Magnificent Macedon and its many mushrooms

The Avenue of Honour

Luke and I visited Macedon - the township and the mountain - yesterday in search of autumn colour. Macedon's Avenue of Honour, a stretch of road lined by pin oaks, is renowned for its autumn display, but we were probably a week or so too late to see it in its full glory. A lot of leaves were already on the ground.  

But once I spotted the fungii, I didn't care about the trees and their leaves. There were some growing beside the road...

...but in a paddock beside the road there was a veritable wonderland of fungii growing, including quite a few amanita mushrooms - the red ones with the white spots - which are like something from a fairy tale.

We also visited one of the open gardens in the area, Tieve Tara, which is very pretty. 

 Autumn carpet

 Tiny snail 

 Pond 

 Geese

Fountain 

 Leaf carpet

There were mushrooms there, too

Then we drove up to the top of Mt Macedon to see the memorial cross. There were amanita mushrooms growing under the pine trees there, but you've probably seen enough fungii in this post already.

 The cross (with flowers from Anzac Day)

View from the lookout

It was a fun day out, but the fungii were the highlight for me. 

More Fawkner Park fungi

I walked through Fawkner Park today on the way to the Alfred Hospital (more tests...) and I kept my eyes open for fungi. I was not disappointed - and these are only some of the fungi I saw.

I passed by a lot of beautiful deep red fallen autumn leaves on my way too, but I didn't have time to stop and take photos of them. I will be taking lots of photos of autumn leaves tomorrow though (and probably bringing quite a few home with me for flat lays) because Luke and I are going to Macedon, which is known for its autumn display. Have I mentioned I love autumn? 

Happy discoveries

I sprained my ankle on Friday - more than a twist, but not serious enough to need medical attention - and the most annoying thing about it is that I can't walk to work this week. I can walk almost normally again now (albeit with some pain), but I should do the sensible thing and let it rest. Boo.

So it was with some irritation that I set out for the tram stop this morning, but then when I was passing Gosch's Paddock I spotted a big patch of mushrooms growing in the grass and then I wasn't annoyed anymore. I took a photo then kept walking and I saw more mushrooms! And then more! There were A LOT of mushrooms. I love autumn.

I made another happy discovery at lunch time. I went in to the newsagent near work to get my daily Pepsi Max and Freddo Frog fix and I don't know why, but I checked to see if they stocked Flow magazine. I was sure they wouldn't because it's a run-of-the-mill, not-too-cool-for-school newsagent, not at all hipsterish like Mag Nation, where I got the last one.  But they had it! I was stunned. And then I was doubly stunned because it was fully HALF THE PRICE I paid at Mag Nation! Wow. 

I might start reading it tomorrow - it's a public holiday here tomorrow for Anzac Day, which makes it the third short working week in a row (wooh!). Last week was only two days long for me because I had Tuesday off as well for mum's visit, which is a subject for another (belated) post.

  

Changing seasons

The golden hour from work

We still have some warm days to come this week, but our glorious Indian summer is coming to an end. There was a chill in the air when I set foot outside this morning - partly due to the end of daylight savings on the weekend - and I wore a jacket most of the way to work for the first time all year.  It was much more comfortable than the very humid weather we've had recently. 

It was nice to be greeted by the yellow morning light, rather than remnants of darkness, when I got up and I love seeing the golden hour settle on the city from my 38th floor office, but I'm a little sad about getting home in the dark (I finish at 6.00pm). I'm not at all sad about cooler nights and being cozy under the blankets again though. Swings and roundabouts.  

I can't wait for the autumn colour to start appearing around Melbourne and I'm hoping the trees will be putting on a show when we go to the high country for Easter. 

Halfway home 

Warm, 1800, surprise chip

Coming home this evening

We had another warm autumn day today, a perfect day to be free of the office. I was out and about for most of the day getting sh!t done and getting some vitamin D along the way.

I've done just over 18,000 steps today, which is considerably more than my average. I don't feel as if I've walked that far, which is unusual; most of the time I feel as if I have traversed a much greater distance than I actually have. 

I love that moment when I'm at Hunky Dory on a Friday night and think I've eaten all my chips, but then I find one hiding under a piece of lettuce (no, I shouldn't be eating chips on my modified diet, but I'm only human...). 

Dark and stormy

There was some wild weather in and around Melbourne today. We didn't get much, if any, the city, despite some ominous clouds. I love being able to see the changing weather out the window at work, especially when it looks stormy. 

 Looking east - despite appearances, these clouds 

only produced light rain 

Looking south - the bay is so dark!

We've had a very warm autumn so far, which I've enjoyed even though it feels a bit wrong to enjoy the effects of climate change, but I'm happy it's getting cooler now because it means I can finally wear my new winter boots. Yay!

Easter, footy's back, summer's gone

 We didn't do it! Let us out!

The extra-long Easter weekend has arrived. Four days of no work. Woo! Luke and I are going for a drive to Bendigo tomorrow to visit my friend and her two boys. We're going to make a (probably very long) day of it by travelling via Trentham, Daylesford and Castlemaine. I'm a little bit in love with central Victoria after our recent visits to Maldon and Clunes, and my day trip to Castlemaine a couple of years ago. I discovered from Trentham's website that it has Victoria's longest single drop waterfall - imaginatively named Trentham Falls - so we'll be stopping off there. 

Apart from that, we haven't planned anything, which I quite like. 

The football season (AFL, that is) started tonight. I'm not a huge footy fan, but there's something comforting about coming home on a nippy autumnal evening, plopping onto the couch and watching the football on TV. Well, Luke watched it (and yelled at the TV) while I messed about on my laptop.

