Sunday Selections #468

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.  Not so much this week.  I have been feeling a bit ground down and haven't done much.  However at the end of this month and early next there are some treats in store - Enlighten AND the balloon festival.  In my usual far from minimalist way there will be oodles of photos.  This week is going to be a bit same old, same old (and I apologise).

We have had some rain.  Not a lot of rain, but very welcome.  Some areas have had buckets and floods.  We have had much less.  The fires nearest to us are not out, but are finally under control.  I suspect that control is precarious because the water-bombing planes are still out in force.

However, there have been clear dawns.  Blissfully clear, smoke free dawns.

  
It has been a long and hot summer (which is not over yet) and the garden has suffered.

The dandelions haven't though.

Other things are also hanging in.

 I really like this hoya, as do the ants.  It tried hard to bloom when we had a string of 40C plus days but the petals fell off and the blooms died.  It was lovely to see it trying again.

The tuberous begonias are putting in a valiant effort too.

Some of you may want to skip over the next photo.  I was fascinated by the intricate web this very small spider created.

Finishing with some birdie joy.

I hope the week ahead treats you all kindly.

Postscript:  After predicting rain all week long, the predictions finally came true late yesterday and we had some absolutely blissful rain.  And a goodly amount.  We had just over 56.6 mm (2.2 inches).

Sunday Selections #467

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.  I am again focussing on snippets from the preceding week.  
The fire nearest to us continues to burn out of control.  It has spawned other fires which are also out of control.  We can still often see fires from our veranda.  Shots of the sun are beautiful and horrific.

Some parts of Australia have had buckets of rain.  We have had insignificant dribbles.  We had 2.8 mm yesterday (0.10 of an inch).  More is predicted and my fingers and toes are tightly crossed in the hopes that the forecast is truthful.  I am also aware that some parts of New South Wales are expecting dangerous amounts of rain and wind.  This really hasn't been a gentle season for anyone.

We have however had less smoke (most days) and some lovely hopeful dawns.

I continue to revel in the birds at home.  Corellas this time (for Susan Kane).

Of course we have been down the lake again.  

 

That curved fence above shows just how dry we have been, and for how long.  Ordinarily that curve is the outside edge of children's swimming area!!!   While the firefighter's have probably been loading the water bombers from the lake I can never remember seeing the level diminished so far.  Our Captain Cook Memorial jet has had to be turned off because the lake cannot sustain it.

That is one big bird's nest.

I do love our galahs.

This old man roo could do with rather more feed too.

Lifeline had a bookfair this weekend.  And of course I felt 'obligated' to go and spend up big to support it.

Mostly non-fiction but with some lighter reads thrown in.  

And speaking of books, this one landed in my letter box with no attribution this week.

If any of you sent it to me, many, many thanks.  Wizards (some decidedly second rate) exploding artificial green dragons and carnivorous giant slugs are a welcome distraction from reality at the moment.

Where are the Words For Wednesday

Huge thanks to  Mark Koopmans for last month's challenging prompts

February 2020:  River is providing the prompts on her blog.  She schedules her posts so the first selection will be up already.
March 2020:  Mark Koopmans again.  Here again.
April 2020:  I will be providing the prompts here.
May 2020:  Lee will provide the prompts on her blog.
June 2020:  Messymimi will provide the prompts on her blog
July 2020:  Cindi will be providing the prompts on her blog again.
August 2020:  Lissa will be providing the prompts on her blog.
September 2020:  River will be providing the prompts again
October 2020:  Messymimi again.
November 2020:  Margaret Adamson and her friends will be providing the prompts, but they will appear here.
December 2020:  Me again.

Sunday Selections #466

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.  The fires still burn and a State of Emergency has been declared for my city.  I am probably safe unless there is a dramatic wind change but we are on constant watch for ember attack.  In a direct line I think the nearest fires are about ten to fifteen kilometres (six to nine miles) away. 

The following photos were taken from my veranda and my driveway over a couple of days.

Sadly this fire (which is raging out of control) was started accidentally by a Defence Force helicopter.  Its landing lights were hot enough to ignite the tinder dry grass and once started it was off and running.  That said, I don't blame them and have been very, very grateful to hear (and sometimes see though the smoke) the waterbombers going back and forth, back and forth...

The colour in those plumes of smoke is flames and reflected flames rather than sun.

My anxiety levels are high so I have been looking for distractions.  And finding them.

Any day is improved by a rainbow - even if it is produced by sun shining through glass onto our carpet.

The birds continue to give me joy.

Pretty as the rainbow lorikeets are (and they are very pretty) they are shameful bullies.  This one was defending apple we had put out against all comers.  It was so busy shooing other birds off it barely got a mouthful itself.

The metal owl is a relatively new addition to our back pergola.  I like it - and the birds ignore it.

I headed into town one day last week to do my shift (a very very busy and challenging shift) with Lifeline.

It was smokey and nasty when I headed off.

When I got into town my mood was lightened by some delightful installations celebrating Chinese New Year.

The first featured the rat... Musical rats no less.

And the second trees and lanterns.

 I really liked both installations.

I am still hoping for a week with no climatic extremes.  World wide.