527.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3t-QtyazYLUu1MRag9CBuLOPOo2w1bGtZN6vMt5EgMrMIz9gQGHJGvhA5ZGVxdbqNC4wge-yhUyHQFSicKQXs3gNQrLzWo4OYk5xJnD5llgImacec7ANzG-sNabDUfpACojMXMOmuhyX/s1600/_REN3637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3t-QtyazYLUu1MRag9CBuLOPOo2w1bGtZN6vMt5EgMrMIz9gQGHJGvhA5ZGVxdbqNC4wge-yhUyHQFSicKQXs3gNQrLzWo4OYk5xJnD5llgImacec7ANzG-sNabDUfpACojMXMOmuhyX/s400/_REN3637.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We managed to avoid the yearly pilgrimage to the EKKA for quite some years while the children were very young until the year they were old enough to learn about showbags from their school friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzFLJKbeLlv4L3oLOdH3srrsUGLZWLjyBw2sQukTZC3-6t-Lu-BaixHOBdu3mDGGnGdR8-nMGo4o8LlSPyIhtT7RRiZL1LITxMj2gvMc58jpOj6C_-61Naboftmv2-pwOSDS0v1oIJWMr/s1600/_REN3536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzFLJKbeLlv4L3oLOdH3srrsUGLZWLjyBw2sQukTZC3-6t-Lu-BaixHOBdu3mDGGnGdR8-nMGo4o8LlSPyIhtT7RRiZL1LITxMj2gvMc58jpOj6C_-61Naboftmv2-pwOSDS0v1oIJWMr/s640/_REN3536.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We found them one day huddled over the Courier Mail EKKA pullout, excitedly looking through the hundreds of showbags listed and compiling a list of the ones they could not live without. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-osY4Ryex6kv5JaeYkx4jmfpECrRkX5XgPfuS_tGN__SzxazRHSwuWo3NnZqCEE7orZAqW7OYDobKe3FU4RpSYFp1_-rUx0qWoZdFrZWvHS07G7fFCJfSD3LmxfmJmsG2-FOMUL7QDdRL/s1600/_REN3574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-osY4Ryex6kv5JaeYkx4jmfpECrRkX5XgPfuS_tGN__SzxazRHSwuWo3NnZqCEE7orZAqW7OYDobKe3FU4RpSYFp1_-rUx0qWoZdFrZWvHS07G7fFCJfSD3LmxfmJmsG2-FOMUL7QDdRL/s400/_REN3574.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMEmrrWWxJ4vUCT6TT6CKAvSVnRAt5_khyphenhyphen69wEfCnDhpV-I17Kr8S2Wp9SZmkRwFkR8SxaEKJoZmL03PvxCXtmUgvYsg9ygAosijHF6xgQ7YZsgZhLy70_BY4EmxzjUeHAVdRNOBmfaBB/s1600/_REN3612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMEmrrWWxJ4vUCT6TT6CKAvSVnRAt5_khyphenhyphen69wEfCnDhpV-I17Kr8S2Wp9SZmkRwFkR8SxaEKJoZmL03PvxCXtmUgvYsg9ygAosijHF6xgQ7YZsgZhLy70_BY4EmxzjUeHAVdRNOBmfaBB/s400/_REN3612.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We could no longer pretend that the EKKA did not exist ... We had no choice but to make the trip along with our three excited little girls!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSebWyw4mb_0NUw3xA3oKygFQs-cMov0ph9nQpSyk6SS90Vg7y0FvYONVTzq5669qOcQG8aJcDR8JglqVjP0m8ursBUogGRxUAA7HBAp01Koka5ikvSTkZit-SGd8DIcgr9VGJTtVKvnpQ/s1600/_REN3528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSebWyw4mb_0NUw3xA3oKygFQs-cMov0ph9nQpSyk6SS90Vg7y0FvYONVTzq5669qOcQG8aJcDR8JglqVjP0m8ursBUogGRxUAA7HBAp01Koka5ikvSTkZit-SGd8DIcgr9VGJTtVKvnpQ/s400/_REN3528.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">After that first harrowing experience as a young family trying to keep track of three highly spirited children while working our way through the jostling crowds from the baby animal petting zoo, the dog shows and the horse jumping events, to the Showbag Pavilion and the fireworks, and at the same time attempting to distract the girls while we tried unsuccessfully to avoid Sideshow Alley, we vowed NEVER AGAIN! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxZcjlf5F3ZDAdYZkaiBdjb0ebKtENXPGom3nffgijKmRhxyycd_j5fgzdIdyP5hSZ9iVzWtYtxxKLWxUvX9YL9BNGFgIdYSriNnJWytfh_-C1MRvemtmM6CQpR2ssryW-tlIEbJZviVu/s1600/_REN3615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxZcjlf5F3ZDAdYZkaiBdjb0ebKtENXPGom3nffgijKmRhxyycd_j5fgzdIdyP5hSZ9iVzWtYtxxKLWxUvX9YL9BNGFgIdYSriNnJWytfh_-C1MRvemtmM6CQpR2ssryW-tlIEbJZviVu/s400/_REN3615.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">However, the next year when the showbag pullout once again circulated around the classrooms and we found ourselves back at the EKKA, we agreed that after that year we would go only every two years, a solution that seemed to be much more tolerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa-H9d4KLXuEhl0wmz2L6PyzhOP2IK6hzSpdYf3AgNsz3_ZGcVXoDW_xTuf5J5zqpTfb7CB8fUGTUC9vinHdyFD24988CY0Hdwj4tFfIhSZ1nxGb8lRmKo-rGgf4TljUhl2BrMSUT7xKg/s1600/_REN3583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa-H9d4KLXuEhl0wmz2L6PyzhOP2IK6hzSpdYf3AgNsz3_ZGcVXoDW_xTuf5J5zqpTfb7CB8fUGTUC9vinHdyFD24988CY0Hdwj4tFfIhSZ1nxGb8lRmKo-rGgf4TljUhl2BrMSUT7xKg/s400/_REN3583.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Somehow, the girls still managed to go each year, convincing their grandparents, their older brother and Uncle and Aunt to take turns escorting them!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2YPK_lYKHqgK-2xU5GfZiIJ-gKEr6g1FK95u_DvaO5KhTQSWDvmz61rc5LF7jXw8SVco4q-gVPVQf0E5RN887TYNGEEJYFlFxKxx38ZUlQ4O1qiVc9MnJMrs4SZ_-9Xdk2JPs4csghav/s1600/_REN3548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2YPK_lYKHqgK-2xU5GfZiIJ-gKEr6g1FK95u_DvaO5KhTQSWDvmz61rc5LF7jXw8SVco4q-gVPVQf0E5RN887TYNGEEJYFlFxKxx38ZUlQ4O1qiVc9MnJMrs4SZ_-9Xdk2JPs4csghav/s400/_REN3548.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">This week, for the first time in many years I caved in to pressure from two of my now teenage daughters to join them for a day at the EKKA. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9j3xG3nxzVCTh-9Bc_lHJzBNhSg2F4O412fHJ_4vDO4t8Gc1G6fMvbp-qQmz_yCWOxmxldM3N4sfRQHcGY-M89UvM2LJsFnrPdTu5k6RntLLUDYTtmLkvMNYTeMcxgE4l8bPJ3dvu5dD/s1600/_REN3569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9j3xG3nxzVCTh-9Bc_lHJzBNhSg2F4O412fHJ_4vDO4t8Gc1G6fMvbp-qQmz_yCWOxmxldM3N4sfRQHcGY-M89UvM2LJsFnrPdTu5k6RntLLUDYTtmLkvMNYTeMcxgE4l8bPJ3dvu5dD/s400/_REN3569.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We decided to go on Monday, a so-called off peak day when everyone was meant to be at work or school. As we disembarked from the train and entered through the gates we could see that the showgrounds were saturated with humanity, which increased steadily throughout the day and by the time we got to the Showbag Pavilion there was an unprecedented 30 minute wait to get into the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr92WSrII4WkR5DbA3r6IwgrnbKVE3dXqW6bHbn4TobOSXM4hZbnzoQ7vKzyhLb6YvyASETQNwA3DhK4_htZHvs6au_hiych1hLvq6AK4mDyAPgNSTJ9pD8U3dYH7Ct3XhuDJoT_5dZg1K/s1600/_REN3656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr92WSrII4WkR5DbA3r6IwgrnbKVE3dXqW6bHbn4TobOSXM4hZbnzoQ7vKzyhLb6YvyASETQNwA3DhK4_htZHvs6au_hiych1hLvq6AK4mDyAPgNSTJ9pD8U3dYH7Ct3XhuDJoT_5dZg1K/s400/_REN3656.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I could not believe that my 19 and 16-year-old daughters were still that interested in showbags that they were prepared to wait for all that time in the sun!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQct3COpBxT9PAJCxcYDLgYipnG7RP2r_jvOOjt8zM7tlJ9qOd6-aASRYmgmBVdrJh21AWNHmimV7N5gEpO94RqVu3QZWDsxBYwoyjU5U7Q78hLKC1ejHZOt6XTBa2JyMD_Weehft8j3Y/s1600/_REN3604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQct3COpBxT9PAJCxcYDLgYipnG7RP2r_jvOOjt8zM7tlJ9qOd6-aASRYmgmBVdrJh21AWNHmimV7N5gEpO94RqVu3QZWDsxBYwoyjU5U7Q78hLKC1ejHZOt6XTBa2JyMD_Weehft8j3Y/s640/_REN3604.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It turned out to be a great day with the girls. The weather was magnificent with a perfect blue winter’s sky and a warm breeze. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx0PqxwXqRwN9NMfS9q-8tLjWbRI9FVcD5InQXyJ6but79LMGptgGU4UtrvmkMNY6lYrlPBmqRSy-PxyY6Y9GhDIEYKj2kr6Q3g99vhyVx0LqCLzi7xZsE0ZkW1eGLLsVrXhvKvYSvUIR/s1600/_REN3587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx0PqxwXqRwN9NMfS9q-8tLjWbRI9FVcD5InQXyJ6but79LMGptgGU4UtrvmkMNY6lYrlPBmqRSy-PxyY6Y9GhDIEYKj2kr6Q3g99vhyVx0LqCLzi7xZsE0ZkW1eGLLsVrXhvKvYSvUIR/s400/_REN3587.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We spent a long time watching the show jumping events in the main arena, followed by glasses of divine fresh homemade lemonade and the best Greek baklava I have ever tasted!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOXDW1dttDzcsXYxUCSgPEgclK_mXDHsPoC6JpxL-clYsXHXMGtA1Xp9y-TxU8HYibct4srjwy68HIqRVoIbZ3bDMqonVcwwmfzbAP5y-zGVDXFcPQz_6Y1NOxHiBFYTyfCQh5V4pHqk5/s1600/_REN3470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOXDW1dttDzcsXYxUCSgPEgclK_mXDHsPoC6JpxL-clYsXHXMGtA1Xp9y-TxU8HYibct4srjwy68HIqRVoIbZ3bDMqonVcwwmfzbAP5y-zGVDXFcPQz_6Y1NOxHiBFYTyfCQh5V4pHqk5/s400/_REN3470.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6k7Kmm9Dx6WTnBB1s2qTxblR0AhANwLNUQv-AO1yGyOyMbW2US7qhFnqaW2r3vk-DqS_DmvAIiFGo-gaJFg4Pc23XgOhnmddiuUTYeSsAdKUmmVMjpjLjiDmenxlZKbyudMitPwJMUyJH/s1600/_REN3489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6k7Kmm9Dx6WTnBB1s2qTxblR0AhANwLNUQv-AO1yGyOyMbW2US7qhFnqaW2r3vk-DqS_DmvAIiFGo-gaJFg4Pc23XgOhnmddiuUTYeSsAdKUmmVMjpjLjiDmenxlZKbyudMitPwJMUyJH/s400/_REN3489.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We dined on wood-fired pizza at lunch in a quaint little Italian outdoor café that played tinny arias over megaphones and had Venetian hanging lantern replicas in plastic - complete with price tags left on - pegged to the corners of the striped umbrellas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV5nYqm3UnG-GXYGlMdGRpXS6x5xX4nhxc00SC0cZV9Xb0Z7FJqyfnk38mS-rC7d5mva3fI_U07PlOx2OQUXIeVHuSzaetWo-9g11oPMR6E5j3We4-1iVGmTTnLBIOkSo8gVN0ZKN8mUP/s1600/_REN3626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV5nYqm3UnG-GXYGlMdGRpXS6x5xX4nhxc00SC0cZV9Xb0Z7FJqyfnk38mS-rC7d5mva3fI_U07PlOx2OQUXIeVHuSzaetWo-9g11oPMR6E5j3We4-1iVGmTTnLBIOkSo8gVN0ZKN8mUP/s400/_REN3626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8AA1xrF-aUsAE-o2vk46iBYYP7o3TaUPBUzb4T11XJyfw-2R0Dr8qNDx0eVjf_IO-3_LGEpu4FuBOEkG7TGRyFO1Cx9xiR-ZtMuL4LZ_fEzjFoa8etPCChT_FfCXL1c_FOkTuF2vh83Z/s1600/_REN3581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8AA1xrF-aUsAE-o2vk46iBYYP7o3TaUPBUzb4T11XJyfw-2R0Dr8qNDx0eVjf_IO-3_LGEpu4FuBOEkG7TGRyFO1Cx9xiR-ZtMuL4LZ_fEzjFoa8etPCChT_FfCXL1c_FOkTuF2vh83Z/s400/_REN3581.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We visited the animal nursery - more for nostalgic reasons and because I insisted – but this time the girls were not at all keen to get their hands dirty by feeding or petting the animals. A far cry from all those times when they were little and we had so much trouble pulling them away from the animals!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2gTosY9tNwjCV-1tu3qpY7-9CynFsVDIDdS4TujZ28AJD6P7Gy3m9hGg1lvB-9LS6QxRhNI06CzEjvIV8mWcAUBzvPa74MBHFmzRLuibaN8U5piYwXWqTa5pAWytlJJmCya9MwGBwTRS/s1600/_REN3512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2gTosY9tNwjCV-1tu3qpY7-9CynFsVDIDdS4TujZ28AJD6P7Gy3m9hGg1lvB-9LS6QxRhNI06CzEjvIV8mWcAUBzvPa74MBHFmzRLuibaN8U5piYwXWqTa5pAWytlJJmCya9MwGBwTRS/s640/_REN3512.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I was entranced by the patience and intelligence in the eyes of the young Llamas, sitting completely still like statues in their cages, only their eyes moving slowly as hundreds of children shrieked around them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bEZopup0h0aEh4tgcLrsQlQhcJUbKyWbg3f9QltaVKr1icszrAOby6X3vNXMVvUEufsBJOMVmBwdk9xcSuwkEJV-Z7wKLLOy7MY8LtLZLIlrl3haQRJWmaFMVKAPCtf5hUt-74Ii3XYU/s1600/_REN3495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bEZopup0h0aEh4tgcLrsQlQhcJUbKyWbg3f9QltaVKr1icszrAOby6X3vNXMVvUEufsBJOMVmBwdk9xcSuwkEJV-Z7wKLLOy7MY8LtLZLIlrl3haQRJWmaFMVKAPCtf5hUt-74Ii3XYU/s640/_REN3495.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I spent ages wondering through the colour and fun of Sideshow Alley with my camera while the girls went on rides and spent far too many dollars trying to win one of the oversized stuffed toys by throwing darts at balloons or balls into hoops or fishing with magnets … all to no avail. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The best they could come up with for all that exertion was a miniature bright red stripey tiger and a tiny green gecko!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Will I be going back again next year? In truth I think I could probably survive many, many more years without feeling the need to visit the EKKA again!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-82003309709120607322011-07-12T00:27:00.000-07:002011-07-12T02:48:04.294-07:00A Second Glance<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok5eWmA1ti5iSTf0uQi546MZdCLeneJv4QnuiJ2JqfgroxOBtEEHn4p_P4Hv4JZz82_JWHTd2lUizIT8aGuBMHp6gAjRiFesRDilNxdL59SSokICk34ktCtSpvdAh_kVOxNTb_cgHvF9G/s1600/_REN1610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok5eWmA1ti5iSTf0uQi546MZdCLeneJv4QnuiJ2JqfgroxOBtEEHn4p_P4Hv4JZz82_JWHTd2lUizIT8aGuBMHp6gAjRiFesRDilNxdL59SSokICk34ktCtSpvdAh_kVOxNTb_cgHvF9G/s640/_REN1610.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">It never ceases to amaze me how much you can see in something you may have normally passed by with hardly a glance, when you actually take the time to focus on it for just a few seconds. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpyDcb_msa8oCI6wJas_-Ud1o8Qs_6MCVX5LzoQ16uoFc1nYjUovHmdiMWeUcwbI6Mvq_KJTkiJw2NJk_8rZWgEdOR-uen6tHHBkdsIBSqjo53FE2qaJXR6RN6BJg_akdcbwN4AtlQ6WZ/s1600/_REN1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpyDcb_msa8oCI6wJas_-Ud1o8Qs_6MCVX5LzoQ16uoFc1nYjUovHmdiMWeUcwbI6Mvq_KJTkiJw2NJk_8rZWgEdOR-uen6tHHBkdsIBSqjo53FE2qaJXR6RN6BJg_akdcbwN4AtlQ6WZ/s640/_REN1646.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">From time to time I have noticed the unusual ornamental Kale plants in various floral displays and thought they looked really interesting. However I have never taken the time to look at them closely or photograph them in detail.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9gMfXf3rYRQ6hcKsaUlCQhEl0PA9PJqpOXpuYzuvZ4oZaQcyi29JUS9If7j4FQmyNzJM9onCnlDr6svf_YTN-kEHBOkQbmdrLDSdfk0zIgDudHD5sRK_BPfdn-dZ3HXO559r4cl-Cdg-/s1600/_REN1655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9gMfXf3rYRQ6hcKsaUlCQhEl0PA9PJqpOXpuYzuvZ4oZaQcyi29JUS9If7j4FQmyNzJM9onCnlDr6svf_YTN-kEHBOkQbmdrLDSdfk0zIgDudHD5sRK_BPfdn-dZ3HXO559r4cl-Cdg-/s640/_REN1655.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last week, when visiting a flower shop for my weekly bunch of lilies, I noticed two lone Kale blooms left in a bucket. On an impulse I bought them to explore at leisure with my macro lens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyjp8magN2ojyulX7Lyvhyphenhyphen_dXfa5exWlqEg41WVxRnsrzSHGJuE2YBsCtd2xaxOQHAmUngLWnoSdgwOPrDyqEHc3DHpIQc0WFreuq4xzyehDWgEtxLA3ggbJtsGUZH0WKuzAFt8113LJe/s1600/_REN1605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyjp8magN2ojyulX7Lyvhyphenhyphen_dXfa5exWlqEg41WVxRnsrzSHGJuE2YBsCtd2xaxOQHAmUngLWnoSdgwOPrDyqEHc3DHpIQc0WFreuq4xzyehDWgEtxLA3ggbJtsGUZH0WKuzAFt8113LJe/s640/_REN1605.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My week filled up with seeing to the needs of my three busy teenaged girls and I totally forgot about the strange flowers nestled in with the Lilies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq5yU1XmeaJhVELXwALj7hmEtDRgZY_6lXJwuu7IzM4VdpPT_a4MotBj4oSAkQQVs7FGfPqFMFW9pR2ap37jZF78uPo4ZLU57AydZ0PKxFp3lJpCR3hRdnBAirPAGMb0Q06PL_eq2ldA2/s1600/_REN1652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq5yU1XmeaJhVELXwALj7hmEtDRgZY_6lXJwuu7IzM4VdpPT_a4MotBj4oSAkQQVs7FGfPqFMFW9pR2ap37jZF78uPo4ZLU57AydZ0PKxFp3lJpCR3hRdnBAirPAGMb0Q06PL_eq2ldA2/s400/_REN1652.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Recently I have been feeling particularly uninspired about my fine art photography business, dwelling on how difficult it is to sell fine art and wondering whether I should be storing the camera and pursuing a totally different source of income.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ32Ulo7ew_kt7bxevnM2HzUzu7f66c31xpCLypTPtLHwuXvbxT7X39OUIfm8MIvHdftXhv1_WLmwTqDg74QqkqJ_7D1C-IT8Op03BXQwaeiNVdp_D3yFfTuymruvgn6ZaumoiaVBJUOh/s1600/_REN2299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ32Ulo7ew_kt7bxevnM2HzUzu7f66c31xpCLypTPtLHwuXvbxT7X39OUIfm8MIvHdftXhv1_WLmwTqDg74QqkqJ_7D1C-IT8Op03BXQwaeiNVdp_D3yFfTuymruvgn6ZaumoiaVBJUOh/s640/_REN2299.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After all, I have more than enough images on file to fill hundreds of galleries as well as open my own stock library, and the world has more than enough struggling photographers! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sAo9q6TRmePZspP_L_cRDlYuBoON3NkyFLWVBYg4jdTuD85JXbsNCQa0reZ5Vqw06wJNnQkpHdUYxTGYeNT6eQkMcCvetuqIwDPYmEc41eJeoIrSF_R7ktxYEHbXQm5YSRiWqUYmfR/s1600/_REN2311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sAo9q6TRmePZspP_L_cRDlYuBoON3NkyFLWVBYg4jdTuD85JXbsNCQa0reZ5Vqw06wJNnQkpHdUYxTGYeNT6eQkMcCvetuqIwDPYmEc41eJeoIrSF_R7ktxYEHbXQm5YSRiWqUYmfR/s400/_REN2311.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For the last year we have been focusing on selling large framed wall art – I have even had several commissions - and thanks to three particularly loyal clients, there are now many large artworks adorning the walls of their homes and businesses, as well as a series of cutting-edge glass sliding doors bearing my images. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWYY_ICy6_S3P_AJOr06e4MkqLMsmTRrnbo4_rmsTnDrUVhzPUGM2cC81hmkFr2YMgq10Y5fvBiJ2axpiPPkb53A4RQmFMt8bFS_nzDkMlKcVVwzUhMFDmrrkq7lYniI5VeqMpVm3G3FT/s1600/_REN1671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWYY_ICy6_S3P_AJOr06e4MkqLMsmTRrnbo4_rmsTnDrUVhzPUGM2cC81hmkFr2YMgq10Y5fvBiJ2axpiPPkb53A4RQmFMt8bFS_nzDkMlKcVVwzUhMFDmrrkq7lYniI5VeqMpVm3G3FT/s400/_REN1671.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">However there is no consistency and I can’t seem to stop wondering what makes me pursue fine art photography in a city that takes no pity on photography that is not about weddings or baby portraits.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGmxKvBAGwiDerSzBNM_01glJ26zSuqAtOQXc6ygmctvKLZtZifAshFTLVgJge0fHvEJDzQUwTkd8Kx2Ccu4t8TQ0ttHEZqFLqRNqc1dtdluD_1blZAksZPvQ5sBiW5-plZE5bwutZ9IU/s1600/_REN1640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGmxKvBAGwiDerSzBNM_01glJ26zSuqAtOQXc6ygmctvKLZtZifAshFTLVgJge0fHvEJDzQUwTkd8Kx2Ccu4t8TQ0ttHEZqFLqRNqc1dtdluD_1blZAksZPvQ5sBiW5-plZE5bwutZ9IU/s640/_REN1640.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A few days ago, still feeling disillusioned with the business, I walked through the dining room on the way to my office and spotted the still vibrant Kale blooms amongst the fast wilting Lilies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Mn20GVX9Iri0P3tyx2xghJ5pmbzV645EFxHpFYjWtkxqnU2OvZ4qXvtaAb8Qs3ktCZr0NlmlKdBk4Po6NhhRCCaoEjjHvhat2mglGDGsVg4LPTlw3yW9gOVcNUtDAZv-0JXrXj3jXvw6/s1600/_REN1606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Mn20GVX9Iri0P3tyx2xghJ5pmbzV645EFxHpFYjWtkxqnU2OvZ4qXvtaAb8Qs3ktCZr0NlmlKdBk4Po6NhhRCCaoEjjHvhat2mglGDGsVg4LPTlw3yW9gOVcNUtDAZv-0JXrXj3jXvw6/s400/_REN1606.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I had forgotten all about them. Knowing that they would not last for much longer I set them in a glass vase in my tiny studio and started clicking. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Wow! What incredible plants they are up close.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CAvkJkbGqTXF9YZHoxM9etbvHoUfe_625kjvGtVQ63TsnsUan8KBKo6kMEx2HnBoNaT7ZFhFw5YUhzFS77bqx8_cyX6dmuC7Az9Tlu0RkoNJ7VzIlAelmkynCoTTf5WixzhCN2uhuB4z/s1600/_REN1698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CAvkJkbGqTXF9YZHoxM9etbvHoUfe_625kjvGtVQ63TsnsUan8KBKo6kMEx2HnBoNaT7ZFhFw5YUhzFS77bqx8_cyX6dmuC7Az9Tlu0RkoNJ7VzIlAelmkynCoTTf5WixzhCN2uhuB4z/s640/_REN1698.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Flowering Cabbage and Kale are ornamental versions of the cabbage and kale we use in our soups and salads, hybridized for their ornamental features including their bright foliage colours and compact growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcJvzp_r-4m-I104aD23C98jXUaruZO_iu1JsHAoG7jXNcTx3MSMv4u7FgXS1FzyC3OV6ihZuSI3PmnA4GqSvT1ca3kG4uiy9UtZdTrOl896Cg5KnbKZSry1BoegrlYf1Dyuwfg7kkIkR/s1600/_REN1566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcJvzp_r-4m-I104aD23C98jXUaruZO_iu1JsHAoG7jXNcTx3MSMv4u7FgXS1FzyC3OV6ihZuSI3PmnA4GqSvT1ca3kG4uiy9UtZdTrOl896Cg5KnbKZSry1BoegrlYf1Dyuwfg7kkIkR/s640/_REN1566.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">They are not flowers in any real sense of the word. Even their petals are just fancy leaves that superficially resemble the petals of flowers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdMDkvskmqLhptQa108nKEgLZZdZH_tQnckSNlBiZ8orFwAQ-k9manGDe-3uibGY22JyxUnFYLKG8-wnL4TtnxmtR5-qmQyV9frLceAnF25_ye9bKJk4vl2CpwAO09dkgWfrU-zP-dcz6/s1600/_REN1534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdMDkvskmqLhptQa108nKEgLZZdZH_tQnckSNlBiZ8orFwAQ-k9manGDe-3uibGY22JyxUnFYLKG8-wnL4TtnxmtR5-qmQyV9frLceAnF25_ye9bKJk4vl2CpwAO09dkgWfrU-zP-dcz6/s400/_REN1534.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">They change colour according to the temperature, with pinks and purples becoming more vivid as the weather cools.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sAo9q6TRmePZspP_L_cRDlYuBoON3NkyFLWVBYg4jdTuD85JXbsNCQa0reZ5Vqw06wJNnQkpHdUYxTGYeNT6eQkMcCvetuqIwDPYmEc41eJeoIrSF_R7ktxYEHbXQm5YSRiWqUYmfR/s1600/_REN2311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sAo9q6TRmePZspP_L_cRDlYuBoON3NkyFLWVBYg4jdTuD85JXbsNCQa0reZ5Vqw06wJNnQkpHdUYxTGYeNT6eQkMcCvetuqIwDPYmEc41eJeoIrSF_R7ktxYEHbXQm5YSRiWqUYmfR/s400/_REN2311.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">When looked at closely, Ornamental Kale blooms are delicately intricate in design with fine branches of colour etched onto each petal like miniature trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FLFbCmPOeIt74Dl5uZ-Jm6dVCeVuS4PE6jPHhgXsIfsQCKKGKOSTnbuLnGjm3ZoKlcq0DDR95LBKdR2ZLAMqLwewDoc_7qJXg7oE7zNk2TgI9ulxJfB4rpMkeqMhL3yYdMWYFhCtAc_4/s1600/_REN2270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FLFbCmPOeIt74Dl5uZ-Jm6dVCeVuS4PE6jPHhgXsIfsQCKKGKOSTnbuLnGjm3ZoKlcq0DDR95LBKdR2ZLAMqLwewDoc_7qJXg7oE7zNk2TgI9ulxJfB4rpMkeqMhL3yYdMWYFhCtAc_4/s640/_REN2270.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Their stems are most interesting of all when seen through my macro lens, with tiny green curly hair-like protrusions like little aliens patterning the entire length.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9C0f4BufjNGujsr26e56GgjGZOmUNYNWwIi8Vu1jPyCje7rJsOvSCmVvMIkfb_2xGr-abceJMo9vBUPChhgZRF1heNnOzUFXGUYVy-TYpWipK8872A0lEMNJBqgGgtMtwm1sK27J9RAg-/s1600/_REN1560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9C0f4BufjNGujsr26e56GgjGZOmUNYNWwIi8Vu1jPyCje7rJsOvSCmVvMIkfb_2xGr-abceJMo9vBUPChhgZRF1heNnOzUFXGUYVy-TYpWipK8872A0lEMNJBqgGgtMtwm1sK27J9RAg-/s400/_REN1560.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Twenty minutes spent exploring the flowers through my lens and I am a passionate believer again, full of enthusiasm and ideas for what I can do with these images.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAdxbo_-qLikzDODL7RLtW7r0pWu4L_-bH2JUt4sjAD4RPu9WgPY_Kl8cobITODdQMAG5-PF9U7FLRVeKS4OXVyWkUFKq4MZN1oj7WSX-Bq-6AdCW5Dv3TuMabAGqeGS-54kK9nNw58uR/s1600/_REN2319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAdxbo_-qLikzDODL7RLtW7r0pWu4L_-bH2JUt4sjAD4RPu9WgPY_Kl8cobITODdQMAG5-PF9U7FLRVeKS4OXVyWkUFKq4MZN1oj7WSX-Bq-6AdCW5Dv3TuMabAGqeGS-54kK9nNw58uR/s640/_REN2319.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is incredible how somehow things fall into place when you are in a positive space. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">When I sat down at my computer to download these images I noticed an interesting email in my inbox.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXIjHEoy0q-S625gq-1WjNLOJkSZzBVEpdXwRSxie4qmT4MRDAVbmI6xKpK3oM_1NjGRPgQDe-14Slidq628n5ooUWEwD_2Zpix48J6p6tnDr4eo2JL9WckgM6dYDPhcAUl2xHnOS-17H/s1600/_REN2317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXIjHEoy0q-S625gq-1WjNLOJkSZzBVEpdXwRSxie4qmT4MRDAVbmI6xKpK3oM_1NjGRPgQDe-14Slidq628n5ooUWEwD_2Zpix48J6p6tnDr4eo2JL9WckgM6dYDPhcAUl2xHnOS-17H/s400/_REN2317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was a note from a well-established Gallery in the heart of New York’s famous Chelsea district. They had come across my work and were inviting me to consider gallery representation with them...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GYRpVsYlg5wbqnOQVXn1X9qaRP1UiREDQnwWYeT5B97tkZoIORiSZomzuuxyB-nMQZzVDUM4LfiMOQbNUyglCOiEYNTC7XhFLZXOzKC8QKojiziP-F_kSObClOfei3d-B578Nm__qqfr/s1600/_REN2314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GYRpVsYlg5wbqnOQVXn1X9qaRP1UiREDQnwWYeT5B97tkZoIORiSZomzuuxyB-nMQZzVDUM4LfiMOQbNUyglCOiEYNTC7XhFLZXOzKC8QKojiziP-F_kSObClOfei3d-B578Nm__qqfr/s400/_REN2314.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Even although I know I will probably never make a real living out of my photography, I also know that the creative outlet provided by the process of capturing life on film and the absolute joy I experience by indulging in that creativity is something I will always need in my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt280SgtANlHiNureyffKl1xGqoX1tEq6gUXZF6CQrHglgjl7RXPWgGAMI7IV3E842ddKnPK_e_kFNdS4uh2fDR6PNhRbAzP5MnI8k-kmZygNwjVR4_JYCRqIrYF7ULB0VGUNvA2iOdWfX/s1600/_REN1602+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt280SgtANlHiNureyffKl1xGqoX1tEq6gUXZF6CQrHglgjl7RXPWgGAMI7IV3E842ddKnPK_e_kFNdS4uh2fDR6PNhRbAzP5MnI8k-kmZygNwjVR4_JYCRqIrYF7ULB0VGUNvA2iOdWfX/s400/_REN1602+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">So, for now, the camera stays out!</span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-83448852910185981682011-06-20T00:29:00.000-07:002011-06-20T00:29:21.166-07:00Unbearable Loss<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLd4TdA2pJc4Z8E3BALfm0Ef9nSqeVyuV5LgD6ijFM582RyGns1bgdtQvskq3hclxONDzRnJhOE_qY1hHY6oiQ8UDF6o7zhSNn5qZVm-fki5gofxd26Q8o5UM6-o6D5BvnjBDviDkkUg8/s1600/_REN0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLd4TdA2pJc4Z8E3BALfm0Ef9nSqeVyuV5LgD6ijFM582RyGns1bgdtQvskq3hclxONDzRnJhOE_qY1hHY6oiQ8UDF6o7zhSNn5qZVm-fki5gofxd26Q8o5UM6-o6D5BvnjBDviDkkUg8/s640/_REN0001.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Sometimes life is so unfair. Last week a beautiful little Brisbane boy, Colby, lost his battle with leukemia, a battle he had been bravely fighting since the tender age of 2 years old.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm2lIFJQvWGaQCsTWmfiQKS6kJjaOmKAFWxS-pR6uDEdB0dW2w3DX63FjWUva35pHht4K8diCRvfVPXZOdLDQrNVDQxJF-T2wyKSgznjOgKOOumtJkzIhck-CeNzyZZC2qbNPBMnp4FfZ/s1600/Butter+Soft+-+Yellow+Poppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm2lIFJQvWGaQCsTWmfiQKS6kJjaOmKAFWxS-pR6uDEdB0dW2w3DX63FjWUva35pHht4K8diCRvfVPXZOdLDQrNVDQxJF-T2wyKSgznjOgKOOumtJkzIhck-CeNzyZZC2qbNPBMnp4FfZ/s640/Butter+Soft+-+Yellow+Poppy.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Although I met Colby only a few times, I was deeply moved by his bravery and by the courage of his young mother facing up to the worst situation any mother could ever imagine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDCEWcL3KbsYfpuz58JaRYfLrBpWmRdkN-CZpvcrKw1YYMTnEnzZytKoa0ysW8v8E6omGAnQfqS7FvRACa7nArOGzFX86wpD5KVgezEwA6fFptgXv2pUz514SeFKMq0urkfDsAjSAn3mR/s1600/New+Sunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDCEWcL3KbsYfpuz58JaRYfLrBpWmRdkN-CZpvcrKw1YYMTnEnzZytKoa0ysW8v8E6omGAnQfqS7FvRACa7nArOGzFX86wpD5KVgezEwA6fFptgXv2pUz514SeFKMq0urkfDsAjSAn3mR/s640/New+Sunflower.