Home
megwolff
05 July 2009 @ 05:40 pm

Have just returned from a wonderful 3 hour walk in the Winter sunshine. I nosed around the park, looking for a spot of colour to photograph. At this time of year, native flora are fairly dormant. The banksias are finishing, gum flowers have gone but there are still one or two species that put on a show, particularly the wattle.

These are especially for [info]britalone  and [info]pele_incognita , who have both been through the wars lately. I am thinking of you both and hoping you feel better soon. (Click on these twice to see them full size).



Golden wattle with a little visitor.
Best Wishes from Oz )
 
 
Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: Arvo Part: Summa
 
 
megwolff
05 July 2009 @ 10:48 am
Also at [info]backyard_birds Apologies for any cross postings.

We have had some Winter rain at last in Western Australia, and a storm knocked down the last of the fruit from my fruit trees. It has provided a feast of insects for this little willy wagtail - another one of our great  bird "characters".

Bugger off woman! )
 
 
megwolff
14 June 2009 @ 12:08 pm

What do you think is the worst job?


View 503 Answers

To me, the worst job in the world would be to be a woman in countries where you can be:
  • bought and/or sold;
  • forced to marry a stranger;
  • raped and then punished for it, sometimes with your life, instead of the perpetrator(s);
  • disallowed most of your human rights (education especially) and the right to own property, vote or have the right to contraception;
  • forced to the margins of society because your husband has died; and...

The very worst? To be forced to try and raise children in the middle of a war - one that has destroyed your country's sense of decency, logic and values. Where madmen are intent on unceasing, violent destruction until nothing remains. Where food crops are burned and humanitarian aid is stolen.

Nothing compares to this. Nothing at all.
 
 
megwolff
07 June 2009 @ 02:48 pm


Just thought I'd share this rather wonderful story about one of Australia's most ancient residents who, at 750 years old, had to up roots (literally) and move 3,200 kilometres to his new home.

Old Fella Dreaming )
 
 
megwolff
02 May 2009 @ 05:46 am
The rains are late this year, which probably means we're in for more drought and water restrictions in the coming twelve months. If it doesn't start raining by Easter, it is usually an indication that we're in trouble. I am actually happy that I am old enough to remember the seasons as they used to be before climate change, the way water used to fall from the sky for days on end and the dams would overflow. :0)

The weather has been a steady 28 deg C for weeks, so I thought I might take a little walk to Kings Park and post some pics for buddies in the UK and US. (The last time I did a Neighbourhood Walk post was October 12th last year, with photos of Cottesloe Beach). If you were ever to come and visit, this park would be our first port of call. It is about ten minutes from where I live and is a much loved, 1000 acre natural beauty spot right in the centre of Perth, on a hill overlooking the Swan River. We are so fortunate that the government had the foresight to set this bushland aside roughly 100 years ago for the public's enjoyment. The Board has done wonders over the years with the Botanic Garden and supporting research into native flora. If you would like to read more about it you can go to the website. When Spring comes (September/October), I will post some more pics of the wildflowers which are sensational!
http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/o/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

So here we go:




The avenues of trees that you can see are all dedicated to soldiers lost in WWI. Each man has his own tree. A beautiful memorial to them, isn't it?
 
 
megwolff
24 April 2009 @ 08:17 am

The Orlando/Richard Armitage/Colin Firth face of Jean-Baptiste Isabey in my previous post looked like this in later years.

Still beautiful... )
 
 
Current Mood: touched
 
 
megwolff
23 April 2009 @ 03:41 pm
I recently ordered the catalogue of an exhibition I saw at the Royal Academy a couple of years ago, and it arrived in the post the day before my birthday. There was huge excitement, especially since I had had a ghastly day and very much needed to be reminded of the beauty in life. Citizens and Kings: Portraits in the Age of Revolution 1760-1830 was a stunning collection of portraiture, predominantly French and English painters including Reynolds, Vigee-Lebrun, David, Raeburn and Ingres *falls to floor in grovelling obeisance*. I had wandered around the Academy feeling like I had entered the presence of God, especially when I came across the Ingres - words just fail me.

I had already shed tears in the National Gallery in front of the Goyas and didn't want to embarrass myself any further but this undid me completely. I stood in front of him for an good half an hour and kept coming back. I have scanned him for you to enjoy. Keep clicking until you have a close up of his face.

Mon ange )
 
 
Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Music: Vaughn-Williams: Tallis Fantasia
 
 
megwolff
22 April 2009 @ 06:17 pm


Happy Birthday Possum!!!!!  Hope you have a fabulous day!  Thought I'd share some old lady pirate porn with you...



It's hard to believe but Errol and Baz used to do it for me LOL!

Lots of love

megwolff
xxxxxxxx
 
 
megwolff
06 April 2009 @ 07:03 pm

Happy Birthday pele_incognita!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Here is a little Dougie Fairbanks to start it off...



(click on his sublimeness again and again)

Lots of love and hugs

megwolff
xxxxxxx

 
 
megwolff
03 April 2009 @ 07:43 am

Here's wishing you a wonderful day with J+B and a year filled with much happiness!



