RAINBOW

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SPANISH LAVENDER

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FALLEN LEAVES

Leaving fallen leaves on your garden beds is highly recommended because they act as a free natural mulch, suppress weed growth, insulate plant roots, and decompose to enrich the soil with vital organic matter and nutrients. They also provide vital shelter for beneficial wildlife.

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme

TRAIN STATION

In inner suburban Melbourne, Fairfield Railway Station is a well-preserved Federation Style station. The station features large timber weatherboard buildings on both platforms, constructed in the early 1910s (specifically 1911). These buildings exhibit Arts and Crafts architectural motifs. A notable feature visible in the background is the wooden pedestrian footbridge, which opened in March 1914.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

DAISY SULPHATE

A digital collage of gerberas and daisies on copper sulphate (blue vitriol) crystals. I'm starting to see lawn daisies come up even though it's midwinter! Very strange weather we're experiencing...

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

POMEGRANATES

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

RED HEELER

This is a Red Heeler, often referred to as an Australian Cattle Dog.The dog is wearing a clear plastic cone, commonly known as an Elizabethan collar, typically used to prevent pets from licking or biting wounds while they heal. These dogs are high-energy, versatile, intelligent working dogs that require significant daily physical activity.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET WALK

A poignant photo for me this week. It is a repost, in fact, of a shot I took several years ago of three friends I was walking with at sunset all those years back. I turned to look at them after we parted and took this photo as they were walking away from me. I learned yesterday that one of them had died earlier this week. Vale, AH...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

TULIP

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

WINTER BY THE CREEK

At Darebin Parklands, where the creek flows all through the year. We haven;t had much rain lately so the water level is down. We are expecting a short, mild Winter and a hot dry Summer this year. The results of a strong El Niño system, the meteorologists tell us.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

The University of Melbourne’s Old Quad features iconic, sandstone-arched cloisters. Located at the heart of the Parkville campus, these 19th-century cloisters form the perimeter of the university's oldest courtyard. The picturesque, Tudor-style spaces are a central hub for student life, cultural exhibitions, and campus ceremonies.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

WINTER SOLSTICE

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

HOTHOUSE ROSES

Just the thing for a Melbourne Winter!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

BRONZEWING

The common bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera) is a species of medium-sized, heavily built pigeon. Native to Australia and one of the country's most common pigeons, the common bronzewing is able to live in almost any habitat, with the possible exception of very barren areas and dense rainforests.

Males of the species have pale-yellow to yellow-white foreheads, and pink breasts. Both males and females have an easily discernible white line around and proximate to their eyes. Common bronzewings also have patches of red, blue and green on their wings, a feature which is characteristic of all bronzewing pigeons. Young birds are usually duller in colour and browner than the mature common bronzewing.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

WEATHER

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

CHAMOMILE

Chamomile (or camomile) is the common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae that are often used to make herbal infusions to serve various medicinal purposes. Popular uses of chamomile preparations include treating hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, gastrointestinal disorders, and haemorrhoids. Chamomile tea is also used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, chickenpox and psoriasis.

The word ‘chamomile’ derives, via French and Latin, from Greek χαμαίμηλον (khamaimēlon), i.e. ‘earth apple’, from χαμαί (khamai) ‘on the ground’ and μῆλον (mēlon) ‘apple’. The more common British spelling ‘camomile’, is the older one in English, while the spelling ‘chamomile’ corresponds to the Latin and Greek source.  

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SEA VIEW

Looking out towards Port Phillip Bay from Southbank. The building of more and more high rise apartment buildings is increasing density, crime, noise, pollution, demand on infrastructure and services. Loss of open space and sense of community, not to mention the views...

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

GARFIELD

Garfield is a town in Victoria, Australia, 79 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Cardinia local government area. Garfield recorded a population of 2,114 at the 2021 census. The area was originally called Cannibal Creek, but was renamed to Garfield in memory of the U.S. President James A. Garfield, who was murdered in July, 1881.

Garfield is also home to the Garfield Picture Theatre, Cardinia Shire’s first cinema in the region and one of the few remaining picture theatres in the Shire. The theatre was built in 1924, and was the town’s first source of electricity.

The Garfield Picture Theatre located in the heart of Garfield is where live music, tribute shows and community spirit meet in a lovingly restored 1920s picture house. Since first opening its doors in 1924, the theatre has been a place for people to come together, laugh, sing along and make memories.

It is located at 47-51 Nar Nar Goon-Longwarry Rd, Garfield VIC 3814. Comfortable one and two bedroom cabin style accommodation is available right on the Main Street of Garfield and can be booked via the Garfield Theatre's site.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

WINTER

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

MUSHROOMS

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

Australian Magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen), are native black and white passerine birds. They are known for their intricate song and high intelligence, and are a common sight in Australian parks and backyards. During breeding season, which typically peaks around September, they can be territorial and may swoop to defend their nests.

DAWN FLIGHT

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

JACOB'S LADDER

Attractive, dense ferny foliage makes Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Blue Dove' (also known as Jacob's ladder) a valuable plant for all year round interest in the garden. As an added bonus loose sprays of open bell shaped flowers in a soft shade of blue can appear from spring right through to and including autumn. Its 'lacy' appearance makes it a useful plant for softening hard lines and edges created by rocks, garden edging or paving.

Polemonium is a genus comprising of around 30 species of mostly perennial herbs which are native to regions of North and Central America, Europe and Asia. An excellent plant for general garden use and suitable for most colour schemes. 'Blue Dove' looks particularly at home in woodland type settings or in the cottage garden.

