04-Aug-2019
Our distant view
Mt. Lofty and the towers a view we have from our front balcony...it doesn't really
change through the seasons... only the sky changes and the grasses appear and disappear.
You can see how many trees we are surrounded by, and why we worry about
bush (wild) fires in the summer and autumn.
04-Aug-2019
Fireground recovery
This is a section of the fireground from the April bushfire we had, and you can
see a couple of damaged trees, and the amazing recovery made since the rains came.
Scroll down to see a photo taken during the fire (or "next" 3 times.).
12-May-2019
After the rains
Including the foal "Marlin" who seemed to be on his own and a little nervous at
first mainly because I had a big black umbrella as well as a camera. A photo to
show the changing colours as the grasses appear after some lovely RAIN!
Our son is here for a week (from U.S.A.) helping us celebrate Mothers Day then Dick's 80th birthday
we will be fitting a lot of activities in and I may not get on Pbase as often as I normally do.
29-Apr-2019
Fire Trail
This is all we can see of the damage caused by the bush (wild) fire, see next.
I walked down to the horse paddock fence to get this photo. We were so lucky
that day that there was hardly any wind, otherwise the fire could have been catastrophic.
We watched from our balcony as the flames tore up the hillsides, following a fenceline
of neighbours both sides of us, completely missing our property, though there may be
a fence post or two that got burnt. Its a bit beyond Dick to walk up that hill
now he's about to turn 80. Merlin the foal and his sire in the foreground.
24-Apr-2019
Close Call - grass fire.
A change of arrangements for us today - a grass fire started 2 doors up from us
and quickly burnt up the hill to the back of our place.
12 fire appliances and 2 spotter planes quickly got into action. We had a good view of the flames flying
up the hill from our back balcony. A similar fire burnt our back fence back in the 1980's,
it was like a re-run, except this time Dick hadn't gone fishing for the week!
The trucks cut our fences and parts are burnt,
we'll all have some mending to do again!
07-Apr-2019
Eucalyptus leucoxylon rosea
We live in an area where the eucalyptus leucoxylon is indigenous but although I
have tried growing the rosea, it hasn't exactly thrived here. It grows well
over on Yorkes Peninsula with a different and more alkaline soil whereas our
area has clay loam and slightly acidic. This year one of the rosea that we
planted many years ago is really putting on a show, and this is a sample of
the lovely colourful flowers we can see from the bedroom at this time of year.
It has had to compete with a lemon-scented gum that has reached twice the
height or more of our house, whereas the little rosea is slightly taller than me.
I had to cut this sample as the day was too windy for photographing it in situ.
21-Mar-2019
Arboretum Trees
The last entry for late summer views for 2019, showing a group of trees that grow
in our mini arboretum that covers an area between yesterday's trees in the small
holding horse paddock and the road way. You can see a colonised acacia (wattle)
contrasting with the eucalyptus and shrubs we planted to encourage the local birdlife
and insects.
28-Mar-2019
In the small holding paddock
We have a handful of eucalyptus trees in this paddock to give shade, and something
for the horses to have a scratch on... you can see the fence between our place and
next door in this photo.
13-Mar-2019
Cloudy Sky
But no rain from these clouds unfortunately.
13-Mar-2019
Side paddock full of self-sown trees.
Casting a nice shade for the horses when they come into this small holding paddock
to keep the grasses eaten and safe from bushfires. Not much grass left now in
late summer early autumn. Plenty of gum leaves for the koalas.
13-Mar-2019
Sunburnt Hills
It's been months since we had a decent rain and the horses have eaten the grasses
and kept our yards safer from bushfires - so far. Here is a view taken from the
horse fenceline and the oasis of our house yard looking towards yonder hills and
the distant Mt. Lofty. Note the mare standing bottom-left corner.
10-Mar-2019
Young Mulberry Tree
I grew this one from a cutting of a mulberry tree growing in a cousins yard. Although
it has been growing for nearly 30 years, it has stayed quite small - so far. I had
dreams of making mulberry pie, but no luck yet, the grandchildren have beaten me every time!
10-Mar-2019
Linden and Eucalyptus trees
North and South alongside each other... Linden (Tilia) that provides summer shade for this
part of the garden and Eucalyptus trees to help break the strong winds from the north.
The Linden trees (we have 2) are alongside the Gingko tree that I featured yesterday. The
Gingko turns a buttery golden colour first, then the Linden trees follow. The very last
of the coloured leaves for us is the Golden Elm, in a different part of the garden. We
love them all.
10-Mar-2019
Ginkgo turning colour
Seems a little early for autumn colours, more likely turning because we haven't had
any rain for months.
Using the Lumix while I am still healing, the canons are too heavy for me yet.
16-Feb-2019
The old "round yard"
Now quite derelict... we haven't had our own horses for a few years now; and after the
last time we used the cattle ramp Dick said his "rambo days" were over after the trouble
getting some steers onto a truck.
PS. There's a koala grunting away in these trees this morning
16-Feb-2019
Bare brown hills in summer
Only the clumps of trees and shrubs show any sign of green in February..
we've had hardly any rain since December and don't expect a decent rain before perhaps May.
Next doors horses may have to be hand fed, there's not much picking for them now..
16-Feb-2019
Shady Horse Paddock in summer
All self sown trees that cast nice shade for the horses/cattle during the
long summer days. We don't have either horses or cattle now, but our neighbour
uses our paddocks to help keep the grass at a manageable height during the
bushfire seasons.
04-FEB-2019
Track to the Round-yard
This pathway takes you to the little gate into a holding paddock that also has
a round-yard installed for exercising horses. No longer in use, we have no horses
of our own now, next doors use our paddocks, they have 4 horses (counting the foal).
26-JAN-2019
Eerie Sunset
While watching the tennis finals we noticed the sky becoming quite intense and the
effect it was having on the hills behind the trees. I grabbed the little Lumix
knowing that the time was fleeting and not enough time to set up the tripod and
Canon... this was the best my little Lumix could do, it loses a lot of the intensity
of the sky, but notice how the trees have changed colour! No photoshopping here
except to reduce the size of the image & put a frame around it.
19-JAN-2019
The red flowering gum tree
Eucalyptus (Corymbia) ficifolia
This one is over the road near our neighbours driveway, but I can see it from my
computer room window. They have a row of these down their driveway and they are
so spectacular in bloom. I took the photo from our side of our front fence on a glarey day.
19-JAN-2019
Shady Trees
This is a view to the north of our home.. you can just see our back balcony
A summer image mid-January, not much green on the ground now.
In the distance you can just see Dick's asparagus patch, just fern now that will
change colour in the autumn. Trees are mostly eucalyptus, but a cedar in the
foreground and another in the distance.
13-NOV-2018
Green and Gold of late Spring
The occasional wet day keeps part of the paddocks green, but a few hot days
will soon turn the whole scene to a dull brown in time for summer.
This photo taken quite a few weeks ago, we are already in summer with
another heat wave about to begin... good for watching tennis on the TV,
but not so good for the garden.
29-NOV-2018
Nearly Summer down Under
A photo taken late afternoon showing the changing colours of the landscape as
the green fades to golden brown and the next doors dam reflects the clear blue sky.
No texture added for those who don't like it.
18-SEP-2018
Wintery return
Almost the equinox and a return of the chill - seen here, fog and drizzle.
Our view across the hills in so-called early Spring.
You can see the young crab apple trees in flower, I featured some crab apple blooms as my
photo of the day yesterday.
Back to the Lumix - flat battery on the Canon.
10-SEP-2018
Blue Skies - early Spring
A couple of galahs waiting their turn on the seed dish... they are sitting in
the tree from where the dish hangs. Often there is a long queue sitting on
various branches while the lorikeets have first go at the seed. I took the
photo looking skyward from below & you can see the crossing over of a 2nd tree
behind the seed-dish tree.
24-FEB-2018
Late February in the hills
The view at this time of year taken from the fenceline into one of our horse
paddocks. That isn't our dam, ours is on a different angle.
14-FEB-2018
Blue Skies - late Summer
Taken while in the rose garden looking skyward. No roses at this time of the year
and that is a climber on the right framing the view..I am standing very near the
archway.
01-JAN-2018
Grazing in summer
The mare again in our paddocks enjoying the quiet life.
A lovely cool change arrived overnight, a delightful breeze blowing this afternoon.
20-NOV-2017
A Favourite Tree
I believe it to be an Eucalyptus largiflora or River Box, but could be
wrong. We were given it as a tiny tube-stock plant by a local who had
some to spare - and this was 30+ years ago, so not a fast grower.
It is a favourite with the koalas, though the young koalas prefer the
tree next to it because it has a lean making it easier to climb.
We can see this tree every time we watch TV, it is directly in front
of us, down the hill a bit, but centre stage from the balcony, though
from memory I took this photo at ground level.
01-JAN-2018
Pelargonium/Geranium patch
Just inside our front gate, photo taken from under a very large cedar tree
looking back to the patch of pelargonium/geranium where I've been extending
the patch recently with help from one of our grandsons who is very good
at digging holes and being a helper to an oldie like me.
The last day taking photos with this camera before my computer started
rejecting my canon cameras. My Mr. Fixit (son-inlaw) has promised to come soon.
THANKS everyone for the good wishes on our reaching the 56 years, much appreciated!
02-JAN-2018
Pathway to the round-yard
Passing one of our bush gardens where the pandora vine has overtaken other
native shrubs. You can just see a self-sown grevillea in flower. In the
background is the ancient tree where we often have koalas, ring-tailed
possums and various of the parrot family, a hive of bees and a pair of
ducks that nest each year, then toss their young out onto the ground when
they trail in single file down the hill to our dam where they stay
until the ducklings are big enough to fend for themselves.
13-DEC-2017
A Strange Light on the Hills
Our sun has been setting 8.30 p.m. and this photo was taken just before the sun set,
I noticed a strange light reflecting on the distant hillside and the faint trace of
a rainbow, quite eerie in fact.
05-DEC-2017
Looking the other direction
The 3rd of a series of 3. This time you can see the mare from next door through
the line of trees.
05-DEC-2017
Another view
I'm standing by the fenceline to the horse paddock looking in a different
direction to the previous photo.
I'll tell you of an experience I had this afternoon... I took a mug of
coffee and a nut bar out the front of our house, we have a bench out there
where we can view the birds and koalas etc. Two sulphur crested cockatoos
noticed me and almost took my nut bar from my hands, then kept me
company while I had my coffee.
05-DEC-2017
Late Spring Early Summer
The grasses are changing colour, but we are having the occasional rain which is
keeping some green amongst the gold. That is our dam on the mid-right hand side
and next-doors horses who share our paddocks to keep down the grass during the
summer bush-fire season.
28-OCT-2017
Lilies and Daisies
The line of Cladoxus "Katherinae" also called "Paint-brush lilies" have a bed of
Erigeron which pop up in many places in our gardens and pots. When the lilies
die down and take a rest over summer the little daisies take over until its
time for the lilies to come into flower in July/August (our winter). They flower before the
leaves arrive, and this year we had 14 giant blooms of russet red. The
leaves are quite attractive as seen in this image. They share the narrow
bed with one rose "Dusky Maiden" a single red. They are in close proximity
with the photo featured "next" and can be seen through the main bedroom window.
I grew the Cladoxus from seed and they took about 5 years before starting to bloom.
20-OCT-2017
New leaves on the Linden Tree
I love the fresh new leaves that burst forth in spring... here you see a
small section of the Linden Tree and some Acanthus (Bear's Breeches) below.
Our Golden Elm is yet to leaf out, always the last to come back into leaf.
30-JUL-2017
Local bird's favourite tree
A large collection of birds love our tree, this is where we feed them
with wild-bird seed mix on fine days. As soon as they see me the word
gets around that seed might be available here. Our poor trees lost
quite a few twigs and leaves when we had gale-force winds a couple of
nights ago, and you can see some litter from this one at the base.
I can see this tree through my computer room window.
This will be my last photo for a couple of weeks while we take a break
and head north for some warm sunny weather.
05-JUL-2017
A close-up of the acacia
This is a tree with a short life, lucky if they last 7 years, but what a display
each July! This one is self-sown, the birds love the seed and so do we,
they are often added to bread mixes and add a lovely flavour.
05-JUL-2017
The first spring acacia in bloom
The view we get each time we walk out of our front door at this time
of year is the first spring acacia coming into flower. Regarded as a weed
in our area, but loved by most people when we are still in mid-winter and
it lifts our spirits with a beautiful display of golden wattle.
23-JUN-2017
A sunny day mid-winter
No rain for weeks the grasses are at a stand-still, a decent pour would
be welcome, but so lovely for catching up with winter jobs, like pruning,
clearing away litter from trees etc. We just passed the shortest day here!
Definitely best in original format.
23-JUN-2017
Doing a Rain Dance
Grandpa and Grandson working in the horse paddock burning off some tree litter
while everything is green... a hose is nearby in case any problems arise.
A winter's job in action here!
17-MAR-2017
The Meeting
Next door's horses, two on our side and one on the other meeting near the gate
11-MAR-2017
View from the balcony
Colours of late summer/early autumn - we now share our paddocks with the neighbours
and they let their horses in our yards to keep down the grass. They are doing an
excellent job as you can see in this photo... grasses are low, less fire risk for us!
01-MAR-2017
The Lemon Scented Tree
Yesterday we had our tree man come and trim up this lemon scented gum tree
(eucalyptus citriodora)
which had started to go out of shape and intrude on nearby trees. As
it kept dropping limbs we decided it needed some help. Our tree man
is like a koala in the tree, so interesting to watch him at work. I always
feel confident he will get the shape right and I was not disappointed.
05-FEB-2017
Mist & rain in February!
So unusual for us to have mist and rain in February, our traditionally hottest
month of the year... we have doubled our average rainfall for this month so
early too! A pity we can't send the coolness mist and rain up your way Laine!
BUT it is going to heat up, tomorrow 31 and Wednesday 41.
This is the view from our front balcony taken at 7 p.m. last night. The
tree featured on the left also featured in the "next" photo a week or so ago.
01-JAN-2017
Windy perch
A sulphur-crested cockatoo waiting for me to fill the seed dish. I can walk
right up to the dish before he flies to a safer spot, and always waits for me.
Sometimes he walks right up to my computer room window to remind me that the
dish is empty!
01-JAN-2017
Quiet late afternoon, summer
After a decent recent rain there's a tinge of green
reappearing in the horse paddocks at home.
23-AUG-2016
Late winter
View from the back balcony late afternoon
13-APR-2016
Misty hills in April
April and May can be a nicest days though now and then we do have showers & mist
which adds pleasure to both the garden & local birdlife.
Filters added which can be best observed in Original Format, if you have time.
10-MAR-2016
Late Summer view in March
After a very hot & steamy start to "Autumn" with a few near 40's thrown in... we've
had some rain that has given a tiny tinge of green
to our view from the front balcony.
Photo taken very late in the afternoon.
30-NOV-2015
The colours change for Summer
The last day of spring and our landscape colours are changing in readiness
for the hot weather in Summer.
I'll comment on your photos tomorrow... unfortunately I cut the tip of my ring finger while dead-heading roses
this evening, and am finding it difficult and cumbersome typing with all the band-aids
14-NOV-2015
A splash of red
November, the time that the epiphyllums come into flower... unfortunately we also had
a couple of days in the mid to high 30's so most of the blooms have withered away,
but there still is a few buds about to open. You can see part of one of the cedar trees here
and a small section of a pittosporum shrub (Native apricot).
03-NOV-2015
Fresh new spring leaves...
On the Linden Tree. A progress image of the same garden bed to follow one taken in September.
The Acanthus is now in flower (Bear's Breeches) Photo taken from our back balcony.
26-OCT-2015
View from where we have our meals
Reflections in the windows on our side balcony show a little of the Native Frangipani in flower
this is the time of year the scent from this tree pervades the area. Photo taken through window.
Botanical name is Hymenosporum flavum, close up of the flower is next.
24-OCT-2015
Native Frangipani
Hymenosporum flavum, the Native Frangipani. Grows to around 15m.
Foliage is neat glossy and evergreen. The fragrance pervades the area
when in flower
30-SEP-2015
The workers
This is one I forgot to add in September when we hired a workman to do some jobs
and he brought along his sons to help him load up firewood from a tree that had
fallen over. We gave him the okay to take all the wood because we don't need it
ourselves, and our sons-in-laws have collected enough for their wood-fired pizza
ovens to last them throughout the year.
30-SEP-2015
Early spring in my rosegarden
Taken with the Lumix... to show the gazebo after we had
spent a few days resurrecting it, as it needed some repairs
done. We had to cut the climbers off the roof and give them
a hard prune, following this I had to reconnect the canes
hopefully the roses will recover enough to give us some
blooms this season... one that had the hardest prunes is
Reve d'Or one of my favourite noisettes, so fingers crossed!
20-SEP-2015
Water in the dam
A lovely sight in Spring, hopefully the water will still be there in a few months time!
12-SEP-2015
Late winter/early Spring
Waiting for the new spring leaves on the trees
but there's still plenty of colour in this garden bed.
