Sweet Wayfaring

Here we go, we're crossing the boundary into OUR region ... Clandulla (the home of Whistler's Rest and the destination of our journey) is not big enough to rate a mention but our near neighbours are Kandos and Rylstone.  Diane was asking for a map so you will find one here . Just before this sign we pass through the locality of Round Swamp.  I remembered that on a previous trip I had taken a photograph of hay bales here, and kept an eye out for them to add to my haystacks series, but each time we passed there was none.  It's been raining a lot. The sun was out this day and the farmer was making hay while the sun shone.

And no drive is complete without looking for a haystack - not quite so pleasing when wrapped in plastic. The farmland around here is so lush.

One for my hay series. There are lost of freshly made hay bales in the fields at this time of year. They are mostly round these days so I was nice to see the old shape for a change. We are on our way to the town of Hay, which I don't think has anything to do with fodder type hay ... was probably named after a pioneer ... I just checked it was named after Sir John Hay a local pastoralist and member of parliament.

Time for another favourite ... whenever I stop I also look in the opposite direction to see what else I can photograph. Here's what I found over the road from the hay shed ... so quintessentially farmyard. Temperature 39C.

It wouldn't be a visit to the country without me trying to add to my hay series and other favourites. I've got a shearing shed and an abandonded house coming up next but didn't find a new Royal Hotel.

While I was taking yesterday's irrigation photo I was thrilled to also snap something new for my Haystacks series.

On a drive out from Canowindra I found a new shot for my haystacks series . I think it's my best so far.

I decided to show the haystacks at Round Swamp after all. Musing: Haymaking by John Clare "Tis haytime & the red complexioned sun Was scarcely up ere blackbirds had begun Along the meadow hedges here & there To sing loud songs to the sweet smelling air Where breath of flowers & grass & happy cow Fling oer ones senses streams of fragrance now While in some pleasant nook the swain & maid Lean oer their rakes & loiter in the shade Or bend a minute oer the bridge & throw Crumbs in their leisure to the fish below ---Hark at that happy shout---& song between Tis pleasures birthday in her meadow scene What joy seems half so rich from pleasure won As the loud laugh of maidens in the sun."

We are on our way to the last small town of this tour. Musing: From Miss Killmansegg and Her Precious Leg. A Legend by Thomas Hood. “Who hath not felt that breath in the air, A perfume and freshness strange and rare, A warmth in the light, and a bliss everywhere, When young hearts yearn together? All sweets below, and all sunny above, Oh! there's nothing in life like making love, Save making hay in fine weather!”

It's a long time since I posted a haystack. Haymaking is in full swing at this time of year. From this field you can also see the windfarm in the distance. Musing: From Haymaking by Thomas English "A wonderful thing is your mowing machine, That sweeps o'er the meadow in merciless way; But I sigh for the scythe, curved and tempered and keen, And the labor and joy of the earlier day; I sigh for the toil that was mingled with fun, The contentment we felt when the end had been won, And the sound, peaceful slumber when daylight was done."

Photo: Somewhere near Oberon This photo has three of my favourite things -- a haystack, a fence and grass seed swaying in the wind -- perfect. It is such pleasure to stop and savour the moment instead of whizzing by saying isn't the countryside pretty today. The photo, the blog post -- a snapshot in time to be relived at will -- a treasure bank to call on when live gets too busy, like it is for me right now. Today's musing is a favourite poem of mine about favourite things. I learnt it by heart the other day during my daily crawl to the city in heavy traffic. I am learning lots of poems -- it makes the time pass more pleasurably . Musing: William Street by Kenneth Slessor "The red globe of light, the liquor green, the pulsing arrows and the running fire spilt on the stones, go deeper than a stream; You find this ugly, I find it lovely Ghosts' trousers, like the dangle of hung men, in pawn-shop windows, bumping knee by knee, but none inside to suffer or condemn; You f...

This one is of the same field as yesterday. Photo: Hayfield near Tarana

Photo: Hayfield, near Tarana Musing: From Haymaking by John Clare "And its beautiful to look on How the hay-cleared meadow lies How the sun pours down his welcome heat Like gold from yonder skies"

Photo: Hayfield, Black Springs

Surprise! I bet you didn’t expect me to get a haystack picture at the beach. Photo: Hay field, near Gerringong

Photo: Hay field on Old Shooters Hill Road, Oberon I adore hay fields -- expect to see more of them in this blog. When I said this, my husband quickly quipped that it had already been done. Musings: Monet started his haystacks series of paintings in 1890. For the next thirty years he concentrated almost exclusively on haystacks, poplars, waterlilies, Rouen Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament.