Sunday Selections #592

 

 

 

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 at home again, and mostly featuring early morning shots as well.

Yesterday was a chilly start.  At first light it was hovering around -6C (just over 21F).  So naturally I went out to attempt to freeze bubbles.  It was a tad too breezy for that, but I still spent nearly an hour outside, fascinated by the patterns in the frost.  In some of these shots you will see where the expression 'a sharp frost' comes from.

 The dawn when I headed off to Lifeline early in the week was not as chilly - and definitely more colourful.

On the morning we were doing our grocery shopping it was grey, chilly and drizzling.  The day was immediately improved when we saw a rainbow on our way to the shopping centre.

I often show you king parrots.  The males have the red/orange heads and beaks and the females and the young ones have largely green heads -though the males can be identified by their orange bills.

One day last week we were delighted to see a young male developing his adult plumage.  It is such a privilege when the adults bring their young to visit.

 Just two more photos now.  Close to two hours after I came inside again yesterday morning I had to go out again.  And was amazed to spot two frozen bubbles.

We hadn't yet got to positive temperatures and the bubbles had acquired a layer of frost.  The broken bubble is proof positive that they had indeed frozen.

I hope you find beauty in your week as I did in mine.

I am going to finish on a bit of a family brag.  The youngest of my brothers has now donated blood/plasma 400 times.  There is an old saying that says that whatever you do you should give a 100% of yourself - except when giving blood.  Over the years my brother has given more than six times the volume of blood in his body.  I am super impressed.

Words for Wednesday 27/7/2022

 

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.

The prompts will be here this month and are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher . 

This week's prompts are:

• Jubilant
  
• Ginger
  
• Shimmering
  
• Beachcombing
  
• Smudge
  
• Rosetta Stone
  

And/or

• Charcoal
  
• Wool
  
• Toga
  
• Abyss
  
• Coffee
  
• Leaves
  

Have fun.

Sunday Selections #591

 

 

 

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 has been a busy week, and neither Jazz nor I have been at our best.  As I type we have a house guest so I am reverting yet again to same old, same old.

 

 The camellias that the birds have left us just glowed in the very early morning light.

I do love the early morning - which is just as well because I see a lot of it.

I am going to finish this post with a few frozen bubbles.  It was (again) nearly cold enough one day last week.  It was also a bit breezy so I didn't have the success I hoped for.  I had fun anyway.

I do like the 'shell' that a partially frozen bubble leaves behind when it pops.

This one had holes in it but because it froze stayed whole for a while.

I know that many of you are enduring very hot temperatures.  I hope these photos bring you some cool relief.  And for those on this side of the world I hope you enjoy my frosty play, while staying comfortable and warm.

Words for Wednesday 20/7/2022

 

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.

The prompts will be here this month and are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher . 

This week's prompts are:

• thread
• Firebird
  
• insane
  
• wallpaper
  
• wilderness
  
• Atlantic
  

And/or

• earthy
  
• sonorous
  
• corn
  
• paste
  
• twig
  
• Madeira
  

Have fun.

Sunday Selections #590

 

 

 

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 taking you on a mini-outing with me.  Regular readers know that I love our arboretum.  Each year in winter they hold a 'Warm Trees' exhibition to entice visitors into the arboretum.  And each year we go.

This year Warm Trees is in partnership with the Ngunnawal people (the First People from this area) and the Indigenous Marathon Foundation.  Lots of the knits featured the Aboriginal Flag or its colours.  The knits are made by volunteers.  At the end of the exhibition they are washed, unravelled and turned into wraps for needy people. 

Less talk, more photos.

The top knit represents the Aboriginal flag (though the flag has only one gold circle on it).

It is school holidays here at the moment and I have no doubt that this tee pee is popular.

Many of the paths throughout the arboretum are wheelchair accessible and present no problems for pram pushing parents.  The views from this lookout (the photo above) are lovely.

I do love this gravity defying statue (which first appeared at Floriade a few years ago).  I was infuriated to note that neither the name of the statue nor the artist are given.  I will ring them later to complain.  It is called A Backwards Attitude and is by Louis Pratt.

The walkway to the visitors centre featured depictions of the Bogong moth. Bogong moths once invaded Australian cities in their billions. Now they're so scarce that endangered mountain pygmy-possums reliant on them for food have been found starving.  Birds, animals and our first people ate them in the past and now they have been classified as endangered.  Which is awful.

Some of the bonsai trees were rugged up too.

We had a cool walk but a delightful one.  Whatever your current temperatures (and I know it is very hot in some places) I hope your week is lovely.