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? Snippets from home. We have another outing planned but it will have to wait until after the school holidays.
I continue to delight in the sky.
I really like the way the sunrise was reflected on the hills in the valley.
We are still getting frosts, but they are nowhere near hard enough to freeze bubbles. So I turn to the birds.
The female king parrot was obviously having a 'bad feather day' but I do like the chevrons you can see under her tail.
Aren't the Eastern Rosellas bright and beautiful? This is a male, who is more vivid than his mate.
The garden needs a LOT of work, but is reminding me just why I expend so much time in it.
Most of you know that our lives are ruled by a resident cat, named Jazz.
Himself saw an advertisement for what was described as a cat tree - though I think cat castle is more accurate. So he bought it, to replace the one that Jazz had shredded. It arrived as a flat pack. Some hours later we put it up.
I hope you all have a wonderful week - and impress the people (furry or otherwise) that you need to.
hi
ReplyDeletehttps://sintrabloguecintia.blogspot.com/
Anonymous: Hi to you too.
DeleteCats are so delightfully unimpressed by our thoughtfulness! I've seen many photos of the cat curled up in the box of whatever treasure it came in. Maybe lay a favored blanket on it?
ReplyDeleteYour sunrises are incredible shots, your birds and flowers gorgeous. I enjoy every single photo you care to share with the rest of us! Thank you for brightening our lives... although the vandals seem intent on an eminent invasion!
Hugs to you and scritches for the ungrateful Spikemaster. ;)
River Fairchild: You are right. Jazz is not usually interested in boxes (unlike many cats) but he liked the cat castle box. A lot. It has now gone to recycling. The SpikeMaster and I (and he has already spiked me today) thank you.
DeleteIn contrast to Jazz, the vandals do obviously like their treey castle.
ReplyDeleteMay your weekend be(come) as lovely as your photos,Sue.
Sean Jeating: That true is favoured by a lot of the visiting birds. Which is lovely - and thank you.
DeleteHi EC - I expect Jazz will adapt ... they have minds of their own (like us) ... he was probably happy with his old dilapidated, pulled to pieces cat stack, scented only by Jazz ... but brand new = no thanks.
ReplyDeleteThose clouds look like the ones we've had here at sunrise and sunset on some days ... no clouds today - tis warm!
Better to wait til after the milling masses are curtailed by the school bell - before venturing to visit ... lovely photos though - cheers Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: I hope he does warm to it, but only time will tell. Some days later he still treats it with ignore.
DeleteWe will wait for the end of school holidays for not one but two planned excursions. Stay cool - and enjoy Wimbledon.
Love your skies, too. And those birds! They are simply gorgeous, even when they seem numerous enough to be scary.
ReplyDeleteDJan: We do love the birds and are never frightened by them - though the garden is.
DeleteWhat lovely birds, I especially like the colorful ones. Cats and expensive scratching things are bewildering. Thanks for all these great pics of your home area.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Rogers: Thank you. We often get seven or eight different species of native birds visiting - and delight in them. Jazz is a rule unto himself. Have a wonderful weekend.
DeleteBeautiful images of sunset/sunrise. But, I love the Parrots, they are so good EC.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: I thought you might like them.
DeleteWonderful sunrises and birds too. And gorgeous gym for Jazz but in my experience with my own cats the cardboard box was the absolutely perfect thing ever.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
Wisewebwoman: Jazz doesn't usually like cardboard boxes. This one was a winner. It is nearly sunrise (another 3/4 of an hour or so) and I am interested to see how this day will start.
DeleteYou might have to entice Jazz with treats or catnip.
ReplyDeleteThat is wild to see so many white birds in one tree.
Alex J. Cavanaugh: So far treats are not working. We have on occasion seen more than fifty sulphur crested cockatoos on our front lawn.
DeleteI do hope I can just be kind. I leave very little of an impression on folks.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I am filled with bird envy and even called TheHub to see the photos of the birds at your house. He was impressed!
