Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 2 October 2016

Sunday Selections #296

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. After our trip to Tulip Top (see Friday's post) we took a detour.   Tulip Top is just off the highway between my city and Sydney.  Beside that highway is a lake, Lake George.  Lake George has been a puddle or a patch of green grass for many years now.  However, this winter and spring we have had real rain (and naturally some areas have had too much).  And the lake has returned.


Starting with Lake George as it was in 2010, when we took a trip to see an (illegal) sculpture installation.  The zebras were fun, but they were vandalised and later removed.



Not a drop of water to be seen.  And even the green disappeared in the intervening years.

Last week was a different picture.






Local talk-back radio suggests it hasn't been this full since the late 1970s.  Perhaps water sports on Lake George will resume...

If you embiggen the later photos you may be able to see wind turbines on the hills to the rear.  Some of our politiicians have been appalled at their ugliness and the blight they cast on the scene.  Sigh.  I would much rather look at wind turbines than coal mines.

98 comments:

  1. EC your zebras are fantastic..

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  2. Yay for wind turbines. Save the planet!

    Glad for the rain! Hope you don't have as many fires this spring and summer.

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    1. Marie Smith: I hope for less fires too. Sadly, if it dries off we will get more when summer comes round because there will be more to burn.

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  3. Funny that you should have the same argument about wind turbines we have in the UK. I really don't know what to think. One minute you are driving through the British countryside, the next, they appear all of a sudden. I like their uniformity and would prefer them to coal mines. Great photos. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: The politicians in question are wedded to coal. And believe that we should be too.

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  4. Yes, coal mines are really attractive places......not. I love the zebras.

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  5. What a great time lapse. I am 100% in favor of wind turbines. I think they have their own grace and beauty, on top of producing cleaner energy.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: I too think that wind turbines have grace and beauty. I was pleased to discover that I did have photos of a waterless Lake George.

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  6. Zebras! I wish someone would make some zebras to liven this sad old town.
    I wonder if enough water made it down from Channel Country to Lake Eyre this year?

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    1. dinahmow: I hope Lake Eyre gets its share of the rain. The zebras have been repaired and are now I believe privately owned. Which I found sad. The day we went to see them there was a tour bus from a retirement home also visiting. Also loving them.

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  7. I am surprised that people find wind tubines ugly, I rather like them but have heard they are noisy but so are planes and traffic and no one is saying we should get rid of them.
    Had a bit of rain lately.
    Merle...................

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    1. Merlesworld: It has been damp hasn't it? I haven't heard that coal mines are quiet places either. And they are not beautiful.

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  8. A very good name for a lake!!

    Shame about the vandals! Some people just can't help themselves.

    Have yourself a good week ahead, EC. Cuddles to your two Js. :)

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    1. Lee: I don't understand vandals, but you are right. Some of them seem compelled to continue. A pox on them.

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  9. I love seeing the lake filled with water! What a difference 6 years made. I am so glad you had a before picture. :) Sorry to hear that people vandalized the zebras. I am not sure why some people want to destroy things. The rain, overall, sounds like it was a good thing.

    ~Jess

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    1. DMS ~ Jess: As is usual, some parts of the country have had far too much rain. I have welcomed it. And yes, sigh on the vandals.

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  10. I bet those mountains are farther away than they look.

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  11. Looks very pretty. I would never have noticed the wind turbines.

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    1. donna baker: It is a pretty area, particularly when it is green. Which is unusual.

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  12. I thought the zebras were real, and couldn't figure out what they were doing in Australia. The lake is huge! That's a lot of time for it to be dry - long enough to grass in completely, it looks like. And wind turbines are quickly becoming commonplace in our province. I actually love to see them; they seem so graceful to me. I have read they can be a cause of avian mortality, though. But it seems there are always trade offs. I wonder if someone will come up with a way to keep the birds away from them.

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    1. jenny_o: Not only did the lake bed become covered in grass, local graziers have been putting their stock there. For years. I like wind turbines too, with reservations for the birds. I hope as time goes by the birds become accustomed to them and avoid them.

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  13. I simply LOVE those beautiful zebras and wish they had not been vandalized, but YAY for the fact that the lake has returned. It's always so wonderful to visit you and realize that spring is coming to your part of the world, not that far away from mine. :-)

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    1. DJan: Thank you. I am pretty certain spring is not only coming, but is here.

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  14. I'd like to strangle people who vandalize things - and those zebras were gorgeous! Wind turbines are nice and clean looking, so much better than your thoughts of coal mines or the ugly oil drills which can be seen in the states here.

