Level 4 on Google Maps...

Level up 🎉 I reached @localguides level 4 by helping others explore on Google Maps. #localguides pic.twitter.com/XwhRhALVfG
Not sure what that all really means, but I like to give credit to places that deserve credit and share with others...

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 31, 2022

WordHurdle 268...

So lovely to see you yet again 4 attempts...
😒😟

WordHurdle 268 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍💛🤍🤍🤍
🤍💛🤍💛💛💛
💛💙💙💙💙🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Spider, at https://t.co/OGoQeW0U1O

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 31, 2022

Pooh and Piglet...What day is it?...

Just love it...love it...love it...❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/PFNkqz0p9L

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 31, 2022

eye test day...

PASSING THOUGHT: It's freezing outside, but no rain thankfully...unlike yesterday that was both freezing and non-stop rain...(I was ridiculously rugged up)...
But today I must brave the freeze and get my eyes tested for new glasses...Not looking forward to this...been awhile...

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 30, 2022

So relieved after eye test...Only slight sign of glaucoma...Good result for my age apparently...He thinks I've about 7 years before worrying about the glaucoma issue...
Blue Frog, Temora is awesome...Fantastic informative+friendly service...Highly recommend❤️...
Now heavy rain😟

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 31, 2022

Couldn't sleep well last night worrying about this eye test...Headaches and painful eyes for some months previously bothered me...The test today proved that the problem was not my eyes but the major stress I was undergoing with school pressures + moving + retiring...

No sign of a headache since moving to Temora... 

WordHurdle 267...

I knew a 4 attempts had to appear somewhere...

WordHurdle 267 4/6 #wordhurdle
💛🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
💛💙🤍💛💛🤍
💛💙💛💙🤍🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 30, 2022

Wordle 346...

OK result today...

Wordle 346 3/6

🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟨🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 30, 2022

WordHurdle 266...

It's a 4 attempts again...

WordHurdle 266 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛🤍🤍🤍💛
🤍💛💛💙💙🤍
🤍💙💛💙💙💙
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 30, 2022

Cootamundra autumn streets...

 

When I stayed for a weekend at a Cootamundra BnB, I took an afternoon walk in delightful autumn sunshine...

The street views were magical...

(These photos are all within easy walking distance of Parker Street)...

I was surprised by the gently hilly contours around the town...

Galahs on overhead wires were in abundance...

At times, the wires themselves were in loopy abundance too...

But the range of autumn tree colours was amazing...

I took so many photos...

View of the street by EA Southee Public School...

Heading back to my BnB...

plants in the rain...

Love photographing plants in the rain...

Just autumn golds, in photos, always appear paler than in reality...

Berry shapes have their own charm...

But one very last rose still looks beautiful...

rainy Monday...

It's a rainy, still 7°C at 9am Monday...

After the long road trip yesterday, 

today's weather is a good reason to catch up on some blogging and reading...

Some wanders from last week have still not been blogged...

And I am still swimming in the euphoria of yesterday's long drive...

I want to hold that wonderful feeling a while longer...

(And try out Smooth Relax Sydney 78.5FM for a change)...

WordHurdle 265...

Not bad for a wild guess...

WordHurdle 265 3/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💙🤍🤍🤍💛
💛💙🤍🤍🤍🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Solitaire, at https://t.co/bDR9dpMP9f

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 29, 2022

Wordle 345...

Back to 4 attempts...

Wordle 345 4/6

🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 29, 2022

WordHurdle 264...

Wow...I'm shocked...

WordHurdle 264 2/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛💙💛💙🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Solitaire, at https://t.co/bDR9dpMP9f

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 29, 2022

road trip Sunday...the Riverina countryside...

 

The weather was moody today, but still we went on a long road trip from Temora to Griffith (156km), to Leeton (another 43km), to Narrandera (another 33.5km) and back to Temora (another 121.1km)...

A total of 353.6km...

At Griffith, we spent quite some time wandering the extensive Pioneer Park Museum...

But first, I indulged in a gorgeous breakfast of granola, Greek yoghurt, strawberries and berries...

A great beginning for an extensive one-day drive...

Still love the different views of the wintry countryside along the way...

The one above is on the way to Griffith...

The image above is taken from Narranderra to Temora...

It is clear from this photo, and the one below, how the Riverina countryside is also known as the South West Slopes of the Great Dividing Range...

Also, in this last stretch of the drive, there were many changing cloud patterns and colours...

The photo above was taken only minutes after the previous photo...

Minutes later, the above scene...

Minutes later again, was this scene with no dark clouds...

I will never tire of these country views, but I am looking forward to the canola season when fields glow in yellow...

WordHurdle 263...

