Days 10-12, 10 to 12 January 2015

Hello!

10 January:

The prompt was "hello". This was my first  idea - Coco hanging her head out of her crate (keeping an eye on the action but staying comfortable). 

My eldest started an Instagram account for Coco: @spoodle_and_chicks She's gaining followers at an alarming rate. Dogs are so popular on social media, lol!

While Coco watched from the crate, I drew a robin and coloured with watercolours. I should have used watercolour paper, but it didn't turn out too bad regardless. I used a photo off Instagram as inspiration. Photographer was @timoakes

The "hello" photo I chose to upload to IG was this one.

My kid being crazy with my new colander and an old pair of glasses. :-)

11 January:

Another day of spring cleaning in oppressive humidity. I almost melted! 

At the end of the day, I went outside to catch the last of the light and made Coco sit for me in the rain while I snapped my "I see..." photo.

12 January:

Back to work after three weeks of holiday, boo! I took the bus to work. At the bus stop I found a lovely red hibiscus. The photo I took doesn't do it justice.

Here's one where you can see my hand. No editing, but the iPhone struggles with that much red.

Thank you for visiting! I'll be back soon!

Michelle

xxx

My Mum's autumn garden

Hello!

A few weeks ago I took my camera on a visit to my Mum. While we were inspecting the garden, I snapped a few photos along the way. :-)  My Mum has an amazing garden on a half acre block. It is currently full of autumn colour.

Mum has the biggest collection of different coloured gazanias I've ever seen. I love them. Especially the cream and yellow ones.

The orange ones glow.

These pinky ones are pretty cute, too!

There are more colours, I just didn't capture them on my last visit.

As well as gazania's there are dahlias (I think that is what this next flower is...)

In the front garden, just in front of the "fairy garden" that Grandma created for my girls, is a seat, surrounded by my favourite caladiums (the ones with the bright red centres). I haven't sat here yet, but it is beckoning me.

In the backyard, my Mum grows a weed to attract the monarch butterflies. The weed plant is quite nice, it has pretty flowers and puffball seed pods. This  weed is MAGIC. It is always covered in monarch caterpillars!

When I was a kid, I used to collect these caterpillars and keep them while they created a crysalis and then emerged as butterflies.

I'm thinking of planting this weed in my own yard, just so that I can get these butterflies to move in. :-)

Also in the backyard are other bugs, that hang out on the citrus trees. Mum has lots of citrus to keep these bugs happy.

I don't know what this next flower is called. Mum, are you reading? What is it? It's super-pretty, regardless of its name.
Edit: Mum says this is a ginger.

While my Mum was calling me to take a photo of the stink bug, I was engrossed in capturing the raindrops on this leaf! It was glittering silver.

To finish up, I'll leave you with one of my fairies, who is happily making herself a fairy circle. It is lucky that Grandma doesn't mind her fairy princess beheading the flowers, LOL!

Thanks for visiting my Mum's garden with me!

:-)
Michelle

I forgot my poppies!

Hello,

In my tour of the garden, I forgot my poppies! They are the most exciting part of this spring for me. For the past 20 years I have tried on and off to grow Flanders Poppies, with zero success. This year, I have had several plants survive the winter and give me flowers this spring. :-)

They are all different. Although they are all bright red petals, their centres are all individual.

These flowers have been endlessly fascinating for me, and I have taken huge pleasure in each and every bloom.

:-)
Michelle

It's Spring and my flowers are blooming

Hello!

I'm still taking photos, I just don't seem to find time to blog about it. This post is about our garden. :-) When spring arrives, the flowers appear.

First the begonias (and they are still going).

The passionfruit is LADEN with fruit this year. After three years, it has finally decided to flourish!

 This one is a little strange. It thinks it is an avocado. :-)

Our rose bushes received a hard pruning this year, and have rewarded us with non-stop blooms.

 The white rose is Magaret Merril - floribunda and highly fragrant.

 The yellow rose is Friesia - another highly fragrant floribunda.

Just a little sample today. I hope you have enjoyed my garden. I have some sunflower photos to come, too.

:-)

Michelle

Some of the photos I took in June

Hello!

I'm not going to go back and do a post about all the photos I've taken... just in case you were wondering if I would bombard you. :-)  But, here are a few of the photos from June that I didn't share.

A few of Brisbane City.

A worksite on Adelaide Street.

 Statue in ANZAC Square.

 100 Creek Street, the National Australia Bank building. Terrica Place in the reflection.

 Alley between Adelaide and Queen Streets, near Creek Street. It was raining.

 Looking out the doorway of Bar Metzo at Adelaide Street in the rain, waiting for my coffee.

And a couple of black and white photos taken at home.

My bathroom.

And my daughter's rose. It's Margaret Merrill, a beautiful white rose with frilly edged petals.

I might go and see if there was anything worth sharing in July.

:-)
Michelle

I'm back, hopefully! 2 August 2012 - lemon

Hello!

I have been so busy and found myself unable to keep up with the daily photos on the blog! I have been taking photos all year (except for a few days off over the last couple of weeks), but I'm not sure if I'll get them loaded up here.

Here in Brisbane, it is the last month of Winter. Traditionally about now, the freezing cold westerly winds arrive, just in time for "The Ekka" (the Brisbane Show). Today, I am sitting here in a t-shirt and long shorts enjoying what is essentially a beautiful spring day.  My lemon trees think it is spring also.

While the last winter lemon hangs on the bush...

The rest of the bush has flowers bursting forth all over...

Excuse the ants and the scale, I just gave the citrus a good dose of white oil last week-end, so they'll be pretty again in a week or two. :-)

I love this time of year!

:-)
Michelle

Days 146 - 148, 25 - 27 May 2012

Hello!

Quick ones tonight, just catching up!

Day 146, 25 May 2012 - Unusual
Unusual is that it is the very end of autumn with winter days away and our rose bush is covered in buds...perhaps it is really spring?

Day 147, 26 May 2012 - 12pm
12pm saw us in the car on our way to ballet lessons.

Day 148, 27 May 2012 - Something sweet
This camellia caught my eye, and I think it is perfectly sweet.

:-)
Michelle

Days 107-108 - 16 to 17 April 2012

Hello!

I'm playing catch up! I went away for work this week, and everything else fell behind.

Day 107 - 16 April 2012
The April Photo a Day theme was flower. I captured this bougainvillea while I walked to the train station in the morning.

I also saw some amazing clouds that day.

And a beautiful sunset.

Day 108 - 17 April 2012
I travelled to Cairns on an early morning flight. The theme for the day was Something I don't like. I didn't like leaving my family for work.
Brisbane Airport:

In the air:

Cairns International Airport:

Cairns Esplanade at sunset.

My hotel room:

The room and bed were huge. I stayed at the Holiday Inn. I'd recommend it. Let's take a closer look at those pillows.

Ooh, and to my delight, the "soft" version were feather pillows! I miss my featherdown pillow when I travel, so this made me feel right at home.


:-)
Michelle