Springhill

Little Owls under flowering Crabapple

2007-01-02T10:45:00.000+11:00

2007-01-01T12:08:00.000+11:00

Cherry Blossoms by Japanese Bridge
Purple Wisteria in full bloom cascading over a garden pond and waterfall.

Little girl and her mum enjoying the garden on Open Day 2005

2007-01-01T11:38:00.000+11:00

Inside the Potting Shed.

Steps leading to our Japanese Garden

2007-01-01T11:14:00.001+11:00

Our Garden "Springhill"

2006-12-30T09:46:00.000+11:00

These photos were taken during our Open Garden weekend in September 2005.

The woodland area has silver birches and crabapples,underplanted with azaelas,Japanese windflowers,daffodils,bluebells and hellebores.
We have a Japanese Garden and I love this photo taken by our son,as I feel it has a definite oriental look .
This kookaburra was most interested
in proceedings and spent most of the day sitting in our oak tree watching the people that passed through the garden.
This photo is of our son's partner admiring a beautiful flowering cherry tree
The kookaburra is still taking a great interest in what's going on .

No.23.Last Activity,What a Journey!

2006-12-27T22:51:00.000+11:00

Wow!!what a challenge and an incredible experience.I truly doubted I could do this program but was determined to have a go.It was like setting sail into unknown waters.Apart from workflows I had only rudimentary computer skills when I began the journey.Now terms like blogs,wikis,RSS feeds,bloglines,zoho writer,tags,flickr,podcasts,youTube and much more have some meaning.I found the program utterly absorbing and enjoyed each activity,even when sometimes I had to try again and again.

I must thank management for its foresight in giving staff this wonderful opportunity to go forward with the latest technology and to learn about all the exciting and boundless information out there waiting to be explored and integrated into everyday use in the library or for our personal use.I love blogging and will continue to use my blog Springhillparklands as a Garden Journal,hopefully with some photos .

Week 9 No 22 NetLibrary/OverDrive trial.

2006-12-27T21:38:00.000+11:00

Well this one took the longest time,five hours over the Christmas period trying to establish a NetLibrary account through the plcmc website.I kept going around in circles,so in desperation I joined the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County online,using my husband's Diners Club card,thinking maybe that was a way to get into NetLibrary.Maybe I will just have to plan a trip to America to use it.

Unfortunately I had not yet read the email relating to this activity.Have now tried to access OverDrive trial site through the Intranet,but the page could'nt be displayed.I tried the refresh button and all the other options sounded very compicated,so after trying to join NetLibrary think I'll give all that a miss and perhaps try again later,as I have already tried several times to access the site.I don't have a MP3 player so could'nt download material.

Never mind I guess the P.L.C.M.C.library card will be a great reminder of this wonderful Learning 2.0 program

No 21 Podcasts

2006-12-27T20:31:00.000+11:00

After searching through all the podcast sites listed in activity 21,I decided to use the rss feed of a podcast site listed on the bloglines website.I accessed www.podder.org and was interested in Movies you should see.I subscribed to their website and copied the rss feed onto my bloglines account.Sounds simple ,well let me tell you it took a bit of perservence and several attempts before much to my delight the feed appeared on my bloglines.

No 21 Podcasts

2006-12-26T13:42:00.000+11:00

After several hours immersed in the to date unknown world of podcasts,I hope I now have more idea of what podcasts can offer.I explored podcast.net,which I found to be the most exciting and interesting to me.I chose Recreation and Hobbies and was able to click on Gardening in Melbourne at the top of the page,where I found a comprehensive list of Nurseries and Garden Suppliers.This linked to melbourneandvictoria.com websites,with an alphabetical list off all things garden related.What a find!,after all the American based material.

podcastalley.com was a show for teens by teens,a bit out of my league.

Yahoo podcasts produced some sites for libraries and librarians.libvibe,the library
news podcast seemed to be the most informative.

I must organise some speakers for our computer,so I can actually listen to some podcasts.

No 2 0 Discover youTube

2006-12-23T15:17:00.000+11:00

I found youTube fascinating.Trawling through some sites,I came across the page for the Australian OPen Garden Scheme,it was like meeting an old friend,as we have opened our garden in the past and hope to do so again in September next year.I then did a search for gardens in the video section,there were no matches,but I has sucess with a search for flowers.I found youTube an area where you can have fun,some of the videos are very clever,this is definitely a site I will return to and explore furter.

After much clicking on icons and some trial and error,hey presto,what a surprise!the video image of a flower below,suddenly appeared on my blog.It was like hitting the jackpot at the pokies.

youTube-flower-mi...

2006-12-22T16:04:00.000+11:00

...">

Week 8 Web 2.0 Awards

2006-12-22T15:10:00.000+11:00

I read several of the nominees for the Web 2.0 Awards.Although there were no actual award winners in the Travel category,only honorable mentions,I found travbuddy.com.very interesting,this would be a great site to meet people travelling to the same destination.get travel tips and share travel experiences.A feature of this site would be that it would be much more up to date than any travel book.Any political unrest,terrorist threats or dangerous situations would be likely to be discussed on the site.I can see a useful purpose for this web site in a library setting.Rather than try to find a book on a particular country,accessing the travbuddy.com site would be quicker and give first hand experiences.

I also found myspace.com,the 3rd placegetter in the category of Social Networking an eye opener,as my 17 year old niece spends hours a week on the site,as do many of her school friends.This site seems like a great idea as people with common interests can share ideas and experiences,and no young person ,or any person need be lonely.

No 18 Zoho Writer

2006-12-19T23:10:00.000+11:00

Well all this is completely new to me ,as I have never done any word processing whatsoever.All the seemingly never ending symbols seem quite daunting,never mind I suppose getting to know them is all part of the Learning 2.0 progam.I would love to learn word processing as I do scrapbooking and often have to ask our daughter to print out labels for me.

I have managed to sign up for zoho writer,and had a good look at the site and tried writing documents.I have found trying to untangle the mysteries of modern technology frustrating.exciting and challenging.I have had several attempts to publish a document to my blog,but maybe I'm being a bit ambitious,I got as far as publish to blog,but then everything seemed to come to a halt.I think some help is required if I'm to achieve this.

Springhill

2006-12-17T22:05:00.000+11:00

Still no rain in sight,the garden looks like it usually does at the end of summer,dusty,dry and drooping;and summer has just begun.I read in the paper today that stage 3 water restrictions will be in force,from January Ist '07.So it looks like a hard fought battle to keep plants alive is in store.

However all is not negative,tonight while watering,I saw a white faced heron,standing sentinel beside a large pond in our garden.We have a bronze sculpture of a brolga by the pond and this
graceful grey bird was silhouetted beside this sculpture.It was a magical moment to see this rare and beautiful bird in our garden for the first time.

I believe the harsh,dry conditions have brought this bird from nearby wetlands that are drying up into our garden,where last seen it was knee deep in the pond and looking very happy.

Thing No.17 Sandbox

2006-12-17T21:46:00.000+11:00

I found wikis very interesting.The concept of a wiki seems far more informal and unstructured than a blog.To me it seems that the disadvantage could be that there is no control over who can access the wiki,and what they can do once they have gained access.

On the other hand I can see great advantages in certain circumstanes.For instance we have formed a Book Club in our street.A wiki could be a great way to communicate,and for people unable to attend a meeting to add their thoughts about a book,and to join in the group discussion,although not actually present.

I had good fun playing around in the sandbox,and after exploring various aspects of favourites on the list,managed to add my blog to the list of favourite blogs.I also set up a listing for Montpelier Book Group.Where this will take me is another exercise waiting to be explored.

No.16 Week 7 Wikis

2006-12-12T22:34:00.000+11:00

I have read through several articles about wikis,particularly their use in libraries and by librarians.I found the Book Lover Wiki,of great interest,and can see that this would be of great value to the public to keep in touch with the latest books,and to find new authors to read.

