Sunday Selections #372

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 is a little more random.

I am going to start with a not very good photo of some of our kitchen gadgets.  The lovely jenny_o recently posted a picture of a potato brush which makes her smile.  It would make me smile too and you can find it here.  I thought that we had nothing quirky to share, but familiarity obviously breeds contempt.  This photo is of part of the window sill over the sink (and reminded me the windows badly need washing).

 The white blob is a Babushka doll and the nesting set unscrews to provide us with measuring cups.  The motor cycle is himself's pizza cutter.  The pink elephant is a tea infuser for the days when a cup rather than a pot is required.  And I smile every time I balance it on a mug.  And nearly obscured is a blue bird whose beak is a can opener.  In front of that is yet another tea infuser.  Ar the back are our smiling salad/pasta spoons.  And I rearranged nothing for the photo.

The next photos are part of the reason our windows need washing.  Last weekend was windy.  Very, very, windy.  And a bright and beautiful afternoon was darkened by a dust storm.

After which I am going to revert to type and feature some of the birds who have been visiting recently.

I do love the corellas.

This pair of King Parrots eat from our hands.  And goodness we feel privileged.

The Rainbow Lorikeets are rare visitors - but welcome.

And this Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo also eats from our hands.  We are very, very lucky.  Finishing up with another of my multitude of obsessions - the sky.  This sunset kept me enthralled throughout the display.

And I liked the way the jet trail neatly bisected the sky.

Balloon Spectacular 2018

For a lot of the year, early risers in my city can often see a balloon or two drifting across the sky.  I welcome them each time I see them.
 
However, in March for about ten days the city goes a bit balloon mad.  Each year we have a Balloon Spectacular (which starts as Enlighten finishes) and up to fifty balloons are launched each day.  Bliss.  There is always at least one 'feature' balloon.  This year?  There were three.  A Hummingbird from California which was HUGE and lovely and a Kermie Frog from New York, and a heart balloon from our own Hunter Valley.  The Hummingbird was a featured balloon last year too, but since it only flew twice they came back again.
 
Weather permitting they take off from the lawns of Old Parliament House shortly after dawn, and as well as the fortunate riders, it has become a tradition for people to come along and watch them inflate and take off (another free treat).  Some mornings there are hundreds of spectators.  Breakfast is available, and the crowd is happy.  The weather was kinder this year and the balloons launched most days.

My youngest brother is, like me, a balloon tragic.   Sadly this year, like last year, he missed out.  Commitments kept him away until the last two days.  And the balloons were grounded both days.  He mourned, and I feel for him.

I said when I posted Sunday Selections that I had  LOTS of photos of balloons to share.  So please, settle down with your beverage of choice, and smile with me (or at my balloon obsessed self).

Oops.  As an aside, the first time I ran through my photos I chose 47 to include in this post.  I have cut them down, but there are still a lot of photos.  

The Hummingbird inflated, but for some reason didn't take to the air the day we were there.  It did photo-bomb rather a lot of shots though.

 

  

 

See what I mean about photo-bombing?

 

The smiling face above appears every year.

Lots and lots of balloons.

Neither of these balloons ever lifted off.  I wonder why?  So, we headed home, smiling and happy.  And, on our way home discovered that we were tailing Kermie the frog.  So we stopped in beside the lake.

We learned that some skilled balloonists landed on the lake - and towed kayakers.  I would love to see that.  Next year.  Perhaps.
 
 

Sunday Selections #371

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.   And this week those of you who know me will not be shocked and surprised to learn that it is balloons.  We did go to the Balloon Spectacular last week, and were fortunate enough to see them inflate and (mostly) take to the air.  

Himself is a decidedly 'spring out of bed at the crack of noon' person so he wasn't happy to learn that I wanted to be out of the house before six.  After seeing the balloons he admitted (grudgingly) that it was worth it. 

And it was.  There are many, many photos so some today, and some later in the week.

 It was still dark when we arrived, but it was obvious that the balloons would at least be inflated, though a decision about whether they would fly hadn't been made.

When you see someone standing up inside a balloon you get some idea of just how big they can be.

Up, up and away.  And the crowd cheered each time another balloon took to the sky.

If you look closely at the balloon above you will notice there is no basket.  The pilot operated it from a seated position.  It didn't look comfortable.  

 And the balloons weren't the only flyers of the morning.

There were feature balloons (as usual) and they will appear in the next post.