OK...This one's a 4 attempts...Ho hum...

WordHurdle 263 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛🤍🤍🤍🤍
💙🤍🤍💛🤍🤍
💙💙💙🤍🤍🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 28, 2022

Wordle 344...

Yeah...Broke the 4 attempts cycle...

Wordle 344 3/6

🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 28, 2022

WordHurdle 262...

The mighty 4 attempts again...

WordHurdle 262 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍💛🤍🤍🤍
💛🤍🤍💛🤍🤍
💙💛🤍💛🤍💛
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 28, 2022

WordHurdle 261...

At least this one managed a 4 attempts...

WordHurdle 261 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛🤍🤍💛🤍
💛🤍🤍💛🤍🤍
🤍💙💙💙💛🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Solitaire, at https://t.co/bDR9dpMP9f

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 27, 2022

Wordle 343...

Didn't think I was going to make it today...

Wordle 343 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 27, 2022

covid cases?...

Vaxxed + flu vaccine here...No covid...But have had a couple of mild colds usually lasting no more than 48 hours...While living on the Mornington Peninsula, always masked up...Since moving to the Riverina NSW recently, only masked in optometrist and doctor's surgery...

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 27, 2022

imagine a film of the Morrison era...

Brilliant piece of writing...I read it+read it again...I could feel spirits of T.S.Eliot...
'We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw...'
Yet, I feel Australians now reflect on values...maybe long underestimated...
That's good🙏

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 27, 2022

WordHurdle 260...

Almost 3 attempts...

WordHurdle 260 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛🤍🤍💛🤍
💙🤍🤍💛💛💛
💙💙💙💙💙🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Spider, at https://t.co/OGoQeW0U1O

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 27, 2022

glimpses of heritage-listed Temora railway precinct...

Today was a slow drive day...

Weather looked a little unfriendly, so I decided to wander to close-by sights...

I chose to get some idea of the heritage-listed Temora railway precinct...

The main building dates from 1893 and the refreshment room was added in 1912...

The passenger rail service was closed in 1986...

However, privately operated services still use the line connecting the Riverina to other parts of NSW...

And the precinct has been opened to community events e.g. music festivals, markets...

(Next visit will involve more close views on the other side of the line...

The extensive area is only open to the public on a Friday 9am-12 midday + 1st + 3rd Saturdays of the month 9am to 12 midday, so would prefer to get there early...)

But today, I wanted some photos of the nearby silos...

Mainly grain trains travel the Temora line now...

There is something so comforting about hearing the low rumble of a grain train...especially in the midnight hours...

I am living close enough to the line to hear them...

WordHurdle 259...

My extremely loyal 4 attempts...

WordHurdle 259 4/6 #wordhurdle
💛💛🤍🤍💛🤍
🤍💛💛🤍💛🤍
🤍🤍💛💛💙💙
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 26, 2022

Wordle 342...

My loyal 4 attempts...

Wordle 342 4/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 26, 2022

WordHurdle 258...

Happy again...

WordHurdle 258 3/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍💛
💙💙💙🤍💛🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 26, 2022

Roaring Twenties soul?....

Just took one of those crazy online quizzes...
Rarely do that, but felt like it today...
Some questions were weird, with no choices that suited me...So took a punt...
Here is the result...
I'm a Roaring Twenties soul?https://t.co/ruZapB4fpg

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 26, 2022

WordHurdle 257...

I guess it's OK...

WordHurdle 257 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍💛🤍
🤍💛💛🤍💙🤍
💙💙💛🤍💙💛
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Solitaire, at https://t.co/bDR9dpMP9f

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 25, 2022

Wordle 341...

Smiling...

Wordle 341 3/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟩⬜🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 25, 2022

Temora sunrise...

Enjoyed the glimpse of sunrise colours in 6°C Temora today...

These photos are taken from the front verandah...

Many silhouettes made a cameo appearance...

Very quickly, the colours were paling...

Time to seek a slightly different position on the verandah...

Still pale, so I needed to try one last time...

Not really an artistic point of view, but at least the last sunrise colours are there...

morning colours

paint the tones and textures

of my day

Wordle 255...

Another one scraped in...

WordHurdle 255 5/6 #wordhurdle
🤍💛🤍🤍🤍💛
🤍💙💙🤍🤍🤍
🤍💙💙🤍💙🤍
🤍💙💙💙💙💙
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Solitaire, at https://t.co/bDR9dpMP9f

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 24, 2022

Wordle 340...

Scraped this one...

Wordle 340 5/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟨🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 24, 2022

WordHurdle 253...

This one even better...

WordHurdle 253 2/6 #wordhurdle
💛💙💛🤍💙🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Spider, at https://t.co/OGoQeW0U1O

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 23, 2022

Wordle 339...

