Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 21 June 2015

Sunday Selections #229

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme. We have been promised rain and promised rain.  And the weather boffins have lied like pigs in mud.  This week it finally arrived.  In three days we got more rain than we have received in the last three months combined.  With apologies to those in the US who have had much more than they want or need, I loved it, the garden loved it, the skinny one liked it and the cats loathed it.


However, by the first sunny day the smaller portion had gone stir crazy.  So we went out, to the nearby Googong Dam to watch it run over the spillway.  As is usual many photos follow.

We had some trouble getting access to a spot where we could see the spillway.  The roads had been flooded and were blocked off.

At the top the water looked serene.





Then we found a friendly ranger who told us where we could find walking trails to a lookout.  The trails were uneven, and heavy going but we are both really pleased we made the effort.  The water coming over the spillway looked great - and sounded incredible.






You don't say...


And watching the water spill into the Queanbeyan River below the dam was lovely too.  





 


 







The further away from the spillway the quieter and calmer the water became.  It was still moving suprisingly fast though.



124 comments:

  1. Wow! I can almost hear that rushing water from here. Great pictures, and I'm glad you got your rain. We are now far below normal for the year, with our usual dry season coming up. The lawns are all brown, and it's very politically incorrect to have a green one these days. :-)

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    1. DJan: Green lawns have been politically incorrect here since our last big drought, when watering them was banned. Many lawns never recovered. Gardens suffered too. I do hope you get some rain. Soon.

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  2. Water is so powerful! I would have enjoyed the walk and the vistas. We're still having rain from the tropical storm that blew up the center of the country. It means little watering.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: The paths were narrow and uneven - but well worth the effort. Little watering is always a plus.

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  3. Wow, that's cool to have a river like that close to you. I'd heed the swimming not advised sign.
    Glad you got some rain.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: I don't think I have ever seen a 'Not Advised' sign before. Forbidden is much more common. It tickled my fancy on a winter day with the spillway overflowing...

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  4. Water is so healing, Honey!



    ALOHA
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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    1. Cloudia: I do love water - moving or still. And yes, it is healing. Of body and of mind.

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  5. these photos are magnificent! I've always found being near water to be so healing, even if swimming is forbidden. Just hearing it is so soothing.

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    1. Raquel Somatra: I do love water. All water. The sound going over the spillway wasn't precisely soothing but certainly impressive. And exciting. And beautiful.

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  6. The dam is so lovely, it's like a vast water hole. Beautiful EC.

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  7. It's quite amazing that signs have to be put up to remind people of what SHOULD be obvious...but, of course, there are many people around who need commonsense embedded on their foreheads...in reverse so that every time the look in the mirror they can read the warnings!

    I bought a jar of crunchy peanut paste the other day...and to my great surprise on the label was printed - "This product contains peanuts"!!!

    Have a great week, EC...cuddles to the two Js. :)

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    1. Lee: I would be worried if my peanut butter didn't contain peanuts. And increasingly not surprised.
      A great week to you and your furry overlords too.

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  8. I'll bet the roar of the water was magnificent.
    Honestly...the labelling these days. That was the best though...I spit coffee on my screen over that one.

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    1. Delores: The roar was dramatic. I enjoyed the sign too. Rather a lot.

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  9. That was a lot of water, glad the rain happened where it was needed, we had some too but not too much.
    Merle.........

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    1. Merlesworld: We got nearly 70 milimetres in three days. Lots and lots of rain. Lovely. More predicted for next week too.

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  10. I love being by water! That looks like a beautiful place!

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    1. Teresa Hennes: It is a beautiful place, though both of us commented that in summer it would be a snake haven. Tiger snakes and red-bellied blacks. Both venomous.

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  11. Great shots!
    And our unseasonal-but-welcome rain has gone and we have the seasonal cold, dry wind.The wind of pinched faces, chapped lips and collar-mumbled conversations.

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    1. dinahmow: I hope to get more rain next week - but loved this. And if we do get more, we will go on an expedition to our recently reburbished 'big' dam. It is chilly here too - which is not unexpected and is welcomed by me.

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  12. The power and force of water ~ the Barron Falls up here are spectacular after rain, so I can imagine the impression. Many people go for drives after the rain ~ but your photos look like you were alone in the wilderness.

