Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 11 January 2015

Sunday Selections #206

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

Like River I usually run with a theme.  The skinny one had a birthday this week and we headed off to our Botanic Gardens to celebrate.  It was another hot, hot day and the time we spent wandering in the Tasmanian Rainforest Section was a treat.  As is usual, many photos follow.





There were lots of lizards about.  Some tiny, and others a couple of feet long (counting the tail).  There were also staff putting up signs everywhere warning that Eastern Brown Snakes had been seen.  Not by us.







If you embiggen this one there is a dragon-fly perched on the dead leaf.










And then the clouds rolled in, and the humidity increased.  Later we got some blissful rain (another birthday present for the boy).

It is too long since we have been to the gardens.  We have to go back.  Soon.

124 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. fishducky: It is. Very, very beautiful. And tranquil.

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  2. Such a lovely place to spend time. I hope you do return, and often. Your wonderful pictures really help in getting through our snowy coldish winter months :)

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    1. Whisper Mist: Each time we go we ask ourselves why we don't go more often. It is a haven of peace, of tranquility and of beauty. Snowy pictures from your side of the world have been helping me through the sweaty season so turn-about is only fair.

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  3. The gardens reminded me of being in Sydney Botanical Gardens many years ago. I love all the plants and the Wood ducks wandering around so please
    go back and take some more photographs. Glad you enjoyed the day. have a lovely Sunday.

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    1. Margaret Adamson: There are many, many more themed gardens than we have explored. We will go back - with camera at the ready.

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  4. What beautiful photos! The Botanic Gardens looks like a lovely place to spend a birthday. The dragonfly picture is super cool! :) The plants look different than the plants around me- so pretty. Thanks for sharing.
    ~Jess

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    1. DMS (Jess): It is a lovely place - only minutes away from the city and a lifetime away from the city.

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  5. Oh gee-wis, the Lizard is special, he looked so beautiful EC.

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    1. Bob Bushell: There were lots and lots and lots of them - and they were beautiful.

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  6. All your photos are absolutely beautiful; I especially like the one with the brick path though.

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  7. We've had showers off and on all this week. Still very muggy...you just have to move your little finger and the sweat begins!

    A very enjoyable stroll through the gardens, EC. Thanks for taking me along with you. Happy Belated Birthday to the Skinny One. I hope you both are doing well. Have a great week and cuddles to the two Js. :)

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    1. Lee: The sweaty season is a blight isn't it? Raining here this morning. Bliss. And cooler with it.
      A great week to you and Remy and Sharma too. I do feel for animals in their fur coats in muggy weather.

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  8. Beautiful... and I love the dragonfly. Happy birthday to the Skinny One...

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  9. Happy Birthday to the skinny one.

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    1. Delores: When he gets up I will pass on all the birthday wishes to him. I think he will be really pleased. And surprised.

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  10. That was ONE handsome lizard, I say. :)

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: I would have liked to have taken lots more (and better) photos of the lizard and all of his relatives.

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  11. My favorite is the watercourse with stepping stones down the middle. Tranquil. Happy birthday to the skinny one.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: There is a calming magic about water isn't there? And who can resist stepping stones...

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  12. Happy Belated Birthday and Secret Capricorn Handshake to the SP! :-) What a wonderful way and place to celebrate a birthday! Of course I love the critters, my favorite being that dazzling dragonfly! What a gorgeous color, and he looks bejeweled and ethereal! Just beautiful!

    Do you know what those amazing pink flowers are, the ones that look like a frothy bridal bouquet (5th photo from bottom, in case my description doesn't do the trick!) :-) That 2nd photo of the shady path through the ferns is especially enticing. Thanks for sharing your special day with us, and I'm glad you got some rain!

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    1. Laloofah: Capricorns rock. So many of my favourite people are Capricorns. As am I.
      The pink flowers are a type of bromellliad, but what type I don't know. There were lots and lots of them blooming in the shade and I loved them.

