Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Thursday 26 September 2013

Floriade 2013

Floriade is Canberra's spring flower festival and is held for four weeks each year, starting  in mid September.  It is held close to the centre of Canberra by Lake Burley Griffin, and draws in big, big crowds.  Entry is free, though there is plenty to spend money on inside the festival.


His high and skinniness and I headed off this morning.  The weather was completely unable to make up its mind.  We had high winds (and large branches snapping off around us), we had sunshine, we had cloud, we had more cloud, we had rain - and then we had some more sunshine.


None of which mattered.  It was an explosion of colour and even crowd phobic me loved it.  Many, many photos follow - and will embiggen if you are kind enough to click on them.

We avoid the main parking lot and park further away.  The walk to Floriade is through a pleasant park and beside the lake.  It adds some more effort to the outing, but is so worth it.



















This is a  new addition to Floriade.  The kangaroo is always there, but this year a duck has joined him.  fishducky, this is for you. 









We went up in that Ferris Wheel, which was the vantage point for the next few photos.  And it was very, very windy and a little scary.  See what I do for you?






Ground level again.















The cormorants who were sunning themselves when we first went past them had their wings out to dry off after the rain.


A moorhen for dinahmow whose avatar it is.

 



A while ago I promised Laloofah a Floriade fridge magnet.  Since I am obsessive I picked up several fridge magnets and, because I know that some of you have stainless steel fridges I also bought a few post cards and three bookmarks.  If you would like one, please let me know which one in the comments area and drop me an email with a contact address. It will of course be a case of first in, best dressed.   My email address has been added to my profile - but will get removed again.

106 comments:

  1. EC, thank you for sharing your Floriade photos. I took my son a few years ago. We had a wonderful holiday in Canberra. I really like our Capital city.

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    1. Carol in Cairns: I think Canberra is a pretty city, with a lot to offer. But am biased.

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  2. Such fabulous photos! I love that final one from the ferris wheel. Now of course you've given me an idea....
    How on earth did you manage to get all your ducks in a row?? (yes, I know they're cormorants) I love the big rubber ducky. Hi fishducky!
    Did you know that fridge magnets do stick on stainless steel fridges? My brother has a stainless steel fridge and I stuck a magnet on it from AQWA.

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    1. River: I didn't know that magnets would stick to stainless steel. I have learned something today.
      Wasn't it lucky when all the cormorants lined up?

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  3. A wonderful series of photographs. I try to buy a magnet from every vacation. I picked up quite a few on our last one.

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  4. I think I'd have skipped the ferris wheel on such a windy day. But I thank you, o, intrepid one. And I thank you for the pukeko, too ;-)

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    1. dinahmow: I was tempted to skip the ferris wheel - but am glad I didn't. And thank you for giving me another name for the moorhen. A much prettier name.

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  5. HI EC Wow! What a wonderful display of colour everywhere. I loved the variety of Tulips and the Cormorants standing in a row. great shot of the B;lack Swan and Dusky Moorhen

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    1. Margaret Adamson: It was a real explosion of colour wasn't it?

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  6. I knew the Floriade was on and was concerned about your weather but obviously all is well and it hasn't deterred lots of people viewing the beauty that is there.
    I was pleased to know the SP was well enough to go with you and the crowds didn't look too daunting so you were fine.
    Up in a ferris wheel on a windy day? You are so brave and I am sure we all appreciate what you did to bring us such gorgeous pictures.
    There were pictures that reminded me so much of Hagley Park and the botanic gardens in Christchurch. I just enjoyed them so much and embiggened them right through to the last one. Thank you again for sharing such magnificence.

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    1. Mimsie: We have had rather a lot of rain as well. I wouldn't have been surprised if lots of the gardens had been damaged, but was very glad that they haven't.
      The skinny one is still doing it tough - and his mouth is still giving him grief but I think he enjoyed his outing too.

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  7. Wow, what the amazing garden of the colorful sweet flowers! all the photographs looking beautiful and attempt to attract...
    such you are lucky which got the enjoy of fetching festival..

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    1. Ercptravels: And we have another flower festival to go to in a day or two. We are indeed lucky.

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  8. I used to read, hear and drool about Floriade for years when I was in W.A. What a stunning sight!
    And to think, it's free entry! Unlike MIFGS, which is quite steep.

    I love the image of the cormorants all lined up along the waters edge like black-suited swimmers at the start of a race.

    And, the pictures show a pretty day - irregardless of the weather. I've looked over them a couple of times now.
    Beautiful pictures like these always make my heart flutter at such garden glory.

    And, you braved a big Ferris Wheel on a windy day? Well, a big "thank you", for the wonderful vantage point EC! It was worth it I'm sure - as the photos show.

    I love bulbs beneath birches too, such a lovely picture.

    They're all lovely! Drool. Wish I could be there.

    So glad that you and SP went along. Very heartening to read that :)
    And, I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to miss the opportunity to visit.

    To quote Peter Cundall, what a "bloomin' marvellous" day!

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    1. Vicki: We go to Floriade every year - at least once. However, there is another bulb festival which runs at the same time - Tuliptops, which I think is better.
      There is an entry fee, but it is much less commercial.
      We hope to get there in the next day or two. And there will be many photos from there too.
      It is lovely that the SP is up to outings again. He is not well yet, and his poor mouth is giving him a LOT of trouble, but things are much better than they were.

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  9. Wonderful array of flowers and bravery on your part.
    Thank you for all the support you have given me in the past two months.

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    1. Arija: It was a treat of a day. You enrich so many of our lives, and I hope that your pain is easing a little. I know it doesn't go away, but I love that you seem to be starting to see better days.

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  10. EC, you take me back to spring and all the beauty that the season brings. I wish I could live forever in that time of year, even with its ever changing weather. Your pictures are gorgeous and I especially like the ones with the birds.

    I is great that you got your SP out and about.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Floriade is always a treat, but it was the first significant outing for the smaller portion - which added (so much) to the pleasure.

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  11. What fabulous pictures! I loved them all, especially the ones from the ferris wheel, because I know what it cost you do take them. And the tulips just simply take my breath away, they are so beautiful! Thank you so much for these, and give a little pinch to his high and skinniness. (Love that new title!) :-)

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    1. DJan: He is asleep at the moment - but I will pinch him with pleasure.

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  12. An outdoor home and garden show. What a blast of color. I see folks well dressed against blasts of weather, too. Thanks for taking the ride up the ferris wheel; not sure I would have done it.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: I really didn't realise quite how windy it was (or didn't stop to think about it) until the wheel was turning. I am glad I went though.

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  13. What a lovely cornucopia of flower shots. Had to chuckle at the sight of the birds all lined up next to the water.

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    1. ladyfi: I really enjoyed the cormorants too. And that they treated the many people going by with complete ignore.

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  14. Your pictures take my breath away ... but the most beautiful part of this post is that you and SP went out on this excursion together ... that tells me what I have been waiting to hear, that all is well again. Maybe not where you would like it to be, but surely well on the way. I would love one of your fridge magnets to remind me of you, your strength and what we all can get through with a positive attitude. Besides, I have nothing from Australia and it is rapidly becoming my favorite place ... and at the top of my bucket list. You made my day EC ...

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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    1. Andrea: I would LOVE to send you a magnet. We are not out of the woods, but things are indeed a LOT better. Yay.

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  15. wow, what a delight, the flowers are lovely and I particularly liked seeing the birds all lined up.

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  16. What a feast for the eyes those flowers are.

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  17. Those are beautiful! I love how they made circles with the flowers! Thank you for riding the wheel for us!

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    1. Betty: I knew (past experience) that there were probably patterns in the garden beds. I also knew that I wouldn't see them unless I found a higher vantage spot. I think installing the ferris wheel was a brilliant idea.

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  18. This seems like an attack of beauty on the senses. How did you tolerate it? Thank you so much for taking us along and sharing what you saw. I have to admit, I wouldn't get on that ferris wheel

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    1. Myrna R.: I tolerated the beauty with a very, very big smile. It was lovely - and my saner self wouldn't have gone on the ferris wheel - but I am glad she had turned her back.

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    2. I would have wanted to immerse myself in all those flowers, go rolling in them. But of course that would have crushed them and ruined them for everyone and me, too.

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    3. Strayer: It would be wonderful though...

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  19. What fabulous photos and so many, you are so talented. I did manage to get to Floriade last year, and what a joy it is. Here I amwatching the leaves change colour.

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    1. persiflage: We go to Floriade every year - but this year was a particular treat. And I would love to be seeing the leaves change colour with you - I am looking forward to many, many photos when you get back.

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  20. Beautiful pics!! Loved the first pic of the cormorants at the edge of the pool &, of course, the rubber ducky!!

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    1. fishducky: Wasn't it a treat? I also loved the birds. All of them.

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  21. Breathtaking! Didn't you want to take up camp there?! The rubber ducky caught me totally by surprise. Someone had a sense of play--my type of person. this was a real treat, esp. for me.

