I picked up Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan at the book fair a few months back but only got around to reading it a few weeks ago. If you like stories of young people with powers going around fighting monsters, a book full of hilarious quips, Greek mythology and don't have a problem with a third of the characters being the gods from Greek mythology you will like this book.

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?

11th October 1943 A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a shot at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

The day before we planned to do the photo shoot we checked out the beach, it was beautiful.... the sand was clean and shiny.... that day, little did we know of the scum that would be allover the beach the next day, but then how could we know?

 Samuel modeled for me that day. The next day we all got dressed into our denim and white clothes and drove to the selected beach. I took photographs in the sand dunes first. I had all these plans of setting up the tripod on the beach to get more photos of the whole family, but the tide came too high and there was nowhere to set up the tripod so with the help of my dad and sister "Walking Tripods" I got photos with me in them, but not any more of the whole family.

As I stole out of the house and down the silent streets a poem by Banjo Paterson echoed through my head. I memorized it years ago and it came flooding back as it played out in real life before me.

Sunrise on the Coast A.B. "Banjo" Paterson

Grey dawn on the sand-hills -- the night wind has drifted

All night from the rollers a scent of the sea;

With the dawn the grey fog his battalions has lifted,

At the call of the morning they scatter and flee.

Like mariners calling the roll of their number

The sea-fowl put out to the infinite deep.

And far over-head -- sinking softly to slumber --

Worn out by their watching, the stars fall asleep.

To eastward, where resteth the dome of the skies on

The sea-line, stirs softly the curtain of night;

And far from behind the enshrouded horizon

Comes the voice of God saying "Let there be light."

And lo, there is light! Evanescent and tender,

It glows ruby-red where 'twas now ashen-grey;

And purple and scarlet and gold in its splendour --

Behold, 'tis that marvel, the birth of a day!

A light rain fell, speckling my already damp clothes. There were no shadows, just blackness, and one spot of light. The warm gold light, spilled a little way out into the darkness from the hall behind us. A wind blew straight through my damp clothes and lifted my heavy denim skirt off my legs. The wind brought a chill as it passed straight through me almost as if I were not there. Music swirled through the blackness. Making its way from the hall and out into the perpetual shadow of night, it also passed by me, as did the wind. The beat of feet on wooden floors thrummed faintly, mingled with the music, and came to me, out in the night. Shadows, rain, wind, light, and music all combined and caught me in their spell for a moment, holding me for eternity. Then a voice called me away. I left.

The sun sparkled over the trees, glinting off scattered water droplets left behind by the rain of the previous night. Tiny droplets scattered over the grass made it look as if a fairy had flung bucketfuls of magic-dust all over the world, or at least for as far as the eye could see.

I found three fungi growing at the edge of one of the gardens and ran back inside to get a towel to lay on the wet grass. I also got a spray bottle. I spent the next Idon'tknowhowlong lying next to the fungi and taking photos of it and spraying water down on it from above, which gives the wonderful effect of looking like rain. Except this rain does not squash the fungi or get my camera very wet.

I had also taken some photos the evening before, I had not sun then but the photos still turned out looking nice. I had a spray bottle then too.

For taking a photo like this you need a lot of magic dust and the skill to capture the shot as the stars explode..... Ok I hope you didn't believe that. Actually it is called bokeh and is pronounced Bo-Ke (Bo as in bow and arrows bow, and Ke as in kettle.) I have always liked the normal bokeh effect and have posted lots of photos of it in the past but that was normal bokeh. This is christmasy (and apparently christmasy is not a word but that is not stopping me from using it!)

Bokeh can be any shape at all, everything... the shape depends on what shape you cut. I have made three shapes a star, a heart and a Christmas tree. All you need is a piece of cardboard which can be white or black but I would recommend black.... as every other person I have heard of does.... and I just had to go make a white one to find out why not use a white one.... I found out. White cardboard works but it also gives the whole photo a slightly whiter look... a more over exposed or speckledy white... but without it actually being overexposed.... So it turns our that black cardboard is better. 

As to why it does that, well it just does and here is Google's definition;

"All you need to know is that bokeh is the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus blur in a photograph. If you'd like a more technical definition, Nikon described bokeh as "the effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you get when shooting a subject, using a fast lens, at the widest aperture, such as f/2.8 or wider"."

If you can't understand that then an even more technical definition would be even more impossible to understand.... especially since I would be explaining something that I don't exactly understand. It shall just have to be enough that bokeh does happen.

As to how do I change it from circles to stars or whatever. I cut a circle of cardboard the same size as the end of my lens and then cut the desired shape inside it. While taking these photos I had the cardboard held onto the end of my lens, simple as really. 

But not all cameras can do it... only one of my lenses can... the one that can get the really big aperture f/1.8. 

I took all these photos early in the morning after it had rained so there were lots of "highlights" in the background and foreground. All the bright spots that are not in focus turn into the stars or whatever shape. So water drops with the early morning sun glinting off them are perfect to give a lovely bokeh effect. Or of course if you can catch a trail of a unicorn as it gallops past, because everyone knows they leave stars in glints of magic light in their path.

The bokeh in this photo really changes it from a pretty ordinary shot into something a lot more interesting. So keep your magic dust handy and watch out for unicorn trails.

Lake Macquarie

My family just got back from a camp at  Lake Macquarie. I took a lot of photos, It took an hour to load them on to the computer.... But because nearly all of them were of people (and I may need permission to post so many) this is a sunset post! With words as well as photos. We had a lot of fun at the camp, tubing (or taking photos of it), eating, talking and playing card games... like Scum and Mafia and a lot more talking, sitting or standing around, playing with babies, riding on boats and having fun, with not much sleeping involved..... especially with daylight saving happening that weekend!

