Sunday Selections #114

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.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  There was a very spectacular sunset the other night, and I was going to run with that.  And then I reviewed the photos of the galahs who have been visiting us this week.  All of these are much sleeker than the moth-eaten baby galah of last week.

Cheeky (and as the photos will show) greedy and not very patient.  Clicking on the photos will embiggen them for further detail.  The blurring of wings in many of these photos was galahs landing, galahs being evicted, galahs jockeying for position...

Sunday Selections #113

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.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  Today I am going back to another of my obsessions and posting pictures of some of the birds that have visited us this month.

This somewhat motheaten looking galah has recently fledged and doesn't have all its adult plumage yet.  It does have a healthy appetite though.

As does this eastern rosella.  Apple, particularly green apple is a prime favourite with it.

The corellas ALWAYS have healthy appetites - to the extent that they will challenge cockatoos who are much bigger for space on the feeder.  They mostly succeed too.

And another young bird.  This pied currawong will be be predominantly a lovely glossy black when it has all of its adult feathers.

Concentration

Concentrating very, very hard - with eyes a little open to make sure he doesn't miss anything I am doing.

Sunday Selections 112

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.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  This morning I had hoped to bring you balloons from our annual balloon festival.  I headed off before six to see them inflated and discovered that it is too windy.  Sigh.

So, it is back to the garden.  And I will be heading out into the garden again to weed and weed and weed some more shortly.

Obsessional? Not entirely sane?

Both.  Definitely both.

You will have heard me whinge, bitch and moan about how little I like summer.  True, but I love spring.  Recently garden pornography (catalogues) has been arriving thick and fast in my mail boxes (virtual and real).

And here is where insanity appears.  We are just coming out of an (ugly) period of convalescence.  There will be more surgery (and consequent convalescence) in a couple of months.  I am very, very tired.  My body is being recalcitrant.  There is a lot of remedial work which needs to be done in the garden after our blistering summer, and my absence from it.

So what do I do?  I succumb.  Again.  Big time.

From one company I purchased a giant allium, 20 of the most scented freesias, 20 mixed hyacinths, 20 red tulips (and I will buy more), 50 mixed anemones and 200 mixed daffodils.  More than enough. 

And then another catalogue with the most glorious illustrations arrived.  And my weak-willed self succumbed again.  Do you see why I refer to the catalogues as garden pornography?  I know I shouldn't look at them.  I feel very guilty when I do - and then I start to drool and it is all over. (clicking on the images will enlarge them)

On this page I bought 100 Premium Rainbow Mixed Daffodils, 100 Double Mixed Daffodils, 100 Split-Corona Daffodils and 100 Cottage Mixed Daffodils.  Again, more than enough.  But did I stop there.  Well no.

Twenty five (five each of the named varieties of the Super Splits.  But wait, there's more.

Another twenty-five (five each of these named varieties). And...

twenty-five of the Delightful Doubles.

Because I am obsessed with my garden and insane I also invested (as I did last year) in the Gardener's Pot Luck Collection.  These will be a mystery until they arrive, being made up from the bulbs which the company has left over in quantities which are uneconomical for them to replant.  And selling them to people with no will power is economical.  In fact I suspect it is very profitable indeed. 

Oh dear.  There are many, many hours of extremely hard work ahead of me.  Much weeding and soil preparation.  Then individually planting all of those bulbs (and the additional tulips too).

I am consoling myself by saying (true) that when they bloom the blood, sweat and tears involved in planting them will be a distant memory.  It may also be a welcome distraction when the skinny one is back in hospital.  But just the same...

As I said, insane and obsessional.

Sunday Selections #111

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.

Like River I generally run with a theme. This week it is the camouflage cat (aka Jazz) who seriously thought that no-one could see him.  I should add that the little toad also plucks flowers from the vase using his teeth and drops them either onto the fish tank or the floor.  Purring loudly.  It is just as well that he is a cute cat.  He needs to be.

Reaching Out - A Repost

When I read this post yesterday at Laura Eno's blog I was touched.  I don't know Chad, but my heart goes out to him, so I am reposting on his behalf.  I have stolen the post in its entirety, and here it is.

Totally taken from Elizabeth Seckman‘s blog,
who totally took it from Peggy Eddleman‘s blog:
A call for help from one writer to all the others!!
We have a comrade in need:
Chad Morris.
While Chad’s book is launching, he’s not busy marketing…he’s fighting along side his nine-year-old daughter as she battles a brain tumor.
(I can’t even imagine. The very thought takes my breath away.)
*The sentence above are Elizabeth’s words but I can’t improve on them*
Chad can’t be all over the net right now, but WE can!!!

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don’t read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn’t around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.
Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.

About Chad:
Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from the Muppets, he’s been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) After high school, he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college, and eventually he became a teacher and a curriculum writer. He lives in Utah with his wife and five kids. Chad would love to teach at Cragbridge Hall.

Unlike Oscar Cragbridge, however, he hasn’t really invented anything, though his son once sketched out blueprints for a machine that would turn celery into cookies.
Where to find him:
Blog Facebook Twitter Website

Sunday Selections #110

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.

Like River I generally run with a theme. For something completely different I am going to post photos of birds (again).  They are one of my obsessions, and make me smile every day.   Just two types of birds this week - corellas and king parrots.  I am sorry - the photos of the king parrots are not the best - this was a very flighty pair and I didn't want to stress them out too much.  The corellas are ALWAYS cheeky chappies and are quite happy to have their photos taken.