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    1. Susan Kane: Quirky fun is always good in my book. I smiled rather a lot at the rubber duck - and was glad that it was tethered on that very windy day.

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  22. I'll have anything you've got. Hahahaha. But really. I'm blown away by all these pictures they're so beautiful, and you went up the big wheel too. I wouldn't I can tell you. So glad you and the kinny one got out and saw all this together. My favourite flowers are...hmmm...I can't be sure I have this right but the peopnies. Poenoos. Paeonies. I bet they're actually something entirely different. Thank you so much for all these, what a feast for the eyes, such a gorg-tastic event.

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    1. All Consuming: As ferris wheels go it isn't a very big one - and I couldn't have got the perspective without it. It was scary in the wind though.

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  23. Beautiful, wonderful and splendid!
    Thank you so much for that blissful post - I'm sitting here eating egg, tomato and banana on toast and those photos were the icing on the cake (so to speak).

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    1. Jayne: What an interesting topping for your toast. The skinny one does banana and marmalade but banana and egg would never have occurred to me.

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  24. Oh! Wow! Beautiful, beautiful photos, all worthy of being postcards. You couldn't have paid me to go up in that Ferris Wheel, but I thank you for being a much braver soul than I to provide us with such dizzyingly neat photos. And thank you for so many lovely things to look at today. As much as I love the explosion of colors, I think my favorite of the pics may be the lined up cormorants.

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    1. Paper Chipmunk (aka Ellen): I loved the cormorants rather a lot myself. And was very happy to see them in much the same spot as we wandered back.

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  25. That's too much EC, fantastically fabulously beautiful. I think you Canberrans worship flowers? Also, did you make up the word "embiggin" because I like it.

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    1. Strayer: I think it was another blogger who coined embiggen - but it is a brilliant word. Believe it or not, I went to another flower festival today. An even better one...

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  26. Gorgeous! What a feast for the eyes! Thank you so much for taking your camera along to share your day with us.

    In the third photo, I realized how large the trees in behind the front ones are - do you have many like that in Australia?

    All those flowers and I'm asking about the trees - kind of silly, I know!

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    1. jenny_o: Most of those large trees are Eucalypts - and we have lots of them. Those are not quite as big as they appear - they are on a slope behind the others. Still pretty large though.

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    1. Letting the Words Escape: It was. And today's outing was at least as good, and perhaps better. Photos to follow.

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  28. What a wonderful place to spend the day. Beautiful photos! I love the cormorants all in a row, and the black swan is so elegant!

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    1. Karen: The birds were an extra treat weren't they?

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  29. Beautiful! Thanks for risking life and limb in the ferris wheel to get pictures for us! I doubt I'd have done that on a windy day!

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    1. Debora: I really wanted to get that 'different' perspective. Not entirely sane - but I am glad I did.

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  30. This mostly reminds me to use my free time tomorrow to actually get out and see what nature's doing. We're heading into Fall here, which is a wonderful time for foliage.

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    1. John Wiswell: Much as I love Spring, Autumn is my most favourite time of year. I love the vibrancy as the leaves change - and welcome the cooler weather. I hope you can get out into it tomorrow.

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  31. Thank you for being brave and going up in the Ferris wheel! The colours are absolutely stunning.

    I am probably too late for the giveaways but how very sweet of you! xo

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    1. Birdie: Nope, there are still a few fridge magnets here. Would you like one?

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  32. WOW!! Super snaps. Colorful flowers, sweet duck looks so pretty. Ferris wheel is so big. You are so brave and taking photos at the top level is unbelievable.

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  33. Wonderful pictures as always...I particularly do love the bird ones...they're great! :)

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  34. What an explosion of color and life and beauty...You do know how to surprise the beauty in life :).

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    1. unikorna: Wasn't it wonderful? And I went on another outing today. More beauty. Much more.

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  35. what a spectacular! i totally enjoyed your photos, thanks for brightening my day~

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    1. Betty Manuousos: Thank you - it was indeed spectacular.

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  36. As usual, I'm loving all these photos. Good that you get out and about. Indeed, embracing all that the spring, the renewal has to offer. Floriade, for one moment I thought you were doing a feature on some kind of Florida juice drink. Then I realised that made no sense. Good heavens, such big ducks you have there! :)

    Gidday to you,

    Gary

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    1. klahanie: I am so glad that you enjoyed all the photos (there were rather a lot). And yes, that duck was BIG.
      Have a wonderful weekend - all of you.

