Sydney Harbour and Manly from the air

I was lucky enough to fly over Sydney today with the North Sydney Photographic Club for a massively discounted amount. Sydney is beautiful from any angle but from the air, takes on an even more special quality.

Our guest room is ready...

...for Jo! This includes a very comfy bed. Ally even ironed the sheets!
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Challenges (2008)

Work

• The end at Blackglass
• Grugen: resigning after first day
• Brain freeze during web design interview (question re project management)
• Contract work for Blackglass
• Month at Ogilvy

Depression

• New Zealand - sleep, sleep, sleep
• Sleep whole day, no future
• Looking for work and dreading finding it

Other

• Ally putting on weight (Xmas)
• Bed bugs experience in Blues Point
• Left my expensive tripod and gimble at the beach

Monavale Beach

Our Peruvian art now framed and up...

We think they look great! Wish we'd bought more art in South America...
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Kerry goes national....

Kerry designed two bottles of wine for a big brand here in Australia using a Chineese dragon theme. Needless to say we've sampled the wine and its very nice. The bottles are now available in bottle stores all over Australia. Well done Kerry on an excellent design.
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I'm thinking of upgrading our post box...

...to something like the Pelican box below. Maybe an albatross. Or an owl. What do you think?
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Storm over Sydney

Check out these storm clouds over Sydney. There was hail and lashings of rain. Traffic came to a stand still. People looked at me like I was crazy when I stopped the car and ventured outside into the pouring rain to get a snap.
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Birds snapped at Bobbin Head

Narrabeen Rock Pool revisited

Pelican sunrise

Entertaining baby Lucas...

Ella's "special persons" concert

Ella had a special event at school today where she was allowed to invite two "special people". Believe it or not I cracked the nod. Very priviledged I felt! I got to watch a wonderful concert. And then, after delicious tea, I was invited to juggle (one of my many hidden talents; I just happended to have my juggle balls) in front of the class which they loved. All in all, a special experience; thanks to Ella for inviting me.

A quote that I really like

From an email on attitude that mum sent through today.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...   It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Photo Processing Workshop

I did a photo workshop today that showed us how to process images and enhance them using Adobe Lightroom. It was briliant and I learned a lot. As part of the workshop, we got to shoot a model (to create some material to work with). It was my first experience of this - being on the receiving end of "sexy pouts" from a complete stranger. We only had 10 minutes or so and were all jostling for pole position so nothing ground breaking here but here are a couple of shots to commemorate the occasion!
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Russel has become a minor celebrity on Flickr...

...this is my first photo on Flickr to receive 100 comments and 20 favourites. It is a photo of Russel taken at the Uyuni Salt Pans in Bolivia. I am very chuffed. Click here to view the image on flickr.
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Our new pot plants

Chinese Lantern (back courtyard)
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Lime Tree (front courtyard)
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Fern (back courtyard)
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