Poinciana shape

I snapped this tree whilst driving home. It was somewhere along the street in Coorparoo / Taragindi. It's a poinciana - and the shape is what I'm trying to achieve with mine.

Kitties

Sitting out to see me off in the morning!

This flowered!

I'm so happy to have found this wee flower out this year.

I'm planning to move it to the front of the house as the wisteria, alas and alack, has died. I hope it survives the move....

Update 7 Sept 2017:

I never moved it! It is still in this position! I have a Queen's Wreath and an orange trumpet flower in the front of the house now, both growing well.

Agapanthas arise!

One of my agapanthas has a bud! They are all looking quite healthy, and I did harvest seed from them last year, which I have still yet to sow.

However, when I was watering this afternoon, behold! I spotted a large bud! Intake of breath! I was/am so excited.

It is right in the corner of my land. Does that mean something?

Update Oct 2, 2016

I have another bud! So very exciting!

So now I have two - come on up, agapanthus!

New season grape vine

Doing well, and so is the creeping ficus! Go girl!

Update: 2 Oct 2016

Vine continues to do well...

Inside

A few shots of things inside for a change. I'll be happier when there's an enlargement of the area here. Still need to put lots of things away but getting time after full-time work is a struggle.

Taffy

Here's my little furry treasure sitting outside on the bench today. She likes to sit here in the sun in the mornings.

New view

I like the painting where it is.

Update 7 Sept 2017:

I sold that painting, and here is a photo of the house now.

Chookie girls down on the farm

Well, it's more of a 'small-holding'! But here are my girls this fine sunny day.

My preciousssss...!

The passionfruit vine #1 is going well this season. Lovely flowers throughout and fruits ripening! I feel so happy about this.

Aren't they lovely?! It's so exciting to grow things!

Tutti too!

Little Tutti had a ball outside this morning when I was out with Trent, who was putting my tumble compost bin together. She's a darling kat.

Out back (Vinnies special)

Bought a great porcelain bunch of flowers that I found at Vinnies, Coorparoo.

It was $40 but I got it for $30. Great bargain! It sells for over $100 AUD on ebay. Mine has no chips or cracks which is fabulous - a cracked one on ebay was only worth $50.

It's called Old Country Roses - Centrepiece Basket. 10 inch by 6 inch.

The 'replacements' page lists this pattern as being made from 1962. The roses were made and attached by hand. They were out of stock of this item, with no knowing when they would get more, so it must be popular. I can't find it on the Royal Albert Australia site.

My friend Emily said 'it makes me happy to look at it'! Exactly!

I have it outside on a french garden table, where it gives me joy all the time. It will need a wash or dust fairly regularly, as the busy road drops black grit over everything all the time.

The hanging candle thing (top right) was given me by Mary Harlow, with whom I work at Coorparoo.

Sweeping

Regular weekend task - lots of leaves from the house next door, but it's kind of ok. There are many birds which sit and sing in those trees and make my weekend quiet very enjoyable.

Views from the top

I had a very pleasant guy come from Advantage Roofing come to inspect my roof. I even got up there to take a look myself.

Some pics from up there: (things, though run-down, do look neat and I'm pleased about that).

That's Ian Williams, the roofing guy. Pleasant chap.

And what did he say about my roof? Well....

Topsoil - that's one ton?

During the past week, I ordered a ton of topsoil from Sapar. Pleasant young guy delivered it this morning (7am! Saturday!). He managed to spread it a little, using his truck trailor-lifter gadget, and it was up to me to do the work spreading the piles during the rest of the day!

It was a gorgeous day and I did it in 3 sections, interspersing the work with visits to shops. It was quite easy to rake around, though not without effort, of course. I quite enjoyed it, hope I got the levels right and hope it does somethign to rejuvenate the ground in that area of the yard. Might get some more to level off other sections, at a later date. Cost: $77. Not too bad, I reckon. I looks pretty small for one ton though. I had no idea it looked so small.

Got some free white rocks with the load (leftover from previous job, and buried under the soil). No worries - I have a place for those! and thanks! (Wish I hadn't given away the rocks that were here when I first moved in. Oh well.

Stand

In an effort to have a little oasis in the middle of the lawn, I've put a bunch of plants, yet to be properly positioned around the yard. I like the look but will have to eventually repot them all  and place elsewhere.

Things look better, no?

The passionfruit is spreading, the grass is green (thanks to recent heavy rains), things look neat. Anthony's truck and trailer are there as he is fly in-fly out to Mt Isa this week for work. There's plenty of room - I only wish I could afford to have the double garage built asap.

Red Robins rise

They've grown up to the level of the fence now and creeping up. I'm trimming them regularly to keep them at fence level, and to get them to broaden and widen and thicken. I might need to plant one more, in the middle, to assist with the hedge-y look.

From this...to this...