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.
Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.
Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle.
The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post
some
photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me.
Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
I usually run with a theme. I am going to finish the Floriade Reimagined posts for this year (and of course include some shots from our garden too). Remember I said last week that I was going to be more restrained in the number of photos this week? I lied. Sorry. Restraint will continue to be a work in progress.
A few weeks ago we headed down to the lake to kill the proverbial two birds with one stone. I needed a kangaroo fix and I was pretty certain that there would be some community Floriade sites on our way.
I have no idea who built the 'teepee' or why but I enjoyed it.
There were kangaroos (yay) and the recent rains made the park they have claimed as their own look pretty good too.
Happy, we slowly headed home, keeping an eye out for Floriade manifestations.
This was in a shopping centre - and I thought it looked fairly sad.
These next two were on a street corner in a suburb and I really enjoyed them.
These beauties all came from a small suburban government Primary School.
Then to another look at our garden. The orchids have done very well this year.
I planted the purple 'Burma' orchid in the garden a few years ago and it is very happily spreading - something I never thought I would say about an orchid.
As a further reflection of my total lack of restraint, the bottle brush are also thriving.
And a sad update. Some of you will remember Jo who posted most days and usually participated in Words for Wednesday. Jo's own health is precarious and she was also caring for her husband Matt who has dementia. Sadly Jo has had a stroke and at the moment cannot care for herself let alone Matt. They are both in residential care (in adjoining rooms) for the moment while options are considered/explored. I wish them both well.
And to finish on a nicer note. While there were no mass gatherings for Floriade this year the Floriade shop remained open (online only). Himself surprised me and ordered a couple of fridge magnets - 'so you can send them to people who read your blog.' There are only two of them but I would be very happy to post them to anyone who would like them - on the understanding that it is definitely first in best dressed. If you would like one, let me know in the comments - and send me an email with your address if I don't already have it.
Fantastic Roos shots EC. And, the flowers, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: Thank you. The roos looked to be enjoying Spring too.
DeleteDear EC
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely shot of colour in your blog post. Just what I needed on a grey, windy rainy Autumn day in the UK.
I would be very happy to receive a magnet, but I realise that postage may well be ridiculous, so I will leave it for people closer to you. Thank you to you both for the kind thought.
Your orchids are stunning - I have one as a houseplant, but it isn't as happy as I would like, so to see happy and beautiful orchids was lovely.
Have a very happy and colourful week.
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: I am more than happy to send you a magnet. They are light and the postage is not extreme. They make take some some to reach you though. Please send me your address.
DeleteNice pictures I have heard a lot about your animals especially kangaroo hoping to see them someday.
ReplyDeleteSteve: I hope you can see our roos someday too. We have more than our fair share of weird animals and many of them are wonderful.
DeleteOk regards
DeleteI saw a video of a kangaroo that had a choke hold on a dog. The dog's owner was trying to scare it into letting his dog go. The scare tactics weren't working so he went up up and punch the roo in the face. That worked. The roo just stood there and looked at the guy in disbelief. Then it decided things were no fun anymore and hopped off.
ReplyDeleteMike: That was a lucky dog and a lucky man. Roos are rarely aggressive but formidable when they are.
DeleteRoos certainly sound better than a halloween haunted house tour. The Capeweed is a beautiful party crasher for Floriade. We are getting so numb to invasive species.
ReplyDeleteAnn Bennett: A regular roo fix is an essential for me. Capeweed is lovely to look at, but... You are so right about the invasive species, too many of which we brought to the country deliberately. Carelessly is very little better.
DeleteThank You so much! Just being with you makes me feel better. Your garden is thriving indeed! More excess and lack of restraint please. Adoring you. Aloha
ReplyDeleteCloudia: Thank you. You may regret encouraging me.
DeleteIt’s lovely to see your garden again, as well as the yellow wattle I have to say bottlebrushes are my favourite Australian natives. Thanks for highlighting them.
ReplyDeleteThe tulips have held up well haven’t they, especially the ones outside the school. Do you know the significance of the collar on the roo? Some sort of tracking device maybe?
Cathy: Many of the female roos in that vicinity have collars and/or ear tags. They signify that the roo has been given a long acting contraceptive. While I think the collars are ugly it is a much better alternative to shooting the roos which local government also does each year.
DeleteYour own garden is flourishing. I grow an orchid inside and its survival is precarious. Yours is gorgeous. Bottle brushes are doing well too. They are so showy. Floriade is a great way to celebrate spring and share with your blossom poor neighbours to the north.
ReplyDeleteMarie Smith: Floriade is a wonderful celebration of Spring and I am very grateful that a way was found for it to continue.
