REFLECTION

A corner on one of the busiest thoroughfares in Melbourne, Hoddle St that becomes Punt Rd, further South. Reflected in the glass is the Collingwood Housing Commission Building built 1971. There are 47 of these template designed steel framed concrete towers consisting of pre-cast slabs covered in exposed aggregate, some as tall as 20 to 30 storeys, which were constructed across inner Melbourne during the 1960s and early 1970s.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE...

Eristalis tenax, the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields in Europe and Australia. It has also been found in the Himalayas.

It is renowned for its Batesian mimicry, closely resembling a honeybee drone in both appearance and flight behaviour to deter predators. Unlike the bees they mimic, they have only one pair of wings and lack a constricted "wasp waist". They are generalist pollinators found in meadows, gardens, and hedgerows. They feed on nectar and pollen, particularly from yellow flowers and ivy.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

COLAC SUNSET

Colac is a small city in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac and the surrounding volcanic plains, approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait. Colac is the largest city in and administrative centre of the Colac Otway Shire. Presently, Colac has a population of about 13,000 people. A commercial centre for a major agricultural district, it was named after nearby Lake Colac and was proclaimed a city in 1960.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MARVEL OF PERU

Mirabilis jalapa (the four o'clock flower or marvel of Peru) is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis, and is available in a range of colours. Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa is a town in Mexico. Mirabilis jalapa is said to have been exported from the Peruvian Andes in 1540. The flowers usually open from late afternoon onwards, then producing a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, hence the first of its common names.

A curious aspect of this plant is that flowers of different colours can be found simultaneously on the same plant. Different colour variation in the flower and different colour flowers in same plant. Additionally, an individual flower can be splashed with different colours. Another interesting point is a colour-changing phenomenon. For example, in the yellow variety, as the plant matures, it can display flowers that gradually change to a dark pink color. Similarly white flowers can change to light violet.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

GOULBURN RIVER

Goulburn River - 2001, Sony digital camera image.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

BRUNSWICK ST, FITZROY

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

YARRA BEND

Yarra Bend Park has been one of Melbourne’s largest expanses of inner suburban parkland for nearly 150 years. Yarra Bend Park and neighbouring Studley Park were reserved in 1877. Both park areas and several reserves were combined in 1929 to create one large park. The combined area became known as Yarra Bend National Park despite never being raised to formal national park status.

During the 1930’s additions included picnic and sporting grounds, toilet facilities and a public golf course. The Yarra Bend Golf Club House, officially opened in May 1936, is an original example of American ‘Country Club’ type architecture. The Park provides a great open space for walking, bike riding, riverside cafes, golf, boating, BBQs, picnicking and a host of other leisure activities.

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

LOVE FLOWERS

Busy times in the florist shops this weekend, with everyone wanting to say what they have to say with flowers...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

REDBACK SPIDER

The Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) is an iconic, venomous arachnid native to Australia and a close relative of the North American black widow. It is most easily recognised by the striking red or orange stripe on the back of the female’s spherical, black abdomen.

They thrive in human environments, often building messy, tangled webs in dry, sheltered spots like sheds, garages, under outdoor furniture, or in letterboxes. They are primarily insectivorous, but their strong silk allows them to trap larger prey such as lizards, small snakes, and mice. Behaviour: They are generally shy and non-aggressive, only biting when their web is disturbed or they are accidentally touched.

While the female redback is one of Australia's most medically significant spiders, their bites are rarely life-threatening. Intense localised pain is the most common symptom. Severe envenomation (latrodectism) can cause progressive pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and patchy sweating.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET IN THE PARKLANDS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ILLAWARRA FLAME TREE

The tree commonly known as the Illawarra Flame Tree is botanically named Brachychiton acerifolius. It is a striking, semi-deciduous native Australian tree, famous for its spectacular display of vivid red, bell-shaped flowers that often cover the entire tree when it is leafless.

