As a new blogger, I’ve only just come across the “Weekly Photo Challenge ” and this is my first offering to the challenge : one of the Buddha figures at Sukothai Historical Park, in Thailand.
A standing Buddha figure in Sukothai Historical Park, Thailand
Went to a small local rodeo last weekend and got a few pics. Unfortunately most of the bulls and horses came out of the pens and turned right, away from me, so I got quite a few shots of bulls’ backsides ! The best shots would have been from the opposite side of the arena but that was a competitors only zone.
One of the bulls created a bit of excitement when he broke through the gate used by the barrel racers, and went charging through the car park !
IMHO, they are crazy ! But then, in my younger days I went rock climbing and white water kayaking so some people might have said the same about me perhaps ?
My retirement plans are progressing slowly, the photographer from the real estate agency was here this morning, another agent came yesterday to give a second opinion on the valuation ….. a bit lower than the first guy’s estimate, so I hope he was being conservative.
A couple more pics from the weekend road trip around the Snowy Mountains. First up, Keeble’s Hut, taken not far from the previous photo. This used to be a private fishing hut/lodge for the Keeble family and their friends before the area was designated as a National Park. Not a bad spot, eh ?
There is a good trout stream just behind me, and on the door of the hut you can see a life sized painting of a trout caught by one of the Keeble family ….unfortunately they rarely get to be that big nowadays !
On the other side of the Mountains lies the old Kiandra goldfields, where the miners searched for their elusive fortune, with only flimsy canvas shelters to protect them from the alpine weather. I’m sure they would have loved such a sturdy stone hut to live in !
Some found their fortune and moved on, some still remain there on the hillside of the old Kiandra cemetary:
Headstones in the old Kiandra cemetary
(converted with Topaz B&W Effects)
Of all the campsites I’ve found in Australia, this would have to be among my favourites – Geehi Flats in the Snowy Mountains:
Spring in the Snowy Mountains
Well, this is it ..the first day of the rest of my life.
After much debate within myself, I have decided that it is time to retire, and that I can afford to do so !
The next step is to find a real estate agent and put my home on the market, then wait ….. and wait. The unit next door sold earlier this year, but was on the market for around 9 months, possibly because the owner set a ridiculous price that just put people off. She had to slash $50,000 off her original price ! I am going to set a more reasonable starting price, and if I sell at the same price as next-door I’ll make around 150% profit on what I paid 12 years ago …got to be happy with that in the current economic climate.
And then the plan is to travel around Australia before starting a new life in South East Asia, travelling and photographing the region. No doubt there will be obstacles along the way, but hey, life was n’t meant to be easy !
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Designing and building an Eco House in Thailand
Follow the Blonde Coyote and see more of the world!
Trying to live a creative life
a camping trip of ridiculous proportions
Changes in latitude, changes in attitude 