Ladies Bring A Plate II

Having decided to decorate the old plates, the second task was to decide what to put on them. We had gathered some old photos of events in the Hall when we produced a history book for the Hall’s Centenary celebration in 2014, and I had one of those in mind – it was taken in the old supper room.

I was able to edit it a little to bring up the details of the the food on the table. Once a circle is cut to fit the old dinner plate, some of that will disappear, unfortunately. I wonder if the plate it will be applied to is there in the photo?!

I thought it might be interesting to superimpose the photo of inside with that of outside. It took some tweaking before I was really happy with the result. Aligning the window in both images was the key.

I made the party image slightly transparent, so that the outside wall is just visible behind the party goers. The occasion was a 21st birthday party – look at that cake! The plate held by the lady in the foreground (the birthday boy’s grandmother, I think) is similar to the  bread and butter plates I have plans for…

Ladies Bring a Plate

Our local Hall in Moyston has had more than a hundred years of community social occasions, most of which would have been catered for by the ladies “bringing a plate”. We had fifty years of the Moyston Old Time Dance, held once a month in the Hall. It started out as a fundraiser to build the new supper room, and went on until 2016. Local clubs took turns to cater, making sandwiches on the night and “the ladies” donating cakes and slices. Moyston Hall was renowned throughout the district for the quality of the food.

When we moved here 34 years ago, there was the “new” supper room, with an old kitchen behind it. I remember it as being dark and dingy, with a copper in one corner that was used in days of yore to make bulk coffee on those social occasions. They enhanced the flavour with mustard, and who knows what else… I kid you not! Sadly, no one thought to take photos.

Assessing the crockery recently, some very old plates came to light, marked as belonging to the Hall, and judging from the style, dating from the 1930’s. I decided on the spot that we should do something to/with/on them, and an hour or two later, we had a plan to apply images relating to the history of the Hall to these plates, and to display them somehow.

The finished piece will be in celebration of all the plates of food served up and enjoyed over the years.

Mt Hood Daffodils – and Mt Hood

I planted a White Garden over thirty years ago, inspired by the famous one at Sissinghurst castle in England. Over the years, the “White” has become less disciplined, but the Mt Hood daffodils have survived, multiplied and continue to bloom.

In August 2011, we spent a few days in Portland, Oregon, enjoying the views of the actual Mount Hood. When we got home again in early September, my ghostly white daffodils had excelled themselves, and were the first thing I saw as we pulled in to our driveway.

They have flowered well again this year. The trumpet is a soft lemon when they first open, but over a week or two, they fade to snowy white – just like their namesake.

Spider Webs and Bokeh

On a sunny and frosty morning, the trees and fences were decorated with perfect, dew-spangled spider webs, so I had to go outside with the ‘proper’ camera to try to capture some. It was worth the icy fingers and toes!

Silverband Falls walk

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in winter, we went to Hall’s Gap and, for a change, took the walk to Silverband Falls instead of our usual Venus Baths. The actual walk is roughly the same distance, but we had to drive south of Hall’s gap to reach it. There are not many flowers in July, but plenty of mosses, lichens and fungi. We spotted a dead tree that looks like a funny/monster face, which was definitely a bonus!

Winter Sunset

It didn’t last very long, but while it did…I managed to capture a few hints of the colour and light. The one from inside is possibly the best…maybe I think that because it’s so pink’n’orange!

Frosty Morning

With the ending of the Weekly photography Challenge, I am at a bit of a loss – clearly I need to challenge myself (or find another weekly prompt…) We had a good frost this morning, and I challenged my toes by going out to take photos in bare feet.

Weekly Photography Challenge: Twisted

“Not straight, not so straight” – twisted, in fact. Sticks, and the flames that consume them, cannot keep a straight line.

Bonfires are a regular event here, signalling the end of summer and fire restrictions. It’s also the end of Alex’s tired old thrifted chair – and a sobering reminder of the flammability of foam upholstery!

I made some candle lanterns using glass jars and twisted wire, to add atmosphere and light up the path to the paddock. This one has a hanger made with a found, twisted piece of heavy wire. The marbles around the tea light candle keep it centred and avoid overheating the glass. The jar lid can be popped on when the lantern isn’t in use, to keep the rain out.

Weekly Photography Challenge: Liquid

I had an image in mind immediately for this liquid challenge,  but I’m still running late…

 

Anyone with a camera and a wet Echinopsis has probably taken at least one shot of water drops in the middle of the rosette, but I had to take another one anyway!

Baling murky water out of a water trough revealed a gleaming bloom of oil slick – another photo op. How wonderful it is to have a pretty good camera that slides into my pocket!

The last image is of some creatures living in an old bathtub/pond in our garden.

Weekly Photography Challenge: Unlikely

Portray something unlikely

Morgan’s Lookout is an unlikely place, a pile of granite tors on top of a hill. It is named after the bushranger who camped out there in the nineteenth century, looking out for travellers to rob.

It commands a marvellous view of the country-side in all directions, especially if you brave the climb to the top of the rocks. I only went part way, up that near-vertical metal ladder…

 

We have driven past Morgan’s Lookout a couple of times before, but last month, despite being short of time, we turned of the main road and drove through paddocks to reach the  hill. There is a picnic table, and a toilet block (presumably drop toilets, I didn’t look!). Alex and I scrambled up between the rocks, and he went all the way to the top. There was a massive deposit of tickle-grass lodged between some of the rocks, and even from halfway, the view out across the plains is impressive. I’m grateful to whoever decided to make the place available to the public, as it is the middle of farmland.