I’m in Melbourne for a few days and yesterday as I walked past the little City Square part of town, I noticed some brightly coloured trees. I was on my way to meet a friend though, so couldn’t stop to check them out. This morning, I went back to have a look at these amazing beauties that are brightening up the CBD – a yarn bombing initiative to draw attention to Melbourne’s urban forest plans, as far as I can work out. Whatever about the plans to preserve the city’s trees over the next 20 years (see, I did actually have a look at the website that was advertised on the trees, so their clever plan is working), these colourful tree cardigans and quilts have won me.
And it does get quite cold here in the winter, so I hope that they leave them on for a while – am sure the trees will feel quite naked without them. Good job, city of Melbourne – your razzle dazzle urban forest attention-grabber is fabulous!
A yarn-bombed City Square, Melbourne.A bizarre rainbow of woolly trees…A blue granny tree blanket at the tram and bus stop.Keeping it green.Sure brightens up this part of the CBD, with lots of trees wrapped down the street.
Today is a very hot day in Sydney. Really hot. When I was going into the city this morning, it was 27 degrees at 9am. It’s the kind of weather that makes me say yikes – and I don’t say yikes very often, let me tell you. They’re predicting that it’ll be the third hottest Sydney day ever recorded – the hottest back in 1939, then New Year’s Day in 2006, then today. 43 degrees or something crazy like that.
I don’t think the pretty weather people on commercial channels are true scientists though, so I was happy to hear a prediction from my dentist when I visited his torture chamber this morning. Apparently, his wife told him that it won’t be getting really hot ’til around 6pm today. But now I am a little more worried, because when I went outside after lunch, the incredibly hot wind nearly burnt my face and knocked me over. So if the dentist’s wife is right (and of course I presume that she is), it should be around 75 degrees later this evening. I have already eaten some fruity gelato, drunk some icy cold Coke Zero Cherry and finished half a lamington in preparation.
Oh, you look so innocent and pretty today, Sydney. But you are too hot for your own good, I tell you.
This is my first visit to Boston. And I love it. The weather has been perfect – beautiful blue skies, sunny days and really cold. It’s great weather for walking around all day, but the chilliness gets a bit biting at night. Actually, it starts getting a bit too cold to be fun in the afternoon – it’s now starting to get dark around 3pm. Here are some pics from Boston’s Public Garden & the famous Boston Common – two stunning parks that live side-by-side here in the middle of the city. A lot of the trees have already lost their autumn colours, but there are still lots of reds and yellows brightening up the parks.
Afternoon in the Public Garden.Lagoon in the Public Garden.Giant trees in the Public Garden.Love your work, Boston.Boston CommonBoston Common again. I took about a thousand pictures, but tried to limit them for this post.
The Ecouterre website is all about ‘eco fashion’ and ‘sustainable style’ – I think it’s always an interesting virtual place to visit as some of the ideas are very clever. Of course, some of the ideas are very wacky, which is ok with me too. Like these Pollinator Frocks designed by British artist Karen Ingham. Apparently the population of bees and other pollinating insects is shrinking, which causes all sorts of problems for the global food system.
So why not create a dress that features “electron-microscopy images of pollen”, treat them with “a nectar-like sugar solution that attracts and nourishes bees”? Sure. Now I know exactly what you’re thinking – what about all those other insects that come out at night? Well, Karen has thought of that too – the day-wear frocks are designed to attract bees and butterflies, while the evening-wear frocks are for “nocturnal critters such as moths”. So it seems that moths aren’t just attracted to nice woolly jumpers, or the wallets of stingy people who keep a tight reign on their spending.
Karen worked with a range of scientists and engineers to develop her so-called “wearable gardens”, which closely mimic the aromas and materials of the flowers that attract insects.
I have visions of people wearing their garden frocks to work and being swarmed by bees as they wait at the bus stop. And on the way home in the evenings, moths gather around the fashionista like flies at a picnic. But then I read that Karen encourages people to hang the frocks on their washing line to attract bees, and I am confused. Are they meant to be worn as moving feasts for our insect friends, or are they so powerful that it’s safest to just hang them on the line and leave it at that?
I guess the choice is yours – but I wish you all the best if you decide to buy one and prance around like Mother Nature. Please let me know how it works out. In the meantime, you can read more about the Pollinator Frocks on the Ecouterre website here.
I like to think that I’m a woman of the world and I know what’s going on…which is why I can’t believe that until yesterday I hadn’t heard of Shark Week. You probably already know all about it, but just in case you’re like me and have missed this festival in previous years, here’s a brief update. Shark Week started back in 1988 – it’s a creation of the Discovery Channel and is essentially a week-long series of TV shows about sharks. Apparently, it was developed to help the average person have a greater respect for sharks. And it’s now broadcast in over 72 countries. Uh huh.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Shark Week and the peeps at the Discovery Channel marketing machine have gone all out. In addition to the usual souvenir DVDs, books and t-shirts, you can also buy a heap of other wacky gear to show that you’re a friend of the sharks. Like this hat, for example.
Foam Fin Hat from the Shark Week Store
Or these cupcakes, custom-made in a Georgetown bakery. The toppers show a logo or a shark or A LONE HAND STICKING UP FROM THE OCEAN OF ICING. Not sure that image is helping the sharks’ cause, to be honest.
DC Cupcakes from the Shark Week Store
And then there’s this hoodie t-shirt (for adults and for kids) – if you hold your arms like you’re giving yourself a hug, you can scare the life out of people around you. Nothing says Happy Shark Week like a giant set of chompers headed your way.
Shark Week Hoodie from the Shark Week Store
Finally, here’s the ultimate Shark Week accessory for your canine companion – a Hammerhead Shark Pet Costume. It doesn’t seem quite right to me, but hey, anything goes in Shark Week!
Pet Costume from the Shark Week Store
So, I wish you and yours a very happy Shark Week. If you’d like to learn more about this Week, you can check out the Discovery Channel website here or head straight to the Shark Week Store to stock up on goodies here. A word of warning – when I checked, the website went straight to an auto-play video with a very scary voice over very scary music, “Deep beneath, a pre-dat-or is lurking…” Eeeeek – Happy Shark Week!
everydaysparks 