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    1. carolincairns: There were other people at the top of the dam, but no-one seemed prepared to walk to the spillway. Their loss. Mind you, I am glad that we tracked the ranger down, because the walking trails were very, very badly marked.

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  13. I find the sign interesting. Swimming is not advised but it is not forbidden. Do people actually swim there?

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    1. Birdie: In summer I suspect people do swim there. Often. Hopefully not after rain though...

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  14. I love waterfalls. The western part of the US is very dry; we in Michigan are very wet.

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    1. Sue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: Natural waterfalls are beautiful. There are none of them very near us - but the spillway is a reasonable substitute.

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  15. so hot here I could just dive in

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    1. Linda: I feel for you. Mind you, we didn't get to double figures that day, so swimming would not be on many people's agenda.

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  16. The dam spilling!! What a sight to see. We had 21mm this week which was absolutely beautiful.

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    1. CountryMum: We had more than twice that amount of rain. Bliss. Rare bliss. I am never, ever sorry to see the rain.

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  17. Spectacular! I love the understatement on the sign - swimming not advised. *snort* Looks like it'd be lethal at the moment! There aren't any waterfalls, dams, or gorges around where I live now. I miss the wild beauty of rushing water.

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    1. River Fairchild: How right you are. I suspect swimming on that day would be the very last swim. Cold, and very, very dangerous.

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  18. What magnificent photographs!! How clever of you to be able to get into a position to take so many of them.
    How wonderful that you had that much rain too. Here in Perth it has been raining but nothing like that and I can't remember how many years it is since the Mundaring Weir or Serpentine Dam overflowed. I remember people used to flock to Mundaring just as you did to take pictures when it happened.
    New Zealand was the place where they have wonderful flows of water and you feel you could stand and watch it for hours it is so spectacular.
    Thank you for sharing your recent experience.

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    1. Mimsie: Googong is a small dam, and it doesn't take all that much for it to overflow. Our big dam in nowhere near that stage. It was a treat though - and water is always a joy.
      I saw you had rain - and rejoiced for you.

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  19. Oh goodness, what a collection of beautiful views. I agree with Cloudia on the healing powers of water, but equally rewarding is to wander about nature such as this. Remarkable world we live in.

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    1. Karen S.: It is frequently a very beautiful remarkable world too.

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  20. It is just plain icy here on the South Coast at the moment, but we had some significant rains earlier this week too. The chooks are not big fans of rain. It has cleared up enough that they've been let out into the garden to free range a little today. :)

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    1. Snoskred: It is chilly here too. We have reached double figures today, but only just, and not for long.
      What sort of chooks do you have? A contented chooky noise is a lovely thing. And the eggs are good too.

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  21. The photos are brilliant - such wonderful views under that azure sky. I'd imagine that such rains in your primarily arid climate are most welcome for people and landscape alike. I looked up the river you mention to see where you are... close to the NSW and ACT border? I once drove from Sydney to Canberra so I probably drove quite close to where you are.

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    1. Craig: I live in Canberra. The border with NSW is very close and we slipped into another state to visit the dam. A lovely outing and yes, rain is always welcome here. We are not as dry as much of the country, but usually too dry.

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  22. You've made my heart sing, water and rocks, my favourite things :) :)
    thank you, thank you.

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    1. River: Weren't those rocks/boulders beautiful. All shapes, all sizes. Simply stunning. We will have to explore the area more thoroughly when the roads aren't cut.

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  23. Love some of those cobalt blue skies!

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    1. J Cosmo Newbery: It wasn't warm - but very, very pretty. And welcome after a number of grey days.

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  24. Awesome photographs Sue. It would have been fantasstic if you had taken of small video clip so we could have heard the noise of the rushing water and see the speed however the stills that you took are amazing. Looking forward to the next lot of words!

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    1. Margaret Adamson: I never remember that my camera has a video function. You are right, it would have been a good idea. Next time. And I am glad that you are looking forward to Wednesday's Words.

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  25. What a lovely selection. I bet it was great to see in reality. The second last shot, tranquil after the storm so to speak..

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    1. whiteangel: It was a treat. I am so glad that we tracked down the ranger, and that she told us how to find the walking trails. When several of the roads were padlocked because of water across the road we thought that we wouldn't be able to see the spillway except from a distance.

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  26. After a drought there is no sound nicer and no smell lovelier than that of rain.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: You will get no arguments from me. I love the smell of rain, and that freshly washed look is special too.

