Photography Club

I'm linking up with Kris at Busy Nothings Photography club.

She's the one who inspired me to start taking a photo a day

Kris takes beautiful photo's

Here's my favourite photo of February

although this one was close behind

There's evidence to suggest...

. . . that Autumn is on it's way.  The pears are showing me their colours,

The pecan nuts are falling next door and the cockatoos are having their ways with them,

There are tell tale signs like leaves falling already,

The Camellias have begun flowering and releasing their juicy nectar.

There is definitely some colour change happening on my Ash tree too!  Little bits of yellow are breaking through the green of the leaves. . .

. . . and I'm just starting to see these on the Crepe Myrtles.

The days may be warm and humid but the nights are certainly starting to cool off even if only a little bit.  I'm feeling just a little bit excited that Autumn is coming.

A published photographer

I'm so excited.  I received two copies of a magazine today and on both the front and back covers is one of my photo's.

I was contacted at the beginning of February by Robyn of the Redlands RSL Bay Breeze Magazine.  She had come across a blog post of mine from ANZAC Day last year in Melbourne, and was impressed by my photo's enough to contact me for permission to use one or two photo's in their ANZAC Day edition of their magazine.

I was most certainly chuffed that someone wanted to publish my photo, and what better cause than for an ANZAC Day magazine cover.   You can view the Redlands RSL Bay Breeze Magazine online.  What a coincidence that I used to live in Cleveland (where the Redlands RSL is) and used to do jazz ballet in the old Cleveland RSL Hall, which has since been pulled down and a new and improved one has replaced it.

I'm still pinching myself I'm so excited.

A photo a day: Week 8

February 19

A hot boy playing soccer in the front yard.  Toby just can't wait until his soccer games start, only about 8 weeks to go now. . . at least his training will start in just a few more weeks.

February 20

A quick visit to Spotlight to pick up some more wool so I can get on with my project.  I'm crocheting a bag and the blue and brown material I picked up for a song is going to line the bag.  I'm pretty happy with the progress of this little project.

February 21

Some pine cones we walk past every day on our way to school.  I have loved watching them grow.

February 22

It was my cleaning job today so Amelia was home alone all day.  I hide treats around the back yard to give her something to search for.  Although she missed this one and only found it late in the afternoon after running around the back yard like crazy.

February 23

I am not above serving tinned spaghetti and cheese on toast for dinner every now and then, the boys were over the moon about it.

February 24

 Last day of indoor soccer, thrashed again :+(

February 25

Every school day Toby is the last one to wake up, in fact I have to wake him up by blowing raspberries on his belly, it gets a good sleepy laugh from him.  However, come Saturday morning he's the first one up and ready to play.  This morning he was constructing with the K'nex, he's always been very creative at his own designs especially with lego.

A photo a day: Week 7

February 12

I've started crocheting again.  Sunday afternoon sitting out on the front porch with two of my boys and the rain pouring down and the thunder rumbling overhead.

February 13

Preparing for Valentines day, I made wax paper crayon hearts.

February 14

Delivering flowers with McKenzie on Valentines Day.

February 15

Plumbing problems!!  Our cold tap in the bathroom has been making funny noises and making the whole house shake, but the plumber can't fix it so we are getting new taps.  Unfortunately in the time waiting for the plumber to be free to fit the new taps, our tap now leaks profusely and the flow cannot be stopped.  So we must turn off the mains tap to the house.  However we need to shower and wash clothes, so I collect the leaking water in a bucket and water the plants that don't really need watering because we've had so much rain.  Otherwise it is just water going down the drain.

February 16

The plumber came and replaced our taps and our cistern, big relief.

February 17

 A beautiful sunny day with wispy clouds

February 18

Saturday morning lie in, watching and listening to 'rages' tribute to Whitney Houston, dreaming about the 80's and 90's and crocheting on my bed.  Rest in Peace Whitney, you brought beautiful music to my life.

Happy heart day

It was a busy day today, McKenzie (she's back from London) and I spent the day delivering some of the many flower orders for Urban Flower.  However I did manage to prepare some surprises for my boys yesterday for them to wake up to today.  Some pink heart shaped cookies with a centre of Rolo's (caramel chocolate) and some wax paper crayon hearts hanging in the window.

These were left on the dining table early this morning before I headed out in the dark to pick up McKenzie who was riding shotgun with me today.

The car was filled with flowers, bears, balloons and chocolates, none of which we could eat.  With little vision out of the rear window and lots of interested looks on the road, we navigated our way with an old 2006 map book to 23 lucky Valentines recipients.  

Miss McKenzie brought many a smile to faces as she delivered arm fulls of red roses and balloons in her highly appropriate and beautiful red dress.

We were both tired at the end of the day but nothing compared to everyone else at Urban Flower who has basically lived there night and day preparing for Valentines Day.  Our minds boggled at the amount of flowers and deliveries that went through there, they run quite an amazing operation with over 1000 deliveries for V day.  Unbelievable!! 

At the moment we're listening to one of my Valentines presents from Donald,  MC Hammer's 'U can't touch this'.  I received three records, yes I did say records, from Donald as my gift to bring me new life and energy, Abba's Voulez Vous, MC Hammer, and Rolling Stones for a bit of nostalgia and a laugh.  It was a good day, am very tired so am off to bed now.

I hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day and shared your love around!!

From Dublin to Istanbul

It's all here, everything you want to know about cycling across Europe.  My sister Gabby has completed her online cycling journal from Dublin to Istanbul.  I'm still reading my way through Gabby and Neil's travels and have really been enjoying the escape.  She even has beautiful pictures to accompany the journal.

'Blame Dervla Murphy' by Gabrielle Massey

Once on the link scroll down the page and start at:  Neil and Gabby decide to go touring and follow the page links to continue their story.  Happy reading!!  Don't forget you can look at their blog, Cycles of Nature, in my side bar for more of their 'on the road' blogging and photo's.

A photo a day: Week 6

February 5

Art homework on Sunday afternoon, Sam had to draw a 3D kitchen item, a saucepan.  Donald was giving a few pointers (read: trying to impart every bit of drawing knowledge) to help Sam out.

February 6

Monday morning spills.

February 7

Raindrops on roses from my morning walk.

February 8

At my house cleaning job once again, my view whilst ironing.  It's very peaceful hearing the Bell Birds in the bush and watching the low clouds drift through the trees.  It was a very rainy day.

February 9

A spot of gardening after my walk this morning.  I pruned the shrubs to allow a bit more light into the front porch and to stop the Wisteria from taking over the whole garden.

February 10

Bangers and mash for tea

February 11

Green smoothie for breakfast.  Just trying to up my veggie intake in the mornings.  The boys are grossed out.

Excuse me?!

Raindrops on roses. . .

That's where it all started this morning, just a few raindrops on a rose that inspired me whilst on my walk with Amelia. 

When we got home I wrapped Amelia in a towel and we sat on the front porch looking out through the Camelia branches keeping each other warm.  I started to spy some marvelous water droplets draped like precious jewels from a spider web. 

As I sat there a little longer more and more jewels were revealed to me.  Oh what wonderful treasures to contemplate!  

The intricate web the spiders had woven were just the right support for the water droplet ornaments to suspend from.  Wouldn't you just love a nature necklace with pearls of shiny water glistening held together by a fine thread of web?

I think I'd love a pair of natures earrings too, light and delicate.

A photo a day: Week 5

January 29

Baby shower games, miniature dummies (pacifiers) to hang around our neck, if we said the word 'baby' it was taken away.  The winner was the person who had the most around their necks, I lost mine at the very end :+(

January 30

Swimming carnival on the first day of school.  It's an unusual time to have it, but it happens every year.  It was a very hot and humid day, good for swimming, if only I brought my swimmers.

January 31

Mum and Dad and the kids came running around the corner, it was a lovely sight to see when I went to the egg farm today.  The rooster was on guard keeping an eye out while mum and the chicks went searching for snacks.

February 1

Sun flowers in the rain, the day before they were standing to attention and facing the morning sun, they don't like the rain so much and look very sad now.

February 2

Sam and Amelia have a funny relationship,  Sam chases, plays, wrestles and annoys Amelia and she puts up with it.  The picture above is what I see and hear every day, Amelia is trying to play bite Sam's nose because he's blowing on her, meanwhile she makes a whiney yowl sound.  It makes me laugh.

February 3

Folding the laundry with Amelia waiting to dive on and steal any socks when I'm not looking.

February 4

I sat down to breakfast this morning and my eyes were drawn to a lone Wisteria leaf spinning by a thread, it was beautiful.