Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 27 September 2015

Sunday Selections #243

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme. This week?  Not so much.  It has been insanely busy here, and so I am posting snippets of things which have made me smile.

In the sky:



Some rain to go with the rainbow would have been nice.  Someone obviously got some, but it wasn't us.


In our garden:


I am not certain I like this tulip - which belongs to the Parrot family, but it is interesting.  We have a clump of half a dozen of them.




I love that this bees pollen sacs were very, very full.




A new (to us) statue down by the lake:




These tiny pink flowers (and I have no idea what they are) were everywhere around the base of the statue.

And some teasers from the magic that is Tulip Top Gardens (and a photo heavy post will follow next week).




95 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Cloudia: Busy or not, there is a lot of colour in my world at the moment.

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  2. You have a knack to leave people speechless with your photos.:-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: Thank you. My point and shoot camera has been very, very good to me.

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  3. Magnificent flowers and gardens and of course I can't resist a lovely rainbow. I particularly love the statue and Dreamer of Peace words. Quite a challenge to be the peace we long for. Thank you for a gentle post.

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    1. Jane: Gentle is always good. I was very glad to find that statue. I had thought I had seen it driving past, and we made the time to stop. Peace would be very, very welcome.

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  4. I love to think that one day our world will be flooded with peace. I love know that it's true, even if I will not be around to see it. And I also love that pretty yellow tulip the best, but they are all a wonderful feast for my eyes. :-)

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    1. DJan: Flooded with peace sounds wonderful doesn't it? I hope, rather a lot, that we do learn and it does happen.

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  5. A dreamer of peace, I wish that were true. And, the sky, colourful and pretty.

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    1. Bob Bushell: With enough of us hoping perhaps it will happen. Enough of us would welcome it...

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  6. The yellow parrot tulip was my favorite. Such prettiness...

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    1. Sue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: You would have LOVED Tulip Top Gardens...

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  7. Beautiful--just beautiful!!

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    1. fishducky: Thank you. It is a beautiful time of year.

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  8. On my monitor, I can't really see the pink flowers.But I see what look like Flannel Flowers.
    And I definitely saw that wallflower! mmmmm

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    1. dinahmow: No flannel flowers. Love them, but (for some reason) have never grown them. That wallflower is a gem. The purple one has been flowering for weeks and this one is just starting...

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  9. Good to have you and your flowers to get us through winter!

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    1. Joanne Noragon: It seems only fair. When our sweaty season is at its worst I will be cooling down gazing at your winter.

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  10. Lots of pretty flowers and a dreamer of peace too a perfect world well almost.
    Merle...............

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  11. I wonder if someone found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. By the time they reached the rainbow's end, it would've been the end of the rainbow, no doubt!

    I hope the week ahead treats you well, EC, and perhaps bring you some rain. We had a little yesterday...I love the sound of it on my roof. Cuddles to your landlords. I hope the Skinny One is doing well. :)

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    1. Lee: The weather boffins have been promising showers for some time. They lied, and have now given up the promise too.

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  12. I don't know flowers but I would have guessed that red parrot tulip was a lily. I think of tulips as being more pastel colors. I like it though.
    Such a blue, blue body of water! Beautiful to look at. :)

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    1. River Fairchild: Tulips come in the full colour range. At the moment the ones out at home are mostly red, though the strawberries and cream varieties are just starting.
      That blue is deceptive. Mostly the lake water is decidedly brown - though I am fond of it just the same.

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    2. It must be your magical camera that gives it the deep blue shade. :)

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    3. River Fairchild: Reflection from the very blue sky made a liar of the lake

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  13. Lots of flowers!
    The rainbow shots were amazing. Sorry you got no rain with it. We have rain this weekend - want some?

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: Yes, I do want rain. And would accept yours happily.

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  14. I love when I see a rainbow! It's like some kind of magic.

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    1. We are: Clamco: Any day with a rainbow is immediately improved. Dramatically.

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  15. Awesome photos. So many beautiful flowers. And that rainbow!!! Amazing.
    Mary

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    1. mxtodis123: The garden is one of my obsessions so there are often flowers featured here - and I do love rainbows. If I saw more of them, they would feature as often as the flowers. And the birds.

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  16. Keshet in Hebrew means rainbow...yours is beautiful, as are the flowers and that lake water is the bluest I've seen...Best to you!

