Sunday Selections #455

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 going down the 'snippets' route.

Unaddressed advertising material (aka junk mail) usually goes straight to recycling and doesn't enter the house.  Last year (about this time) we received a piece from a local real estate agent acting as an agent for Share the Dignity.  This year's Christmas Drive is called '#ITSINTHEBag'.  I participated last year, and kept a watch for it this year - and had fun filling a bag for a homeless/disadvantaged woman.

I hope she enjoys it.  I had fun selecting essentials and some small luxuries.

Then to the birds.

This sulphur crested cockatoo (aka vandal) delighted us one afternoon preening just outside the windows.

 

 And some colour in the garden.

Even just after first light I enjoy the garden.


At the moment I can only send emails through Webmail (my ISP is working on the issue) - and have difficulties even there in sending messages to River, to Cindi, Margaret Adamson, Mark Koopmans and Robyn Engels.  There may be others too.

Thank you so much for your comments and emails of support.  They are very much appreciated, and led me to feel that a brief explanation is in order.  

I am ok(ish).  The fires, while horrendous, are not in my area at the moment.

I always feel inadequate.  I am convinced that anything I do could/should be done better.

While it is not precisely comfortable, most of the time I use that inadequacy to spur myself on to greater effort.  For some time now rather than feel inadequate I have been feeling like a complete and utter waste of space and I wonder whether the world would be better off without me. Feeling like this has led to my blog break while I try and refind some equilibrium.  I should add that I am not actively considering suicide.   I have been in this place before and hope that I will emerge again.  Thank you again for your messages and your patience.

And yes, I have turned the comments off again.

Sunday Selections #372

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.  This week is a little more random.

I am going to start with a not very good photo of some of our kitchen gadgets.  The lovely jenny_o recently posted a picture of a potato brush which makes her smile.  It would make me smile too and you can find it here.  I thought that we had nothing quirky to share, but familiarity obviously breeds contempt.  This photo is of part of the window sill over the sink (and reminded me the windows badly need washing).

 The white blob is a Babushka doll and the nesting set unscrews to provide us with measuring cups.  The motor cycle is himself's pizza cutter.  The pink elephant is a tea infuser for the days when a cup rather than a pot is required.  And I smile every time I balance it on a mug.  And nearly obscured is a blue bird whose beak is a can opener.  In front of that is yet another tea infuser.  Ar the back are our smiling salad/pasta spoons.  And I rearranged nothing for the photo.

The next photos are part of the reason our windows need washing.  Last weekend was windy.  Very, very, windy.  And a bright and beautiful afternoon was darkened by a dust storm.

After which I am going to revert to type and feature some of the birds who have been visiting recently.

I do love the corellas.

This pair of King Parrots eat from our hands.  And goodness we feel privileged.

The Rainbow Lorikeets are rare visitors - but welcome.

And this Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo also eats from our hands.  We are very, very lucky.  Finishing up with another of my multitude of obsessions - the sky.  This sunset kept me enthralled throughout the display.

And I liked the way the jet trail neatly bisected the sky.

Sunday Selections #272

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.  This week?  Not so much.  Colourful snippets from the week which have given me joy.

Dawn.

Dusk.

An inquisitive cockatoo,

And the beginnings of the annual fireworks which autumnal colour brings.

 

 

Sunday Selections

Sunday Selections, brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, is an ongoing theme where participants post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

Anyone can join in, just post your photos under the Sunday Selections title, link back to Kim, then add your name to her Linky list at Frogpondsrock.

I have been featuring the birds who visit us for a while now.  This week I have chosen Sulphur Crested Cockatoos to star.  And stars they are.  People will tell you that they are noisy and destructive.  Both of these things are true but I think they also have a lot of charm.  They visit us each day, sometimes in flocks of up to fifty birds, and they never fail to make me smile.  Seeing their charm is by no means universal though.  One of our neighbours once ran across our front lawn bashing on a metal garbage bin.  He scared them away for about ten minutes.  If that.