The Eagle has Landed. President Obama in Canberra.

The President of the United States, or POTUS as it's shortened to, arrived in Canberra today.  Air Force One was supposed to touch down at Fairbairn at 3.25pm, but he arrived early, with his distinctive blue and white plane appearing over the hills of Canberra at 3.06pm.  I watched the plane land from Mount Ainslie.  I expected a fair few people to turn up, but admit to being surprised by the numbers, and the fact that the plane arrived 20 mins early that scheduled meant that there could well have been still more.  The photographs of the plane itself aren't brilliant, because we were a long way away on a hazy and cloudy day.  Many of the roads were blocked off, but in hindsight I could have gotten a better image from a closer vantage point, because there were people much much closer than I thought they would have allowed, so there is the chance of something better tomorrow.  

It was all very exciting then at Parliament House.  I was back with many of the other media, as only a select group were allowed up, and so again, the images of the President himself are still from a decent distance away, but I liked all the images of the crowd, and the expectation.  It's clearly evident what a big deal this was, and I was pleased to be out and about in it.

A woman and her young baby arrive at Mt Ainslie to see Air Force One land.


Military training.  They weren't there to hunt us off the mountain!

Spectators

3.05pm, as a spectator checks his iPhone


Air Force One appears in the distance


The Eagle Has Landed..  President Obama touches down on Australian Soil in Air Force One at Canberra Airport.




Motorcade crossing Commonwealth Avenue and the signature fountain.
The Beast.  President Obama's vehicle.  Alas he's on the other side!




21 Gun Salute for the President


President Barack Obama.


A spectator.  There were lots of cameras!







The Australian Federal Police.  Out in force.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Legacy of Eight Carat: From the Vault Volume I

Image
We have been back in lockdown here in Victoria. Lockdown 5.0 to be precise and as a result it made us go back to feeling like sad sacks.  After having seen off Lockdown 4.0 a teeny tiny bit triumphantly, where we saw off both Delta and Kappa variants (evil beasts that they are - curse you stinky COVID - curse you), we had literally only just gotten back to work before being very suddenly plunged back into Lockdown 5.0 after the visit of those very nice removalists.   'Thanks very much!!!!' we all shouted indignantly!!!!  A key difference with Lockdown 5.0 was that half the country also into lockdown at the same time which made us feel slightly less sad.  The Victorian Government doesn't muck about anymore when it comes to outbreaks.  Their reaction is swift and severe and not at all namby pamby.  I just wish the same logic would be applied to Sydney which continues to deteriorate, much to my dismay.  This week we took our first tentative steps out of Lockdown 5.0, hurrah f
Read more

Vale Sadler's Wells - champion stallion dies in Ireland.

Image
One of the most important racehorses, and later stallions of our time, the great Sadler's Wells died in Ireland on the evening of Tuesday 26 April 2011.  He died at Coolmore's Tipperary Stud in Ireland, his home since his retirement in 1984.  The stallion was retired from breeding in 2008. His legacy worldwide is immense.  He has left sons and daughters,  and three of his stallion sons, in Galileo, Montjeu and High Chaparral, are leading stallions in the Northern Hemisphere.  In Australia, Galileo and Montjeu had less success, however the impact of High Chaparral was immediate, and immense.  While the horse still has to repeat the success he achieved with his New Zealand bred runners, from which the Group 1 winners, and champion So You Think, were conceived, High Chaparral is still leading the Australian General Sires Title with only a couple of months of racing left. In Europe, Montjeu and Galileo have both sired Epsom Derby winners, in Authorized and New Approach respective
Read more

The physical drain of riding horses

Image
Most people agree that the life of a jockey is a difficult one.  There are a handful that rise to the top, and do extremely well out of the Sport of Kings.  The vast majority however struggle with their weights, and do their best to avoid and/or overcome injury.  Anyone who has ever been pelted off a horse would know that it doesn't tickle!  And of course the older you get, the more it hurts!  We used to fang around on our ponies, bareback, in headstalls and leadropes, never wearing a riding hat.  Completely fearless, and I am sure that on the odd occasion I parted company with my horse, I used to bounce.  In fact I rarely used to fall off, unless the horse came down as well, I guess all those years of galloping around bareback meant my balance and ability to swing my body with the horse was pretty good.  I'd like to say that I could still ride the same, but age and the maturing mind catches up, and you start thinking of the consequences of 'what if I come off', which
Read more