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    1. River Fairchild: I would like to inflict the same punishments on vandals as they do to inanimate objects.
      I must admit that I was flabberghasted that the politicians in question took exception to the wind turbines. I shouldn't have been. Coal is king.

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  15. I love stopping here and enjoy your sights, though, for a few minutes, I had to tell myself those zebras had to be real.

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    1. rosaria williams: I would love to see real zebras. And enjoyed those while they were there.

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  16. The lake looks beautiful, as do the zebras. Vandalism - grrrr! I like wind turbines very much, and would certainly prefer them to nasty dangerous coal mines! We don't have very many turbines here as we are lucky to have so much hydro-electric power available.
    Speaking of an abundance of hydro - what's that pretty blue stuff in the upper half of your photos?

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    1. Alexia: I would like to see more wind turbines, more solar farmers and more hydro electricity. And less of the alternatives. The pretty blue stuff in the upper half of my photos is here in abundance today, and will be replaced with grey again tomorrow.

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  17. Crazy! Some places are so dried up and other places are flooding. I do like those zebras though!

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    1. Birdie: We all liked those zebras. Except for the vandals. Sigh.

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  18. You surprised me. I initially thought those zebras were real. haha

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    1. Robert Bennett: As an illicit sculptural installation they surprised a lot of people.

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  19. It's difficult to convey mountains and distance in a photo as well as you have here. I must study how your composed these. Thanks

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    1. Cloudia: Thank you. The credit is the camera's.

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  20. for a moment I thought you had been to Dubbo Zoo... last time I saw water in Lake George it was a puddle in the distance... I've recently seen photos of wind turbines made with lots of little twirly things in the shape of a tree... perhaps our coal loving politician would prefer those?

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    1. Anna: It is a very long time since I have seen more than puddles in Lake George too. Hopefully it will stay for a while. And no, I don't think the politicians in question will ever warm to any wind turbine.

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  21. The complaints about the "ugliness" of wind turbines are so ridiculous. If they want to listen to the coal lobby, they will need to think up smarter excuses than that

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    1. kylie: Ridiculous or not, they managed to delay further investment in wind energy quite successfully. And some of them would happily ban it.

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    2. Yes, I don't know how something so important gets decided on such flimsy reasoning.

      I really like the zebras and I remember seeing water in Lake George but I dont know when it would have been. I think the last time I was down there was probably ten years ago

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    3. kylie: I hope that we start to respect the environment and rather a lot of other things better than we are managing at the moment. Lake George has been low on water for a while now. It was lovely to see it back. And I loved the zebras.

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  22. Hi EC - pity about the zebras being trashed. Yes I too would rather look at wind turbines, than coal mines ...

    I see the zebras re-appeared at Floridiae ... an interesting lake ... I was listening to 'Farming Today' which happened to be in Australia - talking to farmers in Queensland re the drought and the artesian wells ...

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton Butcher: I had forgotten that the zebras made a brief appearance at Floriade. Where they were much loved.
      Drought is too often a constant here. And the water table is often very, very low.

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  23. The pictures are wonderful, the Zebras were excellent, I don't believe it, ha ha ha.

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  24. I thought the stripes were supposed to be camoflage. they stand out like horses in pajamas!

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    1. J Cosmo Newbery: These zebras were definitely extroverts. No camo for them.

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  25. I would like to see more wind turbines too, but apparently they don't produce base-line power supplies, which is why our state fails us so often, we have the turbines and solar energy, but we get our base-line coal fired power from other states.When lightning strikes or other catastrophes cut those transmission lines we are left in the dark, so to speak. our own power stations have all been closed and are in the dismantling process :(

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    1. River: I understand that when your transmission towers were felled last week the type of power was irrelevant. Nothing could get through. I am sure I read somewhere they were struck over 800 times.

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  26. How sad the lake is gone.
    Those aren't real zebra? Did they relocate them?

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: For the moment Lake George is back. And, since it is raining again, its level is probably growing. The zebras were sold to a private owner, and now grace someone's property. I miss them.

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  27. I'm glad the Lake is back. Weather is such an influential force. It's too bad the zebras were defaced and taken away. Some people have no sense of right and wrong. although if they were still there, they'd be under water now right? I'm so glad you take these pictures. My understanding of your corner of the world would be so much less without you!

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    1. Carolyn McBride: If the zebras were still there they would be at least partially submerged. It wasn't a quick thing though, there would have been plenty of time to move them.

