Happy Leap Day dear Readers..
Time flies, and the long hot Summer continues at the Red Cardinal nest.
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The other day I saw one of these beautiful blue/green tree snakes...
we startled each other as I drove out of the garage.
The snake was climbing up a geranium and disappeared into a tree.
They are non-venomous and such a pretty colour.
We have had a visit from a local tree lopper.
Our giant gum tree had become dangerously large, with branches about to grow into our deck space. The hot weather and frequent rain really contributed to a growth spurt.
I forgot to take a 'before' picture: above is how it looked after being reduced by about 50%.
The tree lopper also removed the uninvited trees along the back fenceline. These experts are amazing the way they rope themselves and climb way up into a tree the height of a three story house.
We have been to a wonderful concert at the beautiful, elegant Cathedral of St. John, with the Brisbane Chamber Choir and the Cathedral Girl Choristers.
For the Season of Lent, they sang some Poulenc Motets, Cantus Missae in E-flat Major by Josef Rheinberger, and my favourite, the gorgeous Requiem by Gabriel Faure. I loved singing 'In Paradisum' when I was in the ladies choir a few years ago.
Love this former hospital building adjacent to the Cathedral..
Boring as it is, we had another flood down the hill on the main road and in the park where I walk.
We are getting quite 'ho hum' about it all...
It only lasted one day.
I have fallen down another rabbit hole, and decided to do a bit of scrapbooking, looking at 'junk journals'.
It looks easy - just use up old paper stuff around the house, of which we have plenty. I began with tea dying a pile of papers, paper doilies, old cards etc. Then I bought some paper online which has been dyed with avocado skins. It comes out a beautiful shade of pink.
Like everything, after hours of U-tube tutorials, I soon found it is slightly more difficult than it appears, and my first effort is heavy on the glue, and rather lacking in a delicate touch.
Undeterred, I have bought a few tools and stamps, a one-hole punch. and some pretty Japanese papers. We will see how this works out as a way to declutter some paperwork and avoid housework....
Our personal Red Cardinal jungle...
My firstborn child has a Big Birthday this week.
It is sad that she is in Canada, and we are not!
It makes me feel very old, and we wish her every happiness for her birthday and the years ahead. She is a wonderful daughter, wife and mother and we love every Facetime call we have together.
Hope our parcel arrives in time....
Be well and take care..
XXXX
Dearest Patricia,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday for your eldest daughter!
Oh sure, one needs a special tree service man for such mega tasks. Just with a tree lopper or pruning tool this cannot be accomplished.
Your concert, no doubt was great!
What a quick recede in one day after such a flood...
Love the Tree Fern in your personal Cardinal jungle.
Hugs,
Mariette
💞
DeleteWhat a delightful hobby your scrapbooking is, Patricia. I used to do this years ago, and it so much fun. I still have a book or two tucked away. Wow, you got a lot of rain! It's always good when California gets rain. The Cathedral is beautiful, and it's nice that you have sang in the ladies choir there. That snake would have startled me for sure, but I imagine you are used to such things in your area. Yes, it's so strange to have one more day in February. I've always appreciated this short month.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the most wonderful March days, Patricia.
~Sheri
Dear Sheri, I am sure your scrap books are just beautiful. So much rain indeed! And the forecasters thought we would have a dry Summer. So hard to predict. Happy March days to you too. It is our first day of Autumn.
DeleteHappy birthday to your lovely daughter, Trish. It's such a shame you couldn't be there with her, but I'm sure you had a good chat. That tree lopping looks dangerous, but it's fascinating to watch isn't it? I'm sorry you are having floods again. It seems to be a perennial problem. Keep well, Trish and I hope to be commenting on your next leap year post. :)
ReplyDeleteThe tree man is also an artist, who does excellent realist paintings (one of which is in the State gallery where I work). Apart from being brilliantly fit, he has a good eye for shaping the trees. Some years we have a lot of floods, and this year they are not as high as some we have seen. The alternative seems to be droughts! Thank you on behalf of our daughter. I hope you are around for the next leap year post too :)
DeleteHi Trish!
ReplyDeleteYou're speaking my language diving into the scrapbook world. I do more traditional scrapbooking - but it's all the same as far as expressing creativity and being a lovely hobby to get lost in. :) That snake was so pretty and I'm guessing where you live, that you're well-versed in knowing what's venomous or not? Lol That cathedral is so beautiful and what a lovely spiritual place for Lenten services. Happy birthday to your Daughter! I'll bet she's as lovely as her Momma. 💗 Blessings to you always. xoxo
So easy to get lost in the pretty papers and pictures Carrie. I know your scrapbooking is just so lovely. Yes, in Australia it is important for people to know good snakes from bad snakes. I am trying to educate the grandchildren. Blessings on our first day of Autumn! xoxo
DeleteThe scissors with decorative edges are fun for scrapbooking.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the flooding.
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me. I used to have some of those scissors years ago. Must go looking :)
DeleteHow lovely to have a new hobby! And to go to concerts in that beautiful building. Glad your trees are taken care of well. Hope the flooding eases. Happy Birthday to your daughter here in Canada. It's hard being so far apart.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie, we like to go to the classical concerts while we can. Sunday afternoon is a good time, as the city is less crowded. Floods are gone this week, and I hope as Autumn comes the climate will mellow somewhat. I hope her Canadian family gives our girl a festive weekend :)
DeleteOur weather has been so fickle and I look forward to some cooler days. That snake would have startled me too despite being so pretty. Happy birthday to Katie. Time really does fly by. Enjoy exploring the new rabbit hole...good for the "little grey cells" or so I've been told xx
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, I am gasping for Autumn here too. So funny how a snake startles us - even a harmful and pretty one. I can hardly believe I am the mother of a middle-aged person now, Oh Dear! I am spending a lot of time looking at the Roxy Creations journal videos, so inspiring. xx
DeleteHappy birthday to your daughter in Canada! I must tell you I do wish I could have gone to that concert with you, I know I would have loved it. Now that snake is truly amazing but snakes scare me a bit, venomous or not! Those guys climbing up with ropes and lopping off the trees, I know they are experts but I can't imagine! And I'm going to start crafting myself if that means I can avoid housework. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI wish you could have come to the concert too Kay - you would have been entranced too. Snakes scare me too, and I jumped when I saw this one, despite knowing it has no venom. Just an instinctive reaction I think. Yes, start crafting - the best time waste there is, he he he
DeleteHi Patricia, just catching up. I'm trying to get my trees trimmed too but can't get anyone to come before April! I noticed in one post you were looking for dress patterns for one year old. If you haven't found something I'll look in my vintage and non vintage patterns - I should have something and I can pop it in the post or we could get a coffee somewhere. Maybe the art gallery?? Sofie
ReplyDeleteHi Sofie, so good to see you, and thank you for your lovely suggestion. I did eventually find a McCalls pattern, in stock, for a toddler dress with gathered skirt and puff sleeves and it is nearly finished. It would be fun to catch up one day though, as I find I cannot manage to go to the Spoolettes functions these days. I can't figure out how to do a private contact with you!! The art gallery is a great place to meet up. xxx
DeleteHi Patricia, thanks for your comments and your generous offer of the pattern.. I'd love to see it, I might trace it.. Yes we should meet at the art gallery. I'll be back at work in April so we should try to fit it in soon. contact me at my email sofiem@internode.on.net I'll see if I can find those children's patterns too.
DeleteI love the title of tree lopper as a job and its interesting to learn about now big a gum tree gets. It's a pretty tree too. Not that most of us like snakes, but if snakes must exist, I'd rather run into a tree snake that can't kill us and is my favorite color.
ReplyDeleteHappy scrapebooking, Trish!
Those trees are so high! When we travel to America or Europe I feel the trees are very short in comparison. I'm with you - the pretty turquoise snake is the only acceptable snake, in my opinion too.
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