Tag: Butcher Bird

Blogaversary · garden flowers · gardening · in my garden · In My World · native Australian birds · pets · photography · roses

Fourteen Years Ago Today …

Joanne19 Comments

So, what happened fourteen years ago today? I posted my first entry on this blog. So today is my blogaversary.

David Austin ‘Emily Brontë’ rose.

Over the years I have added posts on several topics, but the posts I enjoy adding these days mostly involve my garden, be it what I am doing – or have been doing – in my garden, or the results of my time spent there. Over the years I had forgotten what subject I wrote about for my first post, but hey, it was about the mango tree in my garden – gardening again. 🙂 So it could be assumed that nothing in my world has changed much in fourteen years.

David Austin ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ rose.

Actually, there have been many changes. My four children – none of whom are into gardening, I might add … (where did I go wrong?) – are now grown, married and have homes of their own, And my family has grown, I am now Nana to five gorgeous little people who have stolen my heart. The eldest has even shown interest in helping me in the garden, so perhaps the next generation is more suspectable to my (constant) training! 😉

We lost my father-in-law early last year, who I mentioned in my first post. 😦

Since I began blogging I have completed a degree, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English. Along the way, I also completed a Diploma of Family History and a Diploma of Sustainable Living. University study is now officially out of my system – unless it involves learning about gardening, of course.

When I look back on the posts I added during the last fourteen years, there are gaps, some for long periods, when I have been otherwise occupied with “life” and haven’t added any posts. I always return though.

David Austin ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ rose.

During my most recent absence from blogging, I have been devoting nearly every day to my garden and my family (along with a few hours each day working in our family business, but that’s too boring to blog about!).

And my love of photography has been constant. Yesterday afternoon I took closeup shots of three gorgeous roses in full bloom in my garden. I am rather excited about sharing these photos! They are three of my special favourites … hmm, maybe every rose I grow is my favourite! The Souvenir de la Malmaison and Gertrude Jekyll are more established than the Emily Brontë though, which is a new addition just a few months ago. It was a rose I just had to have, as Brontë is the name of one of my gardening companions. ❤

Brontë, helping me in the garden just before nightfall this week. ❤

Thank you to all of my blogging friends for constantly returning to visit me here after my many absences. And thank you for inviting me into your worlds too! I find it quite incredible how invested I have become in the lives of other bloggers, people whom I have never met, yet it means so much to me to know you can be there with just a click of my computer mouse for a brief chat. ❤

From the archives. Butcher bird in the Tibouchina tree. February 2021.
Australia · autumn · clouds · mist · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · pets · rain · Tweed Valley · University

Sun and Rain

Joanne6 Comments

At around sunrise on Thursday morning, Mount Warning looked clearer and the crevices in the ranges more well defined than I have seen in a long time. Mist dancing across the valley floor contributed to the beauty of the view, so I took an early morning photo to capture the moment before the day grew any older.

I feed the birds their breakfast at around 7am each day, but this butcher bird must have thought he was in with a chance of an early breakfast. I told him to come back in half an hour.

Little Mr. Bowie doesn’t always mind his manners! He’s been told – several times – that the kitchen bench is no place for a cat, but when he sees a bird outside the window he simply can’t help himself! He only stayed there long enough for a photo before I shoofed him down. (There’s a tiny glimpse here of one corner of my new kitchen too. 🙂 )

Thurday was a warm and sunny day, but from Thursday morning onwards, I have been chained to my computer, writing and reading, reading and writing some more, until finally, at 10pm last night, I submitted the assignment I’d been working on. It was due by midnight, so I got it in just before the deadline.

I don’t know whether the mountain was visible yesterday or not. I didn’t stop long enough to look, but I have a sneaking suspicious it may have been hidden by clouds.

Today, we definitely have cloud, and mist, and rain. I took this last photo during the afternoon, just before the rain began. Even though the mountain isn’t clear, I rather like the effect of the various shades of white and pale grey, and the ghostly mist obscuring the greenery.

Next week I have another assignment due, plus a few other smaller tasks that need to be completed for uni. After next week, I have a couple of easier weeks before I begin work on my final two assignments for this semester. Hopefully tomorrow will be a fine day, so I can spend a few hours in the garden before I am chained to my computer again.

Australia · clouds · garden flowers · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · photography · summer · Tweed Valley

The Moodiness of Mount Warning

Joanne6 Comments

A slither of blueness returned to the morning sky today, just a slither, but enough to give me hope that today might just be the day the mountain would reappear, after sulking behind a wall of clouds for the past four days.

Little Hoppy (of gammy leg fame) was on standby, watching the mountain with me. I can always count on Hoppy to drop by every morning.

But wait – the Three Stooges are here as well, with clean and fluffy feathers after several days of being washed by the rain – repeatedly.

Not to be outdone, baby magpie waited patiently for me to turn around and take a photo of him as well.

Meanwhile, the mountain remained mostly hidden for most of the morning.

Early in the afternoon, most of the cloud cover had disappeared. Seeing the beautiful vivid blueness of the ranges is good for my soul, even if a few clouds lingered.

Less than an hour later, we had a complete mountain view!

I kept on checking the mountain today, and she was full of surprises. At dusk, even though she had caught a few clouds again, the setting sun’s dazzling rays shone across her lower ranges.

Quite a few daylilies appeared today, so while I had my camera in hand, I thought I’d better preserve some of their splendour. They are called daylilies for a reason, and will be gone by tomorrow.

During the few short minutes while I had wandered off to visit the daylilies, the mountain had changed again, this time darkening in preparedness for nightfall. Today, however, Mount Warning had one last treat remaining …

Goodnight mountain. ❤

 

Australia · garden flowers · gardening · in my garden · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · summer · Tweed Valley

Around the Garden

Joanne8 Comments

Little Hoppy – of one gammy leg fame – stood nice and still on his healthy leg this morning while I took a photo of him. I had run out of fresh meat and had to thaw a batch from the freezer in the microwave, and he was very patient indeed.

Baby Magpie simply looked bewildered. If he could speak, I’m sure he would stamp his claw and demand his breakfast. 😉

The weather appeared to be threatening rain all day, but when no rain had fallen by this afternoon, I ventured outdoors to pull out a few weeds. All the rain we have been having has encouraged a new crop of weeds in several patches through my garden beds, so I’ve made a start on getting rid of a few. I also dead-headed my flowering plants. This rose bush still has several fresh roses on it, so nothing needed to be removed from this plant. 🙂

I had my iPhone in the garden, so took a photo of the valley from the top of the garden with my phone camera. There’s really nothing going on down in the valley today except heat haze or mist, but as always, I can’t complain when it is not an overly hot day.

We are having rather a mild summer this year! 🙂