Bits & Bobs

Rebecca over at The Space Between My Peers asks us what we'll be wearing this summer. Heck, I can't even figure out what I'll be wearing to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the NAC tonight! As lovely as mild summer rain is, it does complicate my footwear choices. So it looks like I'll be building my outfit from the bottom up. The further complication is that although I've made great progress on the laundry front, I haven't even tried on any spring/summer wardrobe items that didn't go to Australia, and those are fairly casual in nature.

Anyone for another whale shark photo? Perhaps with the rainy weekend forecast, I'll make a little headway organizing the boatloads of pictures I brought home with me! Once again, this was taken by a crew member swimming with us, and a click will get you closer.

Swim Bit!

Evidently I missed the "sunny to start the day" part of the forecast (or maybe it hasn't happened yet), as The Boarder and I had a lie in till 07:30. I guess I should try to fill another lawn waste bag before water falls from the sky. It's not that I don't have enough stuff to fill one, it's just I'm slow today!

I'm still on my "one speed" post-Nationals approach to practice, although my one speed may now be increasing slightly. So where there may have been an instruction to swim "hard" last night, I was swimming "strong", but nobody in the lane seemed to mind!

♦ 400 free
♦ 200 drill (I did catch-up)
♦ 200 kick (still not ready for that, I did one arm fly)
♦ 2 x 200 free on 3:30 strong (no set rest between these assignments)
♦ 4 x 100 free fast on 2:00
♦ 8 x 50 free strong on 1:15 (choice of stroke allowed)
♦ 16 x 50 free fast on :30
♦ swim easy (100 one arm fly)

Coach Duane and I will have our planning meeting probably the second week in June, so I had really best put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with for 2008-2009 season goals! I wonder what he'll have up his sleeve?

The Boarder reports he accomplished the entomological goal he set for himself last night. After assiduous study (which included both keen observation and extensive reflex testing based on insect's reaction time to cat's leaping) the house fly that was quite sprightly yesterday evening is now deceased.

"You're a mouse!"

Last night the three movieteers + 1 ventured out to the east end to eat soft pretzels see the latest Narnia offering — and to a person we would recommend it. I probably would have gone just to see Aslan again, but it is a well crafted film that whisks you away to the land beyond the wardrobe. Tim has given me a recommendation for the new Indiana Jones flick, but next on the big list is Iron Man.

In weather news, it may have been the last brisk evening for a bit, which would be nice, as I am very anxious to revert back to open toed shoes. In other footwear notes, fashion illustrator Danielle from Final Fashion has a puddle-jumping boot I've been voting for in a Dr. Martens contest. Please feel free to hop on over and add your vote. She made the top 50 and now the contest intensifies, as the next cut will be top 10. When I voted this morning, Danielle had climbed to 19/50!

The Boarder reports that his Anti-Tin Campaign is now over, and we now longer have a supply sitting on the counter. It will, however, take him awhile to eat through the eight week stockpile we had on hand for him to devour during my travels! But on the tin front, yesterday he discovered the joys of canned sockeye salmon. Our George was not a fan of salmon, preferring yellowfin tuna (and rejecting albacore). We have now found something he will happily drink from a bowl — fishy water!

Speaking of fishes, here's one of the whale sharks we swam with (thanks to our official photographer) with a bit of an entourage! As usual, a click will get you a better look.

Destruction Season!

So, destruction season is well underway in the city, including at the intersection of Spruce and Preston. Besides banging, digging, and the dust clouds associated with the replacement of sewer and watermains on Preston, what this means to me is my favorite bus is rerouted substantially. This is the bus that takes me to teach over at Good Companions, so you can bet I'll be travelling as light as possible for the duration! Monday may be a bit more of an adventure than usual!

Speaking of destruction, the Nick D'Arcy story that unfolded while I was in Australia has almost reached its conclusion. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has referred the matter back to the Australian Olympic Committee Board, but it is highly unlikely at this point the Board would disagree with the decision made by their President, John Coates, that D'Arcy being charged with the greivous bodily assault of Simon Cowley (doing as much or more damage to his face as a truck did to mine) brought the swimmer into disprepute. Click here for today's Herald Sun story. The story has been extremely well covered by Tony over at SCAQ. (Oh, and if you follow that link, scroll down for a nice Go Swim video of Brendan Hansen swimming breaststroke!)

On a lighter note, practice last night was populated by a good percentage of teammates that had been Race Weekend participants. And a bunch of them were swimming harder than I was! We have an impressive team in many ways. However, I'm committed to the "swim strong but not hard" strategy until my body decides it is feeling more like I haven't put it through the ringer lately. Which could be a while, but that's fine.

The Boarder, for his part, is feeling much more his old self! He does not have to supervise me every waking minute, and can concentrate on Important Cat Stuff. Last evening that involved keeping me verbally informed of The Irritating Activities of Other Felines in His Territory Beyond The Glass. He was not amused. This morning, his random sprints alternated with FMP (Fairly Maniacal Play), but this has now been superseded by Napping.

Of Bottlebrushes & Bunnies ...

The bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp.)are popular trees in Australia — this one was blooming just a bit when I did a brief tour of Adelaide. A click affords a slightly better look.

On a completely different note, if you've ever wondered what it's like to be a bunny The Citizen's Mark Sutcliffe wrote a Sunday column that should give you an idea what happens after you strap on the ears!

Beetling Around!

Settling in? Oh, I don't know about that. But certainly doing enough rushing about that it seems an appropriate time to show you a beautiful beetle that was in great abundance in Coral Bay.



It's metallic beauty belies it's common name, the stink beetle (Calosoma schayeri). It's considered a beneficial predatory ground beetle (family Carabidae) that feeds on pest insects like cutworms and army worms, but it has a fine protective mechanism — if you pick it up or squish it you may find your olfactory senses assaulted!! But when they climb up onto your feet, they're pretty gentle.



There may be the odd one of you that isn't interested in clicking to enlarge the images this time around! ;-) But you can if you'd like to!

Sunday Snippets ...

Race weekend is not just about trying to set course records, a last chance at qualifying for the Olympic marathon (six athletes are giving it their best today), BQing, or raising money for the Ottawa Hospital. It is a chance for many to celebrate their own personal achievements. So today I bring you a nice bit from The Citizen with a sidebar note: Doug Bishop is also a triathlete and swimmer with Technosport, and I had the real pleasure of swimming a relay with him in Quebec City.

I showed you a bottle tree before, so I thought I'd now show you the trunk formation of another variant. This is a Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestris) growing at the Sydney RBG. Feel free to click for a better view of the ibis!

Bits & Bobs

Bloggers are good guessers — you guys came very close! The plastic wrap is a Possum Protector! Not an Opossum Protector, but a device to stop their cousins, the possums from climbing and bark stripping.

It is Race Weekend here in the Ottawa — to all those running and volunteering, have a great time! The Boarder is getting into the spirit of it all by wind sprinting madly about the house — the first time he's been this energetic since I've been back. The sun isn't out yet, so in an ironic move I bring you some sun coral (Tubastrea aurea) from the Sydney Aquarium to encourage the "sunny with cloudy periods" that is forecasted for today! Although it does look like pretty good running weather out there now.

Plastic Wrap!

So ... I'm trying to fall back into some kind of routine. Admittedly, it's not as easy as it sounds, I don't seem to be respledent with energy, and I am struggling with pollinating things. The Boarder seems pleased with my attempts at normalcy though! Tuesday night Andrea and I had our last NAC night of the season. Wednesday I got a long overdue haircut and later caught up with a neighbour (also one of Onyx's guardians during my long absence). Lise helped out with the procurement of provisions, and last night I dragged my sorry butt to practice. Laundry is ongoing ...

