Friday, November 29, 2013

TODAY'S FLOWERS & I Heart Macro - Pink Rhododendrons


Aldgate, a village in the hills, has shops along one side of the 
main street, parking, cunningly concealed under massive tree,
 on the other as well as a bit of lawn and a picnic table 
and an almost vertical garden climbing up a steel slope.

A perfect setting for massed rhododendrons under the shelter
of the trees.
I found this pink one particularly charming


even in the difficult lighting of brilliant sun and part shade.


Such a nice place to stop with off-road shaded parking.

Linking with



Thursday, November 28, 2013

SkyWatch - Shooting Clouds


Shooting Clouds  Heading home the other day, 
the clouds seemed to shoot across the sky 
as though launched from missiles


 deciding to swirl 


 and exhausted from all the activity, 
getting ready for bed . . .


 However your sky looks today or any other day, 
look up and enjoy it!

Monday, November 25, 2013

OUR WORLD, Wild Bird Wednesday & Nature Notes - Just Peacocking About . . .


This visitor to my garden may be jung and inexperienced 
but as I went to call the chickens, he promptly displayed 
for me.


His feathers are not yet fully grown but you have to give 
him 10 points for trying.

Shivering his feathers and turning


to show off the back end which displayed the engineering 
works of how he can lift and hold up that huge fan
when it is fully grown.

Actually, I find the back view quite enchanting.


After a curtain call or two he calmly walked off into 
the rose garden to help with the weeding.


I look forward to having all three fly up for a visit.

Their flight, for such a big bird, is surprisingly silent.

For all those of you who wondered how we can stand 
those loud screeches, it is just like the striking of the 
grandfather clock, you sit up in bed as though startled 
when it does NOT strike. I had not realised how much 
I had missed the peacocks until I heard their familiar 
call again. Apart from that, they certainly let you know 
when a strange car comes down the road and since the 
goose is taking a break from guard duty while she 
incubates, it feels good to have a second line of defence.

Have a happy week every one!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Magic in the Mail


After battling a gastric bug for most of this month, I could not
think of anything nicer than on my first day of driving again
to find this wonder in the post.


As I either swelter or freeze, depending on the weather coming 
from the desert or the Antarctic in our uncertain spring,
the wonder of autumn captured on paper drifted across the ocean
from Darling Daughter who is currently enjoying fall as artist 
in residence in Portland Oregon


and suddenly my spirits soar as I hum 'autumn leave' while I 
vacillate between them drifting by my window or languidly 
floating down a river or gracing a frosted pond


It is pure joy to know I have a daughter who can feel from 
so far away what my heart craves . . .


Thank you India, you are the best.

Monday, November 11, 2013

OUR WORLD, Wild Bird Wednesday & Nature Notes - A Happy Post


With the world in turmoil with the super storm that hit the 
Philippines, bush fires across New South Wales
and Armistice Day reminding us all of terrible wars,
I decided to post something much happier today.

My eldest granddaughter has a way of taking in anything that 
needs a home:
as though three horses, two dogs, numerous cats, two pigs, two
goats and at least half a dozen bottle fed lambs were not enough, 
besides the goose, ducks and blue egg laying chickens she bought.
she came home with two peacocks and a peahen the other day.

We used to have a resident peacock that came with the farm,
screamed from the roof top and foulded our water supply, 
left stinking heaps on the doormat for one to tread in, fed 
from the hand, was absolutely gorgeous and succumbed 
to old age a few years ago.
His name was Claude, pronounced in the French way, he liked 
to strut and show off . . .

Here is the, as yet unnamed, replacement. Pretty as a picture


displaying with relish for this young hen although in full array
there is little room for manoeuvring with the rose in the round-house 
they are enclosed in until they feel at home and can roam at large.


The happy couple among the roses.


There was a young cock as well but he decided to fly over 
G-daughter's head when she opened the door to feed them
and was last seen in the wild wood heading towards the dam.

Who knows, he may yet return . . .

Lastly, one of the great joys of my life and childhood,
darling granddaughter let me loose in her wild strawberry patch!!!!

Being higher up the hill, mine ripen a little later. 

Naturally we shared the spoils.


Enjoy the wonders of Your World, who knows how long they may last?


Friday, November 8, 2013

FLORAL FRIDAY, TODAY'S FLOWERS & I Heart Macro - A Few More Spring Flowers


Even in spring, all is not rosy,
pansies suffering bug and snail damage
but such a pleasing colour combination


scow white primulas with a few pink ones and stocks


  forget-me-nots had those nasty harlequin or stink bugs on them 
although they were thankfully not palatable to them

I love looking the forget-me-nots in the eye and 
checking out the hairy coats on the buds


Linking with




Thursday, November 7, 2013

SkyWatch - The Afterglow of Sunset


Ever so gently the world goes to rest


the sky sheds the last of it's colour
and puts out the lights


Linking with SkyWatch Friday

Come see the skies around the world!

Monday, November 4, 2013

OUR WORLD, Wild Bird Wednesday & Nature Notes - Bush Food


Saltbush country in the Flinders Ranges


with plenty of emus wandering around


live, or metal cut-outs as here in the Port Augusta  Dry-land 
Botanical Gardens with a live Gould's Goanna strolling by


some instructive information about saltbush and it's 
relationship with the Emu


berries I picked in the wild not in the gardens and since it was a 
hot day, they were very refreshing


revegetation at the gardens with the sort of sensible bush gear 
we wear here, particularly the fly netting over the head
to stop us swallowing too many bush-flies and protect eyes 
and nose from them as they not only bite but mainly suck the 
moisture from your eyes leaving them irritated and it is not at 
all pleasant to breathe them into your lungs.


Even with the dry, the heat and the flies, we thoroughly enjoy the bush.

Linking with 




Friday, November 1, 2013

TODAY'S FLOWERS & I Heart Macro & FLORAL FRIDAY FOTOS - Beauty in Sadness


One of my highly scented orchids in the rain


and a few shots of the most beautiful funeral wreath
for my husband sent by a very dear friend.






With thanks to Denise and Laura for hosting these two
memes respectively