DeleteIt was nice to get my very own "roo" fix from your blog. And I do hope your friend Jo will find a way to manage after that stroke. And also thank you so much for all the flower pictures! Definitely made my day brighter.
ReplyDeleteDJan: Thank you. I am glad to hear that the flowers brightened your day as well as mine.
DeleteNo, tulips as individual plants don't work at all. It is good to see the planting at the school and I hope the children were involved. I really like that soft coloured bottle brush bloom. One kangaroo at least is wearing a very serious collar.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Tulips in ISO is a bit of a fail isn't it? I hope that the children were involved in that planting (and in the garden's care). I expect they were - and they got a very colourful reward.
DeleteThe roo in a collar is part of a contraceptive trial.
Such bright colored flowers.
ReplyDeleteJamie Ghione: They are aren't they? Real mood lifters.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about Jo. I hope she can recover some of her strength.
ReplyDeleteYour orchids are glorious! And I have to agree with you, the shopping center tulips look like an afterthought of tossing the last few flowers somewhere.
I always enjoy coming along with you on a virtual roo fix!
Stay safe. Stay well. Scritches to the Overlord.
River Fairchild: Tulips should be planted en masse I believe (or at least with lots of other plants). I am glad to hear that I didn't grump alone about that.
DeleteJazz is in a snitch this morning and I will give him your scritch later. Much later I suspect.
Thanks for the 'roo fix - and I enjoyed Mike's story! Your orchids are lovely - do your frosts not worry them? I don't know anyone who successfully grows orchids outside anywhere south of Auckland.
ReplyDeleteMy bottle brushes don't seem to mind our climate here, though, and the birds and bees love them.
Alexia: These orchids don't miss a beat over winter. Which is lovely. You are right about the birds and the bees loving bottlebrush. Our bushes are often very crowded indeed.
DeleteAlexia: How is your husband? And how are you?
DeleteHe is improving gradually, thank you. I'm getting a bit stir-crazy, but surviving :)
DeleteThanks for the lovely colorful flowers. A real feast for the eyes. I enjoy the kangaroos too, especially the one with the funky collar. He or she looks kind of special. I'm sorry about your blogger friend Jo. I wish her a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and well.
Hugs, Julia
Julia: We enjoy the roos and the flowers too. That colour (and it is a SERIOUS collar) tells us that the roo in question has been given a contraceptive. I hope that Jo can recover too, and am glad that she and Matt are getting the care they need. She was struggling before she had the stroke.
DeleteI've only seen kangaroos in a zoo, never in their chosen habitat. I've read that they can be dangerous. Of course, most wild animals probably are. All those flowers are beautiful. Your blog is a peaceful place to vist.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie Junebug: Kangaroos CAN be dangerous, but rarely are. I suspect that their attacks are almost always provoked by either man or dog. And what a lovely thing to say about my blog. At the moment at least I suspect that many of us need peace as much as I do.
DeleteAnd there they were ready for the picture!!
ReplyDeleteIt is always pleasant to look at flowers.
I'm sorry about that couple.
Caterina: While they are free to come and go we very rarely go to that park and come away without seeing a roo (or six). I am very sorry about Jo and Matt too.
DeleteI think that teepee has all the hallmarks of kangaroo kid built.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: That makes a heap of sense. Why didn't I think of it?
DeleteIt is nice to see kangaroos relaxed after all the terrible fires earlier this year. The flower are lovely, there are no flowers here, in fact the first snow arrived on Friday and the leaves are still on the trees.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and healthy in your part of the world!
Truedessa: It is wonderful to see relaxed kangaroos. I am already worrying for the summer to come. Snow? Is it early or do you expect it by now?
DeleteStay safe and well too. Please.
I'm so sorry to hear about Jo and Matt.
ReplyDeleteI love the yellow bottlebrush, here I only see red in the streets and gardens. I never knew the name Capeweed for the pretty yellow flowers. I see them popping up in lawns now and again. All the tulip beds look lovely, even the sparsely planted supermarket one. I'd love a magnet of you have any left.
River: I do have a magnet left and will send it to you next week. The yellow bottlebrush is a beauty isn't it? Its blooms are smaller than the red but the birds and the bees love it.
DeleteI am sorry about Jo and husband, this year has been cruel to so many...Thanks for tour wonderful photos and taking us along on your adventures.
ReplyDeletee: You are so right. This has been a very hard year for so many people - worldwide. And thank you. I hope you and Lukas are ok.
DeleteYour posts are always a bright spot--- as are the comments you leave. I love the garden-- it's like your blog. It's full of bright spots and makes me happy. THanks for the info on the collars. I was wondering.
