The seem to appear from nowhere. One day there is nothing and the next, blooms that seem so fragile and delicate but survive downpours of rain.
Above is the cowslip orchid. The red dots on the upper petal are sometimes referred to as "landing lights". They attract the insects who unknowingly pollenate the orchid.
Kookaburras say Good Morning
Baseball cap for when he's feeling "streetwise"...
Sunglasses for poker nights...
And, of course, nightwear...
Then there's the map reading eyewear...
And of course, his favourite, Christmas wear!
And it's a good thing he doesn't mind dress-ups because he's pulled a ligament and has to wear this converted knee brace. Human knees are much larger than dogs' knees so I had quite a time trying to make it fit. This is the best I could do. It had a hinged metal pin down each side so I removed one and trimmed the elasticated 'sock' to fit a dog's leg, added some stretchy bands and velcro and bob's yer uncle, as they say. I'm hoping it gives him some support.
I put it on him in the morning and he wears it all day without any qualms.
I am lucky enough to live very close to the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail which incorporates:
- the old Goldfields Road along which fortune seekers trudged
- the reserve for the Eastern Railway along which trains steamed, and
- the maintenance road that runs alongside the water supply pipeline.
You can just see the pipeline through the trees in this photo below (click on photo to enlarge). It keeps you company along the trail.
The trail is 650 km long from Mundaring Weir in the forested Perth Hills, through the golden expanses of the Wheatbelt to a reservoir overlooking the gold boomtown of Kalgoorlie.
I wouldn't be doing the whole 650kms this afternoon, of course, (as if?); just a mere 7.5km to Bakers Hill and back. The nice thing about riding a railway trail is that there are no steep inclines, only gentle ones that locomotives could handle. So on the way to Bakers Hill I was climbing a gentle gradient all the way and above is one of the cuttings I rode through. Very picturesque.
There are interesting little information plaques along the trail and this one is about the train labouring its way up the gradient.
The wattles (below) are just coming into bloom and their fragrance is exquisite. I'm glad I don't suffer with hay fever or asthma. 
And the Australian bush would not be complete without its prolific eucalypts. But they can be a hazard to cyclists when the parrots have had their fun! They just love to nip off the gumnuts and riding over a carpet of these is like trying to ride across marbles.
Then took another the day before we left.
On our return they were blooming.
I wonder what they are!
It started raining about four o'clock, yesterday afternoon. We've waited so long for some decent rain so it was exciting to watch the clouds forming during the morning and the weather front creep in slowly until the rain finally started falling. And yet, it was so still - no wind - the rain just coming straight down.
The birds went berserk! The black cockatoos went crazy up in the tree tops, squawking and flapping about like young children at the local pool on a hot day. Little tiny Silvereyes hopped madly around in the bushes catching insects and the twenty-eights were even noisier than they usually are, informing the world of the change in the weather, no doubt!
The rain washes the dust off the foliage and it darkens the tree bark bringing a new brightness and clarity to the bush scene.
There are bright diamond-like raindrops sitting on the leaves of bushes and trees everywhere, sparkling in the morning sunshine.
Where did these blooms appear from?? I don't think they were there yesterday!
We dig rocks, 
So, naturally, our house is full of rocks.
A variety of colours;
Geometric, 
Carvings;
Translucent, volcanic;
Landscapes,
Favourites,
All from the earth beneath our feet!
