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Turning Flowers into Pumpkins and the Death of Holden

I got very excited this morning, ladies and gentlemen.  Looking out the back window, I could see that there was a male and female pumpkin flower open at the same time.  Because of a hail storm last month, my pumpkin vine has only one pumpkin growing at the moment.  So I took this fleeting opportunity to fly outside and manually fertilise the lady.  I found the flowers crawling with bees, which was also very exciting, because the numbers of bees have been much fewer due to the recent hot weather and smoky days.

It was lucky I did because a bee was trapped below the stamen of the boy flower! Read more

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The Future Is Ours

I am not a curious person, ladies and gentlemen, so it is well that I ended up sharing my life with my True Love and that we had two lovely, inquisitive boys.  It is a truism, but without them, I would be the lesser.

mating dragon flies

There is much to be learnt from the curiosity of children. Read more

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In The Red

It’s summer in the southern hemisphere.  In southeast Australia, it has been a shocker.  In Canberra (the nation’s capital), we have had drought, a huge hailstorm and now fire in the Namadgi National Park to the south and west.

We also had a small colony of Little Red Flying Foxes take up residence in one of our town parks.  When we first discovered the colony, we asked our son whether we should report it in.  He told us that the ACT Government (that’s our local government) most likely already knew about it.  They didn’t.  Turns out the Little Reds haven’t been seen in Canberra for 23 years.  Imagine that! Read more

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Lead The Way

There is not a lot of leading the way happening in Australia at the moment.  So rather than throw up my hands in disgust, I thought I would participate in this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge — Leading Lines.  I don’t want to lead you astray so I’m going to try to follow the brief and let the lines take you on the journey. Read more

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Calendar Days

Speaking of calendars, my husband (aka my True Love) bought one the other day.  It’s a long story.   495 words to be exact-ish.  We didn’t buy a calendar last year and by mid year, regretted that decision.  Anyway, my husband has ordered one.  From a Danish vlogger of all people!  I am as surprised as you, ladies and gentlemen. Read more

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Beneath The Surface

This is my response to the Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge — Creepy.  It is a dark and mournful story (hopefully).  The events, places and people described are purely fictional.  Illustrative photos made to fit, were taken on my recent short break.  Alrighty, let’s get on with it. Read more

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Back On The Food Chain Gang

It is Friday, so it is time for a song.  But first, a couple of photos and a story about the one that got away.  There are some photos, ladies and gentlemen, that should never be cropped and enlarged, so of course, I couldn’t resist.

(This post contains content that may gross out some readers.) Read more

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Full To Overflowing

Yesterday (Thursday) was International Mental Health Day, so I am having a belated mental health day.  Won’t you join me?  What better way to do this than to chill out with a few of my favourite friends and some relaxing music. Read more

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Outfoxed

In Australia, it is quite unusual to observe a fox going about its nefarious business, but we did indeed see one and have the photographs to prove it.  One day, as my True Love and I approached the river, we heard a duck making a great cacophony.  It was clearly very agitated.  Perhaps this noise, and the fact that we were upwind of the duck and fox, masked our approach.  The duck made its escape, much to the disappointment of the young fox. Read more