Catchup

Where has the time gone again.
We are now into Spring and daylight saving starts today. The garden is coming into bloom everywhere but its been a bit dry. We always get worried when we walk on the grass and it crackles as though it is frosty.



Yesterday, today and tomorrow.





Some of the first roses.

In the last couple of days we have had rain and everything has picked up again. Because of the possibility of further rain I cleaned out all the roof gutters.
While we were at Beckys during the week there was a huge storm in our area. When we got home we had only limited power. All the light circuits were OK but no power outlets worked. I checked out the switch board and found that the earth protection switch could not be reset. By a long process of elimination we found that everything would work until the number two fuse went back in and then the whole lot tripped again.
Extending the elimination process, the fault was traced back to the shed where a junction box was full of water. This sounds quick and easy but the process took many hours. The reason the junction box was full of water was because when I cleaned out the gutters I had knocked a down pipe that runs from one roof to another and the rain discharged through a window crack and down the wall. The moral to this story is, dont clean out the gutters, just let them overflow as normal!!

Paulownia Trees

What, I hear you ask, is a Paulownia tree. The following is taken from an Australian web site.

Paulownia timber is light in weight and colour, yet it is strong, dries easily, has a beautiful grain, does not warp, crack or deform easily. The wood is easy to work with and suitable for the manufacture of furniture, plywood, moldings, doors and many other uses. The leaves and flowers are rich in nitrogen and therefore serve as good fertiliser and fodder. The flowers are colourful and beautiful in spring and the trees
are green and shady in summer. It is fascinating to observe a young Paulownia seedling grow into a tall 'pole' in just a few short months.

In the summer months, given good growing conditions, the plant can reach up to 6 metres or 20 feet high and sometimes higher, depending on the Paulownia Tree species used. It is a known fact, that the tree can reach its fully mature stage in just 8-10 years and can produce up to 1 cubic metre of timber in that time.

Just across the river from home there is a big plantation of these beautiful trees. They are a cash crop. At this time of year they have lovely lilac coloured blossom so we got permission to go into the plantation to take photographs.




Beautiful blossom.


Long avenues.


Alex and Nana looking for a teddy bears picnic......


.....in the woods......


......and they found one of them.






The photographer being photographed.

Sydney Shopping

Di and myself went into the city about the middle of September to catch the end of the Spring Flower displays at David Jones store. They were very impressive as usual.

Red paper Butterflies,





and red paper birds.



After a visit to the DJ's food hall to pick up some of their delicious pork sausages and a few other good food bits and pieces, we wandered across to the Queen Victoria Building for lunch. Lunch wasn't the only reason to visit the QVB. Not only is it one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, but it is also the new home of Hobbyco, the biggest model shop in Sydney!!



Stained glass windows above the entrance on George Street.


Underneath the main central dome.


I wonder where this staircase goes.
I don't often take my camera into the city when on a shopping trip as generally I have a lot to carry, but next time must make a point of doing so and get lots more photographs of this wonderful old building.