A Tricky What is it Wednesday?

When my dearly beloved family saw this object they said "Take a photo of that.... it will make a great What is it Wednesday?"

So when the four significant women in my daily life are so much in agreement I do as I am told.

So what on Earth do you think this is?

Piccie of the day: The Blue Pool Bermagui

Today it really felt like spring and my mind began turning to places like this

Hilda IX

Well this week has been hopeless in terms of writing. I have barely completed a paragraph all week.

My usual writing time is in the train during my commute, but work has been insane and I am still a little ill (I had a head cold) so unfortunately I have been dozing on the train more than writing!

This week’s scene from Hilda follows on from last, although as you will see a little more time has passed.

1911

‘They say Lord Shirley’s family is recorded in the Domesday Book as the owners of Ettington.’

As Hilda followed her father up the driveway through the park, she wanted to say ‘I know all that, I’ve heard it a thousand times. Let Lord Shirley keep his precious park!’ But she held her tongue, she knew she would cry if she said anything, leave alone upset her Dad.

Today she would not cry, she was determined of that. Her tears could wait until the evening when she was alone in her own bed. But it wouldn’t be her own bed, it would be a strange bed, a servant’s bed somewhere in an attic or basement room of Ettington Park.

‘We follow the drive around to the servants’ entrance at the back.’ Catching her expression he paused, ‘Cheer up Duck! It won’t be so bad. They’re a nice bunch up at the Park!’

There was no cheering up, not today. Today was the end of her dreams. She was thirteen and putting aside a whole world and donning the garb of a servant.

The Friday before was the end of school. She’d had her thirteenth birthday and her last term had rushed to an end. She remembered how she had lingered on that last afternoon, taking her time, washing the slates with Maggie. In the end, Fred poked his head in through the door, no longer a student of the school next door and daring to stray beyond the girls’ gate. ‘Maggie, are you ready? I’ve got Bob out here, saddled and rearin’ to go!’

Maggie smiled her warm smile, ‘That’s me then.’

Unlike Hilda, she was happy with the end of the year, she was moving back to her parents’ home at Weston. She took Hilda’s hands in hers, ‘You’ll be alright. You’ll make the best of it. Save your money and one day you’ll be twenty-one and make your own choices!’

That left Hilda alone with Miss Wilson, she finished the slates and put them away, taking the broom she swept the floor. Finally there was no longer a reason to linger any longer. Miss Wilson left her desk, ‘Well Miss, that’s it then.’

‘Thank you Hilda, I have something for you to remember me by,’

She held out a package wrapped in a pretty printed blue paper. The size and shape of a large book, but it didn’t have that feel. ‘I won’t open this now.’

‘No,’ Miss Wilson’s eyes were brimming with tears, ‘I’m sorry Hilda, I feel I’ve let you down.’

‘Never!’ Hilda’s eyes flashed, ‘You did your best Miss! This were none of your doing. And Miss, I might not be going to Grammar School, but you showed me a bigger world. I’ll always remember you!’

Jaws? Jaws schmaws!

For those of you who dropped in looking for Wild Flower Watch I must apologise.
Yesterday was rainy and wet and today family business took us up the Yarra Valley.

After our business was concluded we went for a picnic by the Upper Yarra River. The area we were in was not in the National Park so Lilli came with us.
As you know Lilli is a ball retrieving maniac.  Well one of the things she likes more than retrieving a ball is retrieving a ball and getting wet doing it!

So this little photo essay is about Lilli and her imitation of a fearsome aquatic beast.

Lilli standing at the edge of the river beseeching Lu (my youngest) to throw the ball.


Lilly leaping energetically into the current after said ball.


Closing in for a kill! Jaws has nothing on Lilli!


Doing what most Labradors do best: retrieving!


Landing with  her prey.


And finally, sharing the fun!


Now for those of you who didn’t get a wild flower fix

This lovely callistemon was growing on the Yarra river bank.


There are dozens of species of callistemons in all sorts of colours, from this lemon, to purples, pinks and reds. A number of species have the common name of “bottle-brush” and you can see why!

Piccie of the Day: Banksia

A Banksia bloom photographed at Mt Dandenong

What on Earth Was it?

Well this WIIW led to some very creative attempts.

Not one of them was close!

John said: “a stained glass window”
And added, “btw Chris loved Melbourne on his recent visit!”

Nope, not a piece of glass involved in this piccie, the image does seem to glow so I can see how you came at your guess. I suspect you will like the answer.

Btw, I am pleased Chris enjoyed Melbourne, as it goes it is a lovely city.

Christine had help with her guess: “Committee decision here, Al. Our little writers' group thinks that this is a rainy day in Melbourne: grass, a path and some water, maybe with fishes.”

Strictly no water here, although as you will see in a moment there may have been a different source of moisture.

Old Kitty guessed “It looks like colours of a woolly hat!!”
I agree it looks almost exactly like some felted creations of Deb’s

But it isn’t, although as you will see there is some fuzz involved.

Linda G went down a similar path to Christine with: “Looks like a view of a beach from above to me.”

Nope it is very much smaller!

Jai had her analytic hat on … “I'm gonna go totally out on a limb and say it's a guy sideways. The blue is his shirt, the white a belt, the green his trousers. I'm probably totally wrong but the curve of the picture makes me think that it can't be a landscape. At least I don't think so.”

The curve is the clue, and I can see what you are stabbing at, but no.

Finally Marcy said: “Grass, patio or edge of pool, water/pool.”

Much smaller, in fact something very blown up.

It is…

Lilli doing one of her favourite things!

(I suspect her absolute favourite thing is to curl up next to someone on a lounge chair).

Speaking Out

I won't answer my WIIW tonight.

A quick clue, it is two things,  neither is anything like landscape sized. AND I have posted about them recently.

Now I wanted to quickly mention an important post Kathleen Jones has made about speaking out about child abuse.

I was really touched and very impressed by her post. Speaking out is a vital first step toward change.

My Piccie of the Day is a of dawn  I shot a few years ago in western Victoria.