With my new job, sometimes I need a bit of a time out, somewhere nice and quiet. So on my way home, I occasionally stop my at the pier at the local wetlands – it’s one of my new favourite places.

With the way the trees curve up and around the lake it’s like this wonderful little bubble of calm. The sun hits it just right and there’s the perfect amount of breeze passing though.

Best of all, I’ve yet to see another person there, which makes it feel like my own special little place. So after a bad day I pick up a coffee on my way home and go and sit with a book for an hour or so.

Of course now that I’ve told you this, feel free to drop by, but you have to promise not to tell anyone!

One of the things I love best about sporting a larger more professional camera when out and about is the assumption people make that you’re someone important. When I walked around taking odd photos with my little point and shoot, I was just that weird girl taking photos of trees and people’s shoes.

Now, however, I’m apparently someone important – and people have no problem approaching me to ask. So far in the two and half months since I’ve had Athena I’ve been a professional photographer, a reporter, a council worker, someone affiliated with the police, a landscaper and an architect. Everyone someone makes one of these assumptions I briefly consider playing along… but always chicken out at the last minute.

The last time this happened was at a local skate park. The kids there had it in their heads that I was someone apparently high up enough in the council to get their park extended. Despite my claims to the contrary they all told me why this would be a good idea and even considered starting a petition.

Photo outings are far more fun these days.

----

Around our house it doesn’t take much for a camera to come out of hiding. Beth got a new hat with a magazine… yup. That’ll do it.

I’ve had a couple trips to Sydney in the past month or so – which is unusual for me. I love the city, but don’t usually have reason to go. Athena came with me naturally (at which point I should say that my sister was a terribly good sport and didn’t roll her eyes at me too often), and I thought I’d share some of my favourite shots

*blows off dust*

It has a ridiculously long time since I’ve posted here, but since I only have one reader, and I talked to her yesterday (hi Lisa!), then I guess it’s okay.

Right now I’m sitting typing this with my current craft project covering my lap. It’s a project that makes me pretty happy cause it’s one my craft buddies are doing at the same time: the Granny Stripe Blanket ala Lucy from Attic24.

We all became Lucy fans at the same time, and have been following her together ever since.

We all decided to do this project and we all ordered wool together (which, naturally, included a package-opening party). And now lookie… *sigh* pretty.

It’s bright and squishy and pretty much everything I love in a project.

And our still unnamed project continues…

As for my half of the project this week, this was pretty much the highlight of my week. I bought this book from a second hand bookstore in the city last year; it’s a copy of Fragile Things, a collection of Neil Gaiman short stories.

Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors and I love his short stories so I like to make them last. As such I’ve been reading this book on and off, one story at a time, over several months. I was flicking through it this week and found this pressed between the pages: a crisp, smooth twenty dollar note. Undoubtably the best thing I’ve ever found left behind in a book, ever (and I’ve found some weird things.

Lisa and I are both project junkies. We’re past the point of saving. No 12-step programs will do the trick for us.

This is our new project: every week we have a randomly selected word and it’s our job to photograph that word. Out project is currently unnamed so if you have any suggestions we’d love to hear it!

Thanks to Lisa for merging the photos!