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    2. Aha, EC - that means you had (or are about to have) YOUR birthday as well ... Hope it is/was a good one :)

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    3. jenny_o: This coming week. We have a LOT of January birthdays. One of my brothers had his yesterday, and there have been several birthdays in the extended family too.

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  13. The Gardens look very lush and is not a Tasmania rainforest the best place to be on a hot day.

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    1. Andrew: They are incredibly lush - though there is also an arid garden which we didn't go and see this visit. And how I would love to have a Tasmanian rainforest in my back yard.

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  14. Amazing shots, as usual. That one fern looks like an umbrella. And I take it Eastern Brown Snakes are poisonous?
    Happy birthday to the Skinny One.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: The Eastern Brown Snake is considered the second most poisonous land snake in the world, and accounts for most of our snake bite deaths here.
      The fern did look like an umbrella, didn't it?

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  15. I have heard the most poisonous snakes in the world are in Australia. I would love to come and see your birds but the snakes freak me out. And the spiders. Have you ever had any in your house?

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    1. ditchingthedog: We do have some of the world's most venomous snakes. And kill a lot more of them than they do us. I give them a wide berth, and they are happy to do the same for me. In one of our homes a snake lived under the front steps. For about nine months of the year I only used the back door. Spiders? I suspect that most of us have a poisonous spider or two around.

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  16. This is a stunning selection, EC. The ferns and epiphytes look just like our bush here - beautifully cool and refreshing in hot weather. Even the Eucalyptus trees look lush. I hope you haven't had it as hot as Melbourne and Adelaide; that would be unbearable!

    I'm looking forward to the photos from your next visit.

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    1. Alexia: We have been very hot, but not (fortunately) to Melbourne and Adelaide levels. Too hot by my standards just the same. There are a lot more gardens we didn't explore this visit, so another trip is in the offing.

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  17. Beautiful images! What a wonderful place to visit. There's something very soothing about lush gardens on a summers day - even in the heat. All that cool green, I think.
    I hate the humidity too - it's even worse than dry heat.

    Love the shimmery crystal dragonfly's wings. Such delicate detail.

    Lizards are so utterly fascinating! As are snakes (to me). I'm someone who'd be wanting to see one - they hypnotise me with their stunning, undulating sensuous-ness. I know, I'm nuts, but, I've had so many close encounters with them :D

    A very Happy (belated) Birthday to SP!
    So glad you've got some summer rain - wishing more your way soon.

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    1. Vicki: I am not good about snakes. They are beautiful things but I give them a wide berth. A very wide berth. The skinny one likes them and would like to have one (which I firmly vetoed). I liked that the gardens put up signs and made no attempt to move the snakes though.
      Humidity? Bleah.
      And we have indeed had more summer rain. The garden and I are very happy. The cats are sulking.

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  18. Love that sky and the dragonfly too. I've never been able to capture a dragonfly on camera. Not yet anyway. My favourite photo is the 6th one with the rocks in the stream.
    Glad you had a lovely day for the cherished one's birthday.

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    1. River: This is the first time that I have ever captured a dragonfly image I was happy with too. I will keep trying though. I liked all of the rainforest area we saw. Loved it in fact. And we both had a really nice outing.

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  19. I hate seeing any color snake! Lizards remind me too much of snakes...their darting is unnerving to me. So I will stick with looking the nice flowers and birds!!!! Glad you had a good day for a family birthday.

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    1. Bookie: I appreciate snakes - from a distance. Loved the lizards though. And the flowers and the birds. And the green. So many greens, all of them beautiful.

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  20. As usual, your pictures are lovely,but, oh my, those ferns are something else.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Oh they were. They are. Incredible colour, incredible texture and the air was thick with the scent of growing things...

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  21. A beautiful series of Sunday Selections EC. Looks beautiful there and loved the flowers and the lizard and the birds. Guessing the snake is lethal.

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    1. DeniseinVA: Not a snake to challenge. Just the same, the gardens are home to them, and they are respected. Which is right and proper.

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    2. I agree whole heartedly. They have their place in the world, most definitely.

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    3. DeniseinVA: My wimpy self would prefer that there was a considerable distance between me and any snake though.

