Sunday Selections #659

 

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. Last week was hot, humid (rare for my city) and horrid.  I had appointments/commitments each day and had to go out in it.  Essentially I was a sad, sorry, soggy and grumpy mess.  So I travelled back in time. After my mother's death I used a significant amount of my inheritance to fulfil a lifelong dream and went to Antarctica.  Nineteen years ago that was where I was, and I longed to be back there again this week.

All of today's photos are from that pristine and beautiful frontier.  Many of you will have seen them before, but I hope they bear repeating.

It was summer in Antarctica when I went and the temperatures were much more to my liking than those we have endured this week.

I hope that you too can fulfil your dreams.

Sunday Selections 416

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.  River is taking a well-earned self care break.  She will be missed, but I will keep the meme warm for her.
Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week?  Several overlapping themes which include weather, extremes, summer and dreams.

Our heatwave continues.  We have not been as hot as some parts of Australia, but we have been considerably hotter than usual.  Since Christmas Day we have had only four days with a maximum temperature of less than 30C/86F.  Most have been considerably over that.  MS loves the heat (increased pain and fatigue and decreased mobility, dexterity and brain power) so I loathe it .  My sweetspot is about 14C/57F and I am very comfortable considerably below that spot too.

Andrew, River, JahTeh, CountryMum, Kim and not one but two of my brothers have endured some horrendous temperatures over the last few days.  Lee and dinahmow have had slightly lower temperatures and energy sapping vile humidity.  I was thinking of you all, and hope that you survived ok. 

Less talkwhinging, more photos.

The first come from Antarctica - in the summer of 2004.  My thoughts have been there a lot recently.  If either money or health allowed it I would be back in a heart beat.

 And then to photos from home in the summer of 2019.

Yes , it was hot.

The birds continue to give us joy.  And worry us, as they also deal with the heat (undoubtedly complaining less than I do).  I should add that the photos of the heat stressed birds were taken from inside so I didn't add to their stress. 

 

I have a soft spot for the bearded ravens.

The rainbow lorikeets are here shortly after dawn and at dusk.  The apple we put out appears to hit the spot (with them and other birds). 

The crested pigeon was ensconced in the shade of the camellias.  They are pretty birds.

A heat-stressed currawong, with its beak open and panting.

The King Parrots are not usually with us over summer, as they go into the nearby hills to breed.  This pair appeared late last week (perhaps because the on-going drought has made food scarce in their breeding territory).  They had obviously been here before and made it clear that they NEEDED food.  I loved the errant feather on the female (and was proud of that shot taken with one hand while I fed it from the other).

Gardening continues.  At a slower pace.  I drag hoses around at times when our restrictions allow it and have been weeding just after first light.

If you have made it this far in this very long post - thank you.  Stay cool or warm and have a pleasant week.

WEP April Challenge - the road less travelled

The WEP (Write, Edit, Publish) Challenge so generously hosted by Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee is back.  Olga Godim and Nilanjana Bose have joined the team, providing welcome support to the doughty duo and adding to the wealth of ideas and talent.

This April, the WEP challenge is to create around the theme of the road less travelled .  We are asked to create something from the prompt - and can do so through fiction, non-fiction, photography...  

 

If you visit here and click on any names with a DL next to them you will be taken to some wonderful pieces.   I wimped out of participating in the last few challenges but I have read all of the submissions with awe and wonder.  I will marvel at the other participant's skill, imagination and ingenuity this time too. 

I am posting a smidge early, so please, don't discount those who don't have a DL following their name yet.  It will come, and a revisit is definitely worthwhile.

In the summer of 2004 I used a substantial chunk of money inherited after my mother's death to travel to Antarctica.  It was a dream come true, and despite substantial criticism from family and friends I don't regret it.  At all.  

Antarctica

An impossible dream,
realised.
When opportunity appeared I fell into her arms
(prudence and sanity be damned).

Somnolent seals, and
porpoising penguins,
Monet's water lilies,
Exquisitely, delicately executed in ice.

Uncompromising, unforgiving.
Chilly blues, hard-edged white.
Monolithic ice-bergs, flurries of snow.
Dawn and dusk separated by no more than a heart-beat.

This fragile frozen land  sent daggers into my heart 
and ignited a firestorm.
A storm of awe, of wonder,
and of joy.


Memories fan the embers to a blaze
and warm my heart.
I hope they always will.
I know they always will.

 

 Word Count:  Truly pathetic - less than 100

Full Critique Acceptable.