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I watched my own mother grapple with the impending loss of a child when I was just 13 and my young brother was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma of the knee, a relentless cancer that took his life within 12 months of the diagnosis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgVFHn1VQo1WXP4pFKoOgZxsGJDeePoWb453i2OHgjty3toR_H7BE4sfa5WbTNslx63e0KXRj9c4bBm0FoYMn6zEHePR0nVzYRI0t0zQjC7pXuvON8RBWoUq92DaupK7Z3xRF5uJrEIhr/s1600/Yellow+Summer+Lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgVFHn1VQo1WXP4pFKoOgZxsGJDeePoWb453i2OHgjty3toR_H7BE4sfa5WbTNslx63e0KXRj9c4bBm0FoYMn6zEHePR0nVzYRI0t0zQjC7pXuvON8RBWoUq92DaupK7Z3xRF5uJrEIhr/s640/Yellow+Summer+Lily.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">His premature death at the age of 9 years tore a large hole into the tightly woven fabric of our lives and nothing was ever the same again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk6n6-r7IRxqXwWWIxa-EcHTJ7EZzQV6i5dIZ7tAbT8p0vQpOwUAKRLfRTYTg2_plvw3eRWcjMG3cFbPXmB4aWMzDDp4CUnSdTBspaS0NbRF0lRi6CWEDlsSWqBjUdTrOdg8dj3GLAPNq/s1600/2010-08-27_FAP___REN1467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk6n6-r7IRxqXwWWIxa-EcHTJ7EZzQV6i5dIZ7tAbT8p0vQpOwUAKRLfRTYTg2_plvw3eRWcjMG3cFbPXmB4aWMzDDp4CUnSdTBspaS0NbRF0lRi6CWEDlsSWqBjUdTrOdg8dj3GLAPNq/s640/2010-08-27_FAP___REN1467.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I was so wrapped up in my own sense of loss and anger and the breakdown of my faith in a God who could allow the death of such an innocent child that I never fully understood what my mother went through at that time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXfcT2rZuedm-KZhCubrWqibfL1mxV1BfggISYNk6d84orEvcwnt5HQzT-ZQZ61H7lrnT7REm5sl-lA5BStTXGFuPTvvaAE8nuJKze9KfD409kRMyIaJa-DlgZwP7lmW_vnqSo9uHlbBp/s1600/Flower+crab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXfcT2rZuedm-KZhCubrWqibfL1mxV1BfggISYNk6d84orEvcwnt5HQzT-ZQZ61H7lrnT7REm5sl-lA5BStTXGFuPTvvaAE8nuJKze9KfD409kRMyIaJa-DlgZwP7lmW_vnqSo9uHlbBp/s640/Flower+crab.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It was only later when I experienced the loss of my unborn second child at 30 weeks gestation, that I finally understood just a little of her anguish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXlK8NCC4FVqbTugR6sg8LtTLtt1yeAiUbG6QDwbcFkvHKLOE-z1vI3DowagQpySE0C_ZX0lElKe2mJZPGFuDI8igUmAhM9erKRNBeSIjHVC6Xc4ONsjHX_oTbwVR2fuNuoVWjfWm0xbq/s1600/_REN9973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXlK8NCC4FVqbTugR6sg8LtTLtt1yeAiUbG6QDwbcFkvHKLOE-z1vI3DowagQpySE0C_ZX0lElKe2mJZPGFuDI8igUmAhM9erKRNBeSIjHVC6Xc4ONsjHX_oTbwVR2fuNuoVWjfWm0xbq/s640/_REN9973.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The loss of a child touches everyone, but no one more deeply and catastrophically than the mother who bore that child within her body, gave birth to him, and loved and nurtured him every moment of every day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZ2OJKO4sX6LQVY5WktSD-uHIt1j-Vt5Mt5Tt6GKg72vCu086aB1wOnRTfkBL8cez_hR5Lvu9m8KqqCY39M1FYLEmFhgH6K5flJZ6tRJp1ax5GjrAwyybwRbz4r-mAQroJixOjMGlKV2t/s1600/_REN1429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZ2OJKO4sX6LQVY5WktSD-uHIt1j-Vt5Mt5Tt6GKg72vCu086aB1wOnRTfkBL8cez_hR5Lvu9m8KqqCY39M1FYLEmFhgH6K5flJZ6tRJp1ax5GjrAwyybwRbz4r-mAQroJixOjMGlKV2t/s640/_REN1429.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As a mother, each one of our children owns a part of our heart, a part that can never be replaced or repaired once they are gone and our heart is broken.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSjPiDAoPVnRTZ-QPCxZZxTW9JZ7_h1NCtlw97YI8FN6_4MtpI6JJWP96UApe4V_1I_Odx-dMQ1DhPwPZZKYdD2JAnVLRDv64MIY9biRaKpo-4FAgGzYdZO6Zk3gquqRFf1vgdlXv-Ech/s1600/_REN1432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSjPiDAoPVnRTZ-QPCxZZxTW9JZ7_h1NCtlw97YI8FN6_4MtpI6JJWP96UApe4V_1I_Odx-dMQ1DhPwPZZKYdD2JAnVLRDv64MIY9biRaKpo-4FAgGzYdZO6Zk3gquqRFf1vgdlXv-Ech/s640/_REN1432.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Being a mother, potentially the most joyful and fulfilling role a woman could ever have, must also be the saddest, loneliest and most devastatingly anguished position to be in when you are faced with your child’s death.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfuKDztwWdxwx5HLCs3skDUcRdY03ma65Pg4gYyvyj9GGaGbbJj_f2FSmV51mBDwyZsER3vboENO5sH8E_iLKwYGA0y-zbHNNNxyfAdW72ftHejYX9Lvh2v5pkXrZrvUpQlzNcBwF7RUW/s1600/_REN0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfuKDztwWdxwx5HLCs3skDUcRdY03ma65Pg4gYyvyj9GGaGbbJj_f2FSmV51mBDwyZsER3vboENO5sH8E_iLKwYGA0y-zbHNNNxyfAdW72ftHejYX9Lvh2v5pkXrZrvUpQlzNcBwF7RUW/s640/_REN0015.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">My heart goes out to all mothers who have experienced the loss of a precious child, whether through illness, accident, poverty, war or crime. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">May you find some peace in the knowledge that your beloved child will live on in your heart always.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fpNCqr11OtjmZcn5r2P60aDAfADDavGrmIQk946oEjcDrEegZKuhUtgnYxJJg-8mwYB36Hv3elQccTk_wLBdEUGLBb7PMlBO1IZSNES-r-2t_Bc0H_BqYZzMaTov7FvWSgkZL5i1P4Vz/s1600/2010-08-09_FAP_Gerbera__REN0555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fpNCqr11OtjmZcn5r2P60aDAfADDavGrmIQk946oEjcDrEegZKuhUtgnYxJJg-8mwYB36Hv3elQccTk_wLBdEUGLBb7PMlBO1IZSNES-r-2t_Bc0H_BqYZzMaTov7FvWSgkZL5i1P4Vz/s400/2010-08-09_FAP_Gerbera__REN0555.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I believe that yellow was Colby’s favourite colour. Somehow it feels right that this sunny colour that shines with optimism, enlightenment and happiness should carry with it the promise of a warm and positive future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-24481994108936640862011-05-26T01:45:00.000-07:002011-05-26T01:45:40.925-07:00Nature's Divas<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4N-S7fd6m7t2XP9LKoSOZT0FOSVi5P9Pu3mpxkdVocpZFTOqWCzS7QsB2Y2gooYZP4yhjRCZ8iRddT-Zjcets0ETZ2_okl5Td-_u4q7cGEtO4Jb54qg1BcC36KJbvP6YOS8YKuFcUOzdu/s1600/_REN0817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4N-S7fd6m7t2XP9LKoSOZT0FOSVi5P9Pu3mpxkdVocpZFTOqWCzS7QsB2Y2gooYZP4yhjRCZ8iRddT-Zjcets0ETZ2_okl5Td-_u4q7cGEtO4Jb54qg1BcC36KJbvP6YOS8YKuFcUOzdu/s640/_REN0817.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Nothing reminds me more of sandy beaches, tropical island holidays and fun times than the very flamboyant Hibiscus flower. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFmnRWYApXGOuTHE3u-XUChazffZGIR0lqC9MOYZPPQYcva6LXn3AEASsk2vDaNmBlb8KQ7UIGjKGebUPwEzcFTpHLmznEl4PruysdTt-j8adfhwVh4CFD_DAGygS4avW1yPbAjxYvrcL/s1600/_REN0757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFmnRWYApXGOuTHE3u-XUChazffZGIR0lqC9MOYZPPQYcva6LXn3AEASsk2vDaNmBlb8KQ7UIGjKGebUPwEzcFTpHLmznEl4PruysdTt-j8adfhwVh4CFD_DAGygS4avW1yPbAjxYvrcL/s640/_REN0757.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I have always imagined this showy flower to be Nature’s ‘Diva’ – outgoing, confident and always resplendent in joyful carnival colours.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ejhytXmrFmlBhOWLZ4925JdL5dBeF_drL_VC-fQw-kbs8rphRWvr_FQEfKc4xrJRTxI1wx_7KgxdcgxVUc34A2w0vPUeKRsjzi9uTgmYnJ9YGuTaU0JrJ0u60HtfZCz8Pwy2egceOWL/s1600/_REN0767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ejhytXmrFmlBhOWLZ4925JdL5dBeF_drL_VC-fQw-kbs8rphRWvr_FQEfKc4xrJRTxI1wx_7KgxdcgxVUc34A2w0vPUeKRsjzi9uTgmYnJ9YGuTaU0JrJ0u60HtfZCz8Pwy2egceOWL/s640/_REN0767.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I first noticed the Hibiscus flower in art when, as a teenager I became fascinated with French painter Paul Gaugin’s work. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Gaugin painted a series of Tahitian native women (‘</span><i>Woman with a flower</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">’, ‘</span><i>Tahitian women on the beach</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">’, </span><i>The seed of the Areoi</i>'<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">, etc) wearing a red or white hibiscus flower behind their ears. According to Tahitian custom, this is to indicate whether they are single or available for marriage. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">American painter, Georgia O’Keefe, on a sojourn in Hawaii to recover from a nervous breakdown also painted the Hibiscus flower. One of her most famous paintings is a beautiful work called ‘</span><i>Hibiscus with Plumeria</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">’, a simple and elegant piece featuring a pale pink Hibiscus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq47uvDVLG9EbM1GThzSOEv4tWh49xtC24IzTa2dCE0-dEo8qWuXkTjs00GGjfgJNScreAgFPRQJvp9DRUPQCBtNX6t21AvifVnxZ3v7rQ3oy0VeAX_8-PeG3lcdry76MBI8-p8YJTpu5l/s1600/_REN0753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq47uvDVLG9EbM1GThzSOEv4tWh49xtC24IzTa2dCE0-dEo8qWuXkTjs00GGjfgJNScreAgFPRQJvp9DRUPQCBtNX6t21AvifVnxZ3v7rQ3oy0VeAX_8-PeG3lcdry76MBI8-p8YJTpu5l/s640/_REN0753.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Last week while walking through the botanical gardens in the CBD of Brisbane, I noticed a large area right along the eastern boundary of the park filled with amazing colour. As I got closer I realised it was a collection of mature Hibiscus bushes, each one covered in brilliantly coloured blooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It was an incredible sight to see so many different species of this 'diva' in colours ranging from a pure white to bright yellow, clear orange, pale pink, lilac, fuschia, deep vermilion and various other combinations of these colours. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I had absolutely no idea that there were so many varieties of Hibiscus! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLF8cFxjFO_86i0zAu_c13H7pkrAsR_enxNYcatlWcRQCkdKHbULWypKfPsCsgP-QwsMpTFbvUd7sRrclWXpQbuQcTJSEYOrj_a9DUb7N5QFXM6OKGfozTlvpVPFl31rmBxPTx7EOFxc-y/s1600/_REN6445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLF8cFxjFO_86i0zAu_c13H7pkrAsR_enxNYcatlWcRQCkdKHbULWypKfPsCsgP-QwsMpTFbvUd7sRrclWXpQbuQcTJSEYOrj_a9DUb7N5QFXM6OKGfozTlvpVPFl31rmBxPTx7EOFxc-y/s640/_REN6445.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">There was the variety I had grown up with – flowers with five simple overlapping red or pink petals with fused stamens in the centre. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Then there was the double flower variety whose flowers could almost be mistaken for rose-like blooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Some varieties had two-tone frilled petals in complimentary colours that looked just like elaborately designed formal gowns. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">And others that seemed to be accessorising with matching mini-petals encasing the central stamens. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Flower sizes also ranged from tiny and dainty to large, heavy blooms, some the diameter of a large dinner-plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Even just reading the names given to some of these hybrids gave rise to evocative visions of exotic tropical islands with endless white beaches, golden sunsets and brilliant blue seas ...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_4Z7cJjwaJEx5hfzX99pxeaeQDbBrx8IDfPpAZXER-_Mm4TU-lw8zKp5m245hdAyBoTzn3z7Hwh1vg-UMFZIVnITUEX8onDjZuw8Gc_4K4xZNAgDw4F_mZKJfBO87Ufd9q0_wkGStlD9/s1600/_REN0778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_4Z7cJjwaJEx5hfzX99pxeaeQDbBrx8IDfPpAZXER-_Mm4TU-lw8zKp5m245hdAyBoTzn3z7Hwh1vg-UMFZIVnITUEX8onDjZuw8Gc_4K4xZNAgDw4F_mZKJfBO87Ufd9q0_wkGStlD9/s640/_REN0778.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Strolling through these bushes with my camera, I could almost hear Elvis singing ‘Blue Hawaii’!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>All images in this blog were taken at the City Botanic Gardens in Roma Street, Brisbane and are available as greeting cards, prints, framed prints, canvases or large wall art.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Please contact us via the gallery or email fine.art.photo@gmail.com</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-83617570117614491442011-04-29T00:01:00.000-07:002011-04-29T00:01:56.518-07:00Autumn in Brisbane<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It’s Autumn in Brisbane and there is a definite chill in the air, though it is only noticeable in the early mornings and late afternoons as our days are still reaching a warm 24</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">C.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Autumn in Brisbane only lasts for a few weeks and unfortunately we don’t get the magnificent Fall colour display experienced by those countries in the northern hemisphere. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">However, the milder temperatures are most welcome here after the searingly hot days of the past few months, as is the sight of Mother Nature discarding the bright colourful garments of Summer for the more muted tapestry of dark reds, oranges, golds and pale yellows.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I visited one of my favourite places yesterday, the botanical gardens at Mt Cootha. It had been raining and the gardens were shrouded in a light mist with the sun just managing to break through every now and again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">You could tell it was the very end of Summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ground was strewn with a thick carpet of fallen flowers and the trees bore only the remnants of the brightly hued blooms so reminiscent of the heady days not so long gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Wandering through the gardens I was suddenly aware of the strange looming shapes of the Frangipani and Poinciana trees whose forms seemed to dominate as more and more of their leaves dropped to the ground.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Structure and texture seemed to become so much more evident and I was aware of colours and patterns on the branches and trunks of the trees that I had never noticed when they were full of foilage and flowers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf6SOwwdV72JPBq9c6PFUKw0XVepGH2zkBPTxzqBvE6GbNoSjWU59GFd4bAHB7VXbcNaJvvwry1lwzbl0ctnFz85L4mi6bH4raMmJRKc7SllL7-EvuTKFCPd2wRA7UZwKV7Dw29Zp1q2D/s1600/_REN0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf6SOwwdV72JPBq9c6PFUKw0XVepGH2zkBPTxzqBvE6GbNoSjWU59GFd4bAHB7VXbcNaJvvwry1lwzbl0ctnFz85L4mi6bH4raMmJRKc7SllL7-EvuTKFCPd2wRA7UZwKV7Dw29Zp1q2D/s400/_REN0051.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The last of the Camelias were perfectly displayed on the thinning branches with plenty of room to open up and spread their delicate petals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The light yesterday was also different. It was wistfully soft, almost surreal, and the very slight breeze was scented with the slowly rotting flowers and curling, crunchy leaves lying at the feet of the near-naked trees. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Everything seemed to be holding its breath, ready for the dormancy and hibernation of Winter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>The season of Autumn has such a melancholy and reflective feel about it - almost a tinge of sadness for the loss of Summer. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>Romantic poet, John Keats manages to capture this sadness of Autumn's fleeting beauty so well in the final stanza of his wonderfully evocative poem </span><i>Ode to Autumn</i><span>.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnLqNasgojBX9BDvKqATtXsHWZomvWr__6R2ofn_VUYCUdbVg99Cp0JDV1XT7pAxfeizXKE2_YvLcWVZYeTEMlbT7VGe4AoPbQEF5GHbjSuvWggvYlhrHhQIAYyW5dQmI9CNyWYN6CiFt/s1600/_REN9962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnLqNasgojBX9BDvKqATtXsHWZomvWr__6R2ofn_VUYCUdbVg99Cp0JDV1XT7pAxfeizXKE2_YvLcWVZYeTEMlbT7VGe4AoPbQEF5GHbjSuvWggvYlhrHhQIAYyW5dQmI9CNyWYN6CiFt/s400/_REN9962.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><i>“<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,-<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Among the river sallows, borne aloft<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.”</i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-7295655060038010222011-04-15T05:37:00.000-07:002011-04-15T05:37:01.710-07:00It's all in the detail<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzIOQVFakkH5TTVLx53QHLTSeEB7zOomlBDZ_jl-_Q3FOt4xr18lozE-wVcFpwPGkF5yKYIxTBSY9NteZSa5tBPd4YMHKnWrgpa9bKYuuCfyVJX0UzLtJEFG_8hjqohnOf2gnKOBbMQkI/s1600/Lilac+Parrot+Tulip+Abstract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzIOQVFakkH5TTVLx53QHLTSeEB7zOomlBDZ_jl-_Q3FOt4xr18lozE-wVcFpwPGkF5yKYIxTBSY9NteZSa5tBPd4YMHKnWrgpa9bKYuuCfyVJX0UzLtJEFG_8hjqohnOf2gnKOBbMQkI/s400/Lilac+Parrot+Tulip+Abstract.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I take photographs because the act of looking at something in detail makes me slow down and actually look at the life I am living. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk2u-BTVVGBnfDZyx7LPb6IwCzO9shhUZlP3a6ahJZyNEforgCYFswPSWfcXSNPdIFfIDUHxJTJTqDLv_yUVneIjQH1WFuXiLbufstqTIxoDTj9E_4BNf5hwypHF_L1WE6Zb7AvIXYUn9/s1600/2011-02-17_FAP___REN7204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk2u-BTVVGBnfDZyx7LPb6IwCzO9shhUZlP3a6ahJZyNEforgCYFswPSWfcXSNPdIFfIDUHxJTJTqDLv_yUVneIjQH1WFuXiLbufstqTIxoDTj9E_4BNf5hwypHF_L1WE6Zb7AvIXYUn9/s640/2011-02-17_FAP___REN7204.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Seeing life through a lens helps me to get out of my own head and connect with the world. It is like seeing the world in a heightened state of awareness and it has become the way for me to express what I see. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q0gh3U87GX5KBEVo8_xHhtA2-gzpvjUBgzz47oZGvbtqiV1-MtjDsJyw-hvqtLpsqay0je1SplSSOIKmAfz1WVAJl8zvZGMyAoOyTti3mpmKskcf4abZSo718vShVLzq2oC5JiI7yNwU/s1600/2011-03-11_FAP___REN8422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q0gh3U87GX5KBEVo8_xHhtA2-gzpvjUBgzz47oZGvbtqiV1-MtjDsJyw-hvqtLpsqay0je1SplSSOIKmAfz1WVAJl8zvZGMyAoOyTti3mpmKskcf4abZSo718vShVLzq2oC5JiI7yNwU/s640/2011-03-11_FAP___REN8422.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Sometimes I have the feeling that if I don’t see it through my viewfinder, I haven’t really seen it at all …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3svezBuLCKzHi0-bOACAJwaBrMKbuAUOfVsv9I5kRMIFjmXa8kYD-LbMD04TsGljvq9sgbO2DFewHODjFMt4pAVePP7egrFKu3IJf-TBvOcvZabjpLsCIip8Md45dyws406-9-9-9K78/s1600/_REN8420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3svezBuLCKzHi0-bOACAJwaBrMKbuAUOfVsv9I5kRMIFjmXa8kYD-LbMD04TsGljvq9sgbO2DFewHODjFMt4pAVePP7egrFKu3IJf-TBvOcvZabjpLsCIip8Md45dyws406-9-9-9K78/s400/_REN8420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">For me framing is everything, and I often feel it is better to frame tightly and focus on the important details that tell the story rather than go for the larger picture. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4f5q_YK9J5t4B-LJ1SMyLCAe6PGGDqWk0HqfIMkZx0Va_4mROhbBjxuVCeAk-N_zu63e8gTwAhoCJcRoujnJzvuu8Lwa7eaIctX_6S9ejhQbZwsPumBt8HmEQmhRn8MT2QriiFqJJCP6X/s1600/_REN9139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4f5q_YK9J5t4B-LJ1SMyLCAe6PGGDqWk0HqfIMkZx0Va_4mROhbBjxuVCeAk-N_zu63e8gTwAhoCJcRoujnJzvuu8Lwa7eaIctX_6S9ejhQbZwsPumBt8HmEQmhRn8MT2QriiFqJJCP6X/s400/_REN9139.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">So many photographers err on the side of including as much detail as possible and their images become busy and cluttered and all too often, the story is lost.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPROmwDbAbRT6MJ4pP7odhqRCAvGXtdkiRKROuIJorG2TQmYrX6oSZyWA97doisv2BLPoJAsziihQr-KMXAE-tFIYShz1z5av0BGYQqK0Cf6E9LLUCdTzt8WYJIhnmiNxjoL2pLRC5Fkb/s1600/_REN1712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPROmwDbAbRT6MJ4pP7odhqRCAvGXtdkiRKROuIJorG2TQmYrX6oSZyWA97doisv2BLPoJAsziihQr-KMXAE-tFIYShz1z5av0BGYQqK0Cf6E9LLUCdTzt8WYJIhnmiNxjoL2pLRC5Fkb/s400/_REN1712.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The wonderful thing about the photographer’s frame is that we are in total control of what we put into it. And, we can change the whole feel of the image simply by moving in closer or stepping further back. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51S56nzJPBXcUwYvNkkxHtSu6_sX6EcxpgA7kBYVLQ1UX3TaPxIakLYlixdOKJqCloJEYMYtytO6f618U3ekIZjZptEFBLo19mMyIiZcWMrU8zsgyxunmRQumNagpryIbeH0iqWVmjs-r/s1600/2010-10-03_FAP___REN2795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51S56nzJPBXcUwYvNkkxHtSu6_sX6EcxpgA7kBYVLQ1UX3TaPxIakLYlixdOKJqCloJEYMYtytO6f618U3ekIZjZptEFBLo19mMyIiZcWMrU8zsgyxunmRQumNagpryIbeH0iqWVmjs-r/s400/2010-10-03_FAP___REN2795.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The following excerpt from ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ by John Szarkowski explains this further:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">“To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer’s craft. His central problem is a simple one: what shall he include, what shall he reject? </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxILMZRfRbrkWycMQSEqBcoc1HvOwIWRrlKu7BdSHMLqCK02P24uUWPzhGDN-f5pxt3kf_QOdD7NtoiqcjThIn26CyxPGQec6VPonq54k9V2LtazKnmPmiNwdGcEwcc1MM_5uW5-0tk24L/s1600/2011-03-13_FAP___REN8595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxILMZRfRbrkWycMQSEqBcoc1HvOwIWRrlKu7BdSHMLqCK02P24uUWPzhGDN-f5pxt3kf_QOdD7NtoiqcjThIn26CyxPGQec6VPonq54k9V2LtazKnmPmiNwdGcEwcc1MM_5uW5-0tk24L/s400/2011-03-13_FAP___REN8595.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The line of decision between in and out is the picture’s edge. While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj4RfQm_TpuHC5aQIZUhixb80l0bvslLO2xtmF5hV3rrB_2l72tHkey6nT7ylAgx9WmbuPfHHKZbGoB3KwALfluYV9luJJoGQUKj53Rgy4n0LwJtrjd34z-MW_bhS32q1WtDpqe0od706/s1600/_REN9187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj4RfQm_TpuHC5aQIZUhixb80l0bvslLO2xtmF5hV3rrB_2l72tHkey6nT7ylAgx9WmbuPfHHKZbGoB3KwALfluYV9luJJoGQUKj53Rgy4n0LwJtrjd34z-MW_bhS32q1WtDpqe0od706/s400/_REN9187.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">“The photographer’s edge defines content. It isolates unexpected juxtapositions. By surrounding two facts, it creates a relationship. The edge of the photograph dissects familiar forms, and shows their unfamiliar fragment. It creates the shapes that surround objects.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi307EAhnekyYed185tpv28JsRwZusEdJVA94sSrwQkHeIN0fLbcQpAQ270nFERmPO7_81CbZXCWirI4F9j5v_w6S5awEt4YFdloSi4UWDDE-IROnyzOf5f6xWLhdQvKPcj9ce8TfcLEFj1/s1600/2011-03-21_FAP___REN8634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi307EAhnekyYed185tpv28JsRwZusEdJVA94sSrwQkHeIN0fLbcQpAQ270nFERmPO7_81CbZXCWirI4F9j5v_w6S5awEt4YFdloSi4UWDDE-IROnyzOf5f6xWLhdQvKPcj9ce8TfcLEFj1/s640/2011-03-21_FAP___REN8634.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">“The photographer edits the meanings and the patterns of the world through an imaginary frame. This frame is the beginning of his picture’s geometry. It is to the photograph as the cushion is to the billiard table.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6lqiQQf1j2v91PrWxALrDK1vVgNjNGO5ZEj19fZ5OGzRAsaQd7ZgPWiUu9tYCSZfm-B9h0QtjSwwjl9BGP1VCZniayZwSCEEGw0gzNvfaQNLfBIx9tW5aM1fEHMICP6D9-tL98yUdqlI/s1600/_REN9082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6lqiQQf1j2v91PrWxALrDK1vVgNjNGO5ZEj19fZ5OGzRAsaQd7ZgPWiUu9tYCSZfm-B9h0QtjSwwjl9BGP1VCZniayZwSCEEGw0gzNvfaQNLfBIx9tW5aM1fEHMICP6D9-tL98yUdqlI/s400/_REN9082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">You know intuitively when you have the winning combination of the right framing and the right light, and it is not always what you set out to achieve. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx8_3cBIfgX9WkTj3Kza_QP2Qcs_AR9MXjB3oSIBHureVIj6btI-qySVSxGPitw8DS1Gh1CBd77Kn7R5MGLP1m4wmdRDFDUOlYa6wgPu70MbX8Rw3pxGssSfJSH5DfMNXhGRk0PSZPCu8/s1600/2010-10-17_FAP___REN3337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx8_3cBIfgX9WkTj3Kza_QP2Qcs_AR9MXjB3oSIBHureVIj6btI-qySVSxGPitw8DS1Gh1CBd77Kn7R5MGLP1m4wmdRDFDUOlYa6wgPu70MbX8Rw3pxGssSfJSH5DfMNXhGRk0PSZPCu8/s640/2010-10-17_FAP___REN3337.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Photography, by its very nature, is unpredictable yet it is this very aspect that makes it so interesting and an on-going challenge.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFKjF3wr71TLTaioJWuOer8VZa-ptDwknf7Qilneez3sR1yyxp76uFwMa2rEntrnMxgJy0DJzhxPgtxNvfYWvDyPcLkfTfpak834qDGF5IXYv21BjjR7He4ODmtu5KZ_a2RicA0YD7ZVu/s1600/2011-03-11_FAP___REN8363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFKjF3wr71TLTaioJWuOer8VZa-ptDwknf7Qilneez3sR1yyxp76uFwMa2rEntrnMxgJy0DJzhxPgtxNvfYWvDyPcLkfTfpak834qDGF5IXYv21BjjR7He4ODmtu5KZ_a2RicA0YD7ZVu/s400/2011-03-11_FAP___REN8363.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately there is much redundancy in photography, so many similar versions of the same subject or theme, so many clichés. It is important to learn from successful photographers but it is even more important to develop a unique voice that sings out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPzQDCRoF5v1SywUzFlm9t2KHgKlBW6edLxbfVqiljtwKeLq7WkUL6e_e8whvPJxrSKxGrPLMrLI-p-qi2gdzablV6lK3GGgWlPrzfqk9YOdnCJFSChprmhSaOWdasV4nn4DcplvSO7Wa/s1600/2011-03-29_FAP___REN8798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPzQDCRoF5v1SywUzFlm9t2KHgKlBW6edLxbfVqiljtwKeLq7WkUL6e_e8whvPJxrSKxGrPLMrLI-p-qi2gdzablV6lK3GGgWlPrzfqk9YOdnCJFSChprmhSaOWdasV4nn4DcplvSO7Wa/s640/2011-03-29_FAP___REN8798.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">For me that voice lies in the details. After all, photography is all about being limited to what fits into the frame. It’s about finding the literal truth of your subject and then focusing on that. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUstTJF_EcmNWVP2NPjrGRsq-ouYOqOwjaOLRH_v6hfQFILIkm5kreiX2rV-tnNQxWt4CHnEyST-uUTTBQqnOGxMOZ1ZvQAopHviFoYdBIWkJKIhWIhbbznadoq0EjKD9xv9nQUBpp5bGk/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUstTJF_EcmNWVP2NPjrGRsq-ouYOqOwjaOLRH_v6hfQFILIkm5kreiX2rV-tnNQxWt4CHnEyST-uUTTBQqnOGxMOZ1ZvQAopHviFoYdBIWkJKIhWIhbbznadoq0EjKD9xv9nQUBpp5bGk/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6636.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Many times I have set out to photograph specific people and events and, because I cannot help myself, I have zoomed in on hands, edges of fabric, curves of stringed instruments, interesting angles, expressions and reflections. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG86fnzhPpB47pMu16p7fbl-xe49kTGUO2uHev4OYv_sQwg7bC92dSWUWIMIEL_4VOYIe-xzsTaAY59lEFKInPXTyO7yDB_TD2eEnJjNbRo51cjry61o9mYmXbcCPgA4o5Ao0CQwgv-xU/s1600/_REN9095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG86fnzhPpB47pMu16p7fbl-xe49kTGUO2uHev4OYv_sQwg7bC92dSWUWIMIEL_4VOYIe-xzsTaAY59lEFKInPXTyO7yDB_TD2eEnJjNbRo51cjry61o9mYmXbcCPgA4o5Ao0CQwgv-xU/s400/_REN9095.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In the end the strongest images from these shoots have been the incidental ones focused on the tiny details.