f365: Day 031

Well here we are at the end of the first month of my photo project. Probably the defining feature of the month was the intense rain and flooding occurring earlier this week.

I love architectural shots - the shot today is a "work in progress". It is the Infinity Tower, currently under construction around Roma St. Upon completion (2014) it'll be 81 stories - the second tallest building behind the Meriton Tower.

Anyway, I get a good view of this tower every day as I leave Roma St station so it had to feature in this project.

f365: Day 030

Ok, bad taste, but irresistibly too good to pass on...!

Wednesday night is our take out night - we usually either get Thai, Indian, pizza or something that makes mid week dinners more exciting.

We stopped off in Kelvin Grove on the way home and got pizza. Just as we were heading back to the car, Cookie obeyed a call to nature - or rather she noticed the deliberately altered sign and obeyed. You decide...

Definitely a contender for worst shot I'll take all year (at least from a "good taste" point of view).

f365: Day 029

I know I've already blogged a lot of shots in and around our property, but this was the sight that greeted me this morning - sun, sun, glorious sun! Hugely welcome after days of murky, sticky, wet weather.

It is hugely appreciated to have good weather as it'll certainly help the creeks, the river and flooding. The forecast for the next week looks pretty good as well.

Our office was shut today due to the flooding so I am currently working from home (also have not left the house all day!).

f365: Day 028

The rain continues, although finally the sun came out and it seems like the worst is finally over (at least from the rain and wind point of view). We were very lucky here with no damage or flooding so spare a thought for the less fortunate.

However the Brisbane River is expected to reach its tidal peak around noon tomorrow so we are not out of the woods yet. Thousands of homes have already flooded and many lost power.

This is the place where I work (Virgin Australia). Virgin HQ is situated next to Breakfast Creek, a tributary of the Brisbane River. Water surrounds the complex and I've been instructed to work from home tomorrow.

f365: Day 027

Ok, things are getting a bit nasty here. It has rained solidly now for 3 days and it has intensified today. The creeks are starting to overflow and roads are being closed.

We are reasonably high up here, but our backyard is saturated, complete with a mini pool and fast flowing creek!

Here are some shots - taken, not surprisingly, with my waterproof camera.

(Below two shots): Our backyard. Note how waterlogged it is. The far left corner is about knee cap deep! The second shot shows how heavy the rain is

(Below three shots): Ithaca Creek, about 200m down the road. Normally a very small stream flows through here.

f365: Day 026

Wet, wet, wet....! A quick synopsis of the weather here the last couple of days:

Step 1) moderate rain, continue several hours
Step 2) violently heavy rain, continue around 20-25 minutes
Step 3) moderate rain, continue several hours
Step 4) no rain, continue 10-15 mins

Repeat Steps 1-4 until a state of emergency is reached....It is supposed to rain here until around Tuesday, just at the end of our long weekend. On the brightside, our lawn is getting a soaking/flooding!

Picture today is of one of our drains, blocked and over flowing. A small creek is forming in the backyard.

Lastly I should add, Happy Australia Day!

f365: Day 025

We are getting the remnants of a tropical cyclone in the northern part of the state so it has been very wet all day. Umbrellas are all the rage. Given how dry it has been this summer, it was a bit of a novelty taking an umbrella out - here is mine posing under an overpass.

f365: Day 024

It was an early start today as Jenn headed off to Newcastle/Singleton this morning. I ran her out to the airport - the early morning light out there plus the architectural patterns in the buildings appealed.

With the exception of the first day, this was one of the earliest shots taken throughout the day.

f365: Day 023

What's on in Brisbane? I see this wall every morning on my way into work and it is constantly updated with events, most likely bands playing. Collectively, it makes an interesting collage.

f365: Day 022

I have rediscovered my Kindle the last couple of months, probably because I bought one for my Mum for Xmas. Here is a shot of it from the point of view of reading on the bus on the way home.

f365: Day 021

It was a mainly cloudy and wet day today - luckily it was a working day! Grey was the dominant colour, but on the bright side, our parched lawns are getting a much needed watering.

This image was shot from our veranda, looking out, with rain drops hanging from the beam.

f365: Day 020

My birthday present for Jenn was a Seak kayak. I picked it up yesterday at sale price and this morning we decided to give it a test run on the river.

We are determined to transform Cookie into an aquatic beagle, but she was a bit tentative around the water. Sometimes she relaxed long enough to pose for photos including this one.

Bruce & His Playmates - Jan13

Some more shots of our new puppy Bruce with his seven brothers and sisters.

(Below): Bruce being held by myself

(Below shots): Bruce having his photo taken

(Below shots): Bruce & his siblings

f365: Day 019

Today we got to meet our new puppy, a.k.a. "Bruce"! A very exciting day for us as we've been keen on getting a second dog for a long time now, plus he'll be a buddy for Cookie.

Christine and Ashley, the breeders, hosted us this afternoon and we got to see all eight puppies playing together - they all seemed very happy and full of life. We got to meet their mum, "Cherry" as well who is very friendly and affectionate.

We had to choose between two boys - "Fawn Boy" and "Burley". While both guys were terrific, Burley latched onto us and became ours. Note from my earlier Facebook post, he was the one on the right (with tongue sticking out).

Here is a shot of him being cradled by Jenn. We take him home in four weeks but will pop back for another visit in a couple of weeks time (and being a Bullmastiff, he'll have grown a bit!).

f365: Day 018

January is usually Brisbane's wettest month but so far we've just had a couple of sprinklings of rain. Our backyard has dried out and the grass is quite brown. Most days this month have reached at least 30C - today it was around 33C and tomorrow forecasted to be 35C.