The Library Success and Best Practices Wiki,seems like a wonderful place for libraries and librarians ,to share their ideas and creative activities that have worked well,with others.Reading about other libraries successes will give incentive and encouragement,to others to try out new projects and to achieve new goals.

The wiki seems like a great place for community groups to work together towards a common goal,sharing ideas and discussing successes and failures,and adding the experiences and expertise to benefit all who visit the site.

No.15 Library 2.0

2006-12-11T22:18:00.000+11:00

I have worked for Yarra Plenty for more than 20 years.During that time I have seen many changes and three different C.E.O's in charge.When I started,the reference collection was of paramount importance.A vertical file was kept up to date for students and reference librarians received many enquiries,with an extended search available from H.Q.for more complicated issues. Gradually the emergence of information technology began to creep into the system.Then on a seeming tidal wave came the internet and many more computers .Suddenly there were more people sitting at these than standing in line to borrow books. While I can see the need for change in this new era within libraries,I can relate to the sentiments of Michael Stephens,a librarian blogger."Into a New World ofLibrarianship 2.0.Where will it take Libraries".He makes to me a very valid point that "The Library is Human',because it is a social and emotionally engaging centre for learning experiences.He believes that honest conversations

No.15 Library 2.0 continued

2006-12-11T21:38:00.000+11:00

need to take place within the library.I heartily agree,while I can see the need for R.F.I.D's to go forward with technology;I would hate to see the disappearence of a friendly smile,a familiar face and the personal touch.Many older and lonely people visit the library almost daily for a chat and companioship. Michael Stephens says that staff and borrowers needs are respected and staff should have time to play and learn.So Y.P.R.L. is right up there with Learning 2.0.He maintains the best Library Services are always the main goal. In "Away from The Icebergs",by Rick Anderson,Director of Resource Acquisitions,University of Nevada,Reno Library,the changing role of libraries is discussed,and the need to keep up with modern technology,and ultimately less use for printed matter.He sees the need to reach out to the public,whereas in the past,the public came to the library.He feels the need to educate the public to use the library facilities ,in the easiest possible way.

No.15 Library 2.0 Continued

2006-12-11T21:18:00.000+11:00

Reading these articles has brought home to me ,exactly what the impact of modern technology is having on the library and librarians.I now have a much greater appreciation of how Y.P.R.L. is embracing these changes and rising to the challenge to meet the new needs required by the borrowers and staff alike. The Learning 2.0 program is so important for the staff to keep up to date with these new terms and technologies.The Library Worker 2.0 Training program.gives staff the opportunity to be right up there in the forefront of the new era in libraries.The Community Liason librarians are fulfilling the need to take the library to the public,and to bring the public back into the library;with new and exciting activities,with a community based emphasis. My journey of more than 20 years has been most interesting and rewarding,and I.m proud to be part of this challenging and exciting move into the next phase for libraries of the future.

springhill

2006-12-10T21:39:00.000+11:00

This weekend has been a nightmare for gardeners,with temperatures of 39 and over 40 degrees.To step out into the garden was like opening an oven door,with great blasts of hot air.Needless to say lots of hand watering was needed later in the day,(yes using trigger nozzles and hand held hoses)

Two of the drawbacks were sharing the watering with tiger snakes,we sighted two this weekend,the third one we have seen this month.The other drawback was coming in to prepare the evening meal after 7 O'clock,after all the watering was done.

Please please rain,first of all for all the areas affected by bushfires,then the farmers and all the poor suffering plants in gardens around Australia.

Week 6,No.14,Technorati

2006-12-06T22:11:00.000+11:00

I had great fun exploring Technorati.A gardening search brought up 734 items about gardening.I found some very interesting information on vegetable and kitchen gardening.There were 136 links and11 posts,were tagged landscaping.

Next I tried a search on my other wonderful pastime,golf using Technorati.Blog post brought up 29,224 posts from all blogs;tags,521 tags were posted and Blog Directory showed 23 blogs.