ReplyDeleteBill: Thank you. Very much. The garden is like me and has some pieces that I choose to conceal. A work in progress. Always.
DeleteI don't really like the collars, but very much approve of contraception instead of culling.
Just all beautiful, kangaroo fix and all.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are sure so pretty and wonderful to see.
Thanks.
Margaret D: Thank you. A kangaroo fix always lifts my spirits, and pretty blooms don't go astray either.
DeleteHi EC - thanks for these and for the update on Jo and Matt ... I'd heard even though it doesn't sound too easy for them, but am pleased you've let other bloggers know.
ReplyDeleteYour Floridae is just beautiful ... I just love tulips and the, I hope!, cherry blossoms ... while I'm so pleased to see your 'roos' ... grand you've had your fix.
While your garden looks just lovely - a great burst of new growth coming ... your Burma orchid is amazing ... enjoy seeing the new spring explosion. Take care and stay safe ... Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: Thank you. I heard the bare bones about Jo when ladydog put up a post but was pleased to get an update. I do hope that she/they get all the support they need.
DeleteFloriade is an annual treat, and I am very glad that it went ahead despite Covid 19.
You take care too please. I hope that the latest lockdown doesn't give you too many problems and that it does bring the escalating numbers under control.
I am so envious of your lovely orchids. What's surprising is they seem to be just popping up in the wild. The first photo of your orchids, we have the same if not similar ones here too. The kangaroos have collars? So I am guessing they are tagged and their whereabouts monitored. This is the first time i have seen a white/cream bottlebrush - an albino!!
ReplyDeletekestrel: The first orchid is a cymbidium and I suspect they are MUCH closer to native ground with you. The kangaroo collars show that they are part of a contraceptive program. I don't think that they are used to monitor their location. The 'lemon bottlebrush' is much rarer in gardens but I think it is lovely. As do the birds and the bees.
DeleteYou wouldn't be you if you were restrained and who cares about restraint anyway?
ReplyDeletekylie: I do try to be restrained - so as not to bore people with my obsessions. Unfortunately the obsessionista wins.
DeleteSending some healing hugs to Matt and Jo. The year 2020 continues to be a struggle for so many. Thanks for the lovely flowers, and I love that you provide closeups of the kangaroos for everyone to enjoy. Sending hugs from across the way. RO
ReplyDeleteRO: I think that many of us will be very glad to see 2020 in the rear view mirror. I hope that 2021 is MUCH better.
DeleteHugs to you too.
You know, Sue, there are myriad symbols of Australia, but I think that for many, myself included, THE symbol is a kangaroo, even more so than that other marsupial, the koala. Kangaroos are emblematic of the way we view Australians, tough and resourceful, dealing with natural conditions that would be daunting for many. Will I ever get to see one again? I hope so, but this damn pandemic seems unwilling to cooperate just yet! Stay well!
ReplyDeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: I hope that you and Miriam are able to visit us again. Probably nearly as much as you hope it.
DeleteAnd yes, our roos are indeed resilient. They have needed to be for a very long time.
So sad about Jo. The Dragon Fellowship has sent her several cards and we continue to pray for her.
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: Thank you and the Dragon Fellowship. I hope to track down her address and send her a card this week.
DeleteI do not think I have ever seen orchids as a garden plant, but I love them! As always, your photo are quite beautiful. I am in Wisconsin for another 2 weeks, and it is cold and snowing outside. 30°F that feels like 18°F with the windchill. I've decided that retirement would be best spent between two hemispheres.
ReplyDeleteCindi Clarke: The nursery assured me that particular orchid would be happy in the garden. I am thrilled that they were truth tellers. Good luck with your move. I suspect that if circumstances allowed it I would avoid summer. Permanently.
DeleteFirst of all, please do send my very best wishes to poor Jo. I really am hoping and praying for her return to health. Such a sad thing...that she and her hubby should have to be separated when they need each other most.😢
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note, your photos (as always) are a pure delight to see! I love the roos...and had no idea how many different types of orchid there were!
So very breathtaking.😊😊
I have seen quite a few of those teepees in our woods here too. I've been photographing them!
Have a lovely day, my dear friend!
Much love and hugs ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ygraine: Thank you. Positive wishes never, ever go astray. There are a whole heap more orchids than I can grow and some of them are tiny and subtle while others are show stoppers.
DeleteI am looking forward to seeing your teepees. And yes, that is a hint.
Stay well, stay safe. I continue to send hugs and love your way.
That name sure fits "Bottle Brush". I think they are very pretty. I wonder if Capeweed is like our dandelions. They are so pretty but people call them weeds. You can even eat them or make wine from them and the bees love them, but the weed designation means death.
