Thursday, June 30, 2011

SkyWatch & Nature Notes ~ 3rd. Blogaversary!


It is exactly three years since my darling daughter bullocked me
into starting a blog. Insecure and mainly computer illiterate, I made
my first tentative posts mainly to have somewhere to show some
photos of my way of looking at the world.

I don't know how it happened but over 600 posts and 300 followers
later, I am humbled to have so many friends around the world and
more grateful than I can possibly say to have been welcomed into
the blogging community with such open arms.

I wish to thank you all for having taken me to your hearts. You all
have made this old lady with a camera, a very happy bunny indeed!


All of you have been like this shining cloud for me, pure joy.


The seasons this year are very confused, like this spider outside
my room with his stash of food bundled up to feed her babies.


Our lovely English Leicester ladies smiling after being 'crutched'
( having their backsides shorn to prevent fly-strike).
One of the chores when the grass greens up in autumn.


It is two weeks to mid-winter here and my garden not only
is bursting with spring flowers but roses as well. How on
Earth am I going to get them all pruned when they look like
this?


Certainly not something one expects at this season of the year.


My Hyacinths are popping up like Johnny Jump-ups.


Violets are flowering everywhere,


Jonquils smile from hidden nooks,


and Snowflakes are ringing their little bells earlier than ever.


Although the sheep got into the garden and trampled the broad
beans, they have set and ripened at least four months early.


Luckily, we have had no bad frosts so our lettuces are doing
well, also very unusual for this time of year.


Most plants are well in advance of their season except these
apples, which were late in ripening and are still being enjoyed
straight off the tree.



The biggest anomaly is this flowering cherry tree which has
swelling buds when it has never in 40 years, flowered before September.

SkyWatch and Nature Notes, Memes that wave been kind to me, click on
either Logo on my side bar to join in all the fun.

41 comments:

  1. Three years, mazal tov! You certainly had no lack of wonderful things to show us in all that time.
    Thanks for all the sharing, Arija.

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  2. I'm thankful that you daughter made you start blogging. I enjoy seeing your part of the world through the eyes of your camera.

    An Arkies Musings

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  3. hurray for 3 years!!! i certainly enjoy sharing your part of the world thru your blog!

    interesting season you're having there - all mixed up!

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  4. Congratulations, Arija, on three wonderful years of blogging and thank you for sharing your world and skies and so much more with us! My third year blogaversary comes up next month and I'm so grateful to the friend that nudged me into blogging as your daughter did you. Fantastic captures of your skies and world as always! Have a wonderful weekend!

    Sylvia

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  5. Happy blogaversary! Terrific series of shots. The spider gives me the creeps but it's a great photo.

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  6. Chapeau! Please keep those wonderful posts coming!
    Btw, you have quite a green thumb. Your efforts are a great success. :)
    Cheers from Montreal.

    P.S. Regarding your question about root pine beer: I don't drink it but, will inquire and get back to you. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  7. Yes! Three years later and an award named in your honor!!! You my dearest Arija are one of the very few bloggers I can can on one hand whom I consider truly my sisterfriend. I love you. That's just the way it is. Thank you for sharing your images, your beauty, your wisdom and grace and love with me. Forever my sisterfriend!!! Tsup!

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  8. Happy Blogoversary! I can't believe it's been three years. Thanks for the beauty, my friend. xx

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  9. Happy anniversary, Arija; and do thank your daughter for the pressure, because you've provided us with some lovely images. Owl's Farm just celebrated it's fifth anniversary (I, too, was "convinced" to do this), and it's been worth the trouble.

    Your photos of your real farm are often the highlight of a long, hard week. These are no exception.

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  10. Congratulations on three years of blogging... I am still amazed what I can see and share all over the world in seconds.
    A lot of friendships have also been made... we used to call them pen friends when I was a child using what's now known as snail mail.

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  11. Lovely post Arija, - congratulations on your three year anniversary and thank you for all your sharing. I started blogging in July of 2006 and as I come up to the end of my fifth year I am as enthusiastic as ever, - such good blogging friends and a wonderful way to express your feelings and share your world.

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  12. Arija, you always have such beautiful colors! I love the deep reds and purples. So satisfying. Congrats on your anniversary! and many more happy productive years, I hope.

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  13. good move on your daughter's part to push you into blogging. your photos and stories are too beautiful to keep to yourself.

