Sunday Selections #522

 

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.  This week I am (mostly) staying close to home and sharing some of the things that have delighted me here.

There were of course visiting birds...

We are lucky enough to have both long and short beaked corellas visit on a regular basis.  Both of them enjoy the seed we put out and the long-beaks are also very fond of the apples we supply.  Sadly they both (like the sulphur crested vandals) enjoy ripping leaves and branches from the camellias.
 

 We often see Rainbow Lorikeets as well.  According to the bird books they are outside of their preferred territory.  They are obviously not literate.  Mind you I expect that climate change has something to do with the shift in their range - which does not make me happy.

The king parrots are also regulars - and also very welcome.

The garden also continues to give me joy.

I know that not all of you will be as intrigued by the zig-zag spider webs as I am.  They are built by the St Andrew's Cross Spider and apparently their webs often include a full or partial cross in the centre (which I didn't see).

Then to more traditional garden joy.

This cactus justifies its place on our veranda for one day every year.

The remarkably phallic bud bursts into bloom at dusk and lasts for twenty four hours before closing and falling off.  It is sweet scented and something I watch and wait for every year.  This year I trotted out with the camera several times documenting its progress.
 

I really enjoyed watching the sun setting as that spectacular cactus flowered too.  I am a very lucky woman.

These last photos are the exception to my 'at home' theme.  I saw the tear-off haiku on a public notice board and immediately thought of Kylie, of JC and of rather a lot of people who have mastered something which is beyond me.

I love that there was only one tear off left - and both Kylie and JC have certainly written haiku that I like more.  I will watch the notice board to see whether more are posted.  I hope so.  I really hope so.

 I hope that you all have wonderful, healthy, happy weeks.

Words for Wednesday 24/02/2021

 

 

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, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

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.

The prompts will be here this month but are provided by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Alex rarely plays but has very generously provided us with with some intriguing/testing prompts.

This week's prompts Alex described as 'odd and funny' words.  He gave me extra and suggested I could leave some out.  I didn't.  Use as many (or as few) of them as you like.

His selection is:

1. Guacamole
   
2. Ninja
   
3. Lollygag
   
4. Malarky
   
5. Skedaddle
   
6. Piffle 

And/or

1. Berserk
   
2. Earwig
   
3. Fiasco
   
4. Gazebo
   
5. Huzzah
   
6. Nitwit
   
7. Thingamajig
   
8. Pandemonium

Have fun.  And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others. 

Thank you Alex.  I have really enjoyed your prompts - and seeing the myriad of directions they have taken us on.  Words for Wednesday will be here next month as well, but the prompts will be provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.

Sunday Selections #521

 

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. This week I am being a little bit more random and showing you some of the things which have caught my eye while I have been out and about.

 

I was surprised (and pleased) to see a passion fruit flower blooming beside the road as I walked down to the local shopping centre.  Some weeks later the blooms have gone but there are no signs of fruit.

Some of you will remember this statue which I featured some weeks ago.  I wasn't aware that rather than being a government initiative, April Pine's statue of Andrew Inglis Clark (in weathered bronze) was a gift to my city.  This statue was given to us by the Canberra Airport.

They have also given us another - and I really like it.  It took some finding (the lane it is in is under construction and doesn't yet appear on any map) and its name is cumbersome but I am very pleased to be able to show you 'New Heights of Knowledge -Between Innings' by Gary Price.

We are told that there will be a third statue nearby - and I am looking forward to seeing it.

Wandering into the Canberra Centre I was pleased to see an installation celebrating the Year of the Ox.  Is it just me or is that a particularly flirtatious ox?

 Just before I headed in to do my shift on the crisis line I spent a little while sitting on a bench enjoying the tree overhead.

On a separate outing (more medical appointments) I spent a little time by Lake Tuggeranong.  The swans steamed across the lake to see whether I had bought them anything.  Disappointed, they lost interest very quickly.  It was mostly another grey day, but the serenity and the beauty of the lake were very welcome.

I do hope that you find treats and beauty in the week(s) to come.

Words For Wednesday 17/02/2021

 

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, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

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.

The prompts will be here this month but are provided by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Alex rarely plays but has very generously provided us with with some intriguing/testing prompts.

This week's prompts were drawn from television shows and are:

1. Firefly
2. Mystery
   
3. Science
   
4. Theater
   
5. Star

And/or

1. Trek
   
2. Eureka
   
3. Psych
   
4. Jokers
   
5. Gate

Have fun.  And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others.

 

Sunday Selections #520

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.  This week I am continuing to celebrate dampness.  We had more rain last week.  Some of our dams were overflowing - which is rare anytime and unheard of in Summer.  So of course we headed off for a look see (in a dry interlude).

Starting with the Cotter Dam.

On our way we stopped in at a nearby picnic area.  This very large roo obviously had plenty to munch on.

 

 I love that our Department of Parks and Wildlife continue to look after the tree (and those it houses) even after death. Branches which might fall on the car park have been removed, but the bulk of the tree remains

Then to the viewing point for the Cotter Dam spillway

 

The sound of the water thundering over the spillway was impressive too

My monkey mind delighted in this miniature garden of lichen, mosses and small plants growing from the rock face beside the path to the viewing area.

To make a round trip of it, we then headed off to Corin Dam

 

The authorities (spoilsports that they are) had put signs up

 

However I think they missed one out.  Looking at the twists and turns the spillway takes I think that people would pay good money to go a slide like this

 

I am going to finish with a sad photo.  Corin Dam is in Namadgi National Park.  Last year Namadgi was severely damaged by fire.  A fire which was caused by a Federal Defence Force Helicopter landing in grasslands.  They didn't report the fire for over forty five minutes and the damage done was and is huge.  And heartbreaking.  Some parts of the park are recovering.  Some are not.

 

And, as an aside, the Federal Government is so far flatly refusing to pay any compensation money which could be used toward the restitution that Namadgi National Park so desperately needs.  Hiss and spit

 

That said, I hope your week is hiss and spit free