Twilight: Sunset Twixt Moonrise

SUNSET TWIXT MOONRISE

'Twilight my favourite time. The lingering moment when nature awaits it's bedtime story.. and the Sun, depleted but happy, lounges at the edge of the bay and awaits his applause... He knows it will come.. He has done his job well... The adults stroll with a look of contentment... content to stop and gaze upon the day's end .. unwilling to return to tasks and duties.. they ask the sun to stay... 'A few more minutes' he replies ... The children applaud and frolic in the ocean.. they sing .. they dance and shout 'Encore Encore' and ask the sun to stay .. Loving the adulation, he sighs and blushes a warm pink glow upon his audience .. . 'A few more minutes' he replies ... But soon he must rest.. as the Moon is starting rise... The Sun's shift is over and the Moon's will soon commence .. But for a short magical moment they share the spotlight....'

I love my bay.. and perhaps love it most at twilight after a long summer's day... Sometimes I imagine I've travelled to an exotic location ... People gather to find respite from the heat... and one can feel an excited sort of energy... calm but excited... Perhaps it is anticipation ... Perhaps it is contentment.. Either way it is a magical moment... sometimes amber... sometimes silver and gold.. but lately 'Pink' .. Magical pink twilights I thought I'd share with you...

Before I go I want to apologize for my tardy visits to all your lovely blog posts.. I'm just a slacker!!! The sun is out.. It's summer and I'm spending less time online at present.. and in the time I have spent online I seem to have mucked up my blog format.. I'm in the process of change.. but blogger is resisting!!! Strange.. it's usually me that resists change!! Well.. I am Taurean!!..

Have a lovely weekend everyone.. 'The Slacker' [me] will visit soon

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

All Text, Photography and Artwork by [Being Ruby©]

Location: Sans Souci Sydney Australia January 2011

NB Only the Moon shot has been altered.. Photos reflect the actual colours

:To The Moon Alice: Jan 2011

 

I'm a little late.. that's because I've been Moon waiting and watching.. Once a month you'll find me down at the beach, hanging with the boys.. waiting for the moon to rise... We sit there patiently .. the boys and I .. looking out to sea.. watching the roll and surge of waves hurrying toward the shore.. The boys can get a little ruffled if the wind is up.. much to-ing and fro-ing from one leg to another finding a steady balance ... but finally we are rewarded.. and that giant glow of love returns to look upon us... We watch the moon.. he watches us... We have a symbiotic relationship the moon and I... I send him adoration.. He sends me hopes and dreams.

January's Full Moon is traditionally know as The Old Moon or The Wolf Moon.. Names that relate to the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere... Being at the height of summer here.. these names just don't seem applicable.. So I've decided to start my own Moon Names with this new blogging year... I dub the January Moon... 'The Frangipani Moon'.. it suits the tropical feel of January in Sydney... and the huge orange saucer.. hanging on the horizon..

Wishing You All A Lovely Weekend ... and ... A great Full Moon Viewing !!!

And a BIG THANKS to Jeanne of Collage of Life ..

Jeanne has graciously mentioned my moon posts in her latest blog entry..

Thanks Jeanne .. you're a sweetheart!!!

NOTES

Sorry guys more seagulls and frangipanis than moons in this post

My 'moons' are stuck in my camera waiting for a battery recharge

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

All Text, Photography and Artwork by [Being Ruby©]

Location: Sans Souci Sydney Australia January 2011

IF IT'S TUESDAY: Encore Taormina

The last instalment in this round of "Italy Week'... Beautiful Taormina ... I'll move on to something else soon.. but first these extra shots of Taormina and the wonderful baroque architecture of the Church of San Giuseppe .. Some in the sepia-ish colours favoured this week ... and a few black & whites .. Although I couldn't resist maintaining the colour of the pink blossomed trees and the surprising hot pink.. or should I say 'Honeysuckle' hued pants of the stylish lady front and centre.. Do you think she knew back then 'Honeysuckle' would be the Pantone Colour for 2011? Probably not.. I think she has a style all her own and would look great no matter what she was wearing. The key to her style? Confidence!! or.. is it the sunglasses? haha

The church is situated on the Piazza Novo Aprile along the Corso Umberto I, and in some of these shots you can also see the clock tower .. Il Torre dell'Orologio... and the fabulous neon sign 'Wunderbar' .. This area reminds me of Italy in the 50's.. well at least in the movies.. I'd love a replica of that sign.. that .. and the 'Il Sogno' sign from Piazza Navona in Roma..

Oooh..

And more silliness .. Every time I look at that kid on the bike.. it reminds of a scene in While You Were Sleeping..

... I keep expecting him to take a tumble any minute ...

... haha.. I'm so mean! ...

A Happy Happy Week To All

I saw a blue butterfly this morning which is quite unusual around here.. normally we only get the black & white varieties.. so here's hoping it is a good omen for blue skies.. happy days..