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    1. e: Thank you for giving me a new yiddish word. The lake water, as I said to River Fairchild, is an illusion. The lake is in fact brown but the blue skies mirrored in the lake gave a truly beautiful, albeit untrue, perspective.

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  17. I do so love seeing rainbows. Great photos as always!

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    1. CountryMum: Rainbows are always a joy. Rare, fleeting, and a joy.

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  18. EC, your garden is truly beautiful with so many varieties and colours, all perfect in their own way. That tulip looks more like a lily doesn't it? Do you know who donated the statue EC? It doesn't read like something any of the levels of government would have paid for. Lovely sentiment and thoughts of hope for us.

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    1. carol: We have a fairly active Sri Chimnoy community in Canberra and I assume that they donated the statue. They also hold marathons, half marathons and triathlons around the lake. And no, Dreamer of Peace doesn't sit well with any western government I can think of. Which is a shame.

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  19. The last shot is my favourite one, I love those different shades of pink all together like that. :) How pretty!

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    1. Snoskred: When I saw the multi-coloured blossom trees at Tulip Tops I was fascinated. And took rather a lot of photos.

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  20. The lake is so peaceful and beautiful. That bee had found a lot of pollen and will be a hero at the hive. Probably get blessed or something by the hive religious leader. Just kidding. I love to see rainbows.

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    1. Strayer: Or perhaps he was a bee bandit, and headed off to try and start his own hive?
      Rainbows are magic.

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  21. Incredible rainbow! You are blessed with beautiful skies so often, I'm envious :)
    Love the colours of spring here - your garden is positively bursting in a rainbow of blooms!

    Dreamer of Peace statue, and quote, warmed my heart. One can hope and dream... and be the change we hope/wish to see.

    I'm pretty sure the mystery plant at the base of the statue is Romulea - aka "onion grass". Introduced as an ornamental - and we know what some introduced species do... mostly become invasive. It's star like and pretty none the less :)

    Nice Tulip Top teaser - looking forward to your next post.

    Wishing rain your way soon xx

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    1. Vicki: Thank you. I was sure that someone would know. Thank you, I suspect you are right.
      It is nice to see a tribute to peace, in this very peaceful location. Fingers crossed it will happen. In our lifetime.
      Tulip Tops was, as always, incredible.

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  22. The detail in your flower close-ups is beautiful. And I'm glad the bee found so much pollen. Have you noticed any change in the number of bees around your gardens over the last few years?

    Rainbows, as someone else said before me, are simply magical. Perhaps it's partly that they are so short-lived.

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    1. jenny_o: We always have plenty of bees, but plant pollen laden things for them to enjoy. I believe that their number are declining though. Which is both sad and bad.
      And I never, ever tire of rainbows. And hope I never will.

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  23. The statue makes me think of Buddha and the Dalai Lama.
    Looking forward to the Tulip Tops photos, massed tulips are pretty spectacular. Massed anything really. I like the pictures from your garden. The branch of blossoms is gorgeous. i haven't seen a rainbow in a long while.

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    1. River: When I read that the Dalai Lama has said that if his replacement is a woman she MUST be good looking, he went down several points in my eyes. I think the Sri Chimnoy are a Buddhist off-shoot.
      Tulip Tops was a joy.

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  24. What a week of wonders you have had! That sky is a deem. Here too it has been too dry for too long and only yesterday did my grandson fix the stock water pump so I can now water little bits of my wilted garden.
    Your red parrot tulip has a virus. They can look spectacular as a feature patch when healthy. Hope you are doing a lot better than I am.

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    1. Arija: A virus, or badly windblown. The others beside it are not ratty looking. I will watch, and if they all succumb I will, sadly, uproot them. Thank you.
      We have been promised rain and promised rain - and it hasn't happened.
      I am variable, and very sorry to hear that you are struggling.

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  25. If your photos are "not much", then I want just as "not much" here. Gorgeous skies, beautiful flowers! All of your photos make me smile, and that water scene is fabulous!

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    1. Karen: I am a beauty addict, and look for it (and find it) everywhere. And going down to the lake is always heart healing. Even when it is its more accurate muddy brown colour.

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  26. time seem to be flying by, seems just yesterday it was last sunday, love the rainbows, they seem almost unreal this time.

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    1. Linda Starr: It did look a little unreal, even as it happened. And it is Sunday here, I can assure you. Sunday afternoon.

