Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

As I lay splat on the grass at the Darebin Parklands,  taken out by an overweight, black Labrador,  with a surprising turn of speed, I remembered this graffiti of an angry man seeing stars that I had taken earlier in my walk! Graffiti at Darebin Creek We were having a lovely walk along the Darebin Creek admiring the bush countryside, only 7km from the city centre. The Crazy Poodle and I taking full advantage of a break in the clouds. It had been a difficult week for dog walks,  every time we went out  Mutt and I came back like drowned rats! Darebin Creek - July 2014 Fat Lab had obviously not got out much either I didn't even see him coming! Crazy Poodle sensed his lumbering arrival,  and in his usual brave state, cowered behind my legs. Fat Lab went straight through me. I wish I'd managed to do a perfect triple ludz But I didn't. Fallen red gum tree - Darebin Parklands He hit me right at  the...

It has been a wet & stormy winter weekend in Melbourne. Football continues rain, shine or hail (as we had today!) Hard for the players, even harder for spectators... Why didn't I think of bringing a tent to keep dry?! Watching soccer in Melbourne Hope you have a great week! Love Crazy (and drenched) Soccer Mum.

What do you think? Tourist horse and carriage rides have been plodding through the  streets of our city  for around thirty years. Together with our trams  they are iconic Melbourne transport. For $100 AUD you can take a half hour ride  from Melbourne Flinders Street station  to the Shrine of  Remembrance. It is not cheap, but I'm sure it would be lovely, unless that is,  you start worrying about the condition the animals are kept in... Melbourne's iconic horse and carriages There is a bit of a rumpus going on at the moment between those concerned about animal welfare, who are a large and ever growing group, and the rest of Melbourne.  Melbourne's horse and carriages The pro horse and carriage Melbournians like seeing the horses on the streets, believe they are well cared for, and consider them a wonderful tourist attraction to be preserved. The Melbourne Against Horse Drawn Carriages are concerned...

Do have those suburbs in your city,  on the wrong side of the tracks? You know, the ones that nice girls don't go to? Nice girls don't go to Footscray ...  oh, and maybe Frankston You know the place that is the butt of all jokes... What do you call a 30 year old Footscray or Frankston girl?  Answer: Granny The sort of place that might have been nice once,  and might be nice again, but it's industrial heritage dominates? It's hard not to think of chemical plants in Footscray... So imagine telling your friends that you now work in Footscray? And imagine telling your friends that you really love the place  ' Yes Footscray ' you say, as they imagine they've misheard. The Footscray they think of as a horrible part of town,  full of junkies and muggings! It would be fun to buy a house there, you say but you already know you've missed the moment. Footscray is becoming trendy! Property prices have soared. Footscray ...

The Bolin Bolin Billabong walk   is my favourite Melbourne Walk. Start and finish at Bulleen Park:  175 Bulleen Road, Bulleen, VIC, Australia Bolin Bolin Billabong It is practically a city walk,  and is one of the few remaining  billabongs  in an urban setting. Apart from the hum of traffic, from the nearby Eastern freeway, once you are walking alongside our mighty Yarra river  you could be way more remote. This combination of wetland and woodland walks just screams Australian beauty to me. Yarra river, Bulleen The Yarra river is to Melbourne What the Thames is to London, and the Seine is to Paris. She is an icon. Yarra river Bulleen When the river reaches our city centre,  she is the undisputed heart  of one of the world's most liveable cities. Southbank is our city's bustling waterfront hub, with many restaurants, hotels and apartments,  all competing  for a look-see over th...

It's going to be wet and miserable all week here in Melbourne! We're all going to have wet paws and a grubby tummy... Of course Daughter No 2  just back from six months in New York says she will never, ever, ever complain  about an Aussie winter again But I will!! At least we have got our central heating fixed and are toasty warm, inside. But even that is not without issue. Our new ducted heating unit fires into action  with such ferocity,  blasting out hot air and debris through the floor ducts.  It wakes the whole household at 5.30am everyday. By 5.45am we're throwing off the doona cover with gay abandon feeling like we'd be cooler in a sauna... I like my new heating! We're not used to such heat inside, then we go outside and wham, bam, it's freezin' Well Melbourne cold, not actually cold, cold. Not cold enough for ice you know. This is Melbourne, one of the World's most liveable cities! Today was st...