I had a happy hour or so,updating myself on the Top Movies,Top News and Top Books.Next I trawled through the 100 Top Blogs.I was delighted to see the Huffington Post mentioned.It was like meeting an old friend,as this is one of the sites,listed on my husband's list of favourites.

No.13 Tagging

2006-12-02T01:56:00.000+11:00

I had an interesting and at times extremely challenging journey exploring del.icio.us.After several attempts and various prompts stating that the user name was incorrect,the password was not right and to try again the email address was invalid,I was absolutely delighted when finally my account was registered.

I tagged three sites pertaining to Organic Gardening.After several attempts ,and it seemed like several hours,don't ask me how I did it,but I managed to create a link to my blog,

organic gardening

2006-12-02T01:46:00.000+11:00

Go to my del.icio.us

Week 5,Rollyo

2006-11-28T22:21:00.000+11:00

I had a good look at various aspects of Rollyo.I had a play with Rare Book Library Search.My husband loves old books,and has a collection of some old and quite rare books.I looked up several titles of his books,but to no avail;then as this is an American set up,I tried an American book,but still no match.

Next I explored Rollyo.com.explore.I tried Organic Gardening,without success,however Organic on it's own,brought up about 18 sites,including Organic Gardening.

I then went into Rollyo.com.create Roll.I created a Rollyo A/c,and called it Organic Gardener.I managed to add a search box,much to my delight.I typed in Organic Gardening and brought up all sorts of links,relating to this topic.I listed 3 websites,all relating to gardening.My next challenge was to try and transfer the search box to my blog.I got organic gardening up on rollyo.com.searchbox,then wasn'tsure what a type pad blog was all about.So back to Suz for help.I found Rollyo harder to use than other areas I have explored so far.

Week 5,Thing No 11,Library Thing

2006-11-25T22:44:00.001+11:00

I signed up for an account with Library Thing.com After exploring the site,I found the easiest and most efficient method of using this site for my needs,was to manually enter the book titles,using title ,author and ISBN no.I intend to use the site to list all the books I read,and to make any special comments relating to the book.By listing the ISBN no.,it will make it easier for me to purchase the book at a later date ,if I so desire.
my library thing list

Week 5,Thing No.10

2006-11-25T09:56:00.000+11:00

I had a very interesting couple of hours exloring various areas of this project.I came up with the idea of creating a Garfield comic,after going through the Generator Blog. Our daughter Melissa will be most impressed.as she has been collecting Garfield objects for more than 20 years.
http://generatorblog.blogspot.com

Week 4,Thing No 9

2006-11-23T22:20:00.000+11:00

I have been exploring various steps and options using Feed Searches.I searched some areas concerning libraries.Using Feedster,I typed in Libraries,and nothing of any significense came up.So I typed in Library Book,and came up with an ad.for a children's librarian,at Stoneham Library,Massachusetts.Next I tried a Bloglines .com search,typing in Libraries,this brought up several feeds.One interesting one was Libraries,and Librarians in the News.

One item stated that Wales is to use libraries as e-learning sites to boost adult skills.Another aspect of the uses of libraries in the public community.Well must press on.I have to say for a computer novice,I am becoming hooked on this whole project,it is somewhat addictive.

Week 4,Thing No.8

2006-11-22T15:57:00.000+11:00

I set up a Bloglines account,then explored various blogline feeds.I found a section explaining how to subscibe to feeds.I chose several feeds,including "Gardening Questions of the Day","Home and Garden Television","New York Times Home and Garden",and "Guardian Unlimited"I followed the prompts,then decided to check with Suz,to see how I was going. The prompts must have neen pretty good.I Had actually done it!.

R.F.I.D 16/11/06

2006-11-17T23:49:00.000+11:00

Today I went to H.Q.to view the two models for our future self loans and returns.I had a play with the equipment and was amazed at the extent of modern technology.

One set up had the facility to pick up which book had not been scanned,when the borrower went through the security gates.A computer connected to the gates showed which was the offending book.How good is that,imagine a mother with a toddler in tow and a huge bag of picture books having to wait while the whole bag was rescanned;or some embarrassed little old lady standing by nervously,as all her books were re-checked.This set up,would save all that.