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  28. I so agree about the wind turbines. Hopefully the water sports will return but not cause any problems.

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    1. Mason Canyon: Like many bodies of water, Lake George can be tricky. A lot of it is very shallow, but there have been many drownings. Unexpected wind mostly.

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  29. I agree wind turbines over coal miles!!!
    I love the color blue and it just makes me smile and I absolutely look forward to your sky pictures.

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    1. Sonya Ann: It is not yet light, but it is raining again. There will be no blue, and no fluffy clouds today.

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  30. Tell me more about those zebras! What amazing creatures. xxx

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    1. My Inner Chick: The Zebras were created by a local artist Alan Aston. He didn't have authorisation to put them in/on Lake George and a local farmer complained. The NSW Government ordered them removed but relented after public outcry. Sadly vandals got to them and they were removed. They were repaired and featured at the 2010 Floriade, and were sold privately and have disappeared from public view.

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    2. I thought they were "REAL!" x

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    3. My Inner Chick: They look real don't they? Particularly from a distance.

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  31. We have lots of wind turbines in the US but they are controversial because they kill so many birds. Glad you have had enough rain to bring back Lake George!

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    1. Strayer: They do kill birds. Which makes me sad. I suspect in time that the birds will adapt. And coal mining kills wildlife too.

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  32. Who would vandalize such nice zebras? Though I have to know, what did the vandals do to them?

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    1. John Wiswell: Decapitation and multiple leg amputations. And kicking the heads around. And using the legs to bat the heads around. Sigh.

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  33. I agree with you on the wind turbines. And for a second, I thought those were real zebras :)

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    1. mshatch: They did look realistic from a distance didn't they?

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  34. Yay! In relatedly happy news, we had some rain in Northern Cal this morn.

    Be and stay well, EC.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: I am so glad you finally got rain. Wonderful stuff.

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  35. Odd you mentioning wind turbines. I don't think I've ever used the word myself, but did so at another blog right before coming here.

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    1. lotta joy: Serendipity at play. I find it fascinating that after you first come across a word or a concept you seem to trip over it everywhere.

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  36. So beautiful! I love the zebras--I've never actually seen one and I find them so lovely and unique.

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    1. Kathleen Valentine: I have seen zebras in the zoo. And nowhere else. And yes, they are beautiful.

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  37. This is great that the water has returned! Beautiful!!!

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  38. I wish we had zebras here. They are beautiful creatures.
    R

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    1. Rick Watson: I would love to see some real ones too. The sculptures were lovely though.

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  39. Love it when you have received again the lake back. Yes, nature is wonderful. And these zebras looks adorable.
    You're right, coal mines are ugly. It would be better wind turbines.
    Have a very nice new week.

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    1. orvokki: It is wonderful to see water there again. Lots of water. And I would much rather see wind turbines than any type of mining.

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  40. When I first saw wind turbines in the Midwest, it was in the state of Iowa, not too far from the town my brother and sister-in-law live in...and I didn't care for them at first...but they grew on me and I really love the ones in your photo!

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    1. BECKY: It was a windy day when we were out there and they were spinning nicely. And I think they are elegant. I worry about the birds, but mining (of any sort) isn't good for wildlife either.

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  41. People will complain about, vandalize anything...won't they. Deep sigh.

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: Some people. Some oxygen thieving people. And yes, a sigh from me too.

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  42. Wind turbines are tough on birds but strip coal mining is even worse. Shame on the zebra vandalizers!

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    1. Sue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: Coal mining is tough on so many things. Including the water supply. I do hope a way can be found to minimize the impact of wind turbines on birds though.

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  43. A beautiful series of photos. I have heard the pro's and cons of wind turbines. It's all relative I suppose.

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    1. DeniseinVA: Our need for/greed for power has created a number of problems hasn't it?

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  44. WOW I saw Lake George when I was on the way to the Blue Mts in 2003, completely dry! What an amazing contrast. I love the zebras, wish they had been there in 2003!

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    1. Shammickite: It is an amazing contrast isn't it? We had to take that detour, it is so long since we have seen water in the lake. And yes, the zebras were wonderful.

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  45. I thought those zebras were real at first. Lovely outing!

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    1. Lynn: The artist did an amazing job didn't he? They looked so right on the lake bed.

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  46. Great to go back and see the lake full of water even though the zebras looked very real. Rather have water!! We are in a drought now so the lake is gorgeous. I agree with wind turbines

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    1. Kim@stuffcould...: We are often in drought. More often that not. It was wonderful to see Lake George nearly full for the first time in around 40 years.

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