A thankful return

 I really have missed catching up with my fellow bloggers from around the world these past few months - it is my prayer that none of you have been personally impacted (health-wise) by Covid 19 or its variants.

After crossing the Victorian-South Australian border with 3 hours to spare before the border closed again, I am very thankful indeed to have recently returned safely from a 6-week house & cat-sit in the beautiful Victorian region of Gippsland.  It was a very different experience from that of 5 years ago when the same family invited me to care for their cat and home!  Although my exploratory travels were somewhat curtailed by almost 3 weeks of lockdown, when free to do so, my Nikon and I set off to further experience this stunning, green land.  

It must be said, however, that whilst in lockdown, at least the lovely green surrounding countryside was a soothing environment in which to be "incarcerated"!

The following selection was taken in Mt Worth State Park mid-July.

I did not encounter a soul on this hour long walk and the weather was invigorating!
However, the delightful and unexpected appearance of a wallaby just a few metres ahead of me on the edge of the path "made my heart sing" (to borrow the words of a good friend and fellow photographer)!

I am keen to reconnect with my village "family" and friends upon coming out of home quarantine next Sunday :-) . 

More next week . . . .  take care everyone.

Linking up with the dedicated team at Our World Tuesday

Grateful

This post is titled Grateful because I am just that, for all the travel my health, savings and house/pet-sitting opportunities have enabled me to enjoy these past several years.  Given the world's "challenge" with corona virus, the possibility of future trips hangs in the balance.

 Having recently returned from yet another wonderful 4 months on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, thought it was time to share some images from that experience and also get my blog up and running again. (I've missed interacting with you all!)

This trip spanned mid November 2019 to mid March 2020, arriving in Winter and happily leaving behind South Australia's insane 45C temperatures!  

Desolation Sound on mainland British Columbia

(a day trip by ferry across from Vancouver Island)

 Ferry from Powell River across to Vancouver Island

 This cute fellow was spotted by the pier in Sidney
(not far from Victoria, BC's capital city)

 This was typical terrain throughout many Provincial
Park trails I experienced across the mid-island region

and this was dawn captured from the delightful ocean-front property
in my care for 10 weeks (in Bowser)

With grateful thanks too, to the team operating

Our World Tuesday

Praying for your safety and well-being at this uncertain time in history

Gowlland Tod

Taking a trip down memory lane today, recalling a fabulous house exchange on Vancouver Island at the start of 2014 (so apologies if some of you have seen these images previously!)

 

One of my "expeditions" was to Gowlland Tod Provincial Park - the day snow fell in the region

 

 

 

The woodpeckers have been busy!

 

It wasn't until I met up with the Canadian exchangers again last month (during another trip by them to Australia), that I was informed these numbered boxes on poles in the Tod Inlet are actually nesting boxes

Being captivated by contrasts, this blackened log with its covering of greenery, really caught my eye!

 

The Tod Inlet frozen over - a rare sight I was told . . .

 

. . .  and the moss/lichen draping the trunks and branches reminded me of something out of "The Chronicles of Narnia" (or perhaps I just have an over-active imagination!)

 

Aah ....... this little taste of Heaven has "topped me up" for the day, so I'll now link up with

 

Our World Tuesday

 

and pray that you have your own taste of heaven in your part of the world too.

 

(with grateful thanks to our hosts)

After the snow ...

Spotted this fascinating "blossom" within Gowlland Tod Provincial Park on Vancouver Island

(which has subsequently been identified as "clematis vitalbae" - many thanks to fellow blogger, MaryAustria)

... and here the Tod Inlet is frozen over

(a regular visitor to the park who was there on the day commented that she has lived

in the area for more than 20 years and has never seen this occur before)

..some funghi

and a frozen/thawing creek

aahh.... so many delights on which to feast the eyes (and camera lens)!

Linking up (with grateful thanks to the respective hosts) to:

macro monday 2
our world tuesday
Outdoor Wednesday

Veale Gardens

 

A corner of the delightful, relaxing Veale Gardens on South Terrace,
bordering the City's square mile.

I'm off to Canberra to stay with friends and visit the Floriade for a few days.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

(I was going to link up with James' Weekend Reflections, but don't know how to do that in advance, so this will be early or late -
 Perhaps I'll try doing so from my Galaxy Tablet while interstate)

Veale Gardens

Veale Gardens, located in the South Parklands of Adelaide, is home to a large rose garden, several quaint bridges (as shown in last week's post) and this pretty stream meandering through a pretty area for a lunch-time stroll.

Participating in James' Weekend Reflections (thanks James!)

Visit http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/ for reflections from around the world.

Afternoon delight

The ovals where I usually take my Jessie for a walk were both occupied this particular afternoon, so instead we walked through a nearby park.  Although we are supposed to be in Winter and it was late afternoon, it was a glorious day with only a slight crispness in the air.  (The only "down" side was the prickles caught up in Jessie's coat - a small price to pay for this environment!)  (The sunlight and shadows were captured on my Samsung Galaxy S smartphone)