Anne in the kitchen: I am mostly very happy to fly well under the radar. And succeed. I am glad that you and your husband liked our birds. We do too, and there are quite a lot of them outside at the moment.
DeleteI doubt Jazz will get use to the castle : )
ReplyDeleteThe 4th picture is particularly beautiful.
And the birds... well... I'm always amazed by their colour and posture. : )
Caterina: I hope you are wrong about Jazz and his castle. That reflected sunrise was lovely wasn't it? The birds amaze and delight us too.
DeleteWonderful sunrises and I see some clear sky. It's been a while between drinks for us.
ReplyDeleteThat's the luxury version of a cat tree. How typical of cats to be unimpressed. Give Jazz a cardboard box.
I saw yesterday that camellias are out here too.
Andrew: We have had a lot of grey skies too. Today is clear and chilly. Jazz doesn't usually like cardboard boxes, but made an exception for this one - which we have collapsed and recycled. Only some of our camellias are out.
DeleteThe birds in your backyard are nothing short of spellbinding, Sue. We should all be blessed with such vandals.
ReplyDeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: The same is true of your yard birds which I would love to see.
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ReplyDeleteWhy do I always/often seem to get the phrase "failed to publish" at your place?
I am so impressed with your sunrises. They have the glorious pinks I seldom see in mine. Just stunning.
Those white birds are amazing and I still am in awe that parrots fly free where you live. And of course, that makes me happy for the birds where you live. The deserve to be free, as long as they don't have too many predators.
Neither of my cats climb. They prefer the floor, but I'm surprised that if Jazz had a tower before, albeit smaller, why he doesn't like this one. I have also placed both my cats on the cat tower I got them, but as soon as I move my hand away, they are back down on solid ground. Good luck changing Jazz's mind. I've learned not to try with mine.
Bleubeard and Elizabeth. Thank you so much for persevering and succeeding in commenting. Jazz IS a climber and loved his last cat tree. Not this one.
DeleteI am endlessly grateful for the wide range of birds that visit - and move on.
You live in paradise.
ReplyDeleteJazz. Jazz. Jazz. Get him a cardboard box.
Hugs,
Sandra Cox: Aren't our visitors amazing. I do hope Jazz will change his mind, but fear that the cat castle will remain untouched until he crosses the rainbow bridge and is replaced (hopefully many years from now).
DeleteThe sun hill reflection is the winner today.
ReplyDeleteMike: Thank you. I really liked seeing that reflected sunrise and was glad to capture some of its beauty.
DeleteI can't stop looking at those beautiful pink clouds skies. They would make magnificent paintings. So beautiful...
ReplyDeleteI love the beautiful birds. You do live in paradise and the Camellia looks spectacular and I can imagine the fragrance.
Jazz probably has not made friend with the new scent and misses his old scent. Does he like catnip? My cats would go crazy over the scent of catnip. In time he'll warm up to the new Cat Chateau.
Have a great week.
Hugs,
Julia
Julia: Thank you. That camellia is without fragrance, but very, very beautiful. Only the one bud open so far though.
DeleteJazz is completely disinterested in catnip. And stubborn. I hope he does warm to his castle.
The cloud and sky photos are so lovely - the hills especially. And of course the birds are beautiful too - I envy you having so many colourful birds around your garden! We have heaps of birds too, but many of them are very subdued when it comes to bright colours...
ReplyDeleteHave you ever had a cat who does what you want it to do? I don't think I have!
We have seen lots of evidence on TV of the terrible floods in NSW - such devastation will be hard for many people to recover from.
I do hope you have a happy week, and that Jazz will decide that he loves the new cat tree :)
Alexia: We get some little brown jobs too - but they are also beautiful when I take the time to examine them.
DeleteI do like our vantage spot looking down into the valley, and delight in skyscapes.
And no, cats are a rule unto themselves - which is particularly true of Jazz.
