Australia · autumn · garden flowers · in my garden · rain

On a Rainy Day

When the rain returns, as it did today, and Mount Warning is hidden by the clouds again, as it was today, those are the days when I can share a random assortment of photos taken around my garden during finer weather.

Mandevilla

When I took this photo, I didn’t realise a tiny spider was also admiring the flower.

The first three photos are plants in my front garden. The last is the beginning of a flower that will open more fully over the next few days. I think, from memory, the plant is a bromeliad. It’s a shade-loving plant that my son-in-law planted about ten years ago. Back then, he stuck a shabby, dry plant in the ground, and a couple of days later he told me it was probably dead and he’d just take it out. I persuaded him to leave it, assuring him that I’d keep an eye on the plant, and if it didn’t show any signs of life, I’d get rid of it. As you can see, the plant thrived, and every year it produces these rather eye-catching flowers.

During the next week, I will have to take each day as it comes with the photos I can take, which will depend on the weather. Rain is predicted every day, but if I keep an eye on the mountain during the day, I might just catch it peeking out from behind the clouds, if I’m lucky. 🙂

Australia · challenges · clouds · garden flowers · in my garden · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · new beginnings · new year · rain · subtropical weather · summer · Tweed Valley

The first challenge for 2021 …

Happy New Year!

That much I know I have right – it’s New Year’s Day, 2021. But what day of the week is it again?

Never mind, it’s holiday time, so I won’t concern myself too much with remembering what day it is right now. When the usual rhythm of everyday life begins again, I’m sure the days of the week will all fall back into place as well. 😉

We have had more rain today, along with long spells of, well, not sunshine, but it hasn’t rained all day either. The valley cleared to some extent, although Mount Warning decided to hide for the day. I’m sure there are plenty of people, regardless of Covid rstrictions, who may have over-indulged last night and wanted to hide away for the day, just as Mount Warning did.

Little Hoppy, my Butcher Bird friend with the gammy leg, visited today with one of the babies. I’m never sure who the actual parents of these baby birds are, but this little one seemed to follow Hoppy everywhere.

Later, I had a baby Butcher Bird perched on the top of the trampolene, singing at the top of its voice. They sing such a pretty song, filled with an extensive range of vocal notes, once they get into their song.

Not to be outdone, later in the day I had Baby Magpie in the front garden, extending his vocal chords to full extent as well. 🙂

While I was in the front garden with my camera, I had a look at a few plants. Some of them have taken a battering this summer, what with all the rain and gusty wind. These lovely white Mandevilla flowers broke into bloom only a few days ago though, and so far haven’t succumbed to the blustering wind. It’s a fairly new plant, I only planted it last summer, but it seems happy in the place I chose for it.

The only place I can grow Fuchsias is in a large pot on my front veranda, where the plant is protected from the harsh sun and wind. This plant is three years old now, and this flowering season it has already been in bloom for several months. I have to water the plant every day as it is quite a thirsty plant, and stresses quickly in the heat if the soil is left to dry out.

How did everyone celebrate New Year? I imagine quietly, like I did. Husband and I stayed up to watch the televised fireworks display on Sydney Harbour, welcomed the New Year in with a glass of sparkling wine, then off to bed (which is where I’m heading now!) 🙂