Not that that bothers Cookie at all - she loves tearing around the backyard late afternoon, early evening.

Here you can see how brown things are (might give it a water later)...

f365: Day 017

This is a view I see most days - descending into Roma St station on my way home. I catch a bus to Bardon from here so it is around the halfway point of my journey.

Roma St can get very busy some days - it is a major transport hub here in Brisbane.

f365: Day 016

It was Jenn's birthday today! We decided to have a delicious Thai take out from a place in Paddington here in Brisbane. Paddington has plenty of photographic opportunities as classic Queenslander houses are plentiful plus the suburb, being close to the city, offers good views of the city centre.

The light was fading but I wanted to capture some contrasting colours plus show a more weathered side of the suburb.

f365: Day 015

We finally had some rain today, although just a brief shower on my way home. We have a big frangipani tree in our backyard which has been shedding its flowers for the last two months.

My shot today is a close up of the leaves with raindrops and the flowers.

f365: Day 014

You know you are back into the full swing of the New Year when a) the commuter trains and buses are packed again and b) the Mx newspaper starts getting distributed again.

For non Australians, Mx is a free daily newspaper which many commuters pick up for a light hearted read on the way home. While it gives snippets of news (and much of it fairly non serious), I think one of my goals for this year is to read books on my Kindle than daily news, much of which is negative anyway.

So....this shot of my Mx might be the last time I read one...

f365: Day 013

We met with Rob, Andrea and their two kids Lawrence and Gemma this morning down at Shorncliffe which is on Moreton Bay for a breakfast BBQ and paddle board.

I gave Rob a few lessons but unfortunately Andrea didn't make it too far as fell victim to a nasty jellyfish sting!

Apart from that, it was a great morning and I am slowly improving my balance out on the water. My board is in the bottom left of the image.

f365: Day 012

Once again it was a hot one, and apart from a Saturday morning catch up with Nik and Casey (and their beagles), we largely spend much of it inside with the air conditioning on. I did venture out and mow the lawns mid afternoon but it was thirsty work.

Here is a shot of "my girls" relaxing together and staying cool.

f365: Day 011

I walk along this little alleyway every morning on the way to work. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but both walls are covered with a decorative mural. Here is one take on it (note: it is at the exit of Bowen Hills rail station here in Brissie).

f365: Day 010

The hot weather continues here in Brisbane and it seems like a long time since we felt cold (probably August overnight temperatures).

We did a big grocery shop after work. Mangoes are in season at the moment and I love them. Here is a selection - often people (ourselves included) buy them by the tray.

f365: Day 009

It has been really hot here in Brisbane the last few days. Given it was our 'eat out' night we decided to have a swim at South Bank's Streets Beach beforehand. The artificial beach lies adjacent to the Brisbane River and has a nice city backdrop. Not surprisingly, it was busy, but refreshing!

f365: Day 008

Our veranda is starting to take shape! Jenn bought me a hammock for Xmas and we bought an outdoor table last weekend which arrived today.

It took a bit of an effort lifting it though and its pretty sturdy. I got this shot as the light was fading. Tonight we're having home made pizza outside on it.

f365: Day 007

A few days ago I posted a shot of the Breakfast Creek Hotel which is near work. Our company is located on the banks of Breakfast Creek, a tributary of the Brisbane River.

Adjacent to work is a bend in the tributary and an old small pier that protrudes out. That is today's photo - I used Hipstamatic app and applied a red filter.

f365: Day 006

Sometimes being a new home owner is a lot of fun. Jenn has been making plans for the front room (the sun room). At the moment, it is a mauve colour, but we want to make it colourful and vibrant.

We picked up a test pot and Jenn painted one wall in a dark turquoise colour with a lighter turquoise for the ceiling. This shot is one take on the new wall.

Side note: My photo today was originally going to be my attempt at building a small herb garden, but it was a complete disaster (well not all of it, just the top part). When I rebuild it at a later date, I'll take a photo of it ;-)

f365: Day 005

Our friends Nik and Casey invited us to a Saturday a.m. BBQ in Mt Cootha in Brisbane's western suburbs (not too far from where we live).

They invited friends and workmates so it was a bit of a gathering plus their two beagles (Wicket and Bronson got to have a play with Cookie).

Shot taken as proceedings were winding down.

f365: Day 004

Cookie is always in a playful mood. Tug is her game of choice. Today's shot was taken before breakfast this morning during a playful game of tug. I never win though - she always has the last say!

f365: Day 003

Most days I walk past the infamous Breakfast Creek Hotel as it is close to where I work. It is very iconic and a great place for a beer, a meal and to unwind in.

It sits alongside a tributary of the Brisbane River. I had often thought about snapping it so now with this new project, a great chance!

f365: Day 002

My first day back at work for 2013. This was on the journey home. The train was very nearly empty apart from a few people including the couple in front of me. I've often thought about the photographic opportunities when inside a train but for starters, here is an interior shot.

It has been very warm today - luckily the train was air conditioned!

f365: Day 001

Welcome to day 1 of my new photography mission! I caught up with my excellent friends Mark and Tracy back in Christchurch in August last year. They gave me the idea to take one photo every day and post it online to share. It was something I'd always thought about, but their encouragement has turned it into reality.

Furthermore, my friend Sue McKone also completed this task for 2012 (and she did a great job).

Anyway, it'll be an interesting assignment. No doubt there'll be inspirational days, and days when I couldn't give a (insert expletive).

So....day 1's photo is a shot of Jenn and I with Brisbane in the background. We were down at Riverlife last night and went kayaking on the river. At midnight, fireworks lit up the sky. This one was taken about 12.15am on the first day of the New Year.