Four Seasons Fill The Measure Of The Year

I don't believe it's been over a month since my last post.

October has been a mixed month, one of gluten free, dairy free birthday cakes (as I struggle with sinusitis and a bad bout of IBS);

hot summer-ish days spent on our beautiful harbour;

windy dry days followed by the mindful sweeping-up of leaves;

days of gratitude and appreciation as plants respond to the sudden burst of warm days after such a long and cold winter.

Having had such a cold winter accentuates the divide of the seasons, something we haven't experienced for some years now.
Welcome, Spring.

Day 266/366

Is is a coincidence that my orchid should bloom on Spring Equinox?

Usually, they bloom early September but the last two it's been later.

I know this because I usually cut a spike to give to my mother for her birthday on the 15th September, but she's missed out for two years in a row now.

Day 246/366

On the second day of Spring,

we had breakfast at seven o'clock.

Mr Honey Pie went to work - on Father's day.

Grand Daughter and I danced in the garden.

We were Irish dancers, we danced a waltz, a bush dance, a ballet, even a barn dance.

Next we renamed all the trees in the garden.

The wattle tree became a pom pom tree.

The persoonia became a propeller tree.

Gums became plums.

Banksia serrata aptly renamed ballerina tree.

We found a fairy tree, a feather tree and stick tree.

But a fern tree always remains a fern tree.

At nine o'clock we had morning tea then took in some sun.

At ten o'clock we had a second breakfast.

We walked, we talked, we watched TV.

At half past twelve we had lunch.

We walked some more, we shopped a bit, and walked some more.

Grand Daughter went home to her Mum, and I went home to my home to wait for Mr Honey Pie.

Day 245/366

First day of spring and the sun shone.

The sun shone even though it snowed last night.

The sky gleamed blue, the wind slowed to a breeze and the sun shone some more.

We slept longer than usual then drank coffee made with freshly roasted and ground beans.

We visited the growers’ markets, purchased fresh fruit, newly harvested vegetables, spring lamb and organic poultry from local farmers.

We marvelled at the splendid lemon scented gums and sat with Daughter and Grand Daughter and drank more coffee.

We planted shrubs in the garden while the sun continued to shine.

When the sun retired we dined on succulent roast chicken, savoury roast vegetables and finished off the meal with our favourite vanilla ice cream.

How did you celebrate the first day of Spring?

Day 239/366

Spring has to be just around the corner, even if it was just three degrees centigrade this morning.

Visitors To The Garden.

Today the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the temperature mild.

So is it a surprise that this yellow tailed black cockatoo should visit the garden for a feast of banksia seeds?

Never mind the mess left behind by the flock of three.

Or that we've been woken at six on a number of mornings by shredded banksia cones dropping on the roof just above our heads as we sleep!

And should it be a surprise that this little fellow came out to bask in the sun?

Especially since we've rarely seen the sun since the first day of spring?

The second week of October and I've had to turn the heating on again.

Is that rain I hear dripping down the downpipes?