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

All Text, Photography and Artwork by [Being Ruby©]

Location: Taormina, 1996

If It's Tuesday: Un Altro Portofino

And.. the splendor of the Italian Riveria ... I LOVE ITALY .. but you knew that and I loved Portofino.. playground to the rich and famous.. and on this August day in 1996 .. playground to the budget conscious backpacker.. 'Me'. Although even on a budget.. one is able to appreciate the faded glory of palazzos and terraces that grace this area of Italy... There is still an earthy presence as one finds in the architecture and streets of Roma.. but also an air of lightness .. playfulness in the brightly coloured buildings .. pastels and ombre hues dancing in the summer haze and reflected blues from the azure sea lapping at the walkways.. ... I LOVE ITALY ..

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Now I've posted about my time in Portofino and Santa Margherita before, so I won't bore you with these details again.. but present you with a re-run of some of my snapshots. This time in the blueish, sepia-ish tones of my Roma travel post [here]. I'm a little addicted to these colourways at present.. but being fickle, I'll probably move on to another colour love soon.

Hopefully you are not getting too bored with my Italy posts?

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Or rather my travel snapshots....As I'll have another Italy post for you soon..

Not out of my system yet.. so some shots of Taormina that I haven't posted before ..

Thanks everyone for the emails and comments re the devastating floods up north

My heart aches for those struggling with this

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

All Text, Photography and Artwork by [Being Ruby©]

Location: Portofino, 1996

In Our Thoughts

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Tonight my thoughts are with our neighbours in Queensland and northern New South Wales. With all those affected by the flood waters that have ravaged their cities, taking homes and lives in it's path. The scale of the devastation is unfathomable. To give you some concept, the devastated areas equal the size of both France & Germany. Perhaps the worst natural disaster this country has seen. But on a more personal level, many of our bloggers friends in the Brisbane area are preparing for the worst, waiting anxiously as flood levels are expected to peak overnight.

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You are all in my thoughts and prayers

Stay Safe

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Photography [Being Ruby©]

Location: Noosa Queensland 2010

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Eat, HOPE, Pray: To Rome or Bust

Feng Shui will tell you... you should surround yourself with images of what you wish to attract into your life.. So I'm doing a bit of Feng Shui 'Ruby Style' and creating myself a Virtual Travel Angel, as once again my thoughts are turned to travel and a longing to return to Italy!! A place where passion and gusto are interwoven into the fabric of life.. and the eye is blessed with earthy beauty, dramatic, raw and imposing..

It's been some time since I posted an IF IT'S TUESDAY entry. For those of you who are new here.. the IF IT'S TUESDAY posts are where my passion for photo alteration began.. Gussying up my old scratchy travel snapshots I took in the pre-digital era. One in particular that has seen many a resurrection is my 'Angel With Cross' from the Pont Sant'Angelo, Roma. I think this is variation #5... and today I have transported her to the back alleys of Old Roma in front of the shuttered windows of the Albergo Sole where I stayed in 1996.

Now although I usually prefer to travel to destinations near the sea [eg Venice] .. All of Italy stole my heart.. and I couldn't help but fall in love with Roma.. So many things to love in this city.. The Vatican City [see here], Piazza Navona, and her many fountains and the winding cobbled alleys beckoning one to get lost and wander in search of the perfect coffee.. Which is not hard to find almost anywhere in northern Italy.. so let's wander a bit shall we ..

THE DELIGHTFULLY RUSTIC FACADE OF ALBERGO SOLE

VINTAGE CARS A BONUS

THE PANTHEON AND HER OUTDOOR CAFES

A MORE RUSTIC BACK ALLEY AFFAIR

AND A CLOSEUP OF THE FACADE WITH IT'S FABULOUS FADED FRESCO

BEAUTY IS EVERYWHERE IN ROMA!!

& ANOTHER FAVOURITE

OR MAYBE IT WAS THE WAITER!!! [UNFORTUNATELY NOT IN THE SHOT!]

AND FINALLY.. NOT A CAFE.. BUT PIAZZA NAVONA AND

BERNINI'S TONGUE IN CHEEK - 'FOUNTAIN OF THE FOUR RIVERS'

MOCKING THE CHURCH BY HIS RIVAL BORROMINI

So some of you are probably thinking.. well.. why not just pop over there this year!! .. and some of you probably will... but for us poor antipodeans who were long ago banished to the dark nether regions of this earth.. travel to Europe is about a twenty hour flight... therefore something one doesn't do for a quick one week of travel. Both times I visited Europe were extended trips of nine weeks or so... and both times I tried to take in as much as I could not knowing if I would be able to return.. Although.... I did throw my three coins in the Trevi Fountain each and every time.. so there must be another trip in the waiting and I just need to get that Virtual Travel Angel into gear!!!

I'll be back later in the week with some more shots of Italy in the same colourway ...

Blues & Browns inspired by the sea and coffee!!

Or long chats about Italy at a seaside cafe!!

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

All Text, Photography and Artwork by [Being Ruby©]

Location: La Bella Roma, 1996