SUNDAY WALK...

To be honest, I've only managed a few Sunday Walks in the 4 months I've been living in Maleny (mainly due to the weather - too hot or too wet) but each walk has been very pleasant. Lots of interesting floral, fauna and statuary around.

I was pleased to find such a beautiful example of Indian clock vine here and it's been in flower for months, prompting me to see if I could find a spot in my own garden for it...

Absolutely love this giraffe left to graze in the front garden of a local doctor's surgery...

When I left this morning with only my phone camera I should have known there would be something for which I'd need the longer zoom of a camera. These wallabies/roos were off in a distant field...

A couple of the amazing camellias that grow in the area...

This blue butterfly flower is a prime example for my Animal Crackers but decided to include it here instead...

I was thrilled to spot a cactus flower and will try to remember to go back this evening, weather permitting, to see if it opens again or if any others are out. The cactus plant itself is huge, growing up into a large pine tree. Maybe it's a dragon fruit... 

 I suppose this one is from the ginger family and is quite common around Maleny;  gorgeous... 

 I have a couple of pots still with nodding violets but think this planting I spotted in a nearby yard is so spectacular, I might replant mine into something similar... 

Strictly speaking this sweet little treefrog is a Saturday photo...

Unfortunately, not all critters found on walks are so lovely. Got this one out of my head, where it had dropped in for a feed... 

THE END IS HERE...

3 months after noticing the start (left) of an agave flower spike, the end is here, both for the spike and the plant.

Farewell Spike. You've brought me joy, through the happy buzzing of bees and insects (like this sweet native bee) and from watching various birds chow down. I'll miss you. :(

ALL ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES...

In May bees went nuts for my agave spike! Fighting with the native bees for purchase on the flowers. Top right shows you how big it is and I had to tie it back to stop it getting involved in the clothes line. But look at its sweet little face when it was just starting out (bottom right)... Thought I had a triffid for a while.

 Now at the end of June the open flowers are nearing the end of the spike and still bees fight over the flowers...

...and they have to fight off the birds as well! Spotted this juvenile blue-faced honey eater the other morning looking a bit grumpy at the constant buzzing.  His not-yet-blue facial feathers are almost a perfect match for the buds.

Then a rainbow lorikeet got in on the act yesterday. A great colour combination...

*****

I'll be sad to see the end of the spike, not only because it means the plant has died, but also because I'll miss that buzzing when I put out the washing.

Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees
And the flowers and the trees
The moon up above, and the thing called love...

Dean Martin - The Birds And The Bees Lyrics | MetroLyrics (Songwriter Herbert Newman)

SHARING ART ON FACEBOOK CHALLENGE....

My lovely sister Pam from Cloth and Creation and Nest In The Attic nominated me for a "Share your art on Facebook Challenge" where I had to share my art and nominate someone else each day.  I thought I'd share the photos I put up with you...

 

 This night blooming cactus is quite magnificent and for the past few months it has been flowering madly, on and off.  Whenever I drive past I always look to see if it's budding up.  The plant is very tall, standing at least 3 metres.

These photos were taken at night  but look at the number of buds. It will still be in flower in the early morning. Unfortunately, this morning it was pouring with rain here so I went back to bed instead of heading over to see if I could get a clearer shot.  Maybe tomorrow...

A cooperative common crow butterfly sat for a while so I could get a shot, unlike a few other more colourful specimens who were just too quick for me.

 

I took this photo of a little wattlebird just before a couple of rambunctious rainbow lorikeets chased him off.

That's a blade of grass this tiny orange dragonfly is perched on.  I'm surprised I even saw him, let alone managed to shoot.

 

This ugly brute greeted me as I came up to my front door last night.  It has set up home close to the door and gave me a fright. I often get caught in what remains of its web each day but fortunately it removes itself during the day.  Ikkkkk! I console myself with the thought of wasps and mozzies it's probably dispatching each night.  Hopefully...

 

I also included some photos of other art and crafts I do.  These are a couple of my favourite ceramic pieces I've made over the years. I particularly love the spanish lantern on the right.  A lot of work went into carving and painting windows and doors to let out the candle light.

I started this painting in acrylic of a monsteria delicio a while back and I'm taking my time finishing it.  I noticed the other day that I've damaged the canvas at some stage so it will be mine all mine... eventually.

Any actual mosaic artists should look away now!  

This is the beginnings of a wall planter I'm working on using smashed china (at least I've started, I tell myself) which will have a couple of cacti or succulents in it when it's finished.  I foolishly didn't work out a design before beginning and as the thickness of the china varies so much I think I'll have to start again with a different bedding glue.  But one day it will be finished.

