WWandPics – Still Waters

And it didn’t cost me a cent!

Over the years I’ve mentioned a certain bench in the local park
It’s about half way up a slight rise in the land – about the time you start to think ‘this path is definitely not flat’

The first photo I took of it was way back in 2009. Victoria was still in drought and everything had a dry crisp look to it. The council were just beginning to develop the reserve but because of the lack of rain it took a while. It was also about that time my back condition worsened and I stayed closer to home – so even though I might have wandered round the duck pond I didn’t venture ‘up the hill’ and snap what I jokingly called my bench for quite a while.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The drought broke, plantings were made, everything greened up – and flourished.

It’s taken aawhile for the changes to be realised (a great deal of the work is done by volunteers) there have been additions and removals, Australian native plants grown, left to their own devices, most have survived, growing strong and sturdy (sometimes a little too rampantly so have been cut back, some died
And for some reason it has become almost a tradition that I take a photo when I walk up that way…..which means you are able to see how much the little bare area next to a couple of established gums has changed.
Some photos are better than others – (time of day, various cameras, iPads & phones, where I was standing, zooming in or not, plus some cropping) but if you click or use the finger slide method to enlarge you’ll get a fair idea of how it has ‘grown’

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~

Rain and more rain (thanks to La Niña) Covid restrictions as well as a temperamental back that had me doing other exercises rather than walking stopped me going up there for another couple of years and look what I discovered the other day – a very swish looking new bench. Much more upmarket than the simple wooden ones.

It’s Monday morning again….I’ve been sitting here for a little while with my usual early cuppa in hand thinking about the many changes that are going to be made to the area…..

….catering for changing population wants/needs/attitudes/expectations rather than those happy with more natural surroundings…..…..

Hopefully as long as the green space is still here in our suburb (and it doesn’t get swallowed up by ‘new improvements’) all will be well.

Anyway I must get on – can’t sit here for much longer – changes at my usual pool (urgent repairs/closure) meant the users have had to go elsewhere – I’ll talk about the ‘new’ one some other time. Let’s just say it is different 🙁

And talking of Mondays, it’s the start of the 2nd week of the month, how did that happen? Is anyone else concerned about the speed with which the weeks and months are passing by this year?

Have there been any changes (big, little, horrendous) to your way of life recently?

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pics .

My initial reaction to a gift I was given late last year

…..”Mum ordered this online – it’s described as Pale Marigold but isn’t exactly what she thought it would be, she thinks it’s too bright . She knows you knit for charity and you’ll welcome it..

(‘Mum’ is a longtime friend who moved to another suburb
daughter lives locally)
~ ~ ~ ~

By the time I took this photo back in early March (for a post I had in mind but never got round to) I’d had a rethink – yes, it’s a bit bright – not quite orange..not quite yellow…youngsters like bright, I’d rephrased my thoughts to something like – Never look a gift horse In the mouth – because I knew it would be welcome wherever it went and by whoever wore it.

So another tried and true pattern had come out of the pile. Styled for a little girl, with a lace panel on the front and sleeves but easily adapted for a boy by leaving them off.
Then I got sidetracked and this was put to one side – it’s only just recently I’ve been able to say that from the 300gms I’d been gifted I managed to produce both a jumper/sweater and cardigan (similar sizing) adding the same lacy design to both of them

With a mind going round in circles recently, I’ve begun to take slow walks again.
The piles of recently fallen leaves at the local park reminded me that nothing (or very little) lasts forever and to enjoy life in whatever way you can.
Those thoughts plus the addition of some beautiful sunny days helped chase the blues away

So what if I had to drive to a place that was within walking distance – those extra 500m downhill one way (then uphill coming back – with no conveniently placed roadside benches,) would have had me exhausted.
It’s what happens there that makes the difference 😊

And the book I began – In a Strange Room – well unlike the knitting, I didn’t return and finish it…..it’s sitting on the shelf waiting for me to pick it up – sometime.

It’s Wednesday again
the first Wednesday in a (another) new month
This time it’s the first Wednesday in May 2023.

So I’m sharing today’s post at Denyse’s weekly link up called Wednesday’s Words & Pics . Why don’t you pop over and see who’s there this week

( Does anyone know where April went?)

#staypositive