Sunday, 31 January 2021

Sunday Selections #518

 


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. We have had a few very damp days.  The garden and I loved it.  Jazz did not.  As I so often say come wander with me.

First in our garden where I delighted in the bejeweled plants.

And the wind spinner complete with spider webs and rain drops.









The snail was enjoying the weather too.

Then to a different (and damper walk).  I had yet another bloody medical appointment - but found beauty on the way.

 

This appointment was close to yet another of my cities man-made lakes.  Lakes I am very grateful for.








I hope you find beauty and serenity in your week(s) to come.

140 comments:

  1. You live in the most beautiful area, even when it's raining. I always love seeing raindrops on flowers, stems, and ferns. Those spider webs on the wind spinner was a lucky find. The garden in your yard must be lush and beautiful. You always give us such beautiful shots, both close and far.

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    1. Bleubeard and Elizabeth: Thank you. I had been longing for rain (as had the garden) and it finally arrived. Which made my heart sing.

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  2. You show beauty because you notice and appreciate it! I enjoy our times together rain or shine, dear.

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    1. Cloudia: I am a beauty addict and very happy to share it.

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  3. No walks here lately. Miserable weather keeps us in.

    Even your wet weather looks great with those blooms.

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    1. Marie Smith: I am so sorry that miserable weather has kept you in. I know just how much your walks and rides mean to you. I hope you can get out again very soon.

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  4. Such beauty! I love the raindrops changing the plants into jewels. And those grey skies are pretty normal for us at this time of the year. :-)

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    1. DJan: Grey skies are rare here. I will admit to resenting them if they don't bring rain though.

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  5. Your garden is beautiful and so is the lake! I'm sorry you have to go back to the doctor. I hope to find serenity as well in the coming weeks, and wish that for you too! xx

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    1. Rain: Thank you. I hope we both find serenity. Soon. Take care.

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  6. The wind spinner looks amazing and there is always something in your garden to wonder at.
    That wharf/pier is very interesting looking and only by clicking on the photo did I notice the perched birds.

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    1. Andrew: I try and have something new emerging in the garden all the time. Some times I succeed better than others.
      I like that wharf, and the birds made it all the better for me. I would have wandered out onto it but decided to leave them in peace.

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  7. I was glad to see the temps down your way have dropped, EC, as I am sure you are. I hope the patterns continue and life, health, weather and temps treat you well, not just in the coming week but those thereafter, too. Take good care...cuddles to Jazz. :)

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    1. Lee: I was very, very glad when the temperatures dropped (dramatically). The rain was a bonus and I do hope the BOM is telling the truth when it suggests we will have more.
      I hope that you and the furry overlords have a wonderful week.

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  8. Dear EC
    A lovely post celebrating the beauty of water.
    Best wishes and I hope you have a good week
    Ellie

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    1. Ellie Foster: Thank you. We so rarely have enough rain that I welcome it - and love the effect it has on the garden. I hope your week is excellent (and Friday in particular).

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  9. The lake and the surrounding area looks beautiful as well as the garden flowers. I'm glad you are enjoying the rain. It sure make beautiful patterns on nature.

    January is moving out and February is knocking at the door. Like you, in January, I've had a lot of tests and blood tests and one more test to go. Everything takes so long since Covid.
    Stay safe and get well.
    Hugs, Julia

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    1. Julia: I have three more tests to have on Monday. And perhaps (depending on the results) more. I hope not. And hope that we both find health as well as beauty.

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  10. I had to blow the picture up to find the snail. It was like a where's Waldo.

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    1. Mike: I didn't spot the snail until after I had taken the photo. He/she was in its element.

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  11. A snail! Don't see those often.
    We are having a damp month. Deluge of rain expected tomorrow. Since it's also bitter cold right now, the beauty will be the wonderful heat inside.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: We have had a wet summer and there have been lots of snails out and about. Lots and lots. Our deluges have been warm. I hope you hunker down inside and enjoy yourselves.