ReplyDeleteStrayer: I had to check. Capeweed is not good to eat. Not for people and not for stock (who can be poisoned by it). It is pretty though.
DeleteAnd yes, the origins of the bottle brush name are very clear aren't they?
Sad to hear about Jo. I hope things go well for them. Loved all the beautiful flowers. I think your garden should be on the tour, it’s so beautiful. Take care and be safe my friend.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: Thank you. On both counts. I hope you can stay safe and well too. I really hope it.
DeleteLovely, lovely blooms. I think I like the capeweed best. Too bad its an invasive, but then I'm always for the underdog, it seems. I have never seen a white bottlebrush.
ReplyDeleteJ C: I am a supporter of the underdog as well. The capeweed is very pretty and it is certainly not its fault it was brought to my country. And like many of the interlopers (including white people) it is thriving here. The white bottlebrush isn't seen as often - but I think it has a charm all of its own.
DeleteOh my our youngest Grandson would love that 'teepee' it looks so good, I'm pleased you photographed it.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the kangaroos and the blooms are all so lovely. Just what I needed to cheer up a very damp and windy November day.
Bring on the soup :)
Hope the week ahead will be a good one for you,
Happy November Wishes.
All the best Jan
Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Thank you. I hope that your soup is delicious and that sun (literal and metaphorical) shines on you and your family this week. Take care.
DeleteSo envious of your flowers. Winter is coming and all is going drab here. The colorful leaves have mostly fallen
ReplyDeleteSue in Italia/In the Land Of Cancer: All too soon I will be envying your winter. It is starting to warm up fast here.
DeleteOh I am so sorry to hear about your friend Jo's situation. Hope she and her husband get the best care possible.
ReplyDeletegigi-hawaii: Thank you. I hope they do too, but a part of me wonders whether Jo would have had a stroke if she had been getting the support she so desperately needed.
DeleteSo many beautiful blooms. Love seeing all the flowers! So bright and cheerful. The kangaroos look wonderful too. I would love to see some in person one day. Your garden is looking lovely. Love the burma! :) ~Jess
ReplyDeleteDMS ~Jess: Thank you. I am so grateful for our regular kangaroo fixes and do hope that you can have one too. Some day...
DeleteI still can't get over the fact that you can get a "Kangaroo fix".
ReplyDelete:o)
Cheers
PM
Plastic Mancunian: I am very, very grateful that this fix is so easy to obtain and cheap. We go to that stretch of the lake often. And went again yesterday. There were people, there were dogs, there were barb-be-cues and there were kangaroos.
DeleteSo very sorry to hear about Jo.
ReplyDeleteSo very happy to see your photos. Those roos fascinate me.
And I am sending you a card I think you'll enjoy, tomorrow.
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman: A card? I am really, really looking forward to its arrival. The last one you sent me is on display and I look at it everyday.
DeleteThank you so much for not using restraint.
ReplyDeleteMy selections are over here.
messymimi: I thoroughly enjoyed your selections, thank you. And thank you for not complaining about the photo overload.
DeleteI just love that you can go and see kangaroos anytime you want. I love the purple flowers.
ReplyDeleteMary Kirkland: We love being able to see kangaroos so easily too, and I knew you would like that orchid.
DeleteAs I sit here and listen as the wind and rain hit the window your photos cheer me up. The sun, flowers and kangaroos are a joy to see.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to read about Jo. I hope she recovers.
LL Cool Joe: I am glad that my photos gave you joy and hope that you and your family cope well with the latest lockdown.
DeleteI hope Jo recovers too. I am glad she is receiving care, but hope she recovers.
I'm glad you got your kangaroo fix! They look surprised to meet you.
ReplyDeleteJohn Wiswell: Surprised and a bit resentful perhaps. They were dozing and probably didn't relish seeing me with my camera. I didn't stay long and expect they returned to their doze very quickly.
DeleteUna publicación preciosa en todo su recorrido, los canguros entrañables y tantas flores en su esplendor de colorido que has captado de manera maravillosa. Me encanta tambien leer que le dedicas un tiempo a personas que no están pasando un buen momento, siempre es bueno salirse de nuestro yo, y ver lo que sucede en otras personas y otros momentos. Te dejo un fuerte abrazo en la distancia y que tu domingo sea maravilloso!
ReplyDeleteeli mendez: Many, many thanks. I hope your week is bright, colourful and delightful.
DeleteI am so sorry to hear about Jo, and her husband. I didn’t know her or her blog but wish her a return to good health very soon.
ReplyDeleteYour kangaroos would make Jo smile. They do me, as do all these gorgeous flowers.