12-SEP-2015
Spring pasture
Lovely to see it looking green... this view is in the distance from our horse-yard fenceline
which is not a problem with the 400 lens.
10-AUG-2015
Winter greens
I'm having problems since updating to Windows 10, my computer
isn't recognising my cameras... and my Mr. Fixit is heading
off for the States in a weeks time... it'll depend on whether
I can nab him between now and then whether I'll be able to
continue putting on new photos... instead I might have to rely
on my archives until they return in 8 weeks time.
07-AUG-2015
Late Winter
From the balcony - another drizzly day
08-MAY-2015
Tree-tops in the fog
Early May, supposedly in our late Autumn, the hills are green again after
some very welcomed rain, and a day of drizzle.
The big lens on the camera because I've attempted to take shots of
a kookaburra during the day - without any luck.
21-JAN-2015
Tinge of green
After some welcomed rain we have a tinge of green in summer
very unusual for us, we normally have dry summers here.
No doubt a few days in the 40s will finish off the green.
BEST VIEWED IN ORIGINAL FORMAT
03-JAN-2015
Sunburnt country
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!
[Dorothea MacKellar]
A photo taken from the horseyard fence on a day where the temperature reached 39dC
our summer colours of brown hills and olive green trees with in this case, a cloudy
windy sky. Please see IN ORIGINAL FORMAT
Here's a photo of a tiny new addition to my fuchsia collection.
03-JAN-2015
Fire season - January
I walked down to the horse paddock fence to take a few photos of the smoke
but the sky is full of clouds making the smoke difficult to see, and it
has moved further east. This following photo shows the line of smoke
but I had to force it with a filter otherise the smoke was lost amongst
the clouds.
BEST VIEWED IN ORIGINAL FORMAT
A huge bushfire has burnt over 4,700 hectares of bushland and a few little
hills towns have suffered, including houses, sheds, livestock and native animals.
We have a view of the smoke from where we live, it was much clearer yesterday
when the sky was blue without any clouds, but in temperatures of 44dC+ there
was no way I'd venture outside to take photos... its only 39dC today and windy.
24-NOV-2014
Jacaranda time
Pointing skywards...best seen in original format.
Here is how they look lining the suburban streets.
24-NOV-2014
Lining the suburban streets
Through the leafy suburbs... me killing time while waiting for
Dick to have a specialist appointment.
28-OCT-2014
Grasses in the holding paddock
Self-sown eucalyptus trees provide shade and a place to have a scratch for
the steers and horse, besides leaves to eat for any passing koala.
28-OCT-2014
Mid-Spring pasture turning..
No decent rain for 2 months now and the pasture is changing colour... we'll soon have to
send our steers to market, there'll soon be no feed for them unless we hand feed.
Here's 2 of the 3 steers looking hopeful that Dick will come down with a bucket of
pellets or chaff... notice the crow sitting in the tree keeping watch.
Best seen in original format
05-OCT-2014
Can you send us some rain..!
Little or no rain through the whole of September the pasture is drying out fast!
We think the small tree-like green leaves [amid the purple] are self-sown olive trees that have been
chewed down by cattle.
24-SEP-2014
A view from gazebo
Early spring before the roses start to bloom
24-SEP-2014
Early Spring
View from front balcony late afternoon
24-JUN-2014
Drive-by in the rain
This one is for Laine - the area she lives in NEEDS some of this right now!
We were driving home from our recent holiday and it rained almost the whole drive home
07-JUN-2014
Grass mooers feed time
We keep 3 steers to keep the grass down during our dry summer months... but as
you can see it's our winter now and we've had rain so the grass has turned green!
The 3rd steer was too shy of the camera...
04-JUN-2014
First pea-souper for winter
Grabbed the Lumix for this photo in case the fog lifted quickly which it did.
05-MAY-2014
Stormy weather
A nice fall of rain followed, we can't complain about that eh!
[the blue you can see is the tarpaulin over stockfeed]
28-MAR-2014
Sunset from the balcony
A day and hour later than yesterday's photo
27-MAR-2014
Another view from the balcony
Just as the sun was sinking in the west, and the light catching the distant hills
If you're trying to work out what the middle ground is, there's a couple of
young crab apple trees, a bush and a pile or two of wood. We have quite a
few people who come and collect wood from us, we usually have a pile somewhere.
18-MAR-2014
Evening in early autumn
A view from our front balcony just before sun down...
Definitely best in original format.