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  12. I'm always pleased to see your beautiful flowers. It is the first time I see that lake. Nice area for a stoll.
    Be well.

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    1. Caterina: Thank you. Some day I will do the circuit of that stretch of lake - and take my camera. I think it is about eight or nine kilometres from bridge to bridge. Kangaroos are rare there (but not unheard of) but there will be other things to enjoy.

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  13. You have a pineapple lily! I have that same windspinner in a different colour. What is that lovely green plant in the 5th photo? and the raindrops right under that one looks a bit like the drops on a chandelier. I LOVE the bark pool with the snail.

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    1. River: I have two pineapple lilies - and love them. The plant in the fifth photo is a Japanese silk tree. The tree got borers so it had a savage prune but has come back nicely. It shows off the raindrops beautifully doesn't it?

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  14. Your garden raindrops are lovely. I almost couldn't find the snail, but finally did, without enlarging the picture.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: The snail camouflage was excellent wasn't it. We started the day with heavy cloud, have sunshine at the moment - but more rain is predicted. I hope so. I really hope so.

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  15. I love these soft,watery photos, EC - so cooling and gentle. I'm glad you had the chance to show us this lake, and the raindrops, and the birds... especially the gull with its reflection. Sometimes I see a tree or plant in one of your photos which makes me wish I had my big old garden back again; today it was the albizia, which is one of my very favourite trees - so pretty when it is in bloom.
    Fingers and toes crossed for tomorrow's tests :) xo

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    1. Alexia: Are the albizia prone to borer attack over there? I love them, and you are right about the blooms, but the pest does significant damage to them. I do love the garden but truthfully it is too much for me.
      And thank you for your wishes.

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    2. Our two trees didn't suffer from borer, or any other pests that I'm aware of. They are very popular trees in this part of the country.
      I see from some of your comments below that you have found a new GP(yay!) - and that you need more tests and appointments, but that you are feeling hopeful, which is good news indeed. I'm sending best wishes flying across the Tasman to you!!

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    3. Alexia: I am glad that your trees escaped. I have had a first visit with a new GP and the early signs are very promising. I have had a blood test this morning, an ultra sound booked for this afternoon and more tests scheduled for the 12th/13th. It is all stations go - but she listens to me and agrees that the symptoms demand investigation.

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    4. A GP who listens is essential, but not always easily found, sadly. I do hope that the promising signs continue. Sleep well...

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    5. Alexia: Thank you. Listening is severely underrated. And valuable.

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  16. Rain in the summer this year. Beats out wildfires? Beautiful photos. What is a wind spinner?

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    1. Strayer: DEFINITELY better than fires. Better yet it put out one which was out of control in another state.
      Wind spinners are similar to wind chimes, and twist and turn with the wind but make no sound.

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  17. Really nice selection of photos.
    Love that begonia, it's rather like Margaret Davis :) Camellia.

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    1. Margaret D: Thank you. The begonia is a beauty isn't it and I do wish I knew its name. It came with a 'mixed' collection of tuberous begonias.

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Gattina: Thank you. I do love being able to travel through the blogosphere.

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  19. Beautiful flowers, beautiful raindrops. A hug from half a world away.

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    1. Bill: Thank you. Your hug is gratefully received and returned.

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  20. I had to remove my comment I didn't put my link !
    Your photos are beautiful, and it's so nice to be able to travel even if it is only virtually and see other landscapes ! I am still prisoner of the lockdown
    https://gattinawritercramps.blogspot.com/2021/01/sunday-selection.html

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    1. Gattina: Thank you for joining Sunday Selections again. I thoroughly enjoyed your post. We are not in lockdown here and I feel for you. I hope yours can be lifted safely. Soon.

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  21. Gorgeous flowers as always.
    Cool lake.
    Hope today is a good day.

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    1. Sandra Cox: Thank you. I hope to get two more medical tests out the way today and a third booked. It will be nice to have this lot done and dusted.