I hope Jazz gets to like and use his gift. I know my two would ignore one, tossing me a quizzical look wondering what I was thinking! :)
ReplyDeleteLove your pics..thanks for sharing, EC. I hope you share and enjoy many happy moments in the coming week, too. Take good care. Cuddles to Jazz. :)
Lee. Jazz (and Jewel ) loved the old cat tree. This one doesn't hit the spot.
DeleteThank you. I hope you and the furry overlords have a wonderful week too.
They are all good but I love that valley shot.
ReplyDeleteJ Cosmo Newbery: Thank you. I look down that valley often.
DeleteLooks like the last cat tree I bought Toby. He warmed to it.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: Thank you. That is encouraging news. So far he has not.
DeleteThe first photos are unworldly, beautiful, like ghost landscapes. I like that vandal decorated tree. Christmas! There must be some cat law about ignoring something special bought for just them, for at least three days, to put us in our places.
ReplyDeleteStrayer: Birds really like that tree. They get a perfect vantage point to survey the feeders and see if they are empty or occupied.
DeleteAnd yes, to the cat law. Which Jazz continues to follow.
Beautiful--- I love the greys and pinks of the first pictures. As always I love the parrot type birds.
ReplyDeleteBill: Thank you. Our dawns are often those colours. I think of them as galah coloured dawns - and we are getting a lot of galahs (the bird) visiting at the moment too.
DeleteI love the cat tree, which is more like a work out gym and think Jazz will get used to it once the "new" smell wears off. Love the camellia. And the blushing clouds. And the birds.
ReplyDeleteRiver: Blogger has taken a dislike to you. I have had to rescue your comments on every post for the last little while. I hope that Jazz does adjust to his new tree. He is showing no signs of it yet. We love the garden, the birds and the sky too.
DeleteDear EC
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pink skies and brightly coloured birds to enjoy. The camellia is lovely too.
Cats are like that, aren't they? We have bought Scruffy lots of different cat toys in the past and his favourite things to play with? A ball of newspaper or a biro which has fallen on the floor! Hopefully Jazz will eventually like his new palatial cat tree/castle.
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: Jazz's favourite thing to play with is me, and both my legs and my arms carry scars from his play. He also likes biros - and steals them.
DeleteThe parrots are gorgeous...beautiful colours for sure. The sky is amazing, love the colours.
ReplyDeleteMargaret D: Thank you. I never, ever tire of the sky or of the birds.
DeleteWonderful skyscapes - especially the one with the mountains. I'm very jealous of the colourful birds you have there, I remember the Rosellas from my one and only trip to Australia. "Jazz" seems a very apt name for the unpredictable, constantly improvising and sometimes rather difficult beings that we know as cats!
ReplyDeleteJohn "By Stargoose and Hanglands": Thank you. Australia has several different rosellas. We get two of them here and delight in them. Jazz came to us with the name of Jazzpurr. Which made me feel unwell. And now you have given me another reason why the name we call him (mostly) is appropriate.
DeleteUn nuevo árbol para Jazz, loros coloridos, una camelia hermosa... Cielos y belleza. Por aquí me quedo, mirando, disfrutando.
ReplyDeleteSofia Lelekka: Thank you. How I wish Jazz liked his new tree. He doesn't. Yet.
DeleteI hope you can get the bubbles frozen soon, EC. The birds are gorgeous. They mustn’t like that frost too much. The camellia is a beauty. It withstands the frost too. It is a hardy one!
ReplyDeleteMarie Smith: The birds fluff up a bit to withstand the frost but seem to be remarkably unphased by it. I have even seen King Parrots with frost on their backs. We have several camellias out at the moment, and they too are unbothered by the cold.
DeleteDefinitely a cat castle! The sunrise reflecting on the hills reminds me of quotes from Heidi where she likes seeing the sun kiss the mountains goodnight. I often think of that at sunset when I see the sun kissing the Dandenong Ranges goodnight, I don't very often see anything like it at sunrise.
