Saturday 31 December 2016

SATURDAY SILHOUETTES #80

Welcome to the Saturday Silhouettes meme! This is a weekly meme that looks at SILHOUETTES in photography.

SILHOUETTE |ˌsɪlʊˈɛt| noun: The dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background.

ORIGIN - late 18th century: Named (although the reason remains uncertain) after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician.
This post is also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

Please add your contribution below, using the Linky tool. As this is a small but select meme, please visit other contributors and add a comment - they like comments about their work as much as you do!

BEST WISHES FOR A NEW YEAR FULL OF HEALTH, PEACE & PROSPERITY!

Thursday 29 December 2016

ARTICHOKE FLOWERS

The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The budding artichoke flower-head is a cluster of many budding small flowers (an inflorescence) together with many bracts, on an edible base. Once the buds bloom (as seen here), the structure changes to a coarse, barely edible form. Another variety of the species is the cardoon, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. Both wild forms and cultivated varieties (cultivars) of artichoke exist.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

Wednesday 28 December 2016

YAN YEAN RESERVOIR

Yan Yean Reservoir is the oldest water supply for the city of Melbourne. It is built on the Plenty River a tributary of the Yarra River, 30 km north of the city. A 9.5 metre embankment holds back 30,000 megalitres (30 million cubic metres) of water. Work began in 1853 at the height of the gold rush, and it took four years to construct at a cost of £750,000.

The reservoir is managed by Melbourne Water as part of the water supply system for Melbourne. At the time of its completion in 1857 it was the largest artificial reservoir in the world. It was designed by James Blackburn, an English Civil Engineer and former London sanitary inspector who was transported to Tasmania as a convict following charges of embezzlement. After being pardoned he came to Melbourne in 1849.


The Toorourrong Reservoir system, constructed in 1883–1885, supplies water to Yan Yean via an aqueduct. Around the reservoir there are parklands, an extensive nature reserve and picnic grounds. It is a popular and beautiful spot for family outings, another advantage being its proximity to the city. Native flora and fauna (like the Eucalypts and Eastern Rosella pictured below) can be found in the reserve.


This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.




Tuesday 27 December 2016

SOUNION, GREECE

Cape Sounion (Modern Greek: Aκρωτήριο Σούνιο, transliterated Akrotírio Soúnio) is a promontory located 69 kilometres south-southeast of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula in Greece. Cape Sounion is noted as the site of ruins of an ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788–1823). The site is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, who flock to enjoy the beauty of the site and the commanding views.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

Monday 26 December 2016

CORNFLOWER

Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. In the past it often grew as a weed in cornfields (in the broad sense of the word "corn", referring to grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, or oats), hence its name. It is now endangered in its native habitat by agricultural intensification, particularly over-use of herbicides, destroying its habitat; in the United Kingdom it has declined from 264 sites to just 3 sites in the last 50 years. In reaction to this, the conservation charity Plantlife named it as one of 101 species it would actively work to bring 'Back from the Brink'. It is also, however, through introduction as an ornamental plant in gardens and a seed contaminant in crop seeds, now naturalised in many other parts of the world, including North America and parts of Australia.

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

Sunday 25 December 2016

SANTA CLAUS

Almost done delivering gifts this year! Hope you had a good Christmas wherever you are.

This post is part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

Saturday 24 December 2016

SATURDAY SILHOUETTES #79

Welcome to the Saturday Silhouettes meme! This is a weekly meme that looks at SILHOUETTES in photography.

SILHOUETTE |ˌsɪlʊˈɛt| noun: The dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background.
ORIGIN - late 18th century: Named (although the reason remains uncertain) after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician.
This post is also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme.

Please add your contribution below, using the Linky tool.
As this is a small but select meme, please visit other contributors and add a comment - they like comments about their work as much as you do!

Thursday 22 December 2016

SUMMER FLOWERS

We are finally getting some roses in our garden, after rather poor weather in Spring.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Wednesday 21 December 2016

XANTIPPE, AUSTRALIA

Xantippe is a rural locality situated 33km east of Dalwallinu and is the only locality name within Australia that starts with X. As it is not actually a town an individual postcode has not been allocated but is covered by the Dalwallinu postcode, 6609.

The dictionary defines Xantippe (or Xanthippe) as the wife of the philosopher Socrates (5th century BC). She is remembered for her allegedly bad tempered behaviour towards her husband. Apparently, another meaning has been attached to the word Xantippe, that of “looking for water from a deeper well” which ties in with the Gnamma holes in the area (Gnamma = a natural hole in a rock in which rainwater collects).

The Xantippe nature reserve is a popular spot for people wanting to visit the locality. During the spring months the reserve is alive with wattle and wildflowers. A climb to the top of the rock gives you a 360 degree view of surrounding farms. The reserve is home to the Xantippe Water Tank, one of 11 similar tanks built throughout the wheatbelt.

Work on the concrete tank commenced in 1923 and was completed in 1927. The tank was originally intended to supply water to the town of Dalwallinu, unfortunately they had trouble pumping the water over the hills. In later years the tank supplied water to the surrounding farms. The tank is unusual in the fact that water flows along the pipe, level with the bottom of the tank, then flows upward to enter the tank at the top. A walk along the track following the pipe will take you to the granite outcrop where the water is collected, a low wall has been erected to channel the water from the rocks into the pipe.

There are 20 residents still left in Xantippe, which is located a scant three and a half hours drive north of Perth. In its heyday, the townsite was home to a bustling farming community, which would congregate at the cricket field on the weekend and marvel at the Xantippe Water Tank, relics of both are still attracting tourists today. Also, the Xantippe Gnamma holes were featured in the movie "The Rabbit Proof Fence".

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.



Tuesday 20 December 2016

KARNAK, EGYPT

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, 2.5 kilometres north of Luxor. Also, Karnak was a high-precision ancient astronomical observatory according to Norman Lockyer.

The complex is a vast open-air museum, and the second largest ancient religious site in the world, after the Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia. It is believed to be the second most visited historical site in Egypt; only the Giza Pyramids near Cairo receive more visits. It consists of four main parts, of which only the largest is currently open to the general public. The term Karnak often is understood as being the Precinct of Amun-Ra only, because this is the only part most visitors see. The three other parts, the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu, and the dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV, are closed to the public. There also are a few smaller temples and sanctuaries connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amun-Re, and the Luxor Temple. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage precinct.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.









Monday 19 December 2016

LIGHT UP!

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the  Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.


Sunday 18 December 2016

ROCK CANDY

Have a sweet week!

This post is part of the Photo Sunday meme.

SATURDAY SILHOUETTES #78

SORRY THIS IS POSTED LATE, I HAVE HAD INTERNET CONNECTION ISSUES FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS

Welcome to the Saturday Silhouettes meme! This is a weekly meme that looks at SILHOUETTES in photography.

SILHOUETTE |ˌsɪlʊˈɛt| noun: The dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background.
ORIGIN - late 18th century: Named (although the reason remains uncertain) after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician.
Climbing the artificial hill at the Darebin Parklands in Melbourne's suburbs.

This post is also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

Please add your contribution below, using the Linky tool. As this is a small but select meme, please visit other contributors and add a comment - they like comments about their work as much as you do!

Friday 16 December 2016

HAWKWEED

Hieracium known by the common name hawkweed and classically as hierakion (from ancient Greek ιεράξ, hierax 'hawk'), is a genus of the sunflower family Asteraceae, and closely related to dandelion (Taraxacum), chicory (Cichorium), prickly lettuce (Lactuca) and sow thistle (Sonchus), which are all part of the tribe Cichorieae. Hawkweeds, with their 10,000+ recorded species and subspecies, do their part to make Asteraceae the second largest family of flowers. Some botanists group all these species or subspecies into approximately 800 accepted species, while others prefer to accept several thousand species.

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Thursday 15 December 2016

KANGAROO PAW

Anigozanthos is a small genus of Australian plants in the Bloodwort family Haemodoraceae. The 11 species and several subspecies are commonly known as kangaroo paw and catspaw depending on the shape of their flowers. A further species, previously identified as Anigozanthos fuliginosus and commonly known as the black kangaroo paw, has been transferred to its own monotypic genus and is now known as Macropidia fuliginosa.

The genus was first named by Jacques Labillardière in his work, Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse, issued in 1800. The French botanist collected and described the type species, Anigozanthus rufus, during the d'Entrecasteaux expedition's visit to Southwest Australia in 1792. In recent years a number of numerous hybrids and cultivars have been developed. Kangaroo paws are much in demand as house plants and as cut flowers.

These perennials are endemic to dry sandy, siliceous areas of southwest Australia, but they occur as well in a variety of other environments and soil types. They are grown commercially in Australia, the United States, Japan and Israel. The plant grows from short, underground, horizontal rhizomes. The length and the character of these may vary between the species: some are fleshy, others are fragile. The sap in the root system allows the plants to survive extreme dry spells. In summer, a number of species die back to the rhizome, growing back in autumn.

The tuberous flower buds are covered with coloured hairs, giving them a velvety aspect. These long furry hairs also determine the colour of the flower, which may range from almost black to yellow, orange and red. Some species are even dichromatic (as Anigozanthos manglesii). The tubular form of the flower bud resembles a kangaroo paw, hence its name. The flower tip spreads fanlike into six petals. Full-grown plants can have up to ten flowers at the end of each stalk.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.




Wednesday 14 December 2016

WATERLILIES

Nymphaea (water lily) is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution. White-flowered waterlilies (of several species) are the national flower of Bangladesh.

The name Nymphaea comes from the Greek term "Νυμφαία", possibly related to "Νύμφη" meaning "nymph". The nymphs in Greek mythology were supernatural feminine beings associated with springs, so the application of the name to delicately flowered aquatic plants is understandable. Despite its common name "water lily" (water-lily, waterlily), Nymphaea is not related to the true lily, Lilium.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.



Tuesday 13 December 2016

MILDURA, AUSTRALIA

Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of just over 31,000 in 2011. When nearby Wentworth is included, the area had an estimated urban population of 50,011 at June 2015. It is the largest settlement in the Sunraysia region.

Mildura is a major horticultural centre notable for its grape production, supplying 80% of Victoria's grapes. Many wineries also source grapes from Mildura. Other key crops produced in the district include citrus, almonds and dried fruit. The city's central business district is located just a short distance from the banks of the Murray. Langtree Avenue is the main shopping and dining precinct in Mildura, and part of the street is a pedestrian mall. The other major retail precinct is along Fifteenth Street in the Mildura South area, where a mid-sized undercover shopping mall and several big box stores are located.

The city's name was taken from the Mildura homestead, an early sheep station which covered most of the area. The urban area of Mildura is surrounded by a horticulture area, known as the traditional pumped district, where the original grape and citrus blocks were located with water irrigated from the Murray River.

The Murray River (or River Murray) is Australia's longest river, at 2,508 kilometres in length. The Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains, and then meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria as it flows to the northwest into South Australia. It turns south at Morgan for its final 315 kilometres, reaching the ocean at Lake Alexandrina.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.


Monday 12 December 2016

CLEMATIS SEEDHEADS

We've had a true Summer's day today with high temperatures in the 30's (˚C that is!) and clear bright blue skies. After several weeks of relatively low temperatures, rain and rather grey weather, today was a bit of a shock to the system - nice shock, nevertheless!

These are wild clematis seedheads against our Australian blue sky. Each seed has a little feathery tail with which to fly away...

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

Saturday 10 December 2016

SATURDAY SILHOUETTES #77

Welcome to the Saturday Silhouettes meme! This is a weekly meme that looks at SILHOUETTES in photography.

SILHOUETTE |ˌsɪlʊˈɛt| noun: The dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background.
ORIGIN - late 18th century: Named (although the reason remains uncertain) after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician.
Steps on a steep hillside in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne.

This post is also part of the Friday Greens meme.

Please add your contribution below, using the Linky tool. As this is a small but select meme, please visit other contributors and add a comment - they like comments about their work as much as you do!

Friday 9 December 2016

GREEN QUINCES

The quince (Cydonia oblonga) is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the family Rosaceae (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits). It is a small deciduous tree that bears a pome fruit, similar in appearance to a pear, and bright golden-yellow when mature.

Throughout history the cooked fruit has been used as food, but the tree is also grown for its attractive pale pink blossom and other ornamental qualities. The tree grows 5 to 8 metres high and 4 to 6 metres wide. The fruit is 7 to 12 centimetres long and 6 to 9 centimetres across. It is native to rocky slopes and woodland margins in South-west Asia, Turkey and Iran although it can be grown successfully at latitudes as far north as Scotland.

The immature fruit, shown here, is green with dense grey-white pubescence, most of which rubs off before maturity in late autumn when the fruit changes colour to yellow with hard, strongly perfumed flesh. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, 6–11 cm long, with an entire margin and densely pubescent with fine white hairs.

The flowers, produced in spring after the leaves, are white or pink, 5 cm across, with five petals. See this post for photos of the flowers.

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

Thursday 8 December 2016

DIGIPLEXIS

Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame’ is an award-winning foxglove hybrid that produces large multicoloured blooms from mid-Spring until first frost. ‘Illumination Flame’ was bred by Charles Valin at Thompson & Morgan in the United Kingdom and is a cross between Digitalis and the Mediterranean shrub Isoplexis. The ground-breaking new hybrid resulted in a well basal branched, vigorous, beautifully coloured and long blooming foxglove.

The real breeding breakthrough is unlike Digitalis, which bloom for a few weeks, Digiplexis flowers for several months. Flowering begins in the mid spring and continues throughout the summer and until the first hard frost. Digiplexis grows numerous spikes with, as its name implies, flame coloured sterile blossoms. The 2-inch tubular, hooded flowers have rich fuchsia-pink tones on the outside, while the inside of the blooms transition from fuchsia pink to golden apricot throats streaked with lavender spots.

Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame’ is vegetatively cultivated by means of tissue culture. Propagation is done by a limited number of licensed propagators and self-propagation is strictly prohibited. The blossoms are sterile hybrids and do not produce seeds.

Digiplexis can be grown as a perennial throughout USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 11. However, with its long bloom time, don’t underestimate its value as an annual, tender perennial or a spectacular container plant in colder climates. It prefers locations with partial to full sun and grows to about 1 metre tall when in full bloom.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme.

Wednesday 7 December 2016

ROWING ON THE YARRA

Rowing on the Yarra River has been a popular activity since the beginnings of Melbourne as a City in the mid-19th century. Melbourne's historic rowing boathouses on the banks of the Yarra River in Alexandra Gardens are home to the following Melbourne rowing clubs:
Banks Rowing Club [1865]
Mercantile Rowing Club [1880]
La Trobe University Rowing Club [1969]
Melbourne Rowing Club [1862]
Melbourne University Boat Club [1859]
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club [1871]
Richmond Rowing Club [1863].

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.



Tuesday 6 December 2016

EDAM, NETHERLANDS

Edam is a city in the northwest Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Combined with Volendam, Edam forms the municipality of Edam-Volendam. Approximately 7,380 people live in Edam. The entire municipality of Edam-Volendam has 28,492 inhabitants. The name Edam originates from a dam on the little river E or IJe where the first settlement was located and which was therefore called IJedam. Edam is famous as the original source of the cheese with the same name.

The city of Edam was founded around a dam crossing the river E or IJe close by the Zuiderzee now known as the IJsselmeer. Around 1230 the channel was dammed. At the dam goods had to be loaded onto other vessels and the inhabitants of Edam could levy a toll. This enabled Edam to grow as a trade town. Shipbuilding and fishing brought Edam more wealth. Count Willem V of Holland gave Edam city rights in 1357. One of the reasons he did this was because of the war between the Hoeken and the Kabeljauwen. They fought a battle for the rule over the cities of Holland. Thanks to the city rights the people of Edam could make a new harbour. Because of the harbour the city was now connected with the big cities in Holland and the international trading routes.

By the 16th century there were as many as 33 wharves in Edam, which along with the fact that Edam was also granted the right to have a market three times every year provided a big boost for the local economy - making it one of the more important cities of North Holland, vying with Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Amsterdam. However, the open sea mouth caused flooding problems in the hinterland and in 1544 Emperor Charles V gave orders to close the harbour with lock gates, which were built in the town centre in 1569. This resulted in the harbour silting up and the ship building industry went into a decline by the end of the 17th century.

The cheese market was the primary boost of the economy of Edam in the 16th century. On 16 April 1526 Emperor Charles V gave Edam the right to have a market every week. In 1594 this right was given for eternity by Prince Willem I as a sign of appreciation for the good collaboration during the siege of Alkmaar. After Edam was granted the right to have weekly markets, commercial cheese markets were held in the town until 1922. Since 1989, the cheese market in Edam has been revived as a re-enactment for tourists. It is held every Wednesday in July and August.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.



Monday 5 December 2016

LET'S READ

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.