Monique and I have been out and about with our cameras this week, photographing things with wings:
With school finished for the year, and before the mad rush to Christmas, I’ve snatched a few days away to write. I’m out of range of internet and mobile (I’ve slipped into town to publish this blog post!). I must say, I’m not missing the internet—it’s made me realise how much easier it is to concentrate without those devices that ‘ping’ and ‘ring’. The Australian bush is not without its natural distractions, of course, and my offering this week is one of its noisiest: a Carnaby’s black cockatoo. This bird and its mate were chortling outside my window yesterday, and gave me a welcome photo opportunity.
Monique’s little hoverfly was checking out a flower patch at her work. She’d taken her camera in to work but to take pictures of a grand piano. Instead, she took pictures of bugs in the garden.
Midweek Moment is a weekly photographic project in which Monique Mulligan and I team up to share our favourite photos on our websites. It’s a way of stretching ourselves creatively and a nice distraction from writing. Click here for more of our Moments.
I love the theme, things with wings.
My goodness!. Didn’t know cockatoos came in black. My mother had a medium sulfur-crested he was noisy enough. What a racket two or for that matter a whole flock of them would make. It’s hard for me to imagine.
How nice it must be to get away and to have your family around you. Enjoy.
Yes, we love our black cockatoos, Penny. They make the most amazing noises, sometimes sounds like chatter at a party. We used to have some in the tree outside our bedroom window—they seem to have disappeared since Gretel and Liesel came on the scene. I miss them, even their four in the morning chatter!
We’ve had a lot of black cockatoos (the ones with red undercarriages) flying around lately. I’m hoping it means there’s rain coming. I probably need an Internet blackout for a few days too. Good on you.
You’re so lucky—we don’t see many red ones here as I think they’re endangered.
And I highly recommend internet blackouts! Good for the mind and soul. I feel very rested and, as I say, my concentration has returned—I’m not ADHD, after all!
I try and have a media free Friday doesn’t always work too much willpower required x
That’s the thing, Rae—willpower is required. It’s so much easier when there’s no choice. We have to use our willpower constantly these days—avoiding fatty food, getting exercise, not overspending on the credit card, and not using the internet. Once upon a time, people couldn’t buy quick food, had to walk everywhere, needed actual money to buy things, and there was no internet. Makes me wistful …
Beautiful …. Birds… Not crap.
Haha! I agree that this one is missing that special ingredient that makes the Crap Bird Photography photos so special!
Lovely! I remember several black cockies taking over our she-oak one day – they were noisy indeed! Hope your time away is lovely and productive xx
It was fantastic! So productive–the house had a writerly feel, the setting was conducive, but the best thing was being out of Internet and mobile range. I’m just writing a blog post about it now. Stay tuned …
Yes I will, can’t wait to read about it. It’s the one thing that tells me writing is what I want to do – the fact that I would consider taking time to go away and just write write write. Nothing else I’ve ever done, not painting, martial arts, yoga, have I felt like doing that. But writing, absolutely! (and looking at how I’ve written this comment, think I might need to! 😉 )
Do it, Helen! In England, there must be so many wonderful places for writing retreats—I’d love to go myself one day. I understand what you’re saying about knowing it’s what you want to do. I can never have too much writing time. I used to always prioritise my family, even when I worked, but now they have competition, and often writing wins!
Oh yes, there are. I have a dream of a week by the sea in Wales with nothing to do except write and walk along the shore. Think it might have to wait until the gorgeous child is older, but perhaps I could sneak away for a weekend at least 🙂
And I’m glad I’m not the only one for whom writing wins, sometimes! 🙂
If it makes us happier, we’re better mums anyway. So I think it’s okay to let the writing ‘win’ occasionally!