Wednesday 13 November 2019

Such Extremes

We have had a few weeks of extreme weather here at home with some days reaching 36C (97F) and then a day later plummeting to 17C (62F)! Along with these extremes comes the inevitable topic of climate change and the past few days we have watched with horror the extent of the bushfires to the east of our country. It is devastating to read of the loss of lives and homes along with animals. It is not even summer so it is distressing to see how many fires there are and over such a wide region that you can see here on the maps......

Even more distressing is that several people have been arrested for lighting some of those fires. We are well away from it but still have a sense of guilt that we are not suffering in any way. While temperatures have been erratic we have had lots of lovely blue skies....and dare I say the roses are still blooming??!! Sorry to bore you with them all again but they do bring such joy......

 Even Maisie was impressed!.......
 The front of our home has been transformed from when we purchased it and in just over 5 years........



 I am chuffed to also have some foxgloves blooming after being in the ground for well over a year.......
Our favourite store has been building on their nursery displays and it was looking fabulous when we there recently to buy some mulch with even more foxgloves blooming.....

  When it was time to spread the mulch we saved it for a day that we had little Wade but it is pretty slow going when one is using a toy spade!...but what fun he had......
We are still battling the pesky possum who must have quite a belly ache nibbling on the peaches way before he/she should and we've counted almost 4 dozen half nibbled ones over the past couple of weeks! We are getting someone to cut the tree back as it overhangs the back fence from a neighbouring property, so there will be no peaches this year........ 
 Wade continues to grow and develop his own unique character while enjoying treats (that only a grandparent can get away with!!), and enjoying the shop Christmas displays.......


 The expression below is his tentative look at Father Christmas but he was not impressed when Father Christmas came over to say hello......he was a wee bit scared so hid behind me and clung on for dear life!......
 Last Sunday he had a day on the trains with his cousins Beau and Maisie and the smiles say it all.......
 Sophie had her gorgeous William Morris top on too........
We treasure these photos that Sophie took of Beau cuddling and reassuring Maisie as she didn't like the noise of the steam train......her hearing aid must be such a hassle sometimes........
 I had an unexpected visit to the surgeon 2 weeks ago because of some ongoing issues and that resulted in the cast being removed a week early. I did expect to see it all healed after one month from surgery but each day it is looking better and enjoying the luxury of water! It is now 6 weeks since surgery but I am still not allowed to use the hand for another two weeks and maybe not drive for even more. I am so lucky to have Larry and his patience is way better then mine!....
 So I had better finish this post on that topic of "extremes" as I share these stunning photos that we received from our friends in Canada of their first snow which is now 3 inches thick.......

I will conclude with the hope that the bushfires in the eastern states will soon be over and our thoughts are with everyone affected 💕

9 comments:

  1. Seeing your grands is such a joy and I know being with them is even more so for you. You do not bore me with your roses...... they are awesome!!!!! We are having some sort of problem with the roses dying and not being able to replant in the same soil....

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  2. I enjoyed reading this photo filled blog, Michele
    the roses in your garden are spectacular.
    The transformation of your house and gardens in 5 years is wonderful
    Your adorable grand boy Wade is adorable. Yes, they are so silly and cute
    Your wound is healing nicely, being an olden ortho nurse, the look of the wound is nothing compared to the recovery and healing of the hand.
    Enjoy your adventures with family.

    The brush fires are caused by many things, the winds will always be with us. Over the past decades in the US, we have failed to clear and maintain our forests, however in almost half of the fires, they are clearing and renewing the land, a process that will always exist. The older strong trees can survive and scientific studies of older trees show that the rings and the core in all cases, the tree has endured rage from the weather over 100s of years.
    Enjoy your bright blue sky days. Here it is very cold today, unusually cold, but not unusual for this time of year. Weather change always brings clashes.
    Sophies blouse is beautiful!!! exceptionally so

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  3. I can not understand how you transformed your front garden in 5 years to what you have now - you and Larry must have some sort of magic that you preform on roses!! I absolutely love it and would love for you to transform my front yard - if only you lived near by LOL - really y'all have some sort of special green thumbs!!
    Your grandchildren are growing so much and always love to see their smiling faces - especially the youngest knowing how tiny he was when born. They always so that in most preemies by time they are two years old you wouldn't know how tiny they had been unless you see photos of them.
    Hope the fires end soon - our west coast is always battling that it seems. Cold as can be here and so early in the year too - hope this cold spell ends soon

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  4. Welcome to the California norm. Most of July saw our highs over 100 and lows in the 70s. Our high this year was 116. So I so know what you are going through. I am amazed that despite the heat your roses are so spectacular. you are Master Gardeners. Another thing we have in common are the horrific fires caused by the hot winds here. Prayers for all.

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  5. Between you and my mother I have come around to being a rose fan! Now I think I need some foxgloves...thanks for the inspiration :) Best of luck with the hand, I would not be patient either!

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  6. Congrats on the garden makeover in 5 years, your roses are magnificent. I think Wade looks a bit like Maisie in some of those photos. Enjoy your time with them. Will catch up with you soon, one way or another! xxxx

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  7. Such an amazing year coming for you-all sounds so exciting. Your roses are inspirational. I am lucky to get one or two bloom, but persist as I love their fragrance. It is well overdue that more of the Morris collection is on display. Your quilt is so treasured here. XX

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