Built in 1888, one of two sandstone residences that flanked the gates to the main approach to the University of Sydney. The Gardener’s Lodge has been used as a public convenience (toilet) and sat empty for almost 10 years before being renovated and opening as a cafe in Victoria Park in 2012.
The mirror-imaged Messenger’s lodge was sadly demolished in 1940.
This chap smells the garden mint and welcomes us home with a smile, come rain or shine. It is as if his hand gesture is pointing in recognition; “it’s you, you’re back!” 🙂
What is my crime to be restrained behind bars?
Passers by do not seem to notice my plight,
Perhaps I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Come rain or come shine I hold my head up high,
Forever hopeful that I find release soon.
We live in a society of rules and regulations. Most body corporates will allow small well behaved companion animals, why then is it so difficult to find a pet friendly home to rent in Sydney? We have friends who do not declare their pets and go to great lengths to hide any pet related evidence when the real estate agent comes to call.
The last time we moved house we looked at thirty properties, none were advertised as pet friendly. Whenever we asked if pets were allowed we were told that we needed to lodge an application, that applications would be assessed on their merits and that having a pet would go against us. Agents related stories of how pets mistreated property, damaged carpets, paint work and gardens. I believe the care of a property is the responsibility of the tenant. Just as children are a reflection of how their parents allow them to behave, it’s the same for pet owners, they are after all our fur kids.
The pressure increased for us to find a pet friendly home. When submitting a tenancy application we began including a supplementary information sheet containing a photograph of fluffy white Stan, our well behaved, house trained, bundle of joy:
. No, Stan won’t be left at home all day
. Yes, Stan gets on well with other dogs and people
. By the way, Stan goes to doggy day care once a week so that he can socialise with other dogs
Eventually we found a real estate agent who thought we were a good prospect. We agreed to make good any damage caused by Stan and to fumigate for fleas when we move out.
I call on owners of investment properties to say yes to pets!
Autumn yellow against vibrant evergreen
Some Sydney suburbs are fortunate to be graced with cast iron and tropical plants. A far cry from my childhood memories of concrete and weeds in Birmingham, UK.
It takes superhero powers to be able to read all of the road signs, watch for pedestrians, animals, children, cyclists, other motorists…. oh and drive safely in Sydney!
I took this picture on a side road in Dulwich Hill this afternoon.
I managed to catch a shot of a crescent moon as it dropped behind the house next door. I like the way the moon appears to be perched on the terracotta swan neck finial. I was surprised by the number of stars in the picture, as the light noise from street lamps usually obscures them.
I was using A Sony NEX-5N camera with SCN selection set on night scene, zoom lens and a tripod.
I find inspiration when and where I least expect it, here are three examples:
In going for a spur of the moment meal last Tuesday at Atom Thai Restaurant, Newtown, we were able to chat to Atom. He showed us photos of himself and his partner becoming Buddhist monks for a day in Thailand. He explained that this was a traditional part of the funeral for his mother. After chatting to a Buddhist monk, Atom has realised that becoming a monk could be a path he might want to take in life. Atom exuded calm, peace and serenity.
Since writing a blog I do not use Facebook as frequently. On one of my recent visits a friend had liked Emmanuel Dagher. After checking out his website I signed up for his email newsletter. I received a link to Unconditional Love Meditation. In the middle of our breakfast cereal yesterday, my partner and I took part in a 10 minute guided meditation. The experience was blissful.
I just saw the most exquisite photograph of a swallow tail butterfly posted by Ajaytao 2010
The reason I’m telling you this is after a week of self doubt and endless chatter in my head, I have experienced moments of clarity. I have unconsciously achieved a sense of peace and calm. I am ready for whatever this week has in store for me.
I took the picture of the yellow flowers on Friday in our local park with my mobile.
Robert
Sydney Park has undergone a major transformation over the past two decades. The land was originally given as a grant to a convict woman and has since served Sydney as a site for crops and food production, brick making, gas storage and waste disposal. When the New South Wales state government first envisaged turning the site into a public green space in the early 1980s, a key factor in transforming the site was to preserve some of the history associated with it.
Spanning 44 hectares, the park is the largest in Sydney and is connected by about 12 kilometres of pathways. The vast majority of the vegetation on the site was planted as part of a community effort in the early 1990s. The park now has nine hectares of gardens and 28,000 native trees, including 277 Port Jackson and Moreton Bay fig trees. Fifty types of mammals, native birds, frogs and reptiles also frequent the park.
Read more:
The Sydney Morning Herald, February 11, 2012 Rubbish dump transformed into park oasis tips its hat to the past
theINFP 