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 received a treat in the mail. The lovely Sandra Cox despite the sadness and worry in her own life sent me a book. One of her books. Flower Power spoke to my garden obsessed self. For a slim volume it contains a lot to absorb. Planting by colour, planting for sun/shade, the meaning of flowers, plants which are dangerous to animals, planting tips, aromatherapy, floroscopes... I can see me dipping into this gem often. Thank you Sandra.
Her very generous gift encouraged me to focus on the garden this week in Sunday Selections.
It is still very dry. Fires still burn. Dangerously so. Homes and lives continue to be lost. I weep and my heart aches. Just the same, this fire related image made me smile. I have showed you 'A Delicate Moment' by Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend before.
The air quality is my city is still hazardous. Masks are in short supply. I think it says a lot about how her community values her that the statue was given a mask, and also that no-one has nicked it. The sculptors' home town was hit hard (and repeatedly) by recent fires so I suspect they would appreciate the image too.
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.
It is still hot. It is still dry. Our catastrophic fires continue across far too many states.
The air quality in my city was assessed as being the worst in any capital city in the world for several days. On New Year's Eve and New Years day the rating peaked at 5185. Anything over 200 is considered hazardous.
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Two shots showing the same view. One shortly before sunrise, and the second an hour later.
It is still bad, and definitely in the hazardous zone. We are advised to stay inside when possible (though the smoke gets in). Businesses have closed their doors. The postal service has been suspended. And we are the lucky ones.
The
end of last year and the start of this have been devastating. Lives were
lost (human and otherwise), homes were lost (human and otherwise).
Businesses destroyed. Habitat destroyed.
Early yesterday a figure of 12.35 million acres burnt in the 2019/2020 bush fires was quoted. So far.
My
heart aches. Not least because I fear for the animals which survived
the inferno. Possibly injured, they face a dreadful search for food and
water.
However, in the middle of the disasters and the tragedies there was some positive news.
Close to Mogo, a very small town on the South Coast of New South Wales, there is a zoo. It has recently been taken over and renamed Mogo Nature Park. Among other animals it contains lions, tigers, giraffes and an extensive range of primates. As fire approached the zoo owners/keepers faced a dreadful choice. Evacuation of so many animals is specialised and complex and almost certainly couldn't be arranged in time. Nor could they risk the big cats free ranging. I suspect they were gritting their teeth and facing the ugly fact that killing the animals was a definite option.
However, the staff and the volunteers SAVED THE ZOO. The link takes you to the story. Not a single animal was lost. They are not out of danger yet, but it was a wonderful thing to read. Sadly Mogo itself didn't fare nearly as well.
My Sunday Selections photos this week come from visits we have made to the zoo over the years (these photos are from more than ten years ago). A visit we will repeat when the danger is over and our presence and money can support the community.
I do hope that some of our native wildlife were able to take sanctuary there too. So very much.
We have bushfires each and every summer. This year they have started early and have been (and are) completely horrendous. With no significant rain predicted before February/March at the earlier I fear for the future, and weep at the destruction revealed on a daily basis.
If any of you wish to/have the ability to donate some suggested sites are here.
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, as I so often do, I am featuring skyscapes.
These first images were taken just after dawn.
A brooding and heavy sky, with dust coloured highlights.
These next images were taken later in the day (over the course of several days).
Sunset?
Rich, glowing sunsets?
Well not exactly. These were taken in the late afternoon. The smoke, dust and ash from fires has enveloped our city for the last ten days or so. When the wind gets up it blows the debris from the fires and the drought across the sky and obscures the sun.
It is expected to continue to do so for the next week (assuming that no new fires break out). The media has reported that our air quality has been worse than that experienced in China, and vulnerable people have been warned to stay indoors.
Since the fires started on the Eastern Coast of Australia 2.7 million hectares of bush have burned!!!! The damage is incalculable. And this is the start of our bushfire season, and my city is experiencing a tiny part of it. Other places have it much worse.
And, at the moment some of New South Wales and Western Australia is being hit. Hard. In the week to come record breaking high temperatures are predicted across the country.
Scary, scary times.
