OUR WORLD & Wild Bird Wednesday

Another year gone down the gurgler. I cannot say I am sorry

to see it go, it has not been one of the better years I have known.

A young Galah demolishing the golden flowers on our 

sizeable Grevillea robusta.

TV antennae make handy perches for Kookaburras, singly

or in pairs

and a big thank you to all those who visit and comment 

on my humble blog. You all have made this faded year bearable for me.

The above photo of yours truly is a byproduct of my son instructing 

me in the use of an added flash on my camera.

Every time my photographer son comes to visit, I glean a 

little more of the art of photography.

May this New Year of 2013 be a year of Peace

so sorely needed in this strife torn world.

Linking to OUR WORLD

and 

Wild Bird Wednesday

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Orchids again

Since nothing else is flowering in my very dry garden at the 

moment,I had to resort to a few hardy 

orchids in the shadehouse.

This is one of my favourites, though the blooms are smaller, 

they are prolific and have a lovely perfume as well.

I do love the virginal whites.

A HAPPY, HEALTHY LOVEL FILLED

YEW YEAR TO ALL!

SkyWatch - What a Sunrise!

Never did I think I would ever see a sunrise such as this!

If you paint it, no-one will believe you.

HAPPY SKYWATCHING

and a

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL

FILLED WITH GOOD HEALTH, GOOD WILL AND

ABOVE ALL, LOVE.

World Bird Wednesday & Nature Notes - Aftermath of Christmas

How could anyone, ANYONE, think I wanted a 

frying pan for Christmas????

What about a holiday, a diamond bracelet? Huh? 

A b..... frying pan!!!

Well, who do you think wants a dressing gown??

I wanted golf clubs!

Huh, another happy holiday!

I hope you all did better than these two Welcome Swallows!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday 

ad Nature Notes

OUR WORLD - A Season of Giving

Ephemeral as a rainbow held in the hand

LOVE comes into it's own at this season of the year,

seeping gently into hearts like candle light

it is not the baubles on the Christmas tree,

nor the presents under it

it is the spirit of giving and sharing,

of caring for the orphans,

sharing our meal with the homeless or lonely,

of holding those in need in the warm embrace of our homes.

You cannot buy love, nor steal it, take it by force or keep it in a safe

deposit box.

It is only there for us to GIVE.

The more we give the further it goes, a well that never runs dry 

as long as we keep giving.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

SEASON'S GREETINGS TO YOU ALL!

In the middle of a rural countryside, at a T-junction, a dairy farmer with flair has, for  many years now,

brought joy to passers by with large hay-bale tractors driven by Father Christmas. 

This year, he has lashed out and changed the theme.

I enjoyed it enough to stop and take a shot at it.

Hope you like it too!

SkyWatch - Though Night is Dark, the Sun still Rises

The darkness of the night, cloaking hurt and all life's difficulties,

still boasts the morning star

heralding a new dawn, a new day,

unclear what we will see or find in it, but no matter what it is,

somehow we will cope.

Have a great day all my

 fellow skywatchers!

Shadow Shot Sunday - 'Those that go down to the sea . . .'

In happier days, when two heads turned into one shadow,

now, life has become a little restricted, with himself in a 

nursing home and myself subject to various medical procedures.

Life goes on however, and the Great Ocean Road still

beckons and maybe, just maybe, one day I will drive along 

it a again to enjoy it's incredible scenery.

Happy 3rd Advent Sunday everyone!

OUR WORLD & Wild Bird Wednesday - Cape Barren Geese

A couple of years ago we went to Hindmarsh Island,

across the bridge from Goolwa, South Australia.

The Cape Barren Geese were grazing in a field next to the road.

There were bushes along the road, so I had to get out of the car

to get a shot.

I was used to the very tame flock on Kangaroo Island, so was

surprised at how skittish these were. Although I was behind 

cover, they were on the alert as soon as I got out of the car

and took off after the first ground shot I got. 

Suddenly they were all in the air, up, up, and away . . .

Linking with OUR WORLD and Wild Bird Wednesday

Shadow Shot Sunday & TODAY'S FLOWERS - Chrysanthemums

Bright sunlight playing with a bunch of chrysanthemums,

Throwing prickly shadows

then changing tack and softening the mood

putting more emphasis on the flowers

or highlighting the flowers against the dark shadows.

SkyWatch - Just another Day

The sun had just stopped rubbing the red out of her eyes

The sky was blue with just enough clouds 

to make it interesting

and as a bonus, the full moon was still riding high . . .