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  37. LOVE your blog! I'm a new GFC follower :)

    P.S. I'm hosting a giveaway that you might be interested in!
    www.domesticsweetheart.com

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    1. The Domestic Sweetheart: Welcome and thank you. I will be over to visit in a litle bit.

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  38. Wow. It's been a long time since I've seen that many tulips in one place. They're just gorgeous. Especially those ones with the ruffled double petals... but they're all beautiful. Such a feast of color.

    I love that pic of the cormorants all in a row posing for you, too. But best of all? That you and your hubby were able to make and enjoy this outing together. Here's to wishing your high and skinny one (love it!) continued recovery and strength. (And maybe a few more pounds on his frame, too.)

    Happy weekend!

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    1. Susan: It is very nice to be able to take some trips together. The irony is that this was possible because his poor infected mouth means he can not eat - so his digestion is giving him more peace. Just the same, both are finally showing some signs of improvement.

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  39. Dear EC, oh the beautiful of Floriade! And those photographs showed it all. I'm so glad--despite the weather--that you went up on the ferris wheel and gave us aerial views of the gardens. So much to please the eye--the sculptures, the flowers, the flowing creek, the birds, and the people enjoying their day in the rain/sun/clouds.

    I'm wondering if that one photo was of a large mirror slanted over the flowers???? Thanks so much for sharing this trip to beauty. Peace.

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    1. Dee: That was indeed a large mirror slanted over the flowers. You have such a good eye.
      It was truly beautiful.

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  40. I enlarged all your pictures – what a great series! The fields of flowers were so colorful – I can see why you wished to visit this park. I also liked the birds against the water – they looked just right and your photos are excellent.

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    1. Vagabonde: It is a beautiful part any time of year, and Floriade is an annual treat. Just the same, beautiful as it is/was I think I prefer Tulip Top Gardens - post to come next week.

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  41. Wow! What spectacular flowers! So gorgeous. I love that you and his high and skinniness could get out and do that.

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    1. Lynn: So did we. And we had two outings in two days - which was wonderful.

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  42. 'His high and skinniness' - love that. Gives me such a mental picture of you both going off :)

    Hi Sue! :) It's afternoon now here in Melbourne & the weather can't make up its mind here either. So bitterly cold, windy - and spots of sun.

    Your pictures are joyous, purely joyous. It has been years, oh years since I went on a ferris wheel. Such a simple joy.

    Love this.

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    1. wordsfallfrommyeyes: It was a joyous day, and I am so glad that I caught some of the magic with my camera. Typical Spring weather. Yesterday was sunny and warm (almost hot), Today we have a different season every fifteen minutes. At the moment it is grey and windy...

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  43. G o r g e o u s.

    I love those black birds standing in a line. It looks as though they are awaiting something!

    Hope you are well, S? Are you? Xxxx LOVE from Mn.
    How are your kitties?

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    1. myinnerchick: Thank you. They did look as if they were waiting didin't they? We are ok - how are you doing?

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  44. Those are fantastic! What a gorgeous place.

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  45. That's it, I keep saying I am coming over one year to Floriade and now I just have to book a trip, who knows I might even bump into you there. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos.

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  46. Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!

    Makes me want to come to Canberra during Floriade.

    First, Mrs. RWP and I would need to get passports, then start saving money for the airplane fare, then save even more money for when we got to Australia, I guess it's all a pipe dream.

    But Floriade as captured in your magnificent photos is gorgeous! Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!

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    1. rhymeswithplague: It is beautiful. Mind you, I like Canberra all year. And I think dreaming is a very good thing.

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  47. Magnificent! Lovely! Australia is my #1 place to visit someday!

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  48. All good, but I find cormorants a bit spooky, especially when lined up like soldiers as in their first photo.

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    1. Andrew Maclaren-Scott: I wonder why? The spooky aspect of birds is not one I ever feel, and am sorry to have given you that moment.
      No cormorants in my next few posts at least. I promise.

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    2. The kind of spooky that I like though. More will be welcome. We feed spooky rooks in our garden. They watch us from the high trees at the edge of the field... much more clever than they first seem.

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    3. Andew Maclaren-Scott: I have a soft spot for most birds, and the corvid family are fascinating. Intelligent and family minded...

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  49. Those tulips are magnificent.....and that ferris wheel!
    What a wonderful way this park has:)
    -Jennifer

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    1. Jennifer Richardson: It is a wonderful park - in all seasons. And the tulips are a delight.

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  50. Absolutely breathtaking! Thank you for sharing these - and for braving the Ferris Wheel! So very wonderful how you got the cormorants to line up so nicely for the photo!

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    1. daisyfae: Wasn't it obliging of them to line up like that?

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