Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Showing posts with label January. Show all posts
Showing posts with label January. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 February 2026

What happened to January in Western Australia?

 Hi everyone, I fully intended to bring to you the final post from our trip down Western Australia's  Coral Coast last year..., but I am nearing the end of my first draft of my memoir that I am determined to finish this summer, so I must keep on.....I promise I will be back with that blog post soon.... 

So just a short post today - my gosh it is February already! what happened to January? It has been much too hot to do much outside except for first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon or early evening. As is every summer, there have been bush fires across Australia, and I feel for those who have been impacted directly. 

Below are some photos from my January..... Clockwise from below left - unfledged nearly ready to fly black swan cygnets on the Leschenault Estuary (more about them later), Australia Day fireworks, white corellas (a cockatoo - a pest in our city), building going on at our local shopping centre, dragon boat training on the Leschenault Inlet, marri flowers- Corymbia calophylla - looking gorgeous right now, the one night only flowering Moon Flower in my garden, a slow drawing sketching exercise with Amy from the Mindful Art Studio (thank you Amy), and in the centre we went to a Cricket game in Perth - our team, the Perth Scorchers won this game, and the series! 

It is full on summer here, and our topic for photography group in January was Feel the Chill, for the Wagin Woolarama interclub photography competition in March. We were warned last winter about the topic coming up, but I managed to put off doing anything till January. So I was stoked to receive golds for both these images. 

I really should have taken this photo of the icy-poles in winter or find someone with a walk in chiller room! January has been hot hot and so I had the air-conditioning on, the fan on, I had to keep adding fresh ice to the bowl, and a couple of times I put the ice-creams back in the freezer as they were melting too fast. However I managed it in the end. 

It really does pay you to have everything set up before you bring out the ice confections, which I did... but I kept rearranging them till I had something I was happy with, and so the melt began. And oh yes - the lights I had on the set didn't help my cause. 

Anyway - here is the final shot. Gold! 


My second image was taken a few years ago when we visited Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. We had never been in snow before, and so we went walking while it was snowing - so cool! We took the hop-on-hop-off bus to Dove Lake - and got off to walk along the boardwalk. This is my husband. 

As I have said I am writing my memoir, and I randomly found this image when I was looking for something else on my computer...it looks like we are camping... our Grandson helping his Uncle with his word sleuth page. I don't normally post photos of family, but you can't see their faces and it is just too cute I had to share. 


Have a great week everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well. Thank you so much for stopping by. You might also like - 


I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

If you are looking for a translate button - it's there near the top on the right hand side. 
   

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.
Until then, enjoy your day...Life only comes around once, so do what makes you happy, be kind, and be with people who make you smile. 

Monday, 29 January 2024

Australia Day - I am, You Are, We Are Australian


Friday 26 January was Australia Day -
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and the raising of the Union Flag of Great Britain by Captain Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a small bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour.

In present-day Australia, the government Australia Day Council organises events that seeks to recognise the contributions of Australians to the nation, while also encouraging reflection on past wrongs including towards Indigenous Australians and also giving respect and celebrating the diversity and achievements of Australian society past and present                 wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day

There has been a great deal of controvosy, discussions and protests over the last few years about whether we should be celebrating on 26 January - the indiginous people of Australia claiming it to be "Ïnvasion Day" and wanting to change the date.

I won't buy into this debate here. I am proudly fourth generation Australian on both sides of my family - both early free settlers and convicts, those who fought and died for their country, battled the Depression, cleared and farmed the land, worked hard for what we have. No matter what colour, religion, or nationality we are, we are all an important part of what makes this country a wonderful place to live. We should celebrate this.


Instead I will share of song with you, which I think says it all.

Aunt Stella Floyed, possibly at the time of Federation

I am, you are, we are all Australian.
I AM AUSTRALIAN.
(1987 - by Bruce Woodley, The Seekers and Dobe Newton, The Bushwackers)
I came from the dreamtime from the dusty red soil plains I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame I stood upon the rocky shore I watched the tall ships come For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.
I came upon the prison ship bowed down by iron chains.
.I cleared the land, endured the lash
and waited for the rains.
Great Great Grandfather James Fairhead
arrived Australia 1853
I'm a settler. I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run,
A convict then a free man
I became Australian.

I'm the daughter of a digger
who sought the mother lode, The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road

I'm a child of the depression
I saw the good times come I'm a bushy, I'm a battler I am Australian

Great Grandmother & Grandfather Floyed 1887
Great Grandfather born in Australia 1858 






[chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian.

I'm a teller of the stories
I'm a singer of the songs
I am Albert Namatjira I paint the ghostly gums


Great Uncle Norman Clayden, died Gallipoli, WW1
I am Clancy on his horse I'm Ned Kelly on the run I'm the one who waltzed Matilda I am Australian.

I'm the hot wind from the desert I'm the black soil of the plains I'm the mountains and the valleys I'm the drought and flooding rains.
I am the rock, I am the sky The rivers when they run The spirit of this great land I am Australian
[chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian.

And below from You Tube an inspiring rendition of this song.


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Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Australia Day Fireworks

Sunday, 15 January 2023

Little blogging break

 H everyone, I hope you and yours are doing well. I am having a little blogging break for a few weeks during a summer January while we have visitors coming and going. Back soon! 

It is summer, and there have been a number of bad bushfires down in the southern parts as well as devistating cylconic once in a hundred years flooding in the northern Kimberley. Much of the north of the state is cut off. 