</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-41179294224915882902011-03-15T04:25:00.000-07:002011-03-15T04:25:17.056-07:00In praise of books<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“I go into my library and all history rolls before me.”</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~ Alexander Smith</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TUFEJ_U1b_J7Vy_AIRcz6b9EqyD1SlTiBgTjX6nOJmZ5ilE2XJDMnp07Fyha5RziKTbq1Ol9xs9qp1Jq96HqNEE0PzDgRKTcTcInfytqtfuqIbT0h790DNjltDfgVfkVT75ehsboYrtW/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TUFEJ_U1b_J7Vy_AIRcz6b9EqyD1SlTiBgTjX6nOJmZ5ilE2XJDMnp07Fyha5RziKTbq1Ol9xs9qp1Jq96HqNEE0PzDgRKTcTcInfytqtfuqIbT0h790DNjltDfgVfkVT75ehsboYrtW/s640/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8059.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“A library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> ~ </o:p></span>Richard de Bury</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BPnUgJvvuIndCnJCYZbcR4T5zDDiUMN8PaDc-ptZ7ld-Q27kX0a5jhyphenhyphenv1ss-by-8GI0ehTIvcMly1wlTXjIDVhFwDlpfAYB4bItKIk6gQknMuvuR2sAUPiyJAxMTX-MiIF1yCNICFjLz/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BPnUgJvvuIndCnJCYZbcR4T5zDDiUMN8PaDc-ptZ7ld-Q27kX0a5jhyphenhyphenv1ss-by-8GI0ehTIvcMly1wlTXjIDVhFwDlpfAYB4bItKIk6gQknMuvuR2sAUPiyJAxMTX-MiIF1yCNICFjLz/s400/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8185.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I have always been a passionate reader. I got hooked on reading very early in my life. In fact my mother tells the story that I learned to read at the tender age of two, and this very early exposure to books has definitely endeared in me a lifelong love of reading and a collection of books that is fast outgrowing our home!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl58TBAp9FBLguHvW_Olr7b_mif0_5wYDkBrvfrPvcOtaRT2hZq_2SKkTE22zMpjwY-mz-UIDSL5zSQhel5rP6Yss0aIlIc232AcXgxzB0td3bH-r4TsJPaRZcFDdCKodk4mpndo9lwQQ/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl58TBAp9FBLguHvW_Olr7b_mif0_5wYDkBrvfrPvcOtaRT2hZq_2SKkTE22zMpjwY-mz-UIDSL5zSQhel5rP6Yss0aIlIc232AcXgxzB0td3bH-r4TsJPaRZcFDdCKodk4mpndo9lwQQ/s640/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8078.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Some of my happiest moments ever have been spent browsing in small second-hand book stores, wandering through the tight spaces between the book shelves dodging the flurry of dust motes each time I lift a book, and breathing in that divine smell of old leather and worn pages that have been turned by so many hands before mine. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-iWLSNLDIVLVYsyUwPDZ907hQHZTZclnFDumVNVVYds1BrMnSBGyXOzj0U8Wj24BQ26KKCWAWRU8pRbjB02U7SnsX5Xjquk6G23kXr7I15IeIVdbux18pv1BnhCwuPoyd499GCLxOB-B/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-iWLSNLDIVLVYsyUwPDZ907hQHZTZclnFDumVNVVYds1BrMnSBGyXOzj0U8Wj24BQ26KKCWAWRU8pRbjB02U7SnsX5Xjquk6G23kXr7I15IeIVdbux18pv1BnhCwuPoyd499GCLxOB-B/s400/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And then the absolute joy of discovering a gem amongst the hundreds of books picked up and flipped through is something that is extraordinarily difficult to convey to someone who sees books merely as a means to get through school or university.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggERxIqWdN7Ty2NU03dFSONzLVnE0UxvfZ0awbsPvjkN1DGdOfs1tfAgSvUcE_ygcQ_gaBJL_Ulck2F_fHmxFwxv0FXMVBT1TtR9L3luk8h31_AtFUjm-vx_0g-R2QgJYieX0lmCqg146n/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggERxIqWdN7Ty2NU03dFSONzLVnE0UxvfZ0awbsPvjkN1DGdOfs1tfAgSvUcE_ygcQ_gaBJL_Ulck2F_fHmxFwxv0FXMVBT1TtR9L3luk8h31_AtFUjm-vx_0g-R2QgJYieX0lmCqg146n/s640/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8152.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Old books, with their exquisitely handcrafted covers and intricate typefaces, hold the soul of the past safe within their pages whilst also acting as a compass to navigate our way through the future. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLcU93bVQgNQb4fhEgvyn4rIOGH1kzqdEkXewYRa9vEtDrewd9iK_uH8nRjXiIFnOeE_KXc5XzlpIJCQnDE3fFhSJZcK9ly305bQomWP4hqFwk6thcwN0rxjp_wJqqiDeEJJBTTVtmCaI/s1600/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLcU93bVQgNQb4fhEgvyn4rIOGH1kzqdEkXewYRa9vEtDrewd9iK_uH8nRjXiIFnOeE_KXc5XzlpIJCQnDE3fFhSJZcK9ly305bQomWP4hqFwk6thcwN0rxjp_wJqqiDeEJJBTTVtmCaI/s640/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8239.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through books we discover that learning is infinite, and there are whole other worlds contained in the most humble of libraries that we never even knew existed. And then there are those magnificent academic libraries where books of great significance and other records of human memory and achievement are recorded ... and then the glorious architectural wonders like the majestic Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris ... or the Library of Congress in Washington DC.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kpBTTgOu6vanuPcFeuIKzVRmcH5IuqK0t6u30isba4nFdiBXTEk8GogU3pnVrmIFzYv0-EtG_kLg2ehs0iihhBVqZA6u4aNwRPaSn8NMkkKrKNpVI46Lps9NYOJ5Jun_rNwPL3D5hgHY/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kpBTTgOu6vanuPcFeuIKzVRmcH5IuqK0t6u30isba4nFdiBXTEk8GogU3pnVrmIFzYv0-EtG_kLg2ehs0iihhBVqZA6u4aNwRPaSn8NMkkKrKNpVI46Lps9NYOJ5Jun_rNwPL3D5hgHY/s640/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8131.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">What first attracted me to my husband was his equally passionate fascination with books and pursuit of knowledge. Between the two of us we have amassed quite an impressive collection over the 20 years we have been together - many of which are reflected in the photographs taken for this blog post. And this is not taking into consideration the hundreds of books our four children, also avid readers, have managed to collect!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIk_DPhLqAS7pASlnZqIjnsnFtL8RbO32PaQUQbVh4RgzYFf_CQs4dgXijU0hpNTqclpXhV94TaSgyiJtLFak7mO_tTYNq3mq3zbBSRXDl7Z7GoyJ2cmPL_ocbFQ5S0Cu2OMQO5EuUb3N/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIk_DPhLqAS7pASlnZqIjnsnFtL8RbO32PaQUQbVh4RgzYFf_CQs4dgXijU0hpNTqclpXhV94TaSgyiJtLFak7mO_tTYNq3mq3zbBSRXDl7Z7GoyJ2cmPL_ocbFQ5S0Cu2OMQO5EuUb3N/s400/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8191.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, all four have also inherited our weak natures when entering a bookstore, with none able to emerge in less than a few hours ... and without purchasing half the store!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBFoasbBycBbb7DKHpmChbMjlxFn7u-rx36WMEDPfbPzqq5wZhBNe9IM3WoaQWBc0tFvicuJ1Lmgydq9w83qp_1ntdFHGX6_Jb7xYY4VtQswVc9lnziNGOVVvYMQrorZI-EJjHKmtqqeq/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBFoasbBycBbb7DKHpmChbMjlxFn7u-rx36WMEDPfbPzqq5wZhBNe9IM3WoaQWBc0tFvicuJ1Lmgydq9w83qp_1ntdFHGX6_Jb7xYY4VtQswVc9lnziNGOVVvYMQrorZI-EJjHKmtqqeq/s400/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">However, the sad truth about books and the sheer number available is that we can never read them all. <i>“There is so much to learn and so little time to live,</i>” as Baltasar Gracian wrote. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6ASXNE-bd_UCDVVUxDyvyCYOh0Lr8NSR_rMbRi3NcVwU9WvFq5LFs95zE8STh1-0Gn3Dm_WvsAX67d-Q9bok7GZfIwE-vqZwOFoKmB9ebqAM2kcixqbHf5PZWkNIcpQ6yiPBiz0VSM2/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6ASXNE-bd_UCDVVUxDyvyCYOh0Lr8NSR_rMbRi3NcVwU9WvFq5LFs95zE8STh1-0Gn3Dm_WvsAX67d-Q9bok7GZfIwE-vqZwOFoKmB9ebqAM2kcixqbHf5PZWkNIcpQ6yiPBiz0VSM2/s640/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8122.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Yes, as I contemplate the vista of my own book-choked house and register the number of books on these shelves that I will probably never have the time to read, let alone re-read, there <i>is</i> something deeply sad about missing out on all that history and knowledge and the myriad of characters that I will never have the pleasure of getting to know. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3s4ddlTdUHNkryvZD4ahVKxM1ngRUV7gG7MNoYxMIraVFWl8LBg4rFWLD-wXfZS28o-ozUIchMDsEtoLKb2YhdMHvW_g9zqnjRabo0RBvzRHtP2GY9Z9azuwP6gify1XUdnFL8z85cMK/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3s4ddlTdUHNkryvZD4ahVKxM1ngRUV7gG7MNoYxMIraVFWl8LBg4rFWLD-wXfZS28o-ozUIchMDsEtoLKb2YhdMHvW_g9zqnjRabo0RBvzRHtP2GY9Z9azuwP6gify1XUdnFL8z85cMK/s400/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8142.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It reminds me of a few lines from a poem by one of my favourite writers, Jorge Luis Borges:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>There is a mirror that has seen me for the last time.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>There is a door I have shut until the end of the world.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Among the books in my library (I have them before me)</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>There are some I shall never reopen.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9O-oQmuw7-1O-u7s-snYOy8s-AWWyP3jNG8wQnCQA7LET3C5bQWy7A93robJEF0PEfnIzNLcmRXMqNd_qTZYDReyMfppAmBPD9fAF3MqFnk4FTNCnnOeEfxQV_uAnnPITRpGUvUFXFjfv/s1600/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9O-oQmuw7-1O-u7s-snYOy8s-AWWyP3jNG8wQnCQA7LET3C5bQWy7A93robJEF0PEfnIzNLcmRXMqNd_qTZYDReyMfppAmBPD9fAF3MqFnk4FTNCnnOeEfxQV_uAnnPITRpGUvUFXFjfv/s400/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8216.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Perhaps we need to accept our finiteness and measure our reading, not by the number of books we have yet to read, but by the way we feel after the books we have read have left us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyKnUhp-frmaNtES1oqmvmagV0cn5oeqKCbJeRxl8PwVfv7Et-wG9YOge5SEyQj8Gt7a9dEwuFwcTy2_CPsHFIXVxYwS4wXJhvkdn9L71qsUXy_a36VR81DhW2fmVUrzTRxkD038lwmUy/s1600/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyKnUhp-frmaNtES1oqmvmagV0cn5oeqKCbJeRxl8PwVfv7Et-wG9YOge5SEyQj8Gt7a9dEwuFwcTy2_CPsHFIXVxYwS4wXJhvkdn9L71qsUXy_a36VR81DhW2fmVUrzTRxkD038lwmUy/s400/2011-03-09_FAP___REN8145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Besides, like the writer Jorge Luis Borges, I have many times imagined that heaven is really a magnificent library ... and there I will have all the time in eternity ... to sit and read every book ever written!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Just a few more quotes written by those more eloquent than myself on the magic of books:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"A wise man reads both books and life itself"</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ Lin Yutang</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRiowp-xQd4WlHNDjD8a9mFCp_omLx4ESYDDIsbBkv9VfaVrHkiKbOAXuiITNvFBjlk0jy5VgYjSP2tz0khAJHi4saAR5mfA1w9qPkKjNjFuEHfsckRV9CrXoYhKP2r3G__8IrL3Hw-N0/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRiowp-xQd4WlHNDjD8a9mFCp_omLx4ESYDDIsbBkv9VfaVrHkiKbOAXuiITNvFBjlk0jy5VgYjSP2tz0khAJHi4saAR5mfA1w9qPkKjNjFuEHfsckRV9CrXoYhKP2r3G__8IrL3Hw-N0/s400/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8071.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Medicine for the Soul</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ An inscription over the door of the library at Thebes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg46zN2mFjuYp9F9wcZEGrwTaljfg7dX3yB7ga-7AuGQOMC1EGU7H6eEtQu-QDbb7ZZYM4LUX4M-69N-hVajtCpuu6kuHjkn3yn9evRT5Dmge1ZlpyzaEiSDn9MW63LTANtkcAAgz1JNre/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg46zN2mFjuYp9F9wcZEGrwTaljfg7dX3yB7ga-7AuGQOMC1EGU7H6eEtQu-QDbb7ZZYM4LUX4M-69N-hVajtCpuu6kuHjkn3yn9evRT5Dmge1ZlpyzaEiSDn9MW63LTANtkcAAgz1JNre/s640/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8078.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"Open your imagination. Open a book"</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ Anonymous</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaI5oftze8kw94Q_1wpWsLdNiEgoKbrwOf1stiXnc2_TWSABELQMFMF1xrFEkB6quLvoPrkLI6zJTkrl9PmB1XF83Y77ssGQyBHiP8einku-hvjmfDYUEKZryE3QKe1r8Ef1d-6ckfWUH/s1600/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaI5oftze8kw94Q_1wpWsLdNiEgoKbrwOf1stiXnc2_TWSABELQMFMF1xrFEkB6quLvoPrkLI6zJTkrl9PmB1XF83Y77ssGQyBHiP8einku-hvjmfDYUEKZryE3QKe1r8Ef1d-6ckfWUH/s400/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8227.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television."</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ Andrew Ross</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEing4rhfG3pnHcGG7SEdE4_7q6ifHf4RgbWVTFscVQuhFdFIsxnJf2E1m8WZoZSzBFeAkSX5UUxZ6bEA66VAd3WjGeuUQmffLAe85DqPgTv_pWpBkERbIyroZAuZM9Yw6MARG5hCDeeOmkx/s1600/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEing4rhfG3pnHcGG7SEdE4_7q6ifHf4RgbWVTFscVQuhFdFIsxnJf2E1m8WZoZSzBFeAkSX5UUxZ6bEA66VAd3WjGeuUQmffLAe85DqPgTv_pWpBkERbIyroZAuZM9Yw6MARG5hCDeeOmkx/s400/2011-03-10_FAP___REN8214.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>The oldest books are only just out to those who have not read them."</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ Samuel Butler</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b46AI3eu6gdxOSSwA12ugYBKPZFNiGH1_qrlTgDlWhPfDkzsccM1J-AjW13I1PizSoj3zMqPfLpdeGsZhLxbhiW6ypRKlpp3sOUXRPW5TLYyHOv3y25m71bCuTDV9oBgg-kWU0nqzKZN/s1600/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b46AI3eu6gdxOSSwA12ugYBKPZFNiGH1_qrlTgDlWhPfDkzsccM1J-AjW13I1PizSoj3zMqPfLpdeGsZhLxbhiW6ypRKlpp3sOUXRPW5TLYyHOv3y25m71bCuTDV9oBgg-kWU0nqzKZN/s640/2011-03-07_FAP___REN8070.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"As long as I can read, nothing human is beyond my understanding, nothing is totally foreign to my nature ... there are no limits to my being ... I'm never alone."</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">~ Linda Weltner</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-18822945413972410312011-02-23T00:27:00.000-08:002011-03-03T02:31:47.563-08:00Everyone needs a place of solace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartphoto.redbubble.com/sets/35303/works/6787789-1-nymphaea"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxr5qEzLmRluxVfR-YEADPcDqBYQRbi6oPOX7qE1OWgyX-7oXH5RVzeTIPjNlK2hyBqfrNywBhVtViFwORPChhhVMbYNel9VnqYaAeCVta5TM4pbkc5YqTwwhrf3FHU9_d2epi_BBfaY6/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6879.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and souls alike.” </i></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoguZour3SF41O2IKBA8CTxnQbHgc3_ZlwEoo4CtdZAEtg36EEX5NW4Fpd99j3kwedHBDGqDc9JmvR2rK0NUT70QC7pzU5fttowMaDs-L_etkRmA-CIlb6oxEun4aHMuTnzP6CPSh8XGp4/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoguZour3SF41O2IKBA8CTxnQbHgc3_ZlwEoo4CtdZAEtg36EEX5NW4Fpd99j3kwedHBDGqDc9JmvR2rK0NUT70QC7pzU5fttowMaDs-L_etkRmA-CIlb6oxEun4aHMuTnzP6CPSh8XGp4/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7090.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">These words were written in 1901 by American wilderness explorer and influential environmentalist John Muir, one of the first advocates for the conservation of the earth’s natural resources. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EbzgIrFm0Yl3MvhfmyVnRfKe7KHrPFggP6atThs1_Boh1ujUI56QeJG2N4cUJARy0mEQ2KuCzgU6E7-oYR0IjmljNs7VLzLBB0_3uF_7-FrDJ0F5sOiCuvw1JUUn6C3EixBN0FuB5nJT/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EbzgIrFm0Yl3MvhfmyVnRfKe7KHrPFggP6atThs1_Boh1ujUI56QeJG2N4cUJARy0mEQ2KuCzgU6E7-oYR0IjmljNs7VLzLBB0_3uF_7-FrDJ0F5sOiCuvw1JUUn6C3EixBN0FuB5nJT/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7045.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A self-described student of nature, Muir’s absolute love of the wonders of nature inspired his devotion to the conservation and preservation of wilderness areas. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhm5PuO2HDUukmeRnkxNfjAal6vu7FvFeWqxnz1xHOV6vpsQiOp3bCVhUI1zlEtHURFUSY7vK-60Y50RfStTk03OFycKxOVObXmWTmyrBlvxZUap07yI3lUx1Zckb-fnUMw_9My-LTRIX/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhm5PuO2HDUukmeRnkxNfjAal6vu7FvFeWqxnz1xHOV6vpsQiOp3bCVhUI1zlEtHURFUSY7vK-60Y50RfStTk03OFycKxOVObXmWTmyrBlvxZUap07yI3lUx1Zckb-fnUMw_9My-LTRIX/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6830.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US">In his elegant prose, he summed up his argument for the preservation of the forests with these words: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"><i>“The battle we have fought, and are still fighting for the forests is part of the eternal conflict between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it . . . So we must count on watching and striving for these trees, and should always be glad to find anything so surely good and noble to strive for.”</i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKVUvpZomjtwDq92VmDO4gtCtV8VrDVh6mCLUDAqwJpp8DWszvks2TL0VpI8Uz4YHXJ-l2XbcifH395Xhb-onlrAKAcppiVBfrO7dC9R_y-0FJ_5MUP9ZDyxRtSWqSdQRPqeuohzZpsyP/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKVUvpZomjtwDq92VmDO4gtCtV8VrDVh6mCLUDAqwJpp8DWszvks2TL0VpI8Uz4YHXJ-l2XbcifH395Xhb-onlrAKAcppiVBfrO7dC9R_y-0FJ_5MUP9ZDyxRtSWqSdQRPqeuohzZpsyP/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7023.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is a truism that the simplest things in life often make us the happiest. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">John Muir believed that in every walk with nature, we receive far more than we could ever seek.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGjhKKjrPZKPtfs50mNNYXWU_ZnjYs3MRBC6ShuUeVBKZNUHzpXtKfl9lrxuMuOyEKnaSc8FlJuUFAfzFxoSitEhn01Qgq23Z37pTEiO0ArG_f42s233v-v71iWPg0pEXAoZ8r5mjYkwY/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGjhKKjrPZKPtfs50mNNYXWU_ZnjYs3MRBC6ShuUeVBKZNUHzpXtKfl9lrxuMuOyEKnaSc8FlJuUFAfzFxoSitEhn01Qgq23Z37pTEiO0ArG_f42s233v-v71iWPg0pEXAoZ8r5mjYkwY/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7057.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I too believe that ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Each time I venture out into a garden or park, walk alongside the river or on the ocean shore, wander through the mangroves or rainforest, or just sit on the wooden bench beside my magnolia tree – in fact anywhere where I am surrounded by the soothing green hues of nature - I can literally feel the stress and tension dissolving and I always emerge with an overriding sense of peace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUe8We8wt_9NDEFdhYTEiIm4BRRiJzZ274vXuVBjb85OwQYoChkTg9WexD2B3WkONbEBI6miOQNzBKC0TmCV5nVSavNKhNoQkmHq4c16uU16Xq7vsZm8A0PRViHw3p-Jk3Dz7sR9x6XJK/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUe8We8wt_9NDEFdhYTEiIm4BRRiJzZ274vXuVBjb85OwQYoChkTg9WexD2B3WkONbEBI6miOQNzBKC0TmCV5nVSavNKhNoQkmHq4c16uU16Xq7vsZm8A0PRViHw3p-Jk3Dz7sR9x6XJK/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7196.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">One morning last week my good friend Lyn and I decided to escape the stresses of our currently chaotic lives for a quiet, soothing few hours of photography at <a href="http://www.nielsensnativenursery.net/">Nielsen’s Native Nursery</a> in Springwood. We left bright and early, cameras in tow, confident that the drenching rains from the night before were well and truly over.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjwNE5YtxsjvA7Jv9dxSO0ovLbhTDG0i40Bl6oKo01QS8v0MmdatrRj2nzIlAlroZzWKw7wgyjHgn6V0jiFe9dE3cyKvgoJIPRGo4edSJLjRNHXjjhFScy-rMV33Zb8xrgfKaI7M0LMXM/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjwNE5YtxsjvA7Jv9dxSO0ovLbhTDG0i40Bl6oKo01QS8v0MmdatrRj2nzIlAlroZzWKw7wgyjHgn6V0jiFe9dE3cyKvgoJIPRGo4edSJLjRNHXjjhFScy-rMV33Zb8xrgfKaI7M0LMXM/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6842.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">However, this is Australia and it seems we have, quite deservedly, attained a reputation for wild and unpredictable weather patterns this summer, culminating in devastating floods throughout most of Queensland over the past couple of months! Needless to say, by the time we arrived at our destination the rain was absolutely bucketing down and looking as though it had no intention of easing! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRh3GN86KpbsrF_25ejSsz-Hy9KCE3Zo3RJyx9ioSIbsGV2O0ysGVSpFO2eOCBiOIDccnG8bn5HwBEsDe4FaWVV7MO3aj9SR7DbhzfGsjej7OBe6erfM9RlisqgkO2CZFRoNbCDQatuQh/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRh3GN86KpbsrF_25ejSsz-Hy9KCE3Zo3RJyx9ioSIbsGV2O0ysGVSpFO2eOCBiOIDccnG8bn5HwBEsDe4FaWVV7MO3aj9SR7DbhzfGsjej7OBe6erfM9RlisqgkO2CZFRoNbCDQatuQh/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6881.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We waited for a while in the car for the rain to abate, then decided to dash into the undercover café for a hot breakfast while we considered our alternatives.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4St3dDtsYIeYPfD0q6Q5s5ULsz98ypY5xo2iQnlC0R1neyooSKXRIEcaGBmMpOqoSge2NVoBTg8FT83ATzPS1RW799grfhbXWIBHC4WH8i8bQSy4xo84ZuPYDQ0iipbW1Gwd4ct4VgMh/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4St3dDtsYIeYPfD0q6Q5s5ULsz98ypY5xo2iQnlC0R1neyooSKXRIEcaGBmMpOqoSge2NVoBTg8FT83ATzPS1RW799grfhbXWIBHC4WH8i8bQSy4xo84ZuPYDQ0iipbW1Gwd4ct4VgMh/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7179.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Breakfast was divine! We sat in the café looking out over a rainbow of flowering native trees and bushes, savouring our morning expresso and eggs and bacon and listening to the joyful music of the rain on the roof. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN8JNvOd2lghaICUzyHzcZeVbr4B0bKLl6H_UaDtxPcoHvvKfAqb7XRH6tOECd383sBMdCmvgPiS9W1jHUdtmkM-3l08z7XvmuKy3ql6WcTB1FJtxdRs4n6JWV1dxt71pk_nWfjrhJxdY/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN8JNvOd2lghaICUzyHzcZeVbr4B0bKLl6H_UaDtxPcoHvvKfAqb7XRH6tOECd383sBMdCmvgPiS9W1jHUdtmkM-3l08z7XvmuKy3ql6WcTB1FJtxdRs4n6JWV1dxt71pk_nWfjrhJxdY/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6851.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As the rain eased to a light sprinkle, an inquisitive water dragon posed very conveniently on the edge of the waterfall in the pond beside the cafe, inviting us to take his portrait. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartphoto.redbubble.com/sets/49532/works/6787809-1-water-dragon"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAWlaXNGR58DBIDq9eBvkCaU7YKidpEXfSJQds3eU7cCgaebsIO0q8cL4Xn8IsEe-1Rf_Ca3EsdYZT9xssy3Z31SL0HL0nYXdDmGUb3_W_Ag3z24RocBU9k2GtgFBChcgvsULmdSiN3sw/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6827.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The showers continued all morning, but we managed to dash out during the breaks to photograph the magnificent native plants as well as a few exquisite water lilies and some vividly patterned tropical fish in the aquarium.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM3OZ53zwPbh2uHzaUZ34EE1H6sWfopE5e0x8q5xqQZO8bUOa1J-FXpBb3H6aBuzWRS1H-hhgWntxxXcBBM4Q-RRUmLBYG4ioDFNGW7RKSWYmY8VZ8-XX27rv31Nijuwz3X7zgMHVkeBD/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM3OZ53zwPbh2uHzaUZ34EE1H6sWfopE5e0x8q5xqQZO8bUOa1J-FXpBb3H6aBuzWRS1H-hhgWntxxXcBBM4Q-RRUmLBYG4ioDFNGW7RKSWYmY8VZ8-XX27rv31Nijuwz3X7zgMHVkeBD/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I love the way gardens like this link us to the earth and connect us with the simple pleasures of nature. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX0_b-VaMCK_dU5Gx5b6GUTjU3QZRY0TKq-SRqrntKxHX6RsTraC74z4YgYoSYnqflb6NC2YPcSvF3pFtq1yXJz5AloMma76-aFmvsPKpfU3iLvm64FeTLy7OruI-LUypA2X_u5gCGsxh/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX0_b-VaMCK_dU5Gx5b6GUTjU3QZRY0TKq-SRqrntKxHX6RsTraC74z4YgYoSYnqflb6NC2YPcSvF3pFtq1yXJz5AloMma76-aFmvsPKpfU3iLvm64FeTLy7OruI-LUypA2X_u5gCGsxh/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6839.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Whether it is a tiny potted garden on the balcony of a high-rise apartment, a small green corner at a shopping mall, a suburban park filled with ancient shady trees, or the huge green expanse of a national wildlife park, being exposed to the beauty of nature and the natural cycle of life, death and rebirth fulfills and inspires humanity in a way that nothing else can. </span><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAFDt_R07XRz0NJgy0UNZAANmdS_IirmSJIcBtGjOFOLNvznZd2DCNdIF72OnkXN42bPydvLN2bzL_b3IYZHXuiBk6GcIGp1Gr35ialuDub43aDOKAUbaT9gO5lZ8acvVvl6ECzAUcim3/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAFDt_R07XRz0NJgy0UNZAANmdS_IirmSJIcBtGjOFOLNvznZd2DCNdIF72OnkXN42bPydvLN2bzL_b3IYZHXuiBk6GcIGp1Gr35ialuDub43aDOKAUbaT9gO5lZ8acvVvl6ECzAUcim3/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7186.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNISnawSn6dAXOvbU38GfFZwOsh7zjMuRCzzs7YESc8HfgyCB9xrwehxhfbpa32Bo0TseylLYPi28fPGZ9nlAIRjoHYn08XYWHuuYnx_Of4mVhdYVLkVziuCIYIMchfrbnNenY-5GuYS9Q/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNISnawSn6dAXOvbU38GfFZwOsh7zjMuRCzzs7YESc8HfgyCB9xrwehxhfbpa32Bo0TseylLYPi28fPGZ9nlAIRjoHYn08XYWHuuYnx_Of4mVhdYVLkVziuCIYIMchfrbnNenY-5GuYS9Q/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7066.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is almost as if we are witnessing the divine act of creation taking place each time we see a tiny bud unfold slowly into a glorious flower.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ksylP9_2evkdf7_k76hFJyMqhB-WtMXWE0xzu0f4yFmJJJBt66RGc743Xevg-xnWGBvU1iUreLD0SO8CwTfx5upg5umH7_17UkP-koe39Cc-IicMK0WHo2B3_oWIlDCGXOJzpxMNtMkJ/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ksylP9_2evkdf7_k76hFJyMqhB-WtMXWE0xzu0f4yFmJJJBt66RGc743Xevg-xnWGBvU1iUreLD0SO8CwTfx5upg5umH7_17UkP-koe39Cc-IicMK0WHo2B3_oWIlDCGXOJzpxMNtMkJ/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN6883.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Or glimpse the perfection of raindrops lined up along the edges of the red rose’s petals like a priceless diamond necklace.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm8-4MC5N6g1JkBfRMFRENiYiIs4gQ3BpVeMqcCT4qVhNl-cPOO8hy6XLmPlOq6-XHyfiqOgJzqRgs1KWiGUPwJXlmmjlB-FL09OjttB8R0Bkq6F-1CMwWnplqeHkJsLOLzQhhWQhChrK/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm8-4MC5N6g1JkBfRMFRENiYiIs4gQ3BpVeMqcCT4qVhNl-cPOO8hy6XLmPlOq6-XHyfiqOgJzqRgs1KWiGUPwJXlmmjlB-FL09OjttB8R0Bkq6F-1CMwWnplqeHkJsLOLzQhhWQhChrK/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Or breathe in the distinctive scent of the magnificent Eucalyptus trees with their silvery grey leaves and the strange pink blossoms that symbolize Australia so very eloquently.</span><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzabETonKijy6F9IBTHWXFjW_etdQ5HCDZUQANUgKKMoMZTmAQM0NI16nUq9hlNe_0kGMOHuq0yKYjhNQZevuneWEWmkhuwEWgck4OpAQgvJyMxDDPY9WrYVZRWD-hrxVNkRFUKwMiaUN1/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzabETonKijy6F9IBTHWXFjW_etdQ5HCDZUQANUgKKMoMZTmAQM0NI16nUq9hlNe_0kGMOHuq0yKYjhNQZevuneWEWmkhuwEWgck4OpAQgvJyMxDDPY9WrYVZRWD-hrxVNkRFUKwMiaUN1/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7154.