"Mary's Boy Child" was written by a 1956 Jester Hairston and first recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1956. I have heard many versions and still think Belafonte's is the best.
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God bless.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Today is Christmas Day, and we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. Wishing you all a happy Christmas and for those who are unhappy or troubled, may the Spirit of Christmas fill your hearts with peace and joy and may the coming year bring better times.
"Mary's Boy Child" was written by a 1956 Jester Hairston and first recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1956. I have heard many versions and still think Belafonte's is the best.
.
God bless.
"Mary's Boy Child" was written by a 1956 Jester Hairston and first recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1956. I have heard many versions and still think Belafonte's is the best.
.
God bless.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Marysville Christmas Shop Window
Here is another photo of the Marysville Christmas shop. I had forgotten to add it and it's easier to do another post rather than edit.
I stood in front of the bus stop for this photo - that's my backpack on the seat.
The Christmas Shop of Marysville
It seems appropriate somehow, to write about the Marysville Christmas shop at this time.
I remember seeing this beautiful shop filled with the most beautiful Christmas things - it was like an Aladdin's cave. Angels, baubles, stockings, decorations, and all so beautifully made and arranged.
The centrepiece was a round table covered with a green cloth and on it stood a tree with decorations - hand-crafted bells, and baubles studded with diamentes and glittery beads.
There was a young lass working behind the counter and I asked her about the shop - Christmas isn't all year long you see. She explained to me that at other times of year, it was a Ski and Ski hire shop.
I saw a lovely Christmas stocking ornament which I dearly wanted to buy - she said it was $9.95. I was going to buy it, but then she said that couldn't be right, so did some checking and found it was much more. From memory I think it may have been around thirty or forty dollars. Being on a limited income, it was really out of my price range, and I hummed and haaed as I debated on whether to get it or not. I made the decision to (regretfully) not get it - I reasoned that next year, finances may have improved and I would get one then.
It was a decision I deeply regret. For this wonderful shop is no more. Yet I have these photos to remind me of this special place.
The front window
The centrepiece was a round table covered with a green cloth and on it stood a tree with decorations - hand-crafted bells, and baubles studded with diamentes and glittery beads.
There was a young lass working behind the counter and I asked her about the shop - Christmas isn't all year long you see. She explained to me that at other times of year, it was a Ski and Ski hire shop.
I saw a lovely Christmas stocking ornament which I dearly wanted to buy - she said it was $9.95. I was going to buy it, but then she said that couldn't be right, so did some checking and found it was much more. From memory I think it may have been around thirty or forty dollars. Being on a limited income, it was really out of my price range, and I hummed and haaed as I debated on whether to get it or not. I made the decision to (regretfully) not get it - I reasoned that next year, finances may have improved and I would get one then.
It was a decision I deeply regret. For this wonderful shop is no more. Yet I have these photos to remind me of this special place.
The front window
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Lady Talbot Drive
A beautiful scenic drive through forests, waterfalls and ferns is Lady Talbot Drive, named after the wife of Sir Reginald Talbot, Governor of Victoria from 1903 to 1908.
After having spent the better part of the day in the Mystic Mountains, I decided to go along Lady Talbot Drive.
Lady Talbot Drive - Phantom Falls Creek
It is said that a Mr Walker once fell over here while walking his dog, Devil, because he wouldn't take his sunglasses off at night. Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but it's a nice story.
I started out on this drive around 5.30pm and it was beautiful - lush and green with lovely picnic spots. After a while, the sealed road became a gravel road. I didn't realise it then, but I would be doing a "loop" - through Marysville State Forest and the Yarra Ranges National Park. Neither did I realise that Mt Margaret Road was an unsealed track and better suited to 4WD when the road was wet.
The road was wet in parts with large puddles and my tyres slid all over the place - I swear they found very pothole there was! It certainly would be a good place to practice your basic bush driving skills!