ReplyDeleteKim: I like the thought that the beautiful colour on the mountains is the sun kissing them good morning. Thank you for that.
DeleteOh I love coming here. You always have such beautful photos and interesting places and things to share. Your skies are much like mine right now. Pinkish orange I think. Very very bright. I always think of that saying ...pink sky in the morning.. sailor take warning, etc. You know. But the rain isnt coming as it should, even tho its the rainy season here. I love, love your colorful birds. One day I think the bird population will be similar here. Its already starting from escaped and released exotic bird pets that are learning to find food and shelter in a land strange to them and are forming colonies, although this as a norm will be way past my time. Have a happy happy day!
ReplyDeleteJ C: Thank you. Parts of Australia have been flooded in recent weeks. We could do with a little more rain. I hope that you and your country get the rains you need - and no more.
DeleteI delight in our birds. And love the thought of escapees making good - though I fear that most do not. Have a wonderful day and week.
Love your pictures of the sky. The pink on the hills is beautiful. So many pretty birds! I wish I could see them in person. I watch my birds for hours. Always entertaining. I hope Jazz warms to the castle soon. :) I know with my kitties it can sometimes take a while. Looks fun though!
ReplyDeleteDMS ~Jess: I cannot tell you how much time we 'waste' watching birds. And don't begrudge a moment of it. So far Jazz is being stubborn - though he still purrs if he is put on his new castle.
DeleteI just love Australia. The pink clouds, the colorful birds, the flowers, the Roos. Oh, what a marvelous place! Lucky you!
ReplyDeletegigi-hawaii: Thank you. The world is full of wonders but I am grateful for those I find in my tiny corner.
DeleteWhat a magnificent cat castle! I'm sure Jazz will warm up to it... after he's made it abundantly clear that it's HIS idea, not yours. After all, what cat could resist his very own castle?
ReplyDeleteYour sky photos are beautiful, and so are the birds and the camellia. With all the big spectacular birds in your photos, I'm imagining Australia as a place alive with colour. But surely you have lots of LBBs (Little Brown Birds), too?
Diane Henders: You are right of course. Jazz needs to consider it his idea. And the whole house is his castle, so why does he need a smaller version?
DeleteOf course we have lbjs. Mind you, when I stop and really look at them they are every bit as beautiful as the more colorful birds. A subtle beauty, but beauty just the same.
Those birds made me smile, they look so cheeky and cute and happy.
ReplyDeleteHas Jazz warmed up to the tree as yet?
neena maiya (guyana gyal): The birds make us smile too - and I do hope they are happy as well. Jazz still treats his new castle with intense suspicion.
DeleteYour photos make me smile, The cat condo is giant-sized! Have a wonderful week and purrs from Lukas,,,
ReplyDeletee: I am very happy to make you smile - and Lukas purr. Jazz is a big boy and needs a giant sized condo - or that was himself's reasoning.
DeleteThe birds and your garden always impress me. Jazz can't like the cat tree right away, that would make it too easy on you.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: Thank you. And perish the thought that Jazz could make things easy for us...
DeleteSo beautiful. I love it. Regine
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Regine: Thank you.
DeleteThat is hilarious that Jazz is totally unimpressed with the new cat tree. I love seeing all those birds in the tree. it must be so cool to see all those and the colorful birds all the time. I see pigeons and black birds and sometimes sparrows. That's pretty much it.
ReplyDeleteMary Kirkland: Jazz remains unimpressed. I delight in the birds that visit us - and wish that we saw more sparrows. We used to, but they have pretty much disappeared.
DeleteWhat a stunning sky. But the tree overflowing with bird is otherworldly.
ReplyDeleteHena Tayeb: Thank you. We often see (and hear) the cockatoos here. Noisy they are, vandals they are - and we love them.
DeleteVery nice!
ReplyDeleteThe Liberty Belle: Thank you.
