Pot Shopping

Don't you just love their matching snowy heads and pants?
And his shirt works in nicely with the stripy blue pots.
This nursery has given us nearly all the plants in our garden.
(oh, hang on, when I say "given us" I mean, we paid for them)
They are friendly and helpful and have nice healthy plants.



Photo:
Growmaster Nursery, Lambert St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Country House

Photo:
Ararat - Feb, 2008

Giant Yo-Yos

Yes, I've been fiddling with the tuning buttons.
What's the point in having them if you can't fiddle?
These are the giant yo-yo lights in the kids' section at the library.
Cool, hey?



Photo:
Ararat Library, Cnr Barkly and Queen Sts, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Quiet

Yeah, I know, it's blurry.
But I like it like that.
The quiet after the lunch-time rush at Bella C's cafe.
A good old fashioned country cafe.



Photo:
Bella C's, Barkly St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

I Suffer For My Art!

Hope you appreciate this photo!
I got shocked by an electric fence taking it!
It was hiding in the long grass and I caught my ankle on it.
It bit me and I didn't realize at first what it was.
I made sure there were no snakes around and waited a few seconds.
As I didn't drop dead from snake venom - I thought I must have poked myself with a stick.
Later I noticed an electric fence sign further down and still didn't put two and two together.
Then when I got home I thought - oo my ankle is a bit sore.
I had a long graze across my ankle - still the penny didn't drop.
Sad, isn't it?
You'd think it had shocked my brain!

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker

Well, no.
No candle-stick maker anymore.
If ever there was one in Ararat.
I notice lamb shanks are quite reasonably priced.
I do have a very nice lamb shank dish I like to make in winter.
I'm not quite sure what a cheese bacon chicken steaks are, but I'm pretty sure they are not my scene.
I like to support our local butcher - I hate to see them dying out in country towns as people favour the "convenience" of supermarkets.
Every country town needs a butcher!



Photo:
Ingor St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

School's Out

End of the week!
Yay - it's the week-end!
I SAID - "YAY", you kids!
Look more excited!!



Photo:
Barkly St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

You Say Potato - I Say Potarto

Is it the haberdashers or the haberdasherers?
It's a wonderful old word, isn't it?
Whichever it is, this is our local fabric and manchester store.
It has the most fabulous name of Gilbert & Jury.



Photo:
Gilbert & Jury, Barkly St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Who Is She?

Who is this Miss Use and why is she hanging out at these toilets?



Photo:
Safeway Shopping Centre, Ingor St, Ararat - Feb, 2008.

What Are They Talking About?!

It's hard to imagine that you will hear people say there is nothing to do in a country town.

Ararat is an absolute hive of activity on the week-ends.

Sport features heavily - and there is such a wide selection to choose from:
Cricket, tennis, swimming, pistol-shooting, golf, lawn bowls, water skiing, etc.
This past week-end you could have been a spectator at the Diamond Stakes Cycling Carnival at the Ararat Velodrome.
Or at at the Ararat Motorcycle Club's track two day motorcycle racing event which included competitors from all over Victoria and South Australia.
Down the road at The Grampians, you could check out over 100 old school hot rods gathered for the annual "Rod Run" (last week, the Jazz Festival was held).
If sport isn't your thing - you could have celebrated the Year of the Rat with festivities at the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre.
Or you could have watched The Ararat Sing Australia Choir perform or popped into the Ararat Art Gallery to view a textile art exhibition.
Or if you like big engineering things, you could attend an open day for a new wind farm that will be developed outside Ararat (another one - we already have one.)

Or you could just do what I did - watch itty bitty planes fly around in the big blue sky.



Photo:
Ararat & District Aeromodellers Club, Warrak Rd, Ararat'ish - 16 Feb, 2008

Pining Away

Cypress Pines were once king of the windbreaks in the Western Region.
They still are to a degree.
(Ummm..... for those who have difficulty with the English language - "windbreaks" are trees or bushes planted around paddocks to provide protection from the wind).

These ones have obviously seen better days.



Photo:
Geelong Rd, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Once Upon a Time

The main drag - Barkly St - Ararat, 1915.
And it looks pretty much the same today - isn't that wonderful?




Photo:
I'd love to give credit to "the taker" of this photo but I suspect that information was lost a long time ago - perhaps you know who took it?

Saturday Afternoon

At the Ararat and District Aeromodellers Club.
Twenty members.
And they are all men!
That doesn't seem right!
I think a nice pink plane with sequins would round out their club perfectly.



