released

unleashed excitement

freedom comes in all sizes

maggies play moments

Maggie is now tracking along, living a well cared for life with plenty of leisure time. At the moment this small park is the only secure ,fenced, off lead park for dogs in our city. There are 12,500 registered dogs so fortunately most can be trusted off lead in unsecured parks and only 5-20 are at this one on most occasions we visit.

We did visit other parks however our local government recreation department decided to take gates off many that had secure gated fences. Maggie quickly discovered that no gates led to free runs  with a hint of danger.

Yet another political challenge arises, this one at a more localised level.

 

Rainbows of feathers

proud displays

rainbows of feathers

high and low

Two of our most colourful birds, one obvious and one discreet. The Rainbow Lorikeet here feeding on early Spring blossom is now a common sight in our suburb. The brilliant plumage is clearly evident. The second image is a male Common Bronzewing. These birds are not common in suburban Melbourne. We are fortunate in our city of Bayside to have many golf courses and parks that provide shelter and food for a large variety of indigenous birds. The Friends of Native Wildlife, ( a local government supported environmental group I belong) to have identified a secure fenced area around a golf driving range  that provides  shelter for  a small number of Common Bronzewings. We plant native food ground cover   these birds feed from. We also lead education walks in our parks and were delighted to meet this beautiful male and his mate resting beside a dam in a golf course on a recent bird walk.

dreaming

winter winds

ancient spirits stir

dream to run

Maggie has been with us for 9 weeks now.

For the last month almost all my active time has been taken up with walking Maggie, watching Maggie, playing with Maggie, training Maggie, cleaning up destruction caused by Maggie, driving Maggie, supervising Maggie’s off lead play with dogs etc . Serious training/socialisation/learning  sessions began for Maggie and me on Sunday. There has been an improvement already and I can return to my Blogging again. Being 10 years older from the time Charlie came  to join our family I/we had forgotten the experiences of homing an Afghan Hound pup. Reality has arrived but it is more exhausting now. Both of us came home and  had a nap after class on Sunday. Here is a 7 month old Maggie in an off lead park between chases and on Sandringham beach watching a ship on the horizon.

take care

winter prune

looks awkward yet safe

care taken

This is my contribution to the one a week week Photo Challenge my second one for 2017 and the challenge is is Awkward . For this years challenge planned by Cathy and Sandra visit Cathy’s blog at  https://nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com/one-a-week-photo-challenge-2017/

These arborists were carefully doctoring our 90 year old North American Liquid Amber. This tree was planted when the house was built. A common practice in our immediate suburbs with Californian Bungalow houses, many of which remain, and also usually so do the trees. Sadly however there is a gradual replacement over time as developers  or the nouveau rich ( the only difference being whose money!) buy a bungalow  outbidding genuine house savers and then demolish the house and garden and replace  them with fence to fence Mc Mansions and hard surfaces. Occasionally they grab two together and put a tennis court on the other block. Artificial environments for artificial people?

sky fire

sky in flames

playing with clouds

before night

There was a very unusual sunset earlier this week from the Sandringham cliffs. The usual  yellow to red  was suddenly diffused by the movement of a large cloud mass in the immediate foreground. I am not sure how that turned the distant colour around however this pink/red glow evolved . Maybe the rays hit the cloud in front of us reflecting back towards the distant clouds in turn changing what we were seeing. Jill commented that it was more like looking at a bushfire in the distance  and I agree. This is the first time we have witnessed such a display. As I have said in other posts we never know what the sun, clouds and water will turn on for us on any evening.

 

around goes the sun

setting sun

daytime fading fast

evening grows

Another beautiful winter sunset over Port Phillip Bay from Sandringham cliffs.

We have now passed the Winter Equinox and each evening  daylight lingers for a little longer. The birds are becoming a little frisky , Greenhood orchids have flowered and more Wattles are blooming

This is my contribution to RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 105-Time & Grow. You can visit this enchanting haiku sharing site where Ronovan the celebrated American author sends his weekly challenge to the poets of the world here  https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-105-timegrow/

Also this post contributes to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with ROUND, my round image is the sun, (well it is nearly round or it goes round in our minds each day doesn’t it?) challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

repeat act

sky theatre

repeat performance

will dazzle

Three different winter evenings looking out from the Sandringham cliffs over to Point Cook across Port Phillip Bay. As usual the sun repeats a dazzling performance usually with a surprise twist of colour . We are nearly half way through Winter with the first Wattles beginning to bloom and early reports of Magpies nesting are being shared. Spring is coming.

This is my shared contribution to  RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 104 Dazzle & Sky, go to https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-104-dazzlesky/  and be hypnotised by haiku from poets from around the world.  Also this post contributes to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with REPEAT challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

winter arrives

evening smog

beckons setting sun

cold night comes

Winter sunsets in all their glory are starting to make nightly appearances over Port Phillip Bay. We are lucky in our part of Melbourne to have a choice of cliffs at Sandringham, Half Moon Bay and Black Rock or the open expanse at Ricketts Point and depending where you watch the spectacle from there will be a new aspect to photograph. These shots follow in sequence over a period of fifteen minutes beginning at 5.05 pm from the Black Rock cliff. The temp was down to about 8 oC by then and dropped to 4 by the bay overnight. This haiku emerged from the sequence for met. I hope you enjoy the combination  and if a regular visitor trust you are not tiring of Port Phillip sunsets.

cold garden

coldest time of year

colour hides in my garden

waiting to be seen

Winter has arrived in Melbourne, however the bitterly cold wind dropped over night and the sun was out this morning. I have just resurrected my 25 year old Pentax 35-105 and macro Takamur lens having discovered it fits my Pentax DSLR’s. A wander around the garden with this lens on macro and what little wonders we discovered. Unfortunately no insects or birds were out enjoying the warmth.