I do hate summer time when the sun and full moon 

are no longer meeting just to change places.

Whatever is happening in your sky, enjoy it!

Wild Bird Wednesday - Another Failure

Yes, my granddaughter rescued another one.

This time a young male red-rumped parrot.

The wound itself was not very serious, he had however

lost some blood and had a nasty shock.

We rebuilt the budgie cage and suspended it among the vines by 

the door to get him used to humans passing.

I searched the garden for appropriate seeds but most had already

found the ground. I dashed into the village and got a bag of budgie 

seed.

I had already mixed his water with a drop of honey and his progress 

was very promising during the day. The cage was covered by a 

thick towel when he was settling down for the night and I had high 

hopes for this recovery.

Unfortunately, after all the hot weather we had had,

the temperature plummeted during the night and by morning 

he had joined the great parrot in the sky.

I am used to raising rescue birds and returning them to the wild, 

but the loss of this one somehow hurt more than the loss of 

nestlings that had little chance of survival. 

I suppose because I had got him over the worst but made the mistake 

of not taking him indoors for the night.

Cat attack + human error = an unfortunate end.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday,

OUR WORLD - Jacaranda Time

When Jacarandas are in bloom, they bring back the loss of my 

mother even more poignantly.

25 years have passed since she left us, yet not a day goes by

without us calling upon her in some way.

The churchyard was full of Jacaranda trees in full bloom and

the ground was a carpet of blooms in her favourite colour.

Such a lovely path to take.

Saturday morning, for the first time in many months,

I managed the drive to the Angaston market, 

how could I possibly pass up the opportunity to snap a few 

shots of this bounty on the ground?

Oh, such bitter sweet memories.

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Christmas Cactus +

My Christmas cactus went crazy a good month before 

Christmas - eighteen 6" diameter blooms with bright red 

stamens lit up the shade house

 singly, in pairs and quartets

Meanwhile below them, my red Cymbidium sported more 

spikes than I could count.

Unfortunately, a week later, they were all fried in our

unseasonal heatwave.

The moral of this story is: enjoy what you have, 

when you have it. 

Everything, including life, is here today and gone tomorrow.

SkyWatch & Nature Notes - A horror day

I suppose we must occasionally have days like these . . .

A stormy sky and golden light on the paddock

what's wrong with that?

For one thing, the temperature was hovering around 100F,

the winds were fast furious and had a mind of their own 

and the whole state had a blanket total fire ban.

In this virtual oven, I had to drive for an hour to my specialist's 

rooms. When I got there, with the scar standing in the searing heat, 

I cleverly looked my keys in it.

Having membership in the Royal Automobile Association,

it only took an hour and a half for them to come and break into my car.

Meanwhile, the verdict at my physicians was not a good one.

My heart had markedly deteriorated in the last six weeks since 

I saw him.

After this disappointment, the long hot drive home.

Just when you think things are starting to look up,

life throws a spanner into the works.

*  *  *

Hope you are all having a much nicer time!

World Bird Wednesday - Red-capped Robin

Inland version of the Red-capped Robin, Petroica goodenovii

at Wirrealpa Station in our drylands. 

Same place as the post below.

The female from the front above

and back view below.

Here is the male, almost at my feet

and cute as pie.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Happy birding everyone!

OUR WORLD - In the Heart of the Country

In the dry heart of the country, at Wirrealpa station, on the

eastern side of the North Flinders Ranges, this view is what I 

woke up to every morning.

Off I went for a lone walk, even though it was a really hot day.

Although it was autumn, a little rain had brought forth

patches of these purple Solanum.

I headed cross-country to the line of trees in the distance

that bordered the dry riverbed of Wirrealpa River.

Flat and dry it looks like a great place for camping and 

safe for a campfire

but, don't be fooled, just look at that eroded wall in the 

background. A rainstorm in the mountains can send down 

a 20' wall of water without warning - much safer to sleep 

on the prickles on the bank.

I headed up the riverbed until I reached the road

and of course the view I was expecting to see.

Heading back along two wheel ruts that led past the shearing shed,

I surprised a small mob of sheep who looked rather bemused

to see me there.

Back to the cottage and a kind offering of fresh eggs

from hostesses chickens.

I was tempted to cook some for breakfast on this splendid original 

19th century, cast iron stove

but thought better of it and opted for the modern electric range.

It was much too hot to light a fire.

Maybe next time.

Now, go check out everyone else's contributions!