ALL OVER THE PLACE…

…bloggers are popping up with apologies for their non-blogging. Some claim to have been busy, some say they lost their mojo, some have been busy…

Oh! Sod that! I could claim all those excuses, but I can’t be bothered and, anyway, it would be bordering on untruth. We’ve got politicians telling fibs and stonking great lies all over the place; no need for me to add to the dross!

Shakespeare seems right…the rain it doth indeed raineth ev’ry day. And warnings are out for some areas to expect flooding. Thus far, our little pocket is spared that.

Some local colour…

This is an Agave. I think it’s A. attenuata, but I’m not certain. There are more than a dozen planted here; at present, only two are in flower. They are, mercifully, not the viciously prickly buggers!

A Cordyline; C. fruticosa, with a honey bee!

One of hundreds of Heliconia. They will be thinned-out once the rain stops.

And a red Athurium,

Now, something encouraging for our Inexplicable friend, whose own bat succumbed to the English winter. Tacca chantrieri. I hope to get a white one, T. integrifolia some day. This one looks much happier than it was a few months ago! Still needs re-potting.

Oh! The Great Spider Drought has broken! Last week, I saw the first Golden Orb lady for, what, 2 or 3 years. Her web was attached to a gate and I think was probably broken when a workman opened the gate. But I hope she is still out there. Somewhere…

Nephila pilipes

SOMETIMES,I FEEL I’M SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE…

You know how ,sometimes, you have the sort of day that thwarts your every move? Yes, that sort of day, multiplied.

The torrential rain seems to have abated. One or two light showers, but no further problem rain. Man! I was getting tired of wringing out bath towels!

Still waiting on a chap to check the roof…

And a chap from the air conditioner company can’t come before early May…so, yes, I do feel a bit like Uncle Jim…

I managed to bunk-off the other day and go into Town to catch up with a friend and have a quick look at the Libris Awards artist books. I shall be back at least one more time for a longer look. Here’s a link to the current exhibition. https://www.artspacemackay.com.au/whats_on/exhibitions/current It’s a PDF, but I think you can also view online.

And for those not drawn to such things, let’s see if I can find a small amusement for you! Well, I hope you’ll like it! Two of my old faves…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8Va_z-2bA

And let me close with an admission…I dashed off this brief post in case the devilishly clever Scarlet figured a way to greatly empixilate MY blog! She’s a clever little minx sometimes.

Now, I must get to the purveyor of pussy fare, lest Sporran start chewing my slippers.

Here’s a staghorn making a valiant comeback……squint very carefully and you can see two very tiny growth buds. Hope is not always a thing with feathers!

This is a very old photo…the “water sprite” was very young…

I’M BACK!

Oops! I inadvertantly typed an L in there. I am not black. I am varying shades of pink, with a light spotting of paint-chart-mocha.

Waddyamean, you didn’t even miss me?

Oh well, let’s not quibble.Here’s little mystery pic for you.

You know how it works – leave your answer in the comments. Sorry, no prizes.It’s been a taxing time Chez Dinahmow!

I have been and, indeed, am still a trifle busy.Busy lugging hoses around gardens. Up here, we are still waiting for the wet season.Yesterday, Brisbane was hit with the worst storm in (“they” say) a decade.Rather a lot of zeros and commas in the damages bill.

And I’m , a-hem, helping my friend’s class to make a puppet for their carols night. A rather large carried-on-sticks puppet.Of a brolga. Oh dear! I seem to have done my usual thing and jumped in without actually considering the depth. So if I dash off leaving you with a short post you will understand that I need to get another layer on the armature…

The grocer had some marked-down Phalaenopsis on a stand.Couldn’t resist, could I!  They’re indoors for the moment, as a welcome-home for The Man, due back tonight.Tomorrow, the orchids will be moved to the ferny corner, with their kin.

That’s not the picture I intended, but the sharper focused one shows too much clutter and I wouldn’t want you to think I was an untidy slob!

On a sad note…most of you know that I have been to New York twice to be a cat sitter to a most remarkable cat, Don Estorbo de la Bodega Dominicana. A cat of great charm and huge personality, he left all of us who loved him with some wonderful memories. And a vastly enriched vocabulary of bastard Spanish. Bless you, Storbie.