Churchlands from Above

Until I get a drone for aerial photography, I'll make do with Landgate's map viewer.

Here's the suburb of Churchlands as it was in 1953, before the high school was built and when market gardens and pasture still surrounded the wild Herdsman swamp.

Churchlands, 1953

Churchlands, 1981

Churchlands, 2015

 By 2015, the fields and gardens on the right have been replaced by medium density housing, and the ever growing high school is building classrooms over its playing fields.

Seen Everything

Sadly, I've now photographed everything of interest in Perth. My options are now to:

1. photograph uninteresting subjects

2. await Perth's redevelopment.

3. retire from photography

I choose the former option, and will now be visiting random suburbs to capture their essence, their captivating car parks and Italian mansions and paved front yards. In all seriousness, it's a pleasure to have an excuse to travel to a new destination and to have a wander. The near northern suburbs fascinate me more than the new developments on the urban fringes, since they have enough history to allow glimpses into earlier decades. Run-down bowling alleys, cheap cafés, corner delis, independent hardware stores and graffitied walls have so much character compared to cookie cutter shopping centres with the same combination of shops as any other shopping centre. Travelling through Bedford, Inglewood, Tuart Hill, Yokine and Nollamara after peak hour in the evening, when it's getting quiet but still light, it's a perfect time to explore.

Set Sun

Driving down to Freo yesterday evening, there was an ominous sunset over Rottnest. This is from my iPhone.

Lunar Eclipse

Were there not currently clouds obscuring the moon, I'd be outside with a camera and tripod capturing the penumbral lunar eclipse. However it's apparently not a spectacular sight, so it's not a great loss. The moon passes into earth's shadow, but is still illuminated by the sun somewhat. So rather than complete darkness, it merely dims.

Claremont Football Club

A decent start to the season by the Tigers in the first game today, although the percentage is disappointing. With ten minutes to go, it would have been closer to 600%, before East Perth snatched a couple of late ones.

Denmark Birdbath

Please identify these birds, enjoying the local facilities on Mt Shadforth, near Denmark.

Yarloop Fire

Driving down to Denmark a month ago, an enormous plume of smoke was visible for the entire 5 hour journey. It was the devastating fire around Yarloop. This was taken about halfway down.

Christmas Season Nearly Over

After Christmas, I bought up as many supplies of festive fare as I could, before they vanished from the shelves for another year. But now those stocks are dwindling, as I consume the last remnants of last year's seasonal food. Last week, the final Christmas Bombe was eaten, along with the final carton of brandy custard. I've opened my final pack of mince pies, and there are only a couple left. Once they're gone, all that remains are a couple of mini Christmas puddings, the last reminders of my favourite time of the year.

Bedraggled Birdie

Also more Denmark, a honeyeater after a bath.

Skunky Skink

Seen in Albany near Mt Adelaide last week.

Splendiforous

This is a splendid fairy wren I saw while on a short break in Denmark last week.

Afternoon Thunderclouds

This evening's thunderstorm was spectacular. Here's the build-up over Perth.

My Cat's Top Ten Films

Gizzie loves his films, and I often smuggle him into the cinema in late night sessions. Here are his top ten films for 2015 in no particular order. He is unashamedly mainstream in his taste.

The Imitation Game

The Theory of Everything

The Hobbit - Battle of the Five Armies

Diplomacy

Marshland

Mad Max Fury Road

Terminator Genisys

The Martian

Bridge of Spies

Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Top Ten Films of 2015

Having reached my annual target of 100 visits to the cinema with just a week to spare, here are my top ten favourites. They may not be the best, but I enjoyed them the most.

10. The Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies

9. Ted 2 - the silliest comedy of the year

8. Everest - I prefer this true story to the fictional one of The Martian

7. Birdman - pretentious, but entertaining. And set in NY, which I love

6. Mistress America - small but touching, and set in NY

5. What We Do in the Shadows -hilarious

4. The Age of Adeline - the best romance of the year

3. The Imitation Game - the no. 1 maths film

2. Diplomacy - the saving of Paris from Nazi destruction

1. Ex Machina - the perils of AI. The reason I don't use Siri on my iPhone.

Mission Hill Winery

This Kelowna winery overlooking the beautiful lake is ostentatious and spectacular. Well worth a visit.

Oh Dear

Seen on the road near Grand Forks in B.C.

Fast Food Heaven

How many fast food options were in a row? This was on the way to Kelowna in British Columbia.

My Car Ad

I can imagine this shot being used in an advertising campaign.

Final Day of Snow

Looks so Fake

But it's not. I've not adjusted this photo in any way.

Snowy Desolation

Elk Sighting

You'll have to take my word for it, but the third photo shows a retreating elk. When I first came across him, he was beside the road, staring. An amazing sight. If only he didn't take fright, it would have been an fabulous photo.

More from the September Rockies Roadtrip

Hitting the road

It was mid-morning and sadly time to leave Lake Louise, and continue the loop back towards Vancouver.
    

Wintry Lake Louise

It's hard to believe that it was still summer at Lake Louise.