SUMMITS

Google image

Are we ready?  I think we are...

Unless you have been hiding under the proverbial rock, you probably know that our city, Brisbane, is about to host the G20 Summit this weekend.

Preparations have been going on for months...

Google image

A lot of these have been flying over our house..

(Can you see the jacaranda trees in this image?)

and a lot of these have been erected in the inner city exclusion zone.

There are lots of cultural events, in the streets and around the town.

The city is looking its best.

The security is overwhelming, the like of which we have never seen before.

South African President Zuma has arrived, the first of many leaders over the next few days.

President Obama will come on Saturday, and speak at my old University.

Let us hope all goes well, and the visitors enjoy our balmy, sub-tropical 

City of Brisbane.

Little Aussie has been visiting...

We had our own Summit Discussion re the Christmas Tree...

I gave him carte blanche to decorate as he thought fit:

Deep in thought..

Uniquely rustic version of the Red Cardinal Christmas tree.

My sewing room was turned into a cubby house for Pinocchio..

and of course, there was swimming every day...

I have been cultivating succulents -

seems only sensible since rain is now hard to come by..

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned the possum which was visiting to eat our parsley?

     Super sleuth Mr C rose at midnight to catch not one, but two,

naughty possums.

Score for the night:  all parsley decimated, two geranium buds consumed, and several pansies and petunias apparently eaten.

Mr C declined to use the flash in case it frightened them.

Mrs C will be up with the flash camera next time...

Sorry chaps, but I like my flowers.

I made a new cushion today, based on one seen in a store window in Rome.

The Roman one had a blue ribbon. 

 I sketched the idea in my travel diary.

It is made with an overlapped opening like a pillow case, then the two ribbons are stitched one on each side and simply tied together in a bow.

I think it looks very Summery.

Over the weekend, Blogger visited a new affliction on me.

I have been receiving an 'Error 400' message, when trying to comment on other blogs, or post replies on my own.

The message says an illegal request has been made,

together with the unhelpful remark 'That's all we know'.

Apologies to those whose posts I have attempted to comment on, only to have my comment rejected.

Today the problem seems to have abated, but Fingers Crossed.

Has this ever happened to you?

..and in the 'one that got away' department,

my neighbour tells me that, while I was typing the beginning of this post, the helicopters I was listening to, flying over our houses, were those belonging to the United States, to be used by President Obama this week.

They are doing practice runs over the city.

I have since seen them on TV, quite large and unusual aircraft.

Something we will never see again, and I missed the chance to get a photo!

Keep well,

XXXX

  

DARK CLOUDS GATHERED

Yesterday's blog post by the lovely Val, of Val's Alentejo blog reported on the welcome arrival of the storm season in Portugal, where it has not rained since May.

Well, it hasn't rained here since June, so

I wished for the storm to come to us!

and later in the day the sky turned dark ...

The winds whipped the trees ...

The skies opened, lightning and thunder cracked and boomed,

 and the rain came down in sheets.  

 For about 5 minutes.

But at least that is a start to the storm season.

Thanks, Val, you have magical powers!!

Yesterday, too, I had this tub of pansies happily blooming on the deck ...

But during the night, there came a visitor:



Source; Google images

Possums are partial to flowers, especially purple pansies, apparently.

Just look at the mess he left, little blighter!

Pansies are off to sit somewhere else now.

Mr Cardinal brought me these when I was in hospital last week.

Pink and pretty, just how I like them ...

Might rain again tonight ..

Bonsoir