and this place (yesterday) even though it's not a park

I remember going in here at least once, that must have been over 20 years ago. I don't know how long it's been unused but it's been a long time. The back door's open (but behind a strong wire fence). I took a photo through the door. 

Imagine if there'd been, I don't know, some guy standing there holding another guy's disembodied head by the hair, but no, just the inside of an essentially derelict building. 

 

techno park yesterday

Perry and I went to Techno Park yesterday. Do you know it? It's a block of buildings near (perhaps technically in) Williamstown which has long combined residential and industrial uses. A few (3 I think) years ago the council tried to force the residents out, and last year it decided no actually they can stay. It's a really interesting model 'going forward' (sorry to use that phrase but at least I put it in inverted commas). 

Now I've been here quite a few times before, but I never previously noticed a direct walkway to the bikepath at the back of it, alongside Kororoit Creek, so that might be new, or it might be, I never noticed it before. What do you think.

And on the actual creek we encountered this long cool drink of water. Or whatever the phrase is. 

westgate park yesterday

 

Perry and I didn't feel like we'd got as much out of our day as we could so we dropped in to Westgate Park in the late afternoon, it's been a while. That big site adjoining that used to be z/j-ealously guarded by, you know, guards is now largely razed as far as I can tell. 

I came this [---] close to appropriating a witch's hat and then I realised that isn't something I particularly need. 

But what is it with Uber Eats (etc) bagoxes, why do they keep getting thrown away or dumped? 

dog park yesterday

The dog park is very renovated but still inaccessible. Laura hypothesises that they are growing the grass back. This is probably true but it won't stay grown back for long once they do open the gates. 

altona coastal park yesterday

Fact is, we started a walk in Altona Coastal Park yesterday but decided it was too hot already, it wasn't even 9:30. Saw some more nice birds there, if the birds get exponentially nicer the further you go into the park, mate, you're laughing. 

Going to come back really soon and become one of those man-walking-dog/man-being-dragged-by-dog icons. 

five years ago is still five years ago but not for long

So yes five years ago I was still working on those pictures most of which frankly I am pretty pleased with. There's one I am a bit regretful about but I'll cope. I liked, though I can't really recall the reason for, the toad spawn motif I seemed to use a lot of then. 

Neither of these beautiful boys are with us anymore, sadly. But they had really great lives, no doubt about it. 

the paperback

A few days ago I said I didn't know how old The Paperback was, only that it had remained more or less unchanged (obviously not in terms of stock) since my childhood. Well, I think it dates from the early 70s, and was definitely in existence in 1972. I know that because of this ad, from the 22 April 1972, in the Age, p. 13.

I see being late night was a thing even then. That is late for a shop even now, imagine what it was like in 1972. Its lateness is so important to me that some time in the last year I noticed - either on social media or a sign on the door, I can't remember - that it was going to be closed in the evening for a couple of days, and I felt anxious about that lol.