RAINY

Our weather has turned nasty all of the sudden and Autumn is leading us into Winter post haste. We've had cold, rainy days and nights, although that does not deter many people from taking their daily constitutional...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

CURIO BOX

Cabinets of curiosities (also known in German loanwords as Kunstkabinett, Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer; also Cabinets of Wonder, and wonder-rooms) were notable collections of objects. The term cabinet originally described a room rather than a piece of furniture. Modern terminology would categorise the objects included as belonging to natural history (sometimes faked), geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art (including cabinet paintings), and antiquities.

The classic cabinet of curiosities emerged in the sixteenth century, although more rudimentary collections had existed earlier. In addition to the most famous and best documented cabinets of rulers and aristocrats, members of the merchant class and early practitioners of science in Europe formed collections that were precursors to museums.

Here is my little version of a cabinet of curiosities, one of several curio boxes I have and in which I have various objects, some precious, others remarkable, yet others quite ordinary but connected with some event or person, and which therefore bring back some memory. In this one you can see a mosaic of all manner of things including: Antique miniature toys, tropical tree dried seeds, mineral specimens, carved oriental bone figures, cloisonné miniatures, fossils and shells.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

HELLO AUTUMN

Our trees are showing beautiful Autumn colours and the weather has been wet, cool and crisp. Read the sign...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

VICTORIANA

Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed "Victorian" architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria's reign. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it followed Georgian architecture and later Regency architecture, and was succeeded by Edwardian architecture.

Terraced houses in Australia refers almost exclusively to Victorian and Edwardian era terraced houses or replicas, almost always found in the older, inner city areas of the major cities, mainly Sydney and Melbourne. Terraced housing was introduced to Australia in the 19th century. Their architectural work was based on those in London and Paris, which had the style a century earlier. Large numbers of terraced houses were built in the inner suburbs of large Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, mainly between the 1850s and the 1890s. The beginning of this period coincided with a population boom caused by the Victorian and New South Wales Gold Rushes of the 1850s and finished with an economic depression in the early 1890s. Detached housing became the popular style of housing in Australia following Federation in 1901.

The generic Melbourne style of terrace is distinguishable from other regional variations, often reflecting the popularity of Italianate villa architecture in the city. Many Victorian era Melbourne terraces are built on foundations of bluestone, a solid and porous local rock quarried from the volcanic plains to the north and west of the city, although it is rare to find terraces completely constructed of the material due to the difficulty to mould it. The majority of designers of Victorian terraces in Melbourne made an effort to deliberately hide roof elements with the use of a decorative parapet, often combined with the use balustrades above a subtle but clearly defined eave cornice and a frieze which was either plain or decorated with a row of brackets (and sometimes additional patterned bas-relief. Chimneys were often tall, visible above the parapet and elaborately Italianate in style. Cast iron lacework was abundantly used as a decorative and functional element.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

POSTCARD FROM MELBOURNE

This is a postcard I made to send electronically to a friend who is overseas and is feeling a little homesick.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

AUTUMNAL

After a drive in the country at the weekend, we realised how autumnal everything was. The overcast sky and rain showers, counterpointed with the bright yellows and oranges of the foliage of deciduous trees. The fields ploughed and the gardens got ready for the Winter, while evening fell quickly and a definite chill was in the air.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

AUTUMN ARRIVES

We've just turned our clocks back an hour and it started to rain tonight. Tomorrow we are expecting a maximum of 15˚C and the new season apples are in a fruit bowl in the kitchen. It was chilly enough this evening to turn the heater on. Yes, Autumn has arrived...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

BENCH WITH A VIEW

A composite of three photographs where I wanted to show the view one sees while seated at the bench on the left...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

INDUSTRY

A light industry area a few blocks down from our house. Always looks rather melancholy at twilight.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

SEASONAL POND

Pond at the Darebin Parklands captured on three different Autumn days. The images have been stitched together and the frame is another image of Japanese maple foliage.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

RIPENING

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

ALBUM PAGE

A collection of street photos taken at various times in and around the City.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

INDUSTRIAL

A few blocks down from where we live is a light industrial area that has quite a few warehouses. After working hours the area can be quite deserted and the locked up buildings and their equipment can look a little strange, almost like the empty set of a movie...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

WILD FRUIT

With late Summer comes the beginning of the fruiting season in many plants, some native and some exotic to Melbourne. These four found in our and neighbours' gardens.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
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and also part of the Seasons meme.

LAIR

Melbourne regularly ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities but it’s not just hipsters and other humans who find the temperate climate of Melbourne so habitable. Despite the industrial, commercial and residential development that comes with being in a big city, Melbourne is still home to many species of Australian native animals, as well as some introduced animals that have been naturalised here.

Retention and growth of bushland and other green areas in Melbourne is very important for wildlife, along with the trees’ ability to provide cooling summer shade and healthy, breathable air. The Darebin Parklands is just one of these oases of green in metropolitan Melbourne and is home to many native and introduced species of wildlife.

Carnivores in the Parklands include such animals as snakes and other reptiles, foxes, feral cats, and birds. I have often seen evidence of the remnants of the meals of these predators, and occasionally have caught sight of them.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

PRISM GARDEN

I took a few photos of our garden through a glass prism and managed to get the optics right with a couple of them to get images like this. This was quite an amateurish attempt as I was holding the camera lens right up against one of the glass faces of the prism, trying to focus through the thick glass. The focal lengths and the optics would only allow one broken up image to be in sharp focus. Somehow, I think that the out of focus images around the main one enhance the composition. What do you think?

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

HOLIDAYS

Many people here in Melbourne are still on holidays and with our hot weather, beaches are popular holiday destinations. Meanwhile, those of us staying in the City are enjoying the slightly less congested streets and the less crowded public places.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

SUMMERY PARKLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne. The temperature is in the low 30s˚C for the next few days.

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and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

BY THE RIVER

Quiet time by the Werribee River.

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
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FESTIVE JANUARY

Happy New Year to Everyone!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.