Photo:
Ararat & District Aeromodellers Club, Warrak Rd, Ararat'ish - 16 Feb, 2008

The Obligatory Shot

I know, I know - EVERYONE does a sunset shot.
But is it any wonder?
It makes those colours ALL BY ITSELF - I didn't even phoof them in Photoshop!
Just extraordinary!
Those are Norfork Pines in silhouette that line the western end of Barkly St.



Photo:
Around 9pm on a Summer's evening, Ararat - Jan, 2008

Dry as Chips

While most of the east coast of Australia struggles with heavy rain and floods, it continues to remain dry in our region.
But that is generally the pattern in Victoria - dry in Summer, wet in Winter.
Fingers crossed we get some good falls in the cooler months.



Photo:
Outskirts of Ararat - Jan 2008

Road Hog

I swear we have more of these per capita than any other city or town in the known world.
They are everywhere!
Extremely practical for your older folk.
You see 'em burnin' rubber all around town.
Wouldn't mind a go on one of them myself!



Photo:
Lardner Bros, cnr High & Ingor Sts, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Sorry Day

What a wonderful day!
The day the Australian Parliament apologized to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generation.
One of the most moving days of my life.
I hope the wound on our Australian soul may now begin to heal.



Photo:
The beautiful Australian flowering gum - 2008
Outside the Salvation Army buildings - Ararat

Peace Out

Artwork display for World Peace Day by local school kids, at the Ararat Library.
Okay, so the spelling is creative but if you can't spell creatively when you're a little'un, when can you?
Don't you love the fingers doing the peace sign in the second painting?



Photo:
Ararat Library, Barkly St - Jan, 2008

You Never Know What You'll Find

Man, I'd love to have a go on that!
Sunday at the Ararat Market.
Glorious weather.
Lots of things to look at and some good bargains.
Held once a month in Alexandra Hall on Lambert St.



Photo:
Ararat Trash & Treasure Market, Alexandra Hall, Ararat - 10 Feb, 2008

Run Forrest, Run!

I don't think his name is Forrest.
It could be - but I don't think so.
One of the competitors in the Ararat Gift heats today.
Beautiful weather - a relaxing day spent sitting out in the warm sun
(watching the athletes run like mad buggers!).



Photo:
Alexandra Oval, Ararat - 10 Feb, 2008

The Local Round-Up

A choice selection of news.
The local paper, The Ararat Advertiser
has a photo of residents receiving
their free compact fluorescent light bulb from
the Ararat Energy Savers Project (hey, how come I didn't get one?
Probably coz I was too lazy to go and get it!).
And a 30-50% off HomyPeds sale at the local chemist!
Can't ask for fairer than that!



Photo:
Ararat Newsagency, Barkly St - Feb, 2008

Friday Night Drinks

Coupla dawgs hang'n' out at the pub.


Photo:
Barkly St, Ararat - Feb, 2008

Raging Torrent

Okay, okay - it's less than a trickle and yes, it's a drain.
I must have been carrying around those last couple of posts from
Richmond Upon Thames DP in my head, cause I followed my
camera and found myself here.
Hardly compares with the Thames (or even the River Brent at low tide)
but it is quite a pretty drain.
Yes?


Photo:
Moore St, Ararat - Feb 2008.

Click Go The Shears

We are in sheep country (formerly gold country).
These shearing sheds are dotted all around the outskirts of Ararat.
Good thing shearing season isn't in the middle of Summer.
Can you imagine how hot it would be in one of those metal boxes at 40 degrees (106F)?
And how smelly?
And how many flies?
Errr - shudder.



Photo:
Outskirts of Ararat - Jan, 2008

All Gummed Up

Aren't they just the most magnificent flower?
At this time of year they are in full bloom all over town.
It's a flowering gum - they come in pinks, reds, oranges and creams.
The bees love them.


Photo:
Outside Shire Hall, Barkly St, Ararat - Jan, 2008

Big Truck

Yes, we have trucks in Ararat!
Big trucks.
Usually carrying something agricultural:
animals, timber, giant water tanks, etc
Mainly, they are just passing through.
This one is probably headed north-west, where the drought is being very unkind to farmers.

I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, but I'm impressed by his colourful selection of orange straps to contrast with the jaunty blue of his cabin.


Photo:
Cnr Barkly and Mortlake-Ararat Rds, Ararat - 30 Jan, 2008.