Sunday Selections #600

 

 

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 continuing my celebration of Spring this week (and probably next week too).  My city has an annual flower festival to celebrate Spring (Floriade).  Just down the road there is also a private celebration which is where I  am taking you this week.  

Tulip Top Gardens is the brainchild and work (lots of work) of a single family.  One family does all the back breaking planting and preparation work by hand.  And they put in over half a million bulbs and plants.  I am in awe.  Unlike Floriade there is a fee to enter (which includes free instant tea and/or coffee) but the commercialisation pretty much stops there.

It is just off the highway between my city and Sydney and a million miles from it.

Even by my standards I took LOTS of photos when we visited early last week.  Covid cancelled it last year and I was so very happy to welcome it back. Classical music plays from the trees, there are frogs croaking happily in the water ways, and chairs are spread across the grass to sit, admire or doze (which I saw several people doing.  Do you wonder we love it there?

There is a lot yet to come out.  We may have to make a return visit.  Goodness how we suffer.

For some reason these exotic chooks were also soaking up the sun.  How they see through those feathers defeats me.

I think the underplantings/ companion plantings are genius.

I adore the forsythia avenue and look forward to it every year.

Aren't the primulas spectacular?

A gentle water fall trickles down into this pond.

I look forward to these bi-coloured blossoming trees too.

This last photo is the entrance to the gardens but for some reason Blogger decided that it would order my photos to suit itself.  The pear blossom is out, and the crab apple on the other side of the walk way is nearly out.

Next week (weather permitting) I will take you to Floriade with us.

Whatever your season I hope you find some spring in your steps this week.

 

Words for Wednesday 21/9/2022

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged. 

 

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.  And huge thanks to those of you who come back, sometimes time after time to cheer other contributors on.

 

The prompts will be here this month, but they are being provided by David M. Gascoigne.

 

This week's prompts are:

 

• Illustrator
• Judgement
• Insignificant
• Friend
• Creative
• Married

and/or

• Myriad
• Quilt
• Product
• Lip-service
• Assemble
• Bask

 

 Have fun.

 

 

Sunday Selections #599

 

 

 

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 for a change (not) I am taking you with me as I wander our garden not long after first light.  Spring is most definitely here now.  

 

The camellias weigh the branches down, and these are in rather than over the bird bath.  The birds don't seem to mind a bit, and wattle birds seek nectar in them.  Some day I will be quick  enough to get a photo of that.  I hope.

The sulphur-crested vandals are out in force.  My pump action water pistol is permanently loaded and lives besides the front door.

 This daffodil glowed in the early morning light.

Some of you will remember that a large pot-hole wreaked significant damage on our car.  The problem is so widespread at the moment that our local government is paying compensation in some cases.  We have our application in.

I hope you all find colour and nourishment in your week.

Words for Wednesday 14/9/2022

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.  And huge thanks to those of you who come back, sometimes time after time to cheer other contributors on.

The prompts will be here this month, but they are being provided by David M. Gascoigne

This week's prompts are:

1. Laboratory
2. Devoted
3. Ridiculous
4. Happy
5. Tenderly
6. Sick

 

And/or

 

1. Encouragement
2. Diseases
3. Formidable
4. Unruly
5. Vaccine
6. Cricket

 Have fun.

 

 

Sunday Selections #598

 

 

 

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.  Today's post is much more light hearted than yesterday's.  Huge thanks to those of you  who commented.  It is a subject very dear to my heart and I worry that I am beating my own drum too hard.  

Last week we went to a kite festival.  The festival, run in a nearby town, was cancelled by Covid last year and the year before.  It was a cool day, a grey day, and a windy day.  We were promised BIG kites that didn't fly.  Just the same we had a delightful outing.

 I hope your spirits are lifted this week.