Autumn Electives

My work takes me to visit many schools in the region. This was a mural on one of their walls depicting their values; I thought it also seemed appropriate for the upcoming Anzac Day commemorations. 

We're still enjoying checking out the local cafes for breakfast - as long as it's got fruit; it's healthy, right?

As newly-minted citizens, this was our first opportunity to vote in the federal elections, so we went to do our civic duty. The voting stations are usually located at primary schools and the schools use the occasion to fund-raise -for many it is their largest event of the year. Everywhere sells hot dogs for sustenance after the exhausting business of working out how many boxes to tick on which voting paper (seriously, it's not as straight-forward a system as I'm used to from previous country), and they are known as 'democracy sausages'. We felt that to do this thing properly, we really should partake. 

Democracy Sausage

There was also a massive moon that night, which is probably an ominous omen or a positive portent. Or, it could be an astronomical phenomenon - I'm actually none the wiser about any of it, but it was big and bright and shinning over the tops of the terraces. 

Meanwhile, back at the house, those beautiful autumn leaves are making a nuisance of themselves, by falling everywhere.

Some of them are still clinging to the trees, and the garden is really rather glorious. 

And we've got praying mantises among the silk camellias, which is not a euphemism (at least, not so far as I am aware).

And there are some other things growing as well - there is a limit to my botanical knowledge.

Ooh, lavender (I know that one)

A collage of autumn stuff

One of my new run routes takes me up Mt Painter past the Cook sundial. Apparently the suburb of Cook is named primarily after Captain James Cook, who 'discovered' the east coast of Australia in 1770. (Just to keep the locals happy, it is supposedly also named for Sir Joseph Cook, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1913-1914 and knighted in 1918.) The citizens of Cook marked the James Cook bi-centenary by the erection of this sundial. I'm sure he was well chuffed.