NEW LIFE

A shelf fungus growing on a dead, rotting log. A seed has germinated there too and thus death gives rise to life, and more life!

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

SUNRISE IN THE CITY

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme

SPRING

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme

LEAF

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

BUNNY

Arthur the Rabbit at our neighbourhood pet store. Always stop to say hello!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

CONTRAIL

Contrails are clouds formed when water vapour condenses and freezes around small particles (aerosols) that exist in aircraft exhaust. Some of that water vapour comes from the air around the plane; and, some is added by the exhaust of the aircraft. The exhaust of an aircraft contains both gas (vapour) and solid particles. Both of these are important in the formation of contrails. Some elements of the exhaust gasses are not involved in contrail formation but do constitute air pollution. Emissions include carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons such as methane, sulphates (SOx), and soot and metal particles.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MINI BOUQUET

A little bouquet from our garden, with violets, bergenias and hyacinth. Spring is coming!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

GREEN!

Spring is just around the corner for us in the Southern Hemisphere and nature is doing all the right things to remind us of it!

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

FITZROY CAFÉ

Brunswick Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, known for cafés, live music venues, quirky shops, street entertainment and alternative fashion boutiques. Brunswick Street runs north-south through the inner northern Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Fitzroy North, from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end, crossing Alexandra Parade, and continuing until it reaches St Georges Road in Fitzroy North, near the Edinburgh Gardens; there, its former northward course is continued by a much smaller residential street named Brunswick Street North. Tram route 112 runs along the entire length of Brunswick Street for part of its journey.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

MOSAIC, LITERALLY

Detail of a community mosaic in the Moonee Ponds Shopping Strip, in suburban Melbourne. Schoolchildren contributing to such community art projects learn much about the artistic process, group work, collaboration towards a common goal and cultivation of a community spirit! Besides which, it's great fun!

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

and also part of the Seasons meme.

WEB

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

BUTTERFLY

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

FOG ON THE RIVER

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

BLOSSOMING

It's August, the last month of Winter here in Australia and the Spring blossom has started to appear on the denuded trees in Melbourne. Our weather is still cold, gray, windy and rainy. But Spring is not far away now...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

RAINY

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

PORT PHILLIP BAY

View of Port Phillip Bay from Southbank, looking towards the Southwest, across South Melbourne. Winter sunshine and some keen sailors braving the chilly sea breezes.

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

OBJETS TROUVÉS

All sorts of strange and not so strange things dropped unintentionally, lost by misadventure, thrown away, discarded foolishly and littered on streets and sidewalks...

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

WINDY

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WELL-DRESSED POOCH

Yes, it's Winter here and it is chilly!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

FOGGY SUN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MAGNOLIA

Magnolia laevifolia grows as a small tree bearing multitudes of golden buds. Unlike other magnolia relatives, the buds form in the leaf axils and along the stem. The bright, hairy bud scales (perules) split off at blooming time to reveal an ivory flower with "butter-yellow stamens like lashes opening to the sun," described one grower. The waxy, chalice-like flower has a delicate perfume, and can bloom from mid-winter and continue late into the autumn. A tree in full bloom can perfume the air for several metres around it.

The leaves are oval-shaped and tough with a golden edge.There are 41 species of what was once called Michelia in China (all of which have been lumped into the genus Magnolia), and 23 of these grow in Yunnan. Some are two hundred years old and grow at altitudes as high as 9000 feet, far higher than other varieties of magnolias can survive.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FOGGY

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

SOUTHERN CROSS LANE

A busy modern lane in Melbourne City.

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

BRUNSWICK ST

Brunswick Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, known for cafés, live music venues, quirky shops, street entertainment and alternative fashion boutiques. Brunswick Street runs north-south through the inner northern Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Fitzroy North, from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end, crossing Alexandra Parade, and continuing until it reaches St Georges Road in Fitzroy North, near the Edinburgh Gardens; there, its former northward course is continued by a much smaller residential street named Brunswick Street North. Tram route 112 runs along the entire length of Brunswick Street for part of its journey.

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

POMEGRANATE

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WHITE HORSE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

CLOUDS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

POLYANTHUS

Polyanthus are a type of primula (Primula x polyantha), which produce incredibly bright cheerful flowers from July through to October.  Technically a perennial they are grown as annuals across Australia except in the colder regions. Either way with their crinkled leaves and bold flowers they are unbeatable at brightening up a lacklustre winter garden. 

Polyanthus are usually purchased as seedlings or potted colour anytime from autumn through to winter. If you are a keen gardener you can sow seed but this is trickier because the seed is very small and germination can be a bit hit and miss. Polyanthus are happiest growing in conditions which get bright shade or gentle sunlight so they don’t heat up. They also like moist soil which is rich and fertile. Whilst they can tolerate less than ideal conditions if you really spoil them then you’ll get a better showing.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

VIOLETS

A couple of sunny days in wintry Melbourne and Spring is making a guest appearance. Wild violets in the Darebin Parklands.

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

AT THE PARKLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne, in the midst of Winter, enjoying the sunshine. We are lucky in Melbourne to have so many protected natural conservation areas within the metropolitan area.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

IN THE FOREST

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