THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS

A mosaic of photos, each from each month of the past year. It was a mixed bag of a year, full of good and bad things, surprises and routine happenings, some things old and cherished, others new and exciting. Goodbye to 2023, hello to 2024. May the New Year be a better one for everyone!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FREE ASSOCIATION

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

SUMMER DAYS

We've had some rainy, muggy days lately but from tomorrow, Summer is coming back and we're expecting a high of 34˚C. Time to take the bathing togs out!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FEELING BLUE

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme

NATURAL

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

IN THE GARDEN

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

UP, UP & AWAY

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

LONELINESS

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

IN THE CITY

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

SPRING SHOWERS

A mosaic created digitally in Photoshop from three different images.

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

OCTOBER MOSAIC

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

IVANHOE LIBRARY

The Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub is a state of the art public building offering access to 200,000 library items, several exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, artists' studio spaces and access to Banyule Council services. A great place to take part in all sorts of activities and then relax with a coffee or lunch at the attached café.

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

SUCH IS LIFE

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

PAPERBARK TREE

Melaleuca quinquenervia, commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to 20 m tall, with its trunk covered by a white, beige and grey thick papery bark. The grey-green leaves are egg-shaped, and cream or white bottlebrush-like flowers appear from late spring to autumn.

It was first formally described in 1797 by the Spanish naturalist Antonio José Cavanilles. Native to New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and coastal eastern Australia, from Botany Bay in New South Wales northwards into Queensland, M. quinquenervia grows in swamps, on floodplains and near rivers and estuaries, often on silty soil. It has become naturalised in the Everglades in Florida, where it is considered a serious weed by the USDA.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

ON A WALK

Amazing what one may see when taking a long walk...

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AT THE QUEEN VIC

The Queen Victoria Market (also known colloquially as Vic Market or Queen Vic) is a major landmark in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Covering over seven hectares (17 acres), it is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Constructed in stages from the 1860s and officially opened in 1878, the Queen Victoria Market is the last remaining major market in the CBD, and along with Prahran Market and South Melbourne Market, the last of the city's Victorian era markets still operating. It is listed on both the Victorian Heritage Register and the National Heritage List, and is one of Melbourne's major tourist sites, attracting approximately 10 million visitors annually.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

AUSTRALIAN SEASONS

A quartet of my paintings. You can find more of my artworks on my Instagram account: @jammysevenk

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

EARLY SIGNS OF SPRING

This year we are seeing early signs of Spring with many Spring flowers blooming early, the weather becoming unseasonably warmer and less rain than we are used for this time of the year...

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FUNGI

A fungus (plural: fungi) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and moulds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from the other eukaryotic life kingdoms of plants and animals. Abundant worldwide, most fungi are inconspicuous because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil or on dead matter.

Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi and also parasites. They may become noticeable when fruiting, either as mushrooms or as moulds. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment.

They have long been used as a direct source of human food, in the form of mushrooms and truffles; as a leavening agent for bread; and in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce. Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents.

Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases (e.g., rice blast disease) or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.