I did say that I was going to post on here occasionally, and while I have taken a whole heap of photos recently, I haven't actually been motivated enough to post them (they'll end up on Facebook in a big upload).  James got home tonight from Adelaide (12 days at the Tour Down Under) and asked me why I hadn't been posting.  That was enough to prompt me to get the laptop out.

Today's photo is courtesy of a trip to Tidbinbilla with Cat.  Did you know there is a walk/picnic site called 'Hanging Rock'?  Someone has a sense of humour.  We picnicked there until we heard a rustling in the bushes.  After looking at each other with alarm, we grabbed our things and hightailed it out of there with very little decorum.

One year ago, I found myself in a new city, not knowing anyone and having a month until I started work. Quite by chance, I came across a tweet by Chris Betcher about something called Project 365. I figured that I had nothing better to do and so began taking photographs. 

I wasn't sure if I would maintain it for a week or a month, but with my husband's constant encouragement, it lasted longer than that. I am delighted to say that I have officially completed my 365 project, having successfully taken a photograph and blogged about it every day of the past year (even when crossing the International Date Line). 

I'm a little bit proud of myself.  

When I explained this project to people, I had a variety of reponses but they generally fell into the following categories:

• Wow, that is so cool.  I'd like to try that.
• Wow, that is so weird. Why on earth would you do that?

It's a good question.  Why would anyone take time every day to photograph something and then write about it, particularly when we all consider ourselves so busy?

You know my reason for starting, but I thought I'd share my reasons for continuing and what I perceive as the benefits of doing this for the past year.

1. My photography skills have definitely improved.  I used to just use the automatic settings and be quite satisfied with the in-built flash of my SLR. Not any more.  I'm quite confident using manual settings in a variety of situations, and prefer to do so as it gives me more control. I learned a lot of this by trial and error but also attended a couple of courses, both one-on-one and in a group.
2. I tried new things.  I'm not a particularly outgoing person and would be quite satisfied to become somewhat hermit like if I was given the opportunity.  However, there are only so many photos you can take of your lounge room before things get really boring. I visited new places, saw new things and met new people.  
3. I have a record of all the things I did over the past year, mundane or not. There have been occasions where I've searched back through the blog to check when or where I did things.

So...will I continue?  Probably. I don't think I'll post every day.  Sometimes it was a real struggle, as I realised at the end of a day at work that I had nothing photographed.  It really was the encouragement of James and the lovely comments that I received from friends, family and random strangers (on the blog, via tweets, Facebook and SMS) that kept me going.  

The plan will be to keep taking photos.  I love it now and have a nice collection of lenses and accessories to use. I'll post on here regularly...just not every day.

Until the next post...

I didn't do much today that would be considered photoworthy.  I spent most of the day staring at lesson planning documents on my computer screen or procrastinating. However, I did make a trip to the gym (it must be Wednesday).

I had planned to take a photo of a timepiece, as a representation of how little time I have left to complete my 365 challenge (tomorrow is the last day). Instead, you see a picture of ice.  Why?  Is it because it is really hot here today?  No.  Is it because I worked really hard at the gym and need to ice my sore muscles?  Well, no, although the first workout after Christmas is particularly punishing.  

So, why?  Because in my rush and excitement to get to the gym, I headbutted the car door. The door on the car that I have owned and used almost daily for seven years. Seriously.  

I now have a sore forehead and a bit of a lump.  James says that it is the hardest part of the skull, and right now I feel that I have a particularly thick skull. Here's hoping I make it to tomorrow without major catastrophe so that I can complete this blog!

So many things to see and do in Canberra at the moment.  Which to choose?  The National Library, of course.

Ngaire and I visited Handwritten: Ten Centuries of Manuscript Treasures this morning.  Fantastic.  Definitely worth seeing.  Music scores by Mozart, Bach, Schubert were side by side with letters from Einstein, Livingstone, Napoleon and Grimm.  It was all a little bit too much for this little librarian to take in.  I'll definitely go back!