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  22. Spider webs and rain drops, Sue, are surely one of the most beautiful facets of nature. In the fall here, when overnight condensation is intense, the fields glisten with spider webs dripping with dew and illuminated by the rising sun. It is magical. I keep looking for fairies but have not found any yet.

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    1. David M. Gascoigne: Fairies or not (and I suspect they move too fast for us) you paint a magical picture for me. I do love a bejewelled plant (or web).

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  23. Hi EC,

    I should perhaps start taking photos during or after a rainstorm here - we get enough of them.

    :o)

    Cheers

    PM

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    1. Plastic Mancunian: You should. We very rarely get enough rain and I welcome it whenever it falls.

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  24. Rain makes the flowers sparkle, don't they? I hope you are feeling better.

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    1. gigi-hawaii: Rain brings the garden to life and freshens the air doesn't it? Thank you for your concern about my health. More tests to come and hopefully answers to come in a few more weeks.

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  25. I love the combination of spider webs and raindrops and love spiders who manage all those pesky flies. Their beauty awes me.

    I hope you're feeling somewhat better as you've had a rough time of it.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Wisewebwoman: I am endlessly fascinated by webs, particularly after rain or frost. Like you I am awed. And intrigued.
      Medical issues continue but I have (I hope) found a new general practitioner and am more hopeful than I was.

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  26. I am impressed by your man made lakes. How I would like to see them and your wonderful garden for real. Your photos are always great, and bring colour and joy to us.

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    1. Charlotte (MotherOwl): What a lovely thing to say. I am so glad that you can see the colour and the joy.

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  27. I think I could spend hours in your garden just enjoying the beauty of it. Hope all went well with your appointment. Stay safe and well my friend. Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Mason Canyon: You would be welcome in the garden - though I would probably set you to work. The appointment has triggered more tests and more appointments but I am hopeful. You stay safe and well too please.

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  28. Replies
    1. Cloudia: Thank you. That is a lovely thing to say about my damp post - and you are welcome any time.

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  29. Greetings! That wind spinner is great and with nature's added touches what an artful piece. Always such a pleasure to follow along your trail in the lovely area where you live. The bird catching sight of his own shadow is excellent too! Stay safe, be well.

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    1. 21 Wits: Many thanks. It is lovely to have some company on my wanderings. We are safe(ish) here. I hope that you too can stay safe and well.

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  30. The lake looks so inviting. Would love to walk along the pier. I'm sorry you have many medical appointments. They are downers, but necessary and I hope they help you.
    As always, I am amazed at your garden and your city. Such beauty to be found there.
    Hope you too have a week full of only good, healthy, fun things.

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    1. Myrna R.: I would have loved to walk on the pier but didn't want to disturb the birds - so I admired them from a distance. My beauty addicted self loves her city.
      I hope your week is healthy and happy too.

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  31. Medical appointments are no fun but you found some beauty along the way.

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    1. Mary Kirkland: They aren't fun but a sad necessity. This one was promising and I was very grateful for the beauty.

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  32. Under your umbrella singing in the rain, eh?
    And why would your snail let me think of 'A Snail's Dream', a lovely short film?
    As for a third question mark: I hope your answer will be 'Yes', when next time I ask 'Do you feel much better, Sue?'.

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    1. Sean Jeating: Certainly smiling in the rain. I don't know the film but did think of Elizabeth Tova Bailey's 'The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating' - which I must reread.
      Sadly I feel much the same, but I think I have found a general practitioner to trust and respect so I am much more hopeful. Tests this morning, more this afternoon, and some further ones in a fortnight.

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  33. It's lovely to wander with you.

    My selections are in the usual place, as you know. Just a mix-up this week.

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    1. messymimi: I am very glad that you enjoy wandering with me - and loved your eclectic selections.

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  34. I'm all about a foggy harbor, but I LOVE that weather spinner conquered by happy spiders. That looks cozy!

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    1. John Wiswell: While it was very, very wet I expect the spider was very snug (and dry).