Thank you for sharing the joy :)
DeniseinVA: Thank you for your wishes for Jo and for Matt.
DeleteThe kangaroos (and the gardens) make me smile too.
Kangaroos look so cute and the flowers are so pretty! I enjoy your pictures as always!
ReplyDeleteNatalia: Kangaroos ARE cute, but are wild animals and deserve respect (which I give them. Thank you for your kind words about my photos.
DeleteIt made me smile to see all these bright and beautiful flowers and I liked the kangaroos a lot also.
ReplyDeleteGrannie Annie: I am glad. They make me smile too.
DeleteJo and her husband Matt are in my thoughts. Its always nice to see floriades cheering up the place.
ReplyDeleteSpacer Guy: Thank you. They are in mine too.
DeleteYou seems to post a lot of flower shots which I like seeing as I don't see them these days. I find seeing flowers cheers me up, so thanks for posting them.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen a kangaroo in person but they do reminds me of llamas or really big rabbits.
I hope you're having a lovely week.
lissa: I do post a lot of flower photos, and I am glad that they cheer you up. They do so for me too.
DeleteKangaroos are definitely strange looking, but not as strange as the platypus.
Weeds can be beautiful also. We have a new weed that appeared a few years ago, that had a beautiful flower, however, it grew all over the lawn and that was a no-no for Retired Man. When it was mowed down, the seeds spread all over and last spring it seemed to be 50-50 with the grass. On my hands and bad knees, I pulled out as many as I could from the lawn for a week or so. I let what grew in my gardens alone until they died and then dug them out. I am sure they will return next year.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your blogging friend, Jo. When the caregiver needs help it is such a dire circumstance. I hope she has relatives that can be there for both of them.
How I love your Kangeroos!!! I pretty much love everything about when you live.
Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: My father always told me that a weed was simply a plant where you didn't want it. And some of them are very beautiful.
DeleteSadly Matt and Jo don't have any relatives that I am aware of.
And thank you for your always positive comments.
Stunning tulips and that teepee is a delight!
ReplyDeleteLady Fi: Thank you. When I said that I wanted a photo of the teepee himself looked at me as if I was being more than usually cracked. I care not.
Deleteit's nice you have so many kangaroos around - we sadly live too close to the city to see many!
ReplyDeleteThe flowers look beautiful too - how cheerful and bright, perfectly spring-like!
Hope that your week is off to a good start :)
Away From Blue
Mica: I don't think that anywhere in the Nation's Capital is more than half an hour away from roos - which I think is lovely.
DeleteThis spring has been spectacular and I am loving it.
Lovely kangaroos, they look so exotic.
ReplyDeleteYou really have a real flower splendor there on the other side of the globe.
Take care.
Hugs
orvokki: Thank you. I love the gardens and our roos and I am glad you enjoy them too. Have a safe, healthy and happy week.
DeleteSo many lovely flowers.. and gorgeous kangaroos! That teepee was a great find, I love such surprise discoveries.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about Jo.
Hena Tayeb: The teepee is a little bit away from the more frequented areas and a huge surprise. I really like Joanne Noragon's suggestion about it.
DeleteRestraint is overrated - I'm glad you're generous with your photos! :-) The kangaroos made me smile as always, and your orchids are gorgeous! I can't imagine being able to grow them outdoors. Do they stay in bloom for long?
ReplyDeleteDiane Henders: The roos make us smile too. The orchids stay in flower for weeks and weeks. Which is wonderful.
DeleteOMG. You have orchids!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow kind of himself to pick up magnets that could be sent to your followers.
Your pictures are glorious.
Hugs
Sandra Cox: I do indeed have orchids. A blog friend sent me another recently (a swamp orchid). I am hoping to feature it in bloom next year...
DeleteGorgeous!! I love anything that shouts Spring! but especially anything resembling daisies :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad about Jo! Sending good vibes out into the universe for her and her hubby!
Jemi Fraser: Thank you. I ache for Jo and Matt too. And love daisies. I have another five (of types and colours new to me) to put in the garden this week.
DeleteI would need that kangaroo fix every week! Is the lake close to your home? Beautiful tulips for Floriade - I'm afraid I'm way too late for the magnets, but I'm enjoying the ones you already sent me. How sweet of Himself to surprise you with them. We do have bottlebrush here as well, but as far as I know only the red version.
ReplyDeleteCarola Bartz: I need (and get) a kangaroo fix often. Sometimes several times a week. The lake is less than half an hours drive away, and we can often see roos closer to home. I am glad that you are enjoying the magnets I have sent and yes, you are too late this year.
Delete