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Or experience the heart-warming feelings of sweet anticipation and old-fashioned goodness that wash over me when I see the aptly-named Nodding Violets hanging their heads from their slender green stems and the pretty pastel hued Hydrangea blooms.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jfjo8F2RG_Fug9WnR7KCeWvROOc59487hrz_p23J_jOcelwdY1Cwh0SqqBDZgk1kE-EIVStYrGNDRmNVnomzhooHmk99rye-cjMEyDaFE2xw8d6E8ACHSB7CV3wPrnQCl_1J_5RqaDyp/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jfjo8F2RG_Fug9WnR7KCeWvROOc59487hrz_p23J_jOcelwdY1Cwh0SqqBDZgk1kE-EIVStYrGNDRmNVnomzhooHmk99rye-cjMEyDaFE2xw8d6E8ACHSB7CV3wPrnQCl_1J_5RqaDyp/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7033.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3GPRsFa2BWjm-8geYAm4Uwbs0zOBeXlAWT2y42Wl_1bwsVJ9yewwKU6vFnrQOOz-7oKi74NAzoS_5geRi7anqfDKOTmY9Ua9J0ihf-pZCVS1nMLO_Kw2duSM1PnrZNNTyQQTUCimWRDa/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3GPRsFa2BWjm-8geYAm4Uwbs0zOBeXlAWT2y42Wl_1bwsVJ9yewwKU6vFnrQOOz-7oKi74NAzoS_5geRi7anqfDKOTmY9Ua9J0ihf-pZCVS1nMLO_Kw2duSM1PnrZNNTyQQTUCimWRDa/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7035.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Or stop and study the delicate wings of finest porcelain belonging to the tiny angels masquerading as white Peace Lilies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Wandering through the plant lined avenues of the nursery with the scents of the many native flowers mingling and floating on the rain-filled air ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartphoto.redbubble.com/sets/41053/works/6787766-1-on-the-march"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WvPLVGAP_rRCHunEnzpsfgxzeKXzKcsjvPqzSrAS4lUO4qzxbdqqqREfQz8aR-2Zv9FJ_dskVl4GP8-D3oPrJvgxyp9wbdIA_SoniRLHucrKJc2HXYjqg-_P9UDlG7AsvjZgPVKdYz9L/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7106.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">... accompanied by the screeching of the flamboyant Rainbow Lorikeets sampling the sweet nectar in the smorgasboard of native Grevillea varieties in flower ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">... and that absolutely unbelievable brilliant green hue that provided a perfect backdrop to everything we photographed ...</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNllhxFDfM3qBLcgmbhlSEIJq9WXtDK6Aaj7X14ni_pu30tAHHwQe1k_sLlprTlQTHTDwwVCgbdKlk1r-gU6-1_l9NYBzJpWrswNxDnIvkIsfu4jdW3YaQF50FUHXY6xkzJEhCZkMPrkE/s1600/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNllhxFDfM3qBLcgmbhlSEIJq9WXtDK6Aaj7X14ni_pu30tAHHwQe1k_sLlprTlQTHTDwwVCgbdKlk1r-gU6-1_l9NYBzJpWrswNxDnIvkIsfu4jdW3YaQF50FUHXY6xkzJEhCZkMPrkE/s640/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7032.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">... I knew that this would be one of those special times that hovers in our hearts for a long, long time, giving us a place of solace to retreat to when life gets stressful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7tkmN3i7gN0hqn7LCoWBIKsVaXoaFNB3q485H55105mnTjk-oROHMk18Lw3LifTIp_fRZBswuL7-kFHWagnbzlj0LIWGks6U05r9RtS1BiusKTIf9aCPnoLL9K3NoijLcsTyFuqclR4e/s400/2011-02-16_FAP___REN7110.jpg" width="400" /></div><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All images in this blog post were taken at Nielsens Native Nursery on 16 February 2011. Thank you to the staff of the Cafe for the wonderful breakfast and for minding our camera bags while we wandered around having so much fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-90789317636286378812011-02-12T22:57:00.000-08:002011-02-12T22:57:50.909-08:00The Supreme Moment<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73uMlfVrj9kNQCw0a38uuJMLOA-CF1FsjOHkXaLO41FWqci_FbAu5Rm1YjpwZCEAbrCo1ahXGjgESQ1lk-_0y2UY-C-60MwWWtDTiVAVs6eU2tTYSYXBzXL5u3KPVvBq2nGiFoCOcFoNu/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73uMlfVrj9kNQCw0a38uuJMLOA-CF1FsjOHkXaLO41FWqci_FbAu5Rm1YjpwZCEAbrCo1ahXGjgESQ1lk-_0y2UY-C-60MwWWtDTiVAVs6eU2tTYSYXBzXL5u3KPVvBq2nGiFoCOcFoNu/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6579.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">“In every piece of work beauty is achieved through the convergence of numerous factors brought into union under the rules of due proportion and harmony.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk80WsGVLb4ZNVmB9rrg6Yr6CDzG5sWeHkxMLzg5ZVooeLlX1pKgDdSZD1OQFGFXl-todbt3KXRrmqm8fNvWS5A8JBhZiPoDH7Qs7fUt2Tw2oWYEbfp-bkSimnEAoG_WThnAqljyvhSLY/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk80WsGVLb4ZNVmB9rrg6Yr6CDzG5sWeHkxMLzg5ZVooeLlX1pKgDdSZD1OQFGFXl-todbt3KXRrmqm8fNvWS5A8JBhZiPoDH7Qs7fUt2Tw2oWYEbfp-bkSimnEAoG_WThnAqljyvhSLY/s400/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And so it is with photography. It is the interplay between many factors, such as light, shadow, time of day, season, colours, framing and expression, plus the unique way in which the photographer perceives what lies within his/her viewfinder that must all come together to produce the raw material for an outstanding image. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdnLH4ZrgjjnFqQ2CXXjbNvlYkT8Yn6i96pD3ZRJja8Ca-3wg20d_woBPKZAnmQtOFsOxBzzbzfwpyQJbosvIj6SYsm9WYjZs5VOSPkfMQbIdWFggfwY2fyJJ8ImQWhajGJyzBEXrf0gl/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdnLH4ZrgjjnFqQ2CXXjbNvlYkT8Yn6i96pD3ZRJja8Ca-3wg20d_woBPKZAnmQtOFsOxBzzbzfwpyQJbosvIj6SYsm9WYjZs5VOSPkfMQbIdWFggfwY2fyJJ8ImQWhajGJyzBEXrf0gl/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6607.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And then, there is that one moment in time when the shutter must be depressed to move the image from ordinary to creatively brilliant!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF9-JNLtB5N0EEKGT3gCEftPM8TERpi5lRv6VzJuRFETTuwpxcANh4aVl21BTZ2AJCv0fxiMMN8RDDXyg4y-HaxsWpQcFmYA8ICQ5mFGE01qMUKQxFYQv_SqmjVtiK8VEf7w8Gzxgr6g6/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF9-JNLtB5N0EEKGT3gCEftPM8TERpi5lRv6VzJuRFETTuwpxcANh4aVl21BTZ2AJCv0fxiMMN8RDDXyg4y-HaxsWpQcFmYA8ICQ5mFGE01qMUKQxFYQv_SqmjVtiK8VEf7w8Gzxgr6g6/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6673.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Plutarch, in his epic work ‘Moralia’, states: <i>“In all works of art, beauty is, so to speak, the product of a large quantity of numbers that achieve a single ‘kairos’ by means of a system of proportion and harmony.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyImTFo4LQCsLKWRiWZqGEcJZXTRxADUdquuv1I84N1DDqQvzj10AidicdUG7LJ1pjUZYy-q1JJ3Lff_wkxjmY7G_vjmbq9Dtw_VMBQ5fAxAcNjTsyaU0dszT5G6d-_agmMwO2rS7vEZtA/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyImTFo4LQCsLKWRiWZqGEcJZXTRxADUdquuv1I84N1DDqQvzj10AidicdUG7LJ1pjUZYy-q1JJ3Lff_wkxjmY7G_vjmbq9Dtw_VMBQ5fAxAcNjTsyaU0dszT5G6d-_agmMwO2rS7vEZtA/s400/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6594.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">‘Kairos’ is the ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment – the <i>supreme</i> moment in time – and there is nothing in this world that does not have its supreme moment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibWNFLopAOK6MMudmAZzNXT85cv-HtlME0w6N9JyRLo4JltD3EsksqpbyfC7OwdvL4kP7sttvpfAIcbYE0EyE3_KxVvH3fKj39MAYvFSB0dsKsrjq8rE92glAxIQH9gfo0YkDu8nqW6eF/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibWNFLopAOK6MMudmAZzNXT85cv-HtlME0w6N9JyRLo4JltD3EsksqpbyfC7OwdvL4kP7sttvpfAIcbYE0EyE3_KxVvH3fKj39MAYvFSB0dsKsrjq8rE92glAxIQH9gfo0YkDu8nqW6eF/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6662.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Finding and communicating that moment is what all artists strive for.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTpVm1M5lh1bBPVKDSp9_uqjq4Qv1YckeEYGD-TyqdGREgnUY16Q4rGCXWXQdDz4xwFEBFP1FqWav6T2Lruuepnn5zfodXkVreBhwxpEJBDDl3GUUFl-bY5r7fgTQH4rDy4c4L-s3YcfG/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTpVm1M5lh1bBPVKDSp9_uqjq4Qv1YckeEYGD-TyqdGREgnUY16Q4rGCXWXQdDz4xwFEBFP1FqWav6T2Lruuepnn5zfodXkVreBhwxpEJBDDl3GUUFl-bY5r7fgTQH4rDy4c4L-s3YcfG/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6785.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson discovered this early on in his brilliant career as a photojournalist. Considered a national treasure by France, he became one of the finest and most eminent photographers of our time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXJC4RmA6inR4nxHVR_jsrHaRgXBQffAQwVD0llUKXB8auO1b4aeBDowWb1gYBWRcLN9bG7PZSjGXocom0Gyyh_led1ryG49jRPf2fD6H-Qj6_v1nyX59sCoSGWXzUcoM71SjKuMvdM7i/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXJC4RmA6inR4nxHVR_jsrHaRgXBQffAQwVD0llUKXB8auO1b4aeBDowWb1gYBWRcLN9bG7PZSjGXocom0Gyyh_led1ryG49jRPf2fD6H-Qj6_v1nyX59sCoSGWXzUcoM71SjKuMvdM7i/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6636.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">His extraordinary black and white photographs are shaped by a passionately empathetic eye and an intelligent mind that unerringly focused on the very heart of his subject.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP98Nv0HZlQN7s5uTNgS2sFm5GTYLCT6ZMNoKLuGWiv0qeCz6lP6gA_GOtQXog6ejhTSM5F-Qi41cOHsc9fa5OseM3TuGjQ2qAY9dRe2x373oFaob-LfjmS07Tp0r2zXhCid4IubCYFkyv/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP98Nv0HZlQN7s5uTNgS2sFm5GTYLCT6ZMNoKLuGWiv0qeCz6lP6gA_GOtQXog6ejhTSM5F-Qi41cOHsc9fa5OseM3TuGjQ2qAY9dRe2x373oFaob-LfjmS07Tp0r2zXhCid4IubCYFkyv/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6705.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“Inside movement there is a moment at which the elements in motion are in balance,”</i> Cartier-Bresson wrote. <i>“Photography must seize upon this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRwBGBqXgnn84BOCDIjU857xympObLLSoNHxE2Qt7UP9hvwUOHUn-IPPkVTCVvOkLdBqx8ECeoPw1_EIEnAl4_ksIgJRnJKVDk5K6QIh_Jb5cI-gHSC7InkgzlwxnEUcnZzZae2z3QhsH/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRwBGBqXgnn84BOCDIjU857xympObLLSoNHxE2Qt7UP9hvwUOHUn-IPPkVTCVvOkLdBqx8ECeoPw1_EIEnAl4_ksIgJRnJKVDk5K6QIh_Jb5cI-gHSC7InkgzlwxnEUcnZzZae2z3QhsH/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6732.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>“Photography is not like painting,”</i> he said in a 1957 interview with the Washington Post. <i>“There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUCPySIgFXL-y2-BrFr064pXrSC2we2M3PT-oaRxvRoiSKz_LmtOMb-MMFUyz6jDZnE7117xlYrZNFOvCeTy3EPrlW0KsTFzHzrueT5dhRoezNhbQSiL9mnJJhzOJicCMNtzOZT9KVthI/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUCPySIgFXL-y2-BrFr064pXrSC2we2M3PT-oaRxvRoiSKz_LmtOMb-MMFUyz6jDZnE7117xlYrZNFOvCeTy3EPrlW0KsTFzHzrueT5dhRoezNhbQSiL9mnJJhzOJicCMNtzOZT9KVthI/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6642.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">How do we recognize when that moment occurs? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">How do we achieve that brilliance in our work?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKkub2oucyo35PUCOTkfU_Hoo8dLMkslqRXT_I2T_HP0ke5HM1bKI6k-ToTihhd3sRI1FWczEIvHweweh6FLbMYMguEhR9ed99xA7I6NUtvEspkxaMDgdus_hlxLcPl8X5hUd7cMtdhUa/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKkub2oucyo35PUCOTkfU_Hoo8dLMkslqRXT_I2T_HP0ke5HM1bKI6k-ToTihhd3sRI1FWczEIvHweweh6FLbMYMguEhR9ed99xA7I6NUtvEspkxaMDgdus_hlxLcPl8X5hUd7cMtdhUa/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6716.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It seems that it is not something that can be taught. It exists in the photographer’s mind, and like the sweet spot in the tennis player’s racquet, once you discover it, it will catapult your work into another dimension.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2ebtspS4gbLqVTEJ0XbpuhdTPHXJT012NJaFsqSi6C28tOd5sSB5rmVMWJB52aIG5DD5o6KSxCqQAzKHr0A-dYG1HefDXQipGt0etIK0oMf7LQWvrVCEaObdl7Bj5bMOxo9Lls57PAHw/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2ebtspS4gbLqVTEJ0XbpuhdTPHXJT012NJaFsqSi6C28tOd5sSB5rmVMWJB52aIG5DD5o6KSxCqQAzKHr0A-dYG1HefDXQipGt0etIK0oMf7LQWvrVCEaObdl7Bj5bMOxo9Lls57PAHw/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6783.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As with everything of an artistic nature, finding the supreme moment is a combination of constant practice and experimentation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vG-e4XlBeigtvjyFByRKlfn6cKgvIBhco0jW_lG9XFD1_0r_sO0n5QHDNle3x7YVB_sHgIjxZOQWslSOHN_A9pEu7L1za-vc0Y6JzcPQSfRTa9qbrmFGeMRHKpbWqm7ksKE1WPwwDIM8/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vG-e4XlBeigtvjyFByRKlfn6cKgvIBhco0jW_lG9XFD1_0r_sO0n5QHDNle3x7YVB_sHgIjxZOQWslSOHN_A9pEu7L1za-vc0Y6JzcPQSfRTa9qbrmFGeMRHKpbWqm7ksKE1WPwwDIM8/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6608.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Great photographers always say that they tend to take pictures all the time, that their camera accompanies them everywhere, and that they are most comfortable looking at the world through a viewfinder. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pGwlYYUfy5eacWzTT99j4kWam_f2QYriY-L-PxvhIWKAuEUTjM7WyolqfAVEm6CM7bTxfmjXihyphenhyphen6oEZODb42N2zIXdNQ3Me9iPMh048w0eErlpE44Z7V36as3k9dh94EJvU9gd8owtkc/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pGwlYYUfy5eacWzTT99j4kWam_f2QYriY-L-PxvhIWKAuEUTjM7WyolqfAVEm6CM7bTxfmjXihyphenhyphen6oEZODb42N2zIXdNQ3Me9iPMh048w0eErlpE44Z7V36as3k9dh94EJvU9gd8owtkc/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6628.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This continual practice develops an intuitive muscle memory, much the same as perfecting a technique on a musical instrument, which enables the development of extremely fast reflexes both physically and mentally. After many, many hours, it seems everything comes together and you stop asking yourself if now is the time to press the shutter. You just know it is! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRnxlMrPk-oiLKERs5ET1GloCJ8VaA85WHI8UeSWVaZsTFVtRbBilpYAaJP1QvAaeNMJ59-JPw4EGW3UvHrwhqF5o72i-YWPMHXNHu3Igj4cyz-s-CUYhcr5dZef_n-4veuWYNv-cbC2B/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRnxlMrPk-oiLKERs5ET1GloCJ8VaA85WHI8UeSWVaZsTFVtRbBilpYAaJP1QvAaeNMJ59-JPw4EGW3UvHrwhqF5o72i-YWPMHXNHu3Igj4cyz-s-CUYhcr5dZef_n-4veuWYNv-cbC2B/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6690.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Taking pictures of anything and everything has always been something I have enjoyed doing. Even now, I continue to find photography so incredibly exciting and rewarding. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpraDIjorSBAE__38DSj24fwC4X4UNuelIEuRG0_gCPR780jECQ8U9knH-M50mP2KBT-3s80-12fBWZrCzfIXEjLjWLH04wq8dVT6RgNRhgsHviav3t_qF8ukakrn5nhHW1tgfHmuZqDm6/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpraDIjorSBAE__38DSj24fwC4X4UNuelIEuRG0_gCPR780jECQ8U9knH-M50mP2KBT-3s80-12fBWZrCzfIXEjLjWLH04wq8dVT6RgNRhgsHviav3t_qF8ukakrn5nhHW1tgfHmuZqDm6/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6708.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It has shown me things beyond my imagination, revealing to me the incredible beauty, mystery, power, strangeness and diversity that is life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_vKeIpU3rx0xcwjaxROlJpCtiWcGSsIpFwnXJxkwuGoAp1o4RsLvf3idU-qpnSegvHvkmKudqpecqbF76pFQPtgq4yZ0HdQphL5uHq4AmgMrpHpQmpm8tkrkp31SKAkaCwTlEIdkgsu2/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_vKeIpU3rx0xcwjaxROlJpCtiWcGSsIpFwnXJxkwuGoAp1o4RsLvf3idU-qpnSegvHvkmKudqpecqbF76pFQPtgq4yZ0HdQphL5uHq4AmgMrpHpQmpm8tkrkp31SKAkaCwTlEIdkgsu2/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6744.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Photography has introduced me to another world, a world that I know I will spend the rest of my life in, chasing those elusive <i>supreme</i> moments that Cartier-Bresson seemed to capture so easily. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUEwWCd5s1KN_2pYBYlcGD70bK9QkjpoY9rZfDQ9pIBzyPj2IHvBx2RN1Rd5IAQnmPg_khXgbWcSKzyicV9hJKK69rX5dPfyrNBp76ey9dn8q98HfDpYLQXjAXY8S_IEjTYTlTvNWIIR6/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUEwWCd5s1KN_2pYBYlcGD70bK9QkjpoY9rZfDQ9pIBzyPj2IHvBx2RN1Rd5IAQnmPg_khXgbWcSKzyicV9hJKK69rX5dPfyrNBp76ey9dn8q98HfDpYLQXjAXY8S_IEjTYTlTvNWIIR6/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6645.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSPmPns9d1hVAy07gXUSIr_24J4r3csU3fcrFs4ru7bLbN8mLtl7NktUnacfluEdDuDcnXzpStTPgb4vSpniyYZPAlwrJwiTdTARv82A_2bK30-LbzsJpz7S-b47HZtIJ_Xju7XqT5m65/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSPmPns9d1hVAy07gXUSIr_24J4r3csU3fcrFs4ru7bLbN8mLtl7NktUnacfluEdDuDcnXzpStTPgb4vSpniyYZPAlwrJwiTdTARv82A_2bK30-LbzsJpz7S-b47HZtIJ_Xju7XqT5m65/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6640.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX_beoKhytKjkbDpwiMsnsot27YKIe7P2WiNuV1rgJKOHcQoy_qWfikgRI9QQ_T5Ju7r_18N8anVNEKzuixo5YL8oHFfFSGs-xakgyo5nQrS2eX0gonML295ZfdatLbgRhm7lwtZp7Oy-/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX_beoKhytKjkbDpwiMsnsot27YKIe7P2WiNuV1rgJKOHcQoy_qWfikgRI9QQ_T5Ju7r_18N8anVNEKzuixo5YL8oHFfFSGs-xakgyo5nQrS2eX0gonML295ZfdatLbgRhm7lwtZp7Oy-/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6720.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c_QeFneDbxDiMLv9CWYnqb60uxf93CTtlkIkqAmW7S1Mv2H9h9UVAZeoNEvM5Cdc25xcWPnrLaNJbAk6KUbFvqtfRpFxbrfAB_dCqLY_pnOvNTq-Hpm_R43Q5GKC4pa4IrHlPz3FYPJu/s1600/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c_QeFneDbxDiMLv9CWYnqb60uxf93CTtlkIkqAmW7S1Mv2H9h9UVAZeoNEvM5Cdc25xcWPnrLaNJbAk6KUbFvqtfRpFxbrfAB_dCqLY_pnOvNTq-Hpm_R43Q5GKC4pa4IrHlPz3FYPJu/s640/2011-02-12_FAP___REN6736.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">All photographs in this blog were taken yesterday afternoon at the Roma Street Parklands, an area that is in the process of recovering from the devastating floods that inundated Brisbane a month ago. I am continually amazed at how fast Nature can bounce back. Many floral displays were damaged or destroyed but everywhere I walked yesterday, there was new growth and regeneration.</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-184747291102321362011-02-04T02:13:00.000-08:002011-02-04T02:13:39.401-08:00Embracing Nature's Beauty<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5c2Ya3zsnXbKyKTPoAKetyLJhGYoJB_WaGEDaAJd9kc_FG-dB2k-CFS6f4HdJrlWfNJfm_Y5HWrcukUzjdGvSZHs92zVRUfUVGIJWXegr0NgkTAaunO2StPfcjBdvXK49CucC2pAJUlb/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5c2Ya3zsnXbKyKTPoAKetyLJhGYoJB_WaGEDaAJd9kc_FG-dB2k-CFS6f4HdJrlWfNJfm_Y5HWrcukUzjdGvSZHs92zVRUfUVGIJWXegr0NgkTAaunO2StPfcjBdvXK49CucC2pAJUlb/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6352.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">As an art photographer, I am often asked if I am ever at a loss for a subject to photograph. I can honestly and emphatically say no! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz9is17DOTeYI4q9RDj5j2DDi2n9gnuO0EP9dheMx_cRd3tvkTLrpuq82ATMKxHsqYojdQdzyBgBTQBL_CiLDEh5lUEmUSwfFnQmcmkZm-59QZ6DFyKaG1yW_llNSXHTHTpTfDEiFcf-G/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz9is17DOTeYI4q9RDj5j2DDi2n9gnuO0EP9dheMx_cRd3tvkTLrpuq82ATMKxHsqYojdQdzyBgBTQBL_CiLDEh5lUEmUSwfFnQmcmkZm-59QZ6DFyKaG1yW_llNSXHTHTpTfDEiFcf-G/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6312.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">There is </span><i>always</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> something to inspire me to grab my camera and take a photograph, especially when outdoors amongst nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzi2nu42ay9rQzg1lxGoc2j0Liw93FKTRZuyTGRsyK4oav_LXfTqoG7PPMaiZvS0TMfZZ0pZOhMWArQ0jwynP_tOPDqnyr8DJemkSKFEpwyZIOoiqu_-VnuuwoWYWtaUahXtaPeQdmzIZ/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzi2nu42ay9rQzg1lxGoc2j0Liw93FKTRZuyTGRsyK4oav_LXfTqoG7PPMaiZvS0TMfZZ0pZOhMWArQ0jwynP_tOPDqnyr8DJemkSKFEpwyZIOoiqu_-VnuuwoWYWtaUahXtaPeQdmzIZ/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6343.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It does not have to be something new to catch my attention as I find that each day brings new light, new colour and new angles to the same subjects. </span>In fact I have often photographed the same flower, tree or ocean scene quite a few times in a week with totally different results each time and I regularly revisit favourite locations time and time again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJDjY6ANn2-_dPf_BDxV3lbcfKfy-IsqFE9KPsRQXPMFfMi1Tc3GYX3U_GVv3ErflXOigE4zsaviYXqD2mhpH8bgfpn8IFxvyf_om4_iq-nB4qsnKbrv80DMfh2hs2s9kX7sDkMFM34Pe/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJDjY6ANn2-_dPf_BDxV3lbcfKfy-IsqFE9KPsRQXPMFfMi1Tc3GYX3U_GVv3ErflXOigE4zsaviYXqD2mhpH8bgfpn8IFxvyf_om4_iq-nB4qsnKbrv80DMfh2hs2s9kX7sDkMFM34Pe/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6317.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Perhaps that is why so many therapists encourage their patients to treat each new day as a beginning, as a start to a new life with no preconceptions or negativity left over from the day before, only positive expectations with which to move forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkMKwazlPAO8KSWFAN52i94DOqAVNn9PFogX4KPDWXnrKEVMcMDIUWUzjzUNHxgYCUoTXHvsPTdcPLQcGJBtS0rx4mRxUUWRuAfwusjLcn1tZfn446DJEqoNP2ahLp5xqchMQuMC2yn4Q/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkMKwazlPAO8KSWFAN52i94DOqAVNn9PFogX4KPDWXnrKEVMcMDIUWUzjzUNHxgYCUoTXHvsPTdcPLQcGJBtS0rx4mRxUUWRuAfwusjLcn1tZfn446DJEqoNP2ahLp5xqchMQuMC2yn4Q/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6362.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">For my blog today, I decided to walk up my street and photograph the flowers and plants in my neighbours’ yards, just the ones growing along the fence-line that were reachable from the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3OmPM3O_XbYYbow3MVN9H0yKvpEeL2mktrUUPyJ1omgHO_vROVbCrKt3lKx8DwiBNN0DXPkhvzmeewNZpBfoU5j__e3SqtaUD2O7V22vx-nvoUbwbehTpg_LoExYpItuZ2rLNJuiW_Sy/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3OmPM3O_XbYYbow3MVN9H0yKvpEeL2mktrUUPyJ1omgHO_vROVbCrKt3lKx8DwiBNN0DXPkhvzmeewNZpBfoU5j__e3SqtaUD2O7V22vx-nvoUbwbehTpg_LoExYpItuZ2rLNJuiW_Sy/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6375.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">At first glance I thought I might have embarked on an extremely ambitious project, but after a minute or two down at ground level I could see that I would not have to walk much further to get the shots I wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1RYw0IRdJh73o3mcCJb_ojI0jUq5OSvufr25NvVh0pmcsce7_sDBWcrOvsrK_Iiyz0aADCDfzFw7ZPG1M0R7ukk0ro54iXAdQ58vp_kn6JW2-UwaCcDuXp4M6xnzrC_R0gg91e2GH1I0/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1RYw0IRdJh73o3mcCJb_ojI0jUq5OSvufr25NvVh0pmcsce7_sDBWcrOvsrK_Iiyz0aADCDfzFw7ZPG1M0R7ukk0ro54iXAdQ58vp_kn6JW2-UwaCcDuXp4M6xnzrC_R0gg91e2GH1I0/s400/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6347.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Even in this heatwave, the flowers are out there, showing off their vibrant colours and intricate designs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXT8ZKkJiLDXHj44P-U7qQDowMH90NEm-exL6onCdOkpeWrL-b0WS6g8eGhmAUV84GPvjwC_gt0E1rUzj2mKxmUbp1fGOLvxxIwFyx3t8VfrY9M-6Go35r3GckcQRzqc1xWmoDBUxLCLf/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXT8ZKkJiLDXHj44P-U7qQDowMH90NEm-exL6onCdOkpeWrL-b0WS6g8eGhmAUV84GPvjwC_gt0E1rUzj2mKxmUbp1fGOLvxxIwFyx3t8VfrY9M-6Go35r3GckcQRzqc1xWmoDBUxLCLf/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6330.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Some of them are so small and simple, probably just colourful weeds trying to be noticed … <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JXmyv9YsuN_u3KaGkTAX5DtftTBPryU1mvWuIsoyhyeY9cqq9RaqLSSJfRjegnz5CAbq4tHq71an_5OJb6_hNQOpycCIJHqeBsaaailWDDwnIk9GIMG6kE0zRd3lFICMebZT51wRKRFj/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JXmyv9YsuN_u3KaGkTAX5DtftTBPryU1mvWuIsoyhyeY9cqq9RaqLSSJfRjegnz5CAbq4tHq71an_5OJb6_hNQOpycCIJHqeBsaaailWDDwnIk9GIMG6kE0zRd3lFICMebZT51wRKRFj/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6334.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">While others are large, elaborate and showy … like the bright yellow Lilies I found leaning over the pristine white picket fence of a property a few houses up from ours. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-2E4XKJ3yAOOHE3AViB47oZDLelvODSeggIJkX9l1wcUeVUp7EEsyJTh6x9RHnb44eRkTa4NiCAxhVTp_CCfNJtX7D-fN8NTuig1qKxMLzW6b16FgiXHfWr06eUsXP-gCKiAsQh33PsK/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-2E4XKJ3yAOOHE3AViB47oZDLelvODSeggIJkX9l1wcUeVUp7EEsyJTh6x9RHnb44eRkTa4NiCAxhVTp_CCfNJtX7D-fN8NTuig1qKxMLzW6b16FgiXHfWr06eUsXP-gCKiAsQh33PsK/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6345.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Or intense … like the deep purple and magenta leaves of a plant that I have never seen before enjoying the cooling shade of a huge gum tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t6jus_XJPXBrwTVb-FGOb67TWNJMqxTr_TZPLvwYqh3-JZZcASBCCTByzDhvZYdl_5-jYNDXIhvDBylIVJ1J4ANECOMXayWdDwx2t2fZlqnGjoGMQCuje9hnx-ltfpKmDp1KqPNUB_jv/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t6jus_XJPXBrwTVb-FGOb67TWNJMqxTr_TZPLvwYqh3-JZZcASBCCTByzDhvZYdl_5-jYNDXIhvDBylIVJ1J4ANECOMXayWdDwx2t2fZlqnGjoGMQCuje9hnx-ltfpKmDp1KqPNUB_jv/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6366.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Or exquisitely beautiful … like the tiny delicately coloured blooms peeking out from their hiding places on the Ginger plants. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DIehw3bF810xStPILtT2wU1G4T-OEdtLyieBA0d_20OgMeFRWW7hhrDjpxIxN_O8lCOKjV-a6StTnI_Lcej-wmIW8oPTtIMNsCcn9cuP49L3xFdQVWvX_UFlwUp7KicWNKeffAJSS_9B/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DIehw3bF810xStPILtT2wU1G4T-OEdtLyieBA0d_20OgMeFRWW7hhrDjpxIxN_O8lCOKjV-a6StTnI_Lcej-wmIW8oPTtIMNsCcn9cuP49L3xFdQVWvX_UFlwUp7KicWNKeffAJSS_9B/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6311.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Or definitively alien … like the budding pink Gerbera that looked exactly like a space-ship's periscope through my lens as I crouched on my haunches to frame it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w3dmv-JdLMqpV6mXdZ3lI4OWYuABjIR8Vt05UJzjStejEAd8xqCfBfFaYZFTN-BnFj1M8srQlZz9Yxsl8cEkYD_FQ7OP1QbZAxyFRo33e1x0vbb9xvRkln9GCmgxNbRSp8iYOALopcBQ/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w3dmv-JdLMqpV6mXdZ3lI4OWYuABjIR8Vt05UJzjStejEAd8xqCfBfFaYZFTN-BnFj1M8srQlZz9Yxsl8cEkYD_FQ7OP1QbZAxyFRo33e1x0vbb9xvRkln9GCmgxNbRSp8iYOALopcBQ/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6344.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Though I do not profess to be anything of an expert in all things botanical, through my photography I have managed to collect quite an impressive vocabulary when it comes to flora - mostly due to my very knowledgeable friends who are continually receiving emails from me containing numerous images with question marks! