Congrats Ads & the lovely Ed!

They’re not dentists, but I still wont show you their faces…
You see apparently I don’t mention N8 & Matty enough on my blog.
Well… two of my best mates are called Matty & N8.
😉 (you’ll get a proper blog one day!)

This was Luke’s (left) impression of how he would like to stand up the front while James (right) gets married.
Shire boys & shirtlessness……. I’m glad both these boys are married to lovely girls, otherwise I might worry for them!

Before the throne of God above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
a great High Priest, whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look, and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, the Just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.

After climbing the Fluted Cape, I drove over a mountain to head down to Cape Bruny. On the way over there were some amazing forests. This is what happens when you shoot a forest with a fisheyed lens. I like how they lean in toward the centre.

The Cape Bruny Lighthouse was pretty spectacular.

1836… Maybe not old by world standards, but it’s OK for Australia!

The sunrise I enjoyed on Bruny Island after a 12 hour sleep (or at least 12 hours in the tent) at the “Neck” camping ground.

On my way to “The Fluted Cape” I passed a little Billabong that was as still as glass…

The Fluted Cape was on the west side of the south of the Island. Those cliffs are 270 meters high. I was a little worse for wear after climbing to the top.

Hufflepuff & Ads show me how it’s done!
P.S. Can anyone guess what TCFS stands for?

I’ve been hoping to spend a couple of nights working on my night photography. I forgot how much I love it!
Tonight was also a great chance to catch up with Joel, N8, Robbie & Andy. Good times!
I’m camping with youth group kids for the next couple of days, so I’ll be back just in time for the weekend.
L8er dudes

It’s true, Summer is a state of mind.
When Adam and I arrived at the Hunter Valley 1am on Monday morning, it was a chilly zero degrees! The electirc blankets that my stepdad had thoughtfully turned on for us though, spoke of warmer times. The toasty interior was matched my a sunny exterior the next morning! Blue skies, rolled-down windows, then crisp beers, and it could have been January (Sorry to you poor Northern Hemisphere people, to whome this whole blog will seem confusing)!
All that said, it could have been cloudy & miserable & it would have been summer time. Such is the joy of good company (Ads and Colin), great family (Dad & Aunty Susie, who in an aside, conclusively proved that I am blessed with a “fun” family with whom anyone can enjoy hanging out with, having some wine & playing some pool), good food & great surrounds!
We were only there from Sunday night till Tuesday afternoon, but I certainly feel well rested from the experience, even after spending a morning following the manly pursuit of wood splitting! (Of course, Adam swings an axe like a girl swings a handbag! Thankfully I was there to return testosterone to the town!).
People occasionally ask me why my skin is always so warm, even in miserable wintery weather? Well, you can bring on the miserable outdoor weather, cause it doesn’t mean an fig, when you can draw on the inner glow of good times!
Here’s a couple of pictures of Tasmania. Another time when I expected winter & got summer (Though, as warm & happy as it looks, it was bloody cold down there!0

I see those little foxtails & it takes me to a special place!

If you have a Flickr account, click on this pic & view it large. That tree was so cool! So many little & twisty branches!

Another pic that is best viewed large. I look at the deep dark road against the warm light & it just makes me want to travel. It reminds me of an old Tolkien poem from LOTR (apologies if I get a word or two wrong, I’m doing it from memory.)

The road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
until it finds some larger way,
where many paths and errands meet,
and whither then? I cannot say.

On second thoughts you can ignore my last post if you want (all the prelim photos are pretty average anyway).
The really exciting thing about Tasmania, and the one that really should be first cab off the rank, was the reason I was there in the first place.
James & Anita’s wedding was awesome! They are a pair of champions, the wedding party was good fun, I enjoyed taking the photos & I met some really cool people that day!
Everything else is just gravy.
Here’s a shot of the happy couple.