2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show
Photographic Competition
John Graham submitted 3 pictures for judging
in the Easter Show's photographic competition.
Photos:
1 - 3 Paul Ma looking at a giant spider
7 - 8 Sornkin Lam
in Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains
9 - 10 Tracey Coates
also in Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains
Paul Ma
1) Original photo by John Graham, depicting a
Megadolomedes australianus
(Giant Water Spider).
- Just so that there is no misunderstanding ...
The giant spider is not me ... ok 😊
Location: A Gerringong Creek waterfall
Unofficially known as Pensions Falls
Budderoo NP, NSW, Australia
Date: 2024-December-05
2) Displayed in Easter Show's
Arts & Crafts Pavilion.
2025-April
3) Arts & Crafts Pavilion.
2025-April
4) I attended the Easter Show.
- Complete with the same outfit as in John's photo
😊
It was pointed out that
I can pose in front of the above photo.
5) And so, I did 😊
6) And again 😊
And I can keep doing this ...
forming an infinite progression 😊
But I think I'll stop here 😊
Sornkin Lam
7) Original photo by John Graham.
Location: Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains, NSW
Date: 2024-December-22
8) Displayed in Easter Show's
Arts & Crafts Pavilion.
Tracey Coates
9) Original photo by John Graham.
Location: Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains, NSW
Date: 2024-December-14
10) Displayed in Easter Show's
Arts & Crafts Pavilion.
11) Arts & Crafts Pavilion.
The bushwalks
where the photos were taken
Photos #1 was taken in a bushwalk
to a Gerringong Creek waterfall,
(unofficially named Pensions Falls)
in Budderoo National Park, NSW, Australia.
2024-December-05
Trip report and photos are in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2024/12/pensions-falls-gerringong-creek.html
Photos #7 was taken in a bushwalk
inside Grand Canyons,
Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.
2024-December-22
Photos #9 was taken in a bushwalk
also inside Grand Canyons,
Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.
2024-December-14
Many interesting photos from the trip are in
this link:
https://onemanadreaming.blogspot.com/2024/12/shafts-of-light-grand-canyon-blue.html
Post Script
Unfortunately, none of John's photos won a prize
ðŸ˜
It would help if I wear:
- Red dress
- Red Hat
- Red gloves
I think John and I should collaborate
to do just that for the 2026 Easter Show 😊
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Lost Property clerk holding knickers to blonde girl
Blonde to Lost Property clerk:
You take a damn lot of convincing, Mister !!!
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
6 stages of marathon running
1 - Let's do this !
2 - Why am I doing this ?
3 - Am I dead ?
4 - I wish I was dead.
5 - I am dead.
6 - Can't wait to race again !
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Panties are labelled with the days of the week:
"Monday", "Tuesday, "Wednesday" ... etc.
Woman to salesgirl:
I'll take one of each.
But skip Saturday.
That's date night for me !
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
I absolutely love this quite from Pope Francis !
"River do not drink their own water.
Trees do not eat their own fruit.
The sun does not shine on itself.
And flowers do not spread their fragrance
for themselves.
Living for others is a rule of nature.
No matter how difficult it is ...
Life is good when you are happy;
but much better when others are happy
because of you."
Above quote may not be by Pope Francis
Above image and quote have been circulated
in social media, Facebook, for example.
Versions of the quote have also been
widely shared online in Spanish,
with varying attributions.
Some posts claim Pope Francis said it,
others have no attribution.
Snopes.com can't find Pope Francis said it
Snopes.com
( https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pope-francis-rivers-do-not-drink/ )
couldn't find any record of
Francis making this statement.
An early version of it appeared on the internet
well before Francis became pope in 2013.
Details
A communications expert and amateur poet
who uses the pen name Gonzalinho da Costa
traced a similar statement to a 2009 post
on a website called
Meditation Relaxation Sans Stress.
It is archived in this link
https://web.archive.org/web/20201011045759/https://sites.google.com/site/meditationrelaxationsansstress/seva
There, the quote says:
"We know that trees do not eat their own fruits
cows do not drink their own milk
rivers dont drink their own water
Let us also learn to serve our sisters brothers
and all objects of nature
To secure our present and humanity's future"
The website linked the words to the Vedas,
ancient Hindu scriptures.
The name Prof Lallan Prasad appeared
under the words.
