Not just a "piccie of the day"

I was just going to put up a piccie of the day tonight because I was home late. But when I started I got just a little more ambitious.
Being the weekend Deb and I were out and about. We headed north-west of the city today, out into the gold-fields.
Deb and I paused  by the lake at Daylesford.

Where we had a delightful snack of local cheeses and coffee.

Then we continued to the west along a road we have never used before, past very scenic country interspersed with Nineteenth Century gold mine tailings and in places the ruins of quite elaborate engine houses that once housed the steam engines that powered the mines.

We fetched up in Clunes which is a town stuck in a time-warp. Clunes was the first gold-rush town in Victoria. This is the Anglican church there, as you can see they planned to build in two stages.
 
But then the gold played out and the town all but melted away so the second stage of the church was never built.

Finally on the way home I paused to catch shots of a rather nice sunset.

Uncle Harry Saves the Day

I am tired and cannot think tonight. Yet, I have an urge to post. I guess I must be well and truly becoming a blog junky.

Well we were out and about again on the weekend.

But because I can’t think I’ll put on my Uncle Harry hat and play the tour guide.

Two hours drive from our humble abode lies the Central Victorian town of Clunes.

Clunes, like many towns in Victoria was founded during the 1850s Gold Rushes.

In fact Clunes was where the first gold was found in Victoria and was the home of the first gold rush in the then Colony of Victoria.

Clunes had a boom in the early days. Like many gold rush towns it went into decline when the local mines closed. Development stopped dead.

Today walking down the main street is like stepping back into the Nineteenth Century (apart from the cars).Most of the shops look like they are still in the 1800s including the sign-writing.
In fact I guess most of the “old” signage is in fact not too old. The town was used as a set in the 2003 film Ned Kelly, starring Heath Ledger.

Clunes is today taking advantage of the time warp it seems to be caught in with some businesses aiming squarely at tourists and day-trippers (that would be me).

Some carry things to excess
Of course there are all the conveniences we expect in the Twenty First Century.
Including a "modern Garage".

Like many of the gold rush towns there was enough money around to build some reasonably impressive public buildings.

The Post Office.The Town Hall and Police Court.And finally a building to keep the writer (and reader) in me happy.
The original library.

Over The Top

Shortly before I took my moving enforced break I was given an “Over The Top” blog award by Brian at Old Man’s Inspirational Thoughts
Thanks Brian!

And here are the rules for this award:
1.) Thank and post URL to the blog that gave the award.
2.) Pass the award along to 6 brilliantly over the top blogs (blogs you love!) Alert them so they know to receive the award.
3.) Copy and paste this quiz... Change the answers, ONE word only...feel free to fudge here!

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your hair? Greying
3. Your mother? Nurturing
4. Your father? Gone
5. Your favorite food? Curry
6. Your dream last night? Forgotten
7. Your favorite drink? Cappuccino
8. Your dream/goal? Publish
9. What room are you in? Study
10. Your hobby? Writing
11. Your fear? Grief
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Content
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? Liar
15. Muffins? Rich
16. Wish list item? Camera
17. Where did you grow up? Bush
18. Last thing you did? Read
19. What are you wearing? Casual
20. Your TV? Unimportant
21. Your pets? Gone
22. Friends? Cherished
23. Your life? Challenge
24. Your mood? Happy
25. Missing someone? Partner
26. Vehicle? FIAT
27. Something you're not wearing? Tie
28. Your favorite store? Bookshop
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? Morning
31. Last time you cried? Friday
32. Your best friend? Partner
33. One place that I go to over and over? Bed
34. One person who emails me regularly? Friend
35. Favorite place to eat? Seaside

Choosing six bloggers? I hate this point, I read quite a number of blogs which I really enjoy and choosing between them always seems so hard.

Two of my favourite bloggers Kathleen and Wendy are uncomfortable about spreading memes. So in all good conscience I won’t pass this on to them. BUT check out their blogs, they are both published authors in the real world and I think it shows.

This leaves decisions, decisions…

Drum roll…

The award goes to:

Tasha at Heidenkind’s Hideaway. Tasha is an art historian who mainly focuses on reviews, but she chucks in some posts on really varied and interesting topics.

The Accidental Londoner talks about her life as a Midlands (small town) girl adjusting to life in the big smoke of London.

Jenners at Life With a Little One and More. Jenners posts on whatever seems to grab her attention at the time with a general focus on what she learns from being a parent of a “little un”.

Rebecca at Living a Life of Writing. Rebecca writes profusely on her thoughts about writing and publishing.

Shelli at Market My Words. Shelli posts about publishing with a focus on marketing oneself with the aim of getting published.

Lisa at Lit and Life. Sorry Lisa, I’m only giving you this award to compensate you for the strange affliction of being a Geelong Cats supporter even though you live in the USA.
I cant say that! What I meant to say is - Lisa is a profuse poster of book reviews.

As a postscript an image.
This rustic and apparently abandoned farm shed sits beside the road between Ballarat and Clunes on the Central Victorian Gold Fields.
I find this image quite poignant. There is beauty in this image of decay. Yet if you look closely you can see that before this building’s last incarnation as a shed it served another purpose. The large doors in the front are a later addition each of these bays used to have two windows and a narrow doorway that were later bricked up. While the side wall had a large opening with an arched top, maybe a window or a doorway?
One wonders what purpose it served. Maybe a small inn beside what was a busy road? A former staging post for the famous Cobb & Co coach company? Or perhaps a humble dwelling for farm labourers?