Lots of love,

megwolff

PS Posting this early as won't have a chance tomorrow!
 
 
megwolff
14 March 2009 @ 09:38 am
Gradually emerging from the undertow and feeling a bit cheerier. The older you get, the slower you are at adapting to change and it has taken me some time to orient myself in the ever-shifting work environment with its non-stop demands.  The vision of life is balancing up again, thank goodness.
Spot of  )




 
 
Current Mood: mellow
 
 
megwolff
08 March 2009 @ 03:34 pm

I get very encouraged when women take a stand on an issue. I am surprised that we are still (30 years later) having to state the obvious, but am glad people in the press are willing to keep it up.  Thanks to Liz Jones of the Sunday Times.
Go Liz!!! )
 
 
Current Mood: hopeful
 
 
megwolff
26 February 2009 @ 07:29 pm

The trip to UK, Paris and the Basque Country has had to be postponed and I am sulking. Big, mopey, bottom lip-quivering sulking. Reasons I am not going are: the shoulder is playing up, I don't have enough leave left to go away in March and the car finally packed it in so I had to use my travel budget on a new one. Instead of being grateful that I had enough cash, I am grieving the loss of Paris and this heap...

Headed for the scrap yard... )
 
 
megwolff
11 February 2009 @ 06:39 pm

Over two hundred people gone including children and little babies; countless thousands of head of cattle, sheep and horses; thousands of pets; an estimated one million native animals; hundreds of thousands of acres of bush and pasture; hundreds of homes - you just can't wrap your head around the horror of what has happened.

In this miserable time you think about people's and animal's last moments and pray that they fainted before the fire hit them.   

But there is this:




Firefighter Dave Tree giving a little mate a drink. "How much can a koala bear?"



Animal rescue at work.








 
 
megwolff
29 January 2009 @ 08:28 pm

Happy Birthday [info]mistress_pol !!!!!!!!!! Smoochies to you honey and have a wonderful day!!!

Now We Are Six thoughts for the day... )
 
 
Current Music: Hamid Baroudi: Sidi
 
 
megwolff
11 January 2009 @ 08:55 am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIGI DARLING!!!!!!! (It is the 11th in Oz so I get in first!)

 (Keep clicking on this photo until full Orli Hug Benefit is reached)

All my love and have a fabulous day!!!!

megwolff
xxxxxxxxxxx


A little something to keep you warm... )
 
 
megwolff
25 December 2008 @ 07:14 pm
Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

A happy message to all from a sticky, fat and very joyous megwolff who has been jumped on, puked on, stroked, cuddled and smiled at all day by four adorable babies. I even volunteered to change a pooey nappy but got stuck when I didn't know if the Winnie the Pooh picture went at the front or the back. Who cares! The baby didn't. We emerged beaming and very pleased with ourselves. My nephews wives have given me a swag of material for my Granny-in-waiting Handbook and have been extremely tolerant (probably thankful)of the constant baby snatching and goosey behaviour on the part of a certain senior family member.

My sister and I had so much fun preparing the food for Christmas lunch. Won't go into it (because I think I will puke this time) but we went right over the top. Last night we wrapped presents whilst listening to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album. When the wrapping paper ran out we were left with two cardboard cylinders. Sister (57) looked at me (50) and light dawned simultaneously. The next ten minutes were spent sword fighting up and down the loungeroom until the cardboard cylinders were smashed to ribbons. I baggsed being Basil Rathbone and she was Errol Flynn. (Our hand/eye coordination has not improved with time I can tell you. We missed each other more than we connected). Anyway is amazing how your shared childhood can come flooding back in a heartbeat. She laughed and laughed - which was great to see. She really needed it.

Also spotted a possum in the tree in the backyard last night. By the time I got back with the camera he was gone. I will try again tonight to see if I can get a picture. This little fellow felt like a good omen for our Christmas and the coming year.

Must dash - but here's hoping you have had (or are having) an equally joyous time with your families. Bright blessings to all!

love

megwolff
 
 
 
megwolff
02 December 2008 @ 06:40 pm
Cor!  
I received my first Christmas card from  LJ buddy [info]britalone today! It was fantastic getting something tangible from the person who speaks to me across the ether. I am planning to be in the UK next April, so hopefully we will get to meet in person.

Such a simple gesture to exchange cards, but it means a great deal to me. Thanks for the idea C.!!!


 
 
megwolff
23 November 2008 @ 04:36 pm
You know about the Total Dag I have become and have sent kind messages that it isn't really that important. I appreciate this a great deal. I can't be the TD at work, so it is gratifying to be able to come home, read everyone's posts, have friends all over the world with diverse interests and share thoughts with them. Being a little old fashioned, I have become attached to the flist and regard each person as a penpal. I kept the flist small so I would have time to pay attention to each friend. People matter to me. Yes, OK, and the slashfic but the people who write it come first. :0)

To push the TD envelope further, I'm really sad right now because a young friend has deleted her journal without warning and disappeared. This happened once before but the person concerned was embarking on a new life and didn't need LJ any more. It was a happy moving on, I think. This is different. One day we were joking with each other, the next she was gone. We had found a lot of shared interests in music, art, French movies and actors and she posted the most amazing range of videos and links that had me constantly interested. Then poof!

I'm worried about her. I know she was a total stranger but that doesn't matter to me. I hope if she peeks back into LJ and reads this, she will send me a message. Has anyone else had this experience and did you hear back from the person?

Merce -  for you.

"When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes, but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me."

Peter Gabriel