COME, LET'S PLAY!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

FLY AWAY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

PROTEA 'LITTLE PRINCE'

Protea 'Little Prince' is a resilient and compact hybrid of King Protea (Protea cynaroides). As autumn and winter roll in, this plant adorns itself with sizeable dark pink flowers, adorned with a striking central white accent. This Protea hybrid's versatility shines through, making it an ideal option for various applications. Whether your goal is to create mass plantings, elevate your general landscaping, enhance coastal gardens, explore container gardening, or even establish a low hedge.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FUNGI

Fungi are relatively well-evolved living things that are neither plants nor animals, and they include a diverse group of organisms, such as yeasts, moulds, and mushrooms. They are heterotrophic, meaning they obtain nutrients by absorbing them from their environment. Fungi play a crucial role in ecosystems by decomposing organic matter and forming symbiotic relationships with plants and animals.

It's mushroom time in Melbourne, and although many people collect wild mushrooms to eat, as they are delicious, it is important to distinguish them from toxic toadstools and poisonous mushrooms, because ingesting those may cause serious illness or death...

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SEAL ROCKS, PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island is an Australian island about 140 km south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. Named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, Phillip Island forms a natural breakwater for the shallow waters of the Western Port. It is 26 km long and 9 km wide, with an area of about 100 km2. It has 97 km of coastline and is part of the Bass Coast Shire.

A 640 m concrete bridge (originally a wooden bridge) connects the mainland town San Remo with the island town Newhaven. In the 2011 census the island's permanent population was 9,406, compared to 7,071 in 2001. During the summer, the population swells to 40,000. 60% of the island is farmland devoted to grazing of sheep and cattle.

Seal Rocks, seen here, is a group of rocky inlets along Phillip island's coastline. They are home to Australia's largest fur seal population, numbering around 16,000. The population peaks between late October to December, but it is possible to view seals at all times of the year. Seals eat squid, cuttlefish and small fish. They can dive up to 100m and have excellent underwater vision.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

GOING ON A WALK

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

MALDON

Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is notable for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days. At the 2021 census, Maldon had a population of 1,665.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

PIGLET

Preston, the piglet, right after his bath!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

PEAK HOUR

Friday evening in Autumn; cold and rainy, with many drivers short-tempered on their way home...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

and also part of the My Sunday Best meme

EVERLASTING DAISIES

Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia. Described by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in 1803, it was known as Helichrysum bracteatum for many years before being transferred to a new genus Xerochrysum in 1990.

It grows as a woody or herbaceous perennial or annual shrub up to a metre tall with green or grey leafy foliage. Golden yellow or white flower heads are produced from spring to autumn; their distinctive feature is the papery bracts that resemble petals. The species is widespread, growing in a variety of habitats across the country, from rainforest margins to deserts and subalpine areas.

Multiple annual cultivars in a host of colour forms from white to bronze to purple flowers have become available. Many of these are still sold in mixed seed packs. In Australia, many cultivars are perennial shrubs, which have become popular garden plants. Sturdier, long-stemmed forms are used commercially in the cut flower industry.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme