NOT SURE WHETHER I’M ON A ROLL OR A SLIPPERY SLOPE…

Only a week (ish) since I was entertaining you and here I am again!

Not a lot is happening around here as the rain is still hanging around. That’s fine by me as my herbs are doing well.

But the major overhauls have had to be put on hold until things dry out a bit.

Remember last week I said I was hopeful of masses of crimson flowers on the Megaskepasma eryth…etc? Well…

Blimey!That was quick!

Erm…no. I scrambled up the back fence and took this shot of Bob the Builder’s bush. Hey! It’s not cheating if you tell the truth.

And this morning i discovered this…

Let’s see who can guess what it is. Try not to be too rude. MURIEL!

Our internet/phone change-over is all set now.It took a while and required someone to be here to answer the ‘phone and I have still to compose a non-dorky message. I favour something like: “If your call is important, leave a message and if I think it’s important I’ll call you back.” But The Man says I can’t do that. Wanna bet?

We were enjoying an afternoon glass of wine the other day when I spotted a moth between the window and the wire screen. It was a bit tricky, but I managed to flap a tea towel and drive it down to where I could reach it and release it. There was no time to get a camera (despite having at least two fully-charged!) so I let it go.What was it? Mr or Mrs Dysphania, parent of the Yellow Fellows. Here’s one from the internet

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

And now it’s lunchtime !

I know the lovely Scarlet staged a Sunday Music coup last week and she can still host that (unless Mago wants it back!)

But I’d like to leave you with some “local” flavour. Just close your eyes and imagine you’re one of the first Europeans to hear this sound. Would it have given you the willies? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLu9GmV2vF0

AND THE ANSWER IS….

Plumeria  (aka Frangipani ) 

The picture I posted last week was of the buds. And while these things are ridiculously easy to grow, (heck! I had one in a pot in London!) I have been frustrated at every turn in this garden.Mainly damage from stonking great palms dropping fronds onto the flower stems, but also hungry bugs (not sure what as I never saw the beasties) and general malaise when we don’t get good rain.

Ah, but this year I have flowers coming through on this pink one and two more which I believe will be a lovely apricot shade.And one might even be cream. I shan’t break into the happy dance just yet…

Here is something else that makes me smile…Cassia fistula The tree needs serious pruning (again!), but we’ll wait til the flowers have finished.

 

 

 

And a yellow Heliconia.This is next door and I much prefer it to the harsh orange ones that keep reappearing in my yard!

 

 

And, because I can, an old picture of long-ago cats.The ginger one and the tabby were sworn enemies…except on a cold night when they agreed to suspend hostilities and share the fireside sofa! The Siamese Fighting Fish  Cat didn’t give a damn, one way or the other!

And here’s something else that pleases me.Very much! Geiger, despite training, deterrants,cussing has always been a shredder.Of shoes and furniture, mostly.When they were itty bitty kitties I got them a scratching post.Nope, Geiger still went for shoes and sofas.But last week I bought a fancy-dancy scratcher made of compressed corrugated cardboard (yeah, the makers know a sucker when they see one!).It came with a small sachet of cat nip, to encourage  the cats to use it. Well, guess what? Geiger LOVES it.I am almost allowing myself to dream of  new furniture. 🙂

 

AND THE ANSWER IS…

…some sort of fern. Nope, no idea what. Maybe something like a Blechnum. Maybe not. I was nosing around in Alison’s husband’s shade house the other day when I saw it.

So…thank you all for playing along; wasp nest and snake skin came close.It also looks a bit like the sort of thing beginning knitters produce! Fine yarn on big needles and lots of dropped stitches!

Geiger has been helping me in the garden. She is clamouring to post her own pictures. I told her she might have to wait as I have a lasagne in the oven. And an empty wine glass. Horrors!

Off to remedy that right now…