Dancing Dahlias

Tree dahlias dance high above our head at this time of the year. Short lived but beautiful.

Final flush

Live music

What a treat!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

The cast of the 1980 performance of a funny thing happened on the way to the forum (including Andrew, Tim Mellor,  Rick and Glenda) re-gathered at the Scott theatre to watch the Gilbert and Sullivan Society play the same. It was just as funny as ever.

Suburban Wildlife

Galahs...at home in the suburbs.

Walking

It's time for a bushwalk and with Belair so close and with limitless possibilities of trails to get the heart rate up...there's no excuse not to get in there and explore some more of the park.

Patricia Piccinini

"Once upon a time...." The current exhibition of Patricia Piccinini's 3D silicone images, challenges the viewer to think about our genetically modified world with her creatures so human-like... and yet not!
Well worth a look.

Gum Bolossoms

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and the dance of the gum blossoms.

If mothers ruled the world

'If mothers ruled the world,

there wouldn't be any god-damned wars in the first place."

~Sally Field, activist actor.

Photos at the Organic Market.

It's great to see my photos on display for a month in the local Organic Market Cafe.

Snakes alive.

In the process of connecting water pipe to the new alpaca paddock over the road we discovered 2 baby Eastern Brown snakes (the 2nd most poisonous snake in Australia). Luckily they were hibernating, and hence not too interested in us as we had put both hands and faces within inches of them before we realised they were there, safely tucked into the holes of the brick. They may not be quite so docile in spring time.

Build up confidence and joy in your own richness.

That richness is the essence of generosity.

It is the sense of resourcefulness,

 that you can deal with whatever is available around you 

and not feel poverty stricken.

~ Chogyam Trungpa.

Power Rangers

The Rangers fought hard today and with the pocket rocket (Jake) scoring 2 goals we thought we had a chance of defeating Hahndorf, but sadly in the last minute they scored a goal to take them to a 4-3 win.

Yoga Warriors

Gardener's cottage

This cottage at the Botanical Gardens
looks like it is about to disappear
under the creeping vines

The first thing upon which we should meditate

Is our precious and fleeting life,

Hard to obtain, and easy to destroy;

I will now give it meaning.

Kalu Rinpoche

Memorial to the forgotten Australians and Wards of the State

Memorial outside the Women's and Children's Hospital.
In honour of the children who suffered abuse in institutional and out-of-home care.
We have grown through awareness and unity we celebrate our courage, strength and resilience.
We are no longer forgotten.
Dedicated to the future protection and nurturing of all children.
17th June 2010

Stirling

Our local village Stirling, is at its best in the Autumn and almost romantic in the early morning light.

Hanging out at the Organic Market.

The cousins (Rosanna and Anja) get a chance to hang out today so I joined them for a cuppa (decaf of course) at the Organic Market in Stirling.

Riding

Aldgate valley road. 

Always a beautiful ride. 

I struggled today however and couldn't understand why,

 until I got back and found I was riding on a flat tyre.

Who'd believe we're only 20 minutes from the CBD.

State Theatre Company: November

Someone left their nickers at the Dunstan Playhouse.
I hope they enjoyed the play, but I'm surprised  that Garry McDonald was able to inspire that!

Detox!!!

Walking in the rain

Rosanna Trish and I braved the rain to limb to Eagle on the Hill and loop around through Cleland. It was a great chance to test our our wet weather gear and spot giant worms.

Worms

With the heavy rains, the worms have headed to the surface, this one heading up towards 30 cms long.

Cycle of the Lotus

Even the Lotus has it's autumn flush, it's pods now drooping to drop their seeds for the next years beautiful blooms.

Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall;
A mothers's secret hope outlives them all.
~Oliver Wendall Holmes

Fancy Fencing

Check out this fab fence cleverly created from the lopped pine trunks in front of their house.
I just LOVE creativity.

Crazy camouflage

While I was burning off today, I found this little critter, who was so well camouflaged he was almost thrown on the fire.

Mother and daughter Doctor-heroes

Parents are the bones on which children sharpen their teeth.
~Peter Ustinov

Mother's Day

What Bliss.
A Mother's Day that commenced with smiling faces preparing a breakfast of delicious scrambled eggs and salmon, followed by a 2 hour walk in Belair National Park with Rosanna and Pepper.
Even the emus were friendly today, though we did get a bit geographically embarrassed for a while.

A mother is one who can take the place of all the others but whose place no one else can take.
~Cardinal Memillod

Scarecrows

The Stirling Autumn Garden Festival is an important annual event that celebrates gardens, gardening and gardeners.
In 2011 the festival is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors, and will be filled with fantastic ideas to inspire gardeners, plus lots of activities for families and children. And the 'Sensational Scarecrows of Stirling' competition will again be held with fine examples like this one in the library entrance.

Everything I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

Spice up your garden.

Not only are the autumn leaves colourful at this time of the year, but so too the capsicum annuum or "Rainbow Thai" chilli that is fruiting i the Botanical Gardens.

Motherhood

Oh what a power is motherhood, possessing
A potent spell
All women alike
Fight fiercely for a child.
~Euripides

Leaf Carpet

The leaves in our garden are so thick now the plants are suffocating.
Time to get out there, rake, and give them a breather.

They're sooooo...colourful I just love them.

Car parking

Must be time to get the car out and take it for a drive.

Warming up to mother's day

Motherhood: All love begins and ends there. Robert Browning

The smile says it all. Happy Birthday Bodhi

Fruits of the vine

The
last
luscious
grapes
of
the
season.

The practice of putting women on pedastals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.   Betty Grable

Disappearing sunsets

As winter approaches, the sun arcs in a more northerly path and our cherished sunsets start to disappear behind our huge pines. Soon only the glow will be visible until after the equinox, when it will start its journey back in to view and we will know that spring and summer are on their way.

Kaki

For a brief period of the year the persimmons (kaki) are in fruit. What a feast for the eye and the palate.
Sadly our magnificent tree in the garden is ornamental only.