The Muster Point landmark, is a tribute to steel industry workers and has a cat and a pigeon at the window of the workshop.

The Rainbow Bridge Story, a piece from the RSPCA Animal Shelter is mailed to animal owners after the demise of their pet.  Outrageous schmalz but it brings a tear to the eye when the pet is your own.  
Save the tears and act now to foster conservation and halt the loss of endangered species.

 

A new water main is installed via lots of little excavations. Is cool clear water our most precious asset?

Newcastle Weekends: Dining or sailing at the Belmont Sailing Club.


                                                                                            Getting married.

                                                                                                                                                                          Choral singing.

Panda Bears, from China, once visited Sydney's Toronga Zoo now it is Adelaide's turn (for a long term stay). Our family was delighted to see all the animals at the zoo..
Conservation of nature - that's the challenge.
A sustainable, yet an enjoyable, lifestyle is a key to conservation.

Copenhagen UN Summit  COP 15
See your local events at http://www.avaaz.org/map 


Visit Show Your Vote via Google here http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/show-your-vote-for-cop15.html

Visit Earth Hour and vote here http://www.earthhour.org/. 
Join the messages from your suburb, village, town, city, county, province, state, kingdom, republic, federation, nation or planet.

The butterfly effect. With a very slight nod to the BBC and Natural History and to SBS TV.

Copenhagen Update on these sites:   Sbs Television World News Australia. 
Green tv video blog.
United Nations.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Portal. 
 Green tv video blog.

Newcastle Ocean Baths had new lighting switched on last night and highlights the recent face-lift. It works well and is not 'over the top'.
Festive lighting is irresistible but now this use of energy is questioned by me, at least, energy saving (!) technology is best used. The baths themselves lie almost in eerie darkness and is its own sensation but not so good for the swimmer. 

Compare this to the flooding shown here last week. The baths were emptied for cleaning. Cleaning: that's only 'a lick and a promise'!

More biscuits for the silly season. Italian this time. Panettone is fairly well known and sold in festive boxes. It is not easy to find any significant Christmas food that is a tradition that began in Australia. So do we have the best from everywhere?

What's in the mystery package? Probably a conventional biscuit with a twist.  The surprise factor leads me to try out imported food products. It is not as though ours are inferior to the import, just a little different ....  Le Stelle erano molto distanti l'luna dall'altra ....e nonostante ciascuna si sforzasse....per brillare il piu possibile, non riuscivano ad illuminare nulla....... 

Shortbread is part of Christmas fare. From Scotland, check out the evocative tartan and hint of the highlands aimed to resonate with something deep even so this example looks more upmarket than is usual.
Home-made shortbread is very melt-in-the-mouth. Is true shortbread very-very 'short' and loaded with butter?  Or is it true as less short, lots of butter, but with more character, for example, with rice flour?

Along with tradition, isn't Scotland associated with innovation and edgy stuff?

Dreaming of an Aussie Christmas?  Christmas Bush.  Gum leaves.