Here's another picture taken at the Sydney RBG. Any guesses as to what the plastic is for? A click will allow you to see it a bit better. Please forgive the angle, it was taken from the little "train". And yes, I do know the answer to the question!

National Champions!

The unofficial point count is in*, and I'm happy to report that the eighty odd members of our club that headed to Quebec City over the weekend did an admirable job in the pool. Our women's team was second, our men ranked first, and our club as a whole are 2008 national champions!

It'll take awhile for things around here to swing back to normalcy, but The Boarder is extraordinarily pleased to supervise as many of my activities as possible. A huge item on my Things To Do list is to go through the boatloads of pictures I took in Australia, so I hope you won't mind if I continue to feature some here as I try to work my way through them! Today, from the Sydney RBG, a species from Madagascar, the Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis).



As usual, a click will get you a better view.
* Two events yet to be added to the tally, but statistically we can't be overtaken!

Meet Report (Nationals)

Somebody has some unpacking to do!! And also some laundry. Still not nearly finished unpacking from the Australia trip, on Friday morning I packed a different bag to go to Nationals. It is currently sitting on the kitchen floor — but at least I got the wet gear out of it when I got home!

Nationals is a four day meet, but I missed the first day as my travel day, catching up with some teammates when I got to the residence at the university on Friday afternoon. Swim meets can be long and tiring anyhow, but this was my first truly jet-lagged version. I can safely say that by Monday I was only there in body. And by that point my body was really unhappy. I had toe cramps off the block that lasted my entire 50 breast, and my derriere had been in spasm for hours. So to swim the 50 fly I took a muscle relaxant, which really doesn't make for an ideal race either. But I told Coach Duane when he convinced me to go that I would be going for the relays, and I daresay they were fairly successful!

My individual 100 free on Saturday was .3 seconds over my GUBT (grown-up best time), and I was very pleased with how that went. I've swum a faster 50 short course breast stroke as a hundred split, but not as an individual event. Monday's 50 fly was 1.2 seconds slower than I've swum it as an individual event, but all things considered it was okay. I had actually had a GUBT swimming the fly leg in our medley relay by .4 on Sunday, so I am very pleased I got a solid fly swim in over the weekend. But the most surprising swim for me was the 50 free at :33.62, as my previous short course GUBT was :35.83 — to take 2.2 seconds off a 50 free was a pretty amazing feeling. I did go :35.19 at Worlds long course, which converts to a :34.56, so this was still about a second faster. And I'm a better long course swimmer.

Here are the results as posted:

Saturday

♦ 400 free relay, mixed 240 - 279, my 100 free leg 1:18.61, place 2
♦ 100 free 1:17.63 (split :36.64), place 15 (women 45 - 49)
♦ 200 medley relay, mixed 200 - 239, my fly leg :37.86, place 3

Sunday

♦ 200 free relay, women 200 - 239, my split, :34.15, place 1
♦ 200 medley relay, women 200- 239, my fly leg :37.39, place 3
♦ 50 free, :33.62, place 11 (women 45 - 49)

Monday

♦ 400 medley relay, mixed, team DQ'd for an early take-over
♦ 50 breast, :43.88, place 12 (women 45 - 49)
♦ 50 fly, :39.09, place 14 (women 45 - 49)

A vote of thanks goes out to the volunteer organizers and officials that made it possible for us to compete and to my teammates who made it a fun long weekend of swimming!

Oh, and for those of you who might have been wondering, The Boarder was thrilled to have me back where I so clearly belong.

There Be Dragons!

Gilbert's dragons (Lophognathus gilberti gilberti) or Ta-ta lizards! That last because they often move a foreleg around in a circular motion like a wave. These images were shot in Coral Bay — the older animal just outside my room, the younger lizard on the beach.

Wallaby!

This albino wallaby, like the devils yesterday, was photographed at the Caversham Wildlife Park.

And on a tri note, best of luck to all those taking on the Disney 70.3 this weekend. Go Brent! Go Jenny! Have fun, enjoy the day and the theme park tri that will follow! Or is it a du this year?

Devils!

Here is a Tasmanian Devil looking adorable:

So you don't think that the folks at Loony Tunes were too far off when Taz spins, certainly in captivity these guys go quickly around paths in fairly circular patterns:



They do fight, they do roar or screech (I'm not quite sure how to describe it), and they seem to be pretty intimidating critters, although word has it they are actually shy and wary. For more info on devils go here (there's a link about the viral cancer disease that is threatening the devil population, too.)

Images are clickable.

Update: According to Nature News, Tasmanian Devils will be listed as endangered May 21st. Follow this link to a brief article.

Bottle Tree!

I'm unpacking and considering packing at the same time, heading off tomorrow to Quebec City for the Canadian Masters Swimming Championship. So you'll be treated to some brief canned posts over the next few days, as I enter yet another internet black hole! Your photo for today was taken in the Swan Valley area. It is a bottle tree, although which one I cannot say for certain, I expect it is a Brachychiton sp. As usual a click gets you a better view!

Home Again!

A little later than expected. I arrived here at home around 3:00 this afternoon instead of around 8:00 or 9:00 yesterday evening. Last night from a very mediocre hotel by Heathrow I was frantically sending emails. After 6 hours on the tarmac, our flight was cancelled due to a computer problem. We were a bit late leaving today, and I managed my version of an airport sprint after landing in Montreal (and clearing customs) in order to get myself on a flight by going stand-by instead of spending 4 hours in another airport waiting for the flight I was booked on. So today, because I'm bushed, I bring you one. Well, more accurately a tree. Please forgive the poetic license! This is Suzanne's Spathodea capanulata, or African Tulip Tree in the Mandurah area (Perth). And now — time to get ready for bed! Give the picture a click for a better view!

Sunrise, Sunset ...

Right now I'm winging my way home — six weeks in Australia have gone by almost too quickly!


Sydney Harbour Sunset.


Sunset and moonrise through Harbour Bridge (with bridge climbers).


Indian Ocean Sunset (Perth, City Beach area).


Sunup at Coral Bay.


Foggy sunrise nearing the Blue Mountains.

Click for detail.

At The Botanic Gardens ...

This Dragon blood tree was in the news last week when it fell over. Efforts are underway to save it.


The famous and prehistoric Wollemi Pine.


A nice view from near the Music Conservatory.


A ginormous Moreton Bay fig!

As per usual a mouse click will get you larger images.

A Little Bit Batty About Birds ...

Normally I would foist plant pictures off on you after spending a chunk of the day at the Royal Botanical Gardens here in Sydney. But ... I've been a bit ornithologically obsessed these past six weeks, and there were birds at the Botanic Gardens. Plus I added one to my life list on my last day of touring. Surely that deserves a post! It really wasn't the best day for taking pictures of the plant material anyway. Often it was so dark a high ISO setting was the only way to avoid camera shake warnings.

As usual, feel free to click for a better view!


Rainbow lorikeets on a grey day.


A Noisy miner bird — my first (and only) honeyeater! Note the reused signage.


Pacific black duck (no, they're not black!). I'll bet the lotus pond is exquisite in summer.


Bonus picture: Grey-headed flying foxes, aka fruit bats. Not birds, but they sure can fly! With a maximum wingspan of 6 feet and weighing up to a kilo, they are impressive animals in flight. Long-lived, too — thought to max out around 15 years in the wild, captive animals have lived up to the ripe old age of 23. Although classified as a threatened or vulnerable species, the population at the gardens is large and problematic in terms of tree defoliation. Conversely, their roles in pollination and as an animal vector for seed dispersal is of key importance in the regeneration of forests. There are four species of flying fox native to Australia.

Banksias!

Today I bring you Banksia flowers, the first with bees. Do click for a closer look! The first photo was taken in the Swan Valley area, the second at the zoo here in Sydney.

