V is for Vivid

Sydney is presently celebrating a Light Festival.

Along with Miss Five, my daughter and I went along on Friday night, which also happened to be the last day of Autumn.  (Yes, here in Australia, the start of each season is set my the authorities, not the solstice - specifically the army which set the first of the month the day to change over the solders from summer uniforms to winter uniforms.  Myth or fact?  Not sure).

It was an exceptionally warm night for the time of year - which was nice.  It turns out that it was the warmest end to autumn in Sydney for 63 years.

Rubber Duck

We took a trip to the city today.

To Darling Harbour to be exact - to visit the Sydney Aquarium.

An underwater world exists below

 Sydney Harbour.

Where dugongs - as large as cows - eat nothing but lettuce...

and 

sharks entertain...

Water men look surprised...

Children are enthralled...

Outdoors again

Storks continue the theme.

It was all a bit of a reprieve from the overwhelming heat we've been having. 

It felt exhilarating to get out of the house, to join holidaymakers in Sydney.

Mostly, I've been housebound because of the heat and low humidity.

And we weren't the only ones to make the most of it!

 

Day 317/366

Exhaustion has overtaken me so I've had no energy for photography today. 

Instead here is a photo I was going to post on Saturday, that is, until I realised I'd already posted one.

I took this at the Glenbrook Festival on Saturday.  'J' is a natural at entertainment.

Not only did he walk around on stilts keeping kids happy, but later in the day he performed some cool tricks and made us all laugh.  If plan A didn't work, he took it all in his stride and ad libbed his way through a spur of the moment plan B. 

I couldn't help falling in love with him.

Day 301/366

Thanks Costa for allowing me to take your photograph today.

It's a pity that my little Grand Daughter was a bit shy and wouldn't join you in the shot.

But she did recognize you and said to me: Nanna, there's the man on TV. 

If it wasn't for her I may have missed you completely!

I'm really sad that your workshops were sold out and that we could not attend.

I hope that another opportunity presents itself!

At

Festival of the Green

Springwood Public School

At the festival we also saw scarecrows 

one very happy pig

a very unusual hen

a goat or two

rabbits

a guinea pig

and ponies.

We listened to ukuleles, and munched on chocolate cup cakes.

And that was all before going home to a birthday party for our Grand Daughter who turns five next week. 

This year's theme: Octonauts (for the uninitiated, read underwater/animal theme.

(And who said dogs don't belong underwater?)

The birthday cake

the table centrepiece

the jellyfish

the party hats with a difference

the animal infirmary

(yes, that's right, the animal infirmary)

the googly eyed fish piñata 

and for those of you who were wondering what the dyed pasta was for, brightly coloured shells for necklaces

and ten very happy little friends.

Are you tired yet?

I am!