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  35. I will check out the book you mentioned. I am sorry about the upcoming tests and hope that you are coping well. Thanks for the wonderful photos.

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    1. e: It is a couple of years since I have read it, but it resonated with me. Let me know what you think. And thank you. Love to you and to Lukas.

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  36. Your garden flowers are so beautiful and I know are well looked after. yes it is lovely to have that lake so close to your home. I hope all went well with your medical appointment Sue. Have a great week ahead

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    1. Margaret Birding For Pleasure: One appointment down, three more scheduled. The lake is a lovely form of respite though.

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  37. Your wind spinner with spider web and rain drops is so clear and enchanting. I think your photography of the rain drops on the leaves and plants is exceptional. Makes me want to try. Hope your medical appointment went well, stay safe

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    1. kestrel: What a kind thing to say - thank you. I hope you will experiment with damp photography - and show us the freshly washed results. You stay safe and well too please.

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  38. Tiene unas plantas muy bien cuidadas. Ahora con lo que llueve no le fantan humedad.

    Me ha gustado mucho la vista de los lagos que transmite mucha paz y serenidad.


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    1. VENTANA DE FOTO: Thank you. Humidity is very rarely an issue here. I live in a dry part of a dry country. The lake did look and feel serene didn't it? It was just what I needed.

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  39. Your garden must be one of the most beautiful, even in the rain. It is very very cold here in Maine and we're expecting snow tonight and tomorrow. We haven't had much snow this winter so I'm sure the skiers will be thrilled, as well as the kids who get a snow day :)

    Hope all is well with you.

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    1. mshatch: The garden is a work in progress always and before the rain bits of it were being crispified. I hope you do get some snow which would make the cold weather totally worth while for me.

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  40. I totally agree, your garden is such a delight to see!
    The beautiful flowers and shrubs, and that spinner with the spider web is so unusual and striking (even for a confirmed arachnophobe like me)!
    What a fantastic post...thank you so, so much!😊😊

    Have a good day and stay safe, dear friend.

    Much love and hugs ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

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    1. Ygraine: Thank you. I often look at the garden in terms of what needs doing rather than what is there. Wandering around with the camera grounds me. I am fascinated by spiders but understand that many are not - and himself is like you a total arachnophobe.
      You stay well and safe too dear friend.

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  41. I loved, loved the photo of the wind spinner with the spider webs on it. It's got such a timeless quality to it. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: Thank you. We have had some wild weather of late and I was/am amazed at how well the fragile spider webs withstood it.

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  42. I love wandering with you EC! That wind spinner is cool! I love seeing the rain on your plants and that lake is beautiful! I hope your appointment went well! Big Hugs!

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    1. Magic Love Crow: Many thanks. I will have to remember to take my camera with me on a dry day beside that lake - it is lovely and a place I don't visit often enough.

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  43. I love that you're always able to see the good and the beauty. It's such a wonderful quality to possess. Hope your doctor's appointment went well.

    Warmly,
    Elsie

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    1. Elsie Amata: Thank you. My addiction to beauty and a black sense of humour have been life savers. Often.

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  44. Lakes sure do make for great pictures.
    Thank you. Stay warm and dry over there, EC.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: Thank you. No problems with staying warm here - and the dry isn't an issue today either. You stay safe please.

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  45. Hi Sue. You certainly don't have to go far for inspiration. Lovely. I especially love the first, the webs in the spinner.

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    1. Denise Covey: Thank you. I liked it too, but suspected that some arachnophobes would hurry past.

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  46. Beautiful photos, sorry been MIA but finally got here...xx

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    1. aussie aNNie: Not a problem. You are welcome whenever you come by.

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  47. Your rainy photos are very soothing. I need it today, nothing serious, just a busy morning when everyone wants something at the same time

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    1. kylie: I am glad they helped - and hope that the demands on you slow down. And thank you for letting me know that your need of serenity was (relatively) minor.

