recent photography

 I took these a month or so ago, just loved how this colony of mushrooms or toadstools just popped up on the edge of the garden growing from the timber border.  Had to sit my camera on the ground so consequently couldn't see what I was getting, took a few shots angling it one way then another.

 My first mosaic piece for the garden.  Got it grouted and now have a terracotta hanging birdhouse that I have done in the same design waiting to be grouted.  I like how they have come out, bit addictive. Can you see the makers brand emblem from the back of the plate, I got this idea from Jeanne d Arc magazine.

 Paddy this is for you, you asked what we had for breakfast without bread or toast.  Chop up lots of veges, ie spring onions chilli zuchini aubergine (never used this before) any cold meat or bacon also chop up small.  Put a little oil in frypan and when nearly cooked through make a space and break in some eggs these eggs in photo are ready to be turned over to cook a couple of minutes.  You can also use cooked veges, tomatoes etc.  Very tasty and filling.

 These dear wee violets I picked for mum and to share with you. tried different angles

Some of my photo's I only like to share with my sisters or family so I don't put on facebook.

life and death

 Last week I joined garden club.  They meet once a month and visit different gardens in the South West.  I knew they where visiting two along the river in Donnybrook where I walk, and I was dead keen to see them.  The one above has lots and lots of roses, it is beautiful and will look forward to seeing it in Spring

 This was the other one which was very tropical with lots of palms and as you can see such healthy ponga's, mind you they are in the shade, there is a waterfall in there too, so gets lots of water.

 This is the river, they have these dams with flood gates which you can see is open on the far side.  This is further upstream from where we are renting and by the time it gets behind us it is more a creek than a river.  I am told it floods a lot in winter, I would like to see that just at the moment in time.

 This is the ruins of the old aboriginal jail, you can see some of the handmade bricks and old timbers scattered around which is all that is left.  A few of us climbed the gate to go and see.  Apparently the warden had a wooden house and the prisoners lived in tents.  I love seeing history like this.

 Look at these lovely old bones, as you can see this skull is not as good condition as the one I picked up.  I had to walk back to the van with it much to the amusement of the ladies in the garden club and a few strange looks walking through town.  But being a Johnson, I was not going to let that get in the way of scoring a free cattle skull with horns.  Maybe this beast got caught in the flood as the river is just over the fence.

And this is my little baby, will have it in succulent garden in the new house.
Love you all
Jacky

frogs

I was eyeing up these clivia plants out the front recently, thinking, hmmn I could split them up and no one would know, when I say these two eyes looking at me.  The frog in the top photo was wedged down in between the leaves.  And then, when I was doing the watering a couple of nights later I went to put water in the water feature when I saw something plop down into the water.  Next night checked, and there it was sitting on the edge.  There where two there and you can just see a second one slipping back into the water on the right.  I thought it was the same frog, but seeing the photo's together I think its a different sort of frog. Oh, its such fun down here in the valley hehe...

Birdlife in Donnybrook

For some reason I am unable to put text on my blog other than as a caption.  These birds where on one of the dead trees just down by the river.  Think they look good outlined against the sky.

Little blue wren on wire outside the back, just so beautiful flitting here and there

Beauty

When we first put the house up for sale I bought this white cymbidium orchid with one flower out but with a further number of buds that i knew would come out over time.  The plant was $20 from Kalamunda markets, lasted in flower over 3 months and looked great against the dark grey wall in the lounge.  When all the flowers where spent they started to drop off and in the heat they dried this lovely old paper colours.  I couldn't throw them away and collected them in a bowl.  When packing I had to make the decision to finally throw them away, but, a photo would capture there beauty forever.