Sunday Selections #360

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.  River is having a blog break at the moment (and will be missed), so I am keeping the meme warm in her absence. 
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week?  A bit of a hotch potch.

Starting with fire in the sky.

It was brief, but dramatic and lovely.

 Then to the junglegarden.  The lilies, the roses and the weeds are thriving.

I liked the feather flower too.

I am finishing with a small outing.  A very urban friend (who sees the countryside as somewhere to drive through on your way to a city) raved about an exhibition of wildlife photography at our National Library. 

She even said she wondered whether she had been wrong to discount the beauty of the natural world!  So on a vilely hot day we went to the library for some beauty and respite.

The exhibition featured the photography of Peter Dombrovskis and some of the glorious parts of the Tasmania wilderness he captured.  It included some stunning macros of lichen too. 

 And how right she was.  It was glorious.  Taking photographs of photographs, particularly when they are behind reflective glass is not easy.  I do hope that you can see some of the incredible beauty.  The photograph above is of a snow gum - in the snow.  Aren't those colours dramatic?

I have to admit to a fall from grace.  As we left the exhibition himself noticed a small 'No Photography' sign.  Oops.

The library is lovely too.

Words for Wednesday

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.
 
This month the prompts have been provided by Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue Fulton, and have included stunning photographs taken by Margaret's friend Bill.

Next month, January 2018 for goodness sake,  Cindi will post the prompts on her blog. 
February 2018:  River will post the prompts on her blog. 
March 2018: Delores will post the prompts on her blog.
April 2018:  The prompts will be here.
May (and October) 2108: The prompts will be here, but provided by  Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue Fulton.  The prompts will include photographs taken by her Margaret's friend Bill.

Needless to say, I am looking for people to provide the prompts for the months between May and October.  It would be lovely if some of the regular participants stepped up to provide the prompts and the old guard was allowed to rest.  New challenges (and challengers) are always welcome.  Please let me know in the comments if you are able to take plart.

Now, back to this weeks fun.

This week's prompts are:

1. Parasol
2. Heel
3. Wag
4. Ascending
5. Hook
6. Stair rods

And/or

1. Mint
2. Tottering
3. Chew
4. Binder
5. Coming
6. Pelmet

Sunday Selections #359

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.  River is having a blog break at the moment (and will be missed), so I am keeping the meme warm in her absence. 
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week?  Christmas is almost upon us.  For those who celebrate Christmas can be many things; holy, happy, stressful, lonely, miserable, or some combination of the above.  Calls to the crisis line increase dramatically and won't slow till the end of January.  I don't think there is any one image which can capture the complexity of Christmas.  So instead I am going to post some of the things which distracted me from the tasks I 'should' have been doing this week, and eased negativities as well.

Starting as I so often do, with the sky.

Then to the garden.

Our silk tree is coming out a little more each day.

An individual bloom (plus bee).

The corellas have been congregating too.  

And a few Christmas themed images (not my own) which made me smile.

For those who do celebrate Christmas I hope it is truly wonderful.
And I hope that tidings of comfort and joy become the norm for us all.