It may be grown in semi shade although this may decrease flower production. This, however, is not necessarily a reason to avoid planting it in such locations as the attractive foliage alone will lend a visual appeal to these often difficult landscaping zones. To accent the foliage further create a foil of foliage behind it using larger, broader leafed plants or those with tall slender foliage such as that of Irises.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DAREBIN CREEK

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

After some rain, the Darebin Creek in the Darebin Parklands swells and the little footbridge goes underwater. Quite a lot of debris carries by the swollen creek lodges across the bridge, as the large tree branches that you can see behind the bridge.

SOUTHBANK SKYLINE

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

Looking towards the South from the City, with Queen St Bridge on the left. Sunny Winter morning.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

RONDELS

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

A BOY AND HIS DOG

Playing in the parklands, away from care, far from the madding crowd, unthinking of the uncertain future... Enjoying that present moment, experiencing the simple joys of childhood. That's what life should be about.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WALK THE DOGS

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

WINTER SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

WINTER ROSES...

Our very mild Autumn has meant that we've had some varieties of rose continuing to bloom luxuriantly till the end of May, as you see here (our last month of Autumn here in the Antipodes). The first few days of June have been very wintry, so the garden is now beginning to assume its cold weather guise. Roses are now definitely beginning to go downhill...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

RAIN

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

Winter is here after a relatively mild Autumn. It is good to see some rain.

TRAVELLERS

This sculpture is part of the Travellers series of public art located on the Southbank in Melbourne, Australia.Titled "Gayip," it was designed by artist Nadim Karam in collaboration with indigenous artist Mandy Nicholson.The artwork is intended to represent the Aboriginal community and their ceremonial meeting traditions.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

CITY LIFE

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

How many people live a solitary life in a city of 5.5 million?

QUEEN BEE

A colony of giant, golden bees designed by sculptor Richard Stringer and commissioned by the building's architect, Nonda Katsalidis. The main hive and large bees are found at the base (ground level) of the Eureka Tower in the Southbank precinct, with additional bees located at the nearby 2 Riverside Quay.

The bees are constructed from anodized aluminum and riveted together using 110,000 anodized rivets. Their gleaming golden colour is designed to match the building's iconic gold-plated glass apex. The installation serves as a gleaming metaphor for a harmonious, high-density city environment and a busy "hive" of frenetic activity inside the skyscraper.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

LEARNER DRIVER

"What do you mean I don't drive well?"
(NB: In Australia we drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right side)

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DELPHINIUM & JAPANESE ANEMONES

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

POND

One of the ponds in the Darebin Parklands, on an Autumn morning.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

WURLY

A "wurly" (also spelled wurlie or wurley) is a small, temporary shelter traditionally used by Indigenous Australians. Also known as a "humpy" or "gunyah", these dome-shaped or lean-to structures were constructed from branches, bark, and leaves. They were easily assembled to suit a nomadic, semi-permanent lifestyle.

Built using local, readily available natural resources like eucalyptus branches, Melaleuca (paperbark), and grass. Generally featured a curved, windbreak design that relied on a standing tree for support, keeping inhabitants protected from harsh weather. Positioned to take advantage of natural shade and warmth, often serving as temporary camps before groups moved to the next food and water source.

Here it is seen in the Darebin Parklands, in suburban Melbourne. Indigenous Australians often use these natural reserve areas in order to teach the younger generations bushcraft and indigenous culture.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

AUTUMN FRUIT

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme.

BY TRAIN

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DUCKS ALL IN A ROW

The Australian wood duck, maned duck or maned "goose" (Chenonetta jubata) is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. It is the only living species in the genus Chenonetta. Traditionally placed in the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ducks), it might belong to the subfamily Tadorninae (shelducks); the ringed teal may be its closest living relative.

This 45–51 cm duck looks like a small goose, and mostly feeds by grazing in flocks. The male is grey with a dark brown head and mottled breast. The female has white stripes above and below the eye and mottled underparts. Both sexes have grey wings with black primaries and a white speculum. Juveniles are similar to adult females, but lighter and with a more streaky breast.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SOUTHBANK SKIES

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

AUTUMN HYACINTHS

Our weather is all topsy-turvy this year, with many late Summer flowers lingering in the garden (I picked some lovely roses on Mother's Day, and also some chrysanthemums!). And now well before Autumn is over, bulbs are sprouting with the first jonquils blooming already, together with violets. And here some hyacinths (these are from the florist, so no doubt, they have been forced to bloom...).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FOR THE BIRDS

Seen here is the City of Whittlesea Civic Centre and Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre (PRACC). The complex is located at 25 Ferres Boulevard in South Morang, Victoria. The site was developed in the early 1990s and includes council offices, a convention centre, and landscaped grounds. Floating wetlands are utilized within the surrounding water-feature as a refuge for local bird life.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

SOUTHBANK

Southbank is a vibrant, high-density inner-city suburb of Melbourne located directly along the southern bank of the Yarra River. Known as the cultural and entertainment heart of the city, it sits just opposite the central business district (CBD). It seamlessly blends skyscrapers, thriving arts venues, and bustling waterfront dining precincts.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

ANOTHER WEEK

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

MOE LIBRARY

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White,
and also part of the My Sunday Best meme

REGENT BOWERBIRD

This is a male Regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus), a medium-sized species endemic to the rainforests of eastern Australia. Male birds are sexually dimorphic, featuring striking black plumage contrasted with a golden-yellow to orange crown, mantle, and wing patches.  They are famous for building and decorating "avenue-type" bowers constructed from vertical sticks to attract mates, sometimes even using a "saliva paint" to decorate the structures. The species is primarily found in the coastal forests and rainforests of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SOARING

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme