Not What...

Not what you want to see as you are about to arrive home, smoke rising in the distance.

The helicopters have already arrived and just now a few more fire trucks have just dashed by.

The wind is really strong and it keeps shifting directions. 

That's dangerous weather when a fire is burning.

Hopefully it will be under control swiftly...

 

A Rescue Mission...

A rescue mission was a high priority when I noticed this bee struggling to get out of a shallow water bowl. I carefully lifted the drench bee out of the water a placed it on a piece of dried bark.

I was a little concerned about it's survival as it was literally soaking wet.

While I busied myself elsewhere in the garden it had dried itself off and buzzed up and away back to its daily ritual of visiting flowers...

 

It's Been...

It's been awhile since I've been down by the coast. Before I moved up to the more quiet realm of the trees, the sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean was where I walked every day.

I don't get down here as often as I ought to.

Each summer I declare that I will visit more than I did the previous year.

The scent of the salty air slightly tainted with drying seaweed lulled me into a relaxed state immediately.

Memories shimmied to the fore.

A smile touched my lips as I travelled along once familiar roads, and my skin tingled with refreshing glee as the salty water embraced me...

 

About Four Hours...

 About four hours prior to seeing this sign board, I had told someone to do just that.

Go outside and listen to birds and look at flowers.

I had been in an art gallery, quietly viewing art when a stranger walked up and started a conversation. At first he wanted to know what sort of camera I had and we spoke about photography.

But then he had to go and spoil it!

He then began to ask a question about my opinion on the conflict in the middle east.

I put my hand up and said I am going to stop you right there.

I said to him, I am in an art gallery peacefully viewing art. I am not going to engage in a conversation about violence and war.

I added we should be bloody grateful for where we live and the landscapes around us. Talking about what's in front of us and what's outside our door.

Go outside I said, and look at the birds and flowers and if you want to talk to a complete stranger, then talk about that...

CMYK...

CMYK is an interesting exhibition currently showing at The Mundaring Arts Centre. It focuses on five artists who work with variations of print as an art form...

 

I Wasn't Sure...

I wasn't sure how this was going to taste, I mean pistachios as drink ingredient was new to me.

As it turns out, it's actually one of the most delicious coconut water combinations I have ever tasted.

Yum...

 

There's Not...

There's not a creature on the planet that I don't find fascinating and intriguing. 

And slugs are really fascinating little beings.

I had just emptied one of the gardens water bowls out ready for cleaning, and in the few minutes I was away from the bowl, this slug gracefully appeared.

It slowly slid it's way in to feed on the slush in the bottom of the bowl. 

I decided to leave it be and went to do something else, when I returned, it was gone.

Slugs have been around for millions of years, they belong to the gastropoda class. 

They have adapted to varied conditions from rainforests to deserts and everything in between.

In my garden the few that dwell here are not a bother, rather they contribute to the ecosystem by accelerating the decomposition of plant matter in the garden. They do this by releasing nutrients back into the soil, which is vital for soil health.

The tentacles on their heads detect vibrations, chemicals and light. They also have the ability to regenerate their body if part of it has been lost.

It's a process called autotomy, which allows them to regenerate and continue their life.

The slugs in my garden don't harm any of my plants, therefore I allow them to do what they are here to do in peace.

Obviously, they also feed the frogs and birds as their part in the cycle of life which balances the garden perfectly...