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8A_aFk7UyKvuPrwJ7heNlgaIoNqOpJvAmb-0f8RasxubJwWCFaB2ckPIvdNo8v3jVTZh7Qc81CE9lbkPkJlPbGuE_DxPYBs-Dv8Wn13w_cyVx1cBgccyXztCmYD5e583IaYsespvHIvT/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8A_aFk7UyKvuPrwJ7heNlgaIoNqOpJvAmb-0f8RasxubJwWCFaB2ckPIvdNo8v3jVTZh7Qc81CE9lbkPkJlPbGuE_DxPYBs-Dv8Wn13w_cyVx1cBgccyXztCmYD5e583IaYsespvHIvT/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6361.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Nature is so incredibly diverse, even in our cities! Each time I venture outside with my camera, I come across some plant or flower that I have never seen before. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCEXmhGRDS4-vUfOIUm94u-Sz1Pr1RfEmwYTYVdFcWc8mWZmdiC-YITESy_2SZE-8nJaSyO-sEuBHwahpe_SQMS3mOfEu-FPuxj0TjWoXxo7gj6l02ivmOnDExnYp5o5TRTwiECJIHYmc/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCEXmhGRDS4-vUfOIUm94u-Sz1Pr1RfEmwYTYVdFcWc8mWZmdiC-YITESy_2SZE-8nJaSyO-sEuBHwahpe_SQMS3mOfEu-FPuxj0TjWoXxo7gj6l02ivmOnDExnYp5o5TRTwiECJIHYmc/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6382.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"></span>And today, as always, I am amazed at just how much natural beauty there is along a suburban street. I cannot help but think that in nature, lies the salvation of our world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu874GKTV-V0Vze7SkoIunHoyThI7apDvk0jhvSzoPEkjEh_nQ6o8zUw1NePD1iJtbHGWgHDXbGa5HReuX4JAFZU35wSRkAHDR22OzU-8nqOLsu0NyhCBxj7zCFhI1yAVntTJOQpX6Rdk/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu874GKTV-V0Vze7SkoIunHoyThI7apDvk0jhvSzoPEkjEh_nQ6o8zUw1NePD1iJtbHGWgHDXbGa5HReuX4JAFZU35wSRkAHDR22OzU-8nqOLsu0NyhCBxj7zCFhI1yAVntTJOQpX6Rdk/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6333.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As Albert Einstein so eloquently states: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7nHTO37iCRNHVS2I7CTEKf7iftLHCVrai0lrdwKc_e20Cs-RwhDojmOPwxVx0kxyn1ULGy9TR9zy_ANXwAM5quGVAHgHws7vPFHr1fAUKVBUayRA0sInRPgoSPB9vsY1onaUjvS9Aiyc/s1600/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7nHTO37iCRNHVS2I7CTEKf7iftLHCVrai0lrdwKc_e20Cs-RwhDojmOPwxVx0kxyn1ULGy9TR9zy_ANXwAM5quGVAHgHws7vPFHr1fAUKVBUayRA0sInRPgoSPB9vsY1onaUjvS9Aiyc/s640/2011-02-03_FAP___REN6380.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-34184885742847951922011-01-26T16:56:00.000-08:002011-01-26T16:56:48.595-08:00Why music matters<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e-Wih40l4JdJCtFjlYzugYqEnVWOo4Uma8UiBTMg0Xbg4CoHKtkEaf0GY7vPj3uI_jG_vtGalIaAcEBB7psM2KFR-vmVgVt-H7svCS_I8_YpxoFEm6WM7KqRC1c-g7eGMgsVtSa-y6U3/s1600/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e-Wih40l4JdJCtFjlYzugYqEnVWOo4Uma8UiBTMg0Xbg4CoHKtkEaf0GY7vPj3uI_jG_vtGalIaAcEBB7psM2KFR-vmVgVt-H7svCS_I8_YpxoFEm6WM7KqRC1c-g7eGMgsVtSa-y6U3/s400/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6119.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When this extract from a talk by Dr Karl Paulnack, Pianist and Director of Music at Boston Conservatory, showed up once again in my inbox this morning - sent to me by one of my overseas colleagues - I felt I needed to share it on my blog. It is part of his welcome address given to parents of new students at the Boston Conservatory in 2009. With all the devastation and heartache already experienced by so many in this still very new year, it is a worthwhile and inspirational read, even if you are reading it for the second time ...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl0Qz4O-vyoFAFpi_PC4Yxj3BCIzPSLZ_xWoC_GK9ZFlINaO-UEcN3nM327umlArTDOg4QWaqaWiMi_SjdMz68Htgjt_lKJXbTcK077PpFnabUXDrROIzXADiR8Xro32j8BuBrfMvOfq7/s1600/Clarinet_REN8727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl0Qz4O-vyoFAFpi_PC4Yxj3BCIzPSLZ_xWoC_GK9ZFlINaO-UEcN3nM327umlArTDOg4QWaqaWiMi_SjdMz68Htgjt_lKJXbTcK077PpFnabUXDrROIzXADiR8Xro32j8BuBrfMvOfq7/s400/Clarinet_REN8727.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">“One of my parents’ deepest fears, I suspect, is that society would not properly value me as a musician, that I wouldn’t be appreciated. I had very good grades in high school, I was good in science and math, and they imagined that as a doctor or a research chemist or an engineer, I might be more appreciated than I would be as a musician. I still remember my mother’s remark when I announced my decision to apply to music school—she said, “you’re WASTING your SAT scores.” </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKjno_lG_75gSwSXE0UaiaqjZm5xJ5TOQuis7e3RO8DKoURlo22fn8EPNH5AGiaKsxdwWa0bvKfcxEStfEWB-g5h-gZuImYAsEY-DL2_AkwHjJgWw6og1VAQDbv5nXlHrjB9hyNGYbvts/s1600/2010-08-12_FAP__IMG_0227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKjno_lG_75gSwSXE0UaiaqjZm5xJ5TOQuis7e3RO8DKoURlo22fn8EPNH5AGiaKsxdwWa0bvKfcxEStfEWB-g5h-gZuImYAsEY-DL2_AkwHjJgWw6og1VAQDbv5nXlHrjB9hyNGYbvts/s640/2010-08-12_FAP__IMG_0227.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">On some level, I think, my parents were not sure themselves what the value of music was, what its purpose was. And they LOVED music, they listened to classical music all the time. They just weren’t really clear about its function. So let me talk about that a little bit, because we live in a society that puts music in the “arts and entertainment” section of the newspaper, and serious music, the kind your kids are about to engage in, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with entertainment, in fact it’s the opposite of entertainment. Let me talk a little bit about music, and how it works.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_G-0tNWX0R7EUkR9uUEZ9rRuWSee5xlL-t24L9t11dklAOoKIihK1qMxFM1BCM5MK6NSBkL0A9YRMqdbPtQksiieR3uOm2ouJYCJwINMWcpCzi-oQHq_Nt4UUDlTayTZVSvgc4dhvaux/s1600/_REN8724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_G-0tNWX0R7EUkR9uUEZ9rRuWSee5xlL-t24L9t11dklAOoKIihK1qMxFM1BCM5MK6NSBkL0A9YRMqdbPtQksiieR3uOm2ouJYCJwINMWcpCzi-oQHq_Nt4UUDlTayTZVSvgc4dhvaux/s400/_REN8724.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">The first people to understand how music really works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you; the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us. Let me give you some examples of how this works.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSJUonZp-oV5TXL_fLAHh4FZ8wjxzZFGRpgUpt8xljGCHUkvjCE7RxxvAhLcgUl_9gVc7ymB2uBmbv6x4dCKi2GFdu8X65U0b5SjWzug27gg-jEAuBCGvWjWzRE_4fYddn5O-EqvW3sEb/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSJUonZp-oV5TXL_fLAHh4FZ8wjxzZFGRpgUpt8xljGCHUkvjCE7RxxvAhLcgUl_9gVc7ymB2uBmbv6x4dCKi2GFdu8X65U0b5SjWzug27gg-jEAuBCGvWjWzRE_4fYddn5O-EqvW3sEb/s640/DSC_0012.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One of the most profound musical compositions of all time is the Quartet for the End of Time written by French composer Olivier Messiaen in 1940. Messiaen was 31 years old when France entered the war against Nazi Germany. He was captured by the Germans in June of 1940, sent across Germany in a cattle car and imprisoned in a concentration camp.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzPMLiGxwdnxN56R79ASNSDW6OFvG2Jj14_FAHTns5059hVOExw0Yj9QHZSpxtyKl4Mhp6jyBPifz-_CEiOevmYA0J0prX1bFWz4NuBPCud9pQQGz3TRHXo9EdMlCXgfdxmp5gRff17Ie/s1600/Lily+%2526+Renat+Yusupov+-+Bach+Concert+Mar10_REN3376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzPMLiGxwdnxN56R79ASNSDW6OFvG2Jj14_FAHTns5059hVOExw0Yj9QHZSpxtyKl4Mhp6jyBPifz-_CEiOevmYA0J0prX1bFWz4NuBPCud9pQQGz3TRHXo9EdMlCXgfdxmp5gRff17Ie/s400/Lily+%2526+Renat+Yusupov+-+Bach+Concert+Mar10_REN3376.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">He was fortunate to find a sympathetic prison guard who gave him paper and a place to compose. There were three other musicians in the camp, a cellist, a violinist, and a clarinetist, and Messiaen wrote his quartet with these specific players in mind. It was performed in January 1941 for four thousand prisoners and guards in the prison camp. Today it is one of the most famous masterworks in the repertoire.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZWaIbrbj1skoelrn42hKS-bHF6I338Gh8ZcbuvvNZ4XrZJX-xt5F380SQHiK2OrCWiSkEjBUFKqy5RsCkmb8rBOr8VpgzM3h2sftJ1X2A-5hHsu1m5dfblg-P89uRZhGc7QOwWTzMb9Y/s1600/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZWaIbrbj1skoelrn42hKS-bHF6I338Gh8ZcbuvvNZ4XrZJX-xt5F380SQHiK2OrCWiSkEjBUFKqy5RsCkmb8rBOr8VpgzM3h2sftJ1X2A-5hHsu1m5dfblg-P89uRZhGc7QOwWTzMb9Y/s640/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6065.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Given what we have since learned about life in the concentration camps, why would anyone in his right mind waste time and energy writing or playing music? There was barely enough energy on a good day to find food and water, to avoid a beating, to stay warm, to escape torture—why would anyone bother with music? And yet—from the camps, we have poetry, we have music, we have visual art; it wasn’t just this one fanatic Messiaen; many, many people created art. Why? Well, in a place where people are only focused on survival, on the bare necessities, the obvious conclusion is that art must be, somehow, essential for life. The camps were without money, without hope, without commerce, without recreation, without basic respect, but they were not without art. Art is part of survival; art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, “I am alive, and my life has meaning.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGvOL4ARDje8ldnFnBIq7xz-NaCHfM6AOIPlqy5U1a2Jyt6FuW_xFoQPcStXG3UOXodGTVduo3ict4lXkzb601dCgg3q6j4zMUcw01l8ZXLOWl2G8kA8jrxlITpNOWXzDRe2LWQ7e9_X_/s1600/DSC_0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGvOL4ARDje8ldnFnBIq7xz-NaCHfM6AOIPlqy5U1a2Jyt6FuW_xFoQPcStXG3UOXodGTVduo3ict4lXkzb601dCgg3q6j4zMUcw01l8ZXLOWl2G8kA8jrxlITpNOWXzDRe2LWQ7e9_X_/s640/DSC_0020.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">On September 12, 2001 I was a resident of Manhattan. That morning I reached a new understanding of my art and its relationship to the world. I sat down at the piano that morning at 10 AM to practice as was my daily routine; I did it by force of habit, without thinking about it. I lifted the cover on the keyboard, and opened my music, and put my hands on the keys and took my hands off the keys. And I sat there and thought, does this even matter? Isn’t this completely irrelevant? Playing the piano right now, given what happened in this city yesterday, seems silly, absurd, irreverent, pointless. Why am I here? What place has a musician in this moment in time? Who needs a piano player right now? I was completely lost.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiewgAwacY2Zu28KxIxCd35tc5Oc4WXBKbn0BIDkpcsyw8ErFV8nKTALzNQmWf2KQdO-pgI1ai12rodXxLmnW42-hmt0VzczzM9G8EEy8UG1v_w-yqezLlTCd02eS5_e2zxrl_8tAT9dc/s1600/_REN3382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiewgAwacY2Zu28KxIxCd35tc5Oc4WXBKbn0BIDkpcsyw8ErFV8nKTALzNQmWf2KQdO-pgI1ai12rodXxLmnW42-hmt0VzczzM9G8EEy8UG1v_w-yqezLlTCd02eS5_e2zxrl_8tAT9dc/s400/_REN3382.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And then I, along with the rest of New York, went through the journey of getting through that week. I did not play the piano that day, and in fact I contemplated briefly whether I would ever want to play the piano again. And then I observed how we got through the day. At least in my neighborhood, we didn’t shoot hoops or play Scrabble. We didn’t play cards to pass the time, we didn’t watch TV, we didn’t shop, we most certainly did not go to the mall. The first organized activity that I saw in New York, that same day, was singing. People sang. People sang around fire houses, people sang “We Shall Overcome”. Lots of people sang America the Beautiful. The first organized public event that I remember was the Brahms Requiem, later that week, at Lincoln Center, with the New York Philharmonic. The first organized public expression of grief, our first communal response to that historic event, was a concert. That was the beginning of a sense that life might go on. The US Military secured the airspace, but recovery was led by the arts, and by music in particular, that very night.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GZYIahQhsuPBjf8KBka9SWZLQ87RipN-VrD0X1IDJtmzkw15Gmh0H43DXoiezPI7rsHaL035IgwUnBBP920uqEGE15jGNIbyZe_nXnkpZDCJcXn7TmRLuvxF4pqzSZi8JHvfIc7MRTBU/s1600/_REN0395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GZYIahQhsuPBjf8KBka9SWZLQ87RipN-VrD0X1IDJtmzkw15Gmh0H43DXoiezPI7rsHaL035IgwUnBBP920uqEGE15jGNIbyZe_nXnkpZDCJcXn7TmRLuvxF4pqzSZi8JHvfIc7MRTBU/s400/_REN0395.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">From these two experiences, I have come to understand that music is not part of “arts and entertainment” as the newspaper section would have us believe. It’s not a luxury, a lavish thing that we fund from leftovers of our budgets, not a plaything or an amusement or a pass time. Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand things with our hearts when we can’t with our minds. Some of you may know Samuel Barber’s heart-wrenchingly beautiful piece Adagio for Strings. If you don’t know it by that name, then some of you may know it as the background music which accompanied the Oliver Stone movie Platoon, a film about the Vietnam War. If you know that piece of music either way, you know it has the ability to crack your heart open like a walnut; it can make you cry over sadness you didn’t know you had. Music can slip beneath our conscious reality to get at what’s really going on inside us the way a good therapist does.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ln9ADrph8uLrXYw2I2aH-9Gbh4D5l9LanEy8bRy2oGtWTyO3LbYHN32vJ50ButqJTaxbv4xEbyQgW0gHNTUEBo2E8CBOXotnYX8YISeCTBkzs0z3FAa3malN5w6che41LmK1jmTmZQBB/s1600/2010-06-24_FAP___REN7365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ln9ADrph8uLrXYw2I2aH-9Gbh4D5l9LanEy8bRy2oGtWTyO3LbYHN32vJ50ButqJTaxbv4xEbyQgW0gHNTUEBo2E8CBOXotnYX8YISeCTBkzs0z3FAa3malN5w6che41LmK1jmTmZQBB/s400/2010-06-24_FAP___REN7365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I bet that you have never been to a wedding where there was absolutely no music. There might have been only a little music, there might have been some really bad music, but I bet you there was some music. And something very predictable happens at weddings—people get all pent up with all kinds of emotions, and then there’s some musical moment where the action of the wedding stops and someone sings or plays the flute or something. And even if the music is lame, even if the quality isn’t good, predictably 30 or 40 percent of the people who are going to cry at a wedding cry a couple of moments after the music starts. Why? The Greeks. Music allows us to move around those big invisible pieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can express what we feel even when we can’t talk about it. Can you imagine watching Indiana Jones or Superman or Star Wars with the dialogue but no music? What is it about the music swelling up at just the right moment in ET so that all the softies in the audience start crying at exactly the same moment? I guarantee you if you showed the movie with the music stripped out, it wouldn’t happen that way. The Greeks: Music is the understanding of the relationship bet ween invisible internal objects.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiQ758P7uybSUuWp6ujTB3I8VS8o5sO2wgryLgF2UxydDjRl6MfsIiZjzc9aLFdE-R2umzHBk7qATXV9fEF-Q4k8smTL5iH12YRvr-z9IIQdMaW9Dub_C62PhilxOOdmU9Dad5Zsojz6D/s1600/_REN8706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiQ758P7uybSUuWp6ujTB3I8VS8o5sO2wgryLgF2UxydDjRl6MfsIiZjzc9aLFdE-R2umzHBk7qATXV9fEF-Q4k8smTL5iH12YRvr-z9IIQdMaW9Dub_C62PhilxOOdmU9Dad5Zsojz6D/s640/_REN8706.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">I’ll give you one more example, the story of the most important concert of my life. I must tell you I have played a little less than a thousand concerts in my life so far. I have played in places that I thought were important. I like playing in Carnegie Hall; I enjoyed playing in Paris; it made me very happy to please the critics in St. Petersburg. I have played for people I thought were important; music critics of major newspapers, foreign heads of state. The most important concert of my entire life took place in a nursing home in Fargo, ND, about 4 years ago.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rX-GGGhIuJXzxi8A28SM4SDLeBuuM6AbeMx3Roc3nbvFKHjfwB9M7wc63vudix3d5Qp_nmm3VZlQQ1Gn4Q0qu7htuqyA6BW0gLASg3uV6xkd9Q2Cs_izy2uJRxbqJugaHbimFtE3SMR/s1600/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rX-GGGhIuJXzxi8A28SM4SDLeBuuM6AbeMx3Roc3nbvFKHjfwB9M7wc63vudix3d5Qp_nmm3VZlQQ1Gn4Q0qu7htuqyA6BW0gLASg3uV6xkd9Q2Cs_izy2uJRxbqJugaHbimFtE3SMR/s400/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1083.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">I was playing with a very dear friend of mine who is a violinist. We began, as we often do, with Aaron Copland’s Sonata, which was written during Worl d War II and dedicated to a young friend of Copland’s, a young pilot who was shot down during the war. Now we often talk to our audiences about the pieces we are going to play rather than providing them with written program notes. But in this case, because we began the concert with this piece, we decided to talk about the piece later in the program and to just come out and play the music without explanation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxWXXNSPw-lBpjVjLWnRKZuH5tBbQyE5Hst5U-UtTn9phIuGYbutRCTFnVV3DSoTHhvHRcgI_tW3q-HhIvuutSRzznbtCSftHpl27eJt6ETmxXcMJalSnHtEo3ehUSJIj71Q9hJvOlO7V/s1600/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxWXXNSPw-lBpjVjLWnRKZuH5tBbQyE5Hst5U-UtTn9phIuGYbutRCTFnVV3DSoTHhvHRcgI_tW3q-HhIvuutSRzznbtCSftHpl27eJt6ETmxXcMJalSnHtEo3ehUSJIj71Q9hJvOlO7V/s400/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">Midway through the piece, an elderly man seated in a wheelchair near the front of the concert hall began to weep. This man, whom I later met, was clearly a soldier—even in his 70′s, it was clear from his buzz-cut hair, square jaw and general demeanor that he had spent a good deal of his life in the military. I thought it a little bit odd that someone would be moved to tears by that particular movement of that particular piece, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard crying in a concert and we went on with the concert and finished the piece. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">When we came out to play the next piece on the program, we decided to talk about both the first and second pieces, and we described the circumstances in which the Copland was written and mentioned its dedication to a downed pilot. The man in the front of the audience became so disturbed that he had to leave the auditorium. I honestly figured that we would not see him again, but he did come backstage afterwards, tears and all, to explain himself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymSn435sOeMkACWbmxiuxJbI63Iu3RpP_E07FbOyEvk3nI1pABRGqCbhJAo46YLnTkfAppFb7-Sm-O4WbsnCzFQA2eBHKHbKIcSb0KAbuYB_VVXgnwyHdjpoVKgJxUKnv6Sr85WSN5LBM/s1600/DSC_0061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymSn435sOeMkACWbmxiuxJbI63Iu3RpP_E07FbOyEvk3nI1pABRGqCbhJAo46YLnTkfAppFb7-Sm-O4WbsnCzFQA2eBHKHbKIcSb0KAbuYB_VVXgnwyHdjpoVKgJxUKnv6Sr85WSN5LBM/s640/DSC_0061.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">What he told us was this: “During World War II, I was a pilot, and I was in an aerial combat situation where one of my team’s planes was hit. I watched my friend bail out, and watched his parachute open, but the Japanese planes which had engaged us returned and machine gunned across the parachute chords so as to separate the parachute from the pilot, and I watched my friend drop away into the ocean, realizing that he was lost. I have not thought about this for many years, but during that first piece of music you played, this memory returned to me so vividly that it was as though I was reliving it. I didn’t understand why this was happening, why now, but then when you came out to explain that this piece of music was written to commemorate a lost pilot, it was a little more than I could handle. How does the music do that? How did it find those feelings and those memories in me?”</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-vLQMPyL50v9Vy57FqKhPsbQP6X40itMJvh4Z7O80ZlOMr6jD-IomnhbWsy8zQykIl97LxwwMYJ8LgOeJ-0kMI_Z-AtRq2Zxo6dO1Rv9wt1AmOwlm-sHVD3C7me2HGGb2I7YtbbRShQa/s1600/2010-08-12_FAP__IMG_0225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-vLQMPyL50v9Vy57FqKhPsbQP6X40itMJvh4Z7O80ZlOMr6jD-IomnhbWsy8zQykIl97LxwwMYJ8LgOeJ-0kMI_Z-AtRq2Zxo6dO1Rv9wt1AmOwlm-sHVD3C7me2HGGb2I7YtbbRShQa/s640/2010-08-12_FAP__IMG_0225.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">Remember the Greeks: music is the study of invisible relationships between internal objects. This concert in Fargo was the most important work I have ever done. For me to play for this old soldier and help him connect, somehow, with Aaron Copland, and to connect their memories of their lost friends, to help him remember and mourn his friend, this is my work. This is why music matters.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q8g-QlcbdgbRb7BNs_vWqiry15mw4fIyTb9muZYlyoO26h8O4spDnAA0oFKm8S5dmrIsW8G0hZ8aE6xAXpMBcukB8rGm4nMt_sQCxFnSZ5D1zOtkHreLF1MomogiEcT0WqogNKqxRzZu/s1600/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q8g-QlcbdgbRb7BNs_vWqiry15mw4fIyTb9muZYlyoO26h8O4spDnAA0oFKm8S5dmrIsW8G0hZ8aE6xAXpMBcukB8rGm4nMt_sQCxFnSZ5D1zOtkHreLF1MomogiEcT0WqogNKqxRzZu/s400/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1117.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">What follows is part of the talk I will give to this year’s freshman class when I welcome them a few days from now. The responsibility I will charge your sons and daughters with is this:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">“If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at two AM someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoQn8LRKpWL8WU_o4Y8_1fNIGaov926_cMeu-ezZmG7EM35ZdswdK_xDgJX7c_q6UxPee9wivcsdF4hA-3yklFWFJz2sPAo6sQK4P6nxZIrAHsDPCsgXYOl693ddoTuRyymnRubThTM2w/s1600/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoQn8LRKpWL8WU_o4Y8_1fNIGaov926_cMeu-ezZmG7EM35ZdswdK_xDgJX7c_q6UxPee9wivcsdF4hA-3yklFWFJz2sPAo6sQK4P6nxZIrAHsDPCsgXYOl693ddoTuRyymnRubThTM2w/s640/2011-01-18_FAP___REN6103.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">You’re not here to become an entertainer, and you don’t have to sell yourself. The truth is you don’t have anything to sell; being a musician isn’t about dispensing a product, like selling used Chevys. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a lot closer to a paramedic, a firefighter, a rescue worker. You’re here to become a sort of therapist for the human soul, a spiritual version of a chiropractor, physical therapist, someone who works with our insides to see if they get things to line up, to see if we can come into harmony with ourselves and be healthy and happy and well.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivE9gIcFgF9mN03FqU4SQFRh0_fDp6iKfLtOvEZk08oh5nK1xl-5XwjPHhyoufPdyHW-EmSa5lK3qfkprDuVBhLPuwLXE1jWAAxzmNC_wrgEsGxIfPmV79ZCfoS-DL3dGnUjIFAjZ-Kt8/s1600/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivE9gIcFgF9mN03FqU4SQFRh0_fDp6iKfLtOvEZk08oh5nK1xl-5XwjPHhyoufPdyHW-EmSa5lK3qfkprDuVBhLPuwLXE1jWAAxzmNC_wrgEsGxIfPmV79ZCfoS-DL3dGnUjIFAjZ-Kt8/s640/2010-08-22_RH_Konovalov__REN1063.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;">Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I expect you not only to master music; I expect you to save the planet. If there is a future wave of wellness on this planet, of harmony, of peace, of an end to war, of mutual understanding, of equality, of fairness, I don’t expect it will come from a government, a military force or a corporation. I no longer even expect it to come from the religions of the world, which together seem to have brought us as much war as they have peace. If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that’s what we do. As in the concentration camp and the evening of 9/11, the artists are the ones who might be able to help us with our internal, invisible lives.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.0pt; margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393a39; font-family: Arial;"><i>Thank you to Dr Karl Paulnack.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-25416953820057855282011-01-16T22:41:00.000-08:002011-01-16T22:41:32.612-08:00Taking Stock<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb3_mKiX6wdUfSVHUc6rvW2_iMVinx9W75kvh-FMCbVYkWgQhfHLOT09XmcTEZK3n0BWwi7bodlcXCgs3T5m8qF6hSy3lIrLkvS5PWrnK_0VE2oPzHue_3FIouqy7yE1PIckI-iyLUVE/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb3_mKiX6wdUfSVHUc6rvW2_iMVinx9W75kvh-FMCbVYkWgQhfHLOT09XmcTEZK3n0BWwi7bodlcXCgs3T5m8qF6hSy3lIrLkvS5PWrnK_0VE2oPzHue_3FIouqy7yE1PIckI-iyLUVE/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5642.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I have always been a minimalist by nature, and as such I find it extremely difficult to tolerate clutter in our home, so much so that I regularly sort through our many cupboards and shelves to clean out the unneeded and pass them onto to where they will be more useful - with the exception of books that is, of which we have far too many to count! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ERW3Jo6vMKIDPpTqmmDPoqTKBbPvSkK0zVYEbDW7lKabBr_RVcQshVi8Jqgm9TSe-0ZjGXeLtzoo4CIGNAmul64ufarW2Us7on2-yusQTkTDeIKqZQjgWcBkRJ5E02E1h463ITQ8ccM/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ERW3Jo6vMKIDPpTqmmDPoqTKBbPvSkK0zVYEbDW7lKabBr_RVcQshVi8Jqgm9TSe-0ZjGXeLtzoo4CIGNAmul64ufarW2Us7on2-yusQTkTDeIKqZQjgWcBkRJ5E02E1h463ITQ8ccM/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5631.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Over the past few days I have gone through our home for items of clothing, toys, linen and other essentials that we can donate to help the hundreds of families that have lost all in the devastating floods that have swept through our state, and this week, our city.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlAZvHN6inEXx9mAKXSB4eG51c-epRNkfos0RocHKtco6JRGndEk0xnTXRrOEMY0oz50fOle0PCQPIdTMRhrRMlSRQNfcgA3exKeuFrD1GQWV4E1WAoy2ZE2Ba_HsrY9r-m2H3UOsBZU/s1600/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5884+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlAZvHN6inEXx9mAKXSB4eG51c-epRNkfos0RocHKtco6JRGndEk0xnTXRrOEMY0oz50fOle0PCQPIdTMRhrRMlSRQNfcgA3exKeuFrD1GQWV4E1WAoy2ZE2Ba_HsrY9r-m2H3UOsBZU/s640/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5884+%25281%2529.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I am embarrassed at how easy it was to collect 12 large bags of good clothes, shoes, towels and bedding that we are able to give away without even trying, and I cannot believe just how much my three girls still have in their cupboards that they quite probably will never use! Enough for me to go through everything a second, and indeed a third time, which I aim to do this week! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66TlhKuqoSDrTZB2FQJWjkRhvawmnYaCxi-yTmKl2wocKiDvJwajJ2jvxnvpXEWGt1eEfWnNdiuhM-tihWZWFKVl58pe7AXTQ-IpSIot9WMB56MjJmZdhzKgy4loWYWkHvUcOarlSubs/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66TlhKuqoSDrTZB2FQJWjkRhvawmnYaCxi-yTmKl2wocKiDvJwajJ2jvxnvpXEWGt1eEfWnNdiuhM-tihWZWFKVl58pe7AXTQ-IpSIot9WMB56MjJmZdhzKgy4loWYWkHvUcOarlSubs/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5663.