On the second evening I looked down the slope toward the lake and saw golden light falling between the trees. I could also see the water and a trail of gold leading across the water to the sun, but a fence surrounded the campsite.

It also happened that barbed wire encircled the top of the fence so climbing over would be doable but potentially hazardous, and climbing in looked even harder than out. Then I noticed the gap between the locked gate and the ground.... I managed to squeeze under, just. I also got rather dirty in the process.  Not something I like doing but for photo opportunities....

I had though about the difficulty of getting back in if I climbed over but not getting under again. I also realized that the tea time siren would probably not be loud enough for me to hear from all the way down at the lake and no one actually knew where I was....

Getting back through up hill proved awkward and I had trouble getting me and my camera through but I did..... and then I ran up the hill and found the siren had gone ages ago and people had already started eating.... So the next night I got a key for the gate first... and because of daylight saving we went straight after tea and I also acquired a few more people with cameras, who had seen my photos from the evening before. And I had my lovely sister a a model too.

There were also some random people fishing from the jetty too, which added a nice human element to the photos.

Isn't our Gods creation so wonderful! And here is the link to the [sermon] Pastor Dave preached on Sunday at the camp. God is Good! His word is Good!

Psalm 19:7-11 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward. 

(ESV)

The clouds still covered the sky in a thick blanket of soft grey. They closed in the sky hanging low and almost touchable in comparison to the often seen blue that seemingly stretches on forever. The thick clouds managed to keep out the sun for nearly the whole day until just before sunset.  A gap appeared in the clouds and the sun smote the land. Light glistened and refracted off the water drops that covered the trees, grass and everything. The clouds turned more blue grey and drew further away from the ground upon which I stood. The air filled with minuscule drops of water wafted past the mound on which I stood. 

The trees and grass cast strangely hard shadows for the time of day. Deep black shadows almost looked like creatures or something hiding wherever the grass, a tree or the contours of the land hid a patch of something from the light. The black shadows took on distinct forms and danced as the light wavered. Shadows grew and the clouds again enveloped the golden sun. I felt like I had caught a gimps to another world, most beautiful in its strangeness.

We were looking through shoes today, to try find some that would fit one of my brothers so I have had shoes on my mind. Shoes and brothers… which generally mean the shoes won’t stay empty for long, though not all of the things our family but mostly me for some reason has found in our shoes.

Frogs; these are rather squishy wet things to find in shoes but they are rather noticeable. This event occurred bb (before brothers) so they can’t be blamed. The frog took a liking to my sister Alice’s shoe.  

Socks; this happens to everyone not only me, but the socks are not always mine that I find in my shoes. Apparently my joggers, if left outside, are a perfect place for putting little boys socks so they don’t blow away…

Cricket bats; these at least are very noticeable… I think my shoes are so attractive because they are gumboots and most things inside are only found after I have withdrawn my foot…

Balls; golf balls, hand balls, big balls that are really hard to pull back out.

Rocks; smallish sharp ones from the driveway are preferred.

Sand; I love my brothers.

Shells; but sometimes it gets annoying.

Sticks; why??? do my shoes look like a stick holder????

Water: is about the most annoying thing…. As by the time I have got my foot out, my socks are already soggy and it can take ages for the gumboots insides to dry. Even more annoying when water is about the last thing I’m expecting, and I only took the gumboots off for two minutes while I got something inside. I came back out and 'someone' had already used a spray bottle to make my boots just soggy enough to give my socks a nice wetting.
water also has a way of flooding into gumboots if they have a hole in them or one wades just a little too deep into the dam/creek.

Centipedes; I understand how it got in the time my boots were lying sideways…. But I still don’t understand how it got in when they were upright…. Maybe it could have dropped off the roof or wall…I don’t think my brothers would be brave/silly enough to pick up one. 

Spiders; or just their webs, they put themselves in.

Feet; when I’m wearing my shoes my own. Occasionally other peoples feet too… in my shoes. little brothers feet and legs inside their big sisters shoes does make a comic sight.

Nothing…air; which may mean something miraculous has happened or I was standing in mud and the boot got left behind. So I shall have to hop around in the water trying to pull it out without getting muddy and wet. Success is not always the result....

Dew droplets covered the grass this morning, leaves, flowers and spider webs glistened in the sun. I couldn't resist the temptation. As I walked over the lawn I left a trail of bright green amongst shimmering silver. I knocked the dew from the grass as I brushed past. 

Looking up into the sky I could see the clouds shining white; looking like God raked them into strange patterns just for the enjoyment of those willing to look. 

Around the boarder of each blade tiny water drops gleamed. Reflecting back light and upside down images of the surrounding grass.

On every leaf, tiny drops of water sat shining like silver in the sun. Leaves glowed as the golden sun shone through them. Spiderwebs shimmered and shook as I walked past.

Many types of fungus pushed their way up through the dirt and burst out into the beautiful day. The most delicate things, some of them, others large and covered in frills which also had dew on them.

 Just be willing to look and you will see, all of creation's God given glory. 

 We may live in a fallen world where there is much evil, but there is also much good. Much good and beauty. God has given us creation to enjoy, it is one of the ways he reveals himself to us. Morning is a gift from God. Each breath we breathe is from him, he alone sustains us.

Don’t just drag out of bed every morning. Get alive and awaken your mind and body for the gift of a brand new day gift wrapped with sun light and air. Not just another ordinary day, it is the day of new opportunities.

~Phoebe Kites

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

~Marcus Aurelius (and don't ask me who he is as I have no idea)