DeleteI'm not able to handle the amount of beauty present in this post. Very beautiful Sue! :D
ReplyDeleteDamyanti Biswas: Beauty NEVER goes astray. I am very pleased to hear that you found it in this post.
DeleteLove, love, love these exotic flowers and birds. A whole tree full of sulphur crested 'vandals' takes the prize!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte (MotherOwl): A lot of birds like that particular tree. It is in direct line with our front door and they use it as a vantage spot. It can be filled with sulphur crested cockatoos, or corellas. The King Parrots and the rosellas like it too.
DeleteThat fourth photo, with the pink on the hills, is wonderfully captured. And the birds in the tree look like some kind of strange but beautiful blossoms :) That certainly is a cat castle and I hope The King has decided to give it a try. Cats, eh? I wonder if you hid treats there (and showed him one so he'd get the idea) if he would be tempted. Who knows? :D Love the parrots, by the way. Their colours are amazing. And I can hardly believe you have blossoms still out during your winter. That one is a beauty. I hope your week is going well, dear friend.
ReplyDeletejenny_o: Captain Difficult is still uncertain about it. I put him on it again this morning. He purred and got down. A little later he climbed up for himself and was given a couple of treats. After which he got down.
DeleteSince our winters are wimpy we have something in flower all year. And the birds brighten the greyest days.
Look after yourself oh chosen sister...
Stunning photos of our lovely world and nature ♥
ReplyDeleteaussie aNNie: Thank you.
Deletei hope by now Jazz is more impressed with his new cat castle :) Those pink clouds are stunning, and always love your birds and flowers. Your crested vandals look like they are living the good life in their own castle. Great series and I hope you get to freeze your bubbles soon. Have a great week :)
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Thank you. Sadly Jazz is only slightly more impressed with his castle. He did play in it briefly yesterday though. That tree is used by so many birds - and you are right, it is one of the many castles in the sky...
DeleteYour skies are beautiful, and your birds so colourful.
ReplyDeleteThe new cat castle looks amazing, and I hope Jazz is getting more impressed now.
Hope your week is progressing well, ours here in the UK is getting hotter and hotter!!!
All the best Jan
Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Thank you. I have been hearing about your weather and hope you can stay cool and safe. Jazz continues to treat his castle with suspicion.
DeleteAs do we, delighting not just in your lovely skies but all around, the greenery and of course your birds. Love the way they've decorated that tree with their pure white feathers. You live in a lovely and magical place. As for kitty I'm thinking some things to lure the excitement of I think I shall check this out when they are looking. I know my daughter's kitties have some actually real pieces of wood branches and whatnot that they seem to really enjoy. Feathery things too. I hope your week is wonderful and soon we shall be back at the weekend, which I will have off. Take care.
ReplyDelete21 Wits: You have some wonderful (and amazing) things where you live too. I do like the way that the internet allows us to 'visit' each other. Jazz is still suspicious but there are some small signs of weakening. Which I will work on.
DeleteThe sky shots are breathtaking and the birds are as lovely as ever. When someone has real trees around perhaps they might not care so much for artificial ones? :)
ReplyDeleteI hope your week has gone well.
Nilanjana Bose: Thank you. My weeks has been tiring but fine. How about yours?
DeleteI wonder whether it is the castle's artificiality that Jazz objects to? I hope not.
I’m just curious if you’ve heard why Blogger sends so many of our comments to spam? It’s so disheartening! Oh well it’s like so many things these days where we just must accept the unknowing! I’m looking forward to your lovely Sunday post, enjoy your day!
ReplyDelete21 Wits: I have no idea why blogger is sending comments to spam - or why it is making it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to comment on some blogs. The 'sign in with Google' message does my head in. Sometime I can, and sometimes (on the same blog) it flatly refuses.
DeleteOh our cats are totally unimpressed by cat trees and cat toys lol…the sky shots are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteRain: Jazz likes 'some' cat toys. And loved the tree before this. However he is a rule unto himself...
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