I chose to take this photo as Ngaire is not a fan of having her photo taken but was happy snapping photos with her brand new camera.  Easy fix!

What do you do on a hot day in Canberra?  Drink tea, of course.  I met Ngaire and Karin for tea and yummy things at Adore Tea.  We had lots of laughs, particularly as the girls had spent a lot of time studying the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (reality tv show).  Apparently, the thing to do if you are keen to be part of the Beverly Hills set is to share how truly awesome you are.  I'm sure the people at the tables nearby thought we were seriously lacking in humility as we constantly made comments like 'I'm so generous' and 'I'm so clever and witty'.  

It's been fun mucking around with these lovely ladies.  Ngaire is staying overnight with us so looking forward to more laughs tomorrow.

Happy New Year and may 2012 bring you much joy and many wonderful photos.

A wise person once said, 'Going to see the fireworks in Sydney is like eating KFC. You try it, then it takes five to ten years before you think it is a good idea once again'.

Last night was our ten year fix. We didn't head all the way into the city as I just couldn't face the crowds on the transport home at 2am. Instead, we drove to Gladesville Bridge and scored a view of the harbour and bridge (from the wrong direction but...it didn't seem to matter once it all started).

We thought we'd be free from drunken douchebags but about 15 minutes before midnight three drunken morons decided that the spot right next to us would be perfect.  Unfortuantely, their profanity laden commentary was my soundtrack to the fireworks, along with their advice for taking photos.  Still, the fireworks themselves and the fact that it was really easy to get home from Gladesville made it worth the effort.

Last time we were in Sydney we dropped in to visit Chris and Ruth but missed out on meeting their daughter, Sophie, as she was asleep.  Today, we were much luckier.  Sophie is beautiful and fun, with big blue eyes and a penchant for chatting.  

Photographing three (and a bit) month olds is definitely more challenging than three week olds. Definitely wrigglier and interested in looking at everything but the camera. Still, when they are this cute, it is worth persevering.

Continuing on with the theme of seeing people I haven't caught up with in a very long time, I had breakfast with Amanda (aka Hoges) at the Rosebud cafe in Balmain.  Having eaten way too much yesterday (thank you peanut butter milkshake), I indulged only in a very small bowl of granola.  And coffee.

We then headed to an antique store - don't ask me the name of it - and spent time wandering, gasping in delight and poking fun at the various areas of the store.  I purchased a new (old?) handbag that is perfect to put my camera in (I tested it) and Amanda scored a birthday present for her dad (below).  

Oooh, I think my New Year's Resolution will have to have something to do with exercise and eating healthily.  Today, I had breakfast with Megan, lunch with Esterand Fi and am heading out to dinner with Nik and Shanu.

I'm loving catching up with all these wonderful people but I'm a little concerned about the effect on my waistline.  On the positive side, catching up with Ester meant that I got to see her two beautiful boys, Seb and Josh.  They seemed somewhat delighted with their Christmas presents, although I was surprised to see that the colouring books were just as exciting as the microphone/voice amplifiers.  Lucky mum!

I'm really loving this holiday to Sydney.  I get to spend lots of time with family and friends, without the pressure of having to head home to be at work on Monday.  

I spent the morning with my parents, eating brunch/morning tea and wandering the shops. This afternoon/evening, Cat, Greg, James and I headed into the city to try out a wine/whiskey bar we'd caught a glimpse of recently.  The Baxter Inn would have to be one of the coolest bars I've ever been to. The entrance alone made it worth the visit.

The icing on the cake of such a lovely, relaxed day was seeing Neil Gaiman at the Factory Theatre. Neil's work is among some of the most amazing, creative stories that I've ever enjoyed. I've heard him speak at a conference before but had never heard him read his work (live).  Tonight was absolutely fantastic.  To top it off (even more), he was supported by Fourplay, a string quartet I'm a fan of. They performed independantly (with a great cover of the Doctor Who theme and Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine) as well as accompanying one of Neil's readings.

Sigh.  What a wonderful day.