Old English Sheepdogs

Examples of adorable old English sheep dog photos by owners Cees Bol and Hanneke van de Watering are all over the net right now but many sites have posted a broken link - or no link - to the complete flickr set.

Here is the link you need to find more of it. Hopefully I've helped some of you find it via google search? I found it by looking up 'Cees Bol flickr'.

In other news I've just revamped the Meerkat Clippings template! It's not wildly different from the old one because I liked the old one - like the pair of comfy warm slippers I'm getting reaquainted with now that Summer is finally over. However the format was inflexible for someone with little knowledge of html. Finally I can post wider images for your delectation and illumination. Enjoy.

Lost rainbow

North Fitzroy near Edinborough Gardens, Melbourne.
November 2012.

Protect your fruit from birds and bats

Green Thumb's Tips for the Day:
Protect your fruit crop from birds and bats without harming them and without spending a cent! Save every bit of netting you can from bags of oranges, garlic, onions and other green groceries. Tulle works if you have some scraps of it as we did (found some bright pink tulle at hard waste). Wrap and bag groups of fruit in the netting and secure with clothes pegs. Don't wrap groups too tightly or they may rot from being pressed against each other - they need a bit of air around them. Put over the biggest or most sun exposed fruit first as these will the first to get the critters' attention. For the most part it works. Washing the netting in laundry soap and not rinsing it seems to help a bit too. We stumbled onto that by pulling apart an old cleansing puff for netting.



You will lose whatever isn't netted. We couldn't reach it all so that was expected. The animals will take the path of least resistance and eat the unnetted ones first. Late in your crop when there isn't much left they will magically get at what is netted. Those rainbow lorikeets have dextrous mouths! We had some losses but we got more than we could eat before that point. We stewed up most of it, sans sugar, and stored it in the freezer to enjoy for the next few months. It's delightful, warmed with cool, plain yoghurt on top - with an optional light sprinkle of quick oats if you're having it for breakfast.

Listening to: Come Undone by Duran Duran, from Duran Duran (The Wedding Album).

Apricots: pure happiness and sunshine.

It could be said that our apricot crop is pure sunshine and happiness...


January 2013

...Or that a short shelf life and susceptability to bruising from the harvesting basket is a small price to pay for the ultimate in zingy, sweet, flavourful tastiness.

Either way it was awesome :) Store bought apricots are to our crop, what a chocolate coin is to a Belgian chocolate truffle.

Listening to: What Else is There? by Röyksopp from The Understanding

Rubber chickens and LGBT marriage

'In a heartfelt speech, Labour MP and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said “we all love a good wedding”, with its “cloud of confetti” and rubber chickens...'
from The Age

When I first read this I thought it was an amusing typo. "WTF? What has this got to do with it?" I asked a couple of people what it meant. They didn't know either. I tried looking up the speech but all I got were more news sites with the same story. It wasn't until I asked my younger housemate - who I expect has been to a few weddings, she's quite the social butterlfy - that I was able to discover what was meant. It should be a singular rubber chicken even if more than one chicken is eaten because it is describing the meat/food rather than an animal. I don't believe I've ever had rubber chicken ... probably a good thing. Any of you lucky enough to be in the same boat and wondering what Yvette was on about, this post was for you.

✿◕‿◕✿♥❀◕‿◕❀

Since I'm here: Yay for marriage equality! If you want to get married, the gender of your Love shouldn't matter. Marriage these days isn't about the procreation of children or the financial security of women. It's about a life long commitment of love with another soul. Love is love. You don't have to get married to show it but if you want to then you should be able to. You are not a second class citizen. Years from now we will look back at this like we do with mixed race marriage and wonder why it seemed like such a big ask for something so simple. It will seem shocking that it was ever frowned upon let alone unlawful. One day we will get there.

Google image search 'vampire cakes'

It's sad how many Twilight cakes - usually cake wrecks - come up when you google image search 'vampire cakes'
This however tickled me pink :*)


From someone with a sense of humour when it comes to vampires and some decent photography skills to boot, doll collector, Nataloons™.

St George Grillmaster Manual

When we moved into our rental property just over a year ago I regarded our electric stove with some uncertainty. I was only familiar with gas stoves and their quick response to change when required. It’s actually a great appliance. You can even buy parts for it online.



As it turned out the old stove is of an excellent vintage from a highly regarded brand, manufactured in NSW c. 1970s by St George. In one of the drawers of our kitchen was the original manual! The vintage Owner’s Manual includes detailed product specifications and a wiring diagram. Apparently it came with a rotisserie attachment but we have seen no sign of it in our time here.



