CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

January was a great time for long walks... and playing ingress. So, at one point, I found myself at the Crace Hilltop Reserve - and I loved it. Little animal statues hiding in the native bush in the middle of a new suburb? Awesome! Welcome to the Crace Hilltop Reserve. On the left is a playground for under-fives, and on the right is a path leading away from it.  Of course, straight ahead is a sign welcoming you the the sculpture walk. Let's take the path to the right. The little ones can play *after* a short walk. Mind you, the first sculpture on the left is a little *too* lifelike for my liking. The length is about right, but it *is* a statue! And, of course, here's the information about what to do if you see a snake. It's good advice no matter what part of Australia you're in. This is not a man-made feature, but it's one you should know about. This is a meat ant's nest. Don't walk on it, and don't stop too c...

On another day in January 2016, I took a stroll along one of the shared bikeways that can be found throughout the city. This one took me along the top of Lake Ginninderra, and down towards the lake itself. It was a lovely day, and the views were spectacular. This shot was taken looking down towards the Belconnen town centre. Belconnen, Belco to some of the city natives, is one of the larger suburbs in the city. Here's another shot of that, playing with the close-up function on the Samsung Galaxy 5. The summer shoreline was beautiful on this particular morning, with reflections everywhere. I took a few shots of the bridge and the town centre - so far away, but so close (only a 3 km walk). This was taken from another bridge, looking back at the peninsula that hangs down in the middle of the lake. Again - reflections... Here is a shot of the western shore, showing that Canberra does, indeed, have beaches, of a kind. And here is a view of the...

So, sometime in January, when I was learning how to play ingress, I went for a walk in Forde. I'll have to go again, because there's a few things I didn't photograph - like the picnic area and the area as a whole, but this is an example of the little nooks tucked away in Australia's capital city, Canberra. One of the things about Canberra is that it's full of trees. You might wonder how the 2003 bushfires could have been so devastating, but the whole capital is full of trees. It's beautiful.  It also has a way of making utilitarian areas, like these water quality ponds, pleasant places for picnics and play. Here's a close-up of the sign, above. ... and of the what's on the sign - a map of the area. Of course, just because they were designed as public spaces, in a bushfire prone city, doesn't always mean they are well-maintained...  This shot looks across Mulligan's Flat Road from Forde, into the neighbouring suburb...