Sunday Selections #640

 

 

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. My body is behaving badly at the moment.  In addition to the usual issues my hands and legs are shaking badly.  I struggle to turn the pages of a book and spill and drop things (including myself).  It will be at least a week and probably longer before I get an answer about what is going on. Frustrated, I demanded a roo fix, and we headed down to the lake.

From the road we could see a pair of black swans so we walked (in my case wobbled) down to the water.

Our swans are very used to people and associate them with food. They speeded across the water to us.

We had no food for them, so indignant they swam away.  If we had food (which we never have) they would have been most insistent (totally bolshy birds) and probably pecked us. We have watched them hijack other people's barbecues more than once.

The water in our lake is not blue, but it was a beautiful cloudless day and the sky was reflected in the water.  I liked the swan reflections too.

Already feeling much better we headed off to where we usually see kangaroos.

And were lucky.

I struggle to take and process photos at the moment, but it was worth the effort.

I hope you find a fix for anything that ails you this week too.

Time Out

This has been a long and bloody hot summer, and it has taken its toll on me.  The nights are mostly blissfully cool now, and the days not as hot as they were but my body doesn't cope with big temperature swings much better than it copes with heat.

Essentially I hurt.  Physically, mentally, and emotionally. To add insult to injury I am mired deep in the throes of a severe attack of the inadequacies.

I have been neglecting some essential tasks (including self care) which are starting to shriek for attention so I am stepping away from the blogosphere.  I will return in the fullness of time.

River has been doing a wonderful job of hosting Words For Wednesday this month.  Next month Delores will be hosting.  I hope to be back by April.

In the meantime, have fun and look after your important selves.  

I have turned the comments off for this post.

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.

Sunday Selections #364

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.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  Our summer has been hot.  Sometimes brutally hot.  To add insult to injury a little while ago I contracted a lurgy.  A coughing, aching sort of lurgy, complete with pounding head and appallingly sore throat.  I have been running a temperature and have spent much of the last week going from

HOT

  
To COLD (to the extent I was shivering in the shower).

To HOT

To COLD

And back again.   And of the two extremes the wintry one (though all the images were taken in  the summer 0f 2004 at Antarctica) was much the best.
MS likes the heat.  MS thrives in the heat and it doesn't matter whether the heat is external or internal.  Some of its manifestations were familiar, some were new, and none were welcome.

The lurgy is in retreat now.  Most of the time.  My throat is still sore (but no longer bleeding), I am still coughing and still unwell but the temperature has mostly diminished.  For which I am truly grateful.

A summer spent skulking inside away from the heat has meant I have let a few things slip.  Some don't matter (much) and some do require attention.  So I think I will take a leave of absence from the blogosphere for the month of February.   I hope that it treats you kindly, and look forward to catching up when I return.  And March is festival month in my city.  Enlighten and the Balloon Spectacular.  Both must see events on our calendar.