Lights out and #Allseasons house keeping

Alas VIVID is done and dusted for another year. 

Always a little sad.

The city suddenly seems a little dull, or the mood drops as we start to focus on reality a little more...

I spent the last night dancing away at Carriageworks - Golden Features and Porter DJ - both excellent. And the crowd was so wholesome - singing their hearts out. mindful of body contact even in a massive crush. All around perfect and great vibes!

I've been getting up and watching the last half of the morning game for the World Cup. Unfortunately I'll miss the 2 games today as I've organised a lunch, well in advance before I made the connection with what was happening today.

Anyway, the house keeping. is the last #Allseasons before I shut the blog for a month. The blog will shut from 26 June to 26 July.

I'm off travelling in July, however, I'm off to Dark Mofo this weekend so the comments & posts won't get looked at until next week. I am very excited!

Hope you are all enjoying your Summer, Winter, World Cup or Dark Mofo - whatever seasonal event is bringing you sparks of joy! (I had to share the gorgeous cakes from Koi that were at VIVID)

Linking with #MondayMusicMovesMe

#Allseasons linky runs from Thursday to Wednesday each week. 

Link one post that shows something seasonal. Traditional weather wise, a seasonal nature marker or a seasonal celebration or event.  Please link relevant posts only.  Don't dump and run - please comment on the host and at the least the post linked before yours.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunrise or Sunset

 With the shorter days, it seems to always be sunrise or sunset on my dog walks.

My husband is back from Morocco and feeling the cold on days which I think are warm and sunny for a change (as he missed the cold snap and all the rain).

I'm rugged up, especially on the days I'm out at VIVID or walking to the theatre.

Winter is officially here.

Linking with #Skywatch and #GaleriaHimmelsblick

 

VIVID season

Long time readers will be wondering where my photos are - as usually every post at this time is splashed with a rainbow of shimmering lights.

I saw the tech testing night - a little preview and then rain. Non stop rain! (or just busy elsewhere).

Finally got into the city, and after the shows or the choir session (thank you Opera House!), I wandered around VIVID. Alas my camera wasn't charged properly the first night so ran out. The second night was worse! The battery was fully charged but I didn't put it in the camera I was lugging around with me all night! (In my defence, I left in a hurry for the train as Choir is an early 5.30 start).

So here are some pics from the phone - not nearly the quality I would like.

I will be out again Wednesday night so I'm hoping that bags me some good ones!

Do you love VIVID?

For those overseas, Sydney has a Winter Festival that lights up the city quite literally, along with music and talks and food events. It's a fabulous time to come. An American friend we took round said in surprise "And all this is free?' Oh, yes!

And special shout out to the Drone show viewing at Home for refunding our tickets. Very disapointed to miss the drones but appreciate the refund as I wouldn't have gone in for the replacement fireworks.

Linking with #PictorialTuesday

Flower Market

I, like roughly 35000 other people, lined up for hours to go to C J Hendry's Flower Market. I discovered her when she put the pool in the desert and have been following on Instagram ever since.

I love her drawings best - they are amazingly life like but when I read this was coming to Sydney, I knew I had to put aside the day.

I did take my book for the line, assuming it would be at least 2 hours, but it was closer to 3! I didn't read houwever, as I got chatting in a small group and we had a fun time.

I had not realised people would go to buy the flowers to resell! I assumed everyone was there for the experience, and as life is now lived these days, to take photos for Instagram and clips for TikTok. However, a bunch of the already sold out natives, by the time I arrived were on ebay for $600 when I was instructed to look! Given they would have cost the person $25, that's an incredible mark up and I felt very naive. Individual stems were listed for $30 instead of the $5 they cost.

We discussed how there were 2 sorts of people in the line, those that wanted to profit, and those that just wanted to expereince it. I debated getting a second bunch to sell but in the end decided against it.

While I hoped to just buy one of each of the natives, I ended up with a bigger bunch of the other flowers.

They make me smile every time I walk past, so they are doing their thing.

The biggest treat (other than the free fairybread while I stood in line over lunch - thank you Pandora) was the 4 drawings she'd hung on the back wall. They looked so much like photos. It was a real highlight for me to actually see some of her works in person!

I do believe the real value of art is enjoyment but the commerical world proves me wrong again and again!

I believe Singapore is next, and you also get a Juju exhibition. Lucky ducks! Will be watching for those photos from afar!

Linking with #HappyTuesday as it made me so happy, even ith the massively long wait in line!  And #WeekendCoffeeShare

Linking with #WordlessWednesday