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Though I pride myself on not being a hoarder and have always been somewhat obsessive about cleaning out, it was a shock to realise that we have somehow collected so much more than we could ever need. And this applies to all areas of my life, including my photographic work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAMntAHFZeCiN1zMSAm5W896J4m01HyL_0TT9NxCsy0659ZwuwclzcishjkrHz1_JIOQgb6uNPLzq7ayj-dp8eNGgNl6W__Tg0IGl0bo3j-QzdnhQYzsIkHi74lcu487GoR9Y9a_8WiU/s1600/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAMntAHFZeCiN1zMSAm5W896J4m01HyL_0TT9NxCsy0659ZwuwclzcishjkrHz1_JIOQgb6uNPLzq7ayj-dp8eNGgNl6W__Tg0IGl0bo3j-QzdnhQYzsIkHi74lcu487GoR9Y9a_8WiU/s640/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5839.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As our fine art photography business has grown, I have come to realise that I need to find a better system of storing and easily retrieving the huge number of digital images I have amassed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUT6-KbnK9a-2zeCC324r3V5RXsYDk8J9rs1AKCV7qkEetBrGdZBV0PI7WVeP8E3evPh6ZFHLjLf_pHICiosVYJMNUHIM_5EG7P1UtSF4tDWp3nnBZL_J_-gqmehaiGUVlqqQrY42QZo/s1600/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUT6-KbnK9a-2zeCC324r3V5RXsYDk8J9rs1AKCV7qkEetBrGdZBV0PI7WVeP8E3evPh6ZFHLjLf_pHICiosVYJMNUHIM_5EG7P1UtSF4tDWp3nnBZL_J_-gqmehaiGUVlqqQrY42QZo/s640/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5848.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I have so many folders of raw originals and copies of the adjusted originals that I have shot over the past few years, that unless it is a current image, it is difficult to find anything in less than an hour. And, as I found out more recently, sometimes it can take me </span><i>all</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> day to find a series of images that a client has requested! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8-KHUs1Au89Rkvv3m2FgVe3qwnqfQkI6BbdJN-aQ2nDawN0H0JaXLoKTgPJjeVrNzXyN5OIZ3mvDan-494UtefbsCK5yKMqWIze0TEVsypkqKdEDExXZXUCEpaQOXjb5W-Pq8nIKkho/s1600/2010-10-14_FAP___REN3127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8-KHUs1Au89Rkvv3m2FgVe3qwnqfQkI6BbdJN-aQ2nDawN0H0JaXLoKTgPJjeVrNzXyN5OIZ3mvDan-494UtefbsCK5yKMqWIze0TEVsypkqKdEDExXZXUCEpaQOXjb5W-Pq8nIKkho/s640/2010-10-14_FAP___REN3127.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I know I badly need to ‘spring-clean’ and heavily cull the number of images as there is no way I need to keep all of these files. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the first step in this elimination process needs to happen when I download the images from my camera, before I process the raw files.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxlR6dt_ebYx5QxFPbZvdmhIoNcc4bDOTRyhIl2EwjZmKXfz34EOmP8DMeRVdwet8o4PAuS9CCI0HlGGuibAMVxuI_-nCypzBLtfzx2FqjNTRPm624z0M7mCeQnxPD5GOtOnsvgSWOQI/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxlR6dt_ebYx5QxFPbZvdmhIoNcc4bDOTRyhIl2EwjZmKXfz34EOmP8DMeRVdwet8o4PAuS9CCI0HlGGuibAMVxuI_-nCypzBLtfzx2FqjNTRPm624z0M7mCeQnxPD5GOtOnsvgSWOQI/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5596.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">But, how does one go about it? Each time I try, I manage to discard only a few before I start seeing reasons as to why I should keep each and every image.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqgNcI3fHcalbs8gX5yOEnOCVf_f5GwmH9rGKh7KsxZTwFuNaPUsIPONqd9F9Ld181zcQ3wnGg_EIBEWYWqw8Gd_jOWhGUwmko6jq50RVe5XjrjnbGfD0-Pc8hV6JEOXbQDVWq-kr77U/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqgNcI3fHcalbs8gX5yOEnOCVf_f5GwmH9rGKh7KsxZTwFuNaPUsIPONqd9F9Ld181zcQ3wnGg_EIBEWYWqw8Gd_jOWhGUwmko6jq50RVe5XjrjnbGfD0-Pc8hV6JEOXbQDVWq-kr77U/s400/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5638.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">When we start taking photos, it is so easy to delete those images we are unhappy with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And a</span>s we improve as photographers, we should in theory become more ruthless with our image assessment because we are more able to recognise the flaws in our photographs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGDTcbD4pVIuKk8F_GUYKUbQOuEf6VFPM-P0bjg-jmAwAyMaUalFA4PINNjixab_OGZIkUQzj36fHqu9ZpTRcy1xLLCA2fKENjnS_6BsqKklJSr11WWlt5bGUChWBcrbUv_PBaMMZnZ0/s1600/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGDTcbD4pVIuKk8F_GUYKUbQOuEf6VFPM-P0bjg-jmAwAyMaUalFA4PINNjixab_OGZIkUQzj36fHqu9ZpTRcy1xLLCA2fKENjnS_6BsqKklJSr11WWlt5bGUChWBcrbUv_PBaMMZnZ0/s640/2011-01-03_FAP___REN5846.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">However, the problem is that as we become more professional we are able to make most of those assessments about exposure, light, composition and focus </span><i>before</i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> we take the shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know right then whether it will be a good image, and if it is not, we don’t take it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhlkn-Qs7DBduUKLaejv4ovwRtO23abQtxxSVqL2RbfgTcPq3IUq4vK1l3Ef4TGmKE8wZr7bDPuW1EKlipl8_hapRL-KV9QtXUNzNSYlXGMCnGN66tU3BH3zMbSahLEvLOUF6ezjar90/s1600/2010-11-11_FAP___REN4550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhlkn-Qs7DBduUKLaejv4ovwRtO23abQtxxSVqL2RbfgTcPq3IUq4vK1l3Ef4TGmKE8wZr7bDPuW1EKlipl8_hapRL-KV9QtXUNzNSYlXGMCnGN66tU3BH3zMbSahLEvLOUF6ezjar90/s400/2010-11-11_FAP___REN4550.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I don't do any post-processing of my images apart from converting the raw files and tweaking the exposure and contrast levels. I set everything up by eye and may take only one or two shots of the subject if I am happy with what is in my frame before I move on. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-671lLrdqfaQgpoZwIQfHuoH3sDbNcOo0dRsqPTG50XEDd4tIh-jFmJ4DFYpGKoGoR3slkdTFxU2x5mdbrhva5HMbaIwjOaUPaRzwmfS9UXETITh1-5yzfDnE8I6akKujMxClnOrAW0/s1600/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-671lLrdqfaQgpoZwIQfHuoH3sDbNcOo0dRsqPTG50XEDd4tIh-jFmJ4DFYpGKoGoR3slkdTFxU2x5mdbrhva5HMbaIwjOaUPaRzwmfS9UXETITh1-5yzfDnE8I6akKujMxClnOrAW0/s640/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5919.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">As I shoot almost exclusively hand-held, if there is alot of wind and I am shooting with a slow lens, I will take a few images to ensure that one will be sharp.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4VmOo4zMztDmibU-LFeMOIRWQK2JyjDOL2QQDdKPjSIPXto84wWpBOFtjU9PBFDf0RH904wiNRBxDCSybOss_QlsQ_JqBMLiy0JUhTIBY6tq5CIGK6MjMo_TB2-zApJlFt_eWafRwrA/s1600/2010-12-07_FAP___REN5112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4VmOo4zMztDmibU-LFeMOIRWQK2JyjDOL2QQDdKPjSIPXto84wWpBOFtjU9PBFDf0RH904wiNRBxDCSybOss_QlsQ_JqBMLiy0JUhTIBY6tq5CIGK6MjMo_TB2-zApJlFt_eWafRwrA/s640/2010-12-07_FAP___REN5112.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Upon downloading, if I am unhappy with the focus of an image I will discard it, but usually if I am happy with the composition, the light and the focus when I press the shutter, I know I will be happy with what I download onto my computer later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>And if I don’t discard the image at the downloading stage, I am unlikely to press the delete key at a later stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1Gy7FyUPISgNeJg5pHIc0odZJS64No4emqCQpTy0sp0hFCPbzTr0l3V1t_soy_YEijhTQzJni-aA12BXaCZ7nw7H9ampObx8OHN3QekBiyZMxmeyGu8jMuSz-n5C5K2HbeHI6CjtI1M/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1Gy7FyUPISgNeJg5pHIc0odZJS64No4emqCQpTy0sp0hFCPbzTr0l3V1t_soy_YEijhTQzJni-aA12BXaCZ7nw7H9ampObx8OHN3QekBiyZMxmeyGu8jMuSz-n5C5K2HbeHI6CjtI1M/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5583.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It is this emotional connection to my images that makes it so difficult to judge their value. And the value of an image is entirely different depending upon who is viewing it! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND3sYyFh_wt3X4IO7R3cNwFff10LS8P2jFKMEdhPOqHGe9yoAcM7wb0uW_hNHSROU-ZV9XArM4t_Tb_E1CIKBR7RCTJEoDZkVlGTxG7HvuPaNvUCuJW4htBaPikY44msgg3jwAd3aDnQ/s1600/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND3sYyFh_wt3X4IO7R3cNwFff10LS8P2jFKMEdhPOqHGe9yoAcM7wb0uW_hNHSROU-ZV9XArM4t_Tb_E1CIKBR7RCTJEoDZkVlGTxG7HvuPaNvUCuJW4htBaPikY44msgg3jwAd3aDnQ/s400/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5888.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">My on-line gallery is a prime example. Many times I have resolved to revamp the gallery and remove many of the older images. Then a sale comes through for one of those images that I would have removed and I decide to leave it as it is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I keep adding new images and my gallery becomes more difficult to navigate and less focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4-U1DlI1GRzVj6GX9zNQlHyhUPOamsbddZH1YbPV3or8feXgKnkBIXIDy4UogcPGis2NN6v4TXP6VD2jHHuFl5uHPBxWJz6Kg1vWgdhHc9GNkbqEKPHAWKWdJS8YqorqWOpCBFMkUHg/s1600/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4-U1DlI1GRzVj6GX9zNQlHyhUPOamsbddZH1YbPV3or8feXgKnkBIXIDy4UogcPGis2NN6v4TXP6VD2jHHuFl5uHPBxWJz6Kg1vWgdhHc9GNkbqEKPHAWKWdJS8YqorqWOpCBFMkUHg/s640/2011-01-08_FAP___REN5891.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">My husband - whose somewhat ruthless opinions on editing I stubbornly resist, but ultimately do trust - believes that only the truly outstanding images should see the light of day. He would probably discard a good half of my gallery if given the chance!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2HiImyyY6vqnNQUmy2LkuhYAj1RAvx5MTFXSCEgGNyLPwhdoycsZoynvx0TwY4eBfZoFezu6lhVJe5Z3iEhFhV-MbtF4-y2gTCsZuP9srvdx7G8qLyXQskdn2VfBZu986sO7gXkaczk/s1600/2011-01-14_FAP___REN5980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2HiImyyY6vqnNQUmy2LkuhYAj1RAvx5MTFXSCEgGNyLPwhdoycsZoynvx0TwY4eBfZoFezu6lhVJe5Z3iEhFhV-MbtF4-y2gTCsZuP9srvdx7G8qLyXQskdn2VfBZu986sO7gXkaczk/s640/2011-01-14_FAP___REN5980.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I know he is right ...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Perhaps as fine art photographers in business, we subconsciously try to cater to everyone’s tastes so that our work has the best chance of appearing on as many walls as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy24LUvz_kut5KOU74soRdav-RxDyvacjX9Wm5LFy6amx6J-YAS2CsQTwXTYMg-5pfCtIfWKufp1TJGYitygFSqG29feZv6NILf1c5uvUm2Bh8m2n24BUg8NnxE65gAJTHTUd_ud0hShU/s1600/2011-01-14_FAP___REN5986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy24LUvz_kut5KOU74soRdav-RxDyvacjX9Wm5LFy6amx6J-YAS2CsQTwXTYMg-5pfCtIfWKufp1TJGYitygFSqG29feZv6NILf1c5uvUm2Bh8m2n24BUg8NnxE65gAJTHTUd_ud0hShU/s640/2011-01-14_FAP___REN5986.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Instead, we have to develop a more critical and ruthlessly objective approach to our own work at every stage, a very difficult step for most of us, but </span>ultimately one that will set us apart from the millions of digital photographers out there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL8y8cmXc16U57hfkFBv3fR6iRzMgMyfPH6ct2sVF0NRoVbyD6zHjvlBvL5NviikCrJssOT0oWKsq0NZvp-mJjr_Ae3SKpSK7hQlUoGx-xQmrLM_8tQtY084PK65lgFoG2PDGEVFgRng/s1600/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL8y8cmXc16U57hfkFBv3fR6iRzMgMyfPH6ct2sVF0NRoVbyD6zHjvlBvL5NviikCrJssOT0oWKsq0NZvp-mJjr_Ae3SKpSK7hQlUoGx-xQmrLM_8tQtY084PK65lgFoG2PDGEVFgRng/s640/2010-12-31_FAP___REN5608.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">All images published on Extraordinary Light are available for purchase as greeting cards, matted prints, framed prints, posters, canvases and large wall art, including those not available in our </span><a href="http://www.fine-art-photo.net/">on-line gallery</a><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> (soon to be revamped!) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">To enquire about images not available in the gallery, please contact </span><a href="mailto:fine.art.photo.aust@gmail.com">Tania</a><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-873506234022936392011-01-04T23:26:00.000-08:002011-01-04T23:26:24.622-08:00Surfs up!<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIg-vh8JyA0uZEquQV1d6YN-XlaN_UIej-ao3hyF_g00fsJchC8QNnMWCG2Py7BTKsK-sfFTvD_R1lce-BTSo4m84NlnsbbGZLjxWT4wq1KPZgprkCU84uT5kCV1UN8iabfe4rE4Wy6U/s1600/Beach+Hut+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIg-vh8JyA0uZEquQV1d6YN-XlaN_UIej-ao3hyF_g00fsJchC8QNnMWCG2Py7BTKsK-sfFTvD_R1lce-BTSo4m84NlnsbbGZLjxWT4wq1KPZgprkCU84uT5kCV1UN8iabfe4rE4Wy6U/s640/Beach+Hut+28.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is mid-summer here in Brisbane and last Sunday was the first sun-filled day we have seen for the past few weeks. Australia, ever the land of contrasts, is currently either flooding or burning, with half of the country being ravaged by floods and the other half battling high temperatures and raging bushfires.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEELWPYuSZHeg-xUrDH8yubEh0BmEYyRX-L-05Fy1n8h0EGfcSwBAuQuuQ19d-OqrTj4IRov9k1C47XfdwHxkFU3k8yqQDWOvj9emHCqUKb-O9DTwik3o2e45U_kmDj6WIwbvWF8jMZ8/s1600/Between+the+Flags+-+Broadbeach_REN1261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEELWPYuSZHeg-xUrDH8yubEh0BmEYyRX-L-05Fy1n8h0EGfcSwBAuQuuQ19d-OqrTj4IRov9k1C47XfdwHxkFU3k8yqQDWOvj9emHCqUKb-O9DTwik3o2e45U_kmDj6WIwbvWF8jMZ8/s400/Between+the+Flags+-+Broadbeach_REN1261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Last Sunday at Broadbeach, close to Surfer’s Paradise on the beautiful Gold Coast of Queensland, it was a magnificent day, made all the more so by the preceding weeks of unrelenting rain! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlGbsKaZjarBeVdqi4ll0vN66p-XUxAI8UdlPjSPcYM4vyRtEc4X9LR557BO9n3whcqCWps-Kuvq5FUYQq1Y1iO4lMA9yx_-lwVB4Nby9jGnFFV2cMuynRJU1LRsJumYdOwWvA1FarO0/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlGbsKaZjarBeVdqi4ll0vN66p-XUxAI8UdlPjSPcYM4vyRtEc4X9LR557BO9n3whcqCWps-Kuvq5FUYQq1Y1iO4lMA9yx_-lwVB4Nby9jGnFFV2cMuynRJU1LRsJumYdOwWvA1FarO0/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5719.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The skies were a brilliant blue, the sun was shining, the temperature was up in the 30’s, the humidity was high and it seemed that everyone had headed for the beach!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoYEUmMGblA8LN4wNPDFMc_nPgcI0UdKPSEPRLR9PxGUsWheg7-AUNWIgHtA2x270QjsI_YvsIdgfpLzrRZKxLGvKqZCBs6vqavIwxIgUkz4ykAccGF0FqTBfXfARuU7ZypUVHToHqJA/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoYEUmMGblA8LN4wNPDFMc_nPgcI0UdKPSEPRLR9PxGUsWheg7-AUNWIgHtA2x270QjsI_YvsIdgfpLzrRZKxLGvKqZCBs6vqavIwxIgUkz4ykAccGF0FqTBfXfARuU7ZypUVHToHqJA/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5729.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Children frolicked in the shallows shouting and laughing, running from the waves, digging in the wet sand, their watchful parents within easy reach to pluck them out of the way of an errant wave or runaway surfboard.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUJvkkUjioHZX_j7rr0BjwBwHTqbknKb95XmdtNK9unxQG663NoA8ZpZhoDdWyTuQC8KIwLk93uMylNrXkG9eVsgPDbPSt0VC0ywFwMPiIGtcyJX4bM2ZIj_kxf7plbjoFLotEZAQbD8/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUJvkkUjioHZX_j7rr0BjwBwHTqbknKb95XmdtNK9unxQG663NoA8ZpZhoDdWyTuQC8KIwLk93uMylNrXkG9eVsgPDbPSt0VC0ywFwMPiIGtcyJX4bM2ZIj_kxf7plbjoFLotEZAQbD8/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5814.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Eager surfers hauled their boards through the crowd of swimmers into the deeper waters where the rip was fierce but the surf was good.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFajVBl4ZoT75yjQq4aLc5I_Nl4s2Kpn9tOBMhJK5J0YCQj4OXCuA5TPzxaja8IczfaZZ38TigjrP5OvJ_U3_FJ5bSo85zv_JnIx0JKafpHvdECv57xbF6QUA2Fx0yeLtCmh_b_jwxjYo/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFajVBl4ZoT75yjQq4aLc5I_Nl4s2Kpn9tOBMhJK5J0YCQj4OXCuA5TPzxaja8IczfaZZ38TigjrP5OvJ_U3_FJ5bSo85zv_JnIx0JKafpHvdECv57xbF6QUA2Fx0yeLtCmh_b_jwxjYo/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5768.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Seagulls flew overhead, backwards and forwards, adding their urgent voices to the wondrous symphony of the sea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JnieBspRM3GUW0n0sLB70hzCK68NkxIj9impn7n5Fy9joY1Ab1TswpACC90j4XdEjMKHW17SfShabpcQJSpNDcUDCUsOya-JD1JWJTNGmpMmupF3b3EuNGkA_THpL4SOgEE8oqY-kmk/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JnieBspRM3GUW0n0sLB70hzCK68NkxIj9impn7n5Fy9joY1Ab1TswpACC90j4XdEjMKHW17SfShabpcQJSpNDcUDCUsOya-JD1JWJTNGmpMmupF3b3EuNGkA_THpL4SOgEE8oqY-kmk/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5712.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The iconic Surf Lifesavers were out in full force, their distinctive red and yellow flags, surfboards, buggies and rubber dinghys in pride of place all along the beachfront.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrPbcsDKKpTvnJksbQtHEYi3tBtdrcSEqYV7UYQElVr2DZ2QEhEMp8ZPtVPGZkl9lRQ4r1GXmQo6gTRxDQjva_oLR-rsaTIK7O5xiq8SDcy_TYeelFJXXDlX1T0tpB-MDWoB4Js5RnXY/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrPbcsDKKpTvnJksbQtHEYi3tBtdrcSEqYV7UYQElVr2DZ2QEhEMp8ZPtVPGZkl9lRQ4r1GXmQo6gTRxDQjva_oLR-rsaTIK7O5xiq8SDcy_TYeelFJXXDlX1T0tpB-MDWoB4Js5RnXY/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5744.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv0yTGlMSGU9AZ9VDj3VzK7K9eKR05vNWx-gYEnGpUcJGO-0bh6yfQ4upFE12O-zy3kjKjkWSqOH-oB6BEsQqeiTPVmgkzMuNyDvYCjdeBtxKAwu5c6XYmX5vC9ML8ws57jSzrOrpjl4/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv0yTGlMSGU9AZ9VDj3VzK7K9eKR05vNWx-gYEnGpUcJGO-0bh6yfQ4upFE12O-zy3kjKjkWSqOH-oB6BEsQqeiTPVmgkzMuNyDvYCjdeBtxKAwu5c6XYmX5vC9ML8ws57jSzrOrpjl4/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5781.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">These trained volunteer lifesavers keep Australia’s many swimming and surfing beaches safe every summer by providing beach patrols and first aid services, and just the sight of their red caps and yellow shirts makes everyone feel a whole lot safer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKQVkDYn8evOg0CJT-wY1lolrWVk2wiXYaLzyAwt-YjctIqzZy67GZYgIwIMsS4rVqFXO1xapqKenzAQhutnM2CA_9W1Zn3p9047jYqF_b94vuZ7vzKs-tT0bIHHpq1lORqFWu1A01tw/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKQVkDYn8evOg0CJT-wY1lolrWVk2wiXYaLzyAwt-YjctIqzZy67GZYgIwIMsS4rVqFXO1xapqKenzAQhutnM2CA_9W1Zn3p9047jYqF_b94vuZ7vzKs-tT0bIHHpq1lORqFWu1A01tw/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5809.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Later that afternoon the walkers arrived, seeming to emerge from the sea-mist that settled down over the ocean and diffused the late afternoon sun.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeRmJTtAPVNlHY3piWTHkyuAhuYHqloJ6lppT6_3oxs_kG9wz4CgkvhadSMV80XxC-6NF-Rkrou9w1dacI-hRXajIAJQYNeNtW-AiXHy8dnMjuwUaOPxvzckprwmbM3tzJcy2Stftl_o/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeRmJTtAPVNlHY3piWTHkyuAhuYHqloJ6lppT6_3oxs_kG9wz4CgkvhadSMV80XxC-6NF-Rkrou9w1dacI-hRXajIAJQYNeNtW-AiXHy8dnMjuwUaOPxvzckprwmbM3tzJcy2Stftl_o/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5738.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKq390zDn4kiB1YBmW1H4FlfriDiJRlMZp_PdHGXLAjsDwdYQa8uVc63CEpqzw9RM0qSzHbXPaPdWaugHGGnb57gdRxCuMbtmuFaDu3eJDvmPOkXEpdcSMb_rX4u28i_vhVIM5EduLyY/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKq390zDn4kiB1YBmW1H4FlfriDiJRlMZp_PdHGXLAjsDwdYQa8uVc63CEpqzw9RM0qSzHbXPaPdWaugHGGnb57gdRxCuMbtmuFaDu3eJDvmPOkXEpdcSMb_rX4u28i_vhVIM5EduLyY/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5710.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakfj-9SY_1Y1YJpwDnfMZFSMC4E5TDmLFyrvwLJfzqTvHAPNoqj_6Fgd3qj46bkGKkqWLriS2wLv3QJWf_uWnl12fYkE85kLoO0Yqqln0qmA9yqU7cdJeZVBC-Z6IcoeZsCxXlqqOQ7g/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakfj-9SY_1Y1YJpwDnfMZFSMC4E5TDmLFyrvwLJfzqTvHAPNoqj_6Fgd3qj46bkGKkqWLriS2wLv3QJWf_uWnl12fYkE85kLoO0Yqqln0qmA9yqU7cdJeZVBC-Z6IcoeZsCxXlqqOQ7g/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5753.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">To say that we humans are obsessed by the sea and the beach is a gigantic understatement! We have had the sea in our blood forever and it is part of who we are. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76fFu-3nHPz0niZIBvw7mOP0gW5faLNfLBYZin-rkAzV4W2p4HYEbaudHSUL_6kqFm0IU1H_LHC7XK2076cm1qsx7dcYPRDBK22eMCpabNNFQaStbYKR4dHgoU7TVR-HXusVUA6fBJZg/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76fFu-3nHPz0niZIBvw7mOP0gW5faLNfLBYZin-rkAzV4W2p4HYEbaudHSUL_6kqFm0IU1H_LHC7XK2076cm1qsx7dcYPRDBK22eMCpabNNFQaStbYKR4dHgoU7TVR-HXusVUA6fBJZg/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5818.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Seen from above, the earth is almost totally blue – a vast world of oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and streams.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">In Australia, most of our population lives close to the coasts and interaction with the three oceans on our borders has long occupied a special place in our identity.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfOEQFX_Tru0L2ILQwedvltnfukd_2f9k1LCiIG9tjkIBSo9BNQAa_PW13ZTSN0zkzgSHVCJoT3vCgdNNP8ti_p6P4a0xKItLuF3kcf618PexvZwJTvuAGni_8Xt3-_oiSGIxCjkszvE/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfOEQFX_Tru0L2ILQwedvltnfukd_2f9k1LCiIG9tjkIBSo9BNQAa_PW13ZTSN0zkzgSHVCJoT3vCgdNNP8ti_p6P4a0xKItLuF3kcf618PexvZwJTvuAGni_8Xt3-_oiSGIxCjkszvE/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5792.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It calms us, it relaxes us, it invigorates us, it inspires us. We feel the tug of the sea's power right from the moment we glimpse its blue edges from afar, making our hearts beat faster with the anticipation of breathing in the salty air and feeling the soft, white sand between our toes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUkelE1ZkxrnZlg3viRYBmYbKMnmvYr-JD3K3fxZsVjmgkLoxKgHVPOb3_QE4Km9pWKRp-qFsoc-StEvvG9Q70VPwnIubMDYGB1n9ssW7fj32DUWbEzSttwgK1R5ZpRUTnTFqW2i8NrE/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUkelE1ZkxrnZlg3viRYBmYbKMnmvYr-JD3K3fxZsVjmgkLoxKgHVPOb3_QE4Km9pWKRp-qFsoc-StEvvG9Q70VPwnIubMDYGB1n9ssW7fj32DUWbEzSttwgK1R5ZpRUTnTFqW2i8NrE/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5796.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We want to hold on to the ocean in our hands and sink down into it, absorbing it into our souls. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP71Z9Dp8qTtJyYdrHu4KF1A-QV3hsq_TDUbZvWPOHJrR-y07Am2Hn0OwhYauQiv4XQD60VSpq0Fje-Y3J9fQlMFPAF63S_yiAWUfkTGEbFwy3GS2EVSJWrYYMgCA7MpibMQlUojXMuac/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP71Z9Dp8qTtJyYdrHu4KF1A-QV3hsq_TDUbZvWPOHJrR-y07Am2Hn0OwhYauQiv4XQD60VSpq0Fje-Y3J9fQlMFPAF63S_yiAWUfkTGEbFwy3GS2EVSJWrYYMgCA7MpibMQlUojXMuac/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5740.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We want to stroll along its edge and feel the warm breeze caressing our skin and breathing salt into our pores.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA4FKTSVpvEZ9_Ai4I0CVFGwfyiuV-4f9MVZZZjw13vDdo1GoBnlEfGCGb5pzmDnM3MFDXfEPKHMlySZhS9opEw_w0KWyi67Ic9hmC-LuRNUNHgRmwssqh3sxjZP_X2C7WUUETRnN6cY/s1600/Surf+Lifesaver+training_REN1302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA4FKTSVpvEZ9_Ai4I0CVFGwfyiuV-4f9MVZZZjw13vDdo1GoBnlEfGCGb5pzmDnM3MFDXfEPKHMlySZhS9opEw_w0KWyi67Ic9hmC-LuRNUNHgRmwssqh3sxjZP_X2C7WUUETRnN6cY/s400/Surf+Lifesaver+training_REN1302.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We want to feel the smooth, velvety, water-laden sand give way under our feet and the gentle waves lapping at our ankles as we walk in the shallows.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7waqYqbiJCcoaYAFFfUzJp35RuVmuEbXyy3r8xgDHTrCD-_zTx-yaBYeqauYOMlT9-AXRxOVxlOuQ5rqplRfPrO_gAkwmjnqm4FG764nf7UzwcrabhVKAIgk6fHDECAo-f3-khkoTr3E/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7waqYqbiJCcoaYAFFfUzJp35RuVmuEbXyy3r8xgDHTrCD-_zTx-yaBYeqauYOMlT9-AXRxOVxlOuQ5rqplRfPrO_gAkwmjnqm4FG764nf7UzwcrabhVKAIgk6fHDECAo-f3-khkoTr3E/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5801.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We want to experience over and over again the power of the waves as they bear us up onto the crest as if we were weightless, only to dump us over the other side to come up spluttering but deliriously happy and ready for the next one!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TtgmuZUOxrt3tSQ2eC1pclVyLI4VO-1c8TlT96HFtTWmwe5HQ7eW7s4emENubTKZHXXQ5_cASB18Kpi7-pFTcc2iNcElNnWR-wyUdU2tLvb21qxw3TE2PIa8VDYN0l1Tr9pwEnrIpeM/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TtgmuZUOxrt3tSQ2eC1pclVyLI4VO-1c8TlT96HFtTWmwe5HQ7eW7s4emENubTKZHXXQ5_cASB18Kpi7-pFTcc2iNcElNnWR-wyUdU2tLvb21qxw3TE2PIa8VDYN0l1Tr9pwEnrIpeM/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5797.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yrc25TeVaNNbkYG9mSgSsMW6OGy1NnvBrzvbWeVXliJOo8npQzDune6yHBUCa0H9cjttSg4RXcRwZOVa0vX2IZZtU0w1d-m19TD1uZA2VrM8aCHdjNKV7f7Rq2mhh4YxEqiI9ES7tSs/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yrc25TeVaNNbkYG9mSgSsMW6OGy1NnvBrzvbWeVXliJOo8npQzDune6yHBUCa0H9cjttSg4RXcRwZOVa0vX2IZZtU0w1d-m19TD1uZA2VrM8aCHdjNKV7f7Rq2mhh4YxEqiI9ES7tSs/s640/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5832.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We want to breathe it in and keep it with us for the rest of the week ... or year, until we can get back again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuyd2JECRsLYKm83O8xwMM9qAsbLQpuc5mF4GHkqyrrqQCigcmDdOXlvkeFVNPkzLHTigw5mw6fVtXywGAmVdbGA0tgxCndxOSaivMLUUeGWmDeFKK7Jj7qow_wDs6MzjRQXqu23un-Q/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuyd2JECRsLYKm83O8xwMM9qAsbLQpuc5mF4GHkqyrrqQCigcmDdOXlvkeFVNPkzLHTigw5mw6fVtXywGAmVdbGA0tgxCndxOSaivMLUUeGWmDeFKK7Jj7qow_wDs6MzjRQXqu23un-Q/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5811.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And we return to the ocean ... time and time again ... throughout our lives, never being able to get enough of it, and always dreaming of the time when we will be able to live right on its shores.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8Ap6ibCfs2vVOOYO19q4L0mg8maEuyu49p_xpI7N82npwXvC8UuDD9ME2A9KJIFg-rUXDtbLQoWABsPL_FtgPzenUwAbdb0HNApyFjZ83AQfnk2wQDJr3S5fFLUXqm1pAstyzd2iONk/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8Ap6ibCfs2vVOOYO19q4L0mg8maEuyu49p_xpI7N82npwXvC8UuDD9ME2A9KJIFg-rUXDtbLQoWABsPL_FtgPzenUwAbdb0HNApyFjZ83AQfnk2wQDJr3S5fFLUXqm1pAstyzd2iONk/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5816.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhh-uAU4c6mSvfUH5i0dgXJRO9UcqF8HGxPjx50LSgNBQwSMzLRWOC9wp1pQNIpJeVnGbsGtOgdHZ2nhlSbk8ype3irqwbc-mq6f6-amd9R_syJpmiH8WyyOqyZ5GvZWziV56rPY8Mi0/s1600/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhh-uAU4c6mSvfUH5i0dgXJRO9UcqF8HGxPjx50LSgNBQwSMzLRWOC9wp1pQNIpJeVnGbsGtOgdHZ2nhlSbk8ype3irqwbc-mq6f6-amd9R_syJpmiH8WyyOqyZ5GvZWziV56rPY8Mi0/s400/2011-01-02_FAP___REN5774.