Speaking of autumn, it looks like the hot weather has finally nicked off so we can now properly appreciate the loveliness of autumn. 

Sunday stuff 'n things

Last week there was a girl in the kitchen at work watering a little terrarium she kept on her desk, and I decided I wanted one for my workspace too. I have heaps of room on my desk (it's built for two) and it gets plenty of natural light and sun.  Perfect for a plant, and I like that a terrarium is a little bit out of the ordinary (although less so these days - they seem to be in fashion right now).  

Today I went up the street and bought a medium-sized glass bowl and then dropped into the Glasshaus nursery on Stanley Street to get the stuff to go in it. The woman working in the nursery helped me pick out two succulents and she put a couple of handsful of gravel and potting mix in the bottom of my bowl. Then she asked if I wanted her to plant the succulents for me and I thought, 'Why not? She'll do a better job than I would". 

The nursery has expanded into a old house on the adjoining block and she took my terrarium into the kitchen and put it on the sink to do her thing. The kitchen had a really old set of wooden cupboards (perhaps dating back to the early 1900s?). The cupboards needed a lick of paint, but they had these lovely porcelain door knobs with peacocks on them which were in perfect condition. 

When I got my terrarium home I added the smooth stones Luke brought me back from the beach on the Isle of Wight last September. Here tis: 

I've decided I'm going to make a larger one with ferny-type plants for home. And moss. It has to have moss. I got a bit obsessed with moss when we were in Tasmania. 

Yesterday in Armadale, Luke and I had a look in the Malvern Antique Market. There were a few stalls selling little fancy silver match cases, which reminded me that I had one at home that belonged to my grandfather. Today I dug it out of the desk drawer it's lived in for years. It has the initials CS (Charles Simpson) and the year 1904 engraved on the front, which means it would have belonged to my great grandfather, not my grandfather. It was quite tarnished so I gave it a really good polish and now it looks almost as good as the ones at the market. 

I really should do something with it. It has a little loop on the top so I could wear it around my neck. I could put something it in...but what? If I were a cokehead I could keep my cocaine in it like Sarah Michelle Gellar's character Kathryn in Cruel Intentions, but it's probably a little drastic taking up a drug habit just to make use of the thing. Snuff? See previous comment re cocaine. 

I also have a cigarette case that did belong to my grandfather, which I dug out of a cupboard today. Inside I found the little bluebird bracelet I was given as a baby. Here it is being modelled by My Little Pony:

I finally finished making my belt today (the one that I bought the sewing machine for). Here it is being modelled by a cushion:

The trees in my neighbours' back yards are a picture of autumnal loveliness at the moment. 

I love autumn (and ducks)

We're officially two days into winter and the weather has been delightful, with blue skies and sunshine. I made the most of it today by heading to the Fitzroy Gardens to take photos of the autumn colour. A lot of trees still have a lot of leaves left to lose. 

Heart-shaped leaves

Say it with leaves...the waterwall at the City Square 

Autumn not only looks good, it smells good. I like that earthy smell of leaves on damp ground.  Of course I had to kick up the leaves. 

If I can't see you, you can't see me

Bag ladies, beanie girl, autumn colour

St Peter's Anglican Church, corner

 Albert & Gisborne Streets 

I've had my Cybertart Grrrrrrr bag for a few years now and I've never seen anyone else with the same bag. But today I met a woman who also owns it - a radiologist, who interrupted her spiel about when my results will be available to say she has the same bag. 

I saw a little girl today wearing a beanie and dark-rimmed nerdy glasses. Very cute. 

I walked home through the Fitzroy Gardens tonight. Although it was almost dark, I could see beautiful autumn colours through the gloom  - deep red foliage on the trees and carpets of russet leaves on the ground. I've made a mental note to go there on the weekend to take photos.  

Northern adventure

I thought it was Monday when I woke up this morning. What a drag...oh, wait! It's not Monday. It's Sunday! Yay! 

I caught the bus over to the inner north today. Since I last wandered Smith Street in Collingwood - not that long ago - there has been an explosion in the number of vintage, collectibles and second hand stores. Several were selling old advertising signs (at prices far out of my reach, unfortunately). 

I love these old ice cream 'signs'. And yes, ice cream 

is health food

Another ice cream. These used to sit above the 

doors of old-style milk bars (in the days before 

every convenience store was a 7 Eleven)

An ice cream in situ, just a few doors up

from the shop in the photo above. 

It's seen better days

The shop that the second photo was taken in is absolutely crammed with cool stuff, including a couple of sideshow clowns. 

This one is modelling an Essendon FC beanie

I dropped into a vintage clothing store and as I was browsing the racks, a shop cat revealed itself and accepted a pat. I love shop cats (and cinema cats such as the Astor cat in St Kilda, which once sat on a friend's lap during a movie a few years ago). As I was heading for the door, the cat was waiting there, looking out at passers-by. 

The little poser

I alerted the shop owner that his moggie appeared to be readying itself for an escape, and he shoo'ed it away from the door. 

I had a yummy toasted sesame seed bagel with cream cheese at Bean & Bagel on Johnston Street. 

I saw a lot of powerline shoes...

And some lovely autumn colour...

And some fantastic old doors... 

I also spotted what looked like an old outdoor dunny in someone's back yard. 

I bought this cute two-in-one brooch. 

And a set of placemats with hot air balloon art by Australian artist Sharon Peterkin. 

 There are six place mats, all with a different design

As usual with my sojourns over that side of town, I saw plenty of old signs, including this one on Johnston Street. I hope the new tenants keep the old signage. I'll post photos of the other signs later. I need to go to bed now because tomorrow is Monday.