I managed to get a short swim in today, along with a visit to the shop at the Australian Museum, and stops at various other shopping points of interest, including Paspaley's flagship store (where they offered champagne while shopping). For anyone interested in pearls, particularly the finest Australian south sea pearls, a visit to their website is a lovely way to spend some time.

Up tomorrow, all things being equal, the botanic gardens.

Art & Angel's Trumpets ...

Although I haven't been to the pool much, my zone 1 training (read: walking, walking and more walking, often followed by standing) has continued apace. So much so, that I can safely say my legs are trashed and need a recovery day or two! Naturally, I intend to make the real recovery days my transit home, so there will be more walking today and tomorrow.

Yesterday I had a most enjoyable day hanging out with Candice — a young lady I know from back home who is studying here in Sydney. We did a chunk of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (including a tour of aboriginal art) and then went a bit further afield to Paddy's Market. I hope to get to the Royal Botanical Gardens tomorrow, but The Domain did give me a taste. How's this for a Brugmansia??? Go ahead and click for a fuller appreciation. It's too bad Blogger hasn't a way for me to bring you the delightfully light scent!

For The Birds, The Sequel!

A wonderful bird is the pelican! (Ed: All pelicans at the zoo are rescued birds.)


Magpie goose from above.


Brolga — an iconic Australian bird.


Emu!


Napping Blue-billed duck.

All these birds were photographed at Taronga Zoo, and all images are clickable.

Sydney to Manly!

After a stop at Circular Quay (where these kangaroo paws were blooming) I took the ferry to Manly.


The Opera House from across the harbour.


Andrew met me at the ferry, and this was one of our first stops.


A rock pool & Oceanides sculpture (artist: Helen Leete). We had a short swim in a different rock pool. Short because it was brisk (between 18-20°C or 64-68°F).


Crabs!


White-faced heron hunting insects.


Suphur-crested cockatoo on Andrew & Katrina's balcony.


Harbour Bridge at Sunset.

Images are clickable.

It's A Zoo Out There!

It's a very good thing I warned Coach Duane that I might not be at the top of my game come Nationals, because I didn't get to the pool again yesterday. However, once again, I walked much more than usual, so at least I've got that going for me!

On the up side, I now know there is a sale at Armani, where Tiffany's and the post office are, that Swarovski is next to Hermes, where Jimmy Choo's shoes & bags can be found, and I can also find Starbucks, Lululemon, Footlocker, Woolworths, Coles, David Jones ... the list does go on! Last night's dessert was a sticky date cookie from the Food Hall at David Jones. But it wasn't quite worth a picture. So, I bring you more images from the Taronga Zoo.


Giraffes with a view!


And I'll call Rusty! This caption will only make sense to Canadians of a certain age.


Little Penguins (also called Fairy Penguins) seen from below!


Star tortoises!

Click the pictures to get closer ...

Of Echidnas & Quolls ...

Yesterday I took the subway from St. James to Circular Quay, and the ferry from Circular Quay to Toronga Zoo. Don't lose your ticket, if you buy a round trip you'll need your ticket to get out!

I did the Wild Australia Tour, and I would highly recommend it! For me it was more about the echidnas and the nocturnal animals, as I had already been close up with both kangaroos and koalas. I don't think I've ever touched anything softer than a yellow bellied glider!

Echidnas are monotremes — egg-laying mammals. The platypus is the only other monotreme. I saw a platypus swimming today — boy they can move! The hind feet of echidnas point backwards. And I got to "pet" one! This adorable guy knows there's something good in that pipe!



I also had a chance to visit with a quoll while the other folks were getting their koala pictures. The keepers who lead these tours know individual animals and their likes and dislikes. Alex the quoll will pass on food for a good a chin rub!



There were some free range kookaburras ...



And check out the guns on this male red kangaroo! Red kangaroos are the largest living marsupial. The hand in the picture belongs to the keeper!



As usual a click will get you closer.