Close to where we live there is a Traveling Stock Reserve, but it is not used for traveling stock, but is agisted. Still anyone is free to walk and play in there. I have always liked going out into the paddock and exploring or building houses with logs, branches and sticks. When we were little we would go collecting what I called 'moon stone' for I had never seen rocks like that anywhere, they were often a creamy colour, and they had sharp edges with smooth sides. I would carry them back home and put them in my collection. I have no idea what happened to that collection, I can only guess it got chucked in the bin with a lot of other junk, which I probably called precious things, but Mum knew better, except for the rocks. 

Here is another post of photos for those who wanted to see more photos of the pocket watch. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

A few days after taking all those photos of books, glasses and keys, (can be found in previous post) I was able to borrow an old pocket watch from a friend. Naturally that entitled another photo shoot of my books and the watch and pieces of the insides, pieces of time....

I drove past a house the other day and it inspired me to write, this;

Once this was not a sad little house, I am sure. Once a man, or maybe more, laboured on its foundations. Each wooden slat, cut and placed by loving hands. With joy and laughter, looking forward to a brighter future, this house rose up from the steep hill. Finally the wife arrived, the furniture, and the corrugated iron for the roof. It rumbled up on a slow moving wagon, drawn by a team of oxen, maybe. Maybe they had trudged the tree boarded track up the mountains for days, weeks.

Once, maybe once, the young wife ran up and into her husbands arms,  so glad that they were together again. So glad of the beautiful house, a house of her own, with wooden boards to sweep the dust from. Together they would make this their home, possibly.

As the rain fell, it drummed down on the roof, horrendously noisy, but they sat together, knowing that the house was solid built. It would not blow away, or collapse like a tent of canvas. Maybe soon after that children could have come.

Once they could have leaped off the bottom step and run down the slope, crossing over the fallen tree that bridged the creek, and jumped into their fathers arms as he arrived home. Did he come from taking their cattle to market? Or selling the furs of the animals he trapped? Or from the homestead where The Boss lived? 

Other times the children could have run with buckets down to the bubbling mountain stream and tried to catch the little mosquito fish, that darted through the clear water. Little trousers, or skirts, hoisted high. Maybe muddy little feet ran back up the hill to show Mother their prizes. Or maybe they fished out the fat black tadpoles, and kept them in a jar, watching as they grew legs, squiggly tails shrank and then disappeared. 

Once upon a time, long ago, many things could have happened in and around that happy little house. House of promises, hopes and dreams, once. Now though, it sits a weathered grey. On a hillside, far from anywhere, a dull house rots, silent except for the clatter, bang, and scratch of the rusted iron roofing, that has now come loose. Each gust of wind, pulls at the house, and it succumbs, sinking away, slowly returning to dust, and memories.

What memories it must hold though, if only I could hear it speak. If only the creaks, could, be interpreted, or the language of old things found out. But the people who lived there once, have gone, grown old and died. Maybe the children still live on somewhere, I wonder have they forgotten, the once happy little house on a hill. Or are they no longer, here to be able to remember, have they too passed away. I do not know, but I wonder, what does that sad little house remember?

The book shop is the best shop in town.... and one of the most dangerous places for me to go, whether I have any money to spend or not. We are friends with the shop owner and I just enjoy being in there, with all the books! I may have walked out without a book once.... maybe... I took some photos last time we went, to go with a silly rhyme I made up. So come with me and take a tour of our local bookstore. Or at least many of the more interesting shelves.

Yes I did used to be that cute! Since I turn ... ah lets say old today I thought I should post photos of me, as time passes. I don't know who all these photos were taken by, probably my parents, though with the really old ones I took photos of the photos since we didn't have any copies of them on the computer. 

I am not exactly sure if they are in the right order (the old ones) but they are close. There is also proof here that my hair was not always long and it has been cut short once.......

So in celebration on eighteen years, from the beginning, me. 

Yes this it taken at our place..... it was so different back then..... I remember this moment, watching the storm come in.

And I'm rather confused of the order of the photos around here....

I was once taller than my sisters too..... and Jane had longer hair than me.

I know this was taken at school some time.....

And now the lovely digital age! these photos are in the correct order. The photo below was taken in 2006. With the digital age also comes me not being able to chose which photos to put here so there are a few more for each year..... oh well... Look how many freckles I had! Well I still do, but not so obvious.

The massive flood of 2007

I have never had a horse but if there is one nearby I will probably go and pat it..... even climbing onto private property.... though this is in a paddock next door, and any one can walk there.

This chook is still alive even though she has tried to die numerous times.

Do you like to look back over old photos?

Have you ever counted back the years to see if you are really as old as you are meant to be?

I have accepted the challenge by Julia where she asked people to go to an interesting shop in their town and photograph stuff there, a shop they had not yet been into. After going into the antique store I took these photos at I can't believe it has taken me almost eighteen years to go into it! (Though apparently it has not existed that long.) Well I have lived in this town all my life....... so here are photos of some of the things I found in this not so little shop.

Seriously who collects cans? If you know someone who does please tell me!

A beautiful old sewing machine.... I always wonder at the story behind these sort of things

I put my hand into this bowl of buttons and ran my fingers through the buttons, so many and all so different.

There were shelves of lace and whatever you call the stuff in this photo.

This would be perfect for a newborn shoot..... if it were not so expensive.

I saw this one first then the one below and had to laugh.

There were more drawers full of silver, doilies, table runners and such things. 

I just could not stop looking at these pots on the stairs.....and upstairs there was even more!!

One room had mostly just clothing in it.

Pianola rolls. I have once seen a pianola played at out second cousins I think....

Very old copy of one of the Billabong books. These are so good!

I think I have the same edition of Wings Above Billabong.... except I had to stick it together with superglue......

Really cool suitcases.

I had to laugh at this.... A music stand! It looks just like the ones we have at church..... except maybe a little more sturdy...

More suitcases.

I have some books just like the ones down the bottom of this photo too.

Beautiful vases.

These cups were just so green and pretty.

I think some of these are hat boxes.

For these rather cool hats...

... and these hats.

Then back down the stairs,

past the jars again,

and then after about an hour I hurried home.

 I almost did not go into the shop that day, I just happened to drive past it and having nothing I had to do right then. I turned down the next road and went around the block and into the carpark of the shop. I got my camera and hid it under my jumper and ran out through the rain. I am so glad I did do that then, and considering the photos are all taken indoors and on an overcast day they are rather good, considering. Still, I mean to go back, with my sisters, and take photos again on a bright sunny day.... or at least another day, don't know if I shall post about that then but we shall see. I hope you enjoyed the photos and that you actually got to the end of this post!

Are there any small/not so small stores in your town?

You never know what is hidden there until you look!

Please take on the challenge!