I took this photo last night over the estuary where we walk in the evening after dinner - the colurs are thanks to the bushfire - it made for brilliant colours - but we could do without the bushfires. Thousands of hectares have been lost. 

A friend has talked me into doing another 52 x 2 project - one colour and one mono image each week for 52 weeks. I have done one before plus a couple of 365 projects (1 a day for a year!). will see how I go - no promises. 

Take care everyone wherever you are and whatever you are doing. 



Tuesday, 2 February 2021

January 2021 - Covid photo a day project

 Hi everyone, I can hardly believe it is February already. Where has the first month of the year gone? I really didn't think back in March 2020 when I started this project that I would still be doing by Covid photo a day project, but as you know Covid is still alive and well and continuing spreading around the world, now with new strains, making it even harder to control. A friend recently lost her mother in Spain to Covid. It was so incredibly difficult for her not to be able to go to Spain to be with her mother and family. Her brother and niece are also infected, and another friends family in South America. My heart goes out to them, and to all those around the world who have lost loved ones. 

Here in Australia we have still continued to do very well, with people returning from overseas having to go into mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine, and mini total lockdowns when there has been community outbreaks. 

It has been 8 months since there was a community spread case in Western Australia, until this last weekend. As of 6pm Sunday we are now in total lockdown for 5 days, in an effort to contain the spread. I am hoping that it will only be 5 days. I cannot imagine what people in other places of the world have been going through in lockdown for weeks or months this past year. I think over the last 8 months we have become complacent, at least here in Western Australia. This lockdown will jolt us back to reality. Facemasks are now mandatory when outside. Another first for us. 


So here is my January photo a day project.....

1 January 2021 - Friday - Xylomelum pyriforme, commonly known as the woody pear

2 January 2021 - Saturday - our little birds are doing a good job of raising their second batch of young - just about ready to fly the nest

3 January 2021 - Sunday - my nephew enjoying nature play

4 January 2021 - Monday - my first attempt at making paper

5 January 2021 - Tuesday - out in the boat with young family members to see the dolphins in Koombana Bay. Some of them have calves and came right up to our boat. So beautiful.

6 January 2021 - Wednesday - another beautiful sunset along the Leschenault Inlet


5 January, 2021 - Tuesday - bonus shot - drying roses


7 January 2021 - Thursday - having fun being towed behind on boat on the new biscuit

8 January 2021 - Friday - drying lavender for my paper making experiments

9 January 2021 - Saturday - paper making with roses 

9 January 2021 - Saturday - bonus shot - Indian Ocean sunset at the basalt rocks in Bunbury

10 January 2021 - Sunday - Corymbia ficifolia, Red flowering gum

11 January 2021 - Monday - paper making experiments with statice flowers highlights. A lot to learn. 



12 January 2021 - Tuesday - golden kangaroo paws in my front garden

13 January 2021 - Wednesday - sometimes you just have to force your grandkids away from their computers and out into the fresh air

14 January 2021 - Thursday - another glorious Leshenault Inlet sunset

15 January 2021 - Friday - netting our grapes - birds not welcome!

16 January 2021 - Saturday - introduction to watercolour painting workshop with my sister at the Bunbury summer school at the Stirling Street Arts centre with Kellee Merritt. Excellent 2 days!

17 January 2021 - Sunday - mosaic at the Stirling Street Arts Centre.


18 January 2021 - Monday - Marri flowers along the Millers Creek walk

19 January 2021 - Tuesday - proud of my watercolour painting tutored during the Kelly Merritt watercolour class at Summer School at the Stirling Street Art Centre. It was a set piece so I won't take credit for the subject.

20 January 2021 - Wednesday - The Bunbury Art Gallery side door lit by my car lights after Spanish dance class. I rather liked the effect.


21 January 2021 - Thursday - summer at Koombana Bay, Bunbury


22 January 2021 - Friday - macro of chewed eucalypt leaf

23 January 2021 - Saturday  - South West Opera Company - Opera on the Move - for Fringe Festival in Stirling Gardens. A very enjoyable event. 



24 January 2021 - Sunday - drying more flowers

25 January 2021 - Monday - we bought a box of tomatoes in Donnybrook. Now we have to do something with them. Today Rod made tomato soup to put in the freezer for winter as a base for Minestrone.

26 January 2021 - Tuesday - Australia Day - and going out in the boat

26 January 2021 - Tuesday - bonus shot - Australia Day crab catch for lunch

27 January 2021 - Wednesday - very happy with my latest batch of botanical eco-printing on upcycled cotton

27 January 2021 - Wednesday - bonus shot - rather liked this moon resting on the power lines


28 January 2021 - Thursday - today I made Grape and tomato chutney

29 January 2021 - Friday - we were given a voucher for Corners on the Bay, so we went there for breakfast. Thanks Julie.

29 January 2021 - Friday - bonus shot - getting ready for Sol y Sombra's flash mob in the Fringe hub at the Stirling Street Arts Centre

30 January 2021 - Saturday - Forza dragon boat regatta match racing in the Leschenault Inlet on Saturday afternoon. I was in the on-water race control boat, so was able to snap some good pics. 

31 January 2021 - Sunday - unexpected emergency lockdown for Perth, Peel & South West for Covid from 6pm tonight. Masks are mandatory, so I started making some this afternoon.


That's January done and dusted. I hope you and yours are safe and doing well. Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 


I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!


Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.