When we first came upon it my BF read it out loud in a typical 1950s voiceover. We were surprised by the vocabulary for such a document. Manuals these days make such dull reading by comparison. Among other words you don’t usually find in oven/stove top manuals these days are; fierce, imperative, indiscriminate, elapse, depress, abnormal, abovementioned, foregoing, utmost.



From the manual for the Grillmaster Model XG370:
‘A Message to the Owner
You are now a possessor of a St. George fully automatic Electric Range, and in order to assist the reader in following the directions more easily we mention hereunder the salient features of the St. George Grillmaster.

…

Please read this booklet carefully until you are thoroughly conversant with every phase of the range’s operation. This will ensure you obtaining the best results from your range.

…

Most authorities agree that provided there is ample time a better result is achieved by cooking for a slightly longer period at a slightly lower temperature.

…

Asbestos mats also should not be used as in each case the heat is trapped around the top of the range and may, after constant misuse in this fashion, cause the vitreous enamel to craze.’





EDIT 15/09/2013 - 27/12/2014
For FULL MANUAL images online CLICK HERE

Rant about avocados [edit: compared with mangos]

WTF is with the price of avocados? I swear I will never buy another again unless it's $2 or less. They are the whiniest, reverse Frog Princesses of the fruit world! How do you keep them happy? Why are they so pricey? They promise beautiful green butteriness but forget to add them into your salad as intended and leave them on their own for a few days and they turn nasty - into a revolting, squishy, grey-brown mess.

[edit]
Replies on FB:
KP: WA avocados have been affected by disease and east coast (qld) ones not ready yet, might explain price
JO: Also most of the east coast is under metres of the old water...
JJ: I agree I haven't bought one for ages.
Me: Well that is an explanation for the current price thank you KP and JO... but even those factors notwithstanding they are expensive for what you get. Mangoes get cheaper as the season progresses but are grown in a similar climates have a better shelf life and each one - if chosen by gently cradled scent - is a handful of pure bliss and sunshine! A reliable, nutted fruity thing, the best thing about Summer. They are good value and I am all about value. Have you ever thrown out a bad mango? Hell no. But an avocado? Many a time.
JO: Deeply true.


After some research the truth is revealed about the current avocado prices in Australia : NZ are out of the game this year and - no thanks to the flooding in QLD - WA farmers will turn a very tidy profit this year.

Penne with salmon, mushrooms and bocconcini

I intended to revisit my mushroom and salmon dish but the bocconcini turned up and there were fresh herbs in the garden - including some dill going to seed - so I ended up with this. I think it's better! You can use bigger bocconcini but you will need to cut them up smaller.



Penne with salmon, mushrooms and bocconcini

Ingredients
1/2 cup bambini/baby bocconcini, halved
500g penne
1 clove garlic, crushed
100g smoked salmon, sliced
250g button mushrooms, sliced
3 sprigs dill
3 sprigs oregano
5 basil leaves
olive oil
canola oil
ground pepper
chicken salt


Method

• Cook pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
• Finely chop herbs.
• Fry garlic in a little olive oil.
• Add more oil and button mushrooms.
• When mushrooms are almost cooked, add salmon and herbs. Stir occasionally until salmon is cooked.
• Add cooked mixture and bocconcini to warm pasta. Season and stir through.
• Serve warm immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.

Toy to the World

The Toy to the World biennal features customised vinyl bears from both Australian and International artists. Entries from almost 100 artists will go up for auction to help fund Victorian HIV research.

This is my contribution to the Toy to the World project, and my first customised vinyl bear:

Le Fils de l'ours : The Son of Bears, after Magritte.

More images here.

Toy to the World

In association with the Midsumma festival
Under the umbrella of Queer City's 2013 show, Play-Full

Spring Street Convention Centre

Art @ 1Spring Street

1 Spring Street, Melbourne

Victoria

Australia 3001

Enter via Flinders Lane

Opening night: Tuesday, 15th January 2013, 6pm

Exhibition/Silent Auction Runs: 15ths Jan - 1st Feb

Mon - Fri: 9am - 5:00pm

Register to bid at the venue and bid on Item 74!
In the next few days you will also be able to bid online at the Toy to the World Facebook page.

Amicable Green Grocer Cicada

Walking through the front garden I heard a buzzing, whirring sound like clockwork. I turned back to find a cicada struggling to right itself on the concrete. Naturally I picked it up gently and it made itself very comfortable indeed - so much so that I went inside with him to get my camera and out again to take these shots.


First we sat down and I marvelled at the three reflective dots on his head. They seemed a lot like eyes but they are clearly quite different from the prominent compound eyes on this Green Grocer Cicada.

Some later research revealed that they are dorsal ocelli (oh-sell-ee). They are a 'simple' - as opposed to compound - eye on the top of the head. These ocelli are very light sensitive and quick, and it is theorised that they allow flying insects to maintain stability in flight.


