Sunday Selections #529

 

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.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.  

I usually run with a theme.  I have a theme this week but before I show you some of the scenes which have delighted me, I have some 'house-keeping' to do.

Blogger's new changes have meant that my reading list is updated sporadically.  I follow far too many bloggers to have you on my side bar and I depend on the reading list.  If I have missed a post of yours please feel free to nudge me.

Also on the blogger front.  I received a less than clear email last week which said essentially that the 'follow by email' widget is being discontinued.  If you do follow my posts that way and are unable to follow through GFC please contact me.  A quick list at the subscribers who do choose to follow my posts that way shows me names I do not recognise and with whom I have no ongoing contact.  With that in mind at the moment I am just going to let the widget go unless I am told by significant numbers of you that it would be a mistake.

Back to Sunday Selections.  I spend a lot of time each and every day watching the sky.  Skyscapes are a passion.  So today's post is devoted to them - mostly from our gentle and beautiful dawns.  Yes, mad woman with camera dances were involved, but the early morning risers in my street are used to her. It is also quite possible that I simply don't register their incredulous looks.

 I hope that all of your days are studded with moments of delight.

 

 

Sunday Selections #528

 

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.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

  

I usually run with a theme.  This week I am going back to our Balloon Spectacular.  As usual, many, many photos will follow.  We had no tickets to see the launch of the balloons on this morning but my long suffering smaller portion (he loathes early mornings) and I headed down shortly before first light to a vantage point where we knew that we would see balloons if they took to the sky.  They did.

You will notice that there are a lot of small boats and paddle boarders on the water.  This is also a long standing tradition.  Each year some of the balloons swing down low and give lucky people a tow.
 

I was particularly tickled to see this man and his dog...

More and more balloons took to the sky - including more feature balloons.

Skywhale was a present my city gave to itself for its hundredth birthday.  She has divided the community.  Some of us love her and some emphatically do not.  I fall into the first category and you can find an earlier post about her HERE

This year she was joined by Skywhalepapa - who obviously shares the role of caring for their children.
 

This is Nudie.  It advertises a fruit juice company whose product is nude in that it contains nothing but juice.

 

This balloon is an advertisement for Hendrick's gin.  Balloonists are often given a glass of champagne to celebrate their flight.  These balloonists were offered gin at dawn.

We had an absolutely delightful morning (despite being briefly rained on).  For those of you who have got to the end of yet another photo heavy post - thank you.

This afternoon I am to have the first of my Covid vaccination shots (hopefully without any adverse reactions.

Stay safe, stay well and I hope your week is filled with joy.

 

 

 

Where are the Words For Wednesday

Huge thanks to   Hilary Melton-Butcher for providing last month's prompts.

April 2021:  Wisewebwoman will be providing the prompts on her blog this month.

May 2021:  Messymimi is providing the prompts on her blog.

June 2021:  River is providing the prompts on her blog.

July 2021:  lissa is providing the prompts on her blog.

August 2021:  David M. Gascoigne will be providing the prompts but they will be here.

September 2021:  Cindi is providing the prompts.

October 2021:  I am providing the prompts here.   

November 2021:  Margaret Adamson and her friends will be providing the prompts, but they will appear here.

 
December 2021:  Me again.

Given that the prompts are provided from both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres the prompts can appear from as early as Tuesday your time until Thursday your time. 

This meme definitely falls into the 'more the merrier' category.  I hope that lots of you will visit whoever is providing the prompts and play - or applaud.  Commenting on other people's creations -whether they post them on the host's blog or their own, is hugely important.  We ALL need encouragement.  So please, take a few extra minutes to comment on the participant's creations.

Sunday Selections #527

 

 

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.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

  

I usually run with a theme. This week (and next) I am going to be posting pictures from our Balloon Spectacular which overlaps the Enlighten festival.  I am a confirmed balloon 'tragic' (Australian slang for someone with an obsession).  The Balloon Spectacular was the last big event which went ahead before Covid restrictions hit us last year.  It went ahead this year too - with some restrictions.

Most years as well as the lucky people who are taking to the air there are crowds of excited spectators to watch the balloons inflate and take off.  This year numbers were restricted and places had to be reserved.  I succeeded in getting tickets but the only day I succeeded the weather forecast was not good.  With that in mind we headed out early (way too early for the smaller portion) a few days before our ticketed event to a vantage point by the lake where we could see the balloons fly even if we couldn't watch them inflate.  We got lucky.  On both days.

So I am going to present images from both days.  Starting (out of chronological order) with the day we watched the balloons inflate.  Co-incidentally it was the youngest of my brothers birthday.  He is also a balloon tragic and I was very happy to be able to get tickets for him and his wife as well as for us.  We no longer exchange presents (except for significant events) but this was a gift I was very glad to be able to give him (and him to receive).

Settle back with a beverage of choice.  LOTS of photos follow.

Many of the balloons are BIG.

The building in the background is our National Library.

The excitement (and not just mine) was palpable.

Each year there is at least one feature balloon.  This year it was Allycorn, brought to us from the US.  Given that our borders are largely closed and that a fourteen day quarantine is compulsory for all international arrivals I am very appreciative of the time and effort involved.

 Next week?  Balloons in the air.  Lots and lots of them.

For those of you who celebrate I hope your Easter is happy, healthy and blessed.