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  14. Congratulation! Three years are ages.
    The sky photo is wonderful.

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  15. Congratulations on your 3rd year on blogland. And wishing for more years to come ^_^

    SWF

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  16. Three wonderful years, Arija - and many Blog friends celebrate with you! I love your mid-winter "spring" flowers which look a lot like mine right now in summer at high altitude.

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  17. I am glad you joined the blogging world.Your pictures are a delight.

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  18. Congratulations on 3 years Arija! How time flies doesn't it? Blogger friends are so wonderful. I too have enjoyed all my many hours of visits around the world. So many places I never would have gone, thanks to my blogger friends.
    Your flowers are beautiful, and even our Spring has been different this year. No late frost, and everything is early, but too much rain. The strawberry crop ended way too early and sold out in about 1 1/2 weeks.The berries have lost their special taste..
    Have a wonderful weekend, and take care. HUGS!
    B.

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  19. Wonderful set of shots. Happy blog anniversary.

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  20. Arija, I am So glad you started blogging and that we found each other. (My 3 years in Oct) I love following you around through your beautiful words and images.

    On the other hand, I am concerned about you Very early blooming. One more sign of climate change. Yet you did get some good rain. Hmmm....

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  21. A little of "everything" in your post--very nice. Lovely shots of the flowers--sounds like your weather has been nice so far this year. Have a lovely weekend. Mickie :)

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  22. Congratulations on your three year blogaversary! It's always delightful to see your view of the world down under from the far north. I too have so enjoyed meeting people around the world and sharing a little bit of our lives.

    Beautiful photos of your "spring" flowers. I wouldn't be able to prune those lovely roses either!

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  23. Hi there - strange to see all those things happening at the same time.

    Cracking spider!

    Happy 3rd Blogday!

    Stewart M.

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  24. I like these pictures, especially the cloud and the spider:)

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  25. Congratulations and Happy Blogversary Arija, you are one full year ahead of me, and you have way more followers, which I think just your being you and sharing the way you do, makes it fun to check out what you have posted. Those sheep...oh, I adore sheep, and would love to own one, just one, to have around, but the husby says no way~

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  26. Your daughter did the same to you as my daughter did to me! She said in 2006 to me : "Mum you should work on a computer..."I didn't dare touching the thing and I knew nothing of dealing with it. Little by little I have learned to handle the apparatus, and I love it!
    You wrote in your comment that the hailstones your daughter saw were 3 inches! How dangerous!! If they had fallen here my windows and my solar panels would have been smashed.

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  27. Congratulations on 3 years. That is quite an accomplishment.

    Your garden photos are wonderful, but I wonder how you deal with everything coming all at once! You must be very busy! :)

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  28. Wonderfull post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  29. Congratulations on three years of photography blogging - it is a wonderful community I am fast discovering. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  30. I'm so glad your daughter talked you into blogging. I enjoy your blog very much and am glad to have gotten to know you through your blog. Wonderful set of photographs.

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  31. Very cool spider, looks to be a foot long :)

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  32. OH ARIJA! Your photos are magical and your writing is so beautiful. It's no wonder you have touched the hearts of so many like me. Thank you, You sweet nature nymph! Happy Anniversary!

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  33. Congrats on your three years of blogging. It is fun and there are so many wonderful blogger friends out there. I enjoyed your post and photos. Are your flowers and plants confused as to what time of year it is? Have a great weekend.

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  34. Happy B-aversary. Always enjoy the view from your garden and its environs. Bean-fed mutton ought to be pretty tasty?

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  35. Strange weather for midwinter but very nice photographs. We'd never see buds or flowers here that time of year!

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  36. hAPpy THreE YeaRS to your blog, Arija! Very grateful to share your views of the world with you via your photographs.

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  37. Interesting series of shots! Your apples look so tempting. Hv a great weekend n wishing you many more happy blogging times ahead...

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  38. Hi there - thanks for the comment on my blog.

    As you may be able to tell, it takes me a while to write each post - so its really very nice when its claer that somebody (you in this acse) has actually read what I wrote.

    Thanks again. Stewart M

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  39. Happy Anniversary my friend. I think I have been with you for most of that time and everyone sees what I do and that's why they keep coming back...hugs...Michelle

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  40. Beautiful flower shots and what a spider!

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