Early June Squall

Winter's marine distemper arrived today after a tease of gentle fog laden days.

Yet, this was not how the day began. I was up early and though the morning was crisp it was calm, somewhat plesant in a choux pastry way. A couple of Newspapers were quickly demolished, along with a strong coffee (well two) and Vegemite on toast - good for the Gums my Grandmother would implore - before I sensed to measure my day's journey.

First up, a wandering down to a nearby Park see the juniors of a local Football Team play (Aussie Rules of course) and catch up with a couple rumbunctious mates (very passionate Parents you could say watching their sons and daughters thrash the leather 'sherrin') before venturing, warily, into the Melbourne CBD. I rarely plunge into the City these days, somewhat less enamoured of crowded Trains and unreliable services, though on weekends it's not too bad, assuming you don't need to connect to go somewhere else in Melbourne's vast metropolitan sprawl - think of Melbourne in this regard as Los Angeles but slower (though I reckon we must have as many Cars). I was in the City to visit a photographic exhibition at the Melbourne Exhibition Center, located near the Yarra River (Melbourne's major River) and not far from Southern Cross Railway Station (the major Railway hub for intra and interstate Rail & Bus travel). This Station was formerly called Spencer Street Station as it is located parallel to a major Melbourne Street of the same name. Following a huge (and costly) redevelopment in the 1990s and early 2000s, some apparatchik in Government thought fit to drop the historical and easily remembered geographical link and tried to be 'cute' by a link a very Australian icon - the Southern Cross constellation (or Star Group) prominent in our night skies (as it is in Southern Africa and South America but Australians tend to claim it as ours). Of course, try giving directions to visitors as to where this Station is located and they are often puzzled thinking it's located below the ecliptic plane instead of on terra firma Australis, Victoria. Actually, I reckon the Station, as it is now, despite its leaky roof (it's true as after a major storm in February, the roof partially collapsed and other parts began to leak - good engineering #101) with its wave like roof structure is a fabulous public building (must get a photo to show - memo to self).

I digress! The photographic exhibition, which is running across the weekend, is been 'billed' as the largest photographic exhibition in the southern hemipshere. I reckon they are right! It's huge! All the major camera makers, suppliers, and various other photographic retailers etc have a presence. I was absolutely astonished at what I came across. The developments and future developments in digital photograhy (and its software programs) is amazing. Made my humble camera, a Canon G10, look, well 'humble' indeed and already outdated. I found so many interesting folks to talk to and learn from that it will take me weeks to digest the information. Too, I was pleased to see so much creativity, so much pioneering work and a respect for the work of past Photographers that I left feeling thrilled to be a part (albeit in a very miniscule way) of the photographic community. It helped imbue me with resolve to acquire a new DSLR in the near future, though with the wild ride of the Aussie Dollar against major currencies, especially the US Dollar, it'll be a wait and see approach. I was 'sorely tempted' to splash on the Credit Card then and there but my fear of any debt checked such runaway thoughts with a tarty rebuke - buy only what you can afford!

Upon leaving the exhibition and despite my dislike of crowds, and the often insensitivity of a City's heart, I just had to venture to a favourite inner City coffee shop - Koko's - well it's more akin to a Hot Chocolate and Chocolate in general Taj Mahal. Why a comparison with the famous Taj Mahal? It's only a small shop but built and operated by Owners who are in deep love with the cocoa and coffee bean's outcome, pure love in its most wonderful manifest. You pay a near King's ransom for a brew (you can get Tea as well but I am yet to be convinced of the merit of any Tea no matter how exquiste) but you will soon taste an elixir that can only be described as 'paradise in a porcelain cup'. One cup did not suffice, of course. But two was just about right, plus I 'treated' myself further to a slice of strawberry cheesecake (aka a poor Baker's Wimbledon) that made me 'coo' with delight.

Alas, after the sweet torture of Koko's, it was back into the faustian gargoyles of Melbourne City, though not before a quick sidetrip that turned into a slow swoon (of another 2 hours) at a favourite Bookshop, which has me completely addicted and always much the poorer before it was back into the 'burbs. By this time, winter had been roused, now realising the position of the earth's rotation. The hard working folks at the Weather Office had predicated 'winter' for Saturday afternoon and it [winter] asserted its claim. A strident south-westerly had moved the unwisely malingering High Pressure system off to the Tasman Sea on its way to New Zeland by bringing with it a raucous company of Squalls and heavy downpours. Ah! Melbourne in winter, hurrummph!

Alighting from the Train at Altona, I popped down to the foreshore to see the weather breaking across the Port Phillip Bay, hoping for a 'weather photo' to mirror the chilly, stygian day and thus my photograph for the fifth of June's commentary. Altona Pier is seen in the distance with a few hardy souls fishing. Only the diehards fish in such conditions, though it's rare not to see anyone on the Pier, Thankfully, I find fishing a mostly harmless pastime attended to by very gentle and unobtrusive types - folks you could have do your shopping for you and hand you change from any money you gave them to complete the task. Too, you can always tell a fisherperson at Altona Pier, apart from their fishing line they will be wearing a tattered 'Beanie' (even in summer), have on Wellies (even in summer), have a radio - not for them mp3 players or ithingies - a copy of a Newspaper at least 3 days old, sunscreen smeared on their nose (even in winter) but the 'giveaway' is the battered old Thermos with a well used screw on Cup, the victim of countless hot brews, soups and flat colas.

It's late evening as I conclude, the Heater is on - I'm sipping on a 'Baileys' - it's chilly and the rain has splattered the earthenscape with gazillions of droplets. I am reading my way through the 'they must have cut down a good portion of rainforest to print this' literature obtained from the photography exhibition and content enough, even though it's early June and the weather is moody. At least some parts of the Planet are enjoying summer and that makes me glad - but I want summer back, it's mine (and my Comrades from New Zealand) to keep!