Australia Day is tomorrow, but today is rather special...

Tomorrow is Australia Day, but today has been rather special...
There is no bushfire, smoke-laden air...
There are no gale force winds...
It is not autumn-chilled and grey on my peninsula, while other parts of Australia swelter and burn...
The sun is shining and sharing friendly warmth in a blue, blue sky...
And I can actually breathe freely...
Outside...
This morning, for the first time in many months,
I took a walk on the Dromana foreshore by the sea...
(As did many others...)

And took photos...


Nippers were lining up to learn how to surf...




Even the seagulls looked happy and relaxed in the sunshine...


The foreshore trail seemed to have a mystique that touched the soul...

I loved seeing foreshore trees gently flowering...


Finally...some cuteness overload...

a short, refreshing walk...

Yesterday morning was sunny...perhaps a little brisk...
but glowing with the spirit of a Summer-going-in-to-Autumn morning...
Before the day unfolded with my other life, I took a walk along my beloved Dromana foreshore...


I hadn't checked out the mural of old Dromana in a while,
so decided to see if it was still faring well...
Clearly, plants had grown, obscuring one large section of the mural on the right...


But my favourite section of the mural was still clearly visible...
The rails that used to run along the pier - to load goods on steamers bound for Port Melbourne - were there in the foreground...
and quaint little shops gathered opposite the pier...
It was built to facilitate the regular landing of Port Phillip Bay’s Steamers – firstly to transport the produce of Arthurs Seat’s logging trade to Melbourne, as well as transporting passengers around the bay. In the latter half of the 19th century, as the tourist industry grew, steamers such as the: PS ‘Ozone’, PS ‘Hygeia’, PS ‘Edina’, PS ‘Weeroona‘ carried passengers to the Mornington Peninsula, whose beaches became a very popular seaside holiday destination. Source: Dromana Pier c. 1860's


As usual, casual runners, cyclists and walkers were active...


and those running to a fitness routine...


and dogs of course...


But I was really there for the quiet walk with trees and the sea views...

trees and sea...

a view of Dromana beach with a dog (just visible) who had just taken his leash for a run...


a beach
a place to feel the urge
to be free


Linking to:
Scenic Weekends



PicturesCafe.com

dog and his umbrella...

this little dog was beside a boat moored at Mornington pier...
The boat was a caravel, on display for a few days...
The caravel was launched February 7, 2011 at Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia.


a little one
gazes at new worlds
by the sea


The red umbrella is just visible on the right...


Linking to:
Ruby Tuesday Too

dog loves to sail...

woman and dog at Balnarring Beach...


enjoy the water
without
getting wet


Linking to:
Wednesday Waters

he wears the colours...

little dog wearing a balloon of patriotic colours on the Dromana foreshore - Australia Day 2014...


just a little soul
plodding along quietly
with his colours


Linking to:
Ruby Tuesday Too

I prefer paddling...

dog enjoying paddling round the waters near Rye pier...


little dog
dabbling in his own world
lost and found


Linking to:
Water World Wednesday

a ball game...

neighbour's dog enjoying a ball game...


being outside
running free with a ball
is happiness


NOTE
Just sometimes, the ball game of life does not play fair.
Recent news has hit my Mornington Peninsula hard.

Liam Patrick Davison (29 July 1957 -17 July 2014) is an award-winning Australian novelist.
He was born in Melbourne and lived with his wife and two children at Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula, where, until 2007, he taught creative writing at the Chisholm Institute of Technology in Frankston.
 Educated at St Bede's College, Melbourne and Melbourne Teacher's College,
Davison was awarded the National Book Council's Banjo Award for Fiction in 1993.
He has been shortlisted for several literary prizes
such as The Age Book of the Year Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award.

He and his wife Frankie (teacher at Toorak College on the peninsula) 
died on the 17th of July 2014, 
victims of the shooting down of Flight MH17 by Ukrainian/Russian rebels???



Landscape is scenery from a car. You look at it. Riding through it, you feel its contours in your muscles and your lungs. You smell it like the living thing it is...
- extract from Liam Davison's Map for a Vanished Landscape - Griffith Review...

may their souls
feel living peace 

namaste


Linking to:
Scenic Weekends
SOOC Sunday

a winter beach run...

enjoying a winter run on the sands at Schnapper Point...


the waters are cool
but a run on the sands
warms the spirit 


Linking to:
Water World Wednesday

warm in red...

woman and dog wandering Dromana beach...


wrapped in warm red
a wintry beach walk is
a pleasure


Linking to:
Ruby Tuesday Too

dog on the beach...

dog on Dromana beach decides that the Autumn waters are a tad too chilly...
so he just watches the world go by...


the beach
any time any weather
is my walking place


Linking to:
Water World Wednesday

waiting for wings...

A rather large dog kite slowly filling with air before rising and dominating the sky...
This photo was taken at the recent annual Kite Festival on the Rosebud foreshore...


waiting for
some friendly winds 
to offer wings



Linking to:
SkyWatch Friday

rugged up...

Wandering a wintry Dromana beach


rugged up
all ready to love
beach worlds


Linking to:
Ruby Tuesday Too

The dog knows...

Wandering wintry Dromana beach with the dog is quite a common feature in my peninsula world.


sea worlds
riddled with winter beauty
stir the cold soul


Linking to:
Water World Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday

A Cool What...????

This is one of those photos that maybe should become closely acquainted with the delete button.
No thing (and no one) is complete!
It's a mystery of bits!
And yet, it has kinda grown on me!
This photo was taken last Saturday midst the crowds celebrating Australia Day on the Dromana foreshore!
I was trying to photograph the dog, but he kept twisting and turning!
I noticed the assortment of feet and footwear - but they kept shuffling!
I noticed the stroller + Australian flag - but they became hidden!
But then I had the chance to get bits of all this together!
I snapped!
(Actually, it was an accidental snap out of frustration!)
So now I have an interesting abstract of ....?????
And yes...
I think I like it!
It's different!
It has a story!
It's cool!


Crowded kind of art
A gem of incomplete tales
Waiting to move on


Linking to:
Cool Clicks Thursday

Even in Autumn...

Wandering a beach at Mornington even though the air is a little Autumn crisp!

The charm of beach worlds
The lure of the sea and sand
Sweet balm for the soul

Click HERE for other Outdoor Wednesday participants
Click HERE for more participants in Shadow Shot Sunday 2!

 

Beach Life

Activity at the southern end of Dromana beach known as Anthony's Nose where fishing and boat launching are very popular.

Not quite sweet Spring warmth
Not quite weather for swimming
Still time for a beach

Click HERE to view other Watery Wednesday participants