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Until then, we live for the holidays, or for those of us who are lucky enough to live close by, for that next day trip to the beach when we can again spend time within the ocean’s mesmerizing embrace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-8865827225584946602010-12-28T19:32:00.000-08:002010-12-28T19:32:38.471-08:00Seductive Melbourne<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj385Epx6JUBVUESABal3sU1HyxV_gjCvtzSmODg55rf0QV1n-ePbVGvgdLfhwwFCrxfF3v0vQQlV62oS5U07VcXiYujL9MDccmm945b9WObO060P45X0OCXLFp7J58eny7NAsoW3sZ5Tw/s1600/_REN1660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj385Epx6JUBVUESABal3sU1HyxV_gjCvtzSmODg55rf0QV1n-ePbVGvgdLfhwwFCrxfF3v0vQQlV62oS5U07VcXiYujL9MDccmm945b9WObO060P45X0OCXLFp7J58eny7NAsoW3sZ5Tw/s640/_REN1660.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;">The graceful and infinitely charming city of Melbourne, my favourite Australian city, has often been voted one of the most livable cities on earth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibWkUhw9cXk9LH_yy390fDpHbZzNOjDfOzugLCHO3hYeKcK2s2BQabRiGxC1wsXE78OlrvkG-LK7awey7Rz8AcL5c8zjIwXueic03FRkzXIOIp5Ivbj6rB3jd-6Fi6Okf2GTNZkc7evk/s1600/_REN1633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibWkUhw9cXk9LH_yy390fDpHbZzNOjDfOzugLCHO3hYeKcK2s2BQabRiGxC1wsXE78OlrvkG-LK7awey7Rz8AcL5c8zjIwXueic03FRkzXIOIp5Ivbj6rB3jd-6Fi6Okf2GTNZkc7evk/s400/_REN1633.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">It is a city that will most definitely get under your skin - a warm and welcoming city of parks, beaches, outdoor cafes, art-filled city laneways and old-style trams that glide along broad, tree-lined boulevards. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPnxwYUA72CvlMJUNcQbOZQd0bW9Jlx7Bwl0aLJ7DCFcoU0D6h4QmAhTFpsOmsf3npwO9yjzI96xavDrBS4iMWtGQ-MyB1UAW28d5_W2FrXQvJ17yzAbNeYXHUp-g8JylxZpLpwLOUmg/s1600/_REN1637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPnxwYUA72CvlMJUNcQbOZQd0bW9Jlx7Bwl0aLJ7DCFcoU0D6h4QmAhTFpsOmsf3npwO9yjzI96xavDrBS4iMWtGQ-MyB1UAW28d5_W2FrXQvJ17yzAbNeYXHUp-g8JylxZpLpwLOUmg/s400/_REN1637.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Situated along the north side of the strangely brown Yarra River, known locally as the 'upside down' river for its muddy surface, this beautiful city is the capital of the state of Victoria and home to the infamous Ned Kelly and his gang. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AKSJRuUnKN8tvCRrsCit_0agrO2FRnl4OGX0o5GCdDFtZMr-pnwrHP0vtxeLmmVeGEB0t_DwKXhiISQW_Xc7jKItPjjpfD3ST-mtJm4pUBRALKFO43y5o21A8FvST4H42ytQjnQBSOY/s1600/_REN1626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AKSJRuUnKN8tvCRrsCit_0agrO2FRnl4OGX0o5GCdDFtZMr-pnwrHP0vtxeLmmVeGEB0t_DwKXhiISQW_Xc7jKItPjjpfD3ST-mtJm4pUBRALKFO43y5o21A8FvST4H42ytQjnQBSOY/s400/_REN1626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The architecture is a very interesting mix of 19th-century European elegance and modernistic skyscrapers, built on a virtually flat plain with barely an incline to be seen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH3pPTx1nF4mGzbcWtKV63iM-aeKQst52oBvna9g9KUOvZuhEwheLXCbKo2veFakiuPrRx_x00UCM_io8M7e7OfmtJhGdWyE7SWRkIWsT9NIxJ2C6SuwFljxzErY8r7dK3zBQNKfv-C8/s1600/Beautiful+Melbourne+from+up+high+_REN1771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH3pPTx1nF4mGzbcWtKV63iM-aeKQst52oBvna9g9KUOvZuhEwheLXCbKo2veFakiuPrRx_x00UCM_io8M7e7OfmtJhGdWyE7SWRkIWsT9NIxJ2C6SuwFljxzErY8r7dK3zBQNKfv-C8/s400/Beautiful+Melbourne+from+up+high+_REN1771.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Though it is seen as Australia’s second city, Melbourne is Australia's capital of avant-garde and is a genuine cosmopolitan oasis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW-68U3P2ftIaM_JBIoYSjkJpNNOUv_XiFJgPupvl6gP6hb6KBXpk2vhC1FgEMTfSsyymmfXXq_GoUE8R9HyJNKh4hhHvoT-PS3K5CCoUqF29pjCWfEsCfvQMMmUuEuadgI10Et4eHQk/s1600/_REN1698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW-68U3P2ftIaM_JBIoYSjkJpNNOUv_XiFJgPupvl6gP6hb6KBXpk2vhC1FgEMTfSsyymmfXXq_GoUE8R9HyJNKh4hhHvoT-PS3K5CCoUqF29pjCWfEsCfvQMMmUuEuadgI10Et4eHQk/s640/_REN1698.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Melbourne’s citizens come from many diverse backgrounds that span multiple ethnicities and its many bars, cafes and restaurants draw on the best from Europe, Asia and the Middle East whilst still retaining the relaxed laid-back feel typical of Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VgwW4Gog4l8fkUDEKA3jhzD3-WBB2ueqRNCiH4n0_krqUwdmh4EDoB4RA1cFixx3pitqSfJk_LUFU0t2kcBiM3zMNikbP7P7w2Swc2iDln6CvxIX_UYI-ywIQOgLgCh0kVzYCTS7Mn0/s1600/_REN1692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VgwW4Gog4l8fkUDEKA3jhzD3-WBB2ueqRNCiH4n0_krqUwdmh4EDoB4RA1cFixx3pitqSfJk_LUFU0t2kcBiM3zMNikbP7P7w2Swc2iDln6CvxIX_UYI-ywIQOgLgCh0kVzYCTS7Mn0/s400/_REN1692.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The enticing network of laneways and arcades that exist between the city’s grid of main streets laden with street art provide much of Melbourne’s famed artistic soul. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5aVZDiU4c-mCuAbmV8joX9AkeUnmXHu-twK0VIIhoMWzb8m6eN81I_Iy3VilI4mk4SSZ5d5FaRmPJZwXC_1xYRmY7QDSnaYjd6IHI7bseem8p-tQs0bPURBseko8Pv7qey6cmLbArz8/s1600/_REN1696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5aVZDiU4c-mCuAbmV8joX9AkeUnmXHu-twK0VIIhoMWzb8m6eN81I_Iy3VilI4mk4SSZ5d5FaRmPJZwXC_1xYRmY7QDSnaYjd6IHI7bseem8p-tQs0bPURBseko8Pv7qey6cmLbArz8/s400/_REN1696.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Some are tiny alleyways covered in the most colourful and imaginative graffiti art, whilst others are laneways connecting main roads and are fronted by exciting shops, galleries, warehouses and cafes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi768kaoM1ssd89jHXMHrL89AkT9OzF2wlV8ZeXZrG0n8u3_Wm_kVCYs98IE6gzOr8ZpM9P1hfDPumiFPuSLKYPM4_gNwDxLnrZN5HXMCDoFDl5NQovjPd2aalQ5TS3R_9Mfc7Gl6ahClY/s1600/_REN2270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi768kaoM1ssd89jHXMHrL89AkT9OzF2wlV8ZeXZrG0n8u3_Wm_kVCYs98IE6gzOr8ZpM9P1hfDPumiFPuSLKYPM4_gNwDxLnrZN5HXMCDoFDl5NQovjPd2aalQ5TS3R_9Mfc7Gl6ahClY/s400/_REN2270.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">One of my favourite places when visiting Melbourne is the St Kilda Pier, a requisite for romantics, poets, painters and musicians. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8lg3qlruYUIn41OFsZQ4GSoMTrq2Nd_QVIMR1cGEuJmpuSba15XTB_J_rgpEvhvgSWoL5A9jGuxMCVW3whpZ-EVxdHQ9ZpGgp5A268up4JzwUBaW25k_GPWBcQ6mXUBmMwRxEGn-YUk/s1600/_REN2276+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8lg3qlruYUIn41OFsZQ4GSoMTrq2Nd_QVIMR1cGEuJmpuSba15XTB_J_rgpEvhvgSWoL5A9jGuxMCVW3whpZ-EVxdHQ9ZpGgp5A268up4JzwUBaW25k_GPWBcQ6mXUBmMwRxEGn-YUk/s400/_REN2276+-+Version+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The long timber pier juts off the foreshore, it’s elegant lines leading to the reconstructed historic lemon-yellow kiosk. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAwsR1o7WNSuW1lA9O5ig1GxwihHjRvzy-dvCgZKL0WWvSZTztbHsMsG7cwjedS861FRzB1kR4-lQvcskgvDmnzWdLXkj3F3oPn8xsBpqjkQw8L94EjQzUtZ7EJyxCYjZRIO98y-Dvqw/s1600/_REN2290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAwsR1o7WNSuW1lA9O5ig1GxwihHjRvzy-dvCgZKL0WWvSZTztbHsMsG7cwjedS861FRzB1kR4-lQvcskgvDmnzWdLXkj3F3oPn8xsBpqjkQw8L94EjQzUtZ7EJyxCYjZRIO98y-Dvqw/s400/_REN2290.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The views of the Bay from here are wonderful, as are the views of the city skyline through the masts of the St Kilda Yacht Club.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSNU8U70oqyBBP22pQPyURtagjYYp04noLOAVjNH3y4xra6zM5SmBWZdA67-W8tPQlbHr3U_JMG44oDYjznkIs51P5DA3kpKB3AxoH8XG8JSrF_h9rsKMGQPgRBPy8cJItCiw4ySnqAs/s1600/_REN2339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSNU8U70oqyBBP22pQPyURtagjYYp04noLOAVjNH3y4xra6zM5SmBWZdA67-W8tPQlbHr3U_JMG44oDYjznkIs51P5DA3kpKB3AxoH8XG8JSrF_h9rsKMGQPgRBPy8cJItCiw4ySnqAs/s640/_REN2339.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Further along the Esplanade is the iconic Luna Park, an old-style amusement park entered by passing through 'Mr Moon’s' giant open mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaIBcvuHgbCzq-vDZb8ek7SzaV3bK1GTi-FAddm0QDFQR2tpFhSeOMaTOeukvALXk21nezNshihb5f2h7ObwtQDjJLB_5JMqdxXWPTHta4oudbiPgcHLW3QEHyUu_wjQlUvPtZRtAU8s/s1600/Melbourne+City+at+night_REN1663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaIBcvuHgbCzq-vDZb8ek7SzaV3bK1GTi-FAddm0QDFQR2tpFhSeOMaTOeukvALXk21nezNshihb5f2h7ObwtQDjJLB_5JMqdxXWPTHta4oudbiPgcHLW3QEHyUu_wjQlUvPtZRtAU8s/s400/Melbourne+City+at+night_REN1663.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The City centre lies just to the north of the Yarra River, its wide streets and magnificent old buildings reminding us of Melbourne’s glorious colonial past when the city was considered the most British of Australian cities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-An4dp1jh7zpVFzxsgMsA3AfqEc7_uoLStXLy3FtfZI8DBlhjmpcN9x7bVEWQOonggQUQKFioZ2LBMJmrkTCFdUGM8NXdboSlG4H_HAGZtzYujkpkwAeYdTWP0nRPDEZIbutQmEcTOQ/s1600/_REN1699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-An4dp1jh7zpVFzxsgMsA3AfqEc7_uoLStXLy3FtfZI8DBlhjmpcN9x7bVEWQOonggQUQKFioZ2LBMJmrkTCFdUGM8NXdboSlG4H_HAGZtzYujkpkwAeYdTWP0nRPDEZIbutQmEcTOQ/s400/_REN1699.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlufRnS6BzSdB_GfKCfean31WjWlS9DCYarQGAwfpi2KnxhSI-DOUTtwXjkL56RlT9zn-VnR-qkg1EMJOF887mD5Ld4Fqe51rMK4ofGotgcCBCWYYMPBVUTaxop0x4jaIzlAB5VnhN9uA/s1600/_REN1674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlufRnS6BzSdB_GfKCfean31WjWlS9DCYarQGAwfpi2KnxhSI-DOUTtwXjkL56RlT9zn-VnR-qkg1EMJOF887mD5Ld4Fqe51rMK4ofGotgcCBCWYYMPBVUTaxop0x4jaIzlAB5VnhN9uA/s400/_REN1674.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The imposing Flinders Street Station, Australia’s oldest train station, is still as impressive as it was when it was built at the height of the Federation era in 1910.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalbuyWR_gISJlYUbqPYQS6DxT7nvHIu-FP_DMl4nh8nyY7Xbp5aQHDSE1OZCMhpyobT9-f9WaWvTUc1YrUmWahgzotJKHuffYGGjZl0cmEptgQ41aWAM3aix-RUWz7DmJ4L3ue7HSABs/s1600/_REN1677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalbuyWR_gISJlYUbqPYQS6DxT7nvHIu-FP_DMl4nh8nyY7Xbp5aQHDSE1OZCMhpyobT9-f9WaWvTUc1YrUmWahgzotJKHuffYGGjZl0cmEptgQ41aWAM3aix-RUWz7DmJ4L3ue7HSABs/s400/_REN1677.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSWimpBWgJJQEKHRMvSHjGN95xjXqvARkeHvPcfXwnIgzKbNax4rvCKv3t3xtSCX9Kpq409cYi-Vtt1LB-ZVVeynMRryk1YFxENLn8VH-wHU6bcgLfrYdCkiaa75H3deRgFB03cCzebc/s1600/_REN1704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSWimpBWgJJQEKHRMvSHjGN95xjXqvARkeHvPcfXwnIgzKbNax4rvCKv3t3xtSCX9Kpq409cYi-Vtt1LB-ZVVeynMRryk1YFxENLn8VH-wHU6bcgLfrYdCkiaa75H3deRgFB03cCzebc/s400/_REN1704.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Across the road is the unique architecture of the modern, but equally impressive Federation Square, built in the 1990’s to be the city’s cultural and events hub.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjDecCqCElaKAp9isPxvWJHR6r4Mfe4glpA8ClEJTnLLR3MxhmnuH4aJDKHJQvwomtoEIHIBNTVCeUWqd6djku9buwrNVCUxOqdz75DddmgwkNNz_NL3g25GW2LYtoJf2C-q6P8XN7zo/s1600/_REN1705+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjDecCqCElaKAp9isPxvWJHR6r4Mfe4glpA8ClEJTnLLR3MxhmnuH4aJDKHJQvwomtoEIHIBNTVCeUWqd6djku9buwrNVCUxOqdz75DddmgwkNNz_NL3g25GW2LYtoJf2C-q6P8XN7zo/s400/_REN1705+-+Version+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Framed within the modern lines of the angled glass of the entrance to Federation Square, the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral looks as though it has been transported from a fairy story and placed opposite Federation Square.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LxtPjMRVOKOTqbB49kkooNhQNsCQMGoD7Q8v4pPu8HJTO07zTbco5dvIP7OBqhyWiMm9gL2W3Rd85kBNgfEVLVazZm_GfnFTnZxovQqEan0kYXWHcY_-nJp5PCsGBUsny4UWwo8nz-M/s1600/Gothic+Church_REN1679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LxtPjMRVOKOTqbB49kkooNhQNsCQMGoD7Q8v4pPu8HJTO07zTbco5dvIP7OBqhyWiMm9gL2W3Rd85kBNgfEVLVazZm_GfnFTnZxovQqEan0kYXWHcY_-nJp5PCsGBUsny4UWwo8nz-M/s640/Gothic+Church_REN1679.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">This beautiful Anglican church was constructed between 1880 and 1891 in the Gothic transitional style by English architect William Butterfield.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmByPn5SUC58SY6sYoS8w5Zyl5-qO5LCYPPySxWZ5meIV9gno4_MAjk4YTgDPXszOdGI1IuIaprRs2AdMQikPAGG-MGk76MUGPGDHRNF5IwNqNlq0DZvXAN3dq_RNtf4j4-_jsJkf2aqA/s1600/_REN1690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmByPn5SUC58SY6sYoS8w5Zyl5-qO5LCYPPySxWZ5meIV9gno4_MAjk4YTgDPXszOdGI1IuIaprRs2AdMQikPAGG-MGk76MUGPGDHRNF5IwNqNlq0DZvXAN3dq_RNtf4j4-_jsJkf2aqA/s400/_REN1690.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Built above the Melbourne Central train station, the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre is one of the largest shopping centres in the CBD and well worth a visit. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYezhCVqIdRlktfzDbI7cuHHnAXvknnnH1021HFjpag8h0vw_YZ0XXhMtYGRYeb0f98Sf1yv5GTSHeTzTmJOkSsIenoyTOUu55hXjNfyYMGXOGxbUmP7MOCSZqy9R3Uz214mnh0gOJcY/s1600/_REN1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYezhCVqIdRlktfzDbI7cuHHnAXvknnnH1021HFjpag8h0vw_YZ0XXhMtYGRYeb0f98Sf1yv5GTSHeTzTmJOkSsIenoyTOUu55hXjNfyYMGXOGxbUmP7MOCSZqy9R3Uz214mnh0gOJcY/s640/_REN1689.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">It houses a distinctive landmark of Melbourne under an 84metre glass dome - the fully preserved Coops Shot Tower building, one of only five Shot Towers built in the late 1800’s in Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6SZv262OmFy7MVr8IPAIRPaLIr5Eu65q9271JvBWWxPATFGnXp2k0zHJK6BdruppaS7x2EKX89S9KJGKKW-OXsrMLUg3Ry-WuuFosDEgJiOSDFwBoEl9B1YNg_kkptcVyFUdabN-PaU/s1600/_REN1624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6SZv262OmFy7MVr8IPAIRPaLIr5Eu65q9271JvBWWxPATFGnXp2k0zHJK6BdruppaS7x2EKX89S9KJGKKW-OXsrMLUg3Ry-WuuFosDEgJiOSDFwBoEl9B1YNg_kkptcVyFUdabN-PaU/s640/_REN1624.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpUiEidIUJW-Xi4qFHRa48Oo86B6z_C9wgOKAOL1ztL_yWJ1oj1b8QcJGO9nLxJu6MUohXsel2Iv91EZPYFMTc8s_xiL3nsk47T9zKL82s0I_uhxjabM-hfyLsQ__8q_HVvh-dPpokzs/s1600/_REN1719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpUiEidIUJW-Xi4qFHRa48Oo86B6z_C9wgOKAOL1ztL_yWJ1oj1b8QcJGO9nLxJu6MUohXsel2Iv91EZPYFMTc8s_xiL3nsk47T9zKL82s0I_uhxjabM-hfyLsQ__8q_HVvh-dPpokzs/s400/_REN1719.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Melbourne is also well known for its broad performing arts offerings and the Arts Centre housing the State Theatre, Playhouse, Fairfax Studio and George Adams Gallery is found right under the famous silver spire reaching high into the heavens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht42OKtthtGpeh5y12LcqdyY4rBAXw89LotZvkXBXozyheCGJ60NKaZEGK0GFyLppNJNvPWh8tC_Z7IIT4YpANBZBWr5gp350gnCG3Ye_GuqUYFvQMK4xgtjZ-wEUU4J8k013Ty3WsTsE/s1600/_REN2456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht42OKtthtGpeh5y12LcqdyY4rBAXw89LotZvkXBXozyheCGJ60NKaZEGK0GFyLppNJNvPWh8tC_Z7IIT4YpANBZBWr5gp350gnCG3Ye_GuqUYFvQMK4xgtjZ-wEUU4J8k013Ty3WsTsE/s400/_REN2456.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu1ANZmBHLzgtThSQrRjrzklxVwuvQaS0gF_lO-029Jd_jrhcewDxlW1nH6DEHNaujNMRGfYZaxtui4Y4Pn7HW9Co6Dm_xmoBx4cHtJt2odMt7v9YfwdeQquwoeInarjilg1sE0e8heA/s1600/_REN2483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu1ANZmBHLzgtThSQrRjrzklxVwuvQaS0gF_lO-029Jd_jrhcewDxlW1nH6DEHNaujNMRGfYZaxtui4Y4Pn7HW9Co6Dm_xmoBx4cHtJt2odMt7v9YfwdeQquwoeInarjilg1sE0e8heA/s400/_REN2483.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Docklands is Melbourne’s new waterfront precinct, build on the site of a former industrial port. The sculptural Webb Bridge is just one of a few architectural wonders in that area.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqt4SZew99PWohs4sx_JQ8D0Pdi4QDsGlRiLh7fMwoHtlJV6gxo-FE0vy64-xSK2xjWUO5OLQ67G8dXgEtYPjSw9e8kS_Hs7fj3T0FbdQanXrWY1drMxbLclGVpnA_rpVwihZjKsrujDQ/s1600/_REN2475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqt4SZew99PWohs4sx_JQ8D0Pdi4QDsGlRiLh7fMwoHtlJV6gxo-FE0vy64-xSK2xjWUO5OLQ67G8dXgEtYPjSw9e8kS_Hs7fj3T0FbdQanXrWY1drMxbLclGVpnA_rpVwihZjKsrujDQ/s400/_REN2475.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">It was built as an integrated artwork that would function as a pedestrian and cyclist bridge and represents the Koori fish traps, drums and baskets once used by the Aboriginal people to harvest this fertile land.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TWILrZHDtMZJw3H4pY4CUDooq436ZhB6ztApaMb_sQwjoWJaXKCWljs_Oy2Ouy5sdtnOI5X9wN0uZHNryDXXY61qx6DiYunUKGcUcS5TWKUdkedi8T4f7Bxl95WmZe9vqWKuFEnJhyM/s1600/_REN2441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TWILrZHDtMZJw3H4pY4CUDooq436ZhB6ztApaMb_sQwjoWJaXKCWljs_Oy2Ouy5sdtnOI5X9wN0uZHNryDXXY61qx6DiYunUKGcUcS5TWKUdkedi8T4f7Bxl95WmZe9vqWKuFEnJhyM/s400/_REN2441.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Strolling around Docklands and along the banks of the Yarra at Southbank, there is plenty of beautiful public art to explore and admire. The following are just a few examples.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpkeS2jbBrm4bPJymwpSb3C6crek97nh5UCNECqj5IxtoYZTG6vGzPDJV3pc0MAQkb8e0uWphoS10brbjKCe7_EDYbmOHqckOcxW6aBZwiyRtFG-tXtq4BtqmAJ4Gcq0xT8-aoWO0YeE/s1600/_REN2247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpkeS2jbBrm4bPJymwpSb3C6crek97nh5UCNECqj5IxtoYZTG6vGzPDJV3pc0MAQkb8e0uWphoS10brbjKCe7_EDYbmOHqckOcxW6aBZwiyRtFG-tXtq4BtqmAJ4Gcq0xT8-aoWO0YeE/s640/_REN2247.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Occupying the site of Melbourne’s historic Turning Basin, five large figureheads reflect upon the ethnic and cultural diversity of those who worked in the basin during the early years of settlement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjYHIUByg8cyJQbawi8U9R8Ahg4BpNWL7WNLe8uPAdVToYZNI7WVJ91j7dJr_YROfqGBSJHd-kwDNxCsviZxcmR_TJe4sTimwH2LkcPnXz-Gu9X18eQicQD-o6aTKeh6mjsUEI8nYcEA/s1600/_REN2465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjYHIUByg8cyJQbawi8U9R8Ahg4BpNWL7WNLe8uPAdVToYZNI7WVJ91j7dJr_YROfqGBSJHd-kwDNxCsviZxcmR_TJe4sTimwH2LkcPnXz-Gu9X18eQicQD-o6aTKeh6mjsUEI8nYcEA/s640/_REN2465.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">‘The Blowhole’ is a huge animated wind-powered beacon that reflects the area’s maritime history. It uses the prevailing strong winds to form a complex galaxy of colourful orbiting balls.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXMWXccRoebKcW81fVDeUiOUU3Lo4UJk_oIRqF0OPWp2MwUM7tQ-9HBJtFknYHA0BxjdPGTBSJzSlruWIwPBKHeANFHdalug2evJjiA_BEvH4WnyRVl2myXOlAvrNY0OLZVOSF2cl5Gc/s1600/_REN1642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXMWXccRoebKcW81fVDeUiOUU3Lo4UJk_oIRqF0OPWp2MwUM7tQ-9HBJtFknYHA0BxjdPGTBSJzSlruWIwPBKHeANFHdalug2evJjiA_BEvH4WnyRVl2myXOlAvrNY0OLZVOSF2cl5Gc/s400/_REN1642.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The enchanting 1885 Tall Ship, the Polly Woodside now residing at Docklands, has been restored by the National Trust of Victoria and is a tangible reminder of Australia’s rich maritime history and the importance of Tall Ships to the settlement of Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlG8BLEK44I_BEWax3Ef1cnzjn6Td0GbEUuEm5JfuLwl2NlZkTl6Sv5lyNWVpLRRh51aOS0dXKnuDPeAaUA8ighJ19Nf6-b_Ms7FB3OUcSq1gcsnXq4Nq0zUmvKBG-DgrnxHq2Y0T7Br4/s1600/_REN1634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlG8BLEK44I_BEWax3Ef1cnzjn6Td0GbEUuEm5JfuLwl2NlZkTl6Sv5lyNWVpLRRh51aOS0dXKnuDPeAaUA8ighJ19Nf6-b_Ms7FB3OUcSq1gcsnXq4Nq0zUmvKBG-DgrnxHq2Y0T7Br4/s400/_REN1634.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">‘The Travellers’, magnificent towering steel sculptures depicting the story of the arrival of migrants to Melbourne adorn the historic Sandridge rail bridge, a tribute to Australia’s multicultural heritage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwOjwjVbmDbfF-qzyKSGDJ_gMwW7BMGynVTvPQHela_fDLwyysbmMS_FoP1ou19h09N067LDfdVnyxksKWkOeOVBQc8S6kVVNIUlFHPj8tJIfMvRqL7eK_xRc82AwWEgmGpVoiMzp8CY/s1600/_REN1644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwOjwjVbmDbfF-qzyKSGDJ_gMwW7BMGynVTvPQHela_fDLwyysbmMS_FoP1ou19h09N067LDfdVnyxksKWkOeOVBQc8S6kVVNIUlFHPj8tJIfMvRqL7eK_xRc82AwWEgmGpVoiMzp8CY/s640/_REN1644.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Melbourne is such an exciting place to visit time and time again. Each visit there is more to explore and more to discover – and so much more to photograph! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HSP2fBc7QLiTskyTarRADcfU7741AGuAGEekfJlC_FmRlCIIcCZL5-Dpvdu0bfaomBvBqQjH-3CXf4X_ecuoiN5SPSqROnpZu14QXBvB5WUxrFjYQCty0zC5-I8_1xgnXxPZPQucYfM/s1600/_REN1756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HSP2fBc7QLiTskyTarRADcfU7741AGuAGEekfJlC_FmRlCIIcCZL5-Dpvdu0bfaomBvBqQjH-3CXf4X_ecuoiN5SPSqROnpZu14QXBvB5WUxrFjYQCty0zC5-I8_1xgnXxPZPQucYfM/s640/_REN1756.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #133446; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">It is a city you really need to get to know. It is warm, welcoming and generous and worth discovering for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-42036666571663976542010-12-14T17:29:00.000-08:002010-12-14T17:29:27.019-08:00The Joy of Christmas<!--StartFragment--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY1znKBdtowbzPLIBMUd0yeW6CgoH29K5SrKGrlrLL4uy0Hfz-oNt8COzk25FX9RwZMcEilEEqFqVg1vhfdD5Aylk6NL4HJGphFAFhaPqtl01W8kl9UASCwc49iTIltqA-SgtgIN-JKg/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY1znKBdtowbzPLIBMUd0yeW6CgoH29K5SrKGrlrLL4uy0Hfz-oNt8COzk25FX9RwZMcEilEEqFqVg1vhfdD5Aylk6NL4HJGphFAFhaPqtl01W8kl9UASCwc49iTIltqA-SgtgIN-JKg/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5263.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As Christmas draws near and I listen to my friends talking excitedly about their plans for special celebrations with their loved ones, and I see my daughters making long lists of gifts to buy for friends and family, I think of all those people around the world who will not experience the joy of Christmas this year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66umrFHFTLdobUC_CFfVt7G6wSe-0GgDrY-s0kcIhNAhD3X-tGCVQCeHhegu7kg-d4D7aQQkbtu10PhQtRgUOqN1bQb4laLKws0useeppFdMAUmeMTz8EGPZn82yLH-SjFh3b6sOA5Io/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66umrFHFTLdobUC_CFfVt7G6wSe-0GgDrY-s0kcIhNAhD3X-tGCVQCeHhegu7kg-d4D7aQQkbtu10PhQtRgUOqN1bQb4laLKws0useeppFdMAUmeMTz8EGPZn82yLH-SjFh3b6sOA5Io/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5280.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Just in Australia, nearly 1 in every 200 citizens is homeless. That translates to around 105,000 people with no home, and one quarter of these are children. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is in one of the most privileged countries in the world!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAv7ExxPrp3rMCZMmbWF2MV3lK9SbVGU9L4xseCl2EQgbRLLuY5eIxq3T50P36CZEg9UrC945AakmLy63-5p7YMSVrSr30KVz9b2NxyU9qkQEXU2_xbeKRitlfR0gBZjLj9zlResOqCE/s1600/Christmas+Foil+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAv7ExxPrp3rMCZMmbWF2MV3lK9SbVGU9L4xseCl2EQgbRLLuY5eIxq3T50P36CZEg9UrC945AakmLy63-5p7YMSVrSr30KVz9b2NxyU9qkQEXU2_xbeKRitlfR0gBZjLj9zlResOqCE/s640/Christmas+Foil+Tree.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Homeless Assistance Services are under increasing financial pressure and are unable to cope with the numbers of people needing a roof over their heads. Recent statistics show that almost 80% of families requesting assistance are currently being turned away each day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRouj-J4Y1LZiVNJ3yDr0X0frWaCSri_14tTewyx61yuPtqMouNkf_5JRJQl6YkzWW7cWbZWFrAsBdvZeyrllquUlk2jsTq9cgiI4tqoZ15bcoM6PoRU_o8dGl1SI2hTtB6u8aVAi0P0/s1600/Gold+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRouj-J4Y1LZiVNJ3yDr0X0frWaCSri_14tTewyx61yuPtqMouNkf_5JRJQl6YkzWW7cWbZWFrAsBdvZeyrllquUlk2jsTq9cgiI4tqoZ15bcoM6PoRU_o8dGl1SI2hTtB6u8aVAi0P0/s640/Gold+star.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And Christmas, such a joyous and happy time for so many of us, is the saddest and loneliest time of year for those in need … and especially so for the children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYUbhuei-eaqMhERe10JyDQIDqZdvjGbjvywAJuaFPpnZuIQD98YhEVwZx8McLX702VLekG024Vl4bINNISCLsP5wy8dvLlEFQ3TPdQ7ax_o6_OHGDvvIS_Sm4_DHd-h2f2pmfn0SjMo/s1600/Orange+Angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYUbhuei-eaqMhERe10JyDQIDqZdvjGbjvywAJuaFPpnZuIQD98YhEVwZx8McLX702VLekG024Vl4bINNISCLsP5wy8dvLlEFQ3TPdQ7ax_o6_OHGDvvIS_Sm4_DHd-h2f2pmfn0SjMo/s640/Orange+Angel.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">No child deserves be left out of the magic and hope that is Christmas! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OCOuQeb-BMWfEgITxs5fSwNFXCN5GVuRuQiE3CMp0k85WdlhLWs6v79yBsXZqo7izK_FTKhrGbT23OSFM5wj5QKMGOopUPUroJ8GVCm7BVSV-UpleJKAgpIq8yI2OtyBjnU_MLqTdN8/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OCOuQeb-BMWfEgITxs5fSwNFXCN5GVuRuQiE3CMp0k85WdlhLWs6v79yBsXZqo7izK_FTKhrGbT23OSFM5wj5QKMGOopUPUroJ8GVCm7BVSV-UpleJKAgpIq8yI2OtyBjnU_MLqTdN8/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5256.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is such an important part of childhood to look forward to Christmas - to write a secret letter to Santa; to ask for that special something you have been wishing for and hoping for all year; to go to bed on Christmas Eve so excited that you can barely sleep; to wake up early on Christmas morning to the magic and excitement of opening a wrapped gift waiting just for you under the tree ... and then that special celebratory Christmas meal with family and friends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OCOuQeb-BMWfEgITxs5fSwNFXCN5GVuRuQiE3CMp0k85WdlhLWs6v79yBsXZqo7izK_FTKhrGbT23OSFM5wj5QKMGOopUPUroJ8GVCm7BVSV-UpleJKAgpIq8yI2OtyBjnU_MLqTdN8/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OCOuQeb-BMWfEgITxs5fSwNFXCN5GVuRuQiE3CMp0k85WdlhLWs6v79yBsXZqo7izK_FTKhrGbT23OSFM5wj5QKMGOopUPUroJ8GVCm7BVSV-UpleJKAgpIq8yI2OtyBjnU_MLqTdN8/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5256.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Yet, for so many families battling to cope, there are just no extra dollars to provide even one small gift for their children to open on Christmas morning, let alone a celebratory meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaFqgCe8lgDGvUumTbqWl8pQ15am8-e_rI_FHfm2wvzXN3eFTlwTdvJMizfpG_kVbyADuURirxrHkrpcPGjJFTJ8flfUQdSN7Katn263f4Um2U1foZqVoYDauGkQQkhjzcabwG4sKIYQ/s1600/Christmas+Tree+Angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaFqgCe8lgDGvUumTbqWl8pQ15am8-e_rI_FHfm2wvzXN3eFTlwTdvJMizfpG_kVbyADuURirxrHkrpcPGjJFTJ8flfUQdSN7Katn263f4Um2U1foZqVoYDauGkQQkhjzcabwG4sKIYQ/s640/Christmas+Tree+Angel.