Goodbye Winter

Goodbye winter, or is it? 

33 to 35C max and 18 to 22C mins all last week, it certainly felt like it!

We've woken to 13C this morning with a max of 23! Just wonderful. Perhaps we will have a spring after all.

It has been a busy week getting ready for our travels and for hosting my friend Jocelyn's, '70th birthday minus one month', next Sunday evening. Her birthday is 8 October. Sunday is 8 Sept. As friends for 49 years I wanted to celebrate with her in some way.

I will always find time though, to enjoy nature's spectacle on my doorstep.

A perfect hour beside the ponds.

The golden glow of a grevillea.

A stunning lavender in a neighbour's garden.

The Hungry Hiker's were finally a bigger group on Wednesday, but we haven't been 'seven' since early April, for both health and travel reasons. After meeting for coffee at Victoria Park, once a golf course, we slowly made our way back to Southbank and our train home. 71/2 kilometres. I was very happy with this distance.

8am

Ibis sculptures are appearing around our city. This fellow, at City Hall, has been given the key to Brisbane.

Dawn Thursday, from our patio.

A very misty, beautiful dawn was enjoyed from my garden yesterday.

Thrilled to have my orchids flowering before we leave.

But will my bed of spring annuals be in full colour before we leave. It is a thick mass of plants. It seems I should of culled more, ages ago.

Winter, summer or spring, life is good!

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Doing Well.

 A good week. A happy week.

I am very happy to report that life is getting back to normal, slowly but surely. The caring and support of friends, and the wonder of nature, have all contributed to my recovery.

Last Monday evening I joined Laurel to watch the all but full supermoon rise. There was much cloud on the horizon, but we finally spotted it, before it began to play hide 'n seek. I was using my camera and, at the time, felt my images would be poor.  This one is my favourite and I had no idea the ibis was in the frame.

Now you see it. Soon you won't.

A wonderful twilight.

 Last Friday I took my first morning walk. Two and half kilometres at a gentle pace. It was a beautiful morning to be out walking after a misty sunrise. The birds were in full song, trying to lessen the impact of the M1 roar of traffic. [Depending on the wind and atmospheric conditions, its noise can be either a roar, or not heard at all.]

A stunning Geralton Wax shrub, glowing in the early morning light. [native to Aus] 

We have few deciduous trees. This is a Leopard Tree and is semi deciduous. It caught my eye as, this year it has lost all its leaves. I had to smile when I saw it. It speaks of a stark winter, but all around me, I was seeing spring flowers. The temperature when I left to walk was 13C, but was already 18C and this week the maximum is 30C plus! Ugh, summer is here too soon.

Alas, I am unable to name this bird, but he and his mate were enjoying calling one another.

The heady perfume of my traditional freezias welcomed me home.

New growth on the bottlebrush.

Colour overload in our tiny southern facing courtyard.

Yesterday, Sunday, I managed a comfortable 5 kilometres. 

Nature again cheered me all the way.

Magpies calling to each other.

Further on, my favourite trees!

A weedy, but looking beautiful, 'meadow'.

And I can't believe that my 'heart' tree is still showing such a distinctive heart!

I fully expected these wonderful moments of morning joy would fill this week's blog. I hadn't counted on being wide awake at 4.30am this morning!  Pulling back the curtains at 5.30, a reddish glow beckoned me outside. It wasn't long before I was dressed and enjoying yet another magnificent sunrise by the golf ponds, before continuing on for a further 3 kilometre amble.

Continuing on.

Red Bottle Brush

Blue-faced Honey Eater 

My circuit complete. My happy metre full to over brimming!

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