Deep Ferns
The tall Mountain Ash - Eucalyptus regnans, is the world’s tallest flowering plant, reaching heights of more than 100 metres. Extensive Mountain Ash forests occur in Victoria's Central Highlands (east of Melbourne), the Otway Ranges and Strzelecki Ranges in Gippsland. They can reach heights of 150 metres and their girth can exceed 15 metres at the base. The only other species that comes a close second in height is the Californian Redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens).
Mountain Ash & Ferns
Mountain Ash can live for up to 500 years and they creates a shady canopy for a number of other native plants including Soft and Rough Tree Ferns and various wattle species. Numerous species of mammals, birds and reptiles inhabit Mountain Ash forest, as it provides nectar and seeds, nesting and roosting sites.
About Lady Talbot Drive
Lady Talbot Forest Drive is a round-trip of aropund 46 kms and takes about 2 hours if driven at a leisurely pace without stops. Lady Talbot Forest Drive is an unsealed track that follows a winding path through eucalyptus forest along the Taggerty River. The drive begins a few minutes from Marysville, approximately 500 metres east of the town’s centre on the Marysville-Woods Point Road and continues through the Marysville State Forest and the Yarra Ranges National Park. There are magnificent tree fern gullies and creeks lined with ferns and mosses, old growth myrtle beech forest and waterfalls cascading over huge granite boulders. There are several lovely spots along the way for picnics.
My "journey" along the drive
I left it too late in the day to start the drive - it was dark and I had my headlights on full beam. And having no mobile, driving alone in pitch black on bumpy roads, not being able to see what or where I was heading or indeed how long it would be before I reached "civilisation" was a bit hair-raising I can tell you. I eventually saw a map showing the way and realised then that it was a 'loop' drive. I was ever so glad when I came out on the road near Buxton. Fortunately, I turned in the right direction, and had a nice hot cup of coffee at the BuXton Roadhouse.
But I'm glad that I did that drive, scary though it may have been. I had intended going back to Marysville and doing it in (proper) daylight hours, but sadly circumstances decreed that wouldn't be possible.
After having spent the better part of the day in the Mystic Mountains, I decided to go along Lady Talbot Drive.
Lady Talbot Drive - Phantom Falls Creek
I started out on this drive around 5.30pm and it was beautiful - lush and green with lovely picnic spots. After a while, the sealed road became a gravel road. I didn't realise it then, but I would be doing a "loop" - through Marysville State Forest and the Yarra Ranges National Park. Neither did I realise that Mt Margaret Road was an unsealed track and better suited to 4WD when the road was wet.
The road was wet in parts with large puddles and my tyres slid all over the place - I swear they found very pothole there was! It certainly would be a good place to practice your basic bush driving skills!
Deep Ferns
Mountain Ash & Ferns
About Lady Talbot Drive
Lady Talbot Forest Drive is a round-trip of aropund 46 kms and takes about 2 hours if driven at a leisurely pace without stops. Lady Talbot Forest Drive is an unsealed track that follows a winding path through eucalyptus forest along the Taggerty River. The drive begins a few minutes from Marysville, approximately 500 metres east of the town’s centre on the Marysville-Woods Point Road and continues through the Marysville State Forest and the Yarra Ranges National Park. There are magnificent tree fern gullies and creeks lined with ferns and mosses, old growth myrtle beech forest and waterfalls cascading over huge granite boulders. There are several lovely spots along the way for picnics.
I left it too late in the day to start the drive - it was dark and I had my headlights on full beam. And having no mobile, driving alone in pitch black on bumpy roads, not being able to see what or where I was heading or indeed how long it would be before I reached "civilisation" was a bit hair-raising I can tell you. I eventually saw a map showing the way and realised then that it was a 'loop' drive. I was ever so glad when I came out on the road near Buxton. Fortunately, I turned in the right direction, and had a nice hot cup of coffee at the BuXton Roadhouse.
But I'm glad that I did that drive, scary though it may have been. I had intended going back to Marysville and doing it in (proper) daylight hours, but sadly circumstances decreed that wouldn't be possible.
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