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  22. Happy birthday skinny one! It looks like you had a wonderful day!
    That looks like such a beautiful place to visit! I reconizes some of the plants, but not all of them. I am so happy that you had a wonderful day. I haven't been out with my camera as it is still so bitterly cold. We still have wind chills of -25 F.

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    1. Teresa: Thank you. He did have a lovely day, and so did I. I hope your wind chills ease off and you can get out and capture that owl again...

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  23. Replies
    1. J Cosmo Newbery: And a tiny fraction of the beauty that is there.

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  24. Love all the pictures but especially that cloud shot at the end. And Happy Birthday to the Skinny One! :-)

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    1. DJan: The clouds made my heart sing. Like rather a lot of other things that day.

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  25. You cannot imagine how warm and welcome this makes my heart and toes feel....thank you for the breath of jungle and blooming things:)
    -Jennifer

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    1. Jennifer Richardson: You are always welcome. More than welcome.

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  26. You used "embiggen" before, but since i've never seen it anywhere else, I looked it up. The following is from: "The [Simpson's] episode features two neologisms, embiggen and cromulent, which were intended to sound like real words but are in fact completely fabricated (although it was later discovered "embiggen" had been used in 1884 by C.A. Ward).[2] Embiggen, coined by Dan Greaney, has since been used in several scientific publications, while cromulent, coined by David X. Cohen, appeared in the Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon."

    from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_the_Iconoclast#Embiggen_and_cromulent

    "The [Simpson's] episode features two neologisms, embiggen and cromulent, which were intended to sound like real words but are in fact completely fabricated (although it was later discovered "embiggen" had been used in 1884 by C.A. Ward).[2] Embiggen, coined by Dan Greaney, has since been used in several scientific publications, while cromulent, coined by David X. Cohen, appeared in the Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon."

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    1. Oops, sorry about the double paste.

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    2. Snowbrush: I love that our language constantly evolves - even though I don't like some of the directions it takes. I knew that embiggen had been used in The Simpsons, but love learning that it is in fact an old word rather than a new one. Descriptive though - and I will continue to use it.

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  27. Happy Birthday to the Skinny One. As our temperatures dip down into the low teens at night and barely get to the upper 30s during the day, these photos are a wonderful sight. It sounds like it would be a treat to walk through this garden.

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    1. Mason Canyon: It is a treat. At any time of the year. I hope we remember that and go more often...

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  28. happy birthday to the skinny one, what a lovely spot, especially the wonderful ferns and the banksia

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    1. Linda Starr: It is a beautiful place, and this trip we only went through a smidgeon of the gardens it has to offer.

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  29. What a wonderful day out and a lovely way to celebrate!

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  30. What absolutely wonderful sights to behold. How blessed you are to see these in person.

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    1. Grannie Annie: We need to get off our behinds and go to these places more often. They are always a joy.

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  31. What a lovely way to spend a day! Oh bliss bliss triple bliss.

    I will be back here too...soon...I'm off to have breakfast with these glorious pics in my head...

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    1. Guyana-Gyal: It was indeed blissful. The gardens are very close to the city - and a million miles away.

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  32. Happy birthday to SP! I'm glad you got to revisit a favorite spot to celebrate. The giant ferns really call to me. I love, love, love them! Here's hoping you get more rain in the coming days. Hugs

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    1. River Fairchild: We did indeed get more rain. And a little blessed cool as well. The heat will return but the respite was WONDERFUL. Cool again today so shortly I will go into the garden. Overdue work is calling my name.

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  33. We have a lovely botanical garden nearby which is gorgeous in the spring, summer, and early fall. I've also enjoyed Leu Gardens in Orlando FL which more closely resemble yours. Love the dragonfly :)

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    1. mshatch: Our gardens are gorgeous whatever the season. There is almost always something in bloom, and our winters are much, much milder than yours. And the snakes are in hibernation.

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  34. I was curious when you said warnings were up about eastern Brown Snakes, so I looked them up, then looked up Mulga Snakes and Coastal Taipans. I think I would freak out living amongst so many poisonous creatures, EC. How do you do it?

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    1. Around here we have rattlesnakes, but they don't like it much, snakes being cold blooded and all and this area mostly has so little sun. Any postings of warning are for cougar or bear sightings.

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    2. Strayer: I am wary of snakes and certainly give them a wide berth, but they were here first. And it is their home too. They are only an issue here for half the year and would prefer (sensibly) to avoid people if they can.

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  35. Belated Happy Birthday to SP! Your outing sounds and looks like a balm to the spirit. Exquisite picture of the dragonfly, EC. I would be worrying about those snakes every step of the way; in our province we have no venomous snakes. The biggest I've seen is a garter snake about two feet long. I am a wimp about anything larger and especially anything poisonous!

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    1. jenny_o: It was heart balm. The snakes are as wary of people as I am of them and mostly just want to get out of our way and go about their business. And yes, I am a bit wimpy about them too.

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  36. what a gorgeous, tropical paradise! I love the flower cluster on photo 13- the burst of white petals from pink stems. And the clouds, happy sigh of carefree loveliness. I always look forward to your Sunday posts :)

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    1. Raquel Somatra: It is glorious. And is a cool rather than a tropical rainforest - which makes it even more magical in my eyes. There are a lot of other gardens I need to explore too. Including a desert garden which is relatively new.

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  37. Beautiful foliage ... my favorite is #15 ... flower? fruit? What is it? Very unusual and beautirul at the same time. It would have been funny to have a little brown snake head sticking out of one the many layers of it... just for effect mind you ... not for real:) We have very few poisonous snakes around us ... our greatest threat is the skunk. Not poisonous, but boy, if one squirts you, you will be overwhelmed by the smell. You learn to live with such creatures by avoiding places where they might be. I assume that is how you deal with poisonous snakes. I have learned not to let Izzi stick her head in a bush at night ... needless to say, by experience. We do all of our walking at night along the street, Ha! Wonderful post and a Happy Birthday to SP. Seems like he is doing well if he can go out hiking with you. That's good :)

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Andrea Priebe: That is a banksia flower. There are a lot of different varieties - and they come in many different colours. I thought that one was elegant. And beautiful.
      Very few snakes are aggressive and I think most people get bitten trying to move or kill them. And occasionally when they don't watch where they are going and walk on them. I do watch (carefully) and wouldn't dream of trying to catch or kill them.
      It was a very gentle hike (a meander really) and I think the skinny one managed better than I did. Which is wonderful.

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  38. What a lovely birthday excursion! That looks like a truly magical place.

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    1. Lynn: It is a magical place. And there is a LOT more for us to explore.

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  39. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! I lvoed the mix of plants and animals. Many thanks, I enjoyed that visit, too! :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: Nice to see you again. I hope your blog break was wonderful.

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  40. Hi Sue,

    I finally managed to get here. I'm in desperate need of a new computer. This one is beyond a joke. That's my excuse for taking so long to get anywhere.

    Anyhow, while my computer is stable, I managed to look at your amazing photos and the Tasmanian Rainforest Section looks quite the place. Happy belated birthday to your "skinny one."

    Gary

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    1. klahanie: A slow and reluctant computer is a blight. I hope you can get a new one soon. I have been missing your comments in the blogosphere. And your posts.

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  41. I want to go for a walk in your town!!

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    1. Furry Bottoms: I would love to go walking with you. Anywhere.

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  42. This is so precious! Your town is pure nature! :D

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    1. Lily Lau: Welcome and thank you. The 'bush capital' has a lot of charm.

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  43. You take the best nature photos :)

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    1. Michael D'Agostino: Thank you. How was your sky-dive? I am really looking forward to hearing about it.

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    2. You'll have to wait and see ;)

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    3. Michael D'Agostino: Sigh. I really, really don't do patience well.

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  44. How beautiful! It's so dreary and bleh here. This reminded me that spring is just around the corner!

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    1. Stephanie Faris: I suspect that I will welcome autumn just as much as you do spring. And will love seeing photos of the season as well.

