It's Very Windy

How windy? Very.

In fact this windy. The rain gauge as an anemometer.

James

Winter

It's been cold and windy here. When the rain isn't lashing, then the wind's howling. We've been all cosy indoors. Well, mostly.

This is a drawing done for a challenge called Drawing August. The deal is to draw something (anything) every day for amonth. to keep the impetus going, you've got to post and date a drawing each day. It's happening over on Twitter, just search for #DrawingAugust.

Here's my day 3 winter cosy. Awww.

Let's start with one Pom down - Again

The Ashes are back, some light (currently Nottinghamshire) sunshine in a particularly cold Melbourne winter, and the inimitable Blowers & co of TMS on the radio.  But that's all that's the same as 2009.

We've got one Pommie wicket (Cooked the Cookie... a valuable one, but all the early wickets are) but it has to be said that all the smart money's on England, and the team, which is strong, is unusually surrounded by a resurgent British sporting context with well deserved victories an a remarkable array of international sports, a state of affairs I can't remember having a precedent in decades.  It may have started with London (and Britain's) magnificent hosting of the most recent Olympics, something the UK should really take great credit for.

First drinks, but we don't get the Shipping Forecast. No "... Malin, Hebredies..."

In 2009 I asked ' The tough question is, as ever, whether I can find someone to venture five quid on England.' Delighted to get a $10 onto Australia with our best new Australian from Essex, Sally.  I reckon she's got a good chance at my cash, but as well as Australian victory, I'd mostly like a close, great series.

There's a new round of missing faces, and the picture below is now definitely regarded as 'history' by the commentators.


It's nice to realise you can remember some of the best cricket in its history. Will this be another great series?  The great thing about the ashes is you never really know.

So let's hop back to 2009.  "We have five Tests of five days in Wales and England to look forward to. And in the fine tradition of the game, anything might happen, and much of it probably will. It is certain that it will, however, finish in my old home ground of Surrey's Oval. Among other games I recall seeing Australia give away the last Test to England after a victorious series, and being there as Black Sarf London demonstrated the stupidity of Tebbet's Cricket Test as they celebrated the Windies' Blackwash - one of the nosiest and most intense days I can remember, including fast-jet time...

The Windies in their pomp were something to see, a machine which still echoes to today, but impressive as Big Bird was, there's nothing like the Ashes, right down to one of the most quixotic trophies - that actually isn't."

Remember, there's other sport stuff, and then there's The Ashes.

James

This post might not make sense if you don't speak cricket. A more comprehensible intro here from the BBC.

Kongwak Market

The market, held every Sunday, in Kongwak, Gippsland (it's not even really a village, since the dairy closed) and is we're told, very popular, and it was full of people - none of whom are in this post.  This is a shot of the shed's roof and wall.

Door.  The Newport's the UK one.

Sort of essential, now not.

The Comet racer, heading into shadow-cloud...

Assemblage 1.

I like the idea of a slow motion slide button... On an Elmo 8mm projector.

Assemblage 2.

Fonts and missing bits.

Not for dusting the dairy.

Colonised gutter.

Yet now the whole building is heading to waste.

Used to be a filling station outside the general store.

James

Misery is...

...a dog in a bath.  At least it was warm.

James

Space! The flight's delayed...

I really like the latest* cover of the New Yorker.

I like the slightly retro look and feel, but what makes it special is the juxtaposition of the spaceport outside (Kids!  It's the future!) and the all-too-familiar airport lounge (Kids!  Stop running around!**) the two separated by the humongous architect's windows.

They can make big windows in the airport, but the 'planes are still late.  What do you think space travel will become like?  Mundane, just like air travel did.

The facts are the image is Luke Pearson's 'Now Boarding', details and background on the New Yorker's website here.

James

*Latest here - that's two issues ago to New Yorkers.

**To be fair, while the kids are running in the pic, there's no conflict pictured in the lounge.  I just projected that.

Still life with pumpkin

Sometimes the composition occurs naturally, over time.  Winter is coming, the pumpkins are now inside.

James