Home Alone

From now until the second week of November I am home alone.  Or more accurately home with Jazz n Jewel.

The skinny one headed off on holidays this afternoon.  Is he well enough?  I don't know, but he thinks so which is WONDERFUL.

He is starting in Iran, moving to Russia (and I have told him that a Faberge egg would make a suitable souvenir), and finishing up in the Netherlands.

I too am going to have holidays.  For quite a long time now I have been putting my own wants and needs at the back of the queue.  Time to focus on me.  And the cats.  And the garden.  And books....

'On the whole the easiest way to relax is to stay at home and make everyone else go away.'
Alice Thomas Ellis

Sunday Selections #243

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. This week?  Not so much.  It has been insanely busy here, and so I am posting snippets of things which have made me smile.

In the sky:

Some rain to go with the rainbow would have been nice.  Someone obviously got some, but it wasn't us.

In our garden:

I am not certain I like this tulip - which belongs to the Parrot family, but it is interesting.  We have a clump of half a dozen of them.

I love that this bees pollen sacs were very, very full.

A new (to us) statue down by the lake:

These tiny pink flowers (and I have no idea what they are) were everywhere around the base of the statue.

And some teasers from the magic that is Tulip Top Gardens (and a photo heavy post will follow next week).

Floriade 2015

Floriade is my city's celebration of Spring.  It runs for thirty days, starting in mid September, and is an explosion of colour and scent.  It is now in its twenty-eighth year.

It is held in the centre of the city, in Commonwealth Park by the lake.  Sadly we are told that this will change, and there are suggestions that in future years it will be held in three or four different venues.  I hope not.  I like the ambience of the park beside the lake and think Floriade benefits from the extravagance of all the blooms in one place.  We will see.  It is an annual pilgrimage for us.

The festival is free to enter, though there are lots and lots and lots of ways to spend money while you are there.  Restaurants, cafes, stalls selling jewellery, chutneys, nuts, kites, fudge, soap, pearls, silk...  There are even some which sell things for the garden.  There is music, and other entertainment.  There are displays by florists and cooks.  Perhaps not something for everyone, but certainly something for a lot of people.

It is early in the season, and quite a lot of blooms are not out yet.  More coming each day though.

Even the walk to Floriade from our habitual parking spot is pretty.  In my usual restrained fashion rather a lot of photos follow...

Weekend games of chess here are quite common.

 This children's fort was new.  The 'asphalt' was soft too.  Mind you the chillun could still hurt themselves on the rocks which weren't soft at all.

 

The cormorants were totally unphased by the people.

These bird sculptures are a permanent feature, but I love them and always stop to look at them - and take yet another photo.

In years gone by, there were viewing platforms so that you could see the beds from above.  Sadly, they no longer build them.  If you want the big picture, the ferris wheel is your only option.  And it isn't free.

We went up, but the view will be improved as more flowers come out and the patterns in the beds below become more distinct.

And down again.

 

This wattle bird also didn't care that there were people everywhere.  Much more obliging than the ones at home.

That arch again.

I managed to avoid most of the shops, but did buy several fridge magnets which I am happy to send to anyone who would like one.  Let me know in the comments if you would like one.  I am happy to post them anywhere.

This week we will go to Tulip Tops - which I think puts Floriade in the shade...