Choices on the Horizon

Life sometimes veers into unexpected directions when you least
expect it.

You build up a life that rolls along like a contented coal train

then, without you noticing, after going along in a straight line

for decades, a fork appears . . .

cracking your self confidence. How to tackle what you

least expected? Your ordered, if not orderly existence, is turned

on its head. It creeps up on you for years, you try to close your

eyes . . . till one day you can not look past it any more. You have

to face the unpleasant truth and accept the unremitting changes

in the very fabric of your life.

Often when we are at our lowest, life springs another lesson on us

and we just have to cope.

Watery Wednesday ~ More Ducks

Another cute duckie, the lighting is not as good as last week


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but isn't she cute when she curls up like a kitten?
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Click to enlarge each or any if you like.
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Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting this meme. The Logo takes
you swimming wherever you like.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Pink Surprises

Ah, what it is to have two large gardens and not be able to keep
them up anymore . . . and yet, and yet, they keep rewarding me.
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Above, a treasure from our garden on the mountain and below,

a present on the farm. Almost at the end of our first month of

winter and still they flower....

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The Logo opens the door to flowers all over the world. Click to

join or just enjoy.

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Thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. for instigating this beautiful meme and

his great team who keep it running so smoothly.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Autumn Shadows

Life, like the seasons, slowly fades into the shadows,

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before the landscape and the hair turns to a snowy white,

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there is still one great burst of colour, before the shadows

lengthen and finally cover all.

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Thanks to Tracy at Hey Harriet for this delightfully shadowy meme.

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SkyWatch ~ Western Sky at Sunrise

The rising sun calls pasel hues into the western sky

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pours gold upon the hill top trees

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and for good measure, paints a gentle rainbow on the almost

cloudless sky.
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I was going to pick up the Prof who was taking his car in for

service, the morning was cold which gave me a quick photo

opportunity while my car warmed up. On the way I saw six

different rainbows but could not stop since there was a) no

where to pull off the road and b) too much traffic.

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To all of you who missed out on comments from me over the

last 10 days, I tried my best but was lucky if blogger managed

to upload one in four of them. Either I could not access the

comments page or, when I coud write on it, just would not load.

All in all a most frustrating experience since our internet works

at a snail's pace anyway. I also had comments which refuses to

load on my posts. I have not been very happy at all.

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All photos enlarge, I recommend it for the middle one especially.

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Thanks to the industry and patience of our SkyWatcg Team, we

can all join in and enjoy this popular meme.

Watery Wednesday ~ A Great Day on the Water

A good day to share with a friend . . .

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Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy we have this great venue for sharing our

watery views.

MY WORLD ~ A Retrospective . . .

Musing on what the shortest day had been like last year, I
checked in my photo diary. It was a cold and crisp Sunday,
unlike today, the leaves had not all fallen yet. Being partial
to a Sunday drive but preferring an outing with a goal . . .

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we took ourselves to Rockford's Winery in the Barossa Valley.

Rockfords still make traditional wine from non-irrigated grapes

pressed in large wooden open vats. The old buildings have been

restored and extended in the same manner and are always a joy

to visit. We aquired a few dozen bottles of their excellent produsce

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and headed home again through golden pastures dotted with

sheep,
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or not, enjoying the clear light and pleasant landscapes.

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Past vineyards and distant blue hills . . .
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and more of the same,
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until the thought of home and afternoon tea caused us to step on
the gas and move along at a rather brisker pace. It really was a

very satisfying outing.

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I have just noticed that in 2 years of blogging this is my 401st.

post! Thank you to all of you who have visited and I hope will

continue to do so. Your friendship and comments have definitely
enriched my life, as your prayers and good wishes have helped me

through some hard times.

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Thank you one and all my friends!

And a big thank you to the industrious MY WORLD Team for the

establishment and continuation of this delightful meme.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Transitions

Winter is here, the leaves have fallen and glow yet on the ground.
Some roses still have a few flowers, 'Bonica' has blushed a darker
pink in the cold weather.

