(no subject)

It's nearly tomorrow and the heat has addled my brain. Or is that further addled my brain? Anyhow, I was going to tell you about ferries.

It turns out (why didn't I know this years ago?) that for a mere $17, you can travel anywhere and everywhere on Sydney public transport. This means that you can catch ferries and busses in all sorts of exciting combinations.

I started in Drummoyne and bought my $17 ticket on the ferry to Parramatta. Except it doesn't go as far as Parramatta. Even the other ferry doesn't go as far as Parramatta when tides are low, it seems. So I only got a little way into the river before finding myself going back into Sydney Harbour. It was enough, though.

What did I see on the way towards Parramatta and back? Excuse me while I flick past my photos from Thursday (one meat safe, 2 ice chests, 2 coppers, one toilet c 1846 - my classes next year will love me).

I have lots of glorious pictures of rocks and the shape of the river shoreline. Some places have limestone in layers, and some have tiny elegant beaches. Occasionally there is green grass right down to the shore, but mostly there is rock and shrub. Lovely textures. I now have it very clearly in my mind what a limestone/coal coastline is like and have readjusted my baby map. This means I have to do a bigger map, I guess, and maybe some streetplans. Pity I can't draw.

Anyhow, some pictures are purely because I could take them, and not for the shape of the shoreline or the nature of river weathering at all. I have some shots of jetties, just in case I need jetties. I think the ferry people thought I was quite mad, because at least one of my photos specifically shows the way the vertical supports react to time and tide and turn from stern and strong to sadly decayed. These ones are more reminders to me of the fact that this happens and that any scene set on wood that is over water is going to have interesting sounds and maybe some rot. Visual notes to myself.

I have lots of pictures of Watergate. I can email one to anyone who really wants one. It's a very nice, lunatically-inclined Watergate, too. And bridges. I have many bridges and aspects thereof. I had forgotten that bridges might be useful. Palm trees, too. Pictures to remind myself of soil changes and of microclimates, basically.

After all this, the ferry kindly dropped me at Darling Harbour, where I visited the National Maritime Museum. I was given permission to take photos there and so I have lots of nice pictures of fortifications and various ship's things. Also ships. I have a single picture of the HMAS Vampire, to email to anyone who needs such a thing. Specially, too, I have lots of photos of a full-size copy of the Endeavour and of a miniature one, showing structure. My mind peoples these ships with the most inappropriate souls, doing odd things. I think it might have been telling me, at that point, that I was hungry. I bought a coffee, but I dropped it. Don't ask.

I walked to the Queen Victoria Building at that point (taking photos of some zombies along the way - I didn't want to ask what zombies were doing in the middle of Sydney on a Saturday, but they were very happy zombies and had smokes) and checked out Galaxy and bought something to eat. I caught a bus down George Street and just made the ferry to Manly.

My trip to Manly had two purposes. The first was to sort out the headlands and the fortifications for my invented country. I have lots more photos of rocks. Also some of Fort Denison. Yachts kept getting in my way, and so did pretty sparkles on the water. The second was to buy an icecream (chocolate and rum and raisin) and walk along the beach. Which I did. Then I caught a ferry back, met my cousin and we went to see some rather cool modern art.

I did take pictures of the Bridge, the Opera House and other Landmarks, should anyone want them to admire or scoff at or generally wish they had been there. If it's just one person, I'll email, but if a whole bunch of you really do want to see my photos, I'll open a Flickr account, or something.

And that was my ferry nice day. The sunburn is all fading and I'm back home.

(no subject)

It was 37 degrees today and I'm still waiting for my fridge to be delivered. Everyone's gone home for the day from the firm that's taking the old and bringing the new. I rang ten minutes ago to ask what was happening, and no-one answered.

Unless they're taking a very circuitous route home (possible - it appears that many machines have broken down in the heat) I'm fridgeless for another day. I've run out of ice and dinner is improvised from the stuff that will be quite foul in three more hours. Very strange meals I've had all this week. Except the day when friends came to the rescue. One day since I came back from Sydney. One meal that was normal. In all those days.

If the fridge folks had said "Can't get you anything till Friday or Saturday" I would have been able to rescue more and I would have been able to avail myself of the kind invitations to dinner. But I can't go out while waiting here, and now the ice is gone, the last bottles and jars are probably going to have to go. Unless I can do more inventive cooking, tonight. I've nowhere cool to store anything, though, so the inventive cooking is going to have to be of things that don't need cool storage.

All those posts I promised will have to wait till I'm less jumpy. I want that doorbell to ring!

The funny thing is that with all my food history, I can deal without refrigeration if I get to plan it and go to the shops. I could even do it without ice if I had to. The problem is now that I get told "Tomorrow" and tomorrow I get told "The day fter tomorrow." I can plan for a week, but it's hard to plan when you don't know how long for and when you can't leave the home to go up the street for more ice or for fresh milk because you've been expecting a delivery all day.

I know this is normal for Canberra, but it's a real pain!