A couple of flowers taken at 'Left of Field' on my walk about.

Yesterday was a very busy day especially in the morning and at 15degC = 59degF a rainy dreary winter's day, I started the washing, commenced making two banana loaves, visitors came, then the plumber.  My father phoned me from the hospital to have a chat. Then more visitors came from South Africa, the first visitors left as sister in law came, and I managed to talk and make my loaves, make a cup of tea all before they left at 1.30pm.  Then immediately I headed to the hospital to visit my dad. There are several car park associated with the hospital and the rate is $1.50 per hour AUD.

So today the renovations are complete, so the cleanup of the house will begin in my spare time.

The daisy growing in the front area of the garden. Photo taken at the weekend.

These wonderful plants have a botanical name that is difficult to pronounce: Schlumbergera. They are epiphytes (plants which depend on others for support, but not nutrition) from the jungles of southeast Brazil, a humid area with high rainfall. In past years, zygocactus were mostly seen with bright cerise pink flowers. However through the efforts of local as well as American and Japanese breeders, a stunning range of flower colours and shapes can be bought.

These photos are of two of my cacti that are in bloom at the moment. These cacti are known also as Christmas Cacti, but here in Australia they bloom towards our winter time, May/June. Can be grown outside in a sheltered area in Southern Australia or cool frosty area, these of mine were grown as an indoor plant.

Wonderful to wake up with the sun shining in the bedroom window, and looking out to the Agapanthus blooming, then looking down to the water lilies in the fish pond.  

A warm day forecast for tomorrow at 37deg C so expect I won't be doing a great deal.

The roses are blooming well as are the lilies. The photo I have below is a common Lilium, they seem to multiply and not die out as other varieties of the Lilium do.

My late mother used to have beautiful Liliums and because they bloomed around Christmas time we called them 'The Christmas Lily'. I do have a photo of them somewhere, but for now a photo of the common one.

I just love this beautiful rose called Nana Mouskouri and named after the singer of the same name. I love her singing also, I can listen to her sing all day, and do.
This particular rose was growing in the front garden till winter time, it's then my husband moved it out to the back rose garden and it's doing very well - as is my husband :)
I have not altered the background or colours in the photo, it comes the way I photographed it, though I did make the photo smaller.

My 89 year old blind dad has been in a Private Hospital in my home city for two weeks and had 2 lots of surgery. I brought him home and stayed with him for two more weeks, then after dad being home for 5 weeks I had to come and get him, a 3 hours journey, and take him back to the Private Hospital for observations for just over a week. We are at his house staying for a few nights, and dad is much improved so back home tomorrow.

Whilst here this time the next door neighbour and my husband have put up a new fence.

The daffodils are just about finished blooming this spring with the days getting warmer along with the nights, and of course spring showers.

I have had my father staying with us this past week, he enjoys the company so he says. Next week I will drive 230 km (round trip) and bring him home to stay again before he goes into the private hospital for a small procedure, then he will come back to my house till he is strong enough, then I take him home again to his house.  I stay with my father for 2 to 3 nights each week if he isn't staying at our house. He is now used to our house as to where things are, but there are several things he can't do due to his blindness.

The photo of the very small daffodil is only sharp in the middle but that is they way I wanted it.

After being away for over a month it's lovely to return home and find some flowers in bloom.
My first Iris for the season, and the last of the daffodils which I put in a vase on the dinning room table.

I have been fiddling with my camera adding Saturation and Sharpening within the camera. I still haven't made up my mind what I exactly prefer as there isn't a great deal of difference on certain subjects, yet on others with different light there is a lot of difference, more so with the Saturation.
Some of the settings that are based in the camera I don't care at all, but I still use to get different effects.  Oh well, I will eventually make up my mind!
PS. These 3 photos have +1 Saturation, Sharpness 6 on the A setting.

I rather like the Sunshine Coast in the State of Queensland, Australia.
Our youngest son lives in the area with his wife and their 3 children, so hence we visit each year if possible.  The photos are of some of the area.

After midnight last evening our visitors went home and I decided to practice taking photos in the near darkness of the daffodils in the vase on the dinning room table. I took many photos and it wasn't easy to choose which one to post.  Having said that the petals are a little too bright, but that depends on the computer screen.
One great thing is the daffodils themselves, so wonderful to see some bulbs coming in bloom in our winter.

This morning I am still taking photos of my daffodils, so below one taken his morning of same daffolids - yes, I am still paracticing.

Amazing for some of our flowers are still blooming from summer time. Then a bulb is blooming rather early for late winter seeing it's just winter today. Then there are those that are supposed to bloom this time of year.

Ravensthorpe is about 542 km south east of the City of Perth in Western Australia.  A small population and lovely wild flowers in the area.  We visited this town well before coming across the Nullarbor and it was wonderful to see some of the flowers, the two types of Banksia and the Red Kangaroo Paws growing in their natural habitat.

Pinda is a very small town not far from Mullewa Western Australia.  It's here in Pinda along a lonely 'Bull Dust' Rd that one will find the Wreath Flower plant in the late winter.  Apparently there are only a couple of places in this world where these plants can be found, Pinda being one.

Whilst staying at my dads house I discovered 'Oil Painting' in Photoshop CS6.
I am always fiddling with something and do most of that in the evening time after my father has gone to bed. So this time I have fiddled with some of my photos, but from a bit of a distance they look nicer.

I really like roses so have attached a few from my garden.  I don't do the garden, my husband does.