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  27. Glad you got out for a walk and what a lovely walk it looks like! I'm not sure if I'll be doing any walking today as it's raining here - but it's summer and it's warm so it's all good :)

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    1. mshatch: In summer I do very little walking. Way too hot for my wimpy self. I really enjoyed this one though.

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  28. What a gorgeous place to hike, reflect, hear the water flowing!

    Love from MN. xxx

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    1. My Inner Chick: It is a special place isn't it? And I do love water. And rocks. And trees.

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  29. I always feel calm and refreshed after a visit with you. Maybe I should stay here. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pics.

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    1. Sonya Ann: My manic mind needs all the calm it can find - and I am glad to share it.

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  30. Oh my, those photos are beautiful and wild looking. Love the add in Swimming Not Advised signage, as if people would not know this for themselves.

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    1. Strayer: Since people are often not very bright I suspect the sign is necessary. And in summer I would expect to see lots of people paddling and swimming there.

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  31. love that tree in the 4th (i think) shot

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: I thought of you when I saw the tree. And included it for your tree loving self.

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  32. Those are some beautiful scenes!!!

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    1. Lon Anderson: Thank you. It is a beautiful place.

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  33. So very beautiful, EC, and so good to know that the Smaller Portion is well enough to go on that trek with you.

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    1. Carol: It is good. He has his ups and his downs - but managed the walk and the climb better than I did.

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  34. Oh, the pictures are beautiful. I'm so glad you finally got some rain. I spent some time near water too. It's so envigorating. Hope you have a wonderful week!

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    1. Myrna R.: Water is wonderful. Life-giving, calming, envirorating... and so much more. And a wonderful week to you too.

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  35. Your photos remind me of those in a Bush Tucker Man book I'd bought - pristine, rugged, harsh, inviting and beautiful.

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    1. neen maiya (aka guyana gyal): The Bush Tucker Bloke was usually in much more rugged country than we were, but I do love this country and believe that a LOT of it is very, very beautiful. Not always forgiving, but beautiful.

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    2. Mm-hmm, he did go into some unforgiving territory, some places say, You can look, maybe touch a little, but keep out!

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    3. neena maiya (aka guyana gyal): I still shudder remembering him eating mangrove maggots... Something I could not touch.

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  36. It is nice to see your photos. Good collection of them...

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    1. Weekend-Windup: Thank you. It is a beautiful spot.

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  37. "Swimming not advised?" Seems like they'd want to use stronger wording than that!

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    1. Stephanie Faris: I don't remember ever seeing a 'Not advised' sign before. It tickled my fancy. I suspect in summer people ignore it. There will always be rocks and snags though.

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  38. Haha, glad you followed the advice and did not swim. Smart lady.
    Waterfalls are gorgeous, and so is that deep shade of blue in the second photo. Thank you for the relaxing images, EC.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: Smart lady? Oooh. Something I have not heard in a very long time.

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  39. Gorgeous rocks!! I love them. And the trees too. These photographs are superb, and what a place to visit. Marvellous *beams a smile*.

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    1. All Consuming: The rocks were glorious. And the lichen and mosses on them were special too.
      Beaming back at you.

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  40. Beautiful pictures! I love water running in a waterfall. It's so pretty.

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    1. Cherie Reich: Even an artificial waterfall has charm.

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  41. Gidday, Sue,

    Dam, I love your photos!

    Gary

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    1. klahanie: The return of the pun master! Thank you Gary.

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  42. 85 comments..........I come here when I need a case of jealousy.

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    1. lotta joy: You NEVER need a case of jealousy - and are welcome whenever you drop in.

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  43. Sounds like a lovely hike! Those first couple of the dam area remind me of the dam where I walk in when I visit the mountains. (Counting down the days - will spend a long weekend there weekend after next.)

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    1. Lynn: I don't know that hike is the right word. Not far enough. A scramble and a wander. More than adequately rewarded.
      Have a wonderful time when you go back to the mountains.

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  44. The water is so pretty. I love hear it spill over too. So glad yall got bunches of rain. We have had a good amount here in Georgia but California needs rain real bad

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    1. Kim @ Stuff could...: I have family in California and know how much they need the rain. And hope it falls. Soon.

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  45. Lovely shots of water and surf!