I was fascinated with the tagging system,so much information stored on such a small tag.It hardly seems possible.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of all this to me was the concept of a returns room,where as the books are returned ,they are automatically sorted into various catergories and moved along a conveyor belt to the right storage area.To me it is absolutely incredible that modern technolgy has the ability to do these things.

Flickr Colr Pickr 17/11/06

2006-11-17T23:32:00.000+11:00

Can't get off this garden theme it seems.I really loved one of Jim Bumgardener's software toys,Flickr Colr Pickr.A large circle has all the colours of the rainbow,by clicking onto a particular colour,you can bring up a series of photos featuring that colour.

Naturally I clicked onto flowers and was rewarded with fantastic shots of flowers and foliage with all the glorious hues ,representing every colour of the spectrum.I spent a delightful half hour exploring this Flickr Colr Pickr.Thank you Jim Bumgardener.

Flickr Fun with Frogs

2006-11-15T15:29:00.000+11:00

I had great fun with Flickr.It was a real journey of discovery,some frustration,and finally a great feeling of achievement and pride when a frog actually appeared on the screen .As a passionate gardener,I went on an amazing tour of magnificent gardens,saw glorious sunsets,gorgeous studies of flowers and trees and inspirational photos of nature and the world around us.I fell in love with this little frog.We have many frogs in our garden ponds,and their croaking is very much in evidence on a warm summer's evening.

I think the whole concept of Flickr is great,enabling keen photographer s the chance to share their passion with others.

week 1 ,thing no.2

2006-11-11T09:35:00.000+11:00

My hardest habit would be number 6 Use Technology to your advantage.For me technology can be quite daunting,and at times all a bit of a mystery.When I was at school,there was no such thing as Information Technology.This is one reason why I am excited about Learning 2.0.For me it has become a challenge to become more familiar with learning about computors and how to use them.

My easiest habit would have to be 7 1/2,Play.Life is meant to be not all hard work,I am a strong advocate for the old saying All work and no play,makes Jack a dull boy.Play for me is getting out in the garden,playing golf,reading a book sitting in a shady nook in the garden,and having dinner parties cooked by our children.It is fun to share many of my play activities with my husband Bob.

Springhill

2006-11-03T23:16:00.000+11:00

SpringhillToday we found a baby tawny frogmouth under a bush in our garden.It was about the size of a man's hand.We fed it some worms from the worm farm,and put it in the garage in a box,when some magpies began swooping it.

That night we put it out so that the parents could come and feed it,if they were in the area.The next morning it was still where we had left it.We bought an eye dropper and fed it some water,and in the late afternoon put it back in the garage.It was trying to learn to fly ,and promptly fell into a large flowerpot.We had to rescue it as it could not get out on it's own.

The next day,back in the garden,perched on a wall beside an oak tree it took it,s first real flight.Like proud parents we watched as it took off,alas not into the oak tree,but into the dog's run next door.So began a long rescue operation,with Oswald,as he had now been christened,being picked up just as the dog came around the corner.

Again we left Oswald where his parents could find him.We kept coming out and checking on him,only to find a forlorn little bird,all on his own.Morning found him sitting dejectedly at the foot of the oak tree.The temperature was predicted to be 29 degrees that day.Oswald was definitly weaker and we suspected been abandoned,so we rang the Healsville Sanctuary.Two hours later he was being fed chopped up mice and being properly cared for.Oswald a week later was thriving,he will go into care with another frogmouth and will be taught to be a bird

2006-11-01T16:08:00.001+11:00

This is my first post.Springhill is the name of our garden.It is situated in Melbourne,Australia;and occupies one acre of land.We have lived there for twenty years.During that time we have extensively renovated the whole garden.

In 2003 my husband and I were one of five finalists in ABC Gardening Australia's Gardener of the year.We were the only Victorians and the only couple.So you can see gardening is our hobby and our garden is our pride and joy.