One from another camera

Not bad for my first go on a strange camera

As previously mentioned, I went out on Sunday without my camera. Something I will never do again.

My distressing situation was rectified by me being offered the host’s camera and becoming the ‘guest’ photographer for Leah’s birthday lunch. This solved two problems. Me feeling completely lost and confused, drifting around like a boat that had come loose from its moorings for one. And Leah and her family trying to socialise and still capture the day in photos.

Once I managed to sort out the settings and buttons on the unfamiliar Panasonic camera I had a wonderful time. I played in colour and I played Black & White and I played and took photos.

Today’s photo is one I took of the birthday girl’s son, Ethan. I think it’s a bit of a cracker. I have done absolutely nothing to this photo. No tweaking, no cropping, no anything. This is it straight out of the camera. Certainly doesn’t hurt that the subject is a genetically blessed young man.

I like it.

Me bad

Me bad. I have been out all day and haven’t been able to take a photo.

That’s not quite correct. I did take a photo. As a matter of fact, I took LOTS of photos, but they were not with my camera, nor were they with my phone. I took photos using the camera of a friend, at her 40th birthday lunch. (I sort of became the official photographer)

I also left the house today WITHOUT my own camera.

*Audible intake of breath* I know!!! I can hear the gasps from here.

I left home without my camera!! I felt like I had left home without my child. I really truly thought that I would not need it. I was going to be inside at a restaurant. Why on earth would I need my camera?

Well………… I would have needed my own camera…………

Because the cloud formations I saw on the drive up the Calder Freeway towards Sunbury were so amazing. Cumulus clouds scattered in front of horizontal lines of clouds that got incrementally thicker the closer to the horizon they were. So hard to describe in words. A picture would have been easier. *sigh*

Because Leah’s 40th birthday cake was a minor work of art. Leah is a cake decorator of immense skill and her good friend and fellow cake decorator made and decorated the birthday cake for her. (Though she did use Leah’s cake recipe, Leah’s cake tins, Leah’s’ butter-cream recipe and the topper that Leah had ordered)  *another sigh*

Because it was a magnificent spring day and I should have taken myself for a drive to find a canola field or something anything , but I was too tired and I knew I had a heap of stuff to do at home. (Photo stuff!! Housework and washing is not for a day like today)

Me bad. Me regretful. Me not going to leave home without my camera ever again. So I’m going to share a photo I took the other day.

On the up side, lunch was delectable, the cake was gorgeous and delicious and Leah had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday.

Now I’m going to bed.

The Melbourne Star from the Bolte Bridge while stopped in heavy traffic

Happy birthday my marvellous Melbourne

Happy birthday Melbourne

180 years old and looking pretty good for her advanced years, my marvellous Melbourne is celebrating her birthday.

But 180 years of age is not old. Not when compared to cities like Athens, Rome, Jerusalem, Damascus and Jericho. Melbourne is still in nappies and breastfeeding in comparison to these old towns. Our history barely fills a page.

Melbourne has had its good and bad. Good decisions. Bad decisions. Good politicians. Bad politicians. Good suburbs and those not so good. Beautiful buildings and eyesores. But overall Melbourne is a wonderful place to live. After all, one doesn’t get voted the World’s Most Liveable City five years in a row for nothing.

Melbourne from up high.

We have the best people, the best coffee, the best restaurants and take-aways. We rightly claim the title for having the most passion for art, the arts, theatre and sport.

We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We are not pompous or big-headed. Melbourne is a city that just gets on with it.

Melbourne at night from up high on the Melbourne Star

Love you my marvellous Melbourne. Kick your heels up and twirl those skirts. Happy birthday to you.

“Happy birthday to me……Happy birthday to me…..”

Cake and flowers. I’m feeling the love.

Yes. It is my birthday. I went to bed and to sleep last night aged 47 and awoke this morning aged 48.

Do I feel 48? No.

Did I feel 47?? No.

Do I think I should ‘act my age’?? Why start now?? 🙂

Am I enjoying all the birthday messages from friends far and wide? Absolutely!! I’m a Leo girl. If there were no adoring friends I would be curled up in a corner sulking.

“Happy birthday to me………………..”