The Ideas Girl

I got an email from BGWLBH yesterday.

She had some fabulous ideas for both my photography group challenge, and the garden photography competition.

Unfortunately, it was too late for the garden photography competition because it closed that day.

Unfortunately, it was too late for the challenge because the people I needed for her idea, won't be here again until Tuesday, which is the day after the challenge closing date!

There was one line in her email, however, that attracted my imagination, and that was "gardens are for people to be in and have fun in".

I thought about inviting lots of people over for afternoon drinks and setting some tables and chairs and stools about to create a party atmosphere, but it seemed like a lot of trouble for everybody else to go to, just for me to create a photo for a challenge that doesn't even have a prize!

So I wandered around my garden, looking and thinking, thinking and looking, when I had a spark of an idea.

I have so many garden ornaments, frogs in particular, that I thought perhaps they could have a tea party in the back yard.

I began setting up for a tea party.

Then halfway through the setting up process, I thought to myself 'after a tough day in the garden, the beverage that my frogs would most enjoy, would probably be an alcoholic beverage!'

Change of plan!

I found a small round hat box, placed it below my "GardeN" sign and covered it with a cloth napkin for a table cloth.

We had a little box of coloured shot glasses (from the 70s era) so I placed them around the table.

Two piccolo bottles of wine, one placed in the centre of the table and one placed in a wine cooler on the ground next to the table.

Six frog garden ornaments placed strategically around the table.

I tried taking the photo in the middle of the day, but the light was way too harsh, so I waited until late afternoon when the sun had gone behind the fence and left nice muted shadows across the yard.

I took a dozen photos from different angles, selected the one that most appealed to me and then used an editing tool to create something a little different.

Here is the result.

A photo taken in my front or back yard

There are still two days left til the challenge ends, so there are probably lots of photos to come yet, but at least I don't have to worry about it or think about it any more!

Yesterday, Adoring Husband and I submitted our photos for the garden photography competition.

My tip is that Adoring Husband will win the competition this year.  His photos are very very good.

Anyway 'Thank You' to my 'Ideas Girl' who inspired my entry into the challenge.

Nite all.

 

Oops!

I turned off my computer, took the dogs outside to pee before putting them to bed, locked the doors, tidied up a little, filled the water bottles and stacked them in the fridge, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and was just about to open the bedroom door to go to bed ... oops!

Forgot to do a blog post!

So this will be short and sweet because it's almost 1am.

Lots of photos of Chicklet which I took today during my visit.  I hope you enjoy.

That's all for now :o)

Nite all.

A Challenging Challenge

"A photo taken in my front or back yard"

Andrew thought he was giving us an easy challenge this month, but really, is any challenge easy??  

When you are competitive and you want to do something special and different that stands out from everyone else, every challenge is tough!

This afternoon, in the warm afternoon light, I took 47 photos of various things in our yard - both front and back.

I looked at each photo on the computer screen and one by one, deleted 46 of them.  

Here is the 47th ...

... but I am far from happy with it.

I have one more idea that I'm going to try this weekend.  I've got til Monday.

Adoring Husband is struggling for ideas too, so I am not alone.

Vegan Chickie emailed me this lovely photo of Chicklet in her new overalls today.

It's an amazing photo.  Chicklet is very photogenic, like her parents, both of whom take a great photo.

Just look at those beautiful eyes :o)

I get to spend a few hours with Vegan Chickie and Chicklet tomorrow.  I'm a bit excited.  Camera will be in hand of course, although I can't seem to capture Chicklet in a photo the way her Mum can.  

While I'm with them, Adoring Husband will be submitting my photos for the Burrum District Garden Club Photographic Competition.  The theme is 'Around The Garden'. 

I've submitted 'Avocado Flower', 'Pink Petunia', 'Bee Happy', 'Waiting Spider' and 'Confucius Frog'.  

I've posted all of those photos here, over recent months.

I won this competition last year, unexpectedly.  I don't expect to win it this year, but I might come a place!  Fingers crossed.

We are also entering our front garden in the garden competition.

Adoring Husband has selected three of the categories to enter:

1. New Garden established less than three years.
2. Frontal Effect, which is judged from the opposite side of the street.
3. 'My own favourite garden feature'

Adoring Husband has put a lot of back breaking work into our front garden and it looks pretty special, so I think we are in with a good chance of taking a prize this year.

It's all happening!   But now that we have that sorted, it's time to focus on the challenging challenge.

Nite all.

Nature's AWOL

This morning, I decided to take my time riding around town with my camera in the trike basket, looking for some wildlife to photograph.

I followed some different paths that circle a nature reserve, which is home to a protected tree and into which, people are not allowed to venture.

I expected to at least see some different birdlife through the foliage, or a lizard, a butterfly, some interesting insects or wildflowers.

Nothing!

I heard a couple of birds way off in the distance, but there were none to be seen anywhere.

I pedalled as slowly as possible so that I could observe closely and see the smallest movement, if it happened.

Nothing!

I found my way to the park, where I was told there was an owl in the corner tree.  I've taken photos of this owl before, but I thought I would have a look anyway.

No owl.  He'd flown the (pardon the pun) coop!

Beside the tree, were a couple of shrubs and in the middle of the shrubs were a couple of spider webs and one of them had a beautiful spider sitting in the centre ...

... and that was the best I could do for ninety minutes of pedalling and searching.

I went to the community hall grounds which is abundant with bottle brush trees.  They are always full of lorikeets and bush parrots.

Last Saturday at the markets when I was manning my stall, I was disappointed not to have my camera because there were so many bush parrots feeding in the trees.

Not today!

No bush parrots and only a few lorikeets that flew off whenever I got close, which is unusual for lorikeets because they don't really scare that easily.

So much for Spring!

I guess I'll have to give nature a couple of weeks to realise that it is actually Spring now and that they should all be out playing and mating and singing and creating a stir!

All of nature is AWOL except that little mouse who is still scuttling around in my lounge room!!  Ugh!

Nite all.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Had the family over for lunch today.

I can't believe how much Chicklet can change in a week!

She is growing up so fast and changing and developing daily.  I never noticed it so much with my kids when they were babies because I was so busy doing the motherly and wifely stuff.

Life happens and you go with the flow.

With Chicklet, I just get to watch and observe, and it is SO noticeable!

I should have taken photos today, but I get caught up in the moment with her and I can't take my eyes off her, watching her every move and listening to her every sound.  It's difficult to even have a conversation with anybody because my head is full of Chicklet.

I'm a hopeless case... but I know I'm not alone because I've had many conversations with other grandparents who all make the same observations with their own grandchildren.

I believe that grandchildren should come with warning labels.

I get to have more Chicklet joy on Friday :o)

Yesterday, I mentioned that I got some nice sunset shots, and here they are.

We got to the park and waited 30 minutes for the sky to change from that first photo.  Not even the slightest change happened, in face, the colour almost all went away.

Adoring Husband gave up and began wandering around taking photos of other things.

I was JUST about to give up myself, when I saw a slight change in the clouds and then watched it all unfold into this beautiful crimson sky that turned the river into the colour of malten red lava.

This lasted for ten glorious minutes and I couldn't stop pressing the shutter button.  It was an amazing natural spectacle.

Everybody loves a good sunset!

So I'm sitting here watching a little mouse scuttle around my lounge room floor.

One of our lounges has been taken away for repairs and I think the mouse is a little disoriented!

I'm not amused and I don't like mice and I don't have any traps and I can hear his little feet hitting he carpet as he runs.  Ugh!

I've known we've had mice for a while and we've plugged in the electronic sensors that are supposed to keep mice away ... I think we all know how effective THAT has been.

At the same time, I can hear the Willy Wagtails singing outside.  I love Willy Wagtails :o) but I find it strange that they sing at all hours of the day and night.  Sometimes I wake at 3 am to the sound of their song.  When do they sleep?

I know when I sleep ... right now, while Chicklet is growing faster than a speeding bullet.

Nite all.

Whale Day

Well, this is the 7th year we've been whale watching, and on the same boat, with pretty much the same crew, except there was a new Captain this year.

This year, I am sad to say, was the least enjoyable.

There were less whales.  The whales were sluggish.  The boat was full with 49 passengers.  The people were inconsiderate, pushy and rude.  The new Captain was a little disappointing, but then, he has big shoes to fill.

I didn't have the opportunity to take many photos because I am short and couldn't see over or through the crowd, but here are my best two shots.

The weather was glorious and the rest of the crew were friendly and happy, so it was beautiful out on the water.

When we arrived home, we had enough time to download our photos and clear our cameras ready for a spectacular sunset down at the river.

Those photos will have to wait until tomorrow, because for now, it's bed time.  It's been a long, tiring day.

Nite all.

Twi-hards

My sister informed me tonight, via facebook, that there are 68 days til the movie 'Breaking Dawn' is released!  The countdown has begun!

I only spent an hour at the 'Seat of Knowledge' this morning, then I rushed to the supermarket to get vegetables for lunch and quickly pedalled home so that I could watch Samantha Stosur play her semi-final tennis match.

She won!  She now plays Serena Williams in the final tomorrow!  Woot! Woot!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to have lunch with my little Chicklet today and now we've rescheduled to Tuesday.

Adoring Husband and I had roast lamb and veggies for lunch anyway.  It was delicious!

While he was in the garden this afternoon, doing all the outside jobs, like mowing the lawn, whipper snipping the edges, weeding and watering, he found a lovely green frog and called me out with my camera.

I got these great shots of the most beautiful and delicious frog ever!

He posed for us for about fifteen minutes and then we put him back in his safe spot.

I love frogs!

We've watched my NRL football team win their first finals game this weekend too.  Go Broncos!

Tomorrow is the big whale watching day for us.  Cameras are ready and we must be up bright and early!  I'm a bit excited!

Of course, you know that you should be prepared for a LOT of photos over the coming week!

For now, I am going to watch the end of the Twilight movie which is being shown on telly tonight, as I am sure my Twi-hard sister is also doing, and then I'll be off to bed.

Nite all.