TODAY'S FLOWERS, Weekend Flowers & Floral Friday - Spring in Full Force

Spring has busted out all over while I wasn't looking

The crabapple 'Floribunda', that sparingly flowered all winter

surprised me with more blossom than ever

my deep pink flowering almond thought it was boring so it 

added some pink sports!

The oak just had to get in the act and it looks like wi'll have

a great crop of acorns for the pigs to enjoy

and yippee! I have masses and masses of tulips.

I'll show you more next time.

Linking with

TODAY'S FLOWERS 

 Weekend Flowers

Floral Friday

and

SATURDAY SHOW OFF

OUR WORLD - Angaston in the Rain

Come rain or shine, I love to go to the Angaston farmer's marker

very early on a Saturday morning.

Afterwards my dog and I enjoy the little township itself.

We park under my favourite oak in this delightful off

road car park between the main street and a small creek

side park. No that is not my car, mine is quite grown up

and had it's 21st birthday some time ago.

After our little bit of shopping we sit a while either under 

the vine covered colonnade or on a bench on the lawn

say hallo to that splendid oak that shades our car in summer

look back towards the main street

let our senses wallow in the beauty of the lingering autumn leaves

and cross the bridge to be greeted by the last of the golden wonders

still as bright as in mid summer

 marvel at these tiny, less than an inch tall, 

sulphurous fungi dotting the lawns

with hardly time to tuck camera under coat before it braves the

rain again to shoot the last hollyhock escapee from a garden

abov that has naturalised on the steep, rocky bank of the creek

with camera once more safely tucked away, dog and I 

nimbly step between the raindrops to enjoy 

the rest of our walk

OUR WORLD has so many nooks and crannies to

explore, this is just one of them but if you look

with an open heart, you find then everywhere.

OUR WORLD - Angaston in the Barossa Valley

I dug into my archives again (not quite conversant with my

shiny new Canon while my trusty Nikon is languishing in

hospital), to share some photos I took for a MyWorld post.

So, in memory of Klaus, whose brainchild the meme was, I

post them now for the sequel.

Angaston is one of the old towns in the Barossa Valley wine

region. We go there on Saturday mornings to the farmers'

market but this time we just went for a walk and lunch.

Most of you will know that I have a great love of oaks so,

what better place to park, than under this magnificent

golden canopy?

Sometimes I like to explore what lies behind the facade of the

main street. We took a little path along the creek just off the

main drag to discover this storm-felled giant resting on the

grassy bank.

An old shed I have had a soft spot for for a long time

and chimneys reflected in the gold strewn creek.

The Angaston Hotel where we lunched,

sun shining through these forerunners of modern gladioli

and back to the golden drapery of one of my favourite oaks

to retrieve our car.

The end of a pleasant walk, that I hope you have enjoyed as

much as we did.

Share what you love or even dislike about your world to give

everyone a broader picture.

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Birthday Wonders

On this special day for me, when I reach my first

three quarter century, I went around the garden

and park to show you the wonders mother nature

has blessed me with on this one day. This is but a

selection of all that is flowering at the moment.

My shade-house full of scented and other orchids

is not even touched upon here.

The wisteria along the house is in full bloom.

On first waking very early, this Adelaide Rosella was nipping

off the new shoots of my rose bushes.

I went to the farmers' market and on my way back, saw this

amazing tree peony. The elderly gentleman kindly invited me

into his garden to photograph it and insisted on presenting me

with a bloom for my birthday!

With these few hardy tulips, I would like to thank all those of

you who so kindly prayed for us, sent kind thought and light.

Your intervention on our behalf has already paid dividends as

the prognosis for my wonderful sister has changed from an

impossibly frightening one, to a more hopefully operable

contained brain tumour close to the scull.

The operation is scheduled for Monday so please if you can,

continue with your support a little longer.

Below is my birthday tree that never fails to have at least a

few blossoms on the day. This year it is in full flight and a joy

to behold

I thought with all the turmoil in the family my birthday would

pass unnoticed but to my great surprise, suddenly last night

my son, daughter-in-love and youngest granddaughter

materialised on our doorstep!

Above, a close up of my birthday tree and below a mountain

of gold . . . am I rich or what??

Everyone should have a daisy a day . . .

Heading into the park, I was greeted by Sam who excitedly ran

towards me faster than I could get his tail into my sights.

The Judas tree is full of pretty pink buds,

This ash that I cannot remember off hand has bright pink flower

like leaves.

the Choke CHerry, Prunus padus, takes me back to my Latvian

childhood with it's wonderfully heady scent.

The Banksia is covered in golden birthday candles just for me

and even the young oak that I grew from an acorn is flowering

for the first time

and lucky last, these deep pink blossoms on my red-leafed

crabapple.

And that is not the half of all that is in bloom at the moment.

I wish each and every one of you a happy day!

Just click on the Logo and fall into a wealth of flower and show

your own as well.