TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Desert Flowers, Parachilna Gorge

More photos of dry-land wildflowers from our recent trip.

I will do my best to add the names I can find tomorrow when

I am rested.

The very thorny but so pretty Solanum,

and a European interloper, the blue Pimpernel.

All photos enlarge as usual.

The Logo will open a world of flowers and give you a chance to

join in as well.

Thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. and his flower team.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Soft and Hard Edge

Little orchid spreading scent and soft shadows on the table

while out in the harsh sunlight the daphne casts hers sharp and

distinct on the path.

Click on the Logo to join or just view the fascinating shadows at

HEY HARRIET'S Shadow Shot Sunday!

Nature Notes and SkyWatch ~ Springtime at Home

Apologies for a composite post, there was just no way around

it this time.

View of the sunrise through my window to the west. This is what

I see as I open my eyes. Luckily I always have a camera to hand.

By the time I get up and leave my room the swallows nesting

in my studio have already had their breakfast and now serenade

me on my way to mine.

With the wonderful spring rains we had, just everything is in

bloom.View down to my daughter's house where the garden

is a-wash with blossoms.

Again, thanks to the rain, the swimming dam has been spilling

over for a little while although we are now having some nasty

hot and windy weather that sucks up the water like a vacuum

cleaner. We are promised rain now and again but nothing

happens apart from the continuing evaporative losses.

I was eating an apple on my walk but how could I resist those

pleading eyes and the pretty please of Poppy' wicker?

Click on the Nature Notes Logo to join in or just visit other entries.

Click on the SkyWatch Logo to do the same.

My thanks both to Michelle of Rambling Woods and the ever

industrious SkyWatch Team for sharing these memes with all of us.

Watery Wednesday ~ Creek Crossing

One of the many creeks we had to ford on our recent trip to

the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. After an unusually

rain rich month the arid landscape was green and filled with

flowers, many creeks needed fording and the animals had ample

water holes to drink from.

Click on the Logo to join in this meme or dive into other waters.

Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting this very wet meme.

MY WORLD ~ 1st Stopover on our Magic Carpet Ride

This little critter, a sleepy lizard, kept us company at breakfast
next morning. This photo was going to be no.4 but refused to be
moved to its proper place . . . ah, the joy of computers . . .

Up beyond the green, green farm lands the country dries off

showing up the red soil and and half a dozen emus.

The open road and the first suggestion of the Flinders Ranges

in the distance.

We arrive in Hawker for our first stop at this charming cottage

owned by our friends and almost neighbours who flew up with

their three dogs solely to cook dinner for us and bed us down in

luxurious comfort for the night.

Now that is friendship for you!!

Glorious view from the outdoor dining room at sunrise.

The watchers, well, one anyway.

One of them actually enjoys flying and attentively looks out

the window all the way.

Dust proofing our luggage and off to the next adventure.

All photos enlarge for better viewing.

To be continued . . .

Thanks to the MY WORLD Team for giving us the opportunityto

share our world and view that of others.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ Desert Flowers, Heading North

Heading north for the desert floriade lots of little flowers showed
their pretty faces as soon as we reached the southern Flinder's
Ranges. A sprig of blue near Hawker,



and the first of the tiny, 6"high, Statice in the palest of blue
against the red desert soil.



There I was, about to be erudite and tell you all the botanical
names and the great big tome on native plants I just bought
turned out to be a dud!



This one I know without a book, Solanum petrophilum.



This is one I know all too well since it is a common weed on
our farm and is the flower in my header, Echium plantagenium.
The really exciting flowers will start next week.



All photos enlarge as usual.

Our trip to the drylands in a wet season was amazing in many
ways among the high points were the flowers.

Thanks to TODAY'S FLOWERS we can all share our floral experiences.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Beyond here there be Dragons

An encounter with a dragon on the way to Hawker.



I may not be that big but I look real mean



just look at all those spines, no wonder they call me a bearded
dragon . . . I'm cute though aint I?



If you want a closer look just click the photo.

For shadows galore, click the Logo and hop over to
HEY HARRIET, just look and enjy or better still, join in.

SkyWatch - 1st Sunset in Wonderland

Just after arriving at Wirrealpa Station where we spent the

major portion of our time, the sun began to set.

Which ever way you looked, the air was clear the sky a thing

of beauty to behold.

A slight adjustment of angle and everything was changed.

Amazing transformations achieved by just slightly shifting

your view point

revealing spectacularly lit cloud formations

and the sun swimming in a sea of clouds

to slowly vanish beyond the horizon.

Enlarge if you wish, who knows, you might actually enjoy

them more.

Click on the Logo and enjoy the skies of other participants or

to join in yourself.

Back from the Back of Beyond

Driving through picture postcard country, camera wildly clicking.

Should I snap the view from the window or in the rear view mirror?

So many wonderful things to see and I can't snap left and right at

the same time . . . .

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Below a little foretaste of things to come of the 1,200+ photos

I took in 8 days of utter bliss.

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Not only Sturt Desert Peas but a multitude of other flowers

were carpeting this lovely semi-desert country in all the colours

of the rainbow.

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For now I hope this has wetted your appetite for a few more

but I need a sleep . . . so good night and do leave me a message

that you are out there somewhere in cyberspace.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ The Diving Platform

The scenic view of the shadows under the old diving platform
now inaccessable due to the unexpectantly high water level.
September brought our highest EVER average rainfall for the
month in our State.
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A closer look at the gory details. Withour a boat we cannot
get the run up boards down and with the current water level
they would not be long enough anyway.
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A feather dropped by a passing angel as a bonus for Shadow

Shot Sunday.
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They are definitely better enlarged, even if I say so myself.

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PS You will have an Arija free week next week as I will be in the

wilds of the Flinders Ranges.

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The Logo is a doorway to a shadowy world, click it and disappear

into its wonders.

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All this is made possible by Tracy of HEY HARRIET who hosts

this weird and wonderful meme.

Skywatch ~ Sunrise and Afternoon

Open your eyes to see gold and silver skies, what a start to
the day!
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The afternoon advances and lights up the flowering Almond.

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the sun drops lower to show a threatening sky in the East.

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Skies gleaned throughout the week. I hope you like them and

apologise in advance for being away next week.

I'm going to the wilds of the Australian Outback where there are

no internet or mobile phone facilities.

I'll be back with more photos than you can shake a stick at in

two weeks time.

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Around the world the sun always shines somewhere, click the

Logo and find your perfect spot for yourself.

Thanks to our SkyWatch Team we can all join in.

Watery Wednesday ~ Waterhens in Our Dam

Waterhens making waves in the dam . . .
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Do click to enlarge so you can enjoy the full force of the ripple effect.

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The Logo opens the sluice gates to all the fun at Watery Wednesday

thanks to 2sweetnsaxy'hosting.

MY WORLD ~ Japanese Garden

Last week I had the first really fun day out in town for ages.
Amongst other things, I had a chance to enjoy the Japanese
garden in Adelaide's South parklands.
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Above and below a flower filled lead in to serenity.

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One of the many water features reflecting the palm outside

the garden wall.
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The wood duck was obviously very much at home in this pond

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and what would a Japanese garden be without the sound of

trickling water?
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Near the entrance gate stands this lovely Zodiac lantern

With carvings of all the signs around the upper part
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except this cute little bunny which graces the foot of the

pedestal.
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MY WORLD is a meme that has contributions from all around the world

so click on the Logo and join in or just visit and enjoy.