blackhawk down

it landed in a local park this afternoon, but i didnt get to see it for quite  a few hours... and until it was dark.

had to photo as best i could with the huge sports lights that were on for the kids to play

 and with my trusty small camera. it  was verging on a carnival spirit really with people coming and going .

i had been going to go to that park with dog...but didnt when there were so many helicopters overhead.!!!

i figured there had been a traffic accident and i wasnt going to mess with peak hour snarled traffic

 just to walk a dog. it was part of a formation of four apparently.

when i got there  around 9.30pm some of the soldiers were playing footy with some of the kids who were scheduled to be there for practise and for whom the huge lights had been turned on.

eveyone started to come home apparently when the sports lights were turned off.

a lot of people were there .....as many as Santa attracts ...

or the huge water bombers in the bushfires do

the spirit of christmas at a busy intersection in inner west of Sydney

last week i saw the decorations on the pole so this week i took my camera . unfortunately i got a split second to take these pics as the lights changed fast both times i went past.
therefore they are not very good quality.

 i am sure it is the kind of thing that could only happen here  in this sort of weather.

for those unfamiliar with the idea of a xmas man at a traffic light.......it is an illegal practise done here and there where a person sets themselves up at the lights and when traffic is inevitably stopped.....he rushes out to ask everyone if he can clean their windows. he  then gets (usually) way too much money for the work. or maybe no acceptances at all

Today was designated as jacaranda flower photo day.........but it was also bush fire burn off day

I decided to go ahead anyway on the basis that i had 3 ok shots that i have put  in the previous post,
 from another area of the city last week....... and one never knows !!!!!!!!

last year i photograped too early and this may be true of this year. never the less i have some pics

 and if i dont get around to any more......i at least have imperfect smoky ones.

the smoke and ash spread a looooong way across the city and was enough to affect my photos

 and a lot of other peoples lungs

  smoke really obvious here

   and here :-(

some flowers from a dog walk late this afternoon...

these are my own fuchsia flowers. From a bush that a friend gave me a cutting of 34 years ago. i have transferred cuttings to 4 houses since then and replanted. 

The blooms are as reliable and as beautiful as ever and the bush

grows to huge heights if not cut back somewhat.

I have seen prettier ones...but this one is mine and full of my memories

i picked 3 ages of flower here.....unfurled pink flowers, opened ones

 and ready to start drooping ones

i love the look of what seems like veins in these baby flowers

out of focus but i have put it in for the colour anyway

i messed with the colour of this just because i could

another trip to RPAH at jacaranda time

these 3 photos were taken at Annandale

outside what used to be the security gatehouse. hope there are no important communications needed here

part of the old Vic block which is looking shabby

front of the Vic block  with the added in ambulance bay for the A&E dept

outside the old maternity hospital....King George V

the main entrance to the hospital......always attractive

just right outside the main entrance doors is this stone

   two of the stained glass windows in the main entrance

walk in the naked man park.

once i was walking here when around a corner came a totally naked man. there was no where for me to go or move to so pulled off the path a bit as best i could. he stopped right beside me and asked......pointing to his wrist "do you have the time "??

errrrrrrrrrr .....no i did not as it happened. i dont wear a watch !!!

he moved on.

that man has since moved from the  area after a lot of activity ranging across a huge national park area

 (so i am told)

i dont often go there by myself anymore which is a pity as it is pretty, 

close enough and the dog enjoys time there

the other day i again persuaded the son to come with me and took a few photos while we were there.

they are not very good photos but are a glimpse of a piece of our neighbourhood

the overhead canopy of trees

there is a lot of dead wood waiting to burn i suspect

dog enjoying herself but obviously getting older and slower....like me

part of the track....with  cars in the background at this section.

which shows that altho much of the walk makes u feel like u are

a long way from anywhere.......in fact you are not

tree roots that provide a handy set of steps 

shadow of me looking down to the national park area where dogs are not allowed.

bit of bushfire and termite damage

some gum nuts

 roughish terrain

my favourite tree

about where i met the naked man

tree at the exit with interesting mould

 a native flower whose name i do not know

i drag along more slowly behind