MERRY CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

There is a rather subdued atmosphere at Christmastime in Melbourne this year, no doubt related to the Flinders St incident, but also perhaps because of the general state of the world, and tensions all around the globe. Still, people do make an effort and almost everyone I spoke to said they were "carrying on as usual, no matter what", which is admirable. Nevertheless, one knows everything is not OK and people do mind and everyone wishes things were different.

I did my Christmas shopping in the end, and strolling through the City in the early evening I managed to avoid crowds. The Myer windows were decorated (although they did look rather sparse and spartan this year), and the streets did look festive in their seasonal finery. The arcades were tarted up, yet somehow something was missing. My shopping was over and done with quickly and I went home rather quietly - we live in troubled times and no matter how strident the marketing hype, it's difficult to avoid confronting reality. The world is ailing and its wounds are many. It is up to us to heal them and the answer is not to be found in the shopping centres and consumer meccas...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme.

SERENE REFLECTIONS

By the waters of the Darebin Parklands in Melbourne.

This post is part of the Weekend Green meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

STRAWBERRY FULL MOON

The full moons of the Southern Hemisphere named:

January: Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon
February: Grain Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Wyrt Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Barley Moon
March: Harvest Moon, Corn Moon
April: Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon
May: Hunter’s Moon, Beaver Moon, Frost Moon
June: Oak Moon, Cold Moon, Long Night’s Moon
July: Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Ice Moon
August: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
September: Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, Sap Moon
October: Egg Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Pink Moon, Waking Moon
November: Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, Hare Moon
December: Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

RED-FLOWERING GUM

Corymbia ficifolia is one of around 80 eucalypts which were transferred in 1995 from the genus Eucalyptus to the newly created genus Corymbia. The species was formerly known as Eucalyptus ficifolia. The red flowering gum is one of the most widely cultivated of all eucalypts both in Australia and overseas. It often grows larger and more vigorously in cultivation than in its natural habitat.

The species is best suited to temperate districts with low summer rainfall and humidity. It can be grown in sub-tropical areas in well drained, sunny positions but cannot be regarded as reliable in those areas. Even in temperate areas the species can be unreliable - in the Sydney region, for example, there are some excellent examples but there are probably just as many that fail to thrive.

In suitable climates the tree is moderately fast growing and may eventually reach 15 metres but is often smaller. Foliage is dark, glossy green and the bark is rough and persistent (i.e. it does not shed annually). C.ficifolia flowers prolifically in summer and is a colourful addition to southern hemisphere gardens at Christmas time.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

XERXES

Xerxes is a male name. It is the Greek version of the Old Persian name Xšaya-ṛšā, which is today known in Modern Persian as Khashayar. It may refer to:
Xerxes I of Persia, reigned 486–465 BC
Xerxes II of Persia, reigned 424 BC
Xerxes of Armenia, ruler of Sophene and Commagene from 228 to 201 BC
Xerxes (Sasanian prince), 6th-century prince and general.

Here is a relief that once graced the northern stairs of the Apadana (audience hall of the palace) at Persepolis is one of the most important examples of Achaemenid art. It shows a king receiving an important official, who performs the ritual greeting that is known as proskynesis (obeisance). Several figures are standing to the left and right.

The king sitting on a throne is often identified as Darius the Great (reigned 522-486). Behind him is another important person, the crown prince. If we accept that the king is Darius, this man must be his son Xerxes I of Persia. The man saluting the king is probably the major of the palace, Pharnaces. He announces the arrival of the tribute bearers.

This post is part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829. It was declared a city in 1929, and has a population of approximately 25,000. The city is named after Captain Charles Howe Fremantle, the English naval officer who had pronounced possession of Western Australia and who established a camp at the site. The city contains well-preserved 19th-century buildings and other heritage features. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle is Freo.

The native Australian Noongar people inhabited the area that is now Fremantle, which was known as Walyalup. The area was considered as a site for possible British settlement in 1827, when Captain James Stirling, in HMS Success, explored the coastal areas near the Swan River. As a result of Stirling's report, Captain Charles Howe Fremantle of HMS Challenger, a 603 ton, 28-gun frigate, was instructed to sail to the west coast of Australia to establish a settlement there. On 2 May 1829, Fremantle hoisted the Union Flag in a bay near what is now known as Arthur Head, and in accordance with his instructions, took formal possession "of the whole of the West Coast of New Holland" in the name of George IV of the United Kingdom.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

CHRISTMAS WISHES

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FIRST SNOW

First snow dusts the spent landscape and masks the ravages of Winter under a blanket of white...
The bare trees resist as the snowflakes fall and are blown by the wind, but soon their branches too will wear a white overcoat.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

GINGER TOM

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.