He reminded me of a frog - the way he clung to my hand, his green compact body and his bulgy buggy eyes. Cute...

...But I couldn't sit there all afternoon holding him so I tried to convince to get on to the magnolia tree...
 
...but he wouldn't have it.

After attempting to move him to my left hand I noticed he preferred to move backward rather than be prodded forward thus - success!

Such an amicable chap was he.


"This is LaTegra. It's a little bit softer - I use this one for catolog shots a lot." *

I hope he fares alright. His rumpled wing edges might be why he struggled a bit.


*Zoolander quote C/O my BF, J.

Vintage Aero knitting needles: Note the points!

Some vintage knitting needles I gave my housemate for Christmas.


You don't find wording like this on packaging anymore:
'...PRODUCED TO MEET AN INSISTENT DEMAND...' 
'...WILL NOT INJURE THE FINGERS'
'CAN NOT SOIL LIGHT WOOLS'
'NOTE THE POINTS'

The first year of Fonzie the Corgi

Fonzie is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi.


He has remarkable ears - everyone remarks on them.


Like others corgis, he does the 'chicken legs' ...


... and has fabulous, 'tocks / floofy pantaloons.


Apparently he isn't cute enough to get onto Cute Overload. Whisky Tango Foxtrot to that.


Like other corgis he gets into some strange and amusing sleeping positions ...


... providing a neverending source of distraction and amusement.


Which ever way you look at him...


...he is a charismatic chap.

Street art: hippotamus, Fitzroy

Fitzroy,October 2012.

Cole's Funny Picture Book Paper Butterflies

I have two framed paper butterflies in a book art show at Hand Held Gallery.
They are made using paper from Cole's Funny Picture Book.

Summer BAZE

Book Arts and Zine Exhibition

From December 20-24, 2012
&
January 16-23, 2013

@

Hand Held Gallery

Suite 18, upstairs

Paramount Arcade

108 Bourke Street

Melbourne, 3000

Entry via Bourke or little Bourke street. Go straight up escalator to top level.

Contact:

(03)9654 4006

Megan at:

littleredfishy@yahoo.com.au

Gallery opening hours:

Tue-Sat 12-5pm

Belfine Chippendale Santa

My BF pointed this one out to me from a Priceline catalogue. I'd like to emphasize that the target market for these treats just sees Santa and that ours is a grown up point of view.

Okay.

Notice how the skin of Santa and Rudolph is the same as their coats even though they could easily have been given red coats - as evidenced by the Santa in the middle. It makes them look topless, and therefore odd. My BF suggested Santa looked gay - what with Rudolph looking like he is wearing a leather chest harness and mittens, and Santa wearing braces and cuffs. However the other night I watched a bit of the Amazing Race with a pair of Chippendales which I think is closer to Santa's look. Here is your basis for comparison:



In conclusion I put forth that the Belfine Belgian chocolate making folk may have been blissfully unaware of these visual similarities
OR
they are a bunch of filthy minded perverts having a laugh because if you can see it you must be filthy too. And now that I've shown you the similarities you're gonna look at polychrome chocolate characters a little differently now aren't you? ;)

Street Art: fox, Fitzroy

Fitzroy, October 2012.

What's that on the roof?!

Walking down Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, young man to young woman
"We've got find out what the fuck is on top of that roof!"
In hindsight I'm not sure if they were approaching that florist with the enormous flower and his sentence ran into a remark of surprise or they actually have a roof with a mystery something on it. At the time I thought the latter and prefer it that way - perhaps it's a hippopotamus eating cake.

image copyright owned by Hazel Edwards, Deborah Niland

Street Art: Banksy in Fitzroy

In Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, October 2012.

Banksy pays homage to Blek Le Rat, the original stencil using street artist with the rat as his icon.

I'm not sure why Banksy's street art is more valued than others, apart from the prices it commands at galleries. I wouldn't say it is better, more sophisticated or particularly original but it is cool and I do like it. Having dabbled in stencil art recently I can confirm  that these monochromatic pieces took little time execute in situ compared with something full coloured or freehand. Matt black auto paint provides coverage very quickly and you only need a brief, feather light spray to crisply capture the shape in your stencil. It's more about the careful preparation of the stencil in the privacy of the studio. The infamy of Banksy seems to be more about the enigmatic quality of an anonymous artist who has succeeded in evading the authorities for a long time - possibly due the brief time it takes to install the art -  rather than the edginess of the art itself.

Street art: complementary balaclavas, Fitzroy

Fitzroy,October 2012
Sculptural street art near the Fitzroy Nursey. The Free Pussy Riot sticker/flyer was a recent addition at the time of this photo. At the time of posting however, it was gone.