B. acerifolius is very popular as an ornamental tree both in its native Australia and around the world. The flowering is a spectacular event, as the tree sheds its leaves just prior to producing masses of bright scarlet flowers over the entire tree. It is used for street plantings, public parks and gardens, and in private gardens. It is easily grown and may be propagated from seed, cuttings, or by grafting.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

YARRA RIVER AT FAIRFIELD

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

NORTHCOTE THEATRE

Built on the corner of High Street and Bastings Street in June 1912 by the Northcote Picture Theatre Company, it was opened on 27 June 1912  by Robert McLeish who remained its general manager while he became as well, the President of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association and Chairman of the Hoyts Victorian Executive.

It was designed by local architect, Edward Twentyman, jnr. and remains perhaps the earliest surviving picture theatre designed in Victoria. It possessed a balcony, stalls, its own electricity generator and a stage which was adaptable for vaudeville. It was the first building to be lighted by electricity. Amalgamated Pictures Ltd supplied the theatre with its silent cinema and the Northcote Mayoral ball was held there in late 1912.

It later became part of the Hoyts' chain of cinemas. While it was operating as a cinema, it was used as the setting for the film 'Night Club' in 1952. The cinema closed in 1960. Having been used as a dance studio, it is now used as a Reception Centre, and was used as a pilot for Darebin Council's façade restoration program in 1996. It had been extensively restored inside by the owners and refurbishments strictly considered original character.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

TEMPUS EDAX RERUM*

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

*'Tempus edax rerum' is a Latin phrase translating to "Time, devourer of all things," originating from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'. It signifies that time is a destructive, all-consuming force that destroys physical reality, ruins cities, and consumes everything. It serves as a philosophical reminder of impermanence, urging that time is finite and to make the most of life.

HIGH ST LUNCH

A perfect Summer's day lends itself to an al fresco lunch in High St, Northcote

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

BEE AND FLOWERS

The image shows a Western honey bee, on the flowers of a Water Gum plant. Tristaniopsis laurina, the Water Gum or Kanooka is a tree native to Australia, where it usually grows near the eastern coastline and along the banks of streams, where the trunks and branches tend to be shaped in the direction of the current and give an indication of the flood height.

Tristaniopsis laurina has a slow rate of growth, and usually reaches a height of 4–9m. The tree is multi-branched, and may be pruned to maintain a compact shape. It can grow to be 39 m tall in native habitats. The flowers are bright yellow and have a distinctive (and to some, an unpleasant odour).

They attract honeybees as well as small native species of bee. They usually come out in the late spring or early summer. The Water Gum is cultivated as an ornamental tree by plant nurseries, for use in gardens and civic landscaping. It is popular, being easy to grow and forming a good shade tree. Many are planted as street trees, especially in Sydney and Melbourne.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET SILHOUETTES

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

CACTUS

The Orchid cactus, specifically identified as Disocactus ackermannii or a similar Epiphyllum hybrid, is known and sought after for its vibrant red flowers. These plants are a species of epiphytic cactus, meaning they grow on other plants or objects in their natural tropical Central and South American habitats, sustaining themselves by absorbing nutrients from the air rather than being parasitic.

They are popular for their large, showy blooms that can measure over 10cm wide. The plant features long, flat, or three-angled stems and does not have typical sharp thorns or spikes. Epiphyllum hybrids are often grown in hanging baskets due to their cascading growth habit and are relatively easy to propagate from stem cuttings.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MERRI CREEK

The Merri Creek is a waterway in southern parts of Victoria, Australia which flows through the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It begins in Wallan north of Melbourne and flows south for 70 km until it joins the Yarra River at Dights Falls. The area where the creek meets the river was traditionally the location for large gatherings of the Wurundjeri people and is suspected to have been the location for one of the earliest land treaties in Australia between Indigenous Australians and European settlers.

The photo is Merri Creek at Clifton HIll, along the Merri Creek Trail. This trail is a 21 km shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians that follows the Merri Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It makes for a pleasant walk along the creek and one can pretend that one is walking in the wilderness, while still in the heart of the City!

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

SUMMER LANDSCAPE

A typical landscape in the countryside, in Gippsland, about 100 km east of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

RAILWAY X-ING

A train trip works well in Summer, especially if the cars are air-conditioned!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme

URBAN FARM

10 km northeast of the CBD in Bellfield, an area of land is set aside for urban farming. Several enterprising and community-minded groups are working there to farm organic seasonal produce that are available for sale in the farm shop. A great initiative and a pleasant place to visit and meet interesting people.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme