patterns on the tree trunks

It has been a pleasant weekend, a welcome change from the recent heat to get us ready for another heat wave this coming week! Most of Aus has sweltered over the last week or so, with very bad bushfires in 4 states and record temperatures in Queensland yesterday. Overnight we had just a few mm of rain - just enough to make things look refreshed when I went for a walk earlier. Gardens and flowers are showing signs of stress but the colours and patterns on the tree trunks drew my attention. Many are shedding the bark creating even more interesting pictures. I took a few photos (of course) and I have added a few more from my collection. They are mostly eucalypts (gums) but there are also plane and pine and maple (I think).

 I always find trees interesting, for their shapes, whether orderly or straggly, and the colours and amazing variety of leaf forms.  Here a few favourite shots of leaves and colours from other occasions, along with the one lone gum blossom I saw today.

I am now back in my sewing room/studio getting it sorted ready to launch into some new projects for the year. I have given the machine a little warm up this last week, working on a birthday card and an apron. I'll be hoping for nice evening sea breezes while it is hot!

greetings to all

The days have been rushing by as Christmas approaches, and some late 'spring cleaning' has been taking up too much time! Here are a some more beautiful embroidered pieces I saw a few years back. The first 2 and a close up of the central piece were in Salisbury Cathedral in the UK, and the last one I spied in the lovely Pickwick Lodge Farm B&B at Corsham near Bath.

 Altar cloth above, and screen below.

We were very fortubate to hear an impromptu performance by a visiting Dutch choir. They had just arrived and were having a look around before performing later that evening, and had a short 'test' of the acoustics.
 These very colourful flags were flying on the lawns outside the Cathedral - and rather made up for the fact that much of the exterior was covered with scaffolding.

This arts installation by sight impaired and disabled young people in Wiltshire composed 100 batik printed flags which could be walked through to experience the visual, touch and sound stimulation of the wind driven movement of the colourful flags.

This one is much simpler, and on lighter note - given there might be a few pheasants headed for the table this week.

On the home front, here are my first boysenberries of the season. I have just one bush, and only got this many all told last year. You might think them a little red and under ripe but I have to beat the birds!

The following is a big surprise. It is the incredibly delicate flower on one of our 2 Chinese jade plants. They both have flowered. I have been around jade plants all my life and never seen them before. They are incredibly tiny (you might spot the ant halfway down the left hand sprig, which is about as big as the floret) and didn't last all that long.

 

Another that lasts only one day - and today was the day - is this just ever so slightly pink tipped cactus flower. I am glad I spotted it in time.

Both these amazing and beautiful flowers spring from plants that get, and need, only very little care and attention.

Have a safe and happy Christmas everyone. I am looking forward to sharing time with family and old friends - and getting back to some stitching in the New Year.