Not living in the British Isles, pictures of your own area.

[jukebox]

Looks a bit like Studland beach near the corner to Shell Bay, and the entrance to Poole Harbour, looking across to Bournemouth. ;-)

 

See, I had to go and Google it after you posted that - yes, I can see what you mean.  The only white pointers here, however, are the ones in the water.

 

When I mentioned I was surprised the beach is almost always vacant (6 people is a busy day) this is why - it literally is suburbia:

 

 

(I could pull your leg and tell you that's the view from Stockrington's home - but even I'm not that cruel; it'd get too hot in the afternoon. The train room faces East)

[DougN]

Watersun Beach.jpg

 

A crowded day on the beach here in Western Australia... (seriously: even I don't get why there never seem to be any people down here)

Is that because the great whites are just out of shot and they enjoyed lunch?

[SRman]

Reminds me of the old joke about an Englishman in the Northern Territory wanting to go for a swim.

 

He asks his Aussie mates, "Are there any sharks?".

 

"Nahh ..."

 

So in he dives.

 

"... There used to be some sharks in there but the crocodiles cleaned them out!"

[Ozexpatriate]

An interesting winter this year in the Pacific Northwest but the mountains are really stunning - when you can see them.

 

Here's a couple of photographs of Mt. Hood in it's best form as an "Erebor" stand-in.

 

Mt Hood in early December from the southeast - photograph taken by a colleague of mine flying into town for a meeting.

 

Mt. Hood today in alpenglow from the south and west. (My apologies for the atrocious quality. The sun had set on the ground before takeoff and this was snapped using a telephone with electronic zoom.)

Unusually for this time of year, Portland skies are clear this week - but this means high temperatures below or around freezing.

 

[Spitfire2865]

That grainy photo of Mt Hood looks almost painted. Would make a good painting.

[SRman]

After a very hot Melbourne day, last night's sunset at Brighton Beach. We were out with DougN, Mrs DougN, and the two smaller DougNs (Master and Miss), and enjoyed some fish and chips plus a dip in the cool waters of Port Phillip Bay.


IMAG0574 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

IMAG0576 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



Edited 01/08/2018 to replace the photos previously on Photobucket.

Edited August 1, 2018 by SRman

[pH]

An interesting winter this year in the Pacific Northwest but the mountains are really stunning - when you can see them.

 

Those Cascade volcanoes can be spectacular. I've flown into Vancouver from the east above a layer of thick cloud, where all you can see of the ground is Baker, Rainier and St.Helens sticking up through the cloud. And last April, we had a view of Baker quite like your first picture of Hood, except we were lower (just above summit level) and closer in, with the sun setting and lighting it up - as you say, really stunning!

[Gwiwer]

After a very hot Melbourne day, last night's sunset at Brighton Beach. We were out with DougN, Mrs DougN, and the two smaller DougNs (Master and Miss), and enjoyed some fish and chips plus a dip in the cool waters of Port Phillip Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

You could duplicate that slightly farther south along the coast here.  Except for one important detail.  No sand visible between the people here.  Local sources and personal observations suggest the beach car parks were pretty much full all night last night and are expected to be so again tonight with a forecast minimum of 28C through the night.  Social media and emergency services are saying that the Mornington Peninsula region, including the towns of Mornington, Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento, are at bursting point with major traffic delays, filled car parks and beaches, camp grounds booked out (which is normal for the first few weeks of the year anyway) and all services stretched to the limit.  

[autocoach]

Having Oregon/Washington type weather again here in the eastern SF Bay Area; damp, cold, light rain alternating brief patches of sun but only 4-5 C during the day. The ALT Shift side of sunny California.

 

I grew up in Portland, Oregon, went to university in Seattle so I know too well about that dank dark northern clime and it is to keep myself slightly desiccated that I have lived the last 45 years in California. At least snow is optional by going to the mountains. A crew just arrived to cure the leaky spot in my garage roof where water has been pouring in on my car.

[AndyID]

More snow here (Lake Coeur d'Alene)  than you can shake the proverbial stick at.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

More snow here (Lake Coeur d'Alene)  than you can shake the proverbial stick at.

Yes. This was central Oregon (Redmond) over the weekend:

 

(This is a local golf course through a friend's window.)

 

Even rainy, grey Portland got into the act. Here there was about 4" of snow on Tuesday night, but other areas in Portland got as much as 16". 

 

Today was quite stunning, clear blue skies, freezing temperatures and snow on the ground. Most unusual for Portland.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[pH]

View over North Vancouver from the Grouse Mountain cable-car. Nearer peninsula on the left is Stanley Park in Vancouver, further one is the University of British Columbia. Ships are lying in English Bay. The mountains of Vancouver Island are just visible in the distance.

 

[SRman]

Canterbury, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia: The view from my office window a few days ago, with Autumn colours starting to show.


IMG_20180507_142436 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[pH]

Smoke from wildfires can be very uncomfortable if the fires are close - it's thick, cuts visibility and can irritate eyes and throats. However, if the fires are a distance away, the thin smoke can enhance distance views and sunsets. Here's sunset over Grohman Narrows, at the west end of the west arm of Kootenay Lake, with a very little smoke in the air:

 

 

 

[brianusa]

Don't have to go far; just out the back door!

 

 

Brian.

[N15class]

Don't have to go far; just out the back door!

 

garden 003.JPG

 

Brian.

 

Very nice Brian, the O gauge out door line blends in very well I can't see any sign of it

[brianusa]

That's because its all in the forest, Peter!

 

Brian

[autocoach]

I started my usual morning walk along the bucolic Ygnacio Valley upper canal trail in Walnut Creek this morning but quickly returned home. The sun had a strange orange glow from the high altitude smoke of grass fires hundred miles or more away.  And there was the distinct smell of burnt California wild lands.  The air quality forecast for the next few days is not promising. A huge area of high pressure continues to dominate the US south western inland area and is keeping any chance of rare summer precipitation far to the north.  The usual summer California coastal fog (aka locally as Karl) is not making it into the bay let alone beyond the Oakland hills where I live in a sun burnt suburb.

[Spitfire2865]

Excuse the grainy photo, mixture of cell phone, darkness, and distance.

But a beach concert series every summer in my town, looking out south across the Atlantic.

[AndyID]

Port Orford, Oregon last week.

 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Port Orford, Oregon last week.

You did drive a long way.

[autocoach]

I started my usual morning walk along the bucolic Ygnacio Valley upper canal trail in Walnut Creek this morning but quickly returned home. The sun had a strange orange glow from the high altitude smoke of grass fires hundred miles or more away.  And there was the distinct smell of burnt California wild lands.  The air quality forecast for the next few days is not promising. A huge area of high pressure continues to dominate the US south western inland area and is keeping any chance of rare summer precipitation far to the north.  The usual summer California coastal fog (aka locally as Karl) is not making it into the bay let alone beyond the Oakland hills where I live in a sun burnt suburb.

The air quality has cleared up. I just got back from this mornings walk along the canal trail. A record for wild life;31 Mallards ducks (26 adult or grown juvenile and 5 ducklings about 4 weeks old), 1 white crane, 2 wild turkeys. And a 6 point white tailed buck standing just outside my town house door when I returned home. There are some pleasant things about Northern Californian suburbia.  I grew up in Oregon and have just been reading about the very chilly reception California emigre's receive when moving to the NW to escape the brutal real estate prices of LA and the Bay Area.  I check the house prices in the old family area of Penge just for reference and they are unbelievable too. GBP 540,000 for a 3 bed room terraced house almost identical to the house my grandparents had from the council after they were bombed out in WW 2 from their original house.  

 

Ducks in the local ditch/canal on Sunday last. The mallard hen and 5 ducklings.  

California ducks.....Using the word "Mallard" gives it some UK Railway content....

Edited August 6, 2018 by autocoach

[AndyID]

The air quality has cleared up. I just got back from this mornings walk along the canal trail. A record for wild life;31 Mallards ducks (26 adult or grown juvenile and 5 ducklings about 4 weeks old), 1 white crane, 2 wild turkeys. And a 6 point white tailed buck standing just outside my town house door when I returned home. There are some pleasant things about Northern Californian suburbia.  I grew up in Oregon and have just been reading about the very chilly reception California emigre's receive when moving to the NW to escape the brutal real estate prices of LA and the Bay Area.  I check the house prices in the old family area of Penge just for reference and they are unbelievable too. GBP 540,000 for a 3 bed room terraced house almost identical to the house my grandparents had from the council after they were bombed out in WW 2 from their original house.  

 

Indeed, London home prices are completely bonkers. Just about as nuts as the Bay Area and So Cal. More by accident than anything else we bought a house in Orange County in 2002. By 2004 the price had almost doubled so we sold it. I retired in 2006 and we retreated to our place in North Idaho. Trouble is this area has now been "discovered" too. The good news is the winters are not exactly brutal (I like them) but they can be bad enough to give some second thoughts.

[pH]

Ice starting to break up on Christina Lake in southern BC this week:

 

 

Last Sunday's location for grandson's first birthday lunch - the restaurant overlooking the natural hot spring pool at Ainsworth, with the north arm of Kootenay Lake beyond. We'd all been in the pool beforehand, including the birthday boy and his two year old brother:

 

[pH]

Grohman Narrows, west arm of Kootenay Lake, at sunset: