I am here in a way

Yes, I am around still. My computer decided that over Christmas I should have an enforced blog break.

The timing is so wrong as I’ll be home but unable to post as I have to use this tablet or phone to mainly respond to comments.

What is worse is I am unable to download or view my photos on the big screen. Now I wish I had scheduled some posts as I have somethings to share that I thought you would enjoy.

Oh well, I can’t get the assistance I need until next year but still might try to get back on my blog if I can do something myself. Everything seems to work I just don’t have a screen. I bought a new screen yesterday but my computer is old and used to be reliable so the connection cable is different but then again it could be the video/graphics card has packed it in.

Might see what I can pick up in the Boxing Day sales after juggling finances.

Have a fabulous Christmas everyone 😀🎅🎁🌲🥗🥂🤗

What used to happen

The Len-Artists Challenge #128: And Here Comes the Holiday Season
Photo a Week: Christmas

Due to my current situation, as my cousin put it, being a Neuro-prisoner and not being able to get out and shop apart from a quick trip to town on weekends with my daughter to do grocery shopping, my Christmas has been put on hold. Sure I’ll get together with my besties and my family but no presents this year and totally uninspired to even make presents as I would have done in the past.

Speaking of the past, here’s a journey into previous Christmases

The best Christmas present

This year I went to my besties for Christmas. I left home after making sure there was as little to catch fire around the house, smoke heavy in the air and the heat of the day beating down on my place.

After a bit of last minute shopping and wandering around, we headed home to her place with a bit of the promise of a storm. That night and the next and the next, we sat on the verandah and watched the lightning flash all around and thunder booming in the sky.  A bit of rain fell occasionally drumming loudly on the roof. I was hoping I had a bit of rain at my place too. Over the three days there was 32mls in her rain gauge.

Come Christmas day we had a lovely time with family and friends, seemed to be endlessly washing up and cleaning even on Boxing Day. This morning we had a relaxing start to the day. Breakfast on the verandah, watching the birds in the bird bath, listening to the sounds of the birds and the bush and the farms as they woke in the morning. I headed home. As I came over the hills I looked at the fire scarred landscape as I descended into my valley noting there wasn’t any smoke on the horizon or anywhere to be seen.

As I got closer to home there wasn’t much evidence of rain from the previous few days. None of the plants in the garden looked like they were desperate for a drink so I guessed I had a bit of rain. After I unpacked the car, I wandered about the garden noting that all the bird baths and water containers I put out before I left still had water in them after being away for four days. I went over to the post where the rain gauge sits.

I looked, rubbed my eyes and looked again. The rain gauge held SIXTY-THREE mls.
What a Christmas present!!! The water tanks are full, the smouldering stumps and logs should be quenched – at least the ones in the bush around the house are.

I went to the near empty house dam. The dam is about one-quarter full.

Remember this dam a few weeks ago?
house dam_low_water_burnt_named_9 dec 2019
This is todayhouse dam_water_named_dec 2019

Ragtag Daily Prompt Wednesday: Christmas
Daily Word Prompt 25 Dec: Joy

Out they come – in a little while

The Weekly word prompt: Christmas
Ragtag Daily Prompt Friday: Decorated

I get the Christmas “Bears” out and the lovely wooden Nativity every year.

christmas tree_dec 2014
The Christmas “Bears” guard the box of presents170623_blog challenge_teddy bears dolls and toys_christmas toys

 

171216_blog challenge_tradition_nativity

 

170623_blog challenge_teddy bears dolls and toys_elephant

This is December 2018

First of all, thanks to everyone who has been part of my life this year. I have enjoyed sharing my part of this world with you. Your comments and feedback has been quite overwhelming at times. I take photos because I enjoy the results I achieve. I have a basic Canon PowerShot SX60HS which takes great macros, amazing telephotos and does everything I could ask, except focus where I want sometimes. Even then the capture can be a photo that goes into my Arty Ones folder. Some of those are posted in a recent photo challenge – Abstract.

On to December. This month was taken up in part with Becky’s great square format photo challenge #timesquare The featured image is one of the photos from Beckys challenge. Sometime last year I made a suggestion for the challenge which I cannot remember.

I have tried to cut down the number of photos but again it may be a bit of long read, so a drink, perhaps a snack may be in order. All settled back and ready. Join me in looking at This is December 2018
Sunrise is always a good place to start
sunrise_yellow_named_caniaba_dec 2018
The wind blew the grass seed headsgrass_seed_head_named_caniaba_dec 2018

One morning, the tiny Line-blue Butterflies were all over the grass area while we were having breakfast. They loved the clover flowers.
butterfly_line-blue_clover_flower_garden__named_caniaba_dec 2018

A Blue-banded Bee made a morning ritual of visiting the Chinese Lantern flowers. I never was ready to get that photo.
flower_chinese_lantern_pot_named_caniaba_dec 2018

A delicate flowering plant we were told was called Herb Robert. A lovely flower and bud.
flower_herb_robert_pot_named_caniaba_dec 2018
A Mistletoe Bird was a visitor for a few daysmistletoe bird_branches_named_caniaba_dec 2018

After the demise of the terracotta bird bath, a tempory replacement was found. A Rainbow Lorikeet looks unsure.
rainbow lorikeet_bird bath_new_named_home_dec 2018

Since the hatching of the Brown Honeyeaters, they have stayed around the garden. This is one of their favourite sitting places in the morning.
brown honeyeater_branches_named_caniaba_dec 2018

Luckily one of the Grevilleas is flowering for them.
brown honeyeater_grevillea_white_flower_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

I love it when you can see our Moon during the day.
moon_day_named_home_dec 2018

Many people call Dandelions weeds. The flowers add a great splash of colour in the garden.
flower_dandelion_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Bees love the flowers too. Look at how much pollen has been gathered into the bees pollen sacs.
bee_dandelion_flower_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

I think it is wonderful.
bee_dandelion_flower_named_caniaba_dec 2018

A Pumpkin display at the markets. So many varieties to choose from.
pumpkins_named_lismore_farmers_market_dec 2018

This van belongs to one of the market stall holders at The Channon markets. I would love this van.
bus_named_the channon_dec 2018
Now Summer is here and it is hot and dry, the birds have to share the bird bath.willie wagtail_brown honeyeaters__bird bath_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

Coming in for a landing
white throated honeyeater_landing_bird bath_named_caniaba_dec 2018

“I made it safely….so what are you looking at?”
white-throated_honeyeater_bird bath_named_caniaba_dec 2018
The Brown Honeyeaters. An adult and one of the young ones. Always look up to your elders.brown honeyeaters_adult_child_bird bath_named_caniaba_dec 2018

This is my bird bath the Magpie Lark (or better known as Pee Wee) is telling everyone.
magpie lark_bird bath_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

A spot of grub hunting has paid off.
magpie lark_grub_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Cape Chestnut Tree at The Channon Market was in full bloom.
flower_cape chestnut_named_the channon_dec 2018

Now for a couple of native flowers I found at my daughters place. I looked in my books to try and identify so I could tell you their names, but wasn’t successful. I will have to ask an ecologist who said I could send him photos and he would try to tell me their names. Isn’t this one pretty?
flower_pink_native_named_coaldale_dec 2018
Like the above flower, most native flowers are quite small. The one above was about 10 to 15mm from petal tip to petal tip. This little flower is about 5mmsflower_pink_small_native_named_coaldale_dec 2018

Another tiny flower with an amazing structure
flower_yellow_native_named_coaldale_dec 2018

Such a delicate ball of even smaller flowers. Each ball is around 10-15mm in diameter.
flower_white_ball_native_named_coaldale_dec 2018
The Stingless Native Bees just love the native flowers. The flower seems huge compared to the beebee_stingless_native_flower_named_coaldale_dec 2018
The start of Summer. The Frangipanni flowers around the garden are stating to emerge.frangipanni_pink_named_home_dec 2018

I love the soft pink and yellow of this Frangipanni flower which has a heavenly fragrance.
flower_frangipanni_yellow_named_home_dec 2018

The pinks and yellows of this one are much more stronger.
flower_frangipanni_pink_named_home_dec 2018

The Pink Frangipanni is stunning.
flower_dark pink_frangipanni_garden_named_home_dec 2018

This Poinciana tree I see on the way home was the best I have seen.
flower_poinsianna_tree_named_waterview heights_dec 2018
The tiny flowers of one of the Tea Trees I have in my garden is waiting for the bees.flower_tea tree_garden_named_home_dec 2018
This year, my Agapanthus flowers were the best flowering ever. All through the garden was spots of white and blueflower_agapanthus_garden_named_home_dec 2018
One of the blues.flower_agapanthus_blue_garden_named_home_dec 2018