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The first Hyacinth bravely pops her head up to share her scent.

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The purple leafed Geranium, though drenched with rain, is a

welcome touch of colour. The garden may not have a riot of

blooms at this season but there are always enough to be found

for a posy.
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Thanks to all the kind people on the Flower Team who care for

and co-ordinate this meme.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Through and Behind

Shades and shadows . . . tantalisingly clear, yet remote.

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A moment of universal clarity in the infinity of time.

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A small contribution to Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday

SkyWatch ~ Dynamic Skies

Things were happening in the sky, they were happening at
lightning speed, these three shots were virtually taken almost
simultaneously. No time to look, just click, click, click.

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Swirling and swishing . . .

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then the magic was gone and only the last echo of flames was left.

The love affair was over, time to call it a day.
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Click on the Logo and roam other skies.

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Thanks to the efforts of the SkyWatch Team, we can all share our skies.

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Watery Wednesday ~ Bubble Bath

Ahh, there is nothing like a cooling bubble bath on a hot day

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it really is great fun when you get into the swing of it!

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Of course, not everyone has the knack, try as they may.
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Enlarge if yu have the time and please say 'hi' even if I am unable to

visit you all as yet.

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Thanks to 2Sweetnsaxy for hosting this wet meme.

MY WORLD ~ St Arnaud, Victoria

St Arnaud, a sleepy little country town aware of its history
and with a sense of pride in its surroundings.
Main street in the heart of town.

Through a glass darkly, its erstwhile fire engine!

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In front of the fire station, the very solid red letter box and

across the road the lovely colonial Botanical Hotel looking across

some very well kept Botanical Grdens.

On a side street, another relic of times gone by, the watering

trough for horses and probably dogs as well.

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All in all, a charming township to pass through and stop at

the gardens on an alternate route between Adelaide and Melbourne.
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The world is full of interesting nooks. Click on the logo and see
for yourself.

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A big thank you to the MY Wold Team for creating and keeping

this great meme going.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Winter Treasures

The first ray of hope in the cold of winter that Spring will come
again, the delicate Winter Iris shyly hiding amongst its leaves.

Do enlarge to see the sparkle.

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The earliest of Jonquils, a clump of virginal white.

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For more flowers, or to join the meme, click the Logo at right.

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With thanks to the TODAY'S FLOWER Team for hosting this meme.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows across our path . . .

bring life into sharper focus . . .

Thank you Harriet for hosting this meme. To view other

participants or to join in, click on the Logo at right.

Just for Fun

These two birdies have patiently waited to be posted
for quite some time.

This colourful Rosella I spotted in the Australian Alps
in New South Wales,

while by way of contrast, this Emu wandered by in the

Little Desert National Park in the flat lands between

Adelaide and Melbourne.

The Emu is quite a large bird, the second largest in the country

and can easily look you in the eye if you are between 5' - 6'.

I for one do not like being up close and personal with them as

they have a flat head on top with a brain the size of a pea and

can be rather unpredictable.

Happy Sunday everyone!

SkyWatch ~ and God Still Swung the Brush

Third and last week of the same extraordinary sunset.
Please do enlarge them, you will be rewarded.

not content with gentle washes, now the highlights come into

play

streaks of blinding gold career across the sky

mutating, softening into pink on blue and

ever so slowly deepening into the purple and blue

of oncoming night. A ghostly whorl of white among the darkening

clouds

as darkness turns the evening into the dreamy blue stillness

of the night.

If you have not enlarged any up to now, at least enlarge the last

one to get the full force of that magical blue.

My thanks to the SkyWatch team for the opportunity to take part

in this wonderful meme.

Just an Inbetween Post

Oops, I pressed the wrong box on a Greek post (sorry, don't
read Greek) and got a foreign post on my blog. Decided to
replace it with these charming little Thornbills.

They all enlarge, hope you enjoy them.