How can we possibly live up to our theme photo of this week. It is just about perfect Let’s just look at it., A group of four young ladies being very daring and raising their skirts so that they could paddle in the lake. And the two young boys tagging along. Can’t you just hear one of the mothers saying You can’t go walking unless you take Billy and Johnny with you. And there are the boys, not quite a part of the group but on the periphery.
Like most groups of girls there is a range of personalities. Look at the haughty expression of the front girl facing the camera, challenging the photographer to please explain what he thinks he might be doing. A much more demure but mischievious young lady in the dark dress carrying a more sensible hat is seeing the funny side of the situation while the other two girls pretend that nothing is going on.
A moment in time but all is not still. The movements of legs in the water has created ripples, expanding out in all directions. And wouldn’t it be nice if they expanded all the way to author Toni Jordan so that she could create a back and future story for these six characters.
And then from the sublime to something a bit less sublime, the beach at Apollo Bay c 1936. Have you ever used the phrase a face only a mother could love. I think some photos fall into that category too.
A grandmother doing supervision duty on an empty beach.
Going back further in time, to some time between 1880 and 1900 , at the State Library of Victoria we find an elegantly dressed woman and formally dressed man at the edge of some water watching the two older children have a paddle in a little byway of a larger expanse of water.
And closer to home, the sea water Paddling Pool in front of the enclosed swimming area at Eastern Beach in Geelong.This photo from the State Library of Victoria was taken about 1949.
Water is not the only medium which makes for fun paddling, and hands are good for paddling in mud too. – Melbourne 1962
These are the photos which have sprung to my mind when looking at this week’s theme photo for Sepia Saturday. Other people have contributed different photos and they can be found through the links on Sepia Saturday
Bound for Australia 
Ooo . . . all that lovely mud. Get out the Tide with bleach! The first photo looks so calm & peaceful with the family & the children sailing boats. I’d much prefer to be there than with the crowd in the second photo. Way too many people!
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Ha Ha Ha. Those two photos of the little girl (you?) in the mud made me smile 🙂
Also made me remember playing in the sprinkler as a child.
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That’s a lovely old photograph from the SLV of the children standing in the water, perhaps somewhere near Yarra Bend? By the way, I enjoyed reading Toni Jordan’s “Nine Days”.
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Glad you enjoyed Nine Days. It’s always a risk recommending a book to others.
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I wish I were at an empty beach with only a grandchild and a camera person right now! Never would want to go to that crowded beach.
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Crowded beaches are not for me either. The paddling pool looks very inviting.
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I always enjoyed a good run through the sprinkler and setting one up for my kids.
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All wonderful shots. I especially love the first one as I imagine the sound of the waves softly rolling in.
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Mud .mud, glorious mud> Where else would a child like to be?
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Your comments about the prompt photo made me look at it closer than I originally did.
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Love how the tone of this blog went from contemplative to down-right FUNNY!
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