The tree Begonia decided to have another flowering this December.
flower_begonia_tree_garden_named_home_dec 2018

I have a number of Datura Erecta plants around the garden. The berries looked lovely one morning. I think they may be poisonous as nothing seem to eat them.
berries_duranta_garden_named_home_dec 2018

If anyone would, it would be a Fig Bird, seen here keeping an eye on me as I walked about.
figbird_peeping_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The King Parrots are starting to want some food as a couple of people who fed them in the street have since moved on. I give them a small amount of wild bird mix occasionally. Actually I hadn’t been home for a couple of days and this bloke came to the verandah and whistled to get my attention
king parrot_verandah_named_home_dec 2018

A migratory visitor to my place are Leaden Flycatchers, This female was scouting the verandah for a snack. Yes a photo taken while I was inside at my desk.
leaden flycatcher_female_named_home_dec 2018
One afternoon as I drove through the front gates, a Forest Kingfisher swooped in front of me and sat in the tree, almost like a welcome home.forest_kingfisher_tree_named_home_dec 2018
The Australian Air force is saying goodbye to the fleet of Orions. One of the planes is going to an Air Museum at Evans Head. It flew into Lismore. This was taken from my besties backyard.
orion_aeroplane_named+caniaba_dec 2018

The old swimming pool, which is now a frog pond of sorts, is host to so many water insects and frogs. One of the frog species in the pool is the Perons Tree Frog. I think this may be one just emerging from tadpole to frog.
frog_perons tree_pool_named_home_dec 2018

I am unsure who these beastly looking gang are. Hopefully are dragonflies.
insects_stack_pool_named_home_dec 2018

Christmas is always a wonderful time in December. I wasn’t in a Christmas mood this year. My bestie had some decorations at her place. An op-shop angel and some lights looked great.
lights_statue_christmas_named_caniaba_dec 2018

An Australian Lilli Pilli tree in the corner with some little lights mad the room look bright.
lights_tree_christmasl_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Full Moon, just before Christmas Day was big and bright.
moon_full_ponytail_palm_named_caniaba_dec 2018

One of the photo challenges was Abstract – see the opening words – I didn’t include this Moon photo as I thought it was rather special and needed to be in my monthly wrap-up post.
moon_full_reflection_pool_named_caniaba_dec 2018

I didn’t have my tripod so just had to have a go hand held. At least one turned out OK lol
moon_full_named_caniaba_dec 2018

Summer arrives and the plants start to thrive so along come the Grasshoppers to have a snack. This one likes Basil….or used to.
grasshopper_basil_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

Another little Grasshopper from my daughters place. Her garden hasn’t been attacked yet.
grasshopper__named_coaldale_dec 2018

The Ponytail Palm has so many flowers, the bees don’t know where to begin. I walked outside and the buzzing was quite loud I looked up and the flower spikes were full of bees.
bee_ponytail_palm_flower_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Blue-banded bee I couldn’t get in the Chinese Lantern Flower didn’t escape my attention as it buzzed about the Basil flowers.
blue-banded_bee_basil_garden_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Hover Fly loved the garden too
hover_fly_rosemary_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The Palm Trees, the water and the ripples
reflection_palms_named_caniaba_dec 2018
Late afternoon looking from my besties verandah across the paddocksscene_trees_subdued_named_caniaba_dec 2018

The December sun is almost set.
sunset_orange_close_named_caniaba_dec 2018
Goodbye December and 2018.sunset_orange_named_caniaba_dec 2018

Thanks for being a part of my world. I hope to see you again in 2019.

171019_blog challenge_glow_fireworks

Time #25 – Christmas Time

This months photo challenge in square format from Becky is Time

This month I will put a song with the photo.

181225_time_square_christmas_tree_umbrellas_lismore

 

181225_time_square_christmas_street_lights

Yes that is Santa on a jet ski with a water skiing kangaroo
181225_time_square_christmas_santa

 

 

 

Hope you are having a wo9nderful Christmas with your loved ones, friends and family.

The December theme is TIME. I am sure everyone has found at least one #timesquare, but just in case you are struggling here are some #timesquare ideas;

Timepieces – clocks, watches, sun dials and egg timers
Sayings – Time & tide wait for no man (or woman!), A stitch in time saves nine, Early bird catches the worm, In the nick of time or More haste, less speed
Synonyms – era, moment, season, infinity, interval, lifetime and age
Out of the box – nighttime, downtime, pastime and mealtimes!