#240-365 Print Media

This is it! The final post for 2009, I was feeling so good about it being a Done Deed, that the last thing I expected was to walk into the Post Office just before Christmas to see this plastered all over the place, well actually near the bottom of a like pile attached to a clip board but hey, someone is out to make me out to be like James Cagney at the end of "White Heat" standing on top of a gasoline storage tank, pistol in hand screaming "Look Ma I'm on Top of the World!" and we all know that that didn't end too good for him!
So this blog site has done it's job, so you can start looking at my VPW 2010 site and see a few excerpts from my recent Sydney, trip that also hint at a Convict past! HAPPY BLOODY NEW YEAR, as we convict stock say down under.

#219-365 Out West

The penultimate Post for 2009, as you can see by the date, it was a while back, and Cessnock is fairly Easterly geographically, unless you are viewing it from The U.S. of A or Europe and thebn we could definitely claim South West for sure! Was hoping for a better one than this, which failed to materialize but I like this, as it show, a definite Western Theme, a great map of Bew South Wales and was shot in a MacDonalds store where Sally and I had stopped for breakfast on our way to Sydney for our first trip this year.

#2-7-365 On my Table

I took this theme from the point of view of the baby Wedgetail Eagle, eagerly awaiting to devour the rabbit that it has been demanding since its last meal. This is a museum posed shot that I thought worked for showing the size of these raptors, which you can get by comparing it to the guy bent down inspecting the jars of centipedes and scorpions in the background. These really are majestic birds that look so wonderful soaring on high over Australia's Outback!

#252-365 Reading Material

This photo was taken in the aisles of the Redcliffe Library, where I am a member in sometimes good standing, other times I just make good excuses when I am late returning the late books. I took this shot and a few others after I had askedone of the staff (A very junior one it seems) as when I had snapped this, The senior Bureaucrat came rushing up accompanied by an obvious security guy, who said "What You Think You're Doin?" so I answered Photography - two aisles to the left! The guard smirked but turned away quickly, and as the Head Honcho said you need permission to do that, the young Lady I had spoken to earlier, rushed up and said "I gave him permission and told him he was not permitted to photograph our patrons!" I showed the her and the guard the four shots I had in the camera - not a soul in sight! So off she went sated, but the guard lingered, I asked if he was still checking on me because of my close set beady eyes, and he said naw I was interested in that camera.
So I took him two aisles down and grabbed a DSLR book I had been looking at earlier, and suggested that he get it out and take it home, he grabbed it and said "no film?" I answered in the affirmative and he said but you used the flash how come the shots are so dark, I gave him the stock distance answer then said it was all explained in the book. He then asked well how do you get them so that people can see what you saw? I dragged him across to the magazine rack and showed him the plethora (I was in a Library) of Photoshop magazines available and said now that is another big topic. He asked if I would show him the end product and when I did he was impressed and said you got rid of all the gloom, even way down the end of the aisle where it was so dark!, Last I heard he bought a Canon (don't know the details) and has become as crazy as the rest of us! I see him occasionally off duty in the Magazine area reading all of the photoshop magazines (for free).

#171-365 Letters

Hey you guys wanted letters, well you got it, and numbers as a bonus, but you don't understand the anguish and agony I had to go through to get this, Sally dragged me kicking and screaming into a Giant Haberdashery shop called Spotlight, which believe it or not has closed down and moved to even bigger premises down the road. Who'da thunk haberdash would need so much room to grow in, I thought that it was found in small little shops manned by little old ladies smelling of Lavender. Well it wasn't a total lose as I got this photo, although I have no idea what Sally spent $Aus73.35 on?

#267-365 Sandy

Nearly finished, and only 364 days til Christmas, I'm getting ready to settle down and watch the Boxing day Test cricket match against Pakistan, which is being played at the MCG Melbourne Cricket Ground, I know that my advice to you to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, will assist you in alleviating your massive hang overs, as you soak up all that vitamin D via the CRT or LCD or whatever. Be nearly as good for you, as standing on that little spit of sandy shore that you can see in the foreground, which is just down the road at Woody Point.

Merry Aussie Christmas

You know what I wish for you all, but I thought that this time of the year you would enjoy hearing from the management team, so here is Sally's Christmas Message.

"To all of you 365 Challengers, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year, and many thanks for keeping Ron, out of my hair during the preceeding Year!"

I'm Backkkk, "That explains why she stopped walking around singing - I gotta wash that man right outta my hair" Hmmm

P.S. We know it is Christmas eve there but Santa came here hours ago, sp try and catch a view tomorrow of the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, which starts at 0200pm GMT. See some real christmas weather.