A total lunar eclipse took place on April 15, 2014. It is the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2014, and the first in a tetrad (four total lunar eclipses in series). Subsequent eclipses in the tetrad are those of October 8, 2014, April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015.
The eclipse was visible in the Pacific Ocean region, including Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Americas. The moon passed south of the centre of the Earth's shadow. As a result, the northern part of the moon was noticeably darker than the southern part. It occurred during the ascending phase of the moon's orbit, part of lunar saros 122.
The eclipse was visible in Melbourne at moonrise and fortunately we had a clear sky. I took some photos from home, but it was quite tricky to get the exposure right. These are the best photos I managed to shoot. To the left of the moon, the bright spot is Mars and above the moon is the star Spica in the constellation of Virgo.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
Leptospermum is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, which is native to Australia, New Zealand. Called "tea tree" because Captain James Cook in the 18th century brewed a tea from the leaves and gave it to his crew as a scurvy preventative.
These are substantial and useful plants all year round; soft and casual looking (never rigid or formal). Most make a display of five-petalled single flowers (somewhat like tiny wild roses) along stems among the small leaves. Petals surround a hard central cone or cup that matures to a woody seed capsule that hangs on for a long time after the petals drop. Flowers are typically white, pink, or red.
Leptospermum scoparium shown here is the double form, with light pinkish white flowers that darken as they mature. The species has many varieties, which are valuable garden plants, most growing from 1 to 3 metres tall and wide. Not as bold in form or as serviceable in hedges and screens as Leptospermum laevigatum, but the beautiful flowers are showier: Single or double, in white, pink, or red, profuse in spring and summer. Branches densely set with small needlelike green/burgundy leaves. Good in containers.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Coburg is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin. At the 2011 Census, Coburg had a population of 24,977.
Coburg's boundaries are Gaffney Street and Murray Road in the north, Elizabeth Street and Merri Creek in the east, Moreland Road in the South and Melville Road, Devon Avenue, Sussex Street and West Street in the west. Coburg is designated one of 26 Principal Activity Centres in the Melbourne 2030 Metropolitan Strategy.
The main commercial activity in Coburg is the precinct between Coburg railway station and Sydney Road. Coburg doesn't have an enclosed shopping mall, though it does have four shopping arcades on the west side of Sydney Road. Coburg's main commercial precinct comprises about 250 shops, a small indoor market, several supermarkets and discount stores arranged around large, ground level car parks.
In the 1990s the Victoria Street pedestrian mall was revamped with native trees and bluestone paving and has become an extremely popular place for locals to congregate and enjoy cheap coffee. While Coburg Shopping Centre is very busy during the day, its modest number of restaurants, cafes and bars means that it can be quiet in the evenings. The commercial strip of Sydney Road is continuous from Coburg's southern neighbour Brunswick, but it has a very different character, having so far remained ungentrified.
This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.
Warrandyte Bakery is all about location, location, location. It is hard to do better than sit at a table by the Yarra River! Not to mention the lush bush surroundings, calling birds and fresh smell of vegetation and the wood smoke from the bread oven. The fresh bread range made in the wood fire oven on-site is the best, although there are some sweets available (some better than others, but not patisserie quality). Coffee rather expensive and not on par with Melbourne City's (although that is putting the bar up high). Staff could be politer too...
The lovely mural adorns the wall facing the main road and is a delight, merging with the plantings around it. Native birds and native flora decorate the wall, which has two painted shutters and the prominent "Bakery" sign. The mural was painted by Debra Goldsmith.
This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
Warrandyte is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Manningham. At the 2011 Census, Warrandyte had a population of 5,520.
Warrandyte is bounded in the west by the Mullum Mullum Creek and Target Road, in the north by the Yarra River, in the east by Jumping Creek and Anzac Road, and in the south by an irregular line from Reynolds Road, north of Donvale, Park Orchards and Warrandyte South.
Warrandyte was founded as a Victorian town, located in the once gold-rich rolling hills east of Melbourne, and is now on the north-eastern boundary of suburban Melbourne. Gold was first discovered in the town in 1851 and together, with towns like Bendigo and Ballarat, led the way in gold discoveries during the Victorian gold rush. Today Warrandyte retains much of its past in its surviving buildings of the Colonial period and remains a twin community with North Warrandyte, which borders the Yarra River to its north.
The Warrandyte Road Bridge over the Yarra River connects Warrandyte with North Warrandyte. The first bridge was built in 1861, but after its demise, the current bridge was built in 1952.
This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Sunday Bridges meme.
At the corner of La Trobe St and Elizabeth St in the City, a City Circle tram makes its way through the traffic. Above the glass and concrete towers reflect some blue patches of sky.
This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme.
