Category: winter
Winter in My Garden
I try, often unsuccessfully of late, to add a photo each day to my Blipfoto journal. One day that I try to participate in however is “Mono Monday”, a day in which “blippers” are invited to add a black and white photo of a theme, as created by a generous host of the challenge each month.
Today, the theme chosen by an Australian blipper was “Winter”, so my camera and I took a wander around the garden in search of suitable photos for the theme.
With the brilliant blue sky overhead today, we had a maximum temperature of around twenty-three degrees Celsius, I had in mind to take some photos of the almost bare branches of the pecan nut tree. The leaves begin to grow again when the weather warms up in spring, and by autumn we have a tree laden with pecan nuts.
About a month ago, the leaves began to fall, and now, the only leaves left are those that got caught in the branches during their fall, and have since lost their brilliant green colouring.
As I walked toward the pecan tree, I heard a rustling sound, and there amid the scrub outside our side fence was an old friend of mine, Mr. Bush Turkey! I haven’t seen him for over six months now, and had feared the worst. Apparently, he left the area for a while, and has now returned and taken up residence in his old nest amid the scrub and small trees.
He’s not the prettiest of creatures, you must admit, but what he lacks in looks he makes up for ten-fold in personality, and he remembered me! As I said hello to my old friend, he ran to me, showing no fear. (I have been known to slip him the occasional treat to eat.)
Another notable sign that winter has returned is the smoke rising from the huge chimney at the Condong Sugar Mill. I can see the mill, way down in the valley, from the back of my house. The mill remains dormant throughout summer, awaiting the new stalks of growing sugar cane, harvested and brought to the mill by many local farmers during the winter months.
After my garden walk, I took the clothes off the clothesline, leaving my camera on a table on the veranda. A while later, remembering where I had left my camera, I collected it, at just the right time to see the muted tones of a gentle winter sunset. So pretty, and so much a sign of the season.
Ah winter, how I love the cooler months. 🙂
White on White : The journey continues around South West Rocks.
When Adam told me I would find an abundance of subjects to photograph at South West Rocks, he wasn’t exaggerating. It was the most beautiful area to visit, but the highlight for me was the lighthouse area in the early morning light.
As our visit to the area was during July of last year, the sun rose quite late, being winter here, so we enjoyed not only the crisp morning air and the beautiful white lighthouse against the backdrop of white clouds, but also the sun rising over the ocean.
Everywhere I looked, pristine white surrounded us ~ the clouds, the lighthouse, even the white wooden fence along the way….
….the quaint white house on the right can be leased to holiday makers. Can you imagine waking in the morning and beginning the day with this view? I’d think I had died and gone to heaven!
As the sun began to rise, we caught an occasional glimpse of it as it tried to peek its way through the clouds, forming a white sun-spot on the ocean.
Even as we walked along the path towards the lighthouse, glimpses of the ocean could be seen behind the rental accommodation, looking towards the west. I’m sure that every window in these houses must have a view of the ocean.
Even the flora here was magical. I could have taken photos all day!
The waves below looked surreal. How could so much beauty be real? Surely it was all an illusion!
These Australian natives are known as Bottlebrush trees, for obvious reasons. Again though, the colour seemed almost angelic.
I think these are a kind of gumnut, or a hard seed cone. There is so much wild beauty here, and so close to the ocean too. Incredible.
Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched? I did, and I was! These two magpies didn’t seem to be bothered by Adam and I visiting their territory though. Perhaps they are used to humans losing all sense of time when they are visiting their home. 🙂
On sunsets, fireplaces, books and plans….
How does a “non addictive” personality type become totally, utterly, completely, ridiculously addicted to taking photos?
“My name is Joanne, and I am a photo-holic”.
Do you think that may help me to overcome my addiction? I’m not so sure myself. Photography is such a fulfilling pass time, so why would I even consider “getting over it”? And it is a well-known fact that to make the decision to change something, you have to want to make the change!
And you know what? I don’t want to give up photography!
I do have one teeny-weeny problem though, that my addiction to photography has created; my blog is suffering, and that is something that I do want to change!
So tonight, even though the hour is late, and all good photo-holics should be taking themselves off to bed, to curl up, keep warm, and read some more of the new book they have just begun, here I am, adding a photo or two here, because they are too beautiful to not share.
We have seen some magical sunsets over the last few days. Perhaps not the stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks type of sunsets, with the brilliant dazzle of reds, oranges and golds, but more subdued sunsets.
The sky has just a subtle hint of colour, the air is cool and the fireplace is keeping the house comfortable and warm. They are the kind of nights when all you really want to do is get up close, as close as the heat will let you, to the fireplace, curl up in a ball and go to sleep.
So here’s the plan ~ even if time does not permit, even if all I want to do is curl up in a cosy ball with my really good book, even if I’m tired, I will take a few moments to add some photos here, most days.
Perhaps not every day. Some days become crazy and I really need forty-eight hours instead of twenty-four. Don’t we all have days like those?
Oh, but before I take myself off to “cozy book reading land”, here’s another photo of the sky. Doesn’t this winter moon look incredible? My new camera is just the best gadget I have ever owned in my life!
It Isn’t Easy Being Green
“It’s not easy bein’ green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over ’cause you’re
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky
But green’s the colour of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean
Or important like a mountain
Or tall like a tree” ~ From the song, It Isn’t Easy Bein’ Green, by Kermit the Frog.
Winter may very well still be with us, but we are already experiencing the occasional warm day.
Such was the case last Sunday, when we decided to take advantage of the pleasantly warm day and get into a few tidy up jobs and pruning of trees, growing along the front of our house.
As I collected together an armful of cut tree branches, one of the “leaves” in my arms let out the unmistakable sound of a cicada. All I had to do was find him, in amongst the greenery!
Twelve year old Adam was particularly keen to see him. For many years he has collected the emptied shells, no longer required by its inhabitant, although he had never before laid eyes on the real thing.
I was determined to find this little green fellow and I promised Adam he would be safe to hold, although he may fly away.
And find him, we did! The green leaves camouflaged him very well, but we eventually located him for Adam to have his first close up view of the cute little guy.
One day I will remember to have my camera strapped to my side when I spend time in the garden! All was not lost though, as Adam had his trusty mobile phone in his pocket. For once, I was pleased. I’m usually warning him that he will need to have the phone surgically removed from his hand, if he doesn’t put it down!
Here’s one of Mr. Cicada climbing up Adam’s t-shirt. The quality of the photos isn’t great, although not bad for a mobile phone.
After Mr. Cicada had posed beautifully for this photo session for a few minutes, Adam gently placed him into the fork of a tree. He chirruped his thanks to us…just in time for little Miss Cutey Cat to realize where he was!
Luckily, Mr. Cicada was again wonderfully camouflaged in among the green foliage, so Miss Cutey didn’t have a hope of finding him.
We have a cluster of “Grandfather’s Whisker’s” attached to the bottom branch of the tree where Adam put Mr Cicada. As Miss Cutey Cat sat at the bottom of the tree, searching for her new cicada friend, she suddenly rubbed the whole of her face and head into the soft fluffy foliage of the Grandfather’s Whisker’s! Drat that phone / camera! As I tried to take a photo of her, it just wouldn’t click! The best I could do was a photo of her happy little face, after the soft, cuddly rub.
These are the magic moments of life…and this is what life is all about! Taking the time to pause, savour the moment and catch it if you can with a photo. The memory of Adam’s first encounter with a live cicada will linger, long after the cicada has flown away.
The front of the house looks much neater after our tidy up. I live in the hope that the pre-summer weather remains kind to us, so we can continue with the gardening tasks at hand.
In My World 