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  45. Love the photos.
    LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Lizards.
    those sweet little dinosaurs! xx

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    1. My Inner Chick: They are fascinating beasties aren't they? Obviously a design which worked...

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  46. Glad for the young fellow's lovely birthday. always more than fun to be with you here. Say! I'm such a ditz! Took me till TODAY (DUH!) to add you to my blog roll. Sorry. . . . . [so silly]

    Fond ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    <3

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    1. Cloudia: Thank you. And I am really, really impressed that you have visited me as often as you have when I haven't been on your blog roll. That has taken real effort. Hugs.

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  47. Happy belateds to the SP! What a lovely walk you had. All wonderful photos but my favourite is the Christmas Bells. I've just realised I didn't see any this Christmas... I usually buy a bunch ( or 3 or 4) but possibly wasn't looking in the right places.

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    1. Carol: The Christmas Bells were special weren't they? And I have never, ever seen them for sale - or I would have succumbed. Big time.

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  48. I like lizards… especially when they are still alive and roaming free outside (our various cats over the years have all liked lizards as well…). Beautiful pics, although I can almost feel the steamy heat rising through them--or at least imagine it! But indeed quite lovely. And, as interesting as it would've been to see the photos, I'm glad you missed out on the poisonous snakes.

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    1. Paper Chipmunk (aka Ellen): Our cats have all liked lizards as well. In another house it became clear (because of the way they attacked the vacuum cleaner tubes) that the cats were very familiar with snakes too. Lightening fast attack, culminating with a quick bite behind the nozzle.

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  49. What a beautiful garden that is and I can imagine it would be much cooler among all that greenery. You are so fortunate to have had rain.
    Do please wish the skinny person a belated happy birthday and, by the way, how is he these days? You've not mentioned his health for some time and I was just wondering. Hope you don't mind me asking.

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    1. Mimsie: The rain was lovely - and more has been predicted. Fingers crossed. The skinny one's health is variable. Just after Christmas the specialist's office rang and arranged an appointment (in March). Not sure what that is about - but he is hopeful it means something can be done.

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  50. You did get some wonderful pictures here!! I love that you went even though it was hot outside. And I love that you got the dragonfly!!

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    1. mail4rosey: The dragon fly was a lucky bonus. I have often tried to capture them before - and often failed. Perhaps it was too hot for it to move much either?

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  51. The lush greenness of your world is in sharp contrast to the cold, icy white world of mine.

    I love the word 'embiggen'...sounds so Old English.

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    1. Sue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: Lots of our world is golden rather than green at the moment - but yes, in direct contrast to yours. Snowbrush identified that embiggen was first used in 1884 - which definitely puts it in the Old English class.

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  52. Ah, a little slice of summer to help ease the dull gray cold of January in Texas. Love all these, especially the ferns.

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    1. Carol Kilgore: Your spring (and our Autumn) will come. Soon I hope.

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  53. I love dragon flies. You caught such a good shot of that one, I didn't even have to enlarge.

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    1. Riot Kitty: I love them too - but so far have had epic fails as far as photos of their beauty is concerned.

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    1. Tammy Theriault: They were special - and were quickly followed by dark clouds filled with rain - which was even more special.

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    1. Optimistic Existentialist: There were lots and lots and lots of those lizards. Which was lovely.

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  56. What a beautiful place!!! I would enjoy that one. I'm glad you didn't encounter the Eastern Brown Snake - I read that it is the world's second most venomous land snake (yes, I googled it after I saw it mention in your post).

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    1. Carola Bartz: It seems we just missed seeing the snake - in several places. I think we came across staff putting up warning signs in abour four places as we arrived. I assume that they like the lizards as much as we did...

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  57. Oooh I love your Sunday Selections posts. =0)
    Looking at all the sunshine and warm photos...Makes me sad I'm sitting here with fingers that are so cold! lol

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    1. 2justByou: I would swap our warmth for your coolth in a heartbeat.

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  58. I love this post, thanks for sharing all these photos!

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    1. Romance Reader: Thank you. It is a beautiful place, and I am very glad to share it.

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