I'll be content with 3 attempts...
It's not 4...

Wordle 339 3/6

🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 23, 2022

flags on the press conference podium at parliament house...

Two Australian flags on the press conference podium at parliament house have been replaced ...
Powerful symbolism for a new era of government...
We all work and walk together...https://t.co/xUxYczHLaF via @MailOnline pic.twitter.com/muNTPaF3Qa

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 23, 2022

Albanese the co-ordinator...

PASSING THOUGHT: Quite proud that I have kept a tight rein on my political emotions...till now...But I must say, that Anthony Albanese seems to be far more than the Labor voice in power...He is at ease bringing other voices with him...
Anthony is a co-ordinator, not a dictator..,

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 22, 2022

WordHurdle 251...

I guess this is OK...

WordHurdle 251 4/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍💛
🤍💛💙🤍🤍💛
💙💛💙💙💛🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 22, 2022

Wordle 338...

Wordle OK for me today...

Wordle 338 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 22, 2022

WordHurdle 250...

Better than this morning's result...

WordHurdle 250 3/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍💛🤍
💙💛💛🤍💙🤍
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like Spider, at https://t.co/OGoQeW0U1O

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 22, 2022

WordHurdle 249...

Not so good on this one...

WordHurdle 249 5/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
🤍💙💛🤍🤍🤍
💛💙🤍💙🤍🤍
🤍💙🤍💙💙💛
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 21, 2022

Wordle 337...

A better Wordle result today...

Wordle 337 3/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 21, 2022

Anthony Albanese's victory speech...

Anthony Albanese's victory speech last night was moving. It was respectful to all voters.
But perhaps, for me, one statement was particularly unique... when Anthony tried to settle the loudly cheering crowd...
'I intend to run an orderly government and it starts here'. pic.twitter.com/yRxvNMO7Gv

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 21, 2022

And I hope there are families in public housing watching this tonight. Because I want every parent to be able to tell their child no matter where you live or where you come from, in Australia the doors of opportunity are open to us all. 

And like every other Labor government, we'll just widen that door a bit more.

election night in Australia...

My soul feels, by 10:30pm on Election Night in Australia... pic.twitter.com/gW3gLKlQ1G

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 21, 2022

Cootamundra main street buildings + signs...

 

I was intrigued by the variety of heritage building styles in Cootamundra last weekend...

The Albion Hotel was established in the 1840's...

This version of the hotel still stands on the original site minus the verandah posts...

The Globe Hotel opened in 1879...

The Bottle Mart is part of the Olympic Hotel built in 1886...

The National Australia Bank was originally the CBC Bank...

The building was completed in 1887...

This was built in 1895...

Post Office tower...

The Post Office opened in 1881

Of course, I loved the wording of these signs...

I really feel that I have moved out to the country...

WordHurdle 247...

Hmmmmm...

WordHurdle 247 5/6 #wordhurdle
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
🤍💛💙💛🤍🤍
💛💙💙🤍💙💙
🤍💙💙💙💙💙
💙💙💙💙💙💙https://t.co/KnCcsuoGNX
Play our other games like FreeCell, at https://t.co/HOy1VWHjKr

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 20, 2022

Wordle 336...

Old man 4 attempts again...

Wordle 336 4/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 20, 2022

Caroline Jones...

Just woke up & lying in bed & reading yr tweet about the death of the brilliant Carolin Jones. An amazing woman who lived an extraordinary career. A great article about her by @MeganMackander Poise, grace, professionalism: Remembering Caroline Jones
https://t.co/ERn8a91Ws8

— Jeff Isles (@jrisles) May 20, 2022

Caroline Jones was the first public female figure on the radio/TV waves to inspire me... Great role model for shy younger me to toughen up and speak my truth...
I admired her then and still do...

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Wiradjuri land (@AuraGem) May 20, 2022

Cootamundra experience re-visited...the BnB interior...

 

The BnB I stayed in last weekend was so charming...even fascinating...

Here are glimpses of my cosy retreat for a few days...

Above is the beautiful entry light...

Most comfortable lounge to stretch out on while watching super size TV...

The cabinet on which the TV rested...

(I watched the intriguing historical German play 'Phoenix' on SBS World Movies on the Saturday afternoon)...

Kitchen cupboard door features...

Kitchen table setting...

Kitchen stove...

Wine glasses in the cupboard...

One of many seats in the back rumpus room...

Loved the cushion on the lounge...

Detail of one of many differently styled children's chairs...

Another seating style in the rumpus room...

There were many nick-knacks around esp candle holders...

Of course, I loved the cat by the fireplace...