2014 CALENDAR

2013 is almost over so I thought I'd share the selections for my yearly calendar.  I hope you all enjoyed your holiday break if you were lucky enough to have one.  With luck, you'd have received loads of gifts and got a lot of enjoyment from your own gift giving. I did.

 Thanks for staying with me throughout the year and I look forward to having you return in 2014.

EARLY MORNING CACTUS DELIGHT...

 Earlier this year, I posted about a huge flowering cactus I saw on my way to work one night, here.  Well, it's in flower again and because I was driving past early (6am), I was able to stop and get some better shots with plenty of light before the flowers closed up.

  As you can see, the bees love these gorgeous flowers too.

Not exactly mass flowering at the moment, but as the previous post was in January, I'm hoping the flowers will continue to multiply.  

 These three flowers were the only ones within reach of my lens, without trespassing. The next morning, they were spent with only one or two flowers to be seen.

This shot demonstrates the size of the plant (and the paucity of buds so far).

IN THE MISTY MOONLIGHT...

Early Monday morning I was travelling to work when I saw a huge cactus in flower. I nearly cricked my neck trying to get a better look. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to park nearby and quite a bit of following traffic so, reluctantly, I resumed my trip to the salt mine. I checked it out on my way home that afternoon however all the flowers looked spent.  I resolved to get out of bed early Tuesday in hopes that this was not one of those cactus that flowers once in a blue moon for one night.

Naturally, I forgot all about it next morning until about 9am and was disappointed to find that the blooms were still looking spent.  All was not lost though, because I had a late shift on Tuesday and as I drove by slowly on the way home around 11pm, was delighted to see the flowers were out in all their glory.  Hurray!  One illegal U turn later, there I was trying to look nonchalant.  Everyone takes photos of flowers in the middle of the night, yes?

 I could discern a very slight fragrance but not altogether sure it was coming from the cactus as the garden had other plants I couldn't see which may have been responsible for that. I did stick my nose in one flower but couldn't smell anything. I love the buttery glow that the moonlight (and nearby street light) has given the blooms.    Below you can see what the flash did.  Yukk!  But gives you an idea of the size of the plant.  I had a plan to return another morning but last night could see there were very few flowers left blooming.  Besides, it was raining this morning.  Rain, glorious rain!

SEEING RED...

Hopefully, this will be a red letter day having taken these snaps this morning. I was quite taken with the carpet of spent flowers from the Illawarra Flame Tree, both on the grass and the bitumen and decided a mosaic collage might be the way to go.  I also took some snaps of my red zygo which I've always called Christmas cactus because of its brilliant red flowers. Of course, it's probably something else because all the other zygos flowered months ago.

ANIMAL CRACKERS IX - CRAB CLAW CACTUS

I adore this plant, so named because of the claw shaped 'leaves', also commonly known as zygocactus and christmas cactus,  although its botanical name is schlumbergera. It's very easy to grow and you are rewarded beautifully for your efforts.  I did learn early not to move a plant when it's budding as the buds try to turn back towards wherever the light was before and if it's too far, they break off. They don't like direct sunlight either.  I have several different colours including a very red one which flowers at a different time to the rest.  

TRIFFIDS!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

I don't want to alarm you but I have found some Triffids in Queensland. Fortunately, these specimens appear to be dormant at the moment so I was able to get up close and personal. The bottom photo which I took from the safety of my car shows 3 of them growing in the main street of Nambour, 2 on the right and one on the left. The other 2 shots are of a 4th specimen I was able to get much closer to. Having just started watching the latest movie version of Day of The Triffids, it wasn't difficult for me to imagine these guys uprooting themselves and lumbering down the main street. In some ways this plant looks like an upside down, rather spindly banana tree, the flower being very similar to a closed banana flower. It's another Unidentified Floral Object (UFO) which is quite apt in this case, so let us know if you have a real name for it.

[edit 13/11/10 - found it! and another example from Taronga Park Zoo where I discovered that my first photo was only the beginnings of the flower; it continues to expand and is quite beautiful. Sydney was awash with these things; obviously just landed their spaceship at the airport because that's were most of them were, sneaking towards the city along the middle of the road pretending to be the Gymea Lily (Doryanthes excelsa), which is native to NSW - how cunning]

CACTUS CUTENESS

My cacti are not enjoying this long run of wet weather we're having. They're out of the rain though so they can't really complain. My first cactus was a gift from a friend some 15 years ago and has been dragged around to 4 or 5 different houses so I was thrilled when it unexpectedly produced this delightful hot pink fairy ring a couple of years ago. I don't know why but another cactus burst into song that year as well. Unfortunately, I haven't been unable to duplicate those apparently ideal growing conditions since. I'd love to see them flower again. (I realise the 3rd photo isn't a cactus but it sits on the same table and caught the flowering bug at the same time.)