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  48. The wind spinner photo was intriguing, the flower photos as always, uplifting and the rainy day photos of Lake Tuggeranong soothing. Thanks for a great mix. Have a wonderful week.

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  49. That wind spinner looks interesting.

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    1. Haddock: Thank you. I really like it when the wind/sun catches it.

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  50. Tiene que ser una gozada el vivir en una zona tan bella, y rodeada de pura Naturaleza, y de ese relajante lago.
    Gracias por compartir siempre, tan bonitos lugares.
    Un cordial saludo y que disfrutes de una buena semana.

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    1. Manuel: Thank you. I am very grateful to live in a beautiful city and glad that you enjoy it too. Have a wonderful week.

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  51. Yes, all of those water views are quite lovely!! How very fortunate to have so many close at hand.

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  52. Love the water droplets on the fern.
    Hope today is a day filled with well being.
    Hugs

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    1. Sandra Cox: We have had a couple of dry days but the rain is predicted to come down again from tomorrow. The garden will be bejeweled again and Jazz will be unimpressed.

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  53. Lovely pictures.. especially those flowers.
    We are buried in two feet of snow right now.. and as long as we don't have to leave the house it looks magical.

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    1. Hena Tayeb: I have never lived anywhere with that much snow and can well imagine it looking magical. Stay warm, stay safe.

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  54. Beautiful pictures. I always love rain drops on plants and flowers. Magical! :)
    Jess

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  55. As always, your photos are a delight. (I can always count on you.) Your garden must provide you with an endless supply of joy, and it looks like it's thriving this year. The magical wonders of rain, eh? I love that you appreciate the beauty to be found in simple things... like raindrops and spiderwebs. I think of them as nature's poetry. And flowers are like the earth bursting forth in song. Thank you, dear lady, for sharing the beauty you see with us... so we can see it, too.

    Take care, and please be safe. Wishing you a positive outcome for all of your medical tests. Ready? Here's a big fat virtual hug.

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    1. Susan: Many, many thanks. I am a beauty addict and so grateful that there is a lot of it about. We have more rain forecast in a few days and the garden and I am looking forward to it.
      Thank you re the tests. I have one back and a nasty has been dodged. No answers yet about what it is though.
      Your big fat virtual hug is very welcome - and reciprocated.

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    1. Lady Fi: Beautiful, beautiful rain - with more predicted.

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  57. As always, soul soothing images. Thank you for sharing the loveliness and joy. Wishing you more of both through the month.

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    1. Nilanjana Bose: Thank you. And to you, always to you.

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  58. There is something magical about spiderwebs catching the sun or rain drops!

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    1. Jemi Fraser: There is. I have folders and folders of photos where I try and capture that magic.

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  59. I love your photos. These are all very relaxing :)

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    1. Carol Kilgore: I am very, very glad to hear that. Thank you.

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  60. Lovely photos. Is it possible to swim at the end of that pier?

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    1. orvokki: It is possible to swim in our lakes - but not advisable at the moment due to a fine crop of blue green algae which can make people (and dogs) unwell.

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    2. I know blue green algae is annoying. We also often have it in the ocean and lake in the summer. Mostly in late summer. Hope you can say soon bye-bye to the blue green.

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  61. The raindrops. The lakes. Such wonderful life giving water. Be well dear girl.

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  62. So many photographers don't take their cameras into the rain, I'm super glad that you don't follow that trend. The raindrop details are exquisite

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    1. Kim: I don't take the camera with me in torrential rain, but for gentle rain yes I do (obviously). I do delight in the raindrops.

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  63. What lovely photos! Those fern-like leaves with the raindrops on them are spectacular. I hope your medical appointment went well. :-)

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    1. Diane Henders: I do love a rain-washed garden. That medical appointment did go well - but has spawned others.

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  64. La girandola è stupenda.
    Buon pomeriggio.

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    1. Giancarlo: Thank you. It is early morning here (not yet dawn). I hope all of your day is lovely.

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