More Spring than a Kangaroo!
Here I was feeling sad that I had nothing for this week's blog. I have to confess, sometimes it's not easy to discover things to send. Especially with a busy week like the one I've had. I really didn't have a "day off" as I should've. There was way too much to do with round two of First Communions, a funeral at the end of the week and then interviews for new religious coordinators for each of our two schools. Just way too many things!
As I was pulling out of my drive, heading for a meeting in town, I spied a rainbow lorikeet in our blooming bushes (1-5). I'm not sure what the plants are, but they haven't any leaves at the moment, just pink flowers. (As of September 1, we are officially in spring and everything just sort of started blooming!) I had seen lorikeets in these flowers before and had thought what a beautiful photo it would make. And there it all was! I was right next to this bird, sitting in my car, with the camera in the seat next to me! (I had brought it along for just this kind of situation!) So I rolled up in my car and rolled down my window. The radio was on and I thought the bird might fly off…but thankfully no! And I clicked away. Though we were but feet apart, it was hard to get my automatic camera to focus on the subject (the bird) and not the surrounding flowers. Anyway, here are the best of my shots. At the end of our drive, I clicked photos of these orange flowers in bloom (6).
Later in the week, I wandered into our backyard, where we grow a vegetable garden. Or rather, Br. Louis and Fr. Gerard grow a vegetable garden. I love plants, but hate getting dirt on my hands. Under my window is this pointsettia now in bloom from last Christmas (7). We also have lemon trees, with flowers that smell like orange blossom (8). You can see a ripe lemon, in behind the blooms. Br. Louis has potted some succulents (9) and one bursts with lovely yellow flowers (10). Our lettuce patch seems ready for table (11).
Further down the slope, we come to the new little shrine to Divine Mercy (12-14). The icon was painted by one of our friars and reproduced onto these outdoor tiles. I'm not sure about this re-doing a famous painting into an icon and then using the icon instead of the famous painting for an outdoor shrine to Divine Mercy…anyway, I better keep my mouth shut before I get myself into more trouble!
A rare parot variety came to visit me(15-18). (Rare for the friary.) As you can see, the photos are not real clear. I can't seem to get a good shot of this parrot. He won't let me get close to him. Whenever you try to approach, even while still far away, he flies off. So these shots are taken through my dirty bedroom window and are at the maximum enlargement my camera lens will do, which will explain why they seem a bit fuzzy. (I think my lens is also scratched!) It is a stunning, brightly plumed bird. However, as you can see in this next shot, we also have the dull variety; a brood of pidgeons sitting lazily one morning atop our chicken coop (19).
Next are some more flowers blooming along the walk to the office from my home. This is a "bottle brush" that is not fully opened (20). And some other plants covered in these pinkish white flowers (21). Check out the details taken at two different times of the day (22-23). These little violet-like blooms are so very tiny and attached to a succulent plant (24-26).
Today I ran around the neighborhood and shot some photos of flowers so you can see what springtime looks like in Australia. I'll let you feast your eyes without commentary as I don't really know what any of these plants are called. But they're all taken from people's yards. (As I was taking the pictures, I wondered if someone would call the police! Thankfully not! Australians are very nice and probably wouldn't mind my sharing.)
The last three shots are of the sunset today (46-48). You can see the sunset ripen as the day progressed.