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And for the families without homes, even keeping their children warm and free from hunger this Christmas is impossible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VxEmVfYuRwRFPmEn6Vj7YX8MvMWkDM07OJwXgHCboTsFTaQe5j9h4UMRCl8w2uxAK4OOsdxG2ttNtT-pz3n85EjtZhiFoZJqFxoddL2SbjJAXORsYlk7F6NwigoXAHPDbzkkJ0NE5Jc/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VxEmVfYuRwRFPmEn6Vj7YX8MvMWkDM07OJwXgHCboTsFTaQe5j9h4UMRCl8w2uxAK4OOsdxG2ttNtT-pz3n85EjtZhiFoZJqFxoddL2SbjJAXORsYlk7F6NwigoXAHPDbzkkJ0NE5Jc/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5262.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The charities and organizations set up to assist the homeless and needy are all struggling to keep up with the demand for their services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They desperately need people who care to give of their time or money in order to extend their reach over the Christmas period.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGJ-SkeE8AOAeVirfSZ3jVLCdh5sfZZQ0DVpSS-nM27_qT_g4lYbJBDgk2bXBsCp1L5vxrAln4vkgc5WR4vqxlUccUSg1BdtIvZe1DTvoDmE9rNcYbZ_eJ-rGv1Awo25PaGb7-GilPxE/s1600/2006-01-29_FAP__DSC00538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGJ-SkeE8AOAeVirfSZ3jVLCdh5sfZZQ0DVpSS-nM27_qT_g4lYbJBDgk2bXBsCp1L5vxrAln4vkgc5WR4vqxlUccUSg1BdtIvZe1DTvoDmE9rNcYbZ_eJ-rGv1Awo25PaGb7-GilPxE/s640/2006-01-29_FAP__DSC00538.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Perhaps it is up to each one of us to bring Christmas to at least one child in need this year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaJOXD90dV6wESvHD7B8TpzlriWopdtjhWWsYBxquL2pjvkz7KmRRo4v25M7Pg8IQEmoIB5wk4mD0louV9MEKsssGeFamAyHjOx5c-E2mX4RXKueJowxSn3WLBXbtu3UlJauQPu-U20Q/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaJOXD90dV6wESvHD7B8TpzlriWopdtjhWWsYBxquL2pjvkz7KmRRo4v25M7Pg8IQEmoIB5wk4mD0louV9MEKsssGeFamAyHjOx5c-E2mX4RXKueJowxSn3WLBXbtu3UlJauQPu-U20Q/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5293.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is so easy to spend just a little less on each of our very indulged children or friends, and use that money to buy something special for a homeless child. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfyxTkL0FwrGMpFsqO4_o8UHuK8w2RHoZa2mXZzicqs2lz8BOnsj_PuIrKKznDx6yXCWdx8OOzBe0ZFtBwn9Qwr0O3YgG90JHuH1exCJatwOQQV_AYG6A-i4d78KX5OdozXc6lAP4478/s1600/Noel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfyxTkL0FwrGMpFsqO4_o8UHuK8w2RHoZa2mXZzicqs2lz8BOnsj_PuIrKKznDx6yXCWdx8OOzBe0ZFtBwn9Qwr0O3YgG90JHuH1exCJatwOQQV_AYG6A-i4d78KX5OdozXc6lAP4478/s400/Noel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It is also so easy to pick up the phone and pledge an amount, or purchase a gift and drop it off at one of the convenient charity offices in most cities. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_dklLGsMbhHKENx94bR2X1P5b8QgqvWhTNyGdbZw7NaGkUJ7U4prJYUXrjwAc9bh3qw1eVsf1eLPXURd_FFt9yK48XxtuEs7UGCxnkXS4R-TO0q9R4cldn9rBuqMLr-6_B9nC0jso04/s1600/Three+Camels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_dklLGsMbhHKENx94bR2X1P5b8QgqvWhTNyGdbZw7NaGkUJ7U4prJYUXrjwAc9bh3qw1eVsf1eLPXURd_FFt9yK48XxtuEs7UGCxnkXS4R-TO0q9R4cldn9rBuqMLr-6_B9nC0jso04/s400/Three+Camels.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It takes more effort, but it is so worthwhile to be in a position to give just a few hours of our time to help with collecting gifts, wrapping gifts, delivering gifts, or helping to prepare or serve a meal at homeless shelters over the Christmas holidays. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzg5GJouhc9km6huaBJelPZbO5pgZSXoG7KH7Gcs0euFbDo8UVFQRKhnFyuahXuWVZdzG_EIlf8GSzSopg1ZVTaqThh5G1s63DvnuZOCF3LcKp545D7VW_KY_Sves3cPPyD63uwaZGAE/s1600/RB+C31+-+Snow+Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzg5GJouhc9km6huaBJelPZbO5pgZSXoG7KH7Gcs0euFbDo8UVFQRKhnFyuahXuWVZdzG_EIlf8GSzSopg1ZVTaqThh5G1s63DvnuZOCF3LcKp545D7VW_KY_Sves3cPPyD63uwaZGAE/s640/RB+C31+-+Snow+Bear.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In fact, we should all visit a homeless shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should all see firsthand how people just like you and I and their children, due to factors such as domestic violence, family breakdown, debt, unemployment and mental health, have ended up homeless and without hope this Christmas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07LoyMVx3XR8tN05LBHffozM6J40JHd7LcCHVDPSt8iJ0JFtg9HRi4t26DXyMkUlGZGrt1VfcWJ0S-KEYAky1sV9R0YoH0YfqfyS0TfecFk17bgJyvvj5EaTwXUXhpfx7E5sSyeUsr0M/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07LoyMVx3XR8tN05LBHffozM6J40JHd7LcCHVDPSt8iJ0JFtg9HRi4t26DXyMkUlGZGrt1VfcWJ0S-KEYAky1sV9R0YoH0YfqfyS0TfecFk17bgJyvvj5EaTwXUXhpfx7E5sSyeUsr0M/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5273.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We should all get involved this Christmas in some way to help those less fortunate than us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixW2Q-_5ZpA-buwi46Kg3fJF51XeCGTIe3xJfPscxtLVB_vwGoIhlslc8MvzpWW4Z0TOtBNsCI6NXwvjQTgdAth-DryAYLwMbMJoIIqWvdKzp2DaftxUlKODR4MbcQ09EBU4Fqx43sKY4/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixW2Q-_5ZpA-buwi46Kg3fJF51XeCGTIe3xJfPscxtLVB_vwGoIhlslc8MvzpWW4Z0TOtBNsCI6NXwvjQTgdAth-DryAYLwMbMJoIIqWvdKzp2DaftxUlKODR4MbcQ09EBU4Fqx43sKY4/s640/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5278.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Let’s actually do it! Let’s all make a pledge to give the joy of Christmas to at least one homeless child in our city this December.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xqTkd1-cOcV4ICZH2f8ngaoxnWxClQsdJhyeFXJDT-wDNHucjbln0is4djVxNWIvYHdu4CDFbb_w6VDHwjNWJyaXDIHUoItE2naMVnv2Rb6k3k3Ld2l5uvg5CpE9SJ4cWoYOmDAnPLc/s1600/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xqTkd1-cOcV4ICZH2f8ngaoxnWxClQsdJhyeFXJDT-wDNHucjbln0is4djVxNWIvYHdu4CDFbb_w6VDHwjNWJyaXDIHUoItE2naMVnv2Rb6k3k3Ld2l5uvg5CpE9SJ4cWoYOmDAnPLc/s400/2010-12-13_FAP___REN5282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And if we are struggling ourselves and can’t afford to help, let us all remember the homeless, the poor and the needy this Christmas, if only in our prayers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnLonJl7Y-SB9BfTkkGFG6BNX1t_aaxBQgfu6gH4AV-O6ZU-ONa6IlGmyyLTDA35J-bbHevg2QBy4hd1ixbtN-J8nAyX3gmQp9pYTjOm19koZTOzgE9SIJND4fw6GBH998XXQPchzduA/s1600/RB+C21+-+Mary+%2526+Jesus%252C+Vatican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnLonJl7Y-SB9BfTkkGFG6BNX1t_aaxBQgfu6gH4AV-O6ZU-ONa6IlGmyyLTDA35J-bbHevg2QBy4hd1ixbtN-J8nAyX3gmQp9pYTjOm19koZTOzgE9SIJND4fw6GBH998XXQPchzduA/s640/RB+C21+-+Mary+%2526+Jesus%252C+Vatican.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-57424270916889595622010-12-09T04:47:00.000-08:002010-12-09T04:47:52.327-08:00Magic in the Bush<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNy3OdSBbyE62P2HxGr4JxoiwJ5gmfNw2x_PLQ9p99-FQf8aYAxZMZQ8-SOVgSf95PCPLK4tY-xKuKTyGIqgIUPCDpmxiT-An3mfPBis_1CD2y3jf3zvtjPO2RdL02vu6XUorSfu3-Qc/s1600/2010-11-04_FAP___REN4489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNy3OdSBbyE62P2HxGr4JxoiwJ5gmfNw2x_PLQ9p99-FQf8aYAxZMZQ8-SOVgSf95PCPLK4tY-xKuKTyGIqgIUPCDpmxiT-An3mfPBis_1CD2y3jf3zvtjPO2RdL02vu6XUorSfu3-Qc/s640/2010-11-04_FAP___REN4489.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">There is a veritable zoo out here in the Aussie bush, and I am not talking about the animal kind! In a landscape of immense diversity, Australia’s collection of weird and wonderful flowers is one of our greatest treasures – an untamed garden of Eden.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NEh9sDTw66fzpx1V6g69Kr8HkYelqctCFhdCvsE1mi0PWDuX6wOV5V2szWKBoaHhG8bgy6fYeHnho2I3xhAFQLs_UWZ1-VBvWV0PypCMfElLhVJd3Qo5AWzvPMJ2V8tIp1EQQU4iXIc/s1600/_REN9478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NEh9sDTw66fzpx1V6g69Kr8HkYelqctCFhdCvsE1mi0PWDuX6wOV5V2szWKBoaHhG8bgy6fYeHnho2I3xhAFQLs_UWZ1-VBvWV0PypCMfElLhVJd3Qo5AWzvPMJ2V8tIp1EQQU4iXIc/s640/_REN9478.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Walking anywhere in the bush during Spring or Summer, you will encounter Spider Orchids, Kangaroo Paws, Cowslips, Bird’s Nest Banksias, Lamb’s Tails, Dingo Ferns, Goanna Claws, Emu Grass and many other varieties of strange wildflowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfrKbHhz6OCIh4GPeUtfEk56R2Y84iHJT2l8WgXZF-D-1XvX9XF_pAL3MCPOXqMt_UbClOlf8Ix45t6IdIxy9pQrl1lUd6_iR0y1TcstheYh-0JRh_lUHAD32BaqT8liyvE29ef57c6E/s1600/2010-09-23_FAP___REN2335+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfrKbHhz6OCIh4GPeUtfEk56R2Y84iHJT2l8WgXZF-D-1XvX9XF_pAL3MCPOXqMt_UbClOlf8Ix45t6IdIxy9pQrl1lUd6_iR0y1TcstheYh-0JRh_lUHAD32BaqT8liyvE29ef57c6E/s400/2010-09-23_FAP___REN2335+-+Version+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The colours are just incredible, as are the names of some of these flowers and plants!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGxEmCNDFSDCkrhdhQh1G1cSOnf6eTQMUS2QKGhDcErGGXZNjJqPuZhc0kfVWVvziUD6Nn7M-wqwuTy703jd5Wvjhmbuga_p7YW4N9_xPORzaXY85TUXJEKOXyHfpnTyh9LF9Prt2VTE/s1600/2010-11-04_FAP___REN4338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGxEmCNDFSDCkrhdhQh1G1cSOnf6eTQMUS2QKGhDcErGGXZNjJqPuZhc0kfVWVvziUD6Nn7M-wqwuTy703jd5Wvjhmbuga_p7YW4N9_xPORzaXY85TUXJEKOXyHfpnTyh9LF9Prt2VTE/s640/2010-11-04_FAP___REN4338.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Walking through the bush at the back of Mt Cootha this late Spring morning, it seems as if Mother Nature has gone mad with colour; wielding her paintbrush at liberty through the brown and green foliage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp60Qv2aSyJGFFgdrHL-peJgN3VpcJTR-SArU5qQatyLm1Y4rpQL5G2ArH2LlHCdNY0qqvA91Jo0EQgMma-k9bcZmLQQga55ZjLLNjWYnsOiYcq1woSvdvJ12VpnbefOWPyn8BogM2dYM/s1600/2010-09-02_FAP___REN1647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp60Qv2aSyJGFFgdrHL-peJgN3VpcJTR-SArU5qQatyLm1Y4rpQL5G2ArH2LlHCdNY0qqvA91Jo0EQgMma-k9bcZmLQQga55ZjLLNjWYnsOiYcq1woSvdvJ12VpnbefOWPyn8BogM2dYM/s640/2010-09-02_FAP___REN1647.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Masses of glinting golden flowers hang off the bleached white branches of the ancient Gums and the sparkling orange and yellow hues of the Banksia flowers and Wattle trees remind me of the desert palette, so much an integral part of this land.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQhBvbhozbIqayI5a4_Vb4G3hhKChOGQri757gShooYpohyEilG9t0bO2mS4waQSuWNj_eW5CLDw1qs0i59Ij2iglGEyVCdDApWXp_kmCPFenWCZ2k7CjOJ7R484mFkxnzsD16JVfeVw/s1600/Blooming+angaroo+Paw+_REN1791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQhBvbhozbIqayI5a4_Vb4G3hhKChOGQri757gShooYpohyEilG9t0bO2mS4waQSuWNj_eW5CLDw1qs0i59Ij2iglGEyVCdDApWXp_kmCPFenWCZ2k7CjOJ7R484mFkxnzsD16JVfeVw/s400/Blooming+angaroo+Paw+_REN1791.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Delicate Lilly-Pillys shimmer in the morning light, while bright red and green Kangaroo Paw plants, with their remarkable claw-like flowers, look just like they have been cut into shapes from felt with craft shears. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8jns8VbRUsgf3mAa6KQsUpDPLsv-F1Hrv5rFA_0K8m8vgb4uiaVU6ktnUG08INNJPte-dYEwz7Io8UxZhkqnLWkpXsmo8rLpRRHF0wFuePi_VVlkxjhj-k3HZIAClr_mRkRVTR3B4zQ/s1600/2010-10-24_FAP___REN3472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8jns8VbRUsgf3mAa6KQsUpDPLsv-F1Hrv5rFA_0K8m8vgb4uiaVU6ktnUG08INNJPte-dYEwz7Io8UxZhkqnLWkpXsmo8rLpRRHF0wFuePi_VVlkxjhj-k3HZIAClr_mRkRVTR3B4zQ/s640/2010-10-24_FAP___REN3472.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Acid yellow Candlestick Banksias light up the bush like early Christmas trees, exotic fan-shaped Calendula flowers provide delicate purple decorations, and the heart of the Bush beats proudly in the blood red Warratahs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCXtNjEgBeUd12I0-b1Vd1T01Ltquq_IJHIkdi4HR3bzpqDgNVmiVXGkFRBA2Q3zZ-wOgT09A5ovlqC4nAymGIn9G9UASrZWbe8KjpL5sXSwQxkQHfsHCipFWcH1hctSI2_hHg72FmJo/s1600/2010-09-23_FAP___REN2347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCXtNjEgBeUd12I0-b1Vd1T01Ltquq_IJHIkdi4HR3bzpqDgNVmiVXGkFRBA2Q3zZ-wOgT09A5ovlqC4nAymGIn9G9UASrZWbe8KjpL5sXSwQxkQHfsHCipFWcH1hctSI2_hHg72FmJo/s640/2010-09-23_FAP___REN2347.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The Grevilleas, better known as Spider flowers, are amazing in their intricate design and combination of colours, ranging from purples, magentas and pinks right through to vivid reds, tangerines and honey golds. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlrJcyDbjKZJL6m7zVdri1_ShplyRXs1SY9oen03y5yx4V62fNiTAA-rKG4SV_cxOqknzNAwnD19PcDvrVKk8QN4PQWbqGeAsiAu5cbyjGDVyPborseXGDoc7FJoqRJpkqdgTzF8x4Gk/s1600/_REN7719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlrJcyDbjKZJL6m7zVdri1_ShplyRXs1SY9oen03y5yx4V62fNiTAA-rKG4SV_cxOqknzNAwnD19PcDvrVKk8QN4PQWbqGeAsiAu5cbyjGDVyPborseXGDoc7FJoqRJpkqdgTzF8x4Gk/s400/_REN7719.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwBcBdAx2e2RUvTNH2DmMheeptP4FMB3oK1hMVAz26oFjGohjy4U-buv-L8gGnPgBJSLWsoP8BoaOPErRsvNHvPhbbPUxWGRFeIad7TjTU3X-ZLdm2o4NDr-QyDqQa10ESfmKhTMFpn8/s1600/2010-09-02_FAP___REN1682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwBcBdAx2e2RUvTNH2DmMheeptP4FMB3oK1hMVAz26oFjGohjy4U-buv-L8gGnPgBJSLWsoP8BoaOPErRsvNHvPhbbPUxWGRFeIad7TjTU3X-ZLdm2o4NDr-QyDqQa10ESfmKhTMFpn8/s640/2010-09-02_FAP___REN1682.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Magnificent Cascade Lilly-Pilly bushes covered in fuzzy hot pink flowers and literally buzzing with visiting bees pull my eyes away from the squawking group of Lorikeets feeding on a tree laden with bright red Grevilleas. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_3A1EQc_w8o_NZtgrwosmSIfwo4fRyoY3PEbhCzBBEgs2Ma1MSljh0wRfk5wrXCmPH8iFbHEBpUQlU7eCOTqU-7I2GV-y-mfuzZgQv3kD-AatrWaQD_UHvUaZHyfCzGQBN4G-uIrdjc/s1600/Grevillea+Tree_REN4556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_3A1EQc_w8o_NZtgrwosmSIfwo4fRyoY3PEbhCzBBEgs2Ma1MSljh0wRfk5wrXCmPH8iFbHEBpUQlU7eCOTqU-7I2GV-y-mfuzZgQv3kD-AatrWaQD_UHvUaZHyfCzGQBN4G-uIrdjc/s400/Grevillea+Tree_REN4556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">There is a huge variety of wildlife species - birds, amphibians, insects and reptiles - that have developed a close interdependence on the native flora and are found in abundance in the bush.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HK4j1BBF7PlU8TYaptiA6zFBQ0NGpIwJiDrIN82BjicCqzKKb6P3juzgHQCflCDwLj1YteDuq95xLMt7QPdGrvy_ZdEWYc2aU5ccWuXJn1OkVOTM952CwGgjjr1pGeDe1uWwxfDeV7s/s1600/_REN4628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HK4j1BBF7PlU8TYaptiA6zFBQ0NGpIwJiDrIN82BjicCqzKKb6P3juzgHQCflCDwLj1YteDuq95xLMt7QPdGrvy_ZdEWYc2aU5ccWuXJn1OkVOTM952CwGgjjr1pGeDe1uWwxfDeV7s/s400/_REN4628.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">One of the greatest attributes of Australian native plants is their ability to survive and flourish in the notoriously harsh and erratic climate of this sunburnt country. The geological stability and isolation of Australia contributes enormously to one of the most unique and diverse floras on this planet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT5b7ylgHkuP5uCw7JPigyAsJiv6hzndWApO0NSpL2Oyc-RMHV6VewF4JiofLp1EZ_2qWxnZwq3yPdh-5cGDQPYE5NPNUtiCKr4sOZxktT5GD-OH9RnmbcBC6eSq1xLmrI_kMu_IHiyg/s1600/2010-10-14_FAP___REN3088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT5b7ylgHkuP5uCw7JPigyAsJiv6hzndWApO0NSpL2Oyc-RMHV6VewF4JiofLp1EZ_2qWxnZwq3yPdh-5cGDQPYE5NPNUtiCKr4sOZxktT5GD-OH9RnmbcBC6eSq1xLmrI_kMu_IHiyg/s640/2010-10-14_FAP___REN3088.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The Aboriginal communities have long known the wonders of the extraordinary adaptive native plants, traditionally using a large variety of species for food, medicine and shelter. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Only now, after more than 200 years of battling the elements, Australians are finally beginning to question the way in which we manage the precious diversity that has survived for so long and measures are at last being put into place to protect it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2JdeyVhlRGBYfkNoZGAolnnoQCozWK7fwfgPRYsVCMV364nR52PkpFHZ4Wt9tDAJrQG-CMizCt6f-ZOHcg3OqnI_8mBJyfz772O_U-GOb3MLnJ8d1SaedqBvDLBGr9TP5Db0VlF3Muk/s1600/2010-10-31_FAP___REN4111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2JdeyVhlRGBYfkNoZGAolnnoQCozWK7fwfgPRYsVCMV364nR52PkpFHZ4Wt9tDAJrQG-CMizCt6f-ZOHcg3OqnI_8mBJyfz772O_U-GOb3MLnJ8d1SaedqBvDLBGr9TP5Db0VlF3Muk/s640/2010-10-31_FAP___REN4111.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Our own backyard is a great place to start! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">By planting native Australian trees and bush flowers in our gardens and thus also enticing the accompanying wildlife, we can all make a significant contribution to protecting our unique natural heritage. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NO-0DMQdXNR-gWj4Zzrxg1RkmsW4G0T7jAnjRsfdDmBSxwDbAcqcKPEz1X3BLo9r6AvjZnnVq1hBAQ-pMmnrjSmPYPSW985jup2aRAwxcOz3ZXKqsqYg6el27FtOjIX-8VhN25V403U/s1600/_REN8645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NO-0DMQdXNR-gWj4Zzrxg1RkmsW4G0T7jAnjRsfdDmBSxwDbAcqcKPEz1X3BLo9r6AvjZnnVq1hBAQ-pMmnrjSmPYPSW985jup2aRAwxcOz3ZXKqsqYg6el27FtOjIX-8VhN25V403U/s640/_REN8645.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">“Lightly the breath of the Spring wind blows,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Though laden with faint perfume,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">‘Tis the fragrance rare that the bushman knows,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The scent of the wattle bloom.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">~ Adam Lindsay Gordon<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07874385667628933148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947692880968083459.post-62499873264614357352010-11-30T22:36:00.000-08:002010-11-30T22:36:17.211-08:00The Magnificent QVB<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi8J2bQkP0k8E_YCHnDLvwB7MpE5fxtUDe2hF_FlRaGodprLt6SUysj9GFY2tgEHnn5V2vfCRN7RmMVsyTXIIYqJpDklkrhyphenhyphenJ2b3yPd-kXf3qcKATO0KoW4nNOJzqsQiJyFeVrHpsHYg/s1600/_REN7809+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi8J2bQkP0k8E_YCHnDLvwB7MpE5fxtUDe2hF_FlRaGodprLt6SUysj9GFY2tgEHnn5V2vfCRN7RmMVsyTXIIYqJpDklkrhyphenhyphenJ2b3yPd-kXf3qcKATO0KoW4nNOJzqsQiJyFeVrHpsHYg/s640/_REN7809+-+Version+2.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I am always enthusing about the magnificence and abundance of beauty in nature .... however I am equally in awe of the incredible works of art conceived and constructed by man’s own hands. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriUQxVQOXHvvdHKoljNqHnVk0e4Ebbn4OiXb7dTWjWXdkgo-C2KkgAiIbOqpunJkwb0ChvypAHdp5YN6yuaFXa6LilQbRF9YgbCX3IIwkAfo8GbCWnn_TuUCq9K5jHvH_bnBUsvQvnqU/s1600/Queen+Victoria+Building+from+above.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriUQxVQOXHvvdHKoljNqHnVk0e4Ebbn4OiXb7dTWjWXdkgo-C2KkgAiIbOqpunJkwb0ChvypAHdp5YN6yuaFXa6LilQbRF9YgbCX3IIwkAfo8GbCWnn_TuUCq9K5jHvH_bnBUsvQvnqU/s640/Queen+Victoria+Building+from+above.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">And although there are very many amazing modern architectural wonders all over the world to be overwhelmed by, I still love that humbled feeling you get when walking into an old, heritage-listed building. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoOPl6c_DRWaSER7lBt5JlCI8spCyuC3ufNjwgp69vlRrANMxDPPNzZBXP2m7usTgTPpNZ6kseTh_PkZWWnp51URp-jeOmCsnVo_ZshCJkgzmpyKY5I3OnNFycit4atUGkPScW4kxLjk/s1600/QVC+Building_REN7739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoOPl6c_DRWaSER7lBt5JlCI8spCyuC3ufNjwgp69vlRrANMxDPPNzZBXP2m7usTgTPpNZ6kseTh_PkZWWnp51URp-jeOmCsnVo_ZshCJkgzmpyKY5I3OnNFycit4atUGkPScW4kxLjk/s640/QVC+Building_REN7739.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The soaring ceilings, the intricate decorative work and the absolute wonder of the shapes, patterns, materials and craftsmanship that were in vogue so far in the past, are still an integral part of our world’s rich and diverse cultural inheritance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVG2HU-I_OmJCwObD9sTvwbghAXDZ9GKSdYeJEm_i9h0y8awtrzYUNXkEYBRAD-WFwI3ZSYCi6ynUXhE9MtmqhmNgza3SyWHsH1GDOfeJDtXBLdRO1iJnX8tSGokBgDl0-KclruiZsgk/s1600/Sydney+Reflections_REN7784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVG2HU-I_OmJCwObD9sTvwbghAXDZ9GKSdYeJEm_i9h0y8awtrzYUNXkEYBRAD-WFwI3ZSYCi6ynUXhE9MtmqhmNgza3SyWHsH1GDOfeJDtXBLdRO1iJnX8tSGokBgDl0-KclruiZsgk/s640/Sydney+Reflections_REN7784.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">If only the walls could speak, they could tell us so many fascinating stories about the many thousands of people who have entered the rooms or walked the hallways of these old buildings over the decades.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvvXRWJlUNaqJQZivLO2oPk_AIW3lR-I6ZwGu4NghtbBgzphJFC6yeHS6-R0eyFp4g4AgkgwuBIg-1ipOflaYr0mW2vourELHG_sg4lhIUaz4OZ1cYgdeksOcLU6pMRBO0F8Cvqy6YJc/s1600/Looking+to+Dome+-+Queen+Vic+Building_REN7754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvvXRWJlUNaqJQZivLO2oPk_AIW3lR-I6ZwGu4NghtbBgzphJFC6yeHS6-R0eyFp4g4AgkgwuBIg-1ipOflaYr0mW2vourELHG_sg4lhIUaz4OZ1cYgdeksOcLU6pMRBO0F8Cvqy6YJc/s400/Looking+to+Dome+-+Queen+Vic+Building_REN7754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The impressive Queen Victoria Building in the city of Sydney is one such building. It never ceases to give me a sense of awe each time I wander through.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMoW0lIx0d0Zv66Myu79wtZDzOqtX22y7Vq1J1Y6iTvejpZB1eirwwTq59bwZODXV2G4hLAX9-S8HRC0j1BZQqZnNAqjaC3gnSeqDWLS1GhJ8w7ojkaxVjXB0RkjyPh36JmznBn8L1RI/s1600/Queen+Victoria+Building+Interior_REN7756+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMoW0lIx0d0Zv66Myu79wtZDzOqtX22y7Vq1J1Y6iTvejpZB1eirwwTq59bwZODXV2G4hLAX9-S8HRC0j1BZQqZnNAqjaC3gnSeqDWLS1GhJ8w7ojkaxVjXB0RkjyPh36JmznBn8L1RI/s400/Queen+Victoria+Building+Interior_REN7756+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Built in the late 1800’s and affectionately known as the QVB, this elaborate Romanesque building was constructed as a monument to the long-reigning Monarch, Queen Victoria. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhFaCgJlG62i5kYSUAuGaHJKcjC9sFpUMv38qOdFSav7vEXjZHg9_l-0VXSy2NVxGQqDMvDXzMx30X4PsN0QRrI7jl3NeirkMkBN8US9hi3fUPrJoi-UtPIY26DST8abAvXE5P53pQlk/s1600/Queen+Victoria+Building+interior_REN7749+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhFaCgJlG62i5kYSUAuGaHJKcjC9sFpUMv38qOdFSav7vEXjZHg9_l-0VXSy2NVxGQqDMvDXzMx30X4PsN0QRrI7jl3NeirkMkBN8US9hi3fUPrJoi-UtPIY26DST8abAvXE5P53pQlk/s640/Queen+Victoria+Building+interior_REN7749+%25281%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Construction of the massive building took place in dire times, when Sydney was suffering the depths of a severe recession and something grand was desperately needed to lift the population out of widespread depression.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Originally the building, which occupies an entire street block, included a concert hall, tearooms, offices, show rooms, warehouses and shop fronts for a wide variety of trades people such as tailors, hairdressers, boot makers, fruiterers, tobacconists, chemists, florists and toymakers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">However, the passing decades saw many changes of tenants, with the concert hall being overtaken by the city library at one time and winemakers, teachers of dance, piano tuners, palmists and clairvoyants occupying the shop fronts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Gradually, as the years passed by, the once magnificent building fell into disrepair and in 1959, the iconic building was threatened with demolition. Thankfully, various important citizens took up the cause and the decision was finally made to restore and preserve the QVB as a historically significant site.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87cZxvxdKuAcXWHvr1Sk1hf2o9szFCJobT8B9sIUw4at3ajD7IAk2PAH-E5NWafmIGq9R2SS04szHH2yNmUCXRSfqXeK1UN0aI5I55MEb1zpSiL6-YadoCOq_4xVIPf2TcGrpkWlu2Ok/s1600/QVB+Interior_REN7772+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87cZxvxdKuAcXWHvr1Sk1hf2o9szFCJobT8B9sIUw4at3ajD7IAk2PAH-E5NWafmIGq9R2SS04szHH2yNmUCXRSfqXeK1UN0aI5I55MEb1zpSiL6-YadoCOq_4xVIPf2TcGrpkWlu2Ok/s640/QVB+Interior_REN7772+%25281%2529.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Today, after a $75million refurbishment, the QVB is at once a magnificent multi-leveled luxury shopping mall with all the exclusive international fashion names represented, and a Federation Romanesque architectural wonder.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYppNE0EtHYx7-r6xcPDtC8Ze1eAVbz4RbUG34kVlEaRfSahwcU9kJOukJ2SL4Ulz6V5xlCJsmjwBQCLKZ_H0drC-GFUeH1oFZwoG4fUtFbSJmz_ArS4RY6cSVqUb7sEtBp5sQQr4ZFo/s1600/QVB+-+Dome+detail_REN7776+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYppNE0EtHYx7-r6xcPDtC8Ze1eAVbz4RbUG34kVlEaRfSahwcU9kJOukJ2SL4Ulz6V5xlCJsmjwBQCLKZ_H0drC-GFUeH1oFZwoG4fUtFbSJmz_ArS4RY6cSVqUb7sEtBp5sQQr4ZFo/s400/QVB+-+Dome+detail_REN7776+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The dominant feature of the sandstone building is the huge 20-meter in diameter central glass dome, with its copper sheathed exterior topped by a domed copula.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The interior features elaborate arched skylights leading out in both directions from the central dome, creating great light wells for the shopping arcades on either side.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cXeucX8MHLddTvqjHsAuNLqFjfJKgVPgahyphenhyphenQ44AJDOMEmJPsT3mvUpu8YObBKwtwFogZuDQM_5tIfgB9YkdKXUcEw-nZkgA0tiv6u5BuLp94Z42TkrtKp5sazJWBiM2ReKqDcpAWm-k/s1600/_REN7751+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cXeucX8MHLddTvqjHsAuNLqFjfJKgVPgahyphenhyphenQ44AJDOMEmJPsT3mvUpu8YObBKwtwFogZuDQM_5tIfgB9YkdKXUcEw-nZkgA0tiv6u5BuLp94Z42TkrtKp5sazJWBiM2ReKqDcpAWm-k/s400/_REN7751+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Magnificent stained glass, including a cartwheel window depicting the ancient arms of the city of Sydney, allow light to filter over the sweeping staircases, hand crafted wrought-iron balustrades and beautiful wood paneling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Many of the thousands of tiles on the intricately patterned mosaic floors are the originals, as is the beautiful 19<sup>th</sup> century spiral staircase.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The QVB has been faithfully restored to all of its former glory and is something not to be missed during a visit to Sydney - not for the shopping, or for the great coffee or food - but for the spectacular visual feast of the interior décor of this incredibly beautiful building.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Fashion designer great, Pierre Cardin, whose idea of beauty is much admired everywhere, aptly described the QVB as: <i>“The most beautiful shopping centre in the world.”</i></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9C0Pvhn5q3iFvgUB2gjLZbDc0lRiCkLwgJmixnVo2KbZEp2r29H3CjXc6LbusH8-yWvHGJKXEeFT5J3Y7OqD70M08penODdtJ0S3Ncj1exEZGpXCpc-yJ7G5c5r-YplUuq4tCd9CSMk/s1600/_REN7759+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9C0Pvhn5q3iFvgUB2gjLZbDc0lRiCkLwgJmixnVo2KbZEp2r29H3CjXc6LbusH8-yWvHGJKXEeFT5J3Y7OqD70M08penODdtJ0S3Ncj1exEZGpXCpc-yJ7G5c5r-YplUuq4tCd9CSMk/s400/_REN7759+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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