I've just entered the Tasmanian Open Chess Championship which will be held in Somerset in 2 weeks.
I would have liked to enter the Asian Senior Chess Championship which will be held in Mongolia as I've never been there. But, alas, that will not be happening.
Been too tired to chase auroras the past few nights but really happy for those of you that saw it, and thankful for the amazing pictures you've plastered over Mastodon.
I did get out today in the autumn foliage and was lucky to see my first Mycena Interrupta, or cute little blue mushy, since moving to Tasmania.
I was cooking dinner, but then I got distracted by the view outside! We are lucky to see aurora from home and we were ready for this last night, but then we had cloud cover. Tonight is making up for it 🤩
These are phone pics with 2-3 second exposure #AuroraAustralis#Tasmania#lutruwita
We were doing a bit of gardening out the front of our house when we heard and saw some Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos in trees across the road. My wife went to check them out and took this photo of one flying away, with our house behind.
Grand Master Samy Shoker came to our little club yesterday to play a group of us simultaneously. We managed to score one draw against him (me) which was better than his simul in Hobart the day before when he won all his games.
Samy was a great gentleman, and was great with sharing his knowledge, especially with the kids who were thrilled to be playing and talking (even laughing) with him.
We have a chess Grand Master visiting Launceston today. Samy Shoker from Egypt is on a working holiday in Australia and is spending some time in our beautiful state. He'll come to our club this evening 🙂
Met this little guy last week by the Emu River near Burnie.
This is a Tasmanian Pademelon, a small marsupial which can now only be found here in Tasmania. There are other Pademelons in Australia and this species used to be on the mainland until humans decided to destroy them there.
This particular fella was probably young, because it was even small for a Pademelon.
Took a trip to Burnie on the north coast of Tasmania. There's a beautiful spot on the Emu River called Fern Glade Reserve, a good place for platypus spotting. Didn't see any today, but the track and river were beautiful.
Voting done. Tough choice for last place, but in the end, Julie Sladden, the crazy Covid denier placed last behind the mad shooters and fisheries guy 😀
At the gorge this arvo for a Tasmanian Aboriginal walking tour. It was a good thing to get up for. COLD. The basin is formed by the second dam along this stretch of the North Esk river. 🥶 #lutruwita#Launceston#Tasmania