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  27. Love rainbows, love clouds, love flowers and water and all and most of all hope the wish for peace comes true one day.
    I may be wrong but the flowers around the base of the statue look frightenly like Guildford grass which is a weed over here. They, of course, are probably something entirely different. If you ever go back again see if, when the flowers die off, they leave little seed pods. You could also look up Guildford grass and check if it looks the same.
    Thank you for once again sharing lots of beauty.

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    1. Mimsie: You and Vicki are right. You gave it different names, but Wikipedia tells me it is the same animal. Given where it is, I am not surprised it is a weed - and enjoyed its prettiness anyway.

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  28. What a magnificent rainbow! And flowers. I love the photos. Thanks for brightening the weekend!

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  29. Hi EC - love the rainbows .. they make our hearts sing don't they. The others and the flowers gorgeous .. I used to get parrot tulips for my mother for her room - which she loved. Interesting to see the Sri Chinmoy statue there ... lovely selections ... cheers and have a more peaceful week ahead - Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton-Butcher: I would despair of anyone who didn't love a rainbow. This week will start off v busy, but should settle. I hope yours is good.

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  30. All flowers are lovely, but I agree with you about the tulip. It is of strange appearance.

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    1. Andrew: Arija tells me it has a virus. I will keep an eye on it, and on other nearby tulips and uproot if necessary.

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  31. Who doesn't love a rainbow. It is too bad that you didn't get the rain that resulted in that lovely sight.

    I have some Parrot tulips. Like you, I am not sure if I like them. They are interesting to look at though.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Someone got the rain. Perhaps our turn will come this week.
      Parrot tulips, and double tulips are interesting - but I think I prefer the simple elegance of the classic.

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  32. What is that gorgeous yellow flower with the pinky purplish above the statue? I want some of those in my garden. That's one spectacular looking flower.

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    1. mshatch: That is a cape daisy (Osteospermum) They are more usually white or purple, but I fell in love with that one and HAD to have it. I hope it will spread too.

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  33. Beautiful sky.
    Love tulips but don't have any.
    The blossom is so full of colour, a great time of year..

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    1. Margaret - whiteangel: It is indeed a beautiful time of year. And colour. There will be many, many photos from Tulip Tops later this week.

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  34. Amazing, truly, thank you for sharing!!!!

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    1. Yolanda Renne: I am so glad that you liked the snippets from my world.

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  35. OOOOOOOOO, the dreamer of peace. LOVE!
    What is at the end of the rainbow, darling S? xxx

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    1. My Inner Chick: There certainly isn't gold at the end of my rainbow? Peace? Contentment? Another rainbow?
      Hugs.

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  36. Beautiful skies, beautiful flowers, view across the water and a dreamer of peace. Fabulous!

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  37. So, so gorgeous, and that last one-wow! Love tulips. They are my favorite :)

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    1. HBF: My favourite flower is a moveable feast. I love so many of them. Mind you, I am revelling in the tulips at the moment. There are many of them out already, and more coming each day.

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  38. Flowers are pretty but the rainbow is gorgeous!!!!

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  39. Oh my gosh, you caught a rainbow!

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    1. Sandra Cox: It was just before dusk, and a chance look outside had me heading out the door.

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: Me too. Lots. And I still make up stories about the shapes I see in them.

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  41. Love, love, love the photos! So beautiful!

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    1. Nas: Thank you. Wait until I get the Tulip Top Garden photos organised...

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  42. I think the third photo is my favorite. You need to put together a calendar.

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  43. These made me smile. I'm always amazed at the diversity of flowers in your garden and everywhere you go. Thank you for posting even though you're busy.

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    1. Myrna R.: My eyes are drawn to growing things, to living things, to beautiful things. Always.

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  44. I'm such a schmuck, how did I miss this? Gorgeous. What is the fringe on the tulip?

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    1. Riot Kitty: The fringe is a part of the tulip. We have some white fringed ones just coming out too. I love them.

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  45. It's always a treat - seeing spring in your part of the world, as we slide into fall. Just gorgeous - and love the peacefulness of that statue and its words.

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    1. Lynn: Summer is rushing in fast now. We are expecting high temperatures this weekend. Sigh. And no rain.
      I really like the statue too - and that patch of the lake.

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  46. I love the rainbow shots, you did so well to capture them. I never seem to do a good job when I try.

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    1. LL Cool Joe: Rainbows are tricky aren't they? It is shots of the moon that I fail best at though. Some day I will get a shot I am happy with. Some day.

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  47. Always love seeing the pictures of the garden. Seriously, I've never been able to capture such a good rainbow picture! Nice!

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