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    1. ladyfi: I hadn't thought of it as surf (freshwater), but you are right. Some of the shots do look that way. Thank you.

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  46. Marvelous scenery and great photos EC. I can almost hear the roar of the water. Thank you so much for visiting my blog while I was away. Have a great week.

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    1. DeniseinVA: It is a beautiful place. Welcome back - I am looking forward to seeing posts about your travels.

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  47. The vividness of blue in the skies and the waters is stunning. Beautiful day outdoors. Although it's already rainy around here. :)

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    1. Lux G.: It was the first dry day we had in a while. It wasn't warm though. We only just made it to double figures.

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  48. Everything does look very lovely. I think it was worth the walk. Like you too, I wouldn't advise taking a swim though, lol!! :) Great pics!!!

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    1. mail4rosey: In summer it could be very, very tempting. Possibly too tempting.

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  49. What a lovely setting. I could easily imagine myself sitting there reading a book (and eating snacks LOL).

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    1. totallycaroline: We will go back some day when the roads to the picnic area haven't been cut by rising water. It could be a lovely spot - though there would be more people.

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  50. LMAO at "swimming not advised." I actually bought an iced coffee somewhere that said, "Warning: drink is cold." I bloody hope so!

    Lovely pictures as always!

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    1. Riot Kitty: And the labels on bags of peanuts - may contain nuts. I hope so. I really hope so.

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  51. Great photos! Can almost smell the water, with the rolling sounds. I wonder what would have happened if that sign had not been posted.

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    1. Susan Kane: That day swimming didn't even enter my mind. Too chilly even for me.
      Later in the season would be a very different question. The water would be full of snags, but tempting. Very tempting.

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  52. Wow - water is amazingly powerful. So glad that you could get out, and find a safe way to view and photograph such an impressive spot!

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    1. Susan F.: I often forget just how powerful water is. Not that day. The thundering was a constant reminder.

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  53. I'm pleasantly surprised the Googang hasn't been sued or bought out by Google... yet :)

    PS... Picture #9 is absolutely amazing.... that's one you should frame... it blew me away and I couldn't stop going back to view again :)

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  54. Mark Koopmans: There is a whole town also named Googong not far away. Hopefully it will escape Google.
    And thank you re the overflow photo. I took lots trying to get that effect, and binned most of them.

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  55. PS: I am chugging along - And I *don't mean with warm cans of English bitter :)

    PPS... *glad* you kept Red Training it with the overflow picture (very nice to see you take your own advice :)~

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    1. Mark Koopmans: I am thrilled that you are still chugging along.
      Sometimes I take my own advice. Only sometimes. I am more stubborn than stains which sometimes works to my advantage.

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  56. Gorgeous pictures! I can practically hear the roar of the water.

    It's been bloody hot here, but knock on wood, we've had just enough rain to keep the garden looking pretty good. The tomatoes are yummy, and the grass isn't crunchy yet, so all is right with the world.

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    1. Susan: Our grass IS crunchy, but it is frost rather than dryness which gives it the crunch. Home grown tomatoes are bliss. Total bliss.

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  57. Incredible to feast my eyes on so much water after spending the past few weeks at waterless wetlands and low lakes, much of inland Australia needs water atm, what a shame we can't share it around a bit!

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    1. Kim: We are often very dry here. Too dry. Some global weather sharing would be lovely.

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  58. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Simran vinayak: Copying someone else's comment to promote spam doesn't work.

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  59. Stunning pictures! Amazing how the vantage point can make the water look SO much different. From peaceful to crazy just reminds me that nature is amazing. I laughed at the no swimming sign- so interesting that we actually need to posts signs like that so people know it isn't a good idea.

    Thanks for sharing!
    ~Jess

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    1. DMS ~ Jess: It is hard to underestimate the stupidity of our species isn't it? And yes, nature is amazing. Beautiful, exciting, powerful and sometimes dangerous. Not malicious though.

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  60. Nature in your world is so different than mine. These photos are really beautiful and interesting.
    Greetings from Finland
    Orvokki

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    1. orvokki: Welcome and thank you. Australia is a big country, and very varied, but I do love the area around my home.

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  61. Finally catching up a bit....Soosie these are beautiful shots...I love the last 2 shots especially.....lovely rugged country.

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    1. Donna@LivingFromHappiness. It is beautiful country. Not always forgiving, but beautiful.

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