Snopes.com reached out to a
University of Delhi professor with that same name,
asking if he wrote the words or knows their origin.
No update yet.
A similar quote
A very similar quote appeared in the
2019 role playing game "Days Gone."
A character in the game, Rikki, states:
"Rivers do not drink their own water.
Trees do not eat their own fruit.
And clouds do not swallow their own rain.
What great ones have is always
for the benefit of others."
As of this writing
As of this writing,
Snopes.com hasn't found
the original source of the quote.
No evidence it was a statement made by
Pope Francis.
However, and as noted above,
what appears to be an original online version
of the quote was posted four years
before he became pope.
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Palms read
At Madame Zora
Know the future - $2
With a curvy buxom lady
Enjoy the present - $33
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
My grandfather told me that he saw the Titanic,
and that from the beginning,
he warned all the people that the ship would sink.
But nobody listened to him.
He was a brave man.
He did not give up.
He warned them again and again ...
on several occasions ...
Until they kicked him out of the cinema.
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Dogs add weight to a weigh scale
to con woman for more walks :-)
"I don't believe it !!
I'm gonna have to take the dogs for more walks !"
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
In a restaurant
Woman:
See anything you fancy on the menu, Joe ?
Joe:
Yes, your yummy breasts !
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https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Weight loss programs
In 2 weeks of weight loss exercises,
I lost 14 days !
I have been on a diet for 2 weeks.
And I have lost 14 days of happiness !
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Police to woman in a police lineup:
Ok, Mrs Crenshaw,
do you see your peeping tom in the lineup ?
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Clock hands are a woman's legs
I'm waiting for 9:15
Mid-night is ok.
Or wake up at the crack of dawn, 6am.
Hhmmm ... Better to adjust the time myself !
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
I made a New Year's resolution:
To drink more water.
I've only gotten as far as "drink more".
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Graduate to college bursar:
Instead of repaying my student loan,
I'm returning my diploma.
It didn't work.
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Grandson:
"Gramma, is Roscoe your dog or grampa's dog ?"
Grandma:
"Well, I'm the one who
feeds him,
waters him,
and takes care of him."
"I suppose that makes him mine."
Grandson:
"Is that how you got grampa ?"
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
"Al !
I just heard on the news
there's a car going the wrong way on I-80.
Be careful !"
"One ?!
I seen at least a hundred !"
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
An intereresting abseiling adventure !!!
in Alcatraz Canyon, Newnes Plateau,
NSW, Australia
2025 January 5
Background
Altracraz Prison
There is an Alcatraz Island
off the coast of San Francisco, California.
On this small island was
a maximum security prison.
It was closed in 1963.
Now, the prison is a major tourist attraction.
And Alcatraz means the Alcatraz Prison.
A flim was made in 1979,
called "Escape from Alcatraz"
starring Clint Eastwood.
It was a story of 3 inmates
escaping from Alcatraz Prison.
The film was a success
and well-known to this day throughout the world.
Altracraz Canyon
Named by David Noble.
More on this canyon is in this link:
http://david-noble.net/blog/?p=51651
Devils Throat
Named by Michael Keats.
Reference:
https://www.bushexplorers.com.au/encyclopaedia/devils-throat
It refers to the waterfall in Alcatraz Canyon,
and the chamber where the water falls into.
At the bottom of the chamber is a letter box slot.
You crawl out of the slot
to get out of the chamber.
I called the chamber "Alcatraz Prison".
The letter box slot is where you escape
from Alcatraz 😀
Our group in this trip
5 of us:
John Graham - leader
Amy Chi
Elizabeth Zhu
Paul Ma
Sornkin Lam
Video
I have created a short video of our adventure.
1 minute 30 seconds.
In this link:
https://youtube.com/shorts/pIF3PNjflhA
Some images from the video
1) Hi Clint, you had your fun.
My turn to be a star 😀
2) From a distance, we can see
what we are getting ourselves into.
- Alcatraz Prison: Named by yours truly 😀
3) Zooming in.
4) Now, go and watch the short video
on me abseiling into Alcatraz Prison.
This link:
https://youtube.com/shorts/pIF3PNjflhA
5) The 3 escapees from Alcatraz Prison:
Amy, Sornkin, Elizabeth
- They crawled out through the letter box slot.
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
Amazing wonderful shafts of light !!!
in Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains,
NSW, Australia
2024 December 14
Time we were down in the canyon, in the creek:
2:30pm to 4:30pm
Background
I had been to the bottom of Grand Canyon at night,
to see the glow-worms inside the canyon.
That was a fantastic trip.
This one, in daylight, is just as amazing !
It is also the first time
I'm inside the canyon in daylight.
And get to witness the magical light show.
But note:
You need abseiling gears to do our trip.
Also, there are sections that require a swim.
Hence you should wear a wetsuit
as water is cooold ... bbrrrr !!!
(There is a foot track through the canyon.
But it is above the canyon floor.
No abseil, no swim ... meant for normal hikers.
The downside:
You won't see the fantastic light show
from the foot track ðŸ˜)
Our group
7 of us:
Lyndal Tegel - leader + all rope work
Amy Chi
Helen Heng
John Graham
Paul Ma
Tracey Coates
Vijay Kini
Abseil down into Grand Canyon
First thing is to abseil down into the canyon.
1) Lyndal abseiling down.
- Watched by John
Photo by Amy Chi
2) Abseiling down into Grand Canyon.
- Amy
Photo by John Graham
Shafts of light near abseiling area
3) Group photo of the 7 of us:
- John, Lyndal, Amy, Vijay, Helen, Tracey, Paul
- Shafts of light behind us ... not waterfalls
Photo by John Graham
4) Vijay in the limelight.
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
The rest are all shafts of light.
Photo by John Graham
5) Amy's turn in the limelight.
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
The rest are all shafts of light.
Photo by John Graham
6) Amy again.
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
The rest are all shafts of light.
Photo by John Graham
7) Left to right: Helen, Tracey, Vijay
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
The rest are all shafts of light.
8) The lights are sheer magic !
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
9) Left to right: Tracey, Helen
- White arrow: Only this one is a waterfall.
The rest are all shafts of light.
Shafts of light at another part of the canyon
10) Lyndal under the lights.
11) Beam us up, Scotty 😀
- Vijay, Tracey, Helen, Lyndal
Photo by John Graham
12) Beam us up, Scotty 😀
- Vijay, Amy, Helen, Paul, Lyndal, Tracey
Photo by John Graham
Another shafts of light
13) Shafts of light at another part of the canyon.
Photo by John Graham
14) Same scene as previous pic.
- Lyndal, John, Tracey
15) Same scene as previous pic.
- Lyndal, John, Tracey
16) Same scene as previous pic.
- Tracey, Helen, Vijay, Paul
Photo by John Graham
Yet another shafts of light
17) At another part of the Canyon.
- 2 in the front: Amy, Paul
- Lady in black at the back: Not our group
Photo by John Graham
18) Same scene as previous pic.
- 2 in the front: Vijay, Tracey
- Lady in white at the back: Not our group
19) Same scene as previous pic.
- Vijay watching ...
- Helen, Tracey ... at the back
20) Same scene as previous pic.
Fantastic shafts of light !
Photo by John Graham
21) Same scene as previous pic.
- Tracey
- Lady in black up on the rock: Not our group
Photo by ???
Walk/swim downstream a bit more,
then another shafts of light
22) We are meeting more bushwalkers now.
They didn't abseil into the canyon.
They walked/swam in
from where we'll exit the canyon.
- 3 with helmets: Tracey, Helen, Vijay
- Others (without helmet): Not our group
23) Same scene as previous pic.
- Helen, Tracey, Vijay
Photo by John Graham
24) Same scene as previous pic.
- Amy
Photo by John Graham
25) Same scene as previous pic.
- Vijay in the limelight
- Paul, Tracey ... photographing Vijay
Photo by John Graham
26) Same scene as previous pic.
- Tracey, Lyndal
Photo by ???
27) Same scene as previous pic.
- Tracey, Lyndal
Photo by ???
More shafts of light
28) These shafts of light never ends 😀
29) Amy ... the star !
- Behind her is Lyndal.
Photo by John Graham
Swims
There are swimming sections inside the canyon.
You should wear a wetsuit.
There are cases where hikers without wetsuits
suffered hypothermia.
They had to be rescued by helicopters.
30) One of the swimming sections.
- Clockwise from bottom:
Helen, Vijay, Tracey, Lyndal, Amy
Photo by John Graham
31) Another swimming